I’m 23 Years Old Now…

Yep, so much more life to live. Hopefully. You never know in LA, home of the body bag…

But seriously, it’s been a good year. Looking back, it was 12 months ago Devin and I managed our way into our apartment… Not totally sure how either of us passed any sort of credit check. Which leads me to another idea I have for Sarah Allen… When Baristas live together… It could be a story on intense personalities and how you battle keeping work at work, or not… Just a thought.

Regardless, yesterday couldn’t have been a much better day. It started very hung over after doing many ‘pints in a photobooth’ (See flickr for details and more pictures coming soon). I woke up and Monica and I drove to pick up our good ol’ friend Ashley Rauch from LAX, a drive I don’t recommend when hung over. We rushed quickly to my favorite breakfast spot, Square One. I had an amazing baked egg dish which consisted of mushrooms, grits, gruyere, mustard collared greens, and a side of toast. I spent the afternoon lost in the XBox trap of Assassin’s Creed. Then Monica picked me up for a surprise she’s been talking about for a few weeks now.

I’m not one for surprises. I think many can relate to me here… It’s not that I hate not being in control or knowing what’s going on… But it’s the reaction. There’s that moment when you’re about to receive something someone has worked hard on for you, but there’s no guarantee you’re going to like it. You may hate it, or worst of all, completely have to fake a happy reaction. Yet, generally, the person behind the action is close to you. So close, that the thin veil covering you’re true thoughts is very transparent to them. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous about the whole thing.

An Amazing Birthday Cruise

My fear and apprehension were completely pointless. As soon as I rounded the corner, of course, while I was on the phone with Brent Fortune… My worry lifted off of me as soon as I saw my lovely lady and eight of the raddest people we know. Monica, being amazing, chartered a boat, and we set sail out of Marina Del Ray.

We spent a little more than three hours sailing from Marina Del Ray up to Santa Monica, with beautiful views surrounding us. Apparently the three things everyone is supposed to do to avoid sea sickness are not drink too heavily, get lots of rest, and not be too stressed. Pretty sure the opposite of those three things described all of us very well. Somehow, we held it together and everyone had an amazing time. Sandwiches, snacks, and beer were passed around, and we barely even scratched the surface of what we had with us. Ashley had a lot of box wine, and was pretty much gone… Jared was living ‘La Vida Ocean,’ and Devin, for once, seemed satisfied.

Best Birthday Cruise Friends

Watching the sunset over the Pacific was amazing. Parts of the ride seemed surreal. Almost as though we were on a ride at Disney World. The haze of Los Angeles caps the sky, making your atmosphere feel somewhat limited. At the same time, the sunset hits the haze and is somewhat enhanced, making the colors seems more tangible.

Internally, I’ve been reflecting on a lot of thoughts and ideas. I think you are going to start hearing from me more. I will be doing a recap soon on my trip to Portland. For now, I tried to throw some more pictures up on flickr. Oh, and if you are in LA, keep an eye out for the August issue of the New Angeles Monthly. You can find more of my thoughts on another LA Bar there…

Jared & Deanna Birthday Cruisin