San Francisco

One lazy Saturday morning, after our pancakes and lounging, we decided to hit the road and hightail it to The City. San Francisco, that is. We were headed to a museum....and what a museum it was!

 

The whole thing took us about 2.5 hours. It is so interesting to read and listen to the things Walt Disney had to say about the company he created. Well worth the $20.00. I had already been, so while Trevor was perusing at leisure, Shea and I took a snack break. When we came back 20 minutes later, Trevor was only in the next room. THAT is how much awesome information there is to read in every nook and cranny. Not a super kid oriented museum, although they have a huge, gorgeous model of Disneyland that Shea spent a lot of time looking at. 

They had a section on the animators who went on strike. I was trying to explain to Shea what they wanted and what a strike is. After my attempts to answer her questions, she said, "Vanessa? Did Snow White go on strike?" I told her that Snow White stayed with Walt.

After the museum, we went to Pier 39 for some chow. We also watched a magic show and yours truly was called up to be a magician's assistant. I'm way important. Other items to note: Shea won 200 tickets playing Deal or No Deal at an arcade....I won 6. 

Seals

                                            Shea and her Pa.

 

Shea and I

Pictures by Trevortito.

I'll grow when you grow
Let me loosen up the blindfold
I'll fly when you cry
Lift us out of this landslide
Wherever you go
Whenever we part

I'll keep on healing all the scars
That we've collected from the start
I'd rather this than live without you
For every wish upon a star
That goes unanswered in the dark
There is a dream, I've dreamt about you

And from afar, I lie awake
Close my eyes to find I wouldn't be the same

I'll shine when you shine
Painted pictures on my mind
Sun sets on this ocean
Never once on my devotion
However you are
Or far that you're far

I'll keep on healing all the scars
That we've collected from the start
I'd rather this than live without you
For every wish upon a star
That goes unanswered in the dark
There is a dream, I've dreamt about you

And from afar, I lie awake
Close my eyes to find I'd never be the same
Without you, without you

Bridge School Benefit, 2011

 

These were our seats for The Bridge School Benefit on Saturday. So lucky.

A few months ago when they released the list of artists performing at BSB (NOT Backstreet Boys), I knew I had to go because my favorite songwriter would be there and I hadn't been able to go to any of his shows this summer. As the day neared, we had zero tickets. Tension. All we could find was stuff in the second set of reserved seats, and people wanted around $200 each! For a ticket that was originally $89.00! Sheesh.

Anyway, we tried our luck and went to the venue with no tickets. Show started at 5:00....we were in our seats at 5:10 with two awesome seats purchased at face value. Lucky lucky LUCKY. I am such a lucky girl. 

Show started with Devendra Banhart. Next was Norah Jones, who played with a band called The Little Willies. It was very old country, and right up my alley. I enjoyed her.

I can't remember the exact order after that. Beck played, acoustic. I didn't even know he had released an acoustic album. His children ran on stage and were just hanging out while he played. Cute. He was really good. 

Santana was there. I don't love Santana, but it was hard to resist his smooth, smooth sounds. I may have done some toe tapping (and standing up and dancing). His singer was great. Wonderful voice.

Mumford and Sons absolutely killed it. They know how to give a show. If I had heard them live before I heard their studio stuff, I would have been disappointed with the album.

Arcade Fire was cool. I enjoyed them. I was impressed. Lots of people in that band.

Eddie Vedder was AMAZING. His set was beautiful. I was captivated from moment one. I told Trevor I was getting sweaty because I was loving the music so much. It was true. It made me feel feelings.

And then, of course- this man:

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds. By now, his shows feel so homey to me. Like, "Yeah- go ahead and give me what you've got, Eddie Vedder and Mumford and Sons.....but I'm gonna warn you, I made up my mind on who my favorite is a long time ago." Dave's voice was perfect, and he was as charming as ever. Such a good show.

