California Journey Phase One

On Saturday, the 24th of July, my birthday, we departed from Reagan Airport in DC for San Diego, California.� I was totally stoked about finally getting to go home and when I could see the bright lights of San Diego against the night sky as we began our descent, I got a little teary eyed.� Though I only lived on the West Coast for 13 years, I was born there and it has always been "home" where any state or location is concerned and I have missed it greatly.� I think in many ways, California is more than a state but a frame of mind that I have always had.� My mother, since I was a little girl, has always described me as "happy go lucky" and I think this attitude comes from being a West Coaster at heart.�



We got to Doug and Margaret's (my�oldest brother and sister in law)�at 1:00AM, which to our bodies was 4:00 AM and were greeted by not only them but JJ, their teenage son, and their two dogs, Isaac and Chester.� Upstairs sleeping were D & M's two grandkids, Ed who is 3 and Chloe, who is 5, who would be with them for the two weeks we were all on vacation. We talked for an hour and then retired, everyone exhausted.



The next morning, I helped Margaret make eggs, waffles and bacon for breakfast and then we took my two kids, and Chloe and Ed down to Oceanside to the harbor.� Though we had no big plans for the day due to some jetlag, Margaret wanted to make sure I got to see the ocean my first day (this was foreshadowing as I� would not see it again for awhile). While Margaret kept saying how hot it was, I found the temps to be amazing.� I actually needed a jacket in the�mornings and evenings as there was no humidity in the�air and

"hot" to Californians is the mid to high seventies!� So we walked around down there and did a little window shopping and treated the kids to ice cream.� Going back home, Keith who is Ed's dad and Ed's mom, Angie were there to join us for dinner.� We cooked out and had some fab steaks and seasoned potatoes.�



Monday morning we headed out early for Seaport Village in San Diego; lots of cute shops and things to see and from there we took all the kids to the San Diego Zoo.� The weather was wonderful; warm but not humid.� Perfect.� The zoo is huge so there was no way to see all of it, and I promise you pictures soon but The Brit has them all on his computer and has promised me a CD so I can have access (I am hoping this might happen today) to them.� But what we did see was wonderful, my favorite being the pandas.�



We left there around seven in the evening and went to The Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner.� It was toward the end of our meal when we got the phone call that would change our plans for the rest of the trip.