Ever Have One of Those Days?

The photo below is one of several from this ever crazy day, but it captures the fact that I was going to be in way TOO deep a couple of Fridays ago. 

So most of Orange County experienced the crazy down pour for a solid three or four hours on this Friday, but I really got to experience it. 

Grae and I were still house-sitting on Friday and I had been working from this house all week, but I needed to go into the office on Friday to ship out a couple items and take care of some things that I could only do there. I had planned on taking "lunch" at noon, but because of a lot of changes at work I ended up knocking off around one. I knew I needed to walk the dogs before I left and it was only sprinkling at this point. I had just finished getting ready (with the exception of putting on makeup, I figured there was a chance I would get sprinkled on so what was the point, I'd have a few minutes when I got back in). 

The girls (Maui and Cali; two very beautiful boxers), got around the corner and that is when I saw it, the "wall of rain" I was standing under dry sky and suddenly we were getting pelted with golf ball size rain drops. They freaked out and started pulling every direction, when I finally got them composed a bit we bolted down the back alley and into the back way of the house. At this point it was too late, I was soaked all the way through; sweater, t-shirt, socks, shoes, the water mark on my jeans is up to my knees. I told Graeme it was one of the craziest weather experiences I have ever had, just because I watched it coming right at me. 

After laughing at the fact that I just had taken a shower, I changed, put my makeup on for the first time (smart me! ha!) and headed out the door. Instead of going straight to the office, I went to our apartment to grab my rain boots, just so I wouldn't have to bother with getting my feet soaked again. 

Made it to the office with all my belongings in a trash bag, just because I didn't want to have everything soaked through by the time I walked in the door. I got set up, managed to tackle more than I thought, but mid way through I discovered that my recycling under my desk was gone. Now, I know that sounds funny, but over the last three years I have kept a box neatly hidden away so it doesn't make my desk look cluttered or like I am the local dump. No one seemed to notice anyone taking my bottles out of the box; I thought it was strange, but I let it go and finished working on my projects. Just as I was getting ready to leave one of my co-workers told me to check my email, because she knew where my recycling had gone. Then I hear one of my friends over our cube wall exclaim out that her month's worth of recycling was gone too. 

In short, our company took our recycling because it was not within the ethics of cube cleanliness. If we want to recycle we must take it home each day. They explained there were protocols for this and that from here on out our janitorial staff would be taking our recycling if we did not take it each not. Because of our "social networking" age, I won't get into the nitty gritty details of how this made me feel; the fact of taking before informing. The fact that there are an abundance of policies to keep up with sometimes it is hard to keep up and know what it the most up to date. What is done is done, but it only added to this never ending day. 

I finally left work around 5:30 and did I mention I started around 6:45 that morning? It was a Friday that felt like a Monday. Graeme and I ended up making pizza, having wine, and eating donut holes for dessert; all in all it was a great way to end the day with my best friend! 

A Stroll Down Huntington Beach

Last week Graeme and I were house-sitting in Huntington Beach and with such a great location we couldn't miss out on a couple walks down to the beach. This was Monday night, a beautiful crisp evening where we found a sand castle, a nice jogger who offered to take our picture, and where we spent 20 minutes waiting for a wave to come up close enough to our sand drawing so we could capture it :)

Beautiful sunset; I truly do love where we live.

The photo that took 20 minutes to capture. Graeme practically ran back when he saw a wave coming to get this. 

Part of the sand castle we found

Someone put some real time and effort into this sand castle, it was pretty elaborate too with little bridges leading to other parts of the castle. 

This has over time become a classic photo for us as a reminder of the places we have stood together.

It was nice to disconnect from a Monday and go for a walk together in one of my favorite places. I love the ocean and I have told Graeme many times we either have to live on the East Coast, West Coast, or move back to New Zealand :)

Risk Taking

Yesterday was a lovely day in Southern California. A close friend and I adventured up to Malibu to explore the Getty Villa, it recently opened up after over a decade of renovations, and both of us had been meaning to go for quite some time. It is by far much more smaller than the Getty itself, but still quite a beautiful place to explore. 

On our way up we were talking about her latest adventure of applying to grad schools and moving to LA. She was telling me a story about a mutual friend of ours from college that had been laid off from her dream job, didn't have a job for about 6 months, decided to move over to Ethiopia to teach. After being there for only a couple weeks (her commitment was for a year) she got an email letting her know that the man who had taken her role and his on was leaving and if she wanted the job it was hers (however they hadn't received his actual resignation) so in faith she booked a one way ticket home believing the job would be hers. Sitting in the airport she received an email saying that he had formally resigned and the job was hers. She had a wonderful 14 hours reflecting on the fact that she had stepped out in faith and was coming home to her dream job. 

My friend and I talked about sometimes we have to make choices (for our benefit) that may in turn make our season of life a bit harder to begin with,  but ultimately the "reward" is completely worth it. My friend is at that place, where moving to LA is going to make her life a little bit harder, but in the end it is going to make what she wants that much easier. For me, I haven't even quite begun to know what my next steps are. I know my next steps are going to take research and that no one is going to give me the answer. So, maybe this is my hard transitional season. The part that is difficult before it gets better. I am not entirely sure. 

I really enjoy feminine style movies (as some would say...chick flicks). One of my favorites to get lost in, do house work to, or just have on as I am working on a project is Under the Tuscan Sun. My life isn't at a tragic crossroads, but its definitely at a crossroads and I am definitely having my little break down moments with family and Grae; and I couldn't ask for better people to expose myself to in such a way. They are all so patient and understanding. Knowing that I have to figure this one out on my own and that they can't provide the answers or the roadmap, but the support as I figure it out. 

Now begins the research and attempts at taking the hard road in order to find the good road.