A California Vacation for Me!
October 23, 2008
I’m back!
My trip to Cali this October was fantastic. I couldn’t have asked for better weather or to stay with better people! The rental car is another ongoing nightmare with last minute rate changes & such, but this too will pass 
So, I left Saturday the 11th (1 month from my b-day!)& drove through about every snow, sleet, hail & rainstorm you could imagine. 15 hours later & after driving the last few hours in LA night traffic, I arrived at my destination of Seal Beach. Frank (my couchsurfing host) & I went out to a wine bar to do cheese/wine pairings, which was exactly what I needed after that stressful drive!
Sunday started off right with a screwdriver & a walk on the beach. We then had crab & shrimp omlettes & checked out all of the surfers looking for the perfect swell. Later on, we went into Barnes & Noble & I was on sensory overload (we don’t have stores like that in Jackson Hole!). We then went to the movies & saw Appaloosa. So, by Monday it was time to get active! I went for a run on the beach, which is one of my most favorite things in the world to do 
& I was able to save a fish that washed up to shore by getting him back in the water. Then I got a burger to go & ate it on the pier while I chatted with a seal below. I read some books on why men are the way they are (funny stuff), laid on the beach the rest of the day & got my tan back. Then we went out for Greek food & finished the night off with a scary movie that was playing in one of the old theatres.
Tuesday I just shopped all darn day. I bought a couple of things for myself in a boutique & enjoyed eating Cold Stone Creamery ice cream for the very 1st time. That night, Frank & I went to the famous Getty Museum for an alumni event that he invited me to go to. I got to see the original artworks of Van Gogh, Rembrandt & Monet which was very exciting. And later, we went to Sunset Boulevard in LA & met with a movie producer & famous British actor at a club. Frank was talking business, as he is a screenwriter – so I flitted around here & there & even saw David Arquette & the paparazzi!
Wednesday was beach (+ hangover) all day & I was able to have dinner with Rick, my long-time pal that I used to work with from Symbol Technologies (ugh, remember THAT company??). It was great to re-connect with him. The next day, I said goodbye to Frank & left Seal Beach to explore towns along the way to the next part of my vacay. Next stop: Laguna Beach!
You’ll see from pics that I saw many a beach on my way down there & I made sure to stop & walk around in all of them: Sunset Beach, Huntington Beach (with a million surfer-dudes), Balboa Beach (lesser-known), Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar & finally, Laguna Beach! I arrived at my next couch-surfer’s place, Jake. We totally hit it off & had a drink in his beautiful backyard with a view of the ocean & later went to get some Thai food. Friday was an all-out beach day again & I enjoyed the beach I went to via Jake’s secret suggestion – Table Rock. Georgous!! That night we went to hear some live music @ a place called Mozambique.
Saturday I went shopping at Trader Joe’s (sensory overload again!) & purchased some lobsters in Dana Point Harbor to bring home with me. Later Jake & I headed down to the famous Thousand Steps beach. & there I had my last beach day (boooooo!) & we ordered pizza in, watched the Sox game & I readied my stuff to head on home to Jackson Hole the next day.
I left at 5:30AM on Sunday & arrived back to JH at 10PM. I’m still not sure which was worse: arriving into LA crazy traffic later @ night or arriving into Wyoming later at night with several deer in the road as my welcoming committee! When I got into Jackson, I went straight to my neighbor’s house to joyfully hand out presents & tell some stories & then went back to my place. I surprised Scotty with the lobsters (thank goodness they survived that ride!) & we promptly steamed them & ate one of the tails that night! & the next day was all about sleeping, so we ate the other tail in a lobster omlette & did a whole lotta nothing together 
The guys I stayed with in Cali were truly amazing people. If you are curious about couchsurfing & want to see more info, visit this link: http://www.couchsurfing.com
It was great to get away from Jackson Hole for a bit though, as I’ve been here almost a year with no vacations (even though I LIVE in vacation-land!) So, now I am defintely ready for winter! Good thing too, because on Tuesday, it snowed most of the day! Nothin like going from palm trees to snowy mounatin sides LOL
OK then — back to business + email catch up!
Cheers & happy almost Halloween <<evil laugh>> Hoo-ha-ha-ha-ha! 