We didn't stay to watch Neil Young's set. I had worked until 3am the night before and then woke up at 8 due to my concert excitement, so I was way tired. Went home, crawled into bed and woke up with the same happy Bridge School Benefit feelings that I'm still harboring. It was a beautiful day. Trevor was the best concert partner ever. It was our first major concert together. I was worried that he might get annoyed with me for still trying to go even though we had no tickets- but nope. He knows I like to do my thing and hustle a little, and he was fine with it. Even in the last tense 10 minutes before we got in. I was kind of freaking out, but Trevor was cool as a cucumber. Best seat buddy ever. And so very handsome!

Lucky girl. Again. 

The end. 

Well, I'm sitting on my cozy red couch and eating some tortilla chips, so I figured right now is a great time to blogaboo. It was either blog or get the chip crumbs out of my shirt. 

First things first- I watched the Kim Kardashian wedding episode today. It is one of my days off, and I was ALSO doing laundry AND letting my dogs only smell the sandwich I was eating and never letting them have any, so I consider it to be a pretty productive time in my life. I have to tell you- I don't hate the Kardashians. Seriously. I will go so far as to say it is the most watchable reality show of it's sort. I like the sister love. EENYWAYZ- Kardashian wedding. Check. 

I'm not all too sure about the diamond headband, but I bet if I had one, I'd get sure about it real quick and wear it all the time.

I never thought I'd put a picture of the Kardashian sisters on my blog either.

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Another thing I did today was go to the bank. The teller was an older woman, and she asked me how I did my hair. It was in a bun on top of my head with clips, so I said,"I just twist in and swirl it into a bun and clip it." She asked for a demo, but could I please turn around so she could see? So I had my back to the teller, playing with my hair when I accidentally made eye contact with a manager type who came over, asking if I and the teller needed help. I said, "Oh, no thanks!" =) Anyway, she walked away and the teller, without moving her lips, said, "They watch us like hawks here." 

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I also spent time with my dogs today. There can't be anything more adorable than Molly and Maddie.

Demure. 

Regal

Blah and WHINE.

 I'm still sick from last week. Not really cold sick anymore, just feeling run down in general- tired and mopey.  My ears feel all weird, and so I obviously worry about losing my hearing (like a maniac). The ear issue gives me equilibrium issues, and so I am in a state of "gonna hurl" that just won't leave me be. 

I think the answer is clear. I am going to go back to bed, sleep the wah wah wahs off and wake up feeling better. I'll go to the store, buy some healthy food, plan out my lunches and dinners....maybe go for a run or something. And the whole time I'm doing that stuff, I'll be all givin' myself positive affirmations like Stuart Smalley.

Yesterday's nap (plus waking up feeling better) had me hoping I was on my way to being done with this cold. Not so, my friends. My face hurts. It is full of snot. You can say, "Gross," but you know what I'm talking about.

I am going to buy a humidifier and hope that it helps. My Nyquil haze lasts all day and I'm ready to be present in the world again. I have an exciting life! Why, just last night Jessica and Jenny came over to hang out at my place. They deemed it "very Vanessa," and "super cute." So you see, I have a lot to be well for, like lounging in my casa, buying things for my casa, leaving my casa and then coming back to my casa.....I wanted to have a yard sale, but that turned out not to work. Let's make a list of the things this cold has changed:

BAD STUFF:
Face hurts/full of snot
Achy bod
Worried about waking up with snot on my face in front of Trevor

GOOD STUFF:
I don't have to work a full day until Sunday, so I have time to get well
Trevor offered to get me a small bowl of ice cream at 6:30am because I was feeling so yucky
Nyquil dreams give me something to think about all day (weird stuff)

Anyway, enough about that- let's look at some stuff by Mary Blair. I love it.

If I ever decorate a child's room, it will have some Mary Blair flair.

I made stew for dinner last night. It was stupid. I mean, I have made delicious stew before, and this was not that. I don't know what happened. It had carrots, zuchini, celery, potatoes, green beans, beef.....I just don't know what happened. It was bland, but seasoning was not helping. I kind of just ate it because I was hungry, and then filled up on the last of my birthday cake about an hour later.

Maybe if I only buy what's in season, it will be more delicious. Let's see. It's fall, so like......gourds? Are gourds of all types in season? I will eat raw pumpkin. It's good for the immune system, I hear. Also whitens your teeth!

