Good Enough

Melissa tagged me! When I was growing up, a tag meant your name graffitied on a wall somewhere. In blogger world I get to participate in a fun little game. Thanks Melissa! So only five things…here goes…

Music- I cannot live with out it. When I was young I was raised on The Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, BeachBoys, Jim Croche. Junior High I was introduced to The Cure, Pearl Jam, and The Pixies.  High-school, in Seattle right when Grunge was hot, there was no cooler place to live for the music scene.  I wasn’t really into Grunge, but you would think I was by the way I dressed. I preferred the punk rock variety of musicians. Green Day, The Descendants, No FX, Mighty Mighty Bostones. Now I have managed to find music that my kids enjoy as well.  John Mayer and Jack Johnson are never far from reach and I am a huge No Doubt fan. We listen to a lot of British Rock as well because my husband is snobby like that.  

Reality T.V.- a little embarrassed about this one. Thank Heavens for my Tivo, I can record any I want and watch them when hubby is gone, so I don’t get so embarrassed. Why is other people’s drama so intriguing to me? Maybe someday I’ll get my head checked. For now I’m with Melissa, love the AI this season.

The Office-deserves a spot all it’s own. I acknowledge it can be crass at times, but as long as it’s just Hubby and I, we laugh hysterically all the way through.  One time we watched it with his parents and it happened to be the episode about Sexual Harassment. It was SO EMBARRASSING! We learned are lesson and keep that show to ourselves.

Candy-I’m a sugar holic. I’ve admitted on previous posts. Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, Watermelons, Red Licorice of the Red Vines decent.  I actually had a band in college with my little sister called Red Licorice.   But that’s a whole other story.

Sunshine-and on that note-Surf Culture-when I was growing up, living in the rainy North West, I had a subscription to Surfer Magazine, and I would pour over the pages, just hoping to pick up some sunshine through osmosis. As luck would have it, I moved down after college to work for a company called Quiksilver, in their corporate office. It was an awesome experience. I met many famous surfers and soaked up the culture. I met my husband in a surf shop and he happened to go to my church. He’s the best surfer ever! But I lucked out because he’s also the best dad and husband ever. Sorry for getting mushy. I planned on raising a little surfing family but my husband fell in love with the Northwest and here we are again. I have to say it is a great place to raise a family. If you’re wondering, I suck at surfing, but a girl can dream.

I have many other obsessions, but I think those are the top five.   

Other blogs I’m obsessed with and will tag now:

Sara @ Hope is Power; Kathryn @ Daring Young Mom; Julie @ Mental Tesserae; Jane? @ Mommydoggylove; Heather @ Apples on a Stick; and Nikki @ Rantings of a stay at home mom 

Although I would love to make  the type of this post bigger at the request of some readers, alas, I don’t know how, which goes to show my ineptitude when it comes to anything technological.

I just returned from vacation.

Are you jealous? You should be, I left the kids behind with grandma.

I have inferred that we recently moved from Southern Cali where I have lived peacefully for the past 8 years to rainy Seattle. My husband grew up down there, and that is where I hoped to remain, but we’re are here, and making the best of it. 

Hubby is a surfer, it’s part of who he is and why I love him. I’ve been obsessed with surf culture since I was about 12 years old. I subscribed to Surfer Magazine as a youngster and would pour over the pages with much enthusiasm, vowing that I would learn someday, and that only someone who knew how to would be a good enough man to marry.

It just so happens I met my husband in a surf shop, while buying some racks for my car. It wasn’t love at first sight, but he did give me a discount on those racks, and six months later we were dating, then seven months after that we were married.  

We want to keep that culture alive and decided after the horrible winter we had that we needed a surf adventure.

Hubby has been reading about where to go, and we found a spot on the Oregon coast that is said to have the best waves on the west coast…so for my very first guest blogger, my husband, risking his life, to tell you about the Oregon waves…

Rumor has it that Seaside Oregon is home to one of, if not the best left point break on America’s west coast. The challenge of the wave goes beyond the size, power, and rocks associated with the wave. Sightings of Great White sharks are common. In fact, someone was attacked by a Great White just last Christmas. 

The local surf crowd is also cause concern for a visiting surfer. To help a non-surfer understand this point you would have to understand what localism means. Localism= preventing visitors from surfing the break you grew up surfing. Localism is manifest in acts of vandalism on a visitors car, surrounding a visitor in the water and preventing them from catching waves, threatening a visitors life and even attempting to make good on those threats.

So why surf Seaside instead of going somewhere else? It is a beautiful town with plenty to keep a family busy, and plenty of world class surf to keep a surfer very happy. As for my experience, I had a fantastic time. Each person I met while surfing was polite and friendly. The surf was 6-10 foot at the point and even though it was stormy, the shape held up and provided an excellent surfing experience. There is a beach break for beginners and the point for surfers who are ready for a challenging juicy wave. Cleanline Surfshop and Seaside Surf Shop both provided me with quality rental gear and were run by quality individuals that gave me all the info I needed about the area to make it a memorable experience. All and all I can see why the locals want to keep this little gem for themselves.

Thanks honey…might I add that while the boys were surfing the wives went to a wonderful day spa called Day Spa on Broadway (www.dayspaonbroadway.net).  I think it’s the only spa in town, though if any others show up they’ll have some tough competition on their hands. It was hands down the best facial I’ve ever had, given by an Australian named Wendy Camden. She was gentle, yet excellent, and I left with a glow that stayed on my skin for days. 

We also went to the best restaurant I have ever eaten at, in a beautiful “one light town” to the north. Gearhart. The restaurant was Pacific Way Cafe, it’s a French Bistro in a quaint building off of Pacific Way, and it ruined me for any other eats on the rest of the trip. I recommend this to any one planning a Seaside adventure.

There is something for everyone in this little town, and even when it’s raining, as it often does in the North West, there is plenty to do. I had a great time, and I feel ready to take on whatever the little ones can literally throw at me!    

Although I am blissfully married I can’t help but be reminded of the crazy times I was out there in singles world.  Especially when I hear stories of poor eating manners. I guess it became one of my biggest pet peeves about eight years ago…seeing the number it hasn’t been very long, but with three kids out of the oven since then, it was an eternity ago.

His name was Mark, and that is his real name, I feel a little hesitant to use it. He was a crazy stalker type.

I’ll give you a little background…I was new to CA, he was in a band, and planning on making a living out of it. That was good enough for me, I just wanted to have fun and meet people in the industry. He was broke, ALL THE TIME! His band and their groupies headed to Denny’s for an after show dinner. He asked to borrow $5!!!!  I wouldn’t give him any money, so he stared at me eating, almost drooling over my ‘Grand Slam Platter.’  When I was finished, he asked to eat my scraps, what could I say? But OH THE HORRORS as he ate the leftovers off of my plate, shoveling them into his mouth as if his life depended  on it. Oh, it was so gross, my stomach churns just thinking about it.  He tried to kiss my as I was driving my mom’s minivan through the streets of L.A.  I was wearing bright red MAC lipstick. He got some on his face. I dropped him off and vowed never to see him again.

He stalked me for a few months, but in the end he understood…it wasn’t me, it WAS HIM!

Ugh, shudder, shiver…find a happy place, find a happy place…