Livin' It Up at the Hotel California

We have finally arrived in San Diego and I couldn't be more excited to be here. California is probably the most beautiful place in the United States. The weather is gorgeous, the food is amazing, the people are friendly, and the scenery is breathtaking. We have only been here a day and I already don't want to come home.

The flight was fairly easy. It was very long though and also difficult taking Ralph Otis with us. We weren't sure how he would take an airplane flight so we drugged him up with calming medicine. We used this really good all natural stuff from Petco that was a chewy treat. Ralph Otis, being the spoiled dog he is, was too good to eat it so we had to mask it with peanut butter and shove it down his throat. Needless to say, he was pretty calm in the little carrier we had for him. Getting through security was such a hassle with him though. We had to take him out of his bag which took a lifetime to put him in in the first place, and then carry him through the metal detector. Of course the detector went off, so I took off his collar, got back in line, and went through again. The detector went off again, so I took off my watch, got in line, and went through again. When it went off again, the security guard was very annoyed (it being a Baltimore airport where friendly doesn't reside) and made me take off my sweater that had little metal fasteners on the buttons. After getting into the increasingly longer line to go through again with a 15 pound dog in my arms the whole time, I was finally able to get through the detector. So ridiculous! My sweater of all things!! Really? I could feel the eye rolls of the security guard as I grabbed the rest of my things and went on my way. The rest of the flight was easy. The flight attendant fell in love with Ralph Otis and made me take him out of his bag in the back of the plane while she pet him and reminisced about her own Jack Russell back in Nevada. She even opened the airplane door so that HE could get some air (this was before we took off, of course). And then, after I had put him back in his bag for the 3rd time that day and placed him under my seat, another flight attendant heard tale of a dog on the plane and made me take him out again so she could fawn over him. Needless to say, while the hubs and I flew coach in the back of a very cramped plane for 6 hours, Ralph Otis was a first class passenger. He even got us special treatment with first snack selection! From now on, Ralph Otis will go where I go!!

After getting off the plane, we took a very long shuttle ride to the rental car place, and as were driving in, we saw a very ugly putrid yellow Chevy something-or-other (I don't know cars). We laughed at how ugly it was and said, "Ugh, I would hate to be the person driving that ugly thing." Well, guess what? We were those people. Out of all the cars in the lot, they gave us the only hideous looking one they had. Now I have to duck my head when driving around other cars because I don't want people to think that we would actually purchase something in such a disgusting yellow! But it took us from point A to point B which was my in-laws house where we stayed for the night. Ralph Otis is staying there with them for the month and we've already encountered some issues. He will only stay on the carpet and is too afraid to go from carpet to hardwood floor. Even if you pull him, he jolts back and will only stay on the carpet. It is so weird! We had to put his food bowl on the carpet so that he would eat, otherwise, I think he would starve if it meant not putting his precious paws on hardwood. What a freak! But hopefully he will get over that after a while.

So far we have eaten at some really nice restaurants. Yesterday we went to Prado at Balboa Park. I had the most delicious caesar salad. Although, the waitress made me feel like a fatty the whole time I was there. She asked if I wanted the starter size or the entree size salad and I said entree. She then got the hubs order and then asked me again, "I'm sorry, I forgot. Did you want the starter size or the entree size for your meal?" in a very you-should-get-the-starter-size tone. So then I asked her how big the entree was and she said "It's about 15 romaine hearts." So I told her I would just order that size and if it was too much I would take it home. As I said this, her judgmental eyebrows shot up to her hairline as she wrote down my answer as if I had just ordered an entire horse for lunch and not a salad. When the food came, I couldn't help but eat the whole thing. It was delicious and 15 romaine hearts really isn't that much, just FYI. However, when she came to take my empty plate, she said, "Wow, you did some damage on that!" as if she couldn't believe that anyone could eat that much food in one sitting. At first I wanted to hang my head in shame because I had eaten so much food, but then I thought, 'No! That skinny b**** is not going to make me feel guilty about eating a salad! It was a salad, not an elephant, and I even drank water with it, so I shouldn't feel bad. That salad and water was good, dang it! And I'm proud to say I ate the whole thing!' And then I was able to walk out of the restaurant proud and healthy looking and feeling sorry for that very hungry waitress who probably eats starter salads for lunch.

We are now in this military base hotel in Coronado for the month. It is not what I expected. It is tiny and doesn't even have room service. It has a great view though, and the bed is really comfy. It's also right next to the Hotel Del which is gorgeous hotel that I could never afford with a beautiful beach.

 Another perk--I am in a hotel swarmed with Navy SEAL trainees! Yes, this is my lucky month :) Although this morning was my first morning here and I had a huge mix up with my room. I left my room in the hopes to find a vending machine to get something for breakfast (we haven't gone shopping yet). And as I opened the door, I notice housekeeping was cleaning the room across from mine. Not wanting her to clean my room, I put the DO NOT DISTURB sign on the handle and left to search out the vending machines on the first floor. I couldn't find them down there and assumed they just didn't have any, so I took the elevator back up to my room on the 3rd floor. As I got closer to my room, 355, I noticed that housekeeping had taken the DO NOT DISTURB off the door and came in to clean our room anyway. I was so annoyed that she would completely disregard my sign and come in to clean! So, I went to the sitting area on the floor and sat for what seemed like hours! I then thought I would go search for vending machines again in the hopes that by the time I got back, she would be done with the room. I went back into the elevator and down to the first floor where a lady told me where the vending machines were and I was able to get a Poptart. I then went back to the 3rd floor and checked my room and she was STILL cleaning the room. I went to the sitting room and sat there for another 30 minutes staring at a window and getting more angry at this woman who doesn't follow the hotel signs or respect people's privacy. FINALLY, I heard her come out of the room and knock on another door, so I walked casually back to my room so she wouldn't think I had been waiting for her for hours in the lobby and the key doesn't work! I try it a billion times and it doesn't work and by this time, the housekeeping lady, who is still in the hallway (I don't know why since she didn't have any qualms with just barging into MY room), is probably thinking I'm attempting a break-in. And then  it hits me like a ton of bricks...I remember that our room might be on the 4th floor!! So I non-chalantly walk back to the elevator as if I meant to go to the wrong room, and head up to the 4th floor to room 455 that still has the DO NOT DISTURB sign on the handle and I try the key. It opens at once and I am back in my unorganized, unclean room! The housekeeping respected my wishes and did not enter, and I now feel I need to apologize to the ladies at this hotel that I don't think has a name, for thinking they ignore people's privacy. I am dumb, they are smart. Anyway, I can't wait to see what other adventures lay in store for me this month. Hopefully a lot and hopefully more good than awkward. Until then...