day 1: saturday, march 17
happy st. patrick’s day!
it already feels like long enough ago, that though i can’t remember why, i remember that on both thursday and friday nights, i got very little sleep. being up at 5am on saturday for my 8am flight was extremely difficult, but i was excited for my trip, and that helped provide the appropriate adrenaline to get up and get going.
my flight to dulles was direct to la, where i would wait four hours before boarding a puddle jumper to santa barbara to meet jesse. when i say ‘meet jesse’, i mean it literally. this was a first meeting for us, and were it not for my sheer exhaustion, i might have had the wherewithal to be nervous.
in this case however, i was extremely confident that this was going to be an excellent trip. jesse and i have been developing a friendship for months, and i knew that i was going to be in capable hands on this, my very first trip to the santa barbara area.
arriving at sba was an altogether unique experience. a tiny little airport, with classic spanish red tiled roofs and stucco. all of the ‘hallways’ were outdoors. the baggage claim was simply a raised shelf under a tent. i arrived moments before jesse, which gave me the advantage--as i could see him coming from the parking lot, but he could not see me. and yes, i played with him a little bit;)the bags were unloaded from the plane, and one of mine was missing. though no one wants a lost bag, i wasn’t too panicked, as i had my garment bag and therefore the majority of my clothing. if i need to buy shoes and sundries to get me through a day or two, well okay! i took my claim check to the counter, and apparently i was not the only one missing a bag. i waited as two or three people tried to resolve their circumstances, and when the man in front of me was asked for an address to have his bag sent to, i successfully maintained my composure.
it was finally my turn and the gentlemen at the counter took my claim, headed to a back room, and voila, there was my missing bag. i like to think of this as travel karma. i don’t complain, i am kind and courteous to fellow travelers, and i patiently wait through delays. so this was my just reward☺
we loaded up jesse’s truck, and already it felt like i had just flown in to visit a long-time friend.
the first order of business was a little driving. the sun was shining for what would be the last time until my departure, so jesse took the opportunity to show me some of the surrounding areas. i was immediately struck with the beauty of the place. i have been to northern california, los angeles, and san diego, but had had never been to this particular area. the landscape was dramatic with the mountains looming on the east, and the ocean viewable on the west. absolutely gorgeous! there was much more greenery than expected, and no shortage of things to divert my attention.
after our drive, we headed back to jesse’s where i settled in a bit. but before too long, it was time to get changed for our evening. jesse had purchased tickets to the santa barbara symphony, so we got into our sunday dress and headed to dinner.
while waiting for a table, we walked the streets of santa barbara, which was delightful. i was particularly impressed by a building i could see from a rooftop we had landed on, and when jesse told me it was the theater we would be going to that evening, i had to laugh. --while in london, i fell in love with the covent garden area, only to later learn that it was the theater district. this experience forced me to acknowledge that there is something in my blood that knows when i am near a theater!!we headed back to the restaurant and opted to eat inside as it was a chilly evening. as it would turn out (and unfortunately the weathermen were right), this was just the beginning of my gray and chilly days in california. apparently i have done something to offend the weather gods, because while experiencing temps in the 50s in california, utah was seeing mid-70s and sun. i land in utah in an hour, and the temperature is 45 degrees. it will be in the 50s for the duration of my time there. the cold weather i left behind in snowy virginia last weekend, seems to be following me!
we enjoyed our dinner and one another’s company, and headed to the theater for our evening’s entertainment. the interior of the building was pure whimsy. the side walls had been turned in to a mini street scene, with faux houses and real balconies. it was absolutely adorable. our seats had been carefully chosen, and i was delighted with jesse’s selection, as they provided not only an excellent view, but excellent acoustics as well.the highlight of the evening was the final piece, in which a celtic band played, backed by the full symphony. i always enjoy celtic music, but the power and depth of the symphony behind this four piece band was wonderful. and it was a perfect way to celebrate the land of eire’s favorite saint.
at the conclusion of the performance, we headed back to carpinteria, and jesse’s home. i settled in a bit more, and we talked for hours before calling it a night. by the time i fell asleep, i had been awake for nearly 24 hours, and it was 5am or so body time.
