4 hours waiting is fine when you got somewhere rad to be

Chillin in terminal M9, enjoying the down time with Dorian Gray & a $4 bottle of water. Oscar Wilde & me: get ready Ireland!

the day i've been waiting for!

SFO. Headed to O'Hare & then Dublin! Long day ahead... I'll arrive real early so it'll def be Guinness for breakfast.

one of Santa Rosa's many charms

Sunny Snoopy soakin up some rays

When Honey attacks!!

Good Morning last day of work for a month!!

A long awaited break from the dark mornings of the TL is something to celebrate!

sweet sidewalk lovin

Why the heck am I so sappy? I love this stuff... sweet messages on a gum encrusted, poopy sidewalk. It was meant for someone special- I hope they know it.

here today, gone in a week

I took this photograph on the beach in Lahinch when Melanie took me to Clare last October. Stayed in a B&B in Doolin; ooh I fell in love with that place. I'm headed out that way in a week, and just knowing I'll breathe in that air again so soon is helping me breathe easier now.
Planning this trip has been pretty easy and super fun... I knew where I wanted to go and who I wanted to see so it's all set. I haven't charged a thing (yet) and as broke as I am, I'm just crossing my fingers that a miracle will occur within the next week. Checks would be VERY welcome!
Something really valuable I learned last year was how important travel is for renewing your life experience. I hadn't had a vacation for 10 years! That is messed up. It is so much freedom! Being totally innocent to your surroundings is eye opening and wonderful. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable, and just going with the flow especially when stuff goes all wanky is a gift! I sent myself postcards along the way last year, and I plan on doing the same on this journey. It's a good reminder of how amazing I feel on my own, the confidence and calm. I love traveling alone... I can change things on the way, do what I want on my own time. I have made amazing connections with so many people - some for a moment and others for possibly a lifetime.
I'm excited for this trip - returning to Dublin and Manchester to see friends will be super rad ... and Cardiff, Bath and Cork are gonna blow my mind, no doubt.
I'm thankful I can do it... budget travel is the way to go; even if I had loads of cash, I wouldn't do it any other way.

and what a stroll it was

Out for an evening stroll... Really lovely night. The streets are clean, the air smells... good! I love the spooky clouds and the indigo sky.

at least i didn't go to the other Bob's

Drunk on Polk Street: french fries required ASAP. Just went to my co-worker Mike Foyder's birthday party in the sweetest apartment I have ever seen in SF. No joke. He has a penthouse apartment with a deck on the roof in the Mission. I seriously loved it. You can see the fog rolling in all around you and yet also admire stars over head. So much light and cool art that he got for free!!
Anyway, he had rad beers too, which was awesome because I left without mine. mmm and cupcakes made with jello! So yea, the cab came like a minute after I called it. When the heck does that happen??!!?? I left my beers in the kitchen. Oh well. He had better beers anyway.
After the party, Jose dropped me off on the corner of Sac and Polk, the street filled with revelers bordering on obnoxious. I never really go out in my hood on weekends...it always trips me out and cracks me up too. Who the heck are all these people??!!?? I had a good buzz on, and my tummy knew no borders at this point.
I decided to walk 4 blocks down to City Kebab, my new favorite place but they were CLOSED!! UGH they are supposed to be open til midnight. ohhh well, french fries it is... they were my original craving anyway. crispy and delicious from good ol Bob's Broiler. I also have to say - a better choice than walking down a shop or two for Bob's Doughnuts. They were warm and fresh too... I could smell their sweet comforty melty smell permeating in the air. They'll torture you if you don't get away fast enough. One more beer and I might not have been as strong...
French fries vs. hot fresh apple fritters. Tough call but I think I picked the lesser of two delicious evils.

Out on the water

I took the ferry to Sausalito for class tonight... sitting on the deck, the chilly breeze and fresh air were just what I needed for the weekend ahead. Fall is in the air, and things just feel a little cozier.

I wish those were giant lightning bugs

Brrrrr dark and cold morning.... Not loving the walk to work so much.

Serenity Now!!!!

Well the washer in my building is eating quarters and not doing their deal, as in washing my clothes. Ugh! Between the Blue Angels fraying my nerves & all I have coming up in the next few weeks, I believe I could be called a bit cuckoo about now. Thanks to Ariadne, that halfie Xanax soothed me a bit. The loud jets flying over the city (as I write this) really kinda make me want to jump outta my skin. For now I will sit here on Sac & Leav while my clothes twist and turn with the rhythm of my anxiety. I know for some this is an exciting weekend- for me, all I want is an escape. I'll say it again... Serenity Now!!!

Every GM should have a little helper

Meet Mr. Monk. He belongs to Jose, the GM at the hostel. He's not much help, but he keeps the seat warm and sure made me smile when I walked in the office to say Hey. I hope he sticks around awhile. I like monkeys :)

under the bridge is a whole other world

Fort Baker, right under the Golden Gate Bridge. Loads of people fishing on the pier beneath that bright,bulbous moon ... little BBQs emoting heavenly smells into the night ... a couple sitting under a blanket watching a movie on a tiny laptop. Sweet date!
It was our last stop on a night full of unexpected treasures.

when it turns, you better be ready!

Haaa we missed it and had to wait cuz i ran out to take a picture & right then it turned green. Hahaa anyway. I'm having such a fun night... Rodeo Beach is the best on a full moon... Beautiful beautiful inspiring. Good to realize & appreciate that stuff.

He smiles and lights up the night

The full moon over the Marin Headlands, taken from my poopy phone... but look at that smile! Out on that beach tonight, my shadow blending with the waves rolling in, the wind blowing by. A Budweiser in hand, I walked the beach and gazed up at the moon... made some wishes, remembering to say YES and believe in what the future has in store: experience, adventure, and a whole lotta opportunity. Being alone on a section of Rodeo Beach, the moon shining down on me and the waves crashing in, helps me believe in all that is possible. This constant is something I am thankful for. The full moon illuminates the night - and helps us see what we fail to recognize and own.
It was our beach that night; no one else was around.

the wind blew and i was stoked

Nature makes me very happy, and driving less than an hour from the city to be in such a place makes all that poop, barf and general nastiness to disappear from my brain. The sun was out, the wind was blowing, and I was feeling it all.

What's the secret code???

So. Tonight I was going to go to some Solstice Celebration for some Witch Society that my friend Ariadne is a part of. She invited me last night but it all sounded too Renaissance Fair-y to me so I declined. She told me it was at Kirby Cove though, and then I was kinda reconsidering... THEN I remembered that it is a full moon tonight, sooo I decided, "Why not?"
Now, you may perhaps be wondering, "WTF with the witchy stuff, Nicki?"
Well, I'm not a witch, nor do I have any plan to be one. Although 2 astrologers told me that I am a good witch, but I have no idea what that means. I am however open minded and thought with the full moon in such a gorgeous place, it would be a cool way to spend my evening.
I declined on the flowy wardrobe that Ariadne was offering to me, and I am glad I did... not just for the reason that I'm not flowy like that, it was super windy - but also because...
Ariadne didn't get the code to get down to Kirby Cove!!! You gotta have the secret code to get down the hill to park or you're kinda stuck.
We waited to see if some witches were gonna go down who knew the code, but none came. I guess they all came on their brooms??
oooooo bad bad bad hahahaaaa
Anyway, we decided that since we had loads of rad snacks, beers and such, we would go Witchless and hang out in the Headlands on our own.
This is the shit I love - plans change, you go with it... and who knows what awesomeness will follow?

All this and the moon too

Waiting to see if we could get into Kirby Cove isn't so bad when you have a view like this.