A few months ago, I was standing in a line in Best Buy, with a new laptop in my hands, unsure about my selection. Behind me, a petite dark haired woman talked on a cell-phone. From what I gathered, she relied on advice from her friend who seemed to be knowledgeable about computers. I was in a similar situation. I wanted to surprise my husband with a new laptop (the old one developed a suspicious burning smell). We offered each other (computer) advice and started talking. A friendship was formed.
We met a couple of times, talked about our backgrounds, experiences, our marriages… We clicked.
A few weeks later, Anna called me, inviting my husband and I for an afternoon on a sailboat she and her husband Art recently purchased. We met in front of Bahia Cruiser, in a small harbour filled with sail boats. The sun was high up in the sky; it was a gorgeous sunny day. Soon, we were all aboard, with James and Art carefully manoeuvring Art’s small sail boat out of the harbor, into the open sea. The weather was perfect, with indigo blue sky and just the right amount of wind caught in our sails, according to Art’s meter, we were traveling about 7mph.
A little while later, surrounded only by the blue, calm water and an occasional sailboat passing by, we dropped the anchor, did some fishing, (no success), ate some sandwiches, home-made salsa with chips, grapes and had some white zinfandel (not Art!).
A pelican came by floating on the water, looking at us suspiciously and nonchalantly at the same time. He (or she) completely ignored the chips we threw in the water, but did not hesitate for a second to reach for and swallow the frozen sardine we sacrificed (since that was the end to our fishing adventure anyway). We enjoyed the company and the conversation, the food, the sunshine and the refreshing breeze infused with the scent of the ocean.
When the sun started setting, we turned around and headed back, adding speed to our little sailboat by the motor as the wind had quieted down. It got a
bit chilly, so we were grateful for our wind breaker
s. What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Ahoy!
My lovely husband is constantly coming up with ways to make me feel special. He quietly observes me, notices what I like and what I am about. He pays attention to small details and takes notice of what I enjoy. Then he surprises me with activities he knows I will love.
His most recent idea was drive-in movies. James knows I am a hopeless film lover. I love loosing myself in fiction; wherever the movie is intended to take the audience, I am there. Whatever the characters are going through, I go through, I cry, I laugh, I get scared, I get excited. I love reading fiction and I read whenever I get a chance (you can always find a book in my purse), but movies, movies I could watch non-stop. Movies move me! (James says I am every movie director’s dream).
Drive-in movies have always seemed to me like a very American thing to do. Until I moved to California, I only saw it .… in movies! I remember watching movies outside under a night sky, with my cousins in summer, in an amphitheatre, but a drive in… I had never experienced that before.
I enjoy listing things I have done for the first time with my husband. This drive-in movie experience is one of them! So every other Monday, we take pop-corn (looove pop-corn with the movies), pack dinner and snacks and head to the South Bay Drive In. Drive-In feels more intimate than being in a movie theatre – we are in our car, my feet in white socks (if it’s chilly) propped against the dash board, my lovely husband next to me, munching on food, enjoying two movies back-to-back (for $7 per person, not bad!).
Sometimes circumstances don’t allow us, but we do our best to go regularly, every other Monday. It’s become a ritual, our little tradition I look forward to. We get home from work, prepare the drinks/food/snacks and leave our cat to his nap. I am sure it’s not going to be this easy once there are three of us (I mean three, plus the cat). So, we enjoy this time as much as we can. James says he likes the movies too (most of the time!). We are careful in selecting genres we both enjoy.
What can I say – I am grateful. Thank you baby for everything you do for me!
Well we have traveled another year together and as I was reflecting today I went through a few of our photos. I put a few of my favorites of you together today and thought about how much we have grown over this past year. So many things to be thankful for! I know your family opened presents tongiht but you will have to wait until tomorrow!
At the top of my list of things to be thankful for is this relationship, partnership, and always knowing that you are in my corner. I know myself really well, and, I know I can be hard to love at times. Thank you so much for being up to the challenge.
On to 2012!
Janka and I finally made it out to Chula Vista’s Christmas Circle. Hurry out only up 3 more days! Directions
Enjoy the photos!
Who wakes up at 5 am to watch a lunar eclipse? We do, we do! Granted, the first words out of Janka’s lips, as we opened our eyes in darkness, were: “Maybe we can go at 5.30?” Rather than grab a few winks, we got up and fixed some coffee and hot coco instead. We grabbed the cameras, binoculars, and our trusted tripod. James asked Wyatt if he would like to come but our feline friend purr-furs sleep over a moon eclipse. Driving through the quiet and deserted streets, we contemplated heading towards our favorite bridge, but concluded that the Nature Center parking lot in Chula Vista would probably offer the best view of the moon.
Since this was the last lunar eclipse observable here until April 2014, we were glad we made it and got a chance to view this fascinating moon eclipse. The visibility was perfect as we watched the Earth slowly cast a shadow on its only natural satellite. Janka talked about her fascination with the Universe and shared her findings about this perfect alignment of the Sun, Earth and Moon that occurs roughly twice a year, but is, naturally, only visible on certain parts of our planet. You can find some interesting facts on Lunar Eclipse in this video.
