Happy Dutch Day

Today is the birthday of my very best friend in the world, and I wanted to take advantage of this most public of fora to wish her the best, the happiest, and the many-est of wonderful returns. We've been friends for a near decade, Dutch and I, ever since we were brought together by folk-rock supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and our momentous road trip this summer has brought us closer than ever. Only though the 21st century technology of the blogosphere can I approximate how meaningful, unforgettable, and life-affirming our partnership has been, and I'm sure all you blog fans out there await our next step with bated breath. And it's gonna be a big one, Dutch. You're the pony to my dog, and I send you all my love over the internet superhighway.

Photographs of the house

Pomegranate Tree

Grapefruits for breakfast

Kitchen window

These are pictures of my new house
Next post will be pictures of the neighborhood. Thats when things get interesting.

A Pause

My dear compatriot Phil took off for Toronto the other day and left me feeling very un-bloglike. But don't worry, dear readers, look for an update about the new house and pictures very soon.
In the meantime, soothe your need for information with this list of fruit trees found in my yard

mission figs
green apples
dates
limes
grapefruits
grapes
guava

Photographs of the Days

Our first and only "hike" at the Sycamore

The cave from Harry Potter

Travelers

This happened

We're not in Nevada anymore

The Road Ends Here

For the final leg of our drive, the air of anticipation was palpable. We were only three hours away from Val Verde and after these long ten days could not wait to get there. Val Verde is well-signed community and we found the new house without any trouble. There it was, Dorothy's new home, a quaint three bedroom on a road full of dirt mounds, barking dogs and a surprisingly large amount of neighbors. One of her new roommates, Ethan was there to greet them and help Dorothy unload her stuff. After driving with what felt like loads and loads of gear, we actually realized there wasn't much to deal with. Ethan showed us around town, took us to CellPhone Hill, pointed out the public pool and told tales of the town drunk, Salvadore. We had an early night with cool beers and Dorothy's first screening of the seminal film, "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny". She realized she could have just watched this movie to understand the real Phil instead of driving cross country with him, but oh well.

Route 1 - Twists and Turns

Leaving San Francisco, we started out on a new highway: Route 1, the inspired suggestion of Dorothy's mom. The drive was the most enjoyable and most majestic of our trip. Behind the wheel of a suddenly smooth-handling Kitty Jo, Phil felt a bit like James Bond, zipping around bends up and down the mountains, and Dorothy, rapt in the passenger seat, surely felt like one of James Bond's passengers. We took our time down the coast, stopping every so often to look out onto the ocean and the spectacular mountains and rock formations. After all of the hours pummeling down 80 trying to get across the country, this felt like a real liberation, the kind of road trip we were looking for. We arrived at the Sycamore Mineral Springs and Resort in San Luis Obispo at 8.30 that night, and began to wind down. The Sycamore, another of Dorothy's mom's great ideas, is a charming place in the mountains offering mineral water hot tubs, a yoga dome, and room names like "Tickle" and "Zany." We had a long soak that night on the patio of our room ("Kindness"), and the next morning did a little yoga and indulged in much-needed massages. Thusly relaxed, it wasn't easy to get back into the car, but Val Verde was calling, so we dutifully hit the road for the last time.

California! Day One

We write this from Dorothy's new home in sunny, rural Val Verde. She has arrived, like the the near-mute Jimmy from the film The Wizard, with battered lunchbox in hand, in "Caaaalifoorniaaaa." The last three days of our journey were relatively restful, which was great for us, if not for you, dear blog readers. Driving across the border from Nevada to California was a joyous moment for the both of us, and we smiled our way to San Francisco, where we were separated for the first time in what felt like months. Dorothy caught up with old friends, staying with Laura in her beautiful apartment in "TenderKnob" and meeting up with fellow Skiddies Nicole and Mike in the Mission. Phil stayed at the top of a big hill with his dear friend Carey, who, along with her housemates, was perfectly hospitable, did her best to show Phil as much of the city as possible in the scant few hours we had, and finally satisfied his nagging yen for fish tacos. San Francisco was beautiful, and we were sad to have but one day there, but we will surely return, and besides - the road was calling.