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I've been really lazy this last week.
Feeling like I'm barely dragging myself to work, and then resting for the remainder of the day.
With exception of last Thursday, where I logged my 11th dive at La Jolla shores (again), I haven't really accomplished much.  
Until today that is!
Today marks the day I was able to cross another life adventure off the list.
I don't want to call it a "bucket list" because that's too cliche but there are an endless amount of adventures or experiences that I want to be a part of before I die.
Hot air ballooning was definitely one of them. I think since the first time I saw a giant rainbow balloon in a picture, TV or even a cartoon, I've wanted to be in one. It's a slower, hovering air pocket in the sky almost always rainbow bright colors, whats not to love about that.
Our Balloon flight was scheduled months ago, but due to weather we kept getting pushed to a later date. It was well worth the wait, and for $200 well worth the discount price!
We arrived at Monte De Oro Winery at 5:15am completely ready to go and early and by 6:30 we were boarding, taking pictures and floating away for a 55 minute flight over Temecula wine country.

They really made it a special event, complete with morning mimosas (Bad idea at 5:30), snacks, hundreds of photos and almost an hour of flight is very generous. The crew of Sunrise Balloons were super friendly, efficient and seemed very experienced.
It was almost exactly like I thought it would be, steady ascents and descents with a maximum altitude of about 1,500ft softly floating around over houses and agricultural plots of land. Maybe that's because we were lucky to have a good pilot.
Or maybe that's because, really, hot air ballooning is not a real adrenaline rush at all.
But, it was an amazing experience and I couldn't have been any happier!
Maybe this will get me out of my depressed rut. And I only have 17 more days until two foreign friends finally reunite here in California!
That is when the real excitement begins!

For now it's possible that there should be a compiled formal list of all the adventures I'd like to accomplish. But I can mark this off for now:
Hot air balloon ride!

I just logged my tenth dive yesterday! We went to the La Jolla shores.

I've been getting more and more comfortable underwater, and I feel like I'm able to control my buoyancy well too. I feel like the BC I use helps a lot with that, but also (and arguably more important) the breathing. Breathing and the pace and depth of your breath are so important in diving, and as one descends it's even more noticeable how inhaling can raise or lower you body. Also, the deeper you go the more the air is condensed (of course) and the wetsuit crushed down so to say. It's interesting, and an on-going endeavor, to become perfectly weighted and achieve a really comfortable neutral buoyancy at depth.

The La Jolla shores has been compared to the desert. It's a more beige landscape, with camouflaged plant and aquatic life. Thats not to say it's baron or boring though. In fact it's obviously an ideal spot for beginners and lazy divers! As I'm finding out, the shores tends to have much calmer waves and easier shore entries than some other spots in San Diego. That being said it's also the most familiar to me because I was taught in those waters.
And of the 10 dives, 9 of them were in the shores, so I'm by no means experienced!
But I'm learning and picking up some important experience.
Some of the life we tend to regularly see at the shores would include lots of sand dollars (which live upright like this going with the waves/current underwater.)

We have seen a couple octopi too, at the shores and cove.

                           Overall some really great shots from many other divers can be seen at divebums website. I've been loving looking through what other people have spotted at the same (or close to!) spots I have been at.
It's an addictive hobby.

Just enjoying my Weekend.
I ended up cycling only one day last week, I had a goal of three. So I could have done better!
Total: 5.2 miles.
I hiked 4 miles today at the end of Pamo valley in Ramona and saw the creek was still flowing.
Tomorrow I plan on cycling more.
All in all a good calm weekend so far, filled with sun, BBQ, and rest.

On the rocks.

This week has been a disaster. But in an I'm-being-over-dramatic sort of way.
I work with two people and a boss. You would think it would be easy to deal with work stress and frustration since there are so few people. But actually it's quite the opposite.
In fact, since you can't hide behind a staff of 50 or more every thing is under a magnifying glass and simple mistakes, or off-hand remarks turn into huge dilemmas.
I have been working with an older woman who recently got hired on, but she has consistently been condescending and rude to me in an attempt to seem superior and gain a management position at this place of work.
It's so annoying when people fight cruelly for such a small gain in power.
And today was a slight breaking point for me.
I let her know that I am technically her supervisor, and that she should also take direction from me.
But instead of listening she acted like a child, practically slamming cabinets and huffing and puffing away.
I feel like there is such a fear in losing a job, not being able to find one or get paid enough that people claw and scratch their way around others just to climb to the top of even the most low end "careers".
I don't plan on staying in food service my whole life, and she can have the management position.
But the complete lack of respect is what hurts.
I've noticed that it happens in small businesses, especially restaurants.
There is a pattern in way new small business owners act and treat their employees, and when they begin to feel the fatigue of working the business.
I'm willing to work hard for a business that wants to work hard for itself, and when the management begins to waiver and pout in the face of hardship, then I lose respect and faith in that business.

Basically I have a new respect for the larger workforce, and career options that offer a little more anonymity.
But ultimately, continuing school is my new plan.

Yesterday was my parents 36th(!) wedding anniversary. I consider that a success. They still love each other, bicker, fight, and make-up.
I love and respect my parents very much, and hope to have a similar kind of relationship they have together with someone of my own.

As of today there is exactly one month until my boyfriends mother gets re-married. And she is throwing a completely huge and over-the-top wedding at a ritzy hotel on the beach. With a luau reception, rented hotel rooms, drinking, partying and a honeymoon for the two in Hawaii immediately after the wedding.
She has been married before, and is a little older with two grown kids, but couldn't be more excited to perfect every detail of this party.
But even though shes been married before, and went through a different path, I think shes really successful too.
And I'm excited to go to a beach wedding! Though I normally don't really care for weddings, this one is going to actually be fun and relaxed.
And I get to wear a casual dress, which I haven't found yet.
My goal: to actually work out, and find a dress before the wedding.