The past few weeks have just flown by... Thank goodness I'm unemployed or I don't know how I would have fit in all the funness.
Santa Monica has some sights to see...
A few weeks ago I had a nice little reunion with my good friend Carla. She and I used to run around together along with a few other girls back when I lived in El Paso before I was married. We were an eclectic group of single gals who all met out at the swimming pool during the day and liked to party hardy at night. But then eventually, one by one we all moved on and lost touch over the years... I figured out that I hadn't seen or talked to Carla since about 2002 and often thought of her and wondered where she had landed. Then a few months back I got a "Friend Request" on my Facebook account and I immediately knew who it was from... Carla!! Long story short, we had a few emails, a few phone calls and then when she told me she was on her way to Australia for a month long trip and would be flying into LAX with a one night layover, I knew we had to meet up, and we did. We spent the day in Santa Monica and driving up the coast to Malibu. We stopped at Gladstone's and had a lovely little lunch by the sea. It was so great to get caught up with her after all these years and laugh about all the old times. I've been enjoying reading her travel blog while she's in Oz. I hope we don't ever lose touch again and that we can be lifelong friends.
Carla and jill enjoying Malibu...
I also spent a weekend down in Temecula with my sister in-law... We went to a lovely concert out at one of the winery's. The weather was perfect, the musicwas very nice, and the wine, oh the wine... it's as if I've found my home each time I go there. As the night progressed the view became even lovelier and the sounds of Benassi were wooing the crowd for sure, but then when they lit up the hot air balloon, I sat there (with my wine glass full) and sighed a big ole' sigh... "This is the life!"
Wien's Winery, Temecula, California...
This past weekend I sort of had a "repeat" of a reunion... Remember how I told you that I had that eclectic little group of gals I used to run around with back in my single days... Well, Facebook struck again!! I'm not kidding, ANOTHER one of those girls I used to know and also had lost touch with right around 2001, found me. Claudia... My good buddy Claudia. She and I were each other's go to gal for long talks about all the boys that we were either dating or trying to get over. Claudia used to laugh at ALL my jokes and made me laugh like nobody else could. We just clicked. Her finding me after all these years actually brought tears to my eyes. I've missed her and actually thought I might not ever find her since the last I heard she had moved back to her hometown in Mexico. Boy, was that info ever wrong!! Claudia actually lives in Beijing. As in CHINA. Blah, Blah, Blah... the story goes that she was traveling back to China after spending her summer back home in Mexico, so she arranged for her flight to come to LAX and spend a night. So back up to LA I went and even though she and I only had an evening to get caught up, boy did we use up each and every minute talking and trying to catch each other up with the 7 years of life. Hers is MUCH more exciting than mine as she has been living and teaching in China for the past 4 years. Very cool. We had a great time driving all around Beverly Hills gawking at the Stars Homes. We actually pulled over and bought one of those maps, and then drove around like stalkers. We had a lovely little dinner at The Hot Oven right in Beverly Hills. I sure didn't want the evening to end... It was great to see her and I hope we too will stay in touch and be lifelong friends. I'm waiting for her to send me some photos from her so I can share with you.
This summer has FLOWN by... and now I can see why!!