No matter how enjoyable a vacation is returning home is always a great feeling. We left San Diego about 7:00 AM, drove north on 15 and went out and around Los Angeles to avoid traffic. We drove up through Bakersfield and cut across on 58 to 5. The Tom-Tom GPS did not know what to make of our cut across and kept trying to route us back north, up 99. It was about an 8 hour drive, with a stop for lunch in Button Willow.
We got back into San Jose and I started the evening with a bowl of cream of chicken soup. I followed it with a hot shower and then a wonderful little conversation with TR, during which I must have said I was glad to be home a dozen times at least. Did I mention that it was good to be home yet? My plan tonight is to stay up long enough to make sure I don't get to sleep too early. If I go to sleep too early, I will definitely wake up too early.
My plan tomorrow is to take the day as slow and easy as possible. I will have to, at some point, make a run on the market for fresh produce and other groceries. I don't have much left in the pantry since I tend to eat my pantry down when I am going on vacation. I had enough for dinner tonight and marginally enough for breakfast tomorrow, but that is about it.
Oh, let me share a little detail with you all. I mentioned before that I had switched to a safety razor. I did not take my safety razor with me when I went on vacation. I took a pack of twin bladed Gillette razors, which I had from before I switched to the safety razor.
They did not do the job. They didn't even come close. After my shower tonight I shaved. So, I am sitting here, clean shaven for the first time in days. Switching to the safety razor was an amazing thing and next time I travel I am going to make sure I take it with me. I am even looking forward to shaving again tomorrow.
Showing posts with label San Diego. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Diego. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
A Wednesday in San Diego
It was a nice first day down here in San Diego. A fairly good nights sleep, with only those interruptions typical of sleeping in a new place. Then, breakfast at Janet's Montana Cafe in Alpine, CA.
From there, we went up to Balboa Park and walked the area, including the Botanical Gardens. I've got a bunch of great pictures from the gardens that I will share a little later. From there, we met Toby for lunch at the Chicken Pie Shop, and then swung over to Town & Country Resort to pick up our badges for the convention.
There was a bit of a line, but in comparison to other lines we're destined to stand in over the weekend, it was nothing - maybe fifteen minutes, all total. From there, a stop at Target to grab some odds and ends, then back to the hotel for a nap, a great conversation with T.R., then out for a simple dinner of chicken noodle soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.
Finally, back to the hotel and settling in for a simple and quiet evening. I am planning on getting a good nights sleep and looking forward to a full convention day tomorrow.
Lately, T.R. and I have been talking about being authentic (in the Buddhist sense). So, that is when my contemplation is turned of late. Questioning whether or not I am an authentic person, questioning what it is I am missing and why. It is an interesting internal question. I don't have any answers tonight, but I am comfortable living in that question.
From there, we went up to Balboa Park and walked the area, including the Botanical Gardens. I've got a bunch of great pictures from the gardens that I will share a little later. From there, we met Toby for lunch at the Chicken Pie Shop, and then swung over to Town & Country Resort to pick up our badges for the convention.
There was a bit of a line, but in comparison to other lines we're destined to stand in over the weekend, it was nothing - maybe fifteen minutes, all total. From there, a stop at Target to grab some odds and ends, then back to the hotel for a nap, a great conversation with T.R., then out for a simple dinner of chicken noodle soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.
Finally, back to the hotel and settling in for a simple and quiet evening. I am planning on getting a good nights sleep and looking forward to a full convention day tomorrow.
Lately, T.R. and I have been talking about being authentic (in the Buddhist sense). So, that is when my contemplation is turned of late. Questioning whether or not I am an authentic person, questioning what it is I am missing and why. It is an interesting internal question. I don't have any answers tonight, but I am comfortable living in that question.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
A Traveling Day
We were a little late getting out of San Jose this morning, but nothing significant. We got rolling about six thirty and then Tony had to stop at Kaiser Permanente, then a quick stop at McDonald's for the dreaded sausage biscuit and OJ, which is actually not bad. From there, we were off - there was a bit of fog as we passed east on 152, but nothing too serious.
