We Chose To Climb.

There are a lot of things in this world that make me happy.  The smell of sunscreen.  Good sweet tea.  Saved By The Bell.  A really great beer.  March Madness.  A fantastic workout followed by a great foam roll stretch out.  Sunshine.  Antique furniture with a lot of character.  I could go on and on!

But few things make me as happy as old friendships.  I'm talking about the ones that you've had for a long time; the ones that are so established that you can just "be" with that friend, even if you haven't seen them in a year, and feel like they already know everything going on inside your head.  The kind of friend who just makes themselves at home and feels more like a member of your family than a buddy.  

I have a lot of friendships that fit that description, and I got to spend some wonderful time with an old friend 2 weeks ago:  Davys!

Davys and I met during the high school era (both horse girls in 4-H....we ran into each other from time to time at horse shows and hippology contests....cool, huh?), but our friendship really grew during the college years.  We were roommates in U-House in '05 (along with Lisa and Larisa!)

and have had many awesome adventures along the way.  She lives in DC now, and I only get to see this girl about once a year, so I was STOKED when her work sent her to San Fran for a conference and she can down and spent some days in SLO with me!

I still had to work and teach classes, so we worked out quite a nice routine for a few days, not unlike a cute old married couple, if I do say so myself.  I went into work early and got my stuff done, came home, we ate lunch together, had an afternoon adventure, went out to eat, drank a beer, and passed out early (with a little old school TV and movie action tossed in there).  Ha.  Times sure have changed since college!

Also, per usual, I did not take pictures.  However, Davys did, and I stole her memory card before she left, so every photo from here on out is credited to her....or her self-timed camera.  We used that bad boy a lot during our adventures! :)

We had a lot of great adventures, including some beach time at Avila where we met up with Laura and found some starfish under the peir....

...took a trip to Pirate's Cove, where there are cool caves, and apparently a nude beach.  That was a fun discovery.  Whoopsie.

went on a trail ride with my intermediate riding class.....

took the pups to Morro Bay to find some wildlife and eat a fantastic dinner at Taco Temple....

....and had a wonderful hike up Bishop's Peak and an accidental additional 2 hour long hike through Felman's.  See how wonderful it is to accidentally take a cattle trail that you thought was a real trail??!  When we got to the top (which is quite tall....), Davys was quick to find a memorial that I had never noticed before.  It had someone's name and the script "He chose to climb."  I'm assuming that he plummeted to his death?  We chose to climb too.  But we also chose not to fall.

And we had a wonderful last night with (again), a beer and a good classic.  Homeward Bound!

I'm so glad that I got to see Davys, and I miss her already!  But I am constantly reminded of her visit by the angry patches of poison oak that still cover my body.  Apparently I am getting more allergic as I get older :(

TTFN!

AP

Food for thought:

I will never have balance this great....and neither will you.