Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Weekend in California

I've taken a brief break from blogging, as I've been in California since Saturday morning and haven't had time to write. I still don't have much time, so this post will have more pictures than words.

I'm in San Jose for a library conference, which started today. I flew down a few days early to go back to my home town and visit friends. Since it was Mother's Day weekend, a lot of people were busy, but I got to hang out with a couple people and spend a beautiful afternoon on the beach in Santa Cruz. Saturday I walked around town and discovered that, though it's bigger than it used to be, Tracy is still boring. But it was fun to wander around some of my old hangouts. Saturday night I went to a choir concert, since Kristy was the accompanist. The theme of the concert was Music Through the Decades, and they sang songs from the 1910s through the 1990s. It was highly entertaining to hear a choir do a medley of disco songs! Here's a pic of Kristy and me from after the show: Kristy and me

Sunday I hung out with my friend Diana, then went to a Mother's Day gathering at Kristy's parents' house. It was nice to visit with her folks, whom I've hardly seen in the last decade or so, and her sister Gina, whom I hadn't seen in about 8 years. Here's Kristy and Gina, with Gina's very photogenic dog: Kristy,  Gina, and Gina's dog

Monday was beach day! We were off to Santa Cruz for sun, sand, and the Giant Dipper! The Boardwalk was nearly empty, and most of the rides weren't running. But the Dipper was open--hooray! We probably rode that thing 5 or 6 times without waiting in line at all, and we were in the front car nearly every time. Have I mentioned that I love roller coasters? And that the Giant Dipper is my favorite roller coaster? A couple pics:
The start of my favorite rollercoaster Empty Dipper train... a rare sight

When we finally removed ourselves from the roller coaster (grudgingly) we headed out on the pier, where we were serenaded by a group of adorable but loud seals. For whiskery blobs of blubber, they're surprisingly photogenic:
They're a lot more graceful in the water I told you I was ready for my closeup! Bark, bark, bark...

Before we left our coastal paradise, we drove along the cliffs above town, where the views are breathtaking. Here are a few more pics:
The pelicans were cuter... Coastline along Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz Pelican and seagulls

That's about it for now. More about San Jose and the conference when I have more time. Right now I'm off to a dessert reception. Life's tough, huh?

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