Steph Lloyd » California

Sunshine is my drug

Steph — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 06:59:37 +0000

Was looking through some of my iPhone pictures tonight and this came to me. Likey?

Contemplating the Future

Steph — Thu, 26 May 2011 04:00:50 +0000

I’ve always wanted to live in California. Several of my friends moved here after college but I really didn’t feel like I should. I was hoping that if I waited for the right opportunity, I could move with a job waiting for me. I wanted to live in California but I didn’t want to be broke while I did it!

When my current job became available I was so excited. It seemed like a good fit and since I knew people in the company already, I felt like I had a chance at getting hired. Doing this type of job was my dream job in college but I’m fully aware now that I wouldn’t have been able to hack it back then. It took me a few years worth of experiences to get me to the point that I could do it. Living here has been everything I had dreamed. Seriously. It’s so beautiful, warm and sunny (most of the time!) and I’ve been able to take part in things that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to in other areas of the country. Or world, for that matter. And despite the fact that it took years to get here, I’m grateful that I waited. The timing was perfect, everything fell into place and we’ve had some pretty great experiences.

I’ve met several people over the years who had lived in California but moved away. I never understood why. They’d normally say something about the people or traffic but I still didn’t get it. California was always paradise in my mind! Well, it’s taken me two years but I’m finally starting to see that California, more specifically Southern California, isn’t for everyone. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to everyone I know. Haha. The cost of living is quite high — I can’t imagine purchasing a house here. SO expensive! Matt hasn’t been shocked by the climate (because Grand Junction, CO is a desert) but it’s been kinda weird for me to get used to. Pasadena was hot and dry, the beach is a Mediterranean climate. It’s nice but still so different than what I’m used to. While the growing season here can’t be beat, I miss some of the lush greenness found in other regions. There are also so many people crammed into such a small space. We are so lucky to have great neighbors in the front house, an empty house on one side and a couple of girls on the other side. It is awkward hearing them use the restroom sometimes and I’m pretty sure they don’t appreciate hearing us. Haha.

All this to say that I’m loving where we are right now but having achieved this dream brings into question my goals for the future. What do I really want to accomplish? Where do I want to settle? Where do we want to raise our little Lloyds? I always want to have things planned well in advance but this is all new territory — we found ourselves here well before I thought we would. Yay! And whoa! Thankfully I’ve got pretty things to look at while I contemplate my future. LOL!

I used the picture above on a previous post [here] but thought the processing by Instamatic was way cooler.

Dodger Stadium

Steph — Wed, 25 May 2011 00:04:47 +0000

I didn’t want the Dodger’s fans to feel left out — so here is a picture of the stadium. The thing I love about Dodgers is that you feel like you are in the hills. You don’t see the city all around you. We’ve been to one game there and had a great time. Matt was cheering for the Rockies the whole time and never had anyone act crazy about it. I’m not a baseball fan but it is still fun to watch occasionally. It’s just so American!

Angel Stadium

Steph — Tue, 24 May 2011 01:47:24 +0000

One of the cool parts of my job is that I get media credentials and can go pretty much anywhere in the stadiums. Angel Stadium is my favorite baseball stadium because everyone seems to be more laid back (compared to Dodgers), it’s closer to my house and getting in and out is easy. As I walked on the field and snapped this shot, one of the girls told me to be careful of getting hit by a baseball because the players will sometimes overthrow to hit chicks that walk by. Nice. :/

Baseball season is great for my work life. The work load drops significantly so that I can breathe and work normal business hours. Yeah!

Saturday

Steph — Sun, 22 May 2011 03:37:37 +0000

It’s finally Saturday! Even though my week was uneventful, I found myself counting down the hours until the weekend. I made the most of the day by doing pretty much nothing. The day consisted of gardening and looking up at the sky. I never tire of looking up. Or seeing palm trees. I wish my plants were healthier on the patio but I guess I can’t have everything I want. At least we weren’t raptured — I’m not quite done with my bucket list. Hah.

The Ocean

Steph — Fri, 20 May 2011 21:50:49 +0000

There is this big blue thing on the edge of town. It’s huge and constantly moving. Its smell is unique and changes depending on the day but it is always refreshing. It is extremely powerful but so peaceful. Hmmm, I love the ocean.

Looking Forward to Summer

Steph — Fri, 13 May 2011 01:57:11 +0000

I should have used this picture back when I was drowning in work – it would have been so cliche! Hah.

Life is good. Work has slowed down significantly. Matt is busy as he is entering the last couple weeks of the semester. I’m looking forward to summer so we can spend more time together. And so I will hear less about Meno and Socrates. ^^

We are going to take a gigantic road trip this summer. I’m in the middle of planning but so far I know that we will be hitting these places: Las Vegas, Valley of Fire State Park, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arches National Park, Mesa CO (to see his family), Denver CO (for annual company meetings), Black Hills, Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, Minnesota (to see my family), Tulsa OK, Dallas TX, White Sands National Monument and Phoenix AZ. It’s going to be intense! Both of us are excited to get out of town and see more of the U.S. We’re going to be camping on the way too. It’s going to be tons of fun. Can’t wait to see family and friends – it’s been so long!

Sunday Windy Sunday

Steph — Mon, 09 May 2011 06:05:00 +0000

Today was gorgeous! And windy. Perfect for flying kites! Matt and I took a long walk through town and on the beach today with a friend of mine from college. It was tons of fun actually showing someone around our little town!

An Afternoon at the Beach

Steph — Thu, 05 May 2011 16:58:34 +0000

I took a walk yesterday as a “lunch break” to clear my head. As I was walking along, enjoying our beautiful town and the gorgeous weather, I remembered that it was the last day of the 80 degree weather. I went back to my desk, took care of a few things and then peaced out of the office. I hit the beach with some food, water and a book. It was so peaceful out there. The waves were coming in gently, the seagulls were soaring, the pelicans dive bombing (ha!). There were a bunch of other people out there too. Parents watching over and playing with their kids, chicks tanning (even though their skin already looks like leather) and old dudes tanning (even though their skin has looked like leather for years).

Just as I was thinking that this was heaven on earth, a family showed up with three screaming kids and two not-so-lovely moms. They sat right beside me (about 30 feet from the water) and proceeded to scream at their kids playing in the water. Seriously, people? I was *this* close to asking why they didn’t sit a bit closer so they could be within talking distance with their kids. Oh well, whatever. They lasted about an hour and left – thank God – and peace was once again restored to my little section of the beach.

If I had my own business, I would make a rule that says any day over 80 degrees requires an afternoon at the beach. You know, because I want myself and those working with me to be refreshed. Haha.

All India Cafe

Steph — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 06:19:22 +0000

Matt and I drove all over LA today – picking up and delivering random gear for my job. We were at Dodgers Stadium for awhile, so we decided to head up to Pasadena to eat lunch at All India Cafe. I have not eaten a ton of Indian food but I have had some very disgusting Indian food in the past. Like make-me-gag dishes. All India Cafe is simply amazing. One afternoon when we were there, one of the owners talked to us about how they developed the recipes for the restaurant (they are a blend from different regions in India) and took us in the kitchen to check out the tandoori oven – which was SO cool! I typically eat the Chicken Tikka Masala lunch. Each dish is so flavorful. And the naan is amazing. If you are in the area, definitely eat there. It’s one of our favorite restaurants in the world.