Camping - Morro Bay

I've lived in CA for a number of years now and awhile back, I realized that I haven't really taken the time to explore many of the state's hidden treasures. And since life is short, some friends and I decided to venture up the coast for some camping. This adventure led us to Morro Bay, approximately half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco and not too bad of a drive once you leave the city. There is something for everyone, hiking, biking, sailing, kayaking, fishing...but most of all, it's a lovely town to unplug and relax.

During a sunny, yet windy morning beach hike, we missed the easy path back up to the main road.  And while I like a challenge, my friend didn't. Just as we were about to climb the steep hillside to catch up to our group, one of our friends found us and guided us back to a random set of steps, which landed us in someone's well kept rose garden.  The owner knew we missed the turn for the exit, but welcomed us nevertheless.  My guess is that we weren't the first ones to end up there. He was cheery and pleasant as he pruned some bushes.  "Have a good hike!" he called to us.

The California Healey Association had it's 40th Anniversary celebration the weekend of our trip.  It was pretty spectacular to see so many beautiful Austin-Healey automobiles restored to perfection.  Red is my favorite color, so this baby caught my eye pretty quickly.  If I had found the owner, I would have politely asked for a ride around the block.

There is rustic camping and what I call "Glam" camping. Rustic means you're off the beaten path and need to dig a hole for when nature calls.  Glam camping is a campsite that has hot showers.  I've done everything except RV camping. Because we got there in the dark and had a small camp site, we consolidated and used one ginormous tent that had room dividers, so I had my own wing. Thankfully, no one inside snored.

The great thing about Morro Bay is the pace.  Laid back, friendly and quiet.  Just what this city girl needed. To roam and breathe without being plugged into the world.

I love Daniel

I found another new design blog today. His name is Daniel and his blog will literally make snot come out of your nose. His wit and charm are some of the funniest I have read in a long time. DIY projects can be scary, but adding humor like Daniel's will help even the scariest project seem approachable. His projects are pretty terrific for a young college squire. That's right, he's in college. Brains AND talent. Love. Go check out his blog, he's the real deal. Oh, and grab a tissue because snot WILL come out of your nose. You might even go into the "Oprah ugly cry" like I did because he will have you laughing hysterically with his antics.

Scrub a dub dub

We all know I live in a building that has seen better days. It's very old. Very. Old. And the pipes, well, aren't the greatest. So, when you turn on the faucets, the water comes out orange for a second. Light orange, but orange none the less. Rust. Ick. And that can build up fast in the toilet and shower. I got sick of it and took my trusty pumace stone to both. And with a little elbow grease (okay, at lot of elbow grease), I managed to get them looking like new. I'm thrilled with the before and afters. It makes the bathroom feel a lot better because when you have to look at that every day, it can wear you down mentally. Just part of the big bathroom redo I have planned for this year.

Early morning breakfast

French toast. Probably my all time favorite breakfast food. I've had it just about every which way you can think of over the years, but I like how I make it. I don't let the bread sit forever in the egg mixture, because to me, that just makes the bread soggy. Ew. Dip dip and into the frying pan. I like to let the butter brown up a bit in the pan first, that way, it gives the toast an extra bit of flavor that is out of this world.

Here is a photo of just one way I make it. (I normally only have whole wheat bread in the fridge, so that's why it looks so dark in the photo. I didn't burn it.) Cup of coffee and some bananas to complete the meal. The mini marshmallows were a last minute "Huh, didn't know I had those in the pantry!" treat.

Sometimes you have to throw it away.

My lovely serving tray got broken the other day. It was a gift from a friend and had photos of us together in it. I'm pretty bummed. I tried as hard as I could to get the broken glass out to replace it. (Of course, carefully taping it so it wouldn't shatter more or cut me.) But it's held in place by some sort of God-like strength adhesive that I could not remove, cut, pry, scratch or dissolve off. It would not budge. So, I finally gave up and with a sniffle, carefully wrapped it in newspaper, double bagged it and tossed it in the dumpster. So sad. I'm a thrifty girl and love to fix or repair things, but sometimes, it's just better to let it go and move on. Crap.

Love. These. Two.

There are some design websites that I've really come to love. Case in point: Young House Love. This blog is from two of the most adorable people you will ever met, Sherry and John Petersik. (Not that I've met them, but we've traded emails.) They have been blogging and tackling DIY projects for awhile and document ever inch for their loyal readers. It's become a mecca for novice worker bees like myself. If you haven't seen their blog, go check it out. It's crazy good. Seriously.

Us vs. The Sun

Well, the shuttle crew have completed all of their Hubble repair tasks and will release her back into orbit tomorrow, for the last time...ever. *tear* She will be more powerful and allow us to peer 13 billion years back into time. Great work, crew!

While the shuttle was in orbit, NASA snapped a picture of the shuttle and Hubble side by side against the backdrop of the sun (with some cool filters so you don't burn your retinas.) Gives some sort of perspective as to how small we humans really are compared to the massive universe.

Enjoy!
:)