Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Blazing Fields

So, I have this friend, I've known him for several years. My old roomie and very close friend B has always thought there was something going on with us. Yeah yeah, whatever. Well, wouldn't you know it, she was right?! As of last Tuesday, we finally admitted we liked each other, and are now dating. It's rather amusing, because we talked about taking things slow and making it really low key, definitely keeping it out of work (we both work for IT, though in completely different parts of it). So, naturally, we drove up to my parents' house Sunday for the day to see the poppies. He met my parents, brothers, grandparents, and one of my two best friends and his girlfriend. I really just have to laugh. It was a last minute thing really. Got a message from my mom while we were playing tennis Thursday night, telling me I really should come home to see the poppies, because the valley looked like it was on fire they were so thick. So, almost jokingly, I asked the bf if he wanted to drive up to my house Sunday. And it turned into this amazingly fun trip up complete with a family barbecue before driving home. My family really seemed to like him, he'd already met my dad when he helped move me into my new apartment. It was great to see my best friend too, we haven't actually seen each other in about a year-we are both too busy for our own good. But with him and our other best friend, it doesn't seem to matter how long it's been, we pick up as if it were only 5 minutes. Of course we talk online and on the phone, which helps us keep in touch, but never nearly as much as we'd like. But we are there for each other when it matters most, and it meant SO much when Jacen wanted to meet the new bf since we would both be home at the same time. It was nice to meet his new lady as well. I really liked her. The bf was a major hit with my little