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monkeybardIf you don't know, I was in San Diego from Thursday to Sunday visiting my friend, the lovely and charming Ryalin. We had a busy and fantastic time! Here are a few highlights:
And that's it. I'm home. The laundry is done and put away. I'm catching up on email and other necessities of life. Like lunch. It's definitely time for lunch.
Ta!
I arrived on Thursday around lunch time. This was the least-scheduled of our days together. We picked up my case from baggage claim and headed out. After a quick stop at the store, we went to her place and hung out for a while. Ry took me to a lake near her that is really pretty. It's about five miles around, but since 9/11 you can't actually circumnavigate it. There's a dam at one end so it's been closed off. We strolled for a while, enjoying sun and breeze, before turning back to the car. Then we fed the ducks--and a few fleet-footed squirels, one less-than-smart goose, and an opportunistic sea gull. Much fun! I haven't fed ducks in ages, and I think we all know how much I love ducks. :D
That evening when Ry's hubby came home and her friend Ivana came over, we all headed out to a fabu little Greek restaurant called Yanni's. Ivana brought her own wine, and it was excellent. Apparently she has quite the collection, so ordering out is just silly. She simply brings her own and pays the corking fee. Quite smart, IMO. This was the first time I'd gotten to meet Ivana, and she definitely lived up to Ry's praise of her. Very cool!
That evening when Ry's hubby came home and her friend Ivana came over, we all headed out to a fabu little Greek restaurant called Yanni's. Ivana brought her own wine, and it was excellent. Apparently she has quite the collection, so ordering out is just silly. She simply brings her own and pays the corking fee. Quite smart, IMO. This was the first time I'd gotten to meet Ivana, and she definitely lived up to Ry's praise of her. Very cool!
Friday was a day for Doctor Who and Wild Animals. We popped over to Raven and Kilna's to nibble bagels and watch a little of CE's Doctor, and some random scenes from a great Brit-Com called Spaced. I'd not heard of it, but from what I saw the other day I'd love it. Then Ry and I headed off to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. I've been to the San Diego Zoo a few times, but not the Wild Animal Park. It was very cool and different from the zoo. And it was blessedly light on crowds that afternoon. Friday afternoon and too late in the day for school groups. It was ideal.
We took the Wgasa Line tram tour, which was cool. After dining on soft-serve ice cream, we continued our tour on foot. We strolled around the park snapping pics like mad. I got some really good ones and some entirely useless ones--but that's to be expected.
On the way back we stopped at the Orfila Winery and shared a tasting. Ry and I fell instantly in love with the White Riesling and the "Gold Rush" Zinfandel. The Gewerztraminer was also excellent, as was the Muscat. Frankly, nothing was bad although we both found the Viogier a bit sharp for our tastes. I bought two bottles of the riesling and one of the zin. I'm happy to say that both arrived home undamaged. I'm looking forward to sharing them with Nordic Boy.
We spent the evening watch the baseball game (San Diego at Seattle) on telly and eating ballpark food--oh, and drinking one of those bottles of riesling that I mentioned. Yum! (I ate too much, but it was still fun.) It was fascinating to me to listen to someone else's announcers. Very different. I appreciated that they gave the Ms props where they were due. We get shafted by so much of the nation's sports press that it was really nice to hear someone say nice things about my boys. I will tell you all, though, that no one calls a game like our guys. There were several home runs over that three-game series, and I heard not one "Fly, fly away!" or "Good-bye, baseball!" from SD's announcers. I think Dave Niehouse needs to offer courses in how to properly call baseball. He is, as far as I can determine, the best in the business.
Oh. We swpet the series. :D (Sorry, Ry!)
We took the Wgasa Line tram tour, which was cool. After dining on soft-serve ice cream, we continued our tour on foot. We strolled around the park snapping pics like mad. I got some really good ones and some entirely useless ones--but that's to be expected.
On the way back we stopped at the Orfila Winery and shared a tasting. Ry and I fell instantly in love with the White Riesling and the "Gold Rush" Zinfandel. The Gewerztraminer was also excellent, as was the Muscat. Frankly, nothing was bad although we both found the Viogier a bit sharp for our tastes. I bought two bottles of the riesling and one of the zin. I'm happy to say that both arrived home undamaged. I'm looking forward to sharing them with Nordic Boy.
