San Diego Advice

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Anyone have any advice on where I can go in San Diego?
I am specifically looking for.....

coffee shops (of course)
boutiques
vintage clothing stores


anything along the lines of the "must see" things!

San Diego, Irvine, LAX Here I come!

So Italy turned out to be literally too expensive unfortunately, so I made another plan. Go see Sara in Irvine California, rent a car and drive to San Diego. Its 2 hours to San Diego. I had to do it.
I've never been to either so I am very excited!

Nothing changed with M this weekend, after everything that I did for his birthday, between the surprise party I had planned and went through with to the Knicks game that I got him tickets to for his birthday. He STILL doesn't know what he wants ... if he wants to be single or not. Or wants to see what its like to be alone.

Okay. So be alone. Fuck you.

I can't handle it. I wasn't expecting anything from this weekend, but I was at least thinking it would change somethings, and it didn't so I honestly can't just sit here and wait for him.

Although I did tell him that even if he did change his mind, I don't know if I would want to be with him again. And he wasn't too thrilled with that answer. So.

I hope he gets a taste of reality when I jump on the plane to California.

I don't care. I needed to get away. I COULD get away..and I am. So I am just looking forward to spending time with Sara and driving all over Southern Cali.

Is there anywhere in San Diego that I need to go?! Please let me know... I make my way there :)




ps.... the winner of the Winter Giveaway is... Kendra from Silkybowties!   Send me your address when you can :)    jennifera328 at gmail dot com.

February's Coffeehouse - Klatch Coffee

1. Name of your coffee shop and location, address phone # and website:

San Dimas Klatch Coffee
806 W. Arrow Hwy Ste A
San Dimas, CA 91773
909-599-0452

Rancho Cucamonga Klatch Coffee
8916 Foothill Blvd Ste C
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
909-944-JAVA

Concourse Klatch Coffee - New Location
951 N Haven Ave
Ontario, CA 91764
909-945-3500

Upland Roastery
1848 W 11th St Suite A
Upland, CA 91786
877-4-KLATCH

www.klatchroasting.com

2. How long have you been open?

17 years

3. What is your signature drink?

World's Best Espresso

4. Why did you pick the name and location?

Klatch Idea

An informal gathering for coffee and conversation, simply stated, is what a coffee klatch is. In Southern California in 1993, such a place was difficult to find. I [ Mike] was in college and while there was an abundance of coffee to fuel my late night studies, the quality level left something to be desired. Sure there were many a quaint coffeehouse claiming "we buy only the best coffee," but the claim fell short once it got in the cup. It was this experience that brought me to wonder, "Why not bring together the charm and comfort of a traditional coffeehouse and serve world class specialty coffees?" And with this thought, the Klatch Coffee of today began. That same year, my wife Cindy and I opened our first location in San Dimas. Each of our stores is built on the foundation of being a common gathering place, where people are invited to linger and Klatch while experiencing true specialty coffee.

5. What makes your shop different from another independent coffee shop?

At Klatch Coffee we deliver an experience that is casual and social, all-American, and traditional that most of all, is real. But don't let our laid back nature fool you into thinking we are slouching on quality. When it comes to serving specialty coffee, the right way, the best way, is the only way Klatch will allow. Our claims to offer the best are one thing, but as a customer, you can hang your hat on the following - we do:

• Only espresso ever awarded "Best Espresso in the World" at the World Barista Championships
• Coffee Review awarded our espresso an impressive 94 points, their highest rated espresso)
• Coffee Review has awarded over 80% of our coffees with a score of 90 or above
• Our Ethiopian and Panama Coffee’s have won the coveted "Best in Brew" from Ultimate Barista Challenges in Los Angeles, Orlando and New York

Award winning coffees are created as a result of nurturing relationships with the farmers who grow the beans. It is our belief that the art of theKlatch begins right where the seeds are planted. We painstakingly travel the globe to ensure we have the first look at the finest results of each harvest. Our commitment to honest business practices means we build trust and loyalty with the farmers we work with.

6. What is your favorite coffee drink that readers should try?
Our award winning Cappuccinos!

Out With The Old.. In With The New

This year has been crazy.

We had a love/hate relationship.

There were many things about this year that were cool, and then a majority of things that were absolutely horrible.

I know that it could absolutely be worse, and I am glad that it was most definitely not. I am hoping for 2010 to bring me something good.

I wanted to recap my year because I usually have forgotten most of things by now so I wanted to attempt to write some down before the year ends so I can start fresh.

