Smorgasborg Update Thingy

Oh good lord - this moving stuff is tough work! Seems like its been way too long since I've had a chance to actually sit down and write. The hard part being, I really want to write (and come up with some decent stuff in my mind - then again, I'm not objective), but the time thingy just hasn't worked out in my favor.

And yes, I did mean "thingy". "Thingy" has become a new word in mine and Nathaniel's vocabulary. It's just easier, I think. Or perhaps we're too tired to say what we mean, and have thus eliminated complex phrases from our vocabulary.

Curious? Glad you asked. Here's a few examples:

"Can you pass the coffee thingy my way?" (In reference to the coffee filter).

"Put the screw thingy in that hole and maybe we can get the futon together..." (It took a bit of time, but the futon was put together).

"I need an orange thingy for the fruit salad. And a green thingy as well." (Still have no idea for the proper names of the fruit I got at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. They're all still "thingys").

"Where does the towel thingy go?" (Meaning the towel rack, of course!)

Suffice to say, I love Southern California. I feel like I was meant to be here: the ocean is beautiful, the weather is perfect, the shops, markets, used bookstore, fill-in-the-blank-with-whatever-you-want are all amazing. And while unpacking has been a pain in the rear, Nathaniel and I have managed to keep busy with other stuff as well.

Fun thingys, if you may.

So with that, I present The Top 10 Thingys I've done in California (since moving here a little over a week ago)! In no particular order...

10) Farmer's Market! The produce is wonderful, people are really nice, and a cute Italian guy tried to sell me lots of Sun Dried Tomatoes. Originally I was only going for the "small pack" thingy. He wanted me to buy the large one for an additional $8. He was very persuasive. Instead I settled for an anti-pasta tray thingy, and he seemed happy. Flirting was ceased after I made my purchase, though. Next time I'll go for the small thingy of SD tomatoes and leave it at that.

9) Master's Swimming. I love Carlsbad High Masters! I am SO not in the fast lane, but I try hard and can tell that I'm getting faster and stronger in the pool. I have NEVER spent so much time swimming right on base pace. After every session, I can feel my lat thingys and other parts of my arms ache in an oddly satisfying sort of way... But my lane mates buddies are awesome and we trade leading quite a bit. I'm already flirting with the possibility of moving up one lane, but can't stomach the idea of swimming that fast for a base pace in a metered pool. We'll see though...

8) Walking to The Village and stopping for coffee at the booth in the train depot. A few days ago, Nathaniel and I got up really early to walk along the beach. It was fantastic! We brought coffee from home and walked hand-in-hand next to the sea wall. Halfway through our walk, we ran out of coffee. It was almost a moment of panic, but not quite. We ended up finding a coffee thingy at the train depot, and chatted with the owners for a few minutes. I went for the pumpkin spice latte thingy, while Nate went for Plain Black Coffee. Seriously - you can't loose!

7) The Hot Tub! We've got one in the back courtyard, and I've taken full advantage of it nearly every day. I know, I know - if anything I should be in an ice bath. But seriously - ice bath vs hot tub thingy. What would YOU do. Thought so. Goes to show that I'm only human. Besides, it's still the off season and it's not like I'm doing anything that requires an ice bath.

6) Ocean watching! I will never stop gazing out at the water. Maybe its because I grew up in Minnesota and never spent much time at The Beach. But I love the Pacific, I love the waves, I love watching the surfers, spotting dolphins, and looking for Unmentionables With Really Really Big Teeth Thingys. (They ARE there!)

5) Bike rides with friends! I have met some fantastic people through this blog, and I feel so fortunate! Biking (and running) with Lisa Roo was great. And last weekend I took a tour of Elfin Forest with Shannon and her friends. The ride was awesome, and this time I didn't cry while riding through the forest thingy. (Last time with Swamis back in March, I did. Let's just say that watching a group of really fast guys pull away at Mach 1 while you are biking at your top speed-but-getting-left-in-the-dust isn't all that great for morale. But Liz was proud of me, and I was proud that I didn't chuck my bike over a ledge thingy). The group that I went with was great - we even stopped for coffee! Coffee!!

4) Rowing on Mission Bay. Yes, I rowed! For the first time in 5 years!! Our Realtor and friend Pete took me out in a double shell thingy (two-person boat, and both people have two oars, hence sculling. A two person boat where the rowers have one oar a piece is called a pair. Throw in a coxswain thingy and you've go a coxed pair). It was fantastic to be back in a boat, feeling the pull of the water on the blades, hearing the bubbles rush past under the gunwales, listening to the whoosh of the blades as they turn from feathered to square right before the catch. Luckily we didn't flip, and I got a great tour of Mission Bay. Lots of islands, bright blue water, and I have a feeling that I'll be back to row sometime in the near future...

3) Hot Yoga! I never thought I would be into the yoga thingy. BUT... I've gone three times, and have loved it each and every time. For an off-season activity, it's great. AND, no ITB or hamstring or glue OR calf pain. So extra bonus. Yes, I sweat an abnormal amount and can't do half the poses. But I'm getting better. Just the other day, I managed to get my legs over my head and have my toes touch the floor while laying on my back, something I haven't been able to do since childhood. Was I graceful? Absolutely not. But I still did it. I'm sure the instructor has a field day with my limited flexibility. But I'm getting better. A work in progress, lets just say.

2) Mount Palomar. Yes, another incredible day in the saddle thingy. Yesterday I rode up Mt. Palomar, and lived to tell the tale. I could devote an entire blog post to what I learned, what I experienced. And I will. No - this time I didn't get passed by butterflies, only gnats and little pesky fly thingys. The worst part? I couldn't swat them away because I was gripping my handlebars so much during the climb. The sad part - they were going faster than me. The ride was beautiful, breathtaking, and I feel that I'm truly putting old ghosts to rest. The best part? Reaching the top and eating fig newtons. Ah yes, I'm a gal of simple pleasure thingys.

1)Mom and Dad! YES - they are IN TOWN!! A few months ago, they decided to spend their 30th Wedding Anniversary in San Diego. When Dad was here to help me after my crash, he fell in love with the hotel we stayed at. So they're spending one night in the hotel, and the rest of the time with us. By the luck of the draw, we happened to arrive right before their anniversary celebration thingy. It is absolutely wonderful to see them, to spend time together, and to explore the area together. Speaking of which, today we're going to a Mission Thingy...

And with that, I'm off - for my run thingy. I'm supposed to head for the hills, but I may just opt for the beach instead. I've had enough hills to last for weeks, after yesterday. But alas, there's no escaping them. They are everywhere here in Southern California. And in the long run, that's really not all that bad.