We spent the evening watch the baseball game (San Diego at Seattle) on telly and eating ballpark food--oh, and drinking one of those bottles of riesling that I mentioned. Yum! (I ate too much, but it was still fun.) It was fascinating to me to listen to someone else's announcers. Very different. I appreciated that they gave the Ms props where they were due. We get shafted by so much of the nation's sports press that it was really nice to hear someone say nice things about my boys. I will tell you all, though, that no one calls a game like our guys. There were several home runs over that three-game series, and I heard not one "Fly, fly away!" or "Good-bye, baseball!" from SD's announcers. I think Dave Niehouse needs to offer courses in how to properly call baseball. He is, as far as I can determine, the best in the business.
Oh. We swpet the series. :D (Sorry, Ry!)
Saturday was set aside for the huge Southern California Renaissance Faire. OMG! It was huge! And crowded! And hot. I didn't take many pictures because there was just too much to see and take in. I loved that it's not just food vendors and artisans. There were several stages with a wide variety of shows. (We watched The Bold and Stupid Men Show. Hilarious! Very Bold! Very Stupid! ;D ) There were carnival style booths where you could try your hand at archery, axe and javelin throwing, and fencing. There were at least two rides, both powered by burly men rather than mechanically--two giant rocking horses and a pirate galleon ride. Awsome! Oh! And there was a Maypole Carousel sort of thingy.
I'm proud to say I kept my purchasing well controlled and only bought a dried-flower garland, which I left at Ry's for next time, and a pewter necklace with green stones. And a rootbeer float--very ren. ;) I could have done so much more damage, but I wisely left the credit card behind and brought only the debit card.
Oh. Ry made me talk in an Irish accent all day. Such a trial. ;D
After an exhausting but fun day, we headed home to San Diego. Once we'd changed out of sweaty faire garb, we and Ry's hubby went to dinner at On the Border. Do you know it? Well yummy and not unreasonably priced. The sangria slushy was a little slurp of heaven.
We watched more baseball after dinner, but when it was something like 6-0 Ms in the 7th, I agreed that I didn't need to subject Ry to more of her team losing. Instead we watched more Doctor Who. :D
I'm proud to say I kept my purchasing well controlled and only bought a dried-flower garland, which I left at Ry's for next time, and a pewter necklace with green stones. And a rootbeer float--very ren. ;) I could have done so much more damage, but I wisely left the credit card behind and brought only the debit card.
Oh. Ry made me talk in an Irish accent all day. Such a trial. ;D
After an exhausting but fun day, we headed home to San Diego. Once we'd changed out of sweaty faire garb, we and Ry's hubby went to dinner at On the Border. Do you know it? Well yummy and not unreasonably priced. The sangria slushy was a little slurp of heaven.
We watched more baseball after dinner, but when it was something like 6-0 Ms in the 7th, I agreed that I didn't need to subject Ry to more of her team losing. Instead we watched more Doctor Who. :D
Then Sunday, the day of departure, arrived. After a leisurely morning, we met up with Raven and Kilna again, this time for dim sum at an amazing restaurant. Emerald something. It's bizarre to me that so many yummy gems of restaurants in San Diego are located in what to my Pacific Northwest mind are really clusters of strip malls. I would expect a place like Yanni's to be tucked into a neighbourhood like independent restaurants are around here. In fact, if Yanni's wanted to take over the old Shamiana space down the hill, I'd be ecstatic. :D I know it's simply a difference in the way they build there--they still have room to build, basically--but it's weird.
From lunch, which was huge and delicious and cheap, it was off to the airport. I said good-bye to Ry and went to check in. My flight was delayed by 1.25 hours before I walked in the door, but it could have been worse. I could have been in the Burbank airport. ::shudder:: Once we were finally loaded onto our plane, it was a quick and uneventful flight home. I was so glad, because with the number of small children on board it could have been dire. Fortunately they were all apparently drugged into sleep because I heard nothing the whole flight.
From lunch, which was huge and delicious and cheap, it was off to the airport. I said good-bye to Ry and went to check in. My flight was delayed by 1.25 hours before I walked in the door, but it could have been worse. I could have been in the Burbank airport. ::shudder:: Once we were finally loaded onto our plane, it was a quick and uneventful flight home. I was so glad, because with the number of small children on board it could have been dire. Fortunately they were all apparently drugged into sleep because I heard nothing the whole flight.
And that's it. I'm home. The laundry is done and put away. I'm catching up on email and other necessities of life. Like lunch. It's definitely time for lunch.
Ta!
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Date: 2006-05-24 08:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-24 08:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-26 04:52 am (UTC)BTW, love the pic of the "new you". ;-D
no subject
Date: 2006-05-26 04:58 am (UTC)