kindred spirits

Once upon a time a little girl got her very first grown up job. It was a magical job, one that left her with three truths that later proved to be myths
1. That she would always work in a place populated with enough cute single boys to keep her busy for years
2. That her job would always make her feel like she was part of something big and important
3. That her coworkers would always feel more like sisters than cubemates
That girl has grown up now and realized that jobs are jobs and fantasy stops on the career path stay magical mostly because they are the exception, not the rule. HOWEVER, I have been extremely spoiled to have two of these sister coworkers breeze through HB this summer and although neither visit was nearly long enough, I was delighted to get more than a quick dinner on an overscheduled trip to Utah (although i will always take what I get when it comes to these girls).
This weekend it was one Lori Elizabeth and her lovely husband Steve who could be one of the greatest couples of all time. Steve and Lori met during our Olympic days so I got to watch the whole process which I'm sure makes me adore them all the more. And the bonus is that when we are all together, no one falls asleep or rolls their eyes when we start in on our SLOC-speak. Anyway, I'll cut the flowery nostalgia in a minute but I warn you that I love these two beyond reason and the flowery compliments probably won't stop.
Lori and Steve arrived on Sunday evening and we went straight to the beach. I have grown just the teeniest bit used to this place so it's always fun to have visitors remind that I'm pretty darn lucky to live here. Lori used to be that little reminder in Utah when she'd gush about the mountains we looked out on everyday. I'm sure I'll do the same for them when I come to visit in Park City!
The beach was crawling with surfers and Lori was properly astonished at their skills.
And Steve was properly astonished at how lucky he was to be with the two cutest girls on the beach. Lori is one of the most effortlessly classy women I have ever met. Even when we were walking on the beach, she manages to give off this halo of Audrey Hepburn-esque grace. It is really quite delightful.
We took advantage of the beach showers before we headed to dinner
and then since the next day was Pioneer Day in Utah, we paid tribute to the Pioneers of Surfing.
And of course we dined on fish tacos. The only time I am sad that I don't drink beer is when I'm eating fish tacos and someone orders a Corona with lime. They just look like they belong together. So I held Steve's once just to feel really authentic.
After dinner we played "surfer makeover" with Steve
maybe?
maybe not.

We went home and placed bets on the Miss Universe pageant (no really, we did). We were NOT happy when Miss Japan lost to Miss Puerto Rico. We think Emmett Smith messed up the judging. But we did get to see the dress from Project Runway so...not a complete loss. Then Lori and I made Steve sleep on the couch and we talked ourselves silly in the very place our third musketeer Bev and I talked ourselves silly last month. It doesn't matter how old I get, I love love love a good sleepover.
The next day we got up early to go SURFING! Steve has a long held surfer fantasy and so he signed us all up for a surf lesson. Since he is a killer snowboarder, we were pretty sure he was going to be totally awesome at it. We were sooooo excited as we drove to Bolsa Chica life guard tower 19 in the rental PT Cruiser.
see? i'm so excited (scared to get bonked by a surfboard!)
Here is what we learned about surfing. It is really hard. And the ocean is really in charge of the whole adventure no matter what you think to the contrary. We swallowed alot of salt water, we found out we need stronger abs, a few of us ended up with bumps and bruises and after two hours, we didn't have alot of extra energy for things like walking, talking, driving, or lifting things.
However, you can see that we also looked pretty darn cute
And felt pretty hardcore.
I don't think the ocean has seen the last of us
seriously though, aren't they just too cute to believe?
We showered and had lunch and then scattered to the airport and the office. And I was left with that weird sensation that feels like homesick that I get these days when people I love go home. Thank heavens for cars and airplanes and Pioneer Day holidays that let us pretend we still go to the European Connection for lunch everyday.
I miss you guys, let's play again soon.