day 2: sunday, march 18
one would think that with the little sleep i had had over the previous several days, i would be sleeping in as long as humanly possible. but at 7am (10am body time) i was wide awake.
it was just as well, since jesse’s ward met at 9:30, and i had the opportunity to take my time getting ready and warming up to the day.
jesse’s family ward is small, yet has their own building, which i found very interesting. we arrived a little late for sacrament meeting, but as we would be staying for the three hour duration (since jesse was teaching priesthood), neither of us was too concerned. after gospel doctrine, jesse left me to fend for myself in relief society, where i met some very friendly ladies--one of whom lives below jesse. the people of the ward were very nice, and i believe that jesse’s hope of starting illicit rumors was realized (though i played no part in the spreading of them). by the time we left church, i’m told that he and i are not only engaged, but i am pregnant. he later informed me that he was selling off our first-born to pay off his gambling debts ;) ah, small wards☺
we headed ‘home’ and changed into our street clothes, and were on our way to see some sights. our first stop was a seal preserve just a couple of miles from jesse’s. the beach spot this large group occupies is protected, and no one is allowed too close. apparently, if they are frightened, the adults will leave their young behind, and no one wants that.
the beach was full of seals, mommas and babies, and we took photos before heading down to the beach a ways off. i was thrilled to find that jesse is as much of a photo-whore (sorry, i can’t think of a better word!) as i am, so, we spent a good deal of time meandering down the beach and stopping to look and or photograph anything that caught our attention. jesse made me touch some sea anemones (ew. squishy. i don’t like squishy), but i was compelled to touch the starfish we found. not squishy. i wanted to take one home, but didn’t.
while wandering on the beach, we encountered two men engaged in catching rock crabs. we were both utterly fascinated, and began our own unofficial quest to find the little buggers. we knew what to look for now, and found a few who (which?) we humanely tormented and photographed.after making our way back up to the car, we headed back into santa barbara, and spent some time at stearns wharf. though it was once again a chilly night, being on the ocean had a way of minimizing the discomfort. we enjoy our dinner at a rooftop restaurant on the wharf, and were serviced by an energetic young waiter who informed us that he had just drunk six shots of espresso. you can only imagine the entertainment he provided. and the food was good too. jesse continued to be a perfect gentleman, and i was thoroughly enjoying my time with him.
after dinner, he introduced me to one of his pastimes. when i travel, i buy jewelry, and usually a picture frame. when jesse travels, he creates canvas rubbings of unusual things. he has a collection of rubbings from his travels both at home and abroad, which include manhole covers, water covers, etc. i had known this about him, but did not realize that i would have the opportunity to witness it first hand. he found an embossed brass plaque with an interesting design, and whipped out his canvas and rubbing materials. as i am someone who enjoys having tangible ‘memories’ of times and places, it was a thrill to see him commemorate this one. it was long before a family with two young children stopped for an explanation. they were utterly fascinated, and jesse relished the opportunity to explain the ‘meaning of the madness.’it was time to leave the wharf, and we headed back in to sb, and parked at the mall. one of my favorite things about california are the outdoor malls, and this was no exception. for some reason, the fresh air makes shopping seems less frenzied. though the stores were closed, and there was no shopping to be done, i still enjoyed the scenery.
as we were passing the movie theater, we decided to see wild hogs. okay, here’s the truth. i had no interest in seeing wild hogs, even though lara told me it was funnier than expected. but, on the other hand, i can’t think of a movie i wouldn’t see with a boy i liked, so we saw wild hogs☺ it WAS funnier than i expected, although i won’t be watching this one again.
we got home late, and were up for hours again just talking and going through our pictures. ultimately it would mean another night of very little sleep.
day 3: monday, march 19
four hours. for the prior four nights, i was averaging four hours of sleep per night. i don’t know how i continued to stand upright. i don’t know how i managed not to completely lose it. i am a person who requires sleep. the lack of it, does not a happy tara make. and yet, when i awoke at 7am again, i was excited for the day.
the day would start with a rite of passage, so to speak. jesse, fearing the worst for his receding hairline, has been contemplating shaving his head. he decided to do so, and enlisted my support for the shearing. ‘we’ started at 1 inch, and worked our way down to 3/8 inch, and it was time to stop. i’m sure the experience was slightly traumatic for him, but the results spoke for themselves.
