Santa Monica

I spent my first four days in California in Santa Monica.  It's a cross between a beach side town and a suburb of Los Angeles.  I wanted to start here so I wasn't overwhelmed by the more central parts of LA when I first arrived and possibly would be jet lagged.

Let me tell you, I was jet lagged.  I left Melbourne at about 11am on Thursday and then arrived 15 hours later but it was 8am local time (I slept for half an hour on the plane).  When I got to my hotel my room wasn't ready so I checked in my luggage, had something to eat at a neighbouring cafe and went for a wander to find the beach.

It actually took about 40 minutes to get to the beach on foot.  I went for a walk on Main Street and bought myself some new runners and did a bit of exploring on this shopping strip.  Main street has a really diverse range of businesses on it, from chain stores to quirky boutiques to cafes and restaurants.

Then I sat on the beach and read my book for a while.  I started nodding off so I thought I batter keep walking.  I could see the famous pier and amusement park in the distance and started to walk in that direction but by then I'd been awake for well over 24hours and realised I was actually exhausted.

The walk back to my hotel was mostly up hill and it seemed to take me hours.  When I got there I lay on the bed and fell asleep for a couple of hours.  I woke up at about 6pm and had a shower and thought about getting something to eat but in the end went back to bed and slept all night and then all the next day until about 6pm again.  I couldn't believe I'd slept that long.

I went out to grab a bite to eat and a wander until it started to get dark.  Back at my hotel I was feeling a bit lonely and regretting choosing a hotel to start with.  I went to bed and and slept all through the night (you'd think I would have had enough).

So there aren't any photos from this slow start to my trip.  I picked up my act a bit after this so look forward to some typically touristy photos from Santa Monica in my next post.

Arrival

Well here I am.  So far it's not as fabulous and exciting as you might think.  It's to be expected, the journey really took it out of me.

I got up at about 5am on Thursday, my flight was about 15hours of which I was able to sleep 30minutes, and I arrived at about 8am Thursday.  Here are some beautiful cloud formations that I could see out my window as we flew into LA.  I was bummed out to hear the captain say there would good views of the city on the right side (I was on the left) but I think I still got a pretty good show.

This one was the first one I took, but I think it's my favourite, the colours are perfectly reproduced from what I actually saw.

Clouds over water, like an upside down sky.

The clouds formations changed so rapidly as we went from flying over sea to coastline to land.

This one looked the texture of white fairy floss.

This was my first meal.  I was surprised to be asked how I wanted my burger cooked (I asked for medium rare).  It didn't come out that way, it was just cooked how a burger should be, not underdone or overdone.  It wasn't the best burger I've had in my life but it hit the spot, actually I don't even think I ate half of it.  I did polish off most of the fries, they were awesome.

I didn't bring any jewelery with me as I have a tendency to lose things.  I bought this a treat to myself at the airport after Mum had sent me off.  It's made by swatch and is stainless steel (good for me, in case I lose it).  I was drawn to the combination design, I think it goes well with the idea of travelling (after the one on your high school locker, combination locks are almost exclusive to luggage).  I have set it to read 2011 in the window, I think this year will be a really momentous year for me, big decisions have already been made and there will be more big decisions to come.  Also my flight number was VA011, a lovely coincidence.

Now for more sleeping I think.

Come on Doc, you must be kidding

As I embark on what will be a major milestone in my life another milestone has come my way.  My very first broken bone.  I can hardly believe it actually, I was once hit by a car and then run over by the very same car, no broken bones.  I have fallen off ladders and down steps and genearlly been one of the most accident prone folks gettin' 'round, but never a broken bone.

Unfortunately my fracture won't fulfill anyones childhood dream of a plaster cast for friends to scribble on and won't get me out of writing any school work.  It's just a volar 2mm avulsion fracture arising from the base of the middle phalax of the 5th finger.  It's like a shard of bone that has busted off from the pressure of my finger being bent too far against something hard.  It's totes sore, and black, and swollen.

For those who haven't made the assumption yet I did it surfing.  I was wiped out and was all tumbled around and the like and when I came up my pinky finger was a bit sore.  I'm generally a wuss when it comes to minor injuries so even though it was painfull I figured it was nothing serious and perservered with a mediocre surf session for a while.  It was a bit swollen and it hurt to paddle so I decided to call it a day.

I had to go to the docs to have a particularly stubborn rose thorn removed from another finger and she said I need to have an xray.  Whatever, I thought, I'll do it because I'm going away in a few days and I don't want to find out when I'm in America that I need to have it treated.

