The Summer of Cash & Prizes

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MARCH 2005

This segment of my life has been deemed “The Summer of Cash & Prizes” (thank you to Jeff Munsey for coining the fabulous phrase!). But frankly the bottom line is….life is short, it should always be summer. Therefore, I quit my “real job” at Sunstone Winery to attempt to take a year off and travel. I don’t really know how many places I will get to, how many frequent flier miles I will log, or how many of you I will really get to see. But I have lofty goals. The purpose of this log is for your entertainment while I attempt to achieve these goals. I can already see that I will not get to nearly all the places that I would like…the money just never goes far enough! However, part of the goal is to balance my life to include spending some good quality time at home and include a few adventurous excursions.

As I am not a writer (which you will soon discover) you probably wont find me posting all that often…but I figure if I update it occasionally you will at least get to see some highlights. For the most part I will use my journal and transfer the details, so please bare with the spelling, punctuation and incomplete thoughts and sentences. I should also mention, that you are welcome to join in on any of my travels or suggest a trip of your own interest. I am open to the entire world and would love to travel with any of you. So keep an open mind and think about it—I am just an e-mail away—and typically am always packed!

Okay, back to the beginning. Unemployment. Very odd for a girl who wraps a large bit of her identity into what she does for a living, but I am working on letting that pass. People have two distinctly different reactions to the statement “Yeah, I am taking a year off work to travel”. About 50% get that glassy look in the eye and I can tell they are trying not to “high five” me while they mention the fun and adventure and avoid the topic of jealousy!

However, the other 50% (my parents included) have a completely different look of glaze and are much more stunned. Sometimes I can actually see them itemizing the reasons it is such a foolish idea (why would someone sell a house or quit a perfectly good job to do “nothing”). To the former I give a hearty “high-five” and the later I hope you all enjoy a fun-filled retirement 30 years from now and please enjoy while I cash in on mine now.

So, I think most of you already know that I have moved back to San Luis to base for my travels. Mainly because my great, wonderful, giving fantabulous friend Felicia has offered me a room in her beautiful home. Also, to be closer to my brother and grandmother Rosemary, not to mention my old-time friends and their gorgeous children. (Again, it is all about balance!)

The first thing on the list was a gigantic yard sale. Goal # one was to eliminate extra junk so I can fit all my stuff into one room….Goal #2 pour some extra cash into the travel fund by selling extra junk! It was no lottery win, but reasonably successful.

Next on the agenda was a little road trip to San Diego. Felicia and I headed down for a few days visit with her sister Dominica and to live a little of the good life in the sunshine. Oh’ and even more importantly the second night performance of the U-2 concert. It was great!

Then to officially christen this phase of my life the “Summer of Cash & Prizes Party” took place on April 2, 2005. We hosted a fully pimped out Las Vegas style casino party and re-named the house “The Prize Palace”. The festivities included gaming, fuzzy dice and a Vegas themed CD (produced and designed by Ms. Felicia) as parting gifts.

A perfect start to a very prized oriented lifestyle.

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Photos

Aces baby!
Felicia, Jerry and I

Get yer game on...
Kelly, Jeff & Janet

Edward
Poker face? I dunno.

Comments

[Ryan Phelps]

More Pictures
Cara, We need more pictures. Many of us are Morro Bay grads, and you know we can't read. Ryan