la jolla

Happy 4th of July!!  Im afraid it has kind of lost it's luster for me here... Seeing as Sea World has fire works every night  just down the water from my house... and the holiday traffic this weekend has been impossible where I live..PB sounds like WSU greek row (on a monday) every night this weekend.. not a good time to live by the beach :-)


I am growing pretty fond of La Jolla, the town I work in, and I am pretty sure it is because of the sea lions.  On memorial day, I walked around the beach where they hang out, literally feet away from people swimming.. it was pretty fun.  At the same time, I was thinking, you couldn't pay me enough money to swim in that nasty sea lion polluted water... 

So of course, two days ago, I took a little dip in the nasty sea lion polluted water, and like everyone else, I survived.  I also wore a wet suit (picture the episode of friends where Ross wears the leather pants- thats me with this wet suit) and had a go at snorkeling.. which pretty much consisted of me kinda swimming around, more concerned about just staying alive than looking at fish and other water things.  Of course there was absolutely nothing harmful about the events- I was just kinda freaked. 

We snorkeled into some caves which was really neat (really really neat).. and we could climb around the rocks and stuff.. well as much climbing as I could do with flippers.. so I sort of scooted/crab walked up.. it happens.  Our flippers were hurting our feet, so instead of swimming back, we hopped out at some rocks and walked back. 

It was at this moment that I realized I am not outdoorsey, or daring, at all.  The people I was with, my friend and his sister- were like Simba and Nala prancing along these rocks to get out. 

Picture a potato scaling some rocks. That was me. 

Just like on the paddle boarding day, when I was done I had this feeling of "aw I don't want to leave" and then I remember I'm not on vacation.. and living here is amazing. 

day off #2

I have the entire day off today- so it's pretty exciting, its the first one since Memorial Day!! This morning I went paddle boarding (google image it... I had to also) which was amazing.  I didn't fall in the water- really surprising.. but I had the beginner board, which is like the training wheels bike, so I imagine tipping it would have been pretty impressive.   My favorite part was when we paddled by dolphins!!!!  Im still in awe.. they were so cute, diving around each other, probably 20 feet from our boards!!!  It might have been one of the coolest things  I have ever seen. Whenever anybody comes and visits me (hint hint, someone please come play down here with me) Paddle boarding is an absolute must.  Too much fun.  Maybe if I go again I wont accidentally spin around in circles trying to back up.. and exceed .000025 mph.  


Also, another cool development I have discovered, is that they are filming the Real World down here, a few houses down from where I was house sitting in La Jolla.. which in hindsight, explains all the cameras. duh.  But we saw them out on a big yacht type boat today... they waved, I waved.. and then continued to spin around in circles on my board.. Im really crossing my fingers for a cameo.  Wish me luck (sike).  But I guess they are always out at the bars around PB, the area I live in... so maybe another day :-).  


I also learned today that Torrey Pines just isn't a golf course. News to me. And went hiking there today... there were lots of Torrey Pine trees. also news to me.  But it was right by the ocean, and pretty cool.  I think my cardio work outs might be paying off because the the thought that I might die only crossed my mind twice, and one was because I saw a sign to look out for rattle snakes. yikes!!!  Anyways, after the little hike trail, there are really cool stairs (that took me no less than 45 minutes to walk down) the pop right out at the beach!! the following pictures are of that part of my outdoorsey adventure day.  I think I need a nap. 

the cool little stair case to the beach, you can see the water in the background!

I think tomorrow after work I'm doing a little evening snorkel in the caves around La Jolla... Things you can't do in Eastern Washington.


xoxo
Katie.