2009 was the year of...

t and i breaking up

t and i moving out

traveling to costa rica, peru & california

losing 25 pounds

moving into an apartment with cherry

being single

most depressing summer of my life

losing some friends with the break up

making new friends as a result of being single

reapplying for my same job

watching many of my friends leave, quit and get laid off

starting my blog and successfully sticking with it

beginning to learn who i really am again

paying off a credit card

taking two graduate classes

spending new years of 08-09 without T since he just left and went to Africa

spending a whole month alone because T wanted to go away by himself

seeing that people actually do like me... and want to be with me

finding that there are other things in life besides unhappiness due to men!

meeting a lot of cool new people

After writing that, it doesn't look so bad. I guess because I was crazy depressed for a good amount of the year, that made it feel worse than it was. Everything seems to be more decent now. I know I went on all of those trips and I am so excited that I got to do that and I don't regret anything, I just wish that I didn't have to go through all of that shit with T. So my goal of 2010 is to make sure I am happy and keep going from there.

I definitely did not foresee this year playing out like it did! I should have based off of how 2009 started.

High hopes here I come!

Day 10 & 11, Blog 09 Challenge

December 10 Album of the Year. What's rocking your world?

December 11 The Best Place.A coffee shop? A pub? A retreat center? A cubicle? A nook?

Album of the Year....

Jayz's album definitely!

Best Place of the Year...

The best coffee shop I went to this year was Santa Cruz Coffee Roasters.

They have everything there, even a coffee learning room. I must say I was impressed. There are not many coffee shops in my area, so it was nice to go to California and see many independent coffee houses!

San Francisco Love

I had a great time.

Yes I most definitely drank way too much, WAY too much. When I got there, my friend Sterling picked me up and we drove to Santa Cruz. When I got to his house, we played many many rounds of beer pong with his roommates and got incredibly wasted. As soon as I went to go to sleep, I could tell I was not feeling okay AT all,,, ran out the front door and puked all over their front steps.

Welcome to California.

The next day we drove around Santa Cruz and drove on Coastal Route 1! Which was part of my list that I wanted to accomplish! Then we watched the Yankee Game as they lost, went to his friends house and played drinking games, went to like 7 different bars and went drinking hardcore. We were with a bunch of people and it was a pretty good time. Finally we got back to his friends house and I think there was a mild porno going on in the hot tub but I was so drunk and tired that i went to sleep on the couch and let the craziness go on around me.

The next day we spent being entirely hung over and just lounged around and cooked dinner, watching the yankee game and passed out sooo early.

The next day we went to San Francisco and that was the best time ever!! Drove over the Golden Gate Bridge, went to Pier 39 and ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp, stayed at our BALLER hotel room at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel which we got for $40 because I had a free night at hotels.com and we were able to use it that night for a hotel room up to $400 a night, so we tried to get the nicest one possible. And it worked.

We went out clubbing that night and had a GREAT time, I FINALLY got to dance and it was awesome and I loved every minute of it. We didnt get back to the hotel until like 5am.. oh man. Crazy night!

And the streets are crazy there!!!! I love it!!!

The next day we drove around San Francisco and went onto Haight Street, which was awesome, but I didnt have enough time to get out and go to all the stores I wanted to go to... which was probably better so I didn't spend lots of money, which I definitely could have on that road!!!

Then I had to leave :/

So everything I wanted to do in California and this is what I actually got done...

• Drive across the Golden Gate Bridge ----DONE!
  
  
  
  
  

• Go to a winery ----NOT done due to the massive amounts of alcohol i consumed every night
  
• Go to some awesome funky coffee shops ----DONE!!! Although I didnt go into many of them, but I did go into some cool ones.
• 

Santa Cruz Coffee Roasters

• Cable Cars! ------DONE!! I saw them and they were awesome!

• Alcatraz ---- Saw it from afar... def need more to go to it!
  
• MAYBE Yosemite National Park if I can get there! ---No way it was def too far!
  
• DRIVE on Route 1!!!!! -----DONE!!! Drove on it from Santa Cruz to San Francisco!!
  
• 
  
  
  
  
  
• Pier 39 (thanks Laura Marie for the idea!) ----DONE!!! Went to Bubba Gumps Shrimp
  

• Hate Street and Cha Cha Chas Restaurant (Thanks Seriouslyright? for the ideas!) ----DONE!!! I went to HAIGHT STREET! haha it was THE SHIT!!! I loveeeeed that street. I did not eat at Cha Cha Chas though :/

So.. my overall opinion on Cali was that it was really cool. BUT...... I still love New York... and I wish it was warm here all the time. Oh and I wish we had mad funky roads!! Cuz they are the best! But San Francisco was aweosme and I would love to go back and spend more time there.

I am planning on going to San Diego for my birthday in March hopefully. I would loveeee to go to southern California!! New goal!

Here are the rest of my awesome pictures :) CALIFORNIA PICS

Week In Review

I know, I know... my life is not CNN or anything but whatever, someone out there cares about what happened in my life this week!

-Got back from California (pictures, really really soon!)

-Yankees went to the World Series

-I went to Game 2 (last night) of the World Series and saw the Yankees beat the Phillies AND saw Jay Z & Alicia Keys perform EMPIRE STATE!!!! as well as John Legend sing the national anthem!!!!!! AMAZING!!!

-I am moving tomorrow!!!

