California

I'm finally back to it. Being away from home for extended periods of time is exhausting-- no matter if it's a vacation or not. I like routine, normalcy, i like to sleep in my own bed.

My trip to California was good, uneventful, so it was good. I flew out Sunday night and didn't get to my hotel and in bed until well after 3:30am EST so I was so exhausted. The week with all the senior level finance people was exhausting, and i hate always feeling like the most junior level person there. And i find that people from DC in the finance world are too uppity-- and into themselves. During round tables and breaks i found myself just waiting for the time to pass, i hate feeling that. At the end, i was ready for my family to arrive and be done with work.

The weekend was nice with my family, we did a lot of stuff in just a short period of time. We went to Napa Valley (which i LOVED) and saw all these vineyards of the wine (and cheap wine) i drink so often. We ate at the Culinary Institute of America right in the heart of Napa, YUM!!! Which was precluded by another amazing meal at Domain Chandon, um, double YUM! The whole weekend was actually spent dining at fantastic places each day. One more notable was a dim sum (sp?) place we went to with my dad's friends on Saturday. It was authentic Chinese, and boy was it oily! I actually liked almost everything we ate, and it was the first time i ever ate chinese dim sum style. We also saw the Golden Gate Bridge, went to China Town, Japan Town, Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey, Carmel, and packed every single day with stuff to do and see. It was exhausting. We went on a Whale Watch in Monteray, and I decided to take some sea sick pills that made me SO drowsy-- so dowsey that it sucked every ounce of energy out of me, so the day in Monterrey was such a strain for me. But it was short, and busy, and i got the most of out it. All in all, it was a good trip.

But i am glad to be back. Lots of things to follow-up on at work, but I am looking forward to the Sex and the City 2 premier tonight with friends. E is coming with me with my old group of friends, so she can put names with faces of the people i talk about. I am so glad she is coming. Then tomorrow is Friday and another long weekend for Memorial Day. I have so much to do, but i am thinking the whole weekend will be fun (and hopefully relaxing).

In other, unrelated news, i got word on Wednesday that my Aunt's husband died of an aneurysms. I feel so sorry for my aunt, i know she is having a tough time right now with everything going on my with my grandma but now this. I am actually still in shock about it, i mean i saw him at Easter and he was fine and his old self. He was kind of a loud, jolly kind of guy always talking about something German. And to think that my aunt's first husband died of an aneurysms too, many years ago. How much heart ache can a person handle in one life time? Unfortunately i cant go to the funeral, i sent flowers this morning and will be thinking about her and my family all day today and tomorrow. Crazy how fast things can change.

Better days will come.