Sarah's Day: Tacoma, San Diego, Carlsbad, San Diego, Portland, and Home. In that order.

But I didn’t stay long in San Diego or Portland. Just sort of passing through on my way to other places.

But I digress. As I often do.

I flew to Seattle on the 24th of October, got into my smelly rental car, and drove to Tacoma to start 10 days of eating out and drinking wine! Jeesh.

It spent Sunday knitting and visiting with my sister Martha and good friend Julie at 3rd place Books and Town Center. That is a great place, by the way. We did a little shopping—I needed some specialty fabric. That was fun. I headed back to Tacoma with thousands of my closest friends.

Can you see them?

So the 50 minute trip up (I was 45 minutes early) took about 1 hour and 40 minutes to get back. Same way. No detours.

I stayed off the 5 for the rest of the time.

I had dinner with Nina and Terri (another friend of Nina’s) at home and then off to face the week.

Stopped by work on Monday to drop off the computer and check in. Same old thang. Didn’t like my cubicle real estate but it’s only for a week.

Not yet set up. Ugh.

It was a sort of stressful as the UM department was ill and on vacation and eventually was just me and one other person by the end of the week. That is never good. I know just enough to be dangerous.

Shari was showing a little strain….

Nice…

It was Halloween week and of course, a costume contest.

The masks were sort of creeping me out. I didn’t get a picture of the human box of wine. It was impressive. I was dressed as a case manager. I must say I was really convincing.

I left out the parts about eating out Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night, AND the potluck on Friday. That’s like a whole year of dining out for me.

Thankfully, the week ended and I survived it only to realize that the 7:50 flight I booked Saturday AM was actually Saturday PM. To change it the cheapest way possible I had to get up at 12:45—AM-- and check in to an earlier flight so I could go back to bed and then get up at 3 to get to the airport for the 6:45 plane. Jeepers. How does that even happen? Anyway, good old Alaska Air made it easy to rebook for only 25 dollar change fee so I was happy and flustered at the same time.

Cody picked me up at the San Diego airport, we dropped off my stuff and headed for the beach--

Carlsbad, where Cody lives.

Birds not wearing sun screen and taking their chances

Us—wearing sunscreen.

We had lunch at the Armenian place-Keeping up the eating out roll that I was on….

Birds of Paradise flowers. I think I’m making a quilt about these……

Then we went to a winery for some tasting. Keeping up the wine drinking roll I was on

It was beautiful and the weather perfect. Wine was ok but we ended up getting a bottle at BevMo-they were having a 5 cent sale. One bottle regular, next one for 5 cents. It’s like you have to buy wine there.

Terri (at Nina’s) also gave me a bottle of port, so for dinner I made stir fry, had some wine, and for dessert—this delicious port-

Best. Port. Ever.

I would have kept it and brought it all the way home but I just couldn’t face trying to fit it in my suitcase….again.

Next day I ran to the beach—pant pant.

We went for a drive to Camp Pendleton and looked at where Cody works. The place is huge and has beach rentals which I am hopeful to rent for next summer-

Right on the beach.

We went out to watch part of the Seahawks game.

The Privateer—I got shirts for me and Dave.

More beer, more eating out. I couldn’t stop. Crikey. I did eat some grilled asparagus for healthy appetizer before eating the pizza.

Monday came and Cody went to work and I did some homework, finished a paper, and then went for a walk.

Cody has a very nice apartment-

View from the deck.

I was pretty tired and ended up binge watching Orange is the New Black for most of the afternoon. I didn’t take any walk pictures. But it was a nice walk and picture worthy. You’ll just have to trust me. It rained in the evening because I was there. It’s doesn’t rain often. I’m lucky that way.

Up early on Tuesday and headed back to the homestead.