then it was on with the rest of our day! monday would be our ‘chill’ day. the agenda was ephemeral, and began with a trip to the santa barbara zoo. i have been to some spectacular zoos in my day (as far as zoos go), so i thought this would be fun, but didn’t expect it to compare to zoos like the national or the san diego. and in terms of quantity or diversity, it didn’t. however, it had two major factors playing in its favor. the first was the setting. it’s just a gorgeous area, and that never hurt nothin’. and second, as a result of it being a smaller zoo, it provided an experience unlike any before. there, you find yourself much closer to the animals then you are in larger zoos.
at the gorilla enclosure there is an alcove that separates you from them with a thing piece of glass/plastic. i am sure it is very strong, but the appearance is such that it feels as though you are right there with the animals. at one point, one of the gorillas came running towards the glass, and i found myself naturally stepping back as my heart rate increased. i have never had that kind of experience at the national zoo!
when all was said and done, we had spent hours wandering around this quaint little zoo. we did a significant amount of dawdling and gawking, and of course, continue to snap photos. i found myself sincerely appreciating jesse’s willingness to be in photos, but also his great eye. with his 5 mp version of my 10mp camera, he was able to catch some shots that surpassed most of mine. one of our favorites, though completely anti-pc his his giraffe shooting photo. it made us giggle every time we looked at it for the remainder of the trip.jesse attributes his good photos to luck and his camera, but i watched him long enough to know that he knows what he’s doing when he frames a photo. i also picked up several photoshop tips from him, which will be a great addition to my limited knowledge of the software.
after the zoo, we headed in to santa barbara and back to stearns wharf. we attempted to hit the marine museum, but it was closed. then we attempted to hit the museum of art. but it was closed. so we decided that it must be time for dinner, since we had skipped lunch.
the smoothies we had had had not left us satisfied, but as it would turn out, we were more full than we thought. at an italian place called palazzios, we munched on garlic rolls, and when our meals came, we were barely able to make a dent. though the food was delicious, we were absolutely stuffed. we decided to take the large portion of food home and chill out for the evening.
when we got back, we fiddled with photos, then popped in ‘casino royale’. though i fell asleep during the movie, when it was over, we talked for hours, yet again, before finally calling it a night.
day 4: tuesday, march 20
tuesday was la day. mostly. we slept in a little bit longer than normal and didn’t roll out of bed until 10ish. then we took our sweet time getting ready for the day. eventually, we headed to la and to the getty museum. i didn’t know much about it, but i am always up for a museum.
the getty is built on a hill in los angeles and it is monstrous! parking for the museum is at the base of the hill, and we made our way down through the 7 layers of hell to find a spot.once parker, we made our way up to the tram platform. the tram is electric and has no driver, the novelty of which was kind of fun.
at the top, we made our way into the main building. one of the things i loved about this museum was that since it was raining, in front of the doors of every building (there were four) were big bins full of umbrellas. you could grab one on the way out and leave it in the bin at the building you were going into. brilliant!
the main entryway was filled with a ‘sculpture’ which i could describe, but why, when someone else has already done so?
Tim Hawkinson's Überorgan
What are those bus-size balloons in the Museum Entrance Hall? They are Überorgan, a massive construction of balloons and horns by Tim Hawkinson that is making its West Coast debut at the Getty Center. Überorgan complements the exhibition Zoopsia: New Works by Tim Hawkinson (March 6–September 9, 2007).
What Is Überorgan?
Überorgan is an enormous contemporary sculpture by Los Angeles-based artist Tim Hawkinson. It exemplifies Hawkinson's characteristic use of the ordinary to achieve the extraordinary, combining and recomposing common industrial materials and found musical phrases into a multisensory sculptural experience.
Überorgan changes with every installation, and at the Getty Center it playfully interacts with its setting, the modernist rotunda designed by architect Richard Meier.
The musical score for Überorgan consists of a 250-foot-long scroll. Black dots and dashes encode the notes of traditional hymns, pop songs, and improvisational tunes. The notes are deciphered by light-sensitive switches in its player and scrambled to create an endless variety of compositions.