All pics are located here (always!): http://picasaweb.google.com/rocaiazzo
Hockey + JH’s 1st Snowfall!
October 10, 2008
Just wrappin’ it all up before I leave tomorrow on vacation to Cali!
1st off, my boss Amy & I have decided that her now 5 month old pup Derby is probably not going to get any bigger. So, he will always be puppy-sized which is awesome! Unfortunately, I can’t have pets at my new place (I would love to have a kitty), but Riley & Derby are always at the PAWS office when I go in 2 days a week. Plus there’s always Trick, Sadie & Mark at Sacre’s place. Pets are so great to be around
Let’s see, what did I do recently . . .
My friend Cat & I went to a seminar about how to teach children values (interesting, as we both don’t have kids), we also attended a radio party at Walker’s house (my show airs Oct. 20 – but we are not on the Web yet, so you can’t hear it!), I got some deer steaks from my pal Kenny & cooked them in red wine & olive oil for Scotty, I still haven’t unpacked my kitchen stuff, Sacre’s going to build me a ladder for my loft soon so I don’t have to climb up via windowsill, I had my 1st hockey practice & it snowed for the 1st time in Jackson yesterday!
& now I must go — to start the packing process for vacation starting tomorrow!
I’m excited to head out to Seal Beach for 5 days & Laguna Beach for 4. I am staying with 2 guy couchsurfers in each of those towns (this is why my guy friends are wary). I’ve gotten to know them both over the past month or so & I think it’s going to be a ton of fun staying in town with a local. I was even invited by one of the couchsurfers to an alumni affair at the Getty Museum which should be fun & I’ll get to see Rick, a guy I used to work with at Symbol.
DON’T WORRY!!!
My momma has all their info & I promised to call her 2x a day
It’s supposed to snowstorm tonight & I am leaving for Cali @ 6am tomorrow! I’m banging the whole road trip out in 1 day – 15 hours! I’m psyched to have a car for the next 10 days (but my mountain bike is coming too!) – I’m picking up the rental car tonight!
See ya soon . . . with a rockin’ tan!! LOL
All pics are located here (always!): http://picasaweb.google.com/rocaiazzo
TGR Film & Playhouse Show
October 1, 2008
Life in Jackson Hole is never boring, that’s for sure!
In the past 2 weeks, I’ve had 2 blind dates (they didn’t amount to anything tho), sold my couch & got a new smaller one, went to a women’s hockey league meeting and drank mimosas on the last day of the art walk in town . . .
I went to the big premiere of a ski/snowboard film by TGR (Teton Gravity Research) & won a T-shirt that was thrown into the audience by a hot boy LOL. I also partied down at the Mangy Moose bar in the village after the film. In between the film & party, I went to a women’s hockey meeting, as I’m thinking about playing this season. Their first meeting took place at the Elks Hall – the only place in town where there are bowling lanes (they have a toal of 4)!!
My friend Cat & I represented the community radio this past week & went to a show at the playhouse in town. It was terrific! Then her & I partied it up afterwards at a place called Koshu – where I preceded to make a business contact, met the dj spinning that night, made friends with the bartender & met a very cute boy originally from Connecticut all in 1 night! I helped with the fund drive at the radio station for a few days too. I met some cool new peeps & helped the station get 8 new members! Everything over there is coming together – my new radio show will debut in October & has a lot of girls/guys excited because my first show will be: “Single & lovin’ it! Dating in Jackson Hole.” Pink flyers will soon be posted all over town
What next you ask? Well, mountain biking season is officially over, so now I have a whole bunch of new things to concentrate on! My new placce is totally rad, but I’m still not completely moved in. I have to wait on a few shelves to be built before I even try to unload all of my kitchen stuff. I’m currently being set up on another blind date (fun!) & my consulting business has been going strong. I’ve been using my (free?) time to meet up with people that are in the business of/have contacts in marketing/web/design work.
& lastly, I am definitely going to Seal Beach & Laguna Beach California for a week starting October 11! I’ve rented a car & will drive there & back. Should be a wonderfully relaxing beach vacation, but all of my guy friends really don’t like the idea — I’ll explain why later!!
Happy October y’all!
I gotta find my pumpkin lights to put up at my new place
All pics are located here (always!): http://picasaweb.google.com/rocaiazzo