We were alone when we arrived, except for a lone police officer parked in the corner of the lot. I had the tripod and our canon Powershot SD940IS. Not sure why I went with the point and shoot for the beginning seeing as how I had our Nikon D40 as well. Eventually, a couple more spectators arrived and started taking pictures as well. By this time, the moon was completely covered by the shadow of our planet, and was of an unusual, orangey-red color.
As the daylight began to slowly move in, we packed our gear and headed home… back to bed!
With the holidays approaching many couples will soon be feeling the pressure of holiday stress. As referenced in this American Psychological Association article holiday stress is a common occurrence that may be agitated by our country’s economic situation. Many of us may be feeling these pressures already. Stress may be an unavoidable and at times even beneficial part of the holidays. However, there are ways to limit the negative effects and enhance the benefits our stress may provide. As a couple, one such preventive measure is to schedule a play date.
Yes, grown ups need to play too and there are probably many things you enjoy doing as a couple that you just haven’t found the time for recently. When going over the relationship vision Janka and I created, I noticed how prevalent our inner children were. So prior to riding the emotional waves that always accompany our holiday season, we chose to visit Kwaaymii Trail.
This trail, only about half a mile long, led us to one of our favorite San Diego trees!
Janka and I are proud to announce that along with 47 other deserving blogs we have been nominated for marriage blog of 2011 by StupendousMarriage.com. This is quite an honor and we ask that if you find us deserving that you vote for us. Also, take a look at the other nominees as there is a wealth of information on each and every site!
So here’s to you and your relationship!
Thank you
On our second trip up Sunrise highway, we decided to pull over and snap a few photos at the various viewpoints and turn offs.
After a scenic trip up the mountain we came to the Pioneer Mail Picnic Ground. The trail starts off wide with rock walls towering above on either side of the trail; a dramatic photo backdrop for the beginning of the hike. It was mid October and the weather was fairly mild. When we arrived at around 2pm, the sun was high in the sky; I imagine in the summer the weather would be unforgivably hot. As we continued along the trail parallel to Sunrise Highway, we came to a parking area, crossed the road and spotted a sign post marking the Pacific Crest Trail. Following the narrow path, we soon felt as if we were far away from any remnants of civilization.
Parts of this trek feel as if you are hiking along the rocky terrain of Afghanistan, other times you are in a cool patch of shade provided by large brush and small trees. Cameras and tripods are a must for this trip as the views are superb. Janka commented many times what a great hang gliding site this would be. As she hopped up and down a few times, with the cliff edge dangerously close, her arms spread out; I hoped her dream to fly wouldn’t come true today.
After reaching the end of the first section of the trail, you come to a point where the trail crosses a paved road. Keep going and you will soon once again pick up the Pacific Crest Trail. As you continue along this trail, you will come to an intersection; I believe taking a left here will lead you to Garnet peak. For this trip, “we decided” to continue following the Pacific Crest Trail. (Translation: we took the wrong turn). It was when we came to a landing with many boulder formations, high above everything else, that we decided this would be a wonderful place to rest, refresh ourselves with some grapes and take a few photos of the breathtaking view.
Welcome to Picturing Passion Peak
A third Saturday, a third hiking trip. According to our trusted guide, our destination on that sunny October morning was Cuyamaca Peak. We packed our backpacks, threw in some turkey and cheese sandwiches and made sure we had plenty of icy water.
The drive from Chula Vista takes about an hour and a half. Directions
The approximate distance is 5.5 miles, to the peak and back. The walk starts off easy, with the road winding gently through the greenery. There was no one in sight as we steadily continued through the silent and tranquil forest scenery. Only the blue sky, sunshine (make sure you wear and bring sun screen), foliage and the subtle sounds of nature.
Soon, the trail became steeper and our hearts got some exercise, as we worked our way against gravity. I must admit, the hike overall was not very difficult. The pathway was paved all the way to the very top which allowed us to maintain a steady pace with ease and take in the beauty of our environment at the same time.
You know you reached the end when the pavement simply ends and you are standing on the edge of a cliff, with a beautiful view in front of you. After a little break and a few pictures, we started heading back down. As usual, going down was easier as well as faster, with the setting sun gently warming our backs. We were even lucky enough to spot a reindeer feeding among the bushes as we headed home.
Great hike!
With all of the activities and cooperative weather in San Diego, often couples miss out on some of the wonderful indoor activities available. One activity you may not be aware of is listening to a great story together. Unlike movies, listening to a story together allows for an intimate ambiance that is difficult to duplicate. The web offers an array of genres and narrators.
One of Janka’s favorite storytellers is Ray Bradbury so when we stumbled across Pseudopod, she instantly found her “go to site” for story time. These horror stories are entertaining, thought provoking, and generally family friendly. Do read the descriptions though as they occasionally contain explicit language and subject matter. The story we chose to link here is one of our favorites but contains adult themes and some strong language.
As for me, I prefer story tellers in the tradition of Bill Cosby, so when I first logged into Snap Judgment I was instantly hooked! The stories here are told with a beat, a rhythm, a cadence that brings the action to life. Oh and let’s not forget humor, I love to laugh, to smile, to enjoy life. These stories, even the sad ones always seem to celebrate life. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