By the time we had reached the central valley, the fog vanished and we hopped on 5 South for the bulk of the trip. We made excellent time all the way, including through LA itself. It was one of the fastest and smoothest drives to San Diego that I have ever had.
We stopped at Ricardo's Place in San Juan Capistrano for lunch and the food was truly excellent. The salsa was incredibly fresh and the enchilada's Capistrano I had were incredibly flavorful. I followed it up with the flan which was also excellent. I would highly recommend it if you're in San Juan Capistrano.
From there, it was quick jaunt down into San Diego. Dinner was a bowl of clam chowder soup, followed by about an hours long nap. Then, I had a great conversation with T.R., during which, as usual, we discussed many things and focused, at the end, on the Mind and the Cosmos. It is an interesting thing to be thinking about as the night slides to a close.
The hotel room is nice (we're at the Hilton in Mission Valley), there is a view of the mountain behind the hotel, which is actually a verdant and lively view, so I am enjoying it. The beds look comfortable and I am hoping to get a long and sweet nights sleep. Then, tomorrow, breakfast at Janet's Montana Cafe in Alpine and, hopefully, a quiet and easy day.
Tonight, as I slide into the last part of the evening, I am going to focus on just relaxing, just breathing, and just being.
By the time we had reached the central valley, the fog vanished and we hopped on 5 South for the bulk of the trip. We made excellent time all the way, including through LA itself. It was one of the fastest and smoothest drives to San Diego that I have ever had.
We stopped at Ricardo's Place in San Juan Capistrano for lunch and the food was truly excellent. The salsa was incredibly fresh and the enchilada's Capistrano I had were incredibly flavorful. I followed it up with the flan which was also excellent. I would highly recommend it if you're in San Juan Capistrano.
From there, it was quick jaunt down into San Diego. Dinner was a bowl of clam chowder soup, followed by about an hours long nap. Then, I had a great conversation with T.R., during which, as usual, we discussed many things and focused, at the end, on the Mind and the Cosmos. It is an interesting thing to be thinking about as the night slides to a close.
The hotel room is nice (we're at the Hilton in Mission Valley), there is a view of the mountain behind the hotel, which is actually a verdant and lively view, so I am enjoying it. The beds look comfortable and I am hoping to get a long and sweet nights sleep. Then, tomorrow, breakfast at Janet's Montana Cafe in Alpine and, hopefully, a quiet and easy day.
Tonight, as I slide into the last part of the evening, I am going to focus on just relaxing, just breathing, and just being.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
A Collection of Morning Thoughts
I woke up at 4:45 AM this morning. It was simply beautiful outside. At that hour dawn is only a faint hint on the horizon, everything is very still and quiet, and after our heat wave it is blessedly cool. I lay in bed for a while and contemplated sleeping in, but I found I was already wide awake. I woke up and padded around the house in the semi-darkness and just kind of savored the moment of the morning.
I discovered that at 2:11 AM my Blackberry had locked up. That was the first time it had done that, so I did I forced restart by popping the battery and then putting it back in. I hope that is not a trend, because otherwise I happen to like the Z10. It is a sweet little phone and the only complaint I have is that the ring tones and message tones are on the soft side. Since I usually carry my cell phone in my pocket, I like them to be a bit louder.
A nice hot shower, clean clothes, a cup of coffee, a bowl of Special K and I find myself moving smoothly into the morning. I have three days before I start my two week vacation, which will include my annual pilgrimage to Comic Con in San Diego. I am looking forward to both the two week vacation and trip down to San Diego.
I've got a fair load of work to try and get wrapped up before I depart, but, I am feeling pretty confident that it is going to be a relatively clean vacation. Now, I am sure that, at several points during the vacation I am going to peek into my email just to make sure nothing has totally exploded. I would rather spend a few minutes of my time on vacation then come back to something fully engulfed in a work fire frenzy.
