The usual excuses and good intentions.

Whenever life is busiest and full of moments I want to write down here to remember, I never have time to actually do it. It always goes that way right?

Since I last blogged some of our adventures in LA, we went home for my nephew's christening. I started a new tattoo. Two of my best friends came to visit. I got into grad school. We went on a beyond incredible road trip around the Pacific Northwest. Both of my best friends in California moved away. We actually checked a lot of stuff off the California Bucket List.

We are moving NEXT month. It's so surreal. We won't be California Callahans anymore. (I feel like I should change the blog name and start afresh. What do you think?) When I started the blog, we were in the midst of moving from Hawaii to California, and now we're moving back to Massachusetts. Have we come full circle?

 I have a lot of mixed emotions about the whole thing. I can't wait to be close to family, but I don't feel like home is home anymore. Anyone know what I'm saying? But at the same time I can't see us settling anywhere else.

Anyway, as usual, I'm trying to start again with good intentions to recap some of those adventures and then record our adventures in real time. We have some pretty exciting ones coming up! We'll see if I can actually follow through.

 

But I do want your input/advice/opinions on something. We will be driving cross country for about a month (!!!) and we have our basic route planned out. This was our tentative route a couple months ago, we've since made some changes - one being going to four corners and arches after Colorado, another being a stop in Sedona - but does anyone have places we must NOT miss that are not too far off this route? Places that might be overrated? There are some places I've discovered in my research that I just cannot believe aren't like world famous. So I know there's places I haven't discovered that I'll be sad I missed out on after the fact!

I can't wait to tell you guys about the Pacific Northwest. Obsessed. If any of you live there, I am ridiculously envious of you.

The Huntington Library.

Ohhhh my gosh. I haven't had like 11 seconds to myself over the past week. Sorry for ditching ya!

Okay, so. To finish the day we spent in LA like two weeks ago. After The Griddle Cafe and the Rose Bowl flea we went to Huntington Library. I just like gardens and pretty art and architecture so that's why I wanted to go. I feel like this place was the best find ever, SO underrated! I was so pleasantly surprised about how beautiful it was! It was really dreary and pretty miserably cold (by California standards) but we still had the best time.

 

I loved the Japanese garden and the desert garden, but my favorite part was probably this exhibit we just happened to stumble upon called Beauty in Science and it was just full of beautiful images created through scientific research. I was especially obsessed with the seahorse and praying skeleton but I would totally hang them all in my house. And I just love the light bulbs.

 

The actual library was closed, which was a sad day. Below were the only books I got a glimpse of in one of the studies. 

If you are in the area please don't skip the Huntington Library. I kind of hate LA but I really like Pasadena and the surrounding area. It kind of makes me wish we spent more time up there when we first moved here. Ya think you have time.

Scenes from the Rose Bowl flea.

I had heard such mixed reviews about the Rose Bowl Flea Market but I decided we should go anyway. I LOVED it. Compared to the Long Beach Antique Market, there's definite pros and cons. Long Beach is more organized and easier to navigate, but I actually thought it had a lot more junk. There were a lot more organized booths set up like storefronts at the Rose Bowl, but with that usually comes a higher price. We walked around for hours and didn't even hit all the booths. 

There are a few things I wish I had bought, but it's so hard for me to make any purchases because I have no idea where I/we will be living in a few months, and we won't be somewhere long term for a couple years. I hate thinking of pretty purchases potentially sitting in storage. But flea markets are just so fun to walk around, for the people watching if nothing else. I just wanna check out the Melrose Trading Post for jewelry and music, and then I'll have all the flea markets checked off my bucket list! 

Some things worth noting:

Yes, they give you change in $2 bills when you pay your admission fee.

I loved that desk. We WILL be doing that to a desk someday. 

Yes, that is Matt eating a burrito. Not even 3 hours after we ate breakfast. Someone please explain why I'm the chubby one in this marriage.

I have every intention of making my own marquee lights now.

The last picture is actually the only item we bought. Antlers! Mostly Matt wanted them. Maybe he can hang them on the wall when he moves back into the barracks. Ha!

The Griddle Cafe.

Today was definitely a Monday. Anyone else? My brain and my body are basically past the point of functioning properly right now, so sorry if this post sounds jumbled.

Yesterday we spent the day up in the LA area. I've heard about The Griddle Cafe a million times and since we are both big breakfast lovers, I really wanted to try it before we move away. I heard the wait can be hours long here, so we left the house around 6:30 to get there right when it opened at 8:00 (which is why I look so, so rough in the picture, ha!). Sure enough, there was a line of people waiting outside when we got there, but we didn't have to wait too long to be seated.

They are known for all of their super sweet breakfast foods like oreo-stuffed pancakes, red velvet pancakes, and graham cracker-crusted, cheesecake-topped french toast. Matt was his usual boring self (kidding, kind of...) and ordered plain pancakes which they call Good Ol' Fashioned. They were HUGE as you can see but so, so delicious. But I basically went against everything I believe in and ordered the Caballero which is a GIANT breakfast burrito. IT WAS SO GOOD. I can't stop thinking about it. I need to try to recreate it I think in a much smaller portion I think.

We actually just split both of the plates, which I think is totally the way to go so you get both sweet and savory. I'm kind of embarrassed at how much we actually ate. We completely annihilated the burrito and you can see we almost finished off those pancakes. I don't know if you can actually tell but the pancakes are like a foot across. We started eating at like 8:20 and I didn't eat again until 4:30 in the afternoon. That's how much I consumed. So gross but so good, and a perfect way to start off the day.

