i just don't know what it is about this time of year, but i sure get homesick! i think it's my never-ending obsession with fall. last year i headed home at this time for a week and loved every minute of it! this year we're headed back in october for my cousin's wedding. i.can't.wait.

last year i wanted out of this rat race because it was blazing hot... until october. this year it really hasn't been too bad. maybe it's because brett's friend from kansas city called yesterday and we found out he is (1) getting married (2) has a baby on the way (3) just bought a FOUR BEDROOM HOUSE for $200,000. that's right, what can that buy me in LA? i can get this two bedroom/two bath, with no pictures offered and nice & close to the metro. ew. wasn't some guy all drugged out recently killed by the metro? yep he was.

so while brett's on the phone i, of course, start looking at houses back in kc. and found this lovely home, owned by former royal's player mike sweeney. so i show brett & he's like, 'ok lets's do this. let's go back.' he's so indecisive, it kills me. of course he's going to say let's move back. we just signed a year lease... again. so i told him, great we're living in a more affordable place we can save up for a down payment! i really don't even know why i get my hopes up...

although brett did tell me last night, if i propose to him, he will go with me anywhere i want. i'm going to be ring shopping all weekend! what kind of diamond do you think a boy deserves?

i survived!

where did this summer go?! we have been so freakin' busy! remember i entered the critical care program the last week in april, i'm now proud to say i am an ICU nurse. alive & kickin'! on top of that stress, we've had multiple visitors this summer... not that that is stressful, but it kind of is. first, my friend rachael came out for a weekend, while our friend ray stayed with us for a month... once he moved out, my mom came to visit, then we moved, then brett was supposed to go to temecula, then his family came (dad, brother & sister). and now i'm officially tired.

while my mom was here we went hiking in Griffith park to overlook the beautiful smoggy views of LA, Hollywood & the valley. we went to santa monica and laid out on the beach, ate way too much, completed a puzzle that i'd been working on for 5 months & started to move some small items to our new place. oh yeah, and we went to Catalina Island... where i dropped my camera in the ocean, hence no photos. did i mention it was brand new? i retrieved it & took it back to Costco and they thankfully refunded my money.

then brett & i moved... over a week of 100+ degree temps. sure it was only one block, but have you ever moved a refrigerator, bed, couch, and a million other things in 100+ temps? i looked homeless piling all my random shit into shopping carts and moving it one block. classy!

you can imagine how wonderful our attitudes must have been, then brett got shit on my the comedy club at pechanga in temecula. he had performed in march & at that time booked a week in august. we had a great time, couples massages, free dinners, free golf... well, brett called to confirm his week and the booker had double booked the week, the other comic was part of a group of four so brett got the boot. more frustration! our attitudes took a turn for the worse and then his family came to town! awesome.

actually, i love brett's family, they are always up for an adventure. i had to work the first three nights... i'm glad, there was all kinds of male bonding and the drinking of faces off. in fact i don't think his dad or brother moved at all on tuesday. wednesday morning when i got off work i was raring to go! i woke up steve & matt and hauled them up to Griffith to hike. we hiked for an hour and a half to the top of the mountain! it was fun! thursday night, brett's sister melissa flew in to town and we immediately smashed into my car and headed up to the central coast of california, aka paradise. we stayed at the fogcatcher inn in cambria that *very short* night. we got in around 0230 and were up and out by 11. the hotel was beautiful, pricey, but beautiful. & i got a $50 off between october & february which i fully intend to use. the next morning it was steve's 60th bday. matt & i went and bought him a little chocolate rum cake, candle and all (we couldn't fit sixty candles on the little guy), then we headed up towards big sur and stopped right outside of ragged point at a hiking trail called salmon creek. brett, matt & i had all been there before but we had never hiked like this before! we climbed to the top of the waterfall, jumping from rock to rock, balancing on fallen trees, holding on to roots for dear life and amazingly we all survived! we then headed back down the coast to cayucas to set up camp for the night in a hotel a little too pet friendly for my liking! off to paso for some wine tasting & i'm happy to report that the general consensus is that everyone really loved Dark Star, our favorite winery & the only one we're members of. we were feeling a bit tipsy so we filled up on some Cool Hand Luke's and headed back to the coast. melissa & i were asleep by ten! the next morning we went over to Hearst Castle for the experience tour. I just love going there, it never gets old, WR Hearst was an interesting man. we slowly headed back towards LA, stopping in morro bay, avila, pismo & buellton. in buellton we did a beer tasting at Firestone, YUMMY! that night we stayed in and had a family fun night with some trivial pursuit 90s edition. and then steve & matt flew out the next morning.

melissa stayed until the next morning, so i took her up to Griffith then we went to a movie (funny people... not so funny) & dinner at pf changs. we came home and played some monopoly with brett, i'll pretend i won but really the game just got too long. shocking!

we had a wonderful week, with the exception of returning melissa to the airport. we decided to take brett's car to LAX. if anyone knows the LA freeway system, you know that getting onto the 405 sucks. traffic was slowing to a stop, as usual... when CRUNCH! we got rear-ended BIG TIME! a really nice man stopped traffic so we could pull off the freeway to the right, thankfully the girl who hit us followed. luckily i am pretty calm in stressful situations and was able to get all necessary information from the girl. we waited for CHP because after all we've been through, you can bet your ass i won't be leaving without a police report! we somehow managed to make it to LAX in time for melissa to catch her flight. i think both of us girls have a case of whiplash, but for the most part all involved were unharmed. including the weird old man who we hit, that sustained no damage but continued to hang around all concerned...

not to brag, but i'm one smart/responsible chica and brett's full coverage auto insurance got him a cute little nissan sentra rental until his car gets fixed. i've officially decided california teens are out to get brett!

and now it's back to work i go! brett & i were cast for an Extenze commercial that we are shooting in a couple of hours! yeah that's a male enhancement drug! bahahahhaha!