Stay classy San Diego

I'm not good with down time.  I am, in fact, so bad with down time that when I was in Australia I got a job, joined a gym, joined a club and made multiple "To Do" lists with different places, foods, activities and events to experience in order to minimize down time and maximize... well, my Type A personality...

When I was unemployed in Chicago, I baked.  A lot.  My roommates would come home to a kitchen full of literally hundreds of savory tartlets, various vegetable salads and dessert concoctions (ya know, for balance).  Packages of treats were sent to the neighbors.  It. was. obscene.

With my California  "To Do" list at a seemingly never ending standstill I really have no choice but to embrace the down time and learn how to relax and have some fun.  Not that I don't know how to have fun.  I'm really fun.  It's just usually... scheduled fun.  Earned fun.  At it's best and most wild, it's responsible spontaneity.



While not very spontaneous, my weekend trip to San Diego was nothing if not fun.  I drove down on Friday to spend some time with Joni and Sean.  After a fun Friday night in Little Italy, we geared up for our Saturday activity: Tour de Fat.

Festival Main Stage

Tour de Fat is an annual traveling bike festival put on by New Belgium Brewery, maker of Fat Tire and many other delicious beers bottled in the great state of Colorado.  If you are not familiar with New Belgium, I urge you to get familiar.  Perhaps start with their fall seasonal Hoptober?  Provided you are 21 of course...

The day kicked off with a 3 mi costumed bike ride.  J was and Angel, I was a lady bug, and Sean begrudgingly wore a chef's hat.  The rest of the event was essentially a festival in Golden Hill Park that raised money for several biking organizations around San Diego.  We, of course, enjoyed New Belgium beer:

Beer tastes better when it's earned!

and took in some entertainment.  Sean volunteered to assist the yo yo champ:

Receiving his instructions

Successful catch!  What talent!

Then I was part of a Guinness World Record attempt for the most number of matches lit with a yo yo in under a minute.  The attempt (18 matches) was unsuccessful.  I earned a lollipop for my efforts.  I am disappointed that no one in our group sang karaoke in the converted port-a-potty.

After our day of fun in the sun, we crashed on the couch and attempted to watch our beloved Buffs actually win a game, they however, ended up choking per usual.  Then I rallied and met my friend Kim from grad school out and enjoyed a night with her friends and her Chicago roommate, Jeff, who was in town visiting.  Shenanigans ensued.  The next morning Jeff and I split a cab and a breakfast burrito as he went back to Chicago and I to J & S's for more football and lounging followed by them making dinner.  My only contribution to humanity on Sunday was shucking the corn- an appropriate task for a girl from Iowa.

Upon returning to Orange County on Monday (narrowly escaping a highway shooting!) my intent was to engage in productive activities.  Instead, I joined surrogate Mom Sara and her visiting cousins for a trip down PCH and lunch in Laguna Beach.

The Cliff Restaurant

I think it's safe to say I'm learning to relax and go with the flow a bit.  Can't let myself get too comfortable though... the promise of reality is looming in the not so distant future...