California Update

I have just returned from a semi-splendid vacation to the West Coast.

Some highlights:

1. My wonderful friend Julie got married! Way to go, Julie and David! I wish them both many years of future happiness! They had a gorgeous wedding in a garden, which was beautiful, but after seeing all the hassle that the preparations were, I realize I will have to be extra stingy and also develop some major assertiveness skills before planning my own unlikely wedding.
2. My mother and I climbed a mountain! We thought we would die from the exertion at first, but then we found the easy path and discovered the bridge of peace and the flag of memories and the cross of pilgrims and had a great time!
3. I caught a cold. Or was I allergic to something? Or was it a cold? Or an allergy? Four days into the trip, I developed a runny/stuffy nose that progressed to just a stuffy nose after a day and went away when I got off the bus in Maryland but seems to have come back. But keeps going away again. So am I allergic to California? Or allergic to something more nationwide? Or do I just have a really mild cold? My nose is mysterious.
4. It was too cold to swim. Which was not so bad, because I really don't like swimming all that much, except that it was also too cold to enjoy pretty much anything! I had all these cute summer clothes that I had to keep covering up with dingy old jackets.
5. We went to the San Diego zoo, which was impressively huge. We kept getting lost. But they had a good cafe that served salads with their sandwiches instead of chips, which is a rarity. We saw all sorts of animals, including several that I didn't know existed!
6. We went shopping a lot. I did not buy any souvenirs, because there was nothing that looked like it was worth buying. But then I went and spent over 50 dollars on a sundress I wouldn't have considered buying for more than 14 dollars at home. I spent most of the rest of my money on food. The nice thing about spending your vacation money on food, is that once you eat it, it's gone, and it does not contribute to clutter.
7. We stayed at La Jolla Beach, which was awesome. It had cliffs and caves and pelicans and pigeons and seagulls and seals and squirrels! People were even allowed on the beach with the seals, but I didn't go, because no one else was going.