I want to try really hard to stay up until 9:00 tonight to watch The Following but I don't think I'm gonna make it. Hopefully your case of the Mondays isn't as bad as mine. Thank GOD for a short week and a long weekend!

Things I want for Valentine's Day. But not really.

I love Valentine's Day. I think a day meant especially for celebrating love and showing people we care is fabulous. But I'm not into the commercialization of it (is anyone?) so I really don't want anything. Except maybe some flowers (hint, hint Matt!). I'm a sucker for flowers, what can I say? 

I'm still a little scared about my identity potentially being stolen but after a night of watching The Following (HOLY CRAP - have you watched it?) and cuddling on the couch, I'm trying to remember today is a new day and I need to choose to be happy. Fake online shopping always makes me happy, and so, here I am.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12

So I WILL be buying those Toms when they're available and I'm pretty sure the red dress and necklace will be my outfit for my nephew's christening. The wallet is on sale and I reallllly need a new wallet - it also comes in yellow, and I think I need it. Trying to decide if I should splurge!

I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm kind of jealous of all my friends and family in Boston snowed in. An excuse to lay around all day sounds incredible right about now. But instead, I'm going to go for a run and get some errands done.

Happy Saturday!

One of those days.

This week has been... a week. And of course today ended on a particularly low note. I love my job, but to say it can be stressful sometimes would be the understatement of the century. Then I got home and found my W2 in the mailbox ripped in half... meaning someone has my name, address, social security number, and all my financial information. I put a fraud alert on my credit report and signed up for LifeLock to be safe, and I just hope that no one wants to steal my identity after seeing what I make for money. Ha! I barely make a living, but I make a difference. ;)

Even still, I'm working on being grateful. So in the midst of this totally shitty situation, I'm grateful for the happy moments at work...

When the kids came back from their basketball game saying they had fun even though they didn't win.

When one student completed his makeup work from the week without a struggle.

When another student earned a reward she's been working toward for weeks.

And even though I'm stressed and scared that someone has all of my personal information, I'm thankful I even have assets to protect.

Another moment that made me smile, was when I called my brother to ask his advice on what to do. I talked to both of my nephews, who thanked me for the Valentine's Day package we sent. You know what they were most excited about? The chocolate. That's how I know they're related to me. Ha!

I'm trying to stay positive and think about how much I have to look forward to - our plans this weekend, our plans and my four day weekend next weekend, finishing up my tattoo, heading home next month. So, this post is my deep breath.

I'm off to the gym  to burn off some stress and get some endorphins flowing. Then a night of cuddling is definitely in order.

Quote/Image via

In honor of Valentine's Day, the story of how this girl met that boy.

In 7th grade, girl's art teacher asks girl to join art club to help paint mural on cafeteria wall. Girl rolls eyes because girl thinks she's obviously too cool for everything and thinks the kids in art club are nerds, but girl agrees anyway. Girl walks into art club and sees boy. Boy is wearing a beanie with flames (ha!) and has a messenger style bag instead of a backpack. Girl thinks it's like, so cool, that boy has his own style. Boy looks at girl with his blue, blue eyes and girl's heart races. Girl looks forward to art club every week. Girl purposely messes up her part of the mural so that she can ask boy to help her. Girl plays footsies with boy under the table. Boy makes girl laugh incessantly. Girl's heart races every second she is with boy.

By the way, girl has a very serious 7th grade boyfriend.

The mural is finished, art club ends, and girl is devastated. The last weekend before school ends, girl sees boy at a fundraiser. Girl's heart races. Boy acts in true 14-year-old boy fashion and annoys the heck out of girl. Girl secretly likes it. Boy offers girl a piece of gum and it is girl's favorite gum. Girl thinks it's a sign. When girl leaves, boy asks girl for a hug. Girl pretends she can't because of her boyfriend. Girl gives boy a hug anyway. Girl's heart races. Girl goes home and immediately breaks up with boyfriend.

Girl wakes up the next day devastated because girl has no idea how to contact boy. Boy shows up at girl's door before noon. Girl's heart races. Boy leaves and girl knows her life will never be the same.

Girl hangs out with boy and boy's friends the next weekend. Boy finally kisses girl. Girl's heart races. Girl is only 13 but already knows boy is the last boy she will ever kiss. One night, boy and girl get caught kissing in girl's basement. After two more days with lots of kissing, boy asks girl to be his girlfriend. Girl says yes. Girl's heart races.

One night in boy's friend's backyard, girl tells boy she is going to summer camp. Girl acts like they should obviously break up. Boy tells girl he doesn't want to break up. Girl acts nonchalant and agrees but girl's heart races. Boy kissed girl in the grass all night long.

Girl goes off to camp. Boy writes girl letters. Girl's heart races every time she sees his handwriting on an envelope.

Boy and girl have their fair share of high school drama but make it out in one piece. After high school, boy joins Marine Corps. Boy writes girl letters from bootcamp. Girl's heart races every time she sees his handwriting on an envelope.

Boy gets stationed in Hawaii. Boy and girl spend all their money on plane tickets and hotels so girl can visit boy. Boy asks girl to marry him. Girl moves to Hawaii. Boy deploys. Boy deploys again. Boy writes girl letters from war. Girl's heart races every time she sees his handwriting on an envelope.

Boy and girl move to California. Boy doesn't have to deploy anymore, and life becomes a little more ordinary, but girl's heart still races every time he calls, every time she hears his truck pull in the driveway, and even just at the sight of boy's handwriting.

Matt, I love you. Thanks for loving me no matter how much I've grown and changed and for making every single day an adventure.