My monkey mind kind of skittered around this morning. I am always amazed at the ability of the mind to pull me out of the moment and off into something that really has nothing to do with me, something I cannot influence, something I did not cause, something that only peripherally effects me because I am aware of it, or because it effects someone I know. My mind really likes to solve puzzles and problems, so I think sometimes when it has none, it will quite happily borrow them or invent them. That is not necessarily a good thing.
Over the weekend I did a lot of cleaning in my living room, basking in the Zen nature of the simple and repetitive tasks, with an end result of a clean, neat and uncluttered living room. I love the feeling when I come into the living room and the clean lines of it inspire me to try and keep the same clean lines in my life.
When you read about simplicity, one of the things you'll read about is that your stuff, your environment, has a direct impact on your mental condition. I find that is very true. When my environment is simple and clean, my mind is simple and clean. It's a great combination. I've mentioned in previous posts that my drive toward simplicity seems to move in waves. I think I am about to enter another wave of simplicity, another wave of minimalism. I am looking forward to it over the upcoming vacation.
I discovered that at 2:11 AM my Blackberry had locked up. That was the first time it had done that, so I did I forced restart by popping the battery and then putting it back in. I hope that is not a trend, because otherwise I happen to like the Z10. It is a sweet little phone and the only complaint I have is that the ring tones and message tones are on the soft side. Since I usually carry my cell phone in my pocket, I like them to be a bit louder.
A nice hot shower, clean clothes, a cup of coffee, a bowl of Special K and I find myself moving smoothly into the morning. I have three days before I start my two week vacation, which will include my annual pilgrimage to Comic Con in San Diego. I am looking forward to both the two week vacation and trip down to San Diego.
I've got a fair load of work to try and get wrapped up before I depart, but, I am feeling pretty confident that it is going to be a relatively clean vacation. Now, I am sure that, at several points during the vacation I am going to peek into my email just to make sure nothing has totally exploded. I would rather spend a few minutes of my time on vacation then come back to something fully engulfed in a work fire frenzy.
My monkey mind kind of skittered around this morning. I am always amazed at the ability of the mind to pull me out of the moment and off into something that really has nothing to do with me, something I cannot influence, something I did not cause, something that only peripherally effects me because I am aware of it, or because it effects someone I know. My mind really likes to solve puzzles and problems, so I think sometimes when it has none, it will quite happily borrow them or invent them. That is not necessarily a good thing.
Over the weekend I did a lot of cleaning in my living room, basking in the Zen nature of the simple and repetitive tasks, with an end result of a clean, neat and uncluttered living room. I love the feeling when I come into the living room and the clean lines of it inspire me to try and keep the same clean lines in my life.
When you read about simplicity, one of the things you'll read about is that your stuff, your environment, has a direct impact on your mental condition. I find that is very true. When my environment is simple and clean, my mind is simple and clean. It's a great combination. I've mentioned in previous posts that my drive toward simplicity seems to move in waves. I think I am about to enter another wave of simplicity, another wave of minimalism. I am looking forward to it over the upcoming vacation.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
A Four Minute Update
I have four minutes before I am going to start walking down the street to grab a quick lunch, so I thought I would fire off a quick note. I’ve made arrangements for my June trip back to South Dakota to visit family over Fathers Day and my mother’s birthday. I’ve made hotel arrangemetns in San Diego (at the Marriott on Coronado Island) for Comic Con weekend (five days, four nights) and I am jazzed about that trip. I have a podiatrist appointment tomorrow and I am very much looking forward to coming off the IPO boot. I finished Christopher Moore’s Sacre Bleu and learned more about painters then I ever knew before. Next up, for fiction, I am going to read “Mocking Jay” and finish up the Hunger Games trilogy. I am nearly finished with Haruki Murakami’s “The Elephant Vanishes” and when I finish there, I plan on diving deeply into IQ84. The unexpected spiritual journey of 2012 continues. I contemplate many things.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Strange Sleep
The first night sleeping in a strange place is always a bit of a challenge. You have to adjust to a new bed, a new pillow, the feel of new sheets and the incidental sounds of both the building and the life that swirls around the building. For a first night, last night was a not a bad night for sleeping in strange places. As always, with a new bed, there is a degree of shifting about to find that comfortable position, that intimate balance shared between your body and your old bed. If you're lucky, you find it quick enough - if not, you may toss and turn until dawn comes. Fortunately, I found that spot fairly quickly.
