The Long and Winding Road... - ay jay kay squared.

…is the journey Paul McCartney’s on as he tries to persuade Canadians and their government that the seal hunt should be banned, says Federal Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn. I thought that was a clever line of his to come up with while being pressed by the Press.

On to other things, AT LAST, AN UPDATE! A couple things deferred this from happening. A) Andy came and messed up my regular schedule 😉 B) I was waiting for a few extra photos from Brian from our trip to Santa Barbara. Andy is now gone back up to cold, (finally) snowy Edmonton, and I got the photos from Brian just a couple days ago. So yay!

The trip. It started at about 11am Sunday the 19th of February for me, as I drove to San Juan Capistrano and took Amtrack (the trains) to LA Union Station, which was also featured in The Italian Job which Andy and I just watched a few days ago. Then I took the Red Line metro to connect with the Blue Line metro that connects to the Green Line metro that goes to LAX airport. Think you got that? 😉 We didn’t do too much when we arrived back here in San Clemente (except go grocery shopping, as my cupboards were bare), both kinda tired from the journey. Monday was a holiday here, so I didn’t have to go into work, and I didn’t. Tuesday I was working, and then we had choir practice in the evening (which Andy came to and joined) and that was fun. Wednesday I worked, and something happened…I think we watched movies in the evening. Thursday I took off from work and we did a little touring around the area, and we got some good pictures from that, and Friday we headed off to the LA Cathedral and then up to Santa Barbara. I love that cathedral. We, again, took more pictures, then raced to catch our train north.

Santa Barbara is a very pretty city. Right on the beach with a backdrop of some beautiful mountains, it’s a very scenic place to visit. State street, the main happening-place in Santa Barbara is also a really interesting street, full of fascinating shops, restaurants, and vendors. While walking down to the beach, I spotted a guy with snakes, so we walked over to see what that was all about. It turns out this guy was from some sort of snake conservatory, where they take in snakes people find, or if people don’t want their snake anymore, and they have adoptions for them (he said there’s currently a 2 year waiting list). So we hung out with the snakes for about 20-30 minutes, and I have now discovered a fact about myself that I never knew before: I love snakes. They’re really cute and kinda cuddly! It was a windy day, so they just wanted to be warm, so they’d try and find the warmest place in our arms. One tried going up my sleeve a few times, and another one Andy was holding tied itself in a most complex knot…I really enjoyed the snakes, and I am now thinking of getting one as a pet. It’s on my list of things to seriously consider buying within the next 6 months, at any rate. I mean, they’d be so easy to take care of! No fur (I hate fur), no cleaning tanks, no scrubbing…it’s just up my alley! Now if only I could speak Parseltongue ;).

It was great seeing Brian again too! He’s doing well, and we all had a great experience together. We learned of the oil in the shores of Santa Barbara pretty thoroughly together, visited the Mission (which is relatively intact still), and ate a moste wonderfule meale on State Street with live music playing in the background. It was very awesome. Andy and I had a really awesome time, and I’m darned sure Brian did too, so it was a great weekend trip. Next time it’d be nice if we could take more time there though. We’ll have to see what happens with future trips. 😀

Then Tuesday arrived, and Andy’s plane left at 8am, which meant he had to be at the airport for 6am check in cause it’s an international flight, which meant we had to leave San Clemente by 4:30am. We thankfully got their in good time and didn’t hit up any bad traffic, though there was a darned fair bit of traffic for that time in the morning. From there, I had to skiddadle to the Diocesan Offices for Sexual Harrassment Prevention Training, to which I had a staff meeting directly after back in San Clemente, then prep for the Mardi Gras in the evening. Busy day. And the afternoon decided to play a joker, as the belt in the car motor burned to a crisp and everything started to seize up (on the I-5 Freeway, none-the-less), so I had to call Rick, who was only a couple minutes in front of me and he helped me out. Unfortunately that meant we both missed the staff meeting. Oh well. Life happens. Then I did Mardi Gras stuff all afternoon and evening. And it went well. I think I have some photos from it at work that I can post, but I’ll have to do that when I’m there.

Oi. So that’s that. It’s been busy. Still busy-ness to come. I need to start planning for a youth ministry information session, start thinking of summer activities for the teens, figuring out leadership training for volunteer ministers…yup. Lots yet to do! I’m looking forward to it! So keep me informed on how things are going on your end of the line, you all. Especially those who have blogs!

Anyway, that’s it for now, hope you’re all doing well!
Peace,
Jane

Hopefully in the near future, I’ll figure a way to put videos up of our snake experience!

In no particular order:
1. Me at my desk at work
2. Andy and I in front of the Mission in Santa Barbara
3. Andy and I at a viewpoint in San Clemente
4. Andy looking on at the view point
5. Our last night with some wine & pj’s
6. Us at the park by the view point
7. Andy and I in front of a statue of Mr. I-can’t-remember-your-name in front of the Mission
8. Us on the pier at Santa Barbara
9. Andy’s first ever experience of the Pacific ocean, and Brian laughing in the background
10. Andy trying to avoid the mouth of the large fish…this is the park at LA Cathedral, and it’s scattered with these different playful statue type things, and the trees are olive trees (I mentioned that with my pictures from the last time I visited the Cathedral)
11. The doors to the Cathedral. And Andy.
12. The cross that’s in the background of the sanctuary on the inside, and Andy.
13. Sunset from the view point at the top of one of the hills (there are two major ones in San Clemente), and if you look closely enough you can make out an island right in front of the sun, and that’s San Clemente island, which you can’t often see unless it’s very very clear out
14. Me on the lion in the Cathedral park
15. Andy and I at LA Union Station; I think this is a historical part of the station, though it never really said what it was used for. Looks kinda like an old court room or something
16. These are the canyons behind San Clemente, and by behind I mean, the other side of the city that’s not water. East-ish, I suppose, though I think San Clemente actually faces south, so I’m rather unsure of that
17. Andy showing off the fact that he’s not in snow and has shown his face to the sun and desert
18. This is the view from one of the roads that connects to the church’s road…apparently we got more of us in it, but you can make out the water behind Andy
19. Finally! A proper picture of Brian! And Andy’s there with him at the Santa Barbara beach-with-oil-that’s-not-marked-in-a-sign
20. Brian and I on the pier with beautiful Santa Barbara and it’s mountains behind us. It was very picturesque there
21. Mission Santa Barbara!
22. Brian captured a picture while remaining stable in a tree! We were quite proud!
23. Brian was trying to get into the mission by climbing the wall! We swear it!
24. A wonderful self-taken photo! And if you look closely in his sunglasses, you can be sure that it was self-taken! 😀
25. Brian and I in front of the fountain right before the pier starts
26. And finally, Andy with one of the snakes we had the honour of visiting!

For other photos, please pester both Brian and Andy to putting them up on their sites, as I’ve put up 24. And I knows that they haves them. I knows it, I. 😀