Ventura, Santa Barbara, Ojai, Malibu and LA TRAFFIC!


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April 19th 2014
Published: April 19th 2014
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After my amazing flight and a quick checkin through customs, I was able to quickly get my bags and boarded the crowded bus to the car rental agency - Thrifty. It was difficult to maneuver all my bags once I got off the bus and through the line to get my car. I'd ordered a mid-size SUV and when I went to pick it, I saw a beautiful bright blue Ford Escape - my baby! I went straight for it, but it was locked, so i picked a Nissan Rogue - it was an ok car, but the one thing I didn't like is that it was difficult to get in and out of for a short person.

It was 4:15 and I hoped that I would miss the main crush of rush hour traffic on my way to my hotel in Pomona. Boy was I wrong! I headed to the 10, and the 405 was a parking lot. I turned on to the 10 and the 10 was a parking lot. I turned onto the 110 and it was a parking lot. By the time I got out of the downtown area, I had driven 22 miles in 2
The VPT crew and friendsThe VPT crew and friendsThe VPT crew and friends

I miss my amazing friends already
hours and I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. So, I stopped at Universal City Walk and watched a movie (Captain America) - the empty movie, popcorn and soda was just the ticket and when I left at 9pm, I was able to go straight to my hotel and was there within 40 minutes.

I stayed at the Sheraton Suites and the Pomona Fairplex for my exam in two days. The hotel is fantastic - a nice large suite for a pretty good price. The next day I was able to sleep in, go get a phone, money and food (fruit and salads for my fridge). I talked to my mom and tried to do some studying, ending my day with a hot bath. Fantastic. My exam was difficult and by the second half of the 8-hour monstrosity I was just ready to go. So, I left about half an hour early and headed to Ventura.

Once I was on the northern portion of the 210, I was able to call my dad and drove the next hour and a half in relative ease while catching up with him (I was supposed to call the night before, but I took a nap - my mom said poor dad had fallen asleep with the phone, so I felt guilty). Anyway, he and I had a good conversation which made my drive pass by quickly and before I knew it, I was in front of Ron and Tiffani's house. Poker started a half hour later and we had 18 people playing plus some of my amazing friends who stopped by to say hello (like Amber, the Becks). I wound up getting 7th and had a half bottle of wine, before I had to go to sleep at midnight.

The next morning, Tiffani came to my room at about 6:30 and asked where Ron was - I'd heard noises coming from the garage, where the poker game was held, so I said he must be still playing poker. He and Bruce were actually playing video games. How old are these guys? Bruce wound up passing out, but Ron and AD and I managed to rally and head up to beautiful Lake Casitas for a game of disc golf. Ron was making fun of my boots and saying I would not be able to get around in them. As long as I was careful, it was no trouble. Ron, on the other hand, took the most hilarious tumble down a hill I have ever seen. AD and I wound up laughing for about 10 minutes; I actually had to sit down and almost peed my pants. AD has an incredibly infectious laugh, so he just made me laugh even harder. Finally, Adam and Loree came with their kids and we took a few lazy tosses and just enjoyed the hike around.

We wound up hanging out at Ron and Tiffani's again that afternoon and evening. I'd had two beers at disc golf, but wound up drinking water for the rest of the night. I was so exhausted - I think a mix of jet lag, time difference and just not getting sleep. I wanted to leave, but my friend Sharnell came by and I had missed her the previous year and she had a daughter, so this was her one free night, so I HAD to stay and catch up with her for a while. Finally, it was time to go. I was able to swing by my other poker boys game and had only time to give them a quick hug before I headed to Gwen and Josh's (Gwosh) where I was staying for most of the week - I'd said I'd be there by 8:30, but it was approaching 10. We sat and chatted for a few and then went to bed.

I was able to sleep in and chill the next morning. Josh made some yummy pancakes and we watched the first episode of Game of Thrones. Josh and I had finished all the books, but Gwen was still reading the second book so we had to try to talk in code - we were so excited for the episode coming that night... I then went to my friends Ben and Fran's house, where I got to see their baby boy, Henry. Ben always loved to bbq, but he doesn't get much opportunity. He made a deliciously seasoned steak and blood sausage - not my favorite, but better than I've had by far. We caught up for a while before Loree and her kids rode up on their bike to hang out some more. I love and miss these days!

Saturday, Loree and I had planned a spa day at Ojai Valley Inn and Spa. Oh. Em. Gee. It was fantastic! Just what we both needed! I headed up and we grabbed breakfast at Bonnie Lu's in downtown Ojai (one of those breakfast diners with great food and unapologetic about the slow service - love it!). We found our way to the spa and took the long way walking around the entire resort before finding the actual spa. A girl named Citrine (yes, Citrine) checked us. We got our own lockers, robes and flip-flops before heading around the area and finding our way to the pool. The adult pool. Where lounged and ordered a bottle of champagne (the women next to us looked on in friendly envy). We were able to catch up for a couple of hours before our massage appointment. We ordered hummus (haha - yes we did!) and were able to gob on some provided sunscreen. When we went for our massages I was aided by a woman named Lauren, who gave me the Relaxation massage. It felt great, but I need to find the happy medium between a relaxation massage and a deep tissue massage. Next time... Then we had another hour to kill before our next appointment, so sat in the hot tub and then finally the steam room - it was fantastic! Then Loree went to get her facial while I got a orange blossom honey body wrap. It felt good and relaxing and she even gave me a mini-massage, which was the best part. But it also seemed to be a lot of work. She scrubbed off my dead skin, so my skin feels smooth and heavenly now. Then she gave me a scalp massage with oil - I've had a scalp massage before when they had oil on their hands before and she asked me if i minded. But come to find out she actually used oil and told me to leave it in until the next morning. Ew. I felt soooo gross for the rest of the day and night and had to sleep on a towel. I could not wait to shower and get that oil out - I scrubbed three times and while it was frizzy, it felt incredibly smooth. I wouldn't recommend it though; I already have soft hair anyway. Oh well.