I am an early riser, so I was awake at 5:00 AM or so and just sort of forced myself to linger in bed, waiting for the day to open up. Around me, outside of the hotel room, I was surprised to hear other people waking and moving about, starting their day. With San Diego being the tourist destination that it is, I am sure some of them were headed out to get an early start on some summer sports for the day - the beach perhaps, or a walk in the mountains, or morning on some unknown vista.
I finally rolled out of the bed, took a nice hot shower (excellent water pressure and temperature by the way - few things can ruin a hotel stay like miserable water pressure and uneven temperatures), shaved, dressed, and made a cup of coffee. At this moment, I am sitting on the red-brick patio in front of the hotel room, drinking my coffee, listening to the morning sounds of San Diego waking up, and watching the hotel staff move about as they prepare to start their days. It is kind of peaceful, if only because the highway sounds like the tumbling of some distant river.
(If you look in the previous entry, you'll see a link to some pictures from the resort - the one with the red brick patio and the white wrought iron furniture is where I am sitting at this very moment.)
The plan today is breakfast at Janet's Montana Cafe in Alpine, about thirty miles to the east. I also mentioned it in yesterdays entry - I am definitely looking forward to it - the times we've been there before the food has been excellent. Then lunch with Tony's friends at one of the local Indian casino's (I think the Barona, unless they plan on driving farther than I think). During the afternoon they've got the satellite badge pick up here at the Town & Country Resort, so we can get our passes to San Diego Comic Con ahead of the maddening crowd. Then, we may or may not go downtown tonight for Preview Night. Right now, we are inclined to, but it will most likely depend on how the day goes.
So, with that quick summary, I am off to start the day - wish me luck!
I am an early riser, so I was awake at 5:00 AM or so and just sort of forced myself to linger in bed, waiting for the day to open up. Around me, outside of the hotel room, I was surprised to hear other people waking and moving about, starting their day. With San Diego being the tourist destination that it is, I am sure some of them were headed out to get an early start on some summer sports for the day - the beach perhaps, or a walk in the mountains, or morning on some unknown vista.
I finally rolled out of the bed, took a nice hot shower (excellent water pressure and temperature by the way - few things can ruin a hotel stay like miserable water pressure and uneven temperatures), shaved, dressed, and made a cup of coffee. At this moment, I am sitting on the red-brick patio in front of the hotel room, drinking my coffee, listening to the morning sounds of San Diego waking up, and watching the hotel staff move about as they prepare to start their days. It is kind of peaceful, if only because the highway sounds like the tumbling of some distant river.
(If you look in the previous entry, you'll see a link to some pictures from the resort - the one with the red brick patio and the white wrought iron furniture is where I am sitting at this very moment.)
The plan today is breakfast at Janet's Montana Cafe in Alpine, about thirty miles to the east. I also mentioned it in yesterdays entry - I am definitely looking forward to it - the times we've been there before the food has been excellent. Then lunch with Tony's friends at one of the local Indian casino's (I think the Barona, unless they plan on driving farther than I think). During the afternoon they've got the satellite badge pick up here at the Town & Country Resort, so we can get our passes to San Diego Comic Con ahead of the maddening crowd. Then, we may or may not go downtown tonight for Preview Night. Right now, we are inclined to, but it will most likely depend on how the day goes.
So, with that quick summary, I am off to start the day - wish me luck!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
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