Blue Lollipop Road

i heart work exhaustion!

So you all know that I’m bored unless I am doing a million things and that I can handle chaos and being swamped. That sure has been put to the test lately and I need an espresso! I have said many times and I will say again; I have no idea how moms do it. I’m now working full time with one winery that I’m in love with (YAAAAAAAAAY!!!) as well as babysitting, housesitting and dogsitting. I’m also working some nights at another winery and back into my regular 5 to 6 day a week running schedule. Even took a couple of yoga classes last week. Did I mention I am still homeless too? I have been couch surfing with 2 awesomely fun and generous chicas since my arrival in CA. While it’s been fun, it’s time to find my own room. I have recently added finding a place to live to my list of to-do’s, so I can get off the couch and stop being that weird girl that never goes away.

This is all life right? Working several jobs to make ends meet, learn, network, meet goals, pay off debt, find time to exercise and be healthy, etc.? Yes, of course. BUT! Of course maintaining all that has left my recent posts short and less fun and creative than I’d like them to be. BLR is never going away though. Just on vacation right now. I hope all of you that have stuck with me this far, will keep sticking with me for the long haul. I might disappear here and there, but I’m still here. It only means I am studying for work or off making a few extra bucks. I’m hell-bent on paying off all my debt by my birthday. Debt free by 33! It’s on!

I’ll make a video of some gorgeous grapevines soon and post them to make up for my absence. Turkey Day is coming soon too of course. I will surely have some great photos of the FEAST we are going to make. Who wants to come visit Napa during the holidays? 🙂

if only there were more hours

I’m here! I worked 15 hours the past 2 days and it has been GREAT. I am loving being busy and learning. Of course making some cash is lovely too. I keep talking about the irony of me doing all the reading and research, etc. I have done the past couple years on company culture because I have landed on a company that just gets it. They take care of us, we take care of them. It works all around. More stories soon. My roommie made homemade lasagna and it just came out of the oven…

this is the story of a girl

She drove to Alaska from the east coast.

Came to Napa, CA as a last stop before heading back east because awesome friend suggested “Work here for harvest season!- and stay with us!”

So she looks feverishly for a job thinking that’d be swell.

Even though companies tell her they love her and they need help desperately- they don’t hire her.

She tries, and tries and interviews and interviews and tries again.

Still does not get hired.

She is bummed, confused, and just doesn’t get it.

Decides she needs to listen to the world and clearly west is not where she’s meant to be right now.

Picks a day to leave.

Then person calls out of nowhere; (Friend of friend) “Please! stay! Come work for us! We think you’re great!”

She says: “Ok, fine, I will work for the two weeks before I leave.”

She works for this company, falls in love with the people, the product, the owners, and all the possibility and opportunity there could be ahead.

She still says/plans to leave.

5 days before she leaves she thinks she needs to get her head examined; Leaving would be a huge mistake.

She says to the company: “I lie! I love you guys! I am so staying and I am so in!”

They tilt their heads juuuuuuust a little thinking; Ok, is she going to want to leave again next week?- but mostly they dance, cheer and high five as they are so happy for her to be a part of the crew. They welcome her to stay.

She is happy. They are happy.

Good things are here, better things are coming and they both know this for sure.

In the ongoing battle for east or west, the west has finally won for now.

This is going to be very, very good for her life.

She will miss the east, and all her peeps, (she already does), but duty calls and she feels like from here, things can only go up, up up.

She is smiling.

Here’s to the adventure she thinks.

She is very, very excited to keep collecting good stories and fantastic experiences.

gasp! this should be ME!

I am going after this guy! And Groupon and any other company like it that wants to give me $100k for not spending money for a year. God I could do that with my eyes closed! Grrr…can’t believe I didn’t know abut this contest. I’d give this guy a run for his money (or be his partner in crime.)

I just contacted Groupon telling them they need me. Lets see what happens. I love knocking on doors until my knuckles bleed. I have to believe eventually one will open.

espana

Help!

My little sister, who is at least 100 times cuter and smarter than I am wants to go live and work in Spain for a year. She’d love to be an Au Pair for a family, teach English or at this point she is up for whatever options to consider. She has spent weeks scouring the internet and looking at agencies and come up empty handed. Anyone out there know someone living in Spain, working in Spain or have any thoughts/ideas/resources for her to use? Even better; Might anyone have some big-wig corporaty brother working in Madrid who needs someone to tend his kiddies while he jet-sets for work and makes his billions? She’s be great at that.

I would love you forever for any help to get her there, mostly because she is super responsible, trustworthy and fun. She deserves a great experience like living in another country. Also? Hellooooo! If she lives there then I can visit her! (Um, have I mentioned I love food, wine and Europe?)

Thanks anyone!

Oh wait…Ok, we just decided we wanted to make a video while we were on the phone together talking about life and work and Spain. Here’s some babbling fun:

…boy do I need to get out of my yoga clothes and get some heels on!

I love my little sister. She’s the bomb.

one week until east or bust!

I started out in July with Alaska or bust, now I go east or bust. I have decided I am going to make a bunch more videos this go around to add to the text and photos for posting here. Videos are fun. Road tripping is UBER fun.

I am finishing up my work during harvest season in wine country. It’s been quite a ride and learning experience to say the least. In the fun words of the one and only Erin Martin and the perfect motto for my time here that will be burned in my brain forever:

“High-fives and ass-slaps all around!” (Just wait until the going away par-tay on Saturday night Erin. A VT throwdown it shall be indeed.)

Stay tuned all; Middle America here I come!

i think there’s something wrong with me

I’m laughing after calculating mileage and looking at maps for getting back east in a couple weeks. Only I could be thrilled about it. The things most would find torturous, I get so excited I want to jump out of my skin. Things like:

1.) Driving 3,000 miles by myself, for hours on end each day. (And no, I don’t listen to music. I drive in silence.)
2.) Knowing that I’m going to be blasting through middle-of-nowhere-no-mans-land America. (When I mention this to other people, the usual reaction is “UGH! That is soooo boring. An awful drive!”) My opinion could not be more opposite on this. I’d give my left arm any day of the week to be in a car, in the middle of random state X exploring around some “boring” town talking to strangers.
3.) Having a car with 145,000 miles on it that needs a brake job and has had a “maintenance required” light on no for weeks. Am I worried? Nah- I’m resourceful and I have AAA. I’ll be fine. I haven’t even told you all the story about riding tow truck to tow truck all the way from Vegas to Barstow, CA 6 years ago after Christmas in the middle of the night because my car broke down after dropping off my family at the Sin City airport. I didn’t have the loot to repair my car then and I figured it out. that stuff makes for good stories.
4.) Knowing that over my dead body will I pay for a hotel room. That means no showers for several days again. (I’m sorry, but dropping a hundred bucks on a skeevy roadside hotel to sleep for 4 hours on a bed that could be a science experiment with all those random fluids is a rip-off and turns my stomach.) My Civic is spotless.
5.) I will have zilch $ to stop for entertainment, good food, etc. and it’s just fine with me! This will be a get moving to get there kind of drive. It will still feel like winning the lotto, my birthday and a big vat of melted chocolate to me- my heaven.

Do I really think there is something wrong with me? Nahhhhh. I do realize though after all I have done, being on the road is my true religion. I can’t wait to see some tumblin’ tumbleweed!