I really didn't think it would be anything other that a sprain, I could move it about a bit and it was black and swollen but not excessively so.  It's streadily been getting blacker and more swollen as the days gone on so I guess it must be true.  The news isn't all bad, apparently it'll only be really sore for a couple of weeks and I might be able to surf with it if I have it taped to the next finger.  At this stage I'm pretty organised except for packing and I've finished work so I'm happy to roll with the punches and remind myself that I am a free woman.

gone surfing

I try to go surfing with my friend Banksy as often as I can, usually on a Sunday (it's the only day off we share) if we both have nothing on.  Well this week Sunday was totally out of the question, we're both florists and Mothers day is our biggest event of the year.

We arranged to go yesterday instead, despite the maximum tempreture forcast for Geelong being a mere 15C (eep),  Much to my delight, this is what I woke to.....

Sunshine!!!!!!!!!  Maybe not such a fool hardy plan after all.

So i got my gear together.

And headed for the coast.



The Coastalwatch surf report had said the condition were going to be pretty much crap but that doesn't deter me (I won't judge the ocean for being lumpy if it won't judge me), the sun was shining and I had hope that the experts were wrong.

Aww, doesn't it look delightful?

Hmm, deceptive, it was freezing!  There was an ice wind that could slice a girls ears off.  Banksy did comment that it wasn't so bad if you were in the sun and out of the wind, not much chance of that in the middle of the Southern Ocean.

I am a terrible whinger, after the initial wading out and that awful part when cold water first starts to run down from the back of your neck to the small of your back, and apart from when your head goes under for the first time and the cold feels like a vice on your skull, it wasn't that bad.  It's not so cold that we've had to bust out the booties yet, poor Banksy has a long winter ahead in 10C water without her number 1 surfing pal.

I'll miss you too, Banksy.

Feeling Nervous

I'm feeling a lot of pressure to be excited.  I'm sure excited is on its way but right now I'm preoccupied with work (Mothers Day is so big for as it's hard to see past) and the lists of things I need to get done before I go away.

• Change credit card pin number
• Suspend health insurance
• Update c/c expiry date for automatic debits
• Sort and fold clothes destined for the op-shop
• Call acountant to organise tax stuff
• Decide what clothes to pack
• Update i-tunes
• Book some accommadation
• Purchase all new socks (why do they all wear out at once?!?)
• Research Panasonic underwater camera
•  Go to Torquay to get this suncreen I like (it doesn't come off when I surf)

There's more to remember, I'm sure of it, I can only think of important things when I'm driving to or from work and can't write it down for an hour.

And the big one that is really playing on my mind...

• Cut out all 3629 hexies

It'll be beautifully portable and easy to work on on the road if everything is cut out.  I won't be able to iron fabric and I'm certainlty not taking a cutting mat with me.  I've started it but although it seems like I've cut out heaps, in the grand scheme what I've achieved is a drop in the hexie ocean.

I can't even really think about my lists this weekend - I'll be thankful for a few days off work, (the current count down is 2 days left of Mothers Day, 6 days left of work and 13 sleeps until I fly away....ok, maybe I am starting to feel a bit excited.

Ooh, I just remembered

• Charge camera battery so I can include photos in my blog.

Well...this is it

I’ve signed up.  I’ve joined the club of those who have something to say, to show, to share.  I have to say I am apprehensive.  What if I don’t have anything interesting to say?  What if no one reads it?  Apart from my sister of course, and I’m sure Mum will too, but I might have to show her how first (he he, sorry Mum).

I guess my apprehension comes from not being especially good at anything, I’m more of a dabbler.  I read amazing blogs, written by people with so much knowledge and skill and insight.  I don’t count myself as one of those people; don’t expect to learn anything here.

Even so, I have recently found myself longing to be part of the conversation, to say what I have to say and have it heard.

To say something specific, actually.  This blog will document the construction of my sewing opus….

….The One-Inch-Hexie-Paper-Pieced-Skull-Quilt!!!!! (Gratuitous exclamation points)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

There are a couple of reasons for me blogging about this quilt.

1.  I’ve already spent a fair bit of time designing this quilt.  It combines many of my great loves: skulls, beautiful fabrics (and the collecting of them), hand sewing and the color pink.  I long for its completion and for the day it will grace my bed.  It will be the manchester embodiment of who I am at this time, at this point of my life.

2.  I’m taking it on the road.  And the plane.  And the train, the bus, the boat.  It’s coming with me on my trip of a lifetime to America.  I’m just weeks away from jetting off to sunny California an apparently I’ll need something to do when I’m on varying forms of public transport (fellow sewers have assured me of the importance of having a sewing project to keep me sustained).

So here I go, I hope you millions out there enjoy it.

Al.