First Thing's First...

My first post! Hurray! So, I thought I would start out this blog with my trip I took to California this past week to visit my brother and his cute family.

What is this large picture beginning my post? Why, it is a grove of avocado trees with collecting boxes of course! On Friday, my sister-in-law, Rae, invited me to tag along for an avocado adventure with her neat food blogging friends. If I ever wanted to start food blogging, it would be now. But, since I hate to use the kitchen at my current residence (a basement apartment I have recently christened as the hell-hole, pit of despair...the list goes on and on), I think I will blog about the interesting places I go out to eat (I LOVE eating at exotic restaurants, or hole-in-the-wall places), awesome/ironic/crazy adventures and dilemmas I always seem to be getting into, and, of course, BOOKS! This blog will be through the eyes of Kristen - an adventure in and of itself. I hope.

But back to California and the avocado escapade. We were able to get an inside look at an avocado packing plant and then eat avocado fries at a cute, yes, hole-in-the-wall diner in Southern Cali. You could dip the fried avocado in ranch or powdered sugar - I highly recommend the powder sugar. It tasted like funnel cake.

Holy guacamole, we learned sooo much about avocados! Did you know that when they turn the purplish blackish color, that means they are chalked full of the nutritious oil they are known for? That often is a sign they are ready to be eaten - that and if they are soft to touch. Mmmm! I love avocados! Here's some food for thought: How do you pronounce the first "A" in avocados? Think about it...I'll be asking you.

We also ventured into an old fashioned candy shop that sold avocado fudge! This was the creamiest, smoothest fudge I have ever tasted. The avocado really makes a difference! The shop also had quite a few motivational, life-changing signs that I have taken to heart as my life motto. I think I want to live in a small town. And own a candy shop.

You see, candy, my friends, is the secret as to why I am such a nice person. Without candy, no one would want to be my friend.  Especially if they see me and my nieces making faces like this:

There we go...a normal picture, aside from the fact we all look high.

Funny story. Right after taking these pictures, I smelled a waft of urine. I sniffed Savvy and said, "Girl, I do believe you smell of urino." Sure enough, she definitely did. Did she wet either her bed or her pants that morning? Probably. Was she just sitting on my lap taking pictures? Yes indeed. Luckily, I somehow escaped sporting the similar aroma of Urino puppy chow. But urine aside, I really do love spending time with my nieces. They are the smartest girls! I love the questions they ask and their fervor for and curiosity of life.

Later during my stay we went to the beach, Disneyland, and obviously played a lot and had fun! Dad also came out during the same time, so Savvy had quite the dilemma deciding who she was going to ride the rides at Disneyland with. As for me, I had a dreadful stomachache for most of the day. For some reason, the same gross sickness I would get in Jerusalem plagued me that day at Disneyland. I think it has to do with fried things...stupid french fries...I should never have eaten them that day for lunch. Oh french fries. Why do you have to be so delicious, yet betray me in the end? 

Anyway, the whole adventure to California was amazing. Except for Venice Beach. That place wreaks of B.O., urine, and pot. You walk the boardwalk for 5 seconds and someone, without fail, will be shouting at you "The doctor is in! Come grab your medical marijuana!" No thanks, man. I'm getting high from the fumes I'm whiffing out here on the boardwalk. But we did eat at a delicious restaurant for lunch, tasted the most delicious fruit at a farmer's market, and bought delicious mango snacks from Trader Joe's. It was a swell trip. I'm just sad it's over. Looks like I'm just going to have to search for another adventure...