I'm really not a spontaneous type of gal. I am a planner! I love making plans!
If you are at all even in the least bit familiar with this site, you know that planning things drives me and that my plans go out for several years (many of them not even on the site calendar quite yet).
In saying all of that, when I hear about people being spontaneous it sure does sound like fun!
So here was my go at it:
*You'll notice that for me to even think about being spontaneous, I plan to be spontaneous.
Which is not very spontaneous!
Back in the Summer of 2000, it was Dave C's birthday and time to celebrate!
He wanted to go to the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach and then out to dinner at a Spanish Tapas Restaurant that was known for their live Flamenco Dancing/Performances. It was a plan!
Just the 3 of us (Dave, 1 year old Dominic, and myself) wandered the grounds of the famed Laguna Beach Festival of Arts.
Taking a little break at the Festival of Arts.
We then met up with Jet and James (her husband at the time) for dinner.
It was fun and eventful and James really got into it when they chose him to go up for a lesson in Flamenco Dancing! I'll never forget the laughs that we had that night!
It was fun and eventful and James really got into it when they chose him to go up for a lesson in Flamenco Dancing! I'll never forget the laughs that we had that night!
James trying his luck at Flamenco Dancing!
After dinner, we went back home and it had been recently decided - like a day or two prior - that we (the 3 of us) were going to drive out to Flagstaff for Dave's favorite burritos*... (not that we we're still hungry),
although after an 8 hour drive, I'm quite certain that we'd be more than ready to chow down once again!
Not only were we going to get these awesome burritos but we were also going to finally see the Grand Canyon!!!
BTW - This was my big attempt at being spontaneous. Dontcha see it...because I hadn't planned and prepared for this trip for months on end beforehand.
Soooo, we arrived back home, picked up our luggage (which if I hadn't known that I was gonna be "spontaneous", wouldn't have been packed), and were ready to head out!
It was at this point and time that the people who were the real spontaneous ones - my mom, my brother, my two sisters, and my brother in law all decided to tag along and make this journey a midnight caravan!
Once the entire gang was all packed and loaded up, off we went!
We had one rental sedan and a hatchback with no A/C making this journey across the desert in the middle of the hot summer all to get some burritos!
In all seriousness, I would've never "planned" to do a trip like this in the middle of the hot Arizona summer - this was a crazy idea!
So apparently there was much drama going on in the "other" car, and we were pulling off an exit that was in the middle of no where!
Next thing you know, my sister is throwing her wedding band out into the vast nothingness of the desert!!!
James and Jet had been fighting (which wasn't highly unusual and hence they are divorced now), he jumped out of the car and said he was leaving (on foot). Umm "there is no where to go James".
Somehow he found and rescued the ring and got then got talked back into the car.
This entire thing kinda pissed me off, because I'm the type of driver who wants to get where I'm going - not stop off in the middle of no where and deal with unnecessary drama!
In the wee hours of the morning we eventually made it to Flagstaff! Whew! The drama!
We piled into our rooms, and dropped from exhaustion and knowing that we only had a few hours to sleep before heading back out and going to the Grand Canyon.
Next thing you know, it was morning, and we were each groggily waking up.
Jet and James were fighting again. Ugh!
And then James aparently took off! Yes he was on foot again!
At least this time we were in Flagstaff and at 7,000', where the temperature was only in the 80's!
When I found out what had happened, I sent Dave to go and find him.
Because I know my family and they wouldn't leave a man (or woman behind)...
meaning that it would take us that much longer to get our butts on the road and finally see the Grand Canyon!
Well it must've been Dave's lucky day because he actually found James, managed to bring him back, and then we were able to head on out! YES!
although after an 8 hour drive, I'm quite certain that we'd be more than ready to chow down once again!
Not only were we going to get these awesome burritos but we were also going to finally see the Grand Canyon!!!
BTW - This was my big attempt at being spontaneous. Dontcha see it...because I hadn't planned and prepared for this trip for months on end beforehand.
Soooo, we arrived back home, picked up our luggage (which if I hadn't known that I was gonna be "spontaneous", wouldn't have been packed), and were ready to head out!
It was at this point and time that the people who were the real spontaneous ones - my mom, my brother, my two sisters, and my brother in law all decided to tag along and make this journey a midnight caravan!
Once the entire gang was all packed and loaded up, off we went!
We had one rental sedan and a hatchback with no A/C making this journey across the desert in the middle of the hot summer all to get some burritos!
In all seriousness, I would've never "planned" to do a trip like this in the middle of the hot Arizona summer - this was a crazy idea!
So apparently there was much drama going on in the "other" car, and we were pulling off an exit that was in the middle of no where!
Next thing you know, my sister is throwing her wedding band out into the vast nothingness of the desert!!!
James and Jet had been fighting (which wasn't highly unusual and hence they are divorced now), he jumped out of the car and said he was leaving (on foot). Umm "there is no where to go James".
Somehow he found and rescued the ring and got then got talked back into the car.
This entire thing kinda pissed me off, because I'm the type of driver who wants to get where I'm going - not stop off in the middle of no where and deal with unnecessary drama!
In the wee hours of the morning we eventually made it to Flagstaff! Whew! The drama!
We piled into our rooms, and dropped from exhaustion and knowing that we only had a few hours to sleep before heading back out and going to the Grand Canyon.
Next thing you know, it was morning, and we were each groggily waking up.
Jet and James were fighting again. Ugh!
And then James aparently took off! Yes he was on foot again!
At least this time we were in Flagstaff and at 7,000', where the temperature was only in the 80's!
When I found out what had happened, I sent Dave to go and find him.
Because I know my family and they wouldn't leave a man (or woman behind)...
meaning that it would take us that much longer to get our butts on the road and finally see the Grand Canyon!
Well it must've been Dave's lucky day because he actually found James, managed to bring him back, and then we were able to head on out! YES!
Once we arrived at the Grand Canyon, we stepped out and went to the view point.
Our jaws had dropped.
It was one of the most amazing and majestic things I have ever seen before in my life!
Our jaws had dropped.
It was one of the most amazing and majestic things I have ever seen before in my life!
 My mom holding Dominic |  Jet holding Dominic |  Brigitte holding Dominic |
This was the first of many visits to come, and we had only stayed for a few hours (which definitely wasn't enough time to do much of anything).
And finally on our drive back to Southern California through Flagstaff we had one more stop & to some of us it was the most important stop of all...we still needed to get our burritos!
And finally on our drive back to Southern California through Flagstaff we had one more stop & to some of us it was the most important stop of all...we still needed to get our burritos!
I think Dave was ready for his Burrito!