I'm lying. I'm also off to go find something delicious to cook for dinner.

Rainy Rainy Rainy

I just cleaned up the last of the party stuff out back. It started raining on Monday and REALLY rained this morning, so things are pretty soggy. The cat hung out with me while I tidied up, which is funny because it was still raining. When we got back to the front door, he meowed really pitifully to be let in, as if he was forced to be out in the rain. Dum dum.

I'm feeling a little sick today- a tad sore throaty. My ears are bothering me, too. You know what's okay about that, though? I don't have to do anything today. I only work 3.5 days a week. Lucky girl.

Can't wait to get some rainboots...

29

It was my birthday! I turned 29. I don't want to seem predictable, but I was kind of a basket case for a few days before the actual day. I kept apologizing to Trevor and then turning around and being nuts again. I think I wanted everything in order before I plunged into a new age, but the problem was I didn't really know what was out of order. Just a lot of, "I thought I'd be doing this and having that when I turned 29." When October 3rd showed up, though, all of my crazies seemed like they were gone. I mean, the turning 29 crazies. The crazies that want me to eat 8 bowls of Count Chocula right now are still there.

Since my birthday fell on a Monday, we celebrated on Saturday, the 1st. That's a tricky way of saying I got TWO special days. I woke up on my birthday party morning to a knock on the bedroom door. Shea was there with a basket of rose petals, which she sprinkled at my feet everywhere I walked. Way funny and cute. She made a path that led to the bathroom, where she and Trevor had set up a candle lit bubble bath for me. Oh. My. Goodness. I hadn't taken a bubble bath in about 15 or 20 years! 

   When I was done soaking, I emerged into the living room to find they had set up quite a spread. Trevor made pancakes with toffee bits covered in ICE CREAM. I enjoyed these while relaxing in the living room hammock watching videos of Dave Matthews being projected onto the wall AND having a mimosa. My day could have ended there and still been amazing- but NO!

    After a while, we all got in the car. We dropped Shea off with her grandma, then headed north. I had no clue where we were going. We ended up in Saratoga, at the Preston Wynne Spa. Trevor surprised me with 2.5 hours of being COMPLETELY pampered. Massage, facial, quiet.... I think I fell in and out of sleep about 20 times throughout it all. So wonderful. They know what they are doing. There is not one uncomfortable moment even though you're pretty much naked on a table in front of a stranger. My two therapists were Amber and Laura. They don't know it, but I'm going to dedicate my first country album to them. They changed my life.

Anyway!


Trevor picked me up at the end of my ...... I don't even know what to call it. There might not be words wonderful enough. "Time at the spa," does not cover it at all. So anyway, he picked me up. In my car. Which had a brand new stereo in it. Crazy! He had had it installed while I was getting my rub down. It has iPod and Bluetooth capabilities. I feel so fancy driving down the street knowing all the stereo power I hold. Made me think, "Boy- I'd better go get this car a tune up or something. I want to keep it around." 

Man- it sounds like I'm just bragging. The truth is, I was overwhelmed. It was a beautiful day. And remember how I said that I had been freaking out? Well, I wigged out that morning. In fact, my waking up to the rose petals was after I had gone back to bed for a re-do on the waking up. Trevor must really like me. I was awful before that. I can't thank my lucky stars enough for that man.

   When we got home from my birthday surprise, we started getting ready for the party. SOOO many wonderful people were there. I felt special. I felt loved. I felt less spazzy about the 29 thing. We laughed, talked, ate, played games.....at the end of the evening, Trevor put Wayne's World on the big screen out back, and we sat under the stars watching it (plus some episodes of The Simpsons). What a perfect day.

BFFs. Some of the most wonderful people I have ever met. Priscilla came all the way up from LA to come to my party, and Jess and Adam took a night away from their small human to come. Love them.

Birthday cake

Cutie pies. Shea and my cousin, Azriel. Both six, both in first grade, both awesome.

Watching some flicks to end the night.

Happy birthday to me!

All pictures taken by Priscilla and my Margie Mother.