That night I stayed at Loree and Adam's, Fran and Ben coming by as well for dinner along
An assortment of interesting cupcakesAn assortment of interesting cupcakesAn assortment of interesting cupcakes

*See the descriptions in a picture below...
with my pookie-bear Romsa. It was a good night. After everyone had left and Adam went to bed, Loree and I were determined to stay up to see the blood red lunar eclipse. The eclipse started at 11pm and was cool, but we saw no reddish tinge and by 11:30 we just couldn't keep our eyes open so crashed. Bummer. But their dog, Barney, loves me so much and I had a sleeping buddy with the little guy.

Tuesday I went to visit my old coworkers in Malibu. The boys in my department were always so fantastic and still are! I miss them! They took me to lunch along with a couple of others (Bonnie, Dave) to catch up at our former favorite restaurant - Coogies. Apparently they don't eat there every week like we used to, but I had my usual blackened chicken salad (with mango, asparagus and goat cheese). When we got back to the office, I was able to get to say hi to almost everyone. It was great to see everyone again - they really are the best group of people I have ever worked with. Besides Fugro of course.... (ahem!).

That evening, following a quick cosmo and conversation with Josh, I had sushi with Amber and caught up with her. She recently moved back from Hawaii and is now pursuing a degree in chemistry, so it has been hard to pin her down during my short stint in Ventura. We always used to go to Sumo sushi and it was nice to have my Mexican roll again (crab, avocado, jalapeƱos) and seaweed salad. Yum! Then I went to Winchesters (dozens of beers on tap), where I caught up with JR before other people in my crew joined (Mike, Danielle, Jason, Ron, Gwosh, Bruce, Amanda). After two beers I was feeling tipsy so Josh drove my car home - is that sad?

Wednesday was my last day, so after mailing my study books back to Qatar ($80!), I met with Fran and we went to Santa Barbara to say hi to Ashleigh, who had just recently moved back to become manager of the Santa Barbara Public Market - this is kind of like an indoor farmer's market but with permanent stalls for local vendors. We were just planning to chat with her for a few minutes and leave, but we wound up staying
WinchestersWinchestersWinchesters

Danielle, Jason, me, Mike, Josh, Gwen
for a bit and buying a few things - I got a chocolate espresso peanut butter, an assortment of cupcakes (for our dessert), and some samples of olive oil, vinegar and balsamic. The place is fantastic and I highly recommend you check it out if you're in the area (on Victoria street near downtown).

Afterwards, we met Dave and Yvonne for lunch at a nice Mexican restaurant in Montecito. Finally! Mexican food!!!! I had a yummy tostada and we each had a delicious margarita (the chips and guacamole were delicious as well). Then we drove up the street to check out their new home. They have a big and beautiful backyard with chickens and rain barrels. It needs a little work, but it looks amazing. They have a really cool interior to their home too, as shown in the pictures (the room partition and blue hutch are just brilliant).

Lastly, after packing, I went with my good peeps to another mexican restaurant in Ventura for another margarita - Casa de Soria - one of the many great Mexican joints in Ventura. Ron, Tiffy, Loree, Adam, Gwosh all to see me off (Loree's pact to see me each of the five days - we made it as did Gwosh). We made a quick stop at Ron and Tiffy's where I also got to see and say good bye to AD, Amanda, and Savannah.

My trip went by so quickly, but I am so incredibly fortunate to have so many friends who I love and who love me - they are my west coast family, no joke. I missed seeing so many too: Lauren, Miranda, Reina and Juan, Shelbi, etc. and did not get to spend nearly enough time with anyone. Gwen said 5 days was not enough; next time it was to be three weeks. I guess I have to humor the soon to be mom now!!!!

Good bye friends - I miss you all already and can't wait to see you next time!!!


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WinchestersWinchesters
Winchesters

Jazz, me and Gwen
Disc Golf at Lake CasitasDisc Golf at Lake Casitas
Disc Golf at Lake Casitas

One of the best places to play disc golf


19th April 2014

It was so great to see you!
Hello buttercup Thanks for coming to visit. It was really fun to see you. I hope you are having a fun time back east. I'm looking forward to your next blog entry. Cheers, Romsa
21st April 2014

Oh, a taste of home...
I'm from Santa Barbara and have lots of friends in Ojai, but have been traveling in South America for several years. It was so great to read of your visit to so many of my fave spaces (the delish Los Arroyos). How great that your friend is managing the new SB Public Market--my foodie friends are raving about it. Thanks for the hit of home!

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