-Halloween is tomorrow and we are going to be partying :)

-I got wine & dined with candles bitches! haha

-I am in love with Mark Teixeira from the Yankees and my new goal in life is to meet him!

-I got dominated in Fantasy Football...damnit!

And that is pretty much it for this week.....
How was your week!?

I hope everyone has a GREAT and

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

West Coast

I am back!
I finally made it there! San Francisco was very awesome and so was Santa Cruz. I wish I spent more time in San Francisco but I'll take what I could get.

I'll write more about it tomorrow and put all my pictures up tomorrow as well, but here are a few :)

California Trippin

Im here! Having a good time.. consuming wayy to much alcohol and going to San Francisco today!

Everyone is so hippie and chilll....! So wasnt prepared for that from New York everyone is drives so slow! lol

Many pictures and updates to come...

hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

Leaving for California Today

CALIFORNIA!!

I am leaving today at 6pm, I cannot wait!!!! This is really exciting, I cannot believe I am actually going.

I have been wanting to go to California since I was in high school and just never went. I have also not flown within the United States in more than four years, I have been going international every year AND I have not been on a vacation without T or by myself in more than 3 years. EEK. Breaking new records here.

It will be good to get away, especially after this crazy ass summer and drama I have been through because the last vacation I went on was to Peru, and DON'T get me wrong, I loved Peru and had a great time with T but that was a crazy up-in-the air time with our relationship so it was almost stressful as opposed to vacation-like.

I am excited for what this trip has in store for me.. I know that I want to:

• Drive across the Golden Gate Bridge
• Go to a winery
  
• Go to some awesome funky coffee shops
• Cable Cars!
• Alcatraz
• MAYBE Yosemite National Park if I can get there!
• DRIVE on Route 1!!!!!
• Pier 39 (thanks Laura Marie for the idea!)
• Hate Street and Cha Cha Chas Restaurant (Thanks Seriouslyright? for the ideas!)

Anywhere else I should stop by while in San Francisco?! ps... my friend helped me out with the domain name.... SO now when you type in www.novelistabarista.com it goes straight to my blog and is MINE :) I feel so official haha

Interactive Thursday is still on for tomorrow so don't forget!

Everyone have a good day :)

Really ? Monday? Already!?

weheartit.com

I hate that the weekends go by so fast.... Its like a bad habbit. Seriously. You get used to the day(s) off and then you are back to the grind already. Ugh! It's not even fair. Friday shouldn't even be ABLE to count because it is just too much. After 5 full days of work, you barely even get to enjoy Friday!

This weekend was good times... bon fires, good friends, hair salons, margaritas, beer pong, dogs and football. fun :)

So I received these the other day at work, which made me turn BRIGHT red once I saw what it really was and who it was from!
Although we ate some before I took a good picture, but THANKS TB, you have got me blushing! Sweet... :)


I am in the process of making a new blog header. I need a change. I get bored easily...which is annoying! I always need to change my background picture on my phone or my computers, or something. And since I look and stare at my blog ever single day of my life, that will come in a constant change as well! And dont get me wrong, I loveeeeeee my header now !!!!!! But i am weird and I need change and have to switch things up!
So... I am experimenting with different photo programs. I have yet to install photoshop correctly, Sara I need to come to your house and do that ASAP! So I have been using others.. and I don't know what one I like the most. There are a couple are coming out okay.. But I am picky!
Tell me what you think of think?



I feel like that look so lame that I couldn't even post one of those!!!! LOL..... ugh I am so helpless....maybe I should just wait until I get photoshop? I really want a very plain jane page now. I have been inspired by other plain pages and I really love them. I'm weird like that.

This weekend we went to the city and got our hair done. Sara and I bought these gift certificates from a guy in front of Grand Central where you get all this stuff for one price. It worked out well because it rained all day Saturday and was really crappy, so what a better thing to do than sit in a hair salon all day when its raining? I gots my hair cut finally. I am not used to the short bangs but it'll grow. For the most part it looks the same, just added some more layers. Gotta facial and a manicure too.. so that was nice.

2 more weeks until I go to California! So exciting..... I really need to buy some new clothes for that trip. I can't go to Cali looking like a hot mess!!! lol Really what I need is a new job that pays me more so that I can afford to buy more awesome clothing and stuff like that AND afford to live in my nice aparment in November! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK!!?

On Friday, I will have my second to last credit card paid off FINALLY! Oh I cannot wait! Thank god because they are charging me up the ass whenever I make a purchase with it. GEEZ.... I thought it would seriously never go away... And I probably would have been right if I wasn't able to have these paychecks to put towards that.

I also! Got my giveaway winnings from Carlotta at My Way!!!!!
Soooo incredibly awesome :) The picture is kinda blurry so you can't really see to close what all the stuff is but its awesome and a HUGE thank you to you Carlotta!! Please go check out her blog for more great giveaways!

Okay I should finally get some sleep since that was scarce this weekend...
good nite lovies!
monday is on its way....