In the life of Sarah: January 2007

Trip to Santa Catalina Island for the weekend?!

By Wednesday I had decided that I wanted to take a trip to Catalina Island for the weekend.

Wow - I have the coolest job ever.

I rented a small cottage (1 bdrm house) two blocks from the ocean:

I will post more shortly (as we're only at day one... and we're currently up to the "Pre-Blog" of being on Catalina... but I am tired of blogging... and it won't save more than this at a time.) I will write an update in a day or so.

Love you!

Santa Monica 1/15/07

This is where I spend most of my time:

I got into Pasadena on Sunday 1/14 and decided to have an adventurous two weeks. It started on Tuesday with a trip to the doctor in... Santa Monica!

Not only did I book a doctor's appointment ONLINE (very cool) - but I got to go to Santa Monica and walk on the pier!

It was a wonderful evening with beautiful sights:

good food, good people... and a Lakers game!

Update (Pre-Blogging)

Forward:
I didn't bring the attachment for my camera, so the pictures will have to wait

I flew into LA on 1/14 and have been working in Pasadena again this week. I am really enjoying my work, and with any new position, I'm figuring out day to day how to do it better. I have gone on many adventures this past week, including the decision to stay in So Cal thru the weekend to be able to experience a little more than usual.

I went to Santa Monica on Monday, arriving at sunset, and was able to walk down and around the pier. I had dinner on the 3rd Street Promanade and met four Austrailian Security men while watching the LA Laker game.

By Wednesday I was figuring out what to do over the weekend, and by going online I found Catalina Island. More on this in a moment.

Thursday was Blues at Red White and Bluezz and I met a writer for Associated Press and a movie producer (I think he said Splash, 25th Hour, and Toy Story).

Friday I left work at 2pm and drove an hour south to San Pedro. I caught the Catalina Express (kind of like the Victoria Clipper) and boated 26 miles to Catalina Island where I had found a house to rent 2 blocks from the beach.

It's now Saturday morning at 1052am... I'm sitting on the front porch of my house, I just ate my eggs on toast and I'm drinking my coffee. The town I'm in is called Avalon, and it's the more populated of the two towns on the island. Everyone here owns a golf cart to get around, not a car... and it's pretty funny to see the different kinds of golf carts... there are even some golf trucks.

I'm going to take a 2 hour tour of the island today up to the airport. It's a very mountainous island, there are wild buffalo, and lots of birds I've never seen before. Today is cloudy and about 55 degrees, but it's SO beautiful.

I could see all of the stars last night, and I honestly felt when I got off the boat that I had found where I was supposed to be.

Here are a few links for a sneak peek:

www.catalina.com
www.catalinaexpress.com
http://www.beachrealtyoncatalina.com/rental_detail.asp?property_id=57

Love you all,

Sarah
I have (and will) take many many pictures...

Pasadena 1/7 - 1/11

Alright... to get caught up. As of this moment, my understanding is that I'm in the LA area thru January, so on Sunday 1/7 I flew back. This time to switch things up, I flew into LAX, rented a car thru Thrifty (it was okay..) but I got a really cool car!!

I stayed a mile away from my office in

Pasadena, which was o-so conveinent... and this is the view from my hotel room:

I went out on Wednesday after work... and this was the sunset:

My drive between Ontario and Pasadena is on the...

And with no travel

(flight) drama on this trip, I was back on the road Thursday night to LAX, where I actually caught an early flight home!

This is a view of downtown LA in my review mirror:

I'll post more in a few weeks because... I'm staying down in California 1/14 - 1/26. Pretty fun... who knows what trouble I'll get myself into when I have daylight to do stuff :)

Love you guys...

Sarah

Pasadena continued 1/4 - 1/6

So... I was in "Old Pasadena" on Thursday night at Red, White and Bluez

z to check out some blues. It was a fantastic evening with great music and good people... and the "ambiance" was great :)

I left there and headed back to my hotel downtown...

I got up Friday morning with the assumption that I was going home that evening... but the

wind had a different story to tell.

I got to the airport and once I got out of the shuttle bus from the rental car lot... I literally could lean into the 75 mph wind and not fall over.

All of the flights out of the LA area (LAX included!) were cancelled and rebooked for the next day.

So... I took a few pictures

:)

Once I got to my hotel for the night... what was there to do, but take a night windy swim in the hotel pool.

It was great. The sky was clear and no one was there but me... and four Mormon boys that sold security systems (?!)

I finally got home on Saturday morning to the wonderful smile of Marissa Ferris.

The "Ultimate Reiman Mover" moves Reimans from apartment to apartment, and also from the airport to home. Amazing. Truely.

I slept at home for a night, and was back at the airport Sunday at 4pm back to Pasadena... this time, I went thru LAX. ADVENTURE!!

Pasadena 1/2 - 1/5/07 (and then Saturday 1/6)

I was back on the road in California on Tuesday 1/2 - a day of traveling for Josh (who is now safely in Gurgoan, India) and Tim Carlberg (who is back safely in London, England).

My direct flight was cancelled at 6am... and I was re-directed thru Portland and finally ended up in California at 2pm. Yes, I still love the airport.

I took these as I got into my car (parked on the top of the parking garage at my office in Pasadena) - what a beautiful evening!

I booked a hotel closer to Pasadena this time... in downtown LA. It is really fun to have an adventure everytime I go somewhere!

The drivers I've found in California go REALLY FAST. Not just Sarah fast, because people continue to pass me, even when I'm going Sarah Speed.

Here is some video on my way into LA for the first time:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3692179581333685475

Once I got in.. I found the Downtown LA Sheraton and a amazing view from the 14th floor.

To give you a better idea, I took some video. Please note that it was beautiful... he he he http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8333972256149000137

On Wednesday, I headed into Old Pasadena, which I had heard was pretty neat.. and it was! I found my new favorite restaurant/jazz & blues lounge called Red White & Bluezz

I made some new friends... one is part owner of the fine establishment (Brian) and the other is his best friend (Allison).

There are a few subnotes that have to be included. Allison actually attended Jamey Foxx's birthday party (!) and Brian was going to meet Will Smith on Saturday 1/6 - wow!

What I loved about this place was the amazing food and the people. They are both original... and I've found that's hard to find. There is also live blues & jazz on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.. so I made a promise to come back the next night for the Knot Brothers.

I headed back to LA about 8pm... and I had to take video of my drive on the 110 heading south into LA. It's the curviest highway I've ever been on, and even then, people were passing me with a vengance.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7516411421117886895

On Thursday I actually took a lunch from work, and went to sit outside on Lake Avenue... I got to sit outside for lunch!!

Not that it's that warm (about 65 degrees)... but it's sunny and I had to take advantage.

After work, I was headed back to my Red White and Bluezz for blues and jazz night... and some more good food.

Continued... San Diego (and the beach!)

When I got to Carina's apartment - I found something I had only seen in pictures... and I had to try it out:

Once we got to dinner at PaneVino...

Peiro was our Italian waiter... and he had THE BEST accent! I had to try it out, but I just came off as American trying to do an awful Italian' accentee'

You have to visit the Gas Lamp district if you're ever in San Diego!