Überorgan performs for five minutes every hour on the hour throughout the run of the exhibition.
after checking it out, we decided to take the architecture tour. it was a bit of a disappointment, but the garden tour, which followed after was much better. the grounds are expansive, and the layout is very unique. it was raining, but our photo enthusiasm was not dampened in the least. a little water never hurt anyone.by the end of the garden tour, we were a bit chilly though, and began wandering through the indoor collection. there were a couple of pieces that really excited me--’irises’ by van gogh, and a piece by a dutch painter i like. it was nice to simply be able to wander and enjoy. we made it back to the main building to hear the uberorgan play. it wasn’t very pretty, but still it was interesting. jesse, with his engineering background, was completely unimpressed. apparently, it’s something a high school student could have put together, but i must not have gone to that high school;)
we moved on to the gift shop, and nearly shut the place down. all told, we spent several hours at the getty, and in an attempt to avoid rush hour traffic back to santa barbara, we stopped in santa monica for some dinner and wandering. our wandering included a stop at rei because jesse needed socks (and where else are you going to get socks?), yet i left the store with a new jacket. it wasn’t supposed to work out quite that way;)the rain had stopped earlier, and though it was cool, it was comfortable. we spent some time on the santa monica pier, taking pictures of course, and it got late quickly, so we headed out.
we arrived back at jesse’s near midnight and were up for awhile talking before calling it a night.
day 5: march 21
departure day ☹
i knew i had a really long day ahead of me, and that the chances of my luggage arriving in salt lake with me, were virtually nil. i was supposed to fly from santa barbara to la, from la to oakland, change airlines, then from oakland to slc. you can see why i didn’t have much hope for my luggage! and as i was reminded, expectation is everything.
jesse made me breakfast (as he had every morning) and we headed off to the airport. he waited with me while i waited for my flight, and we said our goodbyes. if all goes as planned, he will be heading out to see me next month, and we will role reverse as i show him MY town!bottom line, re this trip, i had an incredible time. jesse was an excellent host. he far surpassed my expectations. and given that we were spending 18+ hours a day together for 4+ days, i was honestly shocked that at no point did i think ‘i wish this guy would get out of my face’. i can’t speak for him, but he never gave the impression that he needed a break from me either.
i knew i would have a great time on this trip, but i was naive. there was all kinds of potential for badness... a lot of time together, very little sleep, the fact that this was our first meeting...yet, i think we both had a really great time. it was sad to say goodbye, but less so as a result of seeing him soon.
i boarded my plane, and we were told that lax was clogged and we would have to wait. it meant that i was definitely missing my connection to oakland. we were rebooked on a leter flight, which would mean i was definitely missing my connection from oakland to slc.
when i arrived in la, i spoke to several people, and weighed the options. ultimately, i decided to wait at the airport for six hours, in order to take a direct flight from la to slc and bypass oakland entirely. in all honesty, it wasn’t that big a deal to me. i knew it was going to take me a good amount of time to rename, resize, and reorder all of mine and jesse’s photos, so i might as well do it at the airport as anywhere else. and that is how i spent my six hours at lax!
when i arrived in salt lake, at 9:30 or so, i didn’t even bother to look for my bags. in all honesty, i wouldn’t have known where to start. so i enlisted the aid of the baggage services folks, who were able to tell me that my bags were in...oakland! apparently they are still there, so i hope the weather is nicer for them than it was for me!
i mentioned expectations before...the truth is, lost baggage would normally make me cry. packing is a nightmare for me because i am really moody about my day to day attire, yet, not having my bags is not freaking me out in the least. i knew it was going to happen, so i packed a toothbrush, extra underwear, and a few other things in my carry on. i forgot the phone charger so i had to buy one of those this morning, and i’m washing my clothes right now, but sa la vie, ya know? if they haven’t come by tonight, i may need to buy a few more things, but it is what it is and being upset about it isn’t going to change it.
so! that is the california recap. some of you will be interested in other details, and i will relay them as appropriate. it was a fabulous time with a fabulous guy who i am looking forward to getting to know better☺
1 comment:
looked at your trip backwards to forwards.
fave: the beach!
good times. happy for ya, sis.
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