Bathroom Renovations

On April 29th we began the demolition of our one and only bathroom…What started as a one week project, ended up as four.  With no shower or toilet for those four long weeks, our “camping” experience went from fun to exhausting very quickly.    Below is a quick summary of my “life” under renovation. 

My day would start waking up in our new bedroom, feeling happy with all of the hard work Martin had put into the house so far. I would then pick out my outfit for the day, head downstairs, out the front door and into my neighbor´s house for a shower…unfortunately for her, she left us her key while she was gone on a week-long vacation with a polite offer to use her bathroom while she was gone.

After freshening up, I would head back upstairs through the front door to the bedroom to do my make-up, pick up my shoes and purse…And then it was back downstairs, out the front door, through the basement and up the backstairs to the kitchen (to keep the dust out of at least half of the house, Martin had re-taped the tarp closing off the kitchen and living room).  While in the kitchen, I would eat breakfast with Martin and do my hair and check my outfit in the oven “mirror.”

By 9am, I would already be exhausted from all of the stairs and would need to muster up the strength to go back to through the basement and off to work…if I had forgotten anything on either side of the house, it was considered lost for the day. 

After a few days of this routine, I cried Uncle and moved back home to my parent´s house (because every 30 year old wants to live at home, right?).  Unfortunately, Martin refused to quit and stuck it out for the full time…what he did in those few weeks without a bathroom, I really don’t want to know. 

SLO Bound and Down

Ten years ago, 8 best girlfriends graduated (or didn’t) from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.  Fearing that our friendships would fade over time, we vowed to return 10 years later for a reunion. The good news for us is that our friendships did not fade, and in fact only got stronger and more mature…in fact, the only thing that did fade was the promised reunion.  Even with the weekend booked a year in advance, and the numbers originally strong, it took only a few weeks before the big celebration for the group to dwindle down to two.  And with only the non-refundable room keeping us on the hook, Anj and I decided to still keep the dream alive and head down there on Saturday. 

The drive to pick up Anj was an emotional journey to say the least…heading back to my alma mater, my mind was racing through my accomplishments for the past 10 years…did I succeed in what I had set out to do, had I reached those life goals appropriate for someone 10 years out of college?  After 100 miles of driving, I still couldn´t remember what my 22 year old self had in mind for me 10 years ago.  I just know that I graduated from college with a job lined up in San Francisco, with a great group of friends to see me off, with a supportive family and without a care, worry or passport.

After picking up Anj, we rolled into town around 1 and immediately went for the ultimate comfort food, Firestones, to ease my worried mind.  With no big plans for the night, we decided to create and complete the ultimate bucket list for SLO with all of the things we had to do while in town.  While I couldn’t remember if I had completed my life goals after 10 years, I could at least attempt to complete this simple list. 

Ten hours and a few drinks later, we had gotten through 10 of the 15 items on the list (plus a few additional ones added along the way).  And while I couldn’t convince anyone I was still in college (#15 on the list and one I really didn’t try that hard to accomplish) I did manage to be called a cougar (for better or worse).  Other highlights from the journey included watching Anj make a guy take a Bull Sweat for her phone number and realizing that the biggest difference between college kids and 30 year olds is that 30 year olds drink during the day and get to the bars around 9, while college kids eat and drink at home and get to the bars at 11pm…ah to have homework and be college poor. 

Number 10 - Bubble Gum Alley

The Final List

We ended the trip just as I ended my college career – with a hangover and cowboy benedicts for breakfast at McClintock’s…thankfully this time around didn’t involve a police escort home.

Here are us girls on graduation day 10 years ago and the lonely me this past weekend…Almost the same, just older, fatter and none the wiser.

Cinco de Derby

What happens when two major day time drinking events occur on the same day… You start the day with a classy brunch for the derby.

And end the evening channeling your favorite mariachi band.