Monday, October 16, 2006

California Spoiled


We spent a beautiful weekend at the beach - we are so spoiled here in California!

From where we live in Southern California, literally, within a 2 to 3 hour drive we can be at the beach, in the mountains, or in the desert, like last weekend. This is also why we have the typical California collection in our garage - bikes, wetsuits and boogie boards, backpacks, motorcycles, ski's, etc.... we can pretty much pick a sport and go wherever we need to be - like I said, in just a matter of a few hours, if that.

The weather doesn't even factor in too much. Okay to - to snow ski, you do have to wait for winter, but that's about it.

THIS is why Californians put up with all the other California stuff. If you like the outdoors, this is the place to be. This weekend, the beach was the place to be.

The forecast even called for rain, but we only got a few showers the first night.... and the clouds made for beautiful skies and sunsets. The days were warm enough for the kids to play in the surf, and the nights were chilly enough to sit by a campfire and wear my Rogue. We drove a couple of miles from our campsite to Malibu for fish and chips for lunch.... all that's hard to beat.

What's this last picture? - Could it be? Me, holding my Starksy sleeves? In a wetsuit? I tell ya - even I didn't see this one coming. Never in a million years. But, in an effort to get that little ladybug up top moving again, my friend and I have been swimming laps three mornings a week, and it's getting a little chilly in the mornings now. When it's only 50 degrees in the morning, and the water is 68 - that's TOO cold for this California wimp.... so we figured if we were going to keep this up - we would need wetsuits.

Yes - they work.... the jury is still out on whether it's worth the chuckles and looks we get from our families..., but we should be able to swim through the winter now.

I do have to say.... I did have a slight panic moment in the Sports Chalet dressing room, trying on the wetsuit, having no idea what size to buy, and hoping I wouldn't get myself stuck in the stupid thing and have to ask the hunky guy for help. Wouldn't that have made his day!?- helping a overweight 40-something year old woman who's stuck in a wetsuit. I can just hear it - "ya know lady, -you're buying that..." Happy to say, I managed all by myself - thank you very much.

My friend's story is better - she almost ventured out of the dressing room to ask the guy if her suit was the right size.... but she decided against it. Later, she was REALLY glad she hadn't, when her husband informed her she had it on backwards!

15 Comments:

At 12:28 PM, Blogger Tammy said...

Haa - Backwards... that's funny.

Good for you for persevering with your exercise... And for shopping for a wetsuit! That really impresses me.

 
At 12:54 PM, Blogger Amy said...

Wow! Good for you!
We're from CT and were in Laguna this past weekend. What unbelievable weather!!! Our taxi driver apologized for the 'bad weather' which was just beautiful in our opinion. I would love to have that opportunity more often.

 
At 2:06 PM, Blogger lesley said...

hehehehehehhehe! omg i'm dying laughting. i can just see someone walimng out in a backwards wetsuit!!! glad you didn't get stuck. sounds like a lovely weekend!

 
At 2:19 PM, Blogger ~Kristie said...

WOW! Good for you with the swimming. Maybe if I add something like a "counting down the pounds" ticker on my blog, it will get me off my behind too!

Sounds like a great weekend. We took the grandkids to Disneyland, but after reading your post, I wish I would've been hanging out with you!

 
At 2:30 PM, Blogger jillian said...

You are so right! Vistas like that are worth putting up with an awful lot!

Good for you with the laps!

 
At 2:36 PM, Blogger Jennifer said...

Ah, the beach... Lovely!

I'd be wearing it backwards too. I get confused with gear like the wetsuit.

 
At 4:17 PM, Blogger Dana Marie said...

The beach! what I wouldn't give to see the beach right now- we are in the Buffalo snow chaos!

Congratulationson perservering with your swimming!

 
At 4:57 PM, Blogger Cheri said...

I wouldn't know how to put on a wetsuit (tho I do have one for my youngest son for when we go to the lake here). I'm a sissy because when I swim it's in the indoor pool at the Y ;)

We've had nice weather this fall, an early snow, warmed back up and I hear we're expecting snow again in a day or two. I'd love to go camping but family stuff seems to keep getting in the way.

 
At 7:20 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

*L* I would so do something like that, have the wetsuit on backwards on not even realize it. yup. : D
Sounds like you had a great weekend! Love the pictures

 
At 6:28 AM, Blogger Holly said...

Lovely views of the coast! The immensity of All That Water in the ocean doesn't flip me out in a photo the way it does in real life.

 
At 9:14 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You are so lucky.

Quit teasin'. I think we need a full shot of you in your bodyglove.

 
At 12:47 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

hee hee, the things we do to feel better about ourselves.

I'd give anything to be able to swim in the ocean though, even risk complete embarassment getting stuck in a wet suit. NO oceans in illinois though.

 
At 7:50 AM, Blogger Mamma said...

Get a shimmy suit. It makes getting in and more importantly out of a wet suit easier.

 
At 6:19 PM, Blogger Robin said...

Those are BEAUTIFUL pictures!!! Remind me again WHY I live in Chicago?? Oh yeah, that thing called a job. Forgot about that.

 
At 11:21 PM, Blogger Theresa said...

Wow - you're brave! I have trouble getting into the water when it's less than 70 degrees out.

 

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