Solvang! Hearst Castle! Wine Tasting!

Last Thursday

My bf and I rented a car from Enterprise (click here for my review) to drive to Santa Barbara for his uncle's retirement party

He was in the police force for 30 years including working on the bomb squad.

His wife is a helicopter pilot.

We stopped in San Luis Abispo at midnight-thirty. Rooms where $100 for the last 8 hours of night, so we slept in the car. If it wasn’t for the prospect of getting an adjustment that day, forget it! I am too old to sleep sitting up in a car. Over a year ago, my first fencing tourney was there. The town has great energy. Pure excitement. Ian just wanted coffee in the morning. I gargled cider vinegar, honey and water in the parking lot. I felt silly. It was foggy with birds singing. Found the location to shot my music video of Bela Fleck at a British phone booth.

Friday

Saw billboards for Solvang. Still Foggy! Had to stop there! Saw Anderson's split pea soup Restaurant, but no windmill. Weird. I must have been to a different one. Solvang is a Danish town with windmills. My Aunt told me I had to visit it some time! I didn’t even realize that’s next to Santa Barabara. Tried on clogs, reminded me living in Europe, running around in them with my brother. Danish bakeries! Bought some licorice. Weaving and spinning store (office site): found out about guilds, weaving with recycled sari’s, bamboo and milk, the convention in May, a contact in SF and a book about untraditional weaving techniques.

Pick up bf's parents at airport. Lunch in Solvang. Ate lots of sausage with mustard. Went back to weaving store. Grocery shopping. I was introduced to another gluten-free granola bar called Kind. Off to the Aunt and Uncle's house. Nap. Retirement party at 4pm. Lots of plaques: 1 from the governor and another from the President. Very inspiring because I am starting my career. His wife didn’t even know all of that stuff. I met their adopted daughter, finally!

Saturday

My Doc showed me how to make pancakes/biscuits, gluten, egg and dairy free. Had an adjustment! Visited with the 2 cats, 2 dogs and 3 horses. Went to the neighbor's vineyard and tasted Port wine! Saw the cellar that the husband handmade. Wow! Group of us went to Santa Ynez. Sculpture garden of reused metal. Intentionally left rough. Looked great! Wine tasting at another vineyard, my 1^st time. Kept the glasses from Lincourt Vineyards. Nap. Delicious left-overs from the party. Knit and read in bed.

Gluten, dairy and egg free Pancakes

6 TBS organic white rice flour

1/2 banana mashed up

olive oil or macadamia nut oil

aluminum-free baking powder

real maple syrup

water

walnuts or pecans

1. Mash up banana on a small plate. Add a little bit of olive oil. Mix together.

2. In a bowl add flour and baking powder. Add banana and nuts to flour mixture. Mix. Add water until it is pancake batter consistency.

3. Preferably cook on a iron skillet at a low temp. These are thick and resemble biscuits. Cook slowly or else the middle will be raw.

4. Drown in maple syrup and enjoy!

Sunday

Hearst castle (office site) garden tour! I’ve wanted to go since I was in middle school. I have to go back and take a tour of the house. Met old neighbors of my bf in Big Sur. We ate at an amazing restaurant called Nepenthe (office site). Soup, shrimp and fresh squeezed OJ. Drift wood sculpture with bronze feet, holding it up.

Drove on HWY 1 and 101. Super pretty! Showed bf's Mom how to cast on, knit and purl. She showed me things too. I knit a bunch of stretch cord tubes for my next sculpture!!! Dinner with bf's best friend at a sushi place in Daly City. Showed them photos of Tactile Color (photos). Drove bf's parents to their hotel room. They fly out in the morn. Bed time for me. I am tired.