Adventures in California

Well, I am back home in TN. I returned to rainy, cold, miserable fall weather. ICK. My week in CA was awesome. The sun, the warmth, the break from home stress and getting some work done were all a part of my week. I arrived on Halloween and went to Hollywood for the day. It was nuts. People EVERYWHERE. Literally. Cars could not get onto the streets. I have determined that Halloween is pretty much a day to dress with as little clothing as possible for many people. I could not believe some of the "costumes" people tried to get away with. YUCK. I saw the parts of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, saw the sign, was in the Kodak Theater and was given tickets to see Jimmy Kimmel Live. Of course the night *I* get to see the show in person it is one of the worst lineups in history...Kathy Griffith and Meatloaf. The one great thing I can say about Meatloaf (aside from the wonderful high school memories) is that he seemed to really appreciate his audience and fans. He just kept playing and playing, long after the show was over. It was cool to see that.
The next day was a day at Disneyland. I got to have my belated birthday lunch at Ariel's Grotto and all the Disney Princesses come through while you are eating. It was fun. I think I was about the only adult there that cared about the Princesses but I didn't care...it was fun. It was great to have a carefree day and be a kid again.
The conference I was working at started on Thursday but before it started I headed down to the beach for a few hours. I haven't seen the Pacfic Ocean in soooo long. It was breathtaking. I decided to take a few minutes and walk down to the ocean...although not in beach attire, I threw caution to the wind and walked down so I could feel the wonderful salt water in my hands. I have always felt a huge connection to the ocean. Its such magical place to me. The ocean is so large...it goes on and on and the power of it is amazing. I definately see the power of God in the ocean. As I journeyed out I just cried and cried at the beauty before me. I cried thinking of times long ago when the ocean was so accessible to me and how much I miss seeing it whenever I would like. It was a bittersweet moment.
The conference started and one of my oldest friends flew in from Las Vegas for the weekend. So I worked during the day and played at night. It was a whirlwind of a time. So much fun, some stress and I got sick...I would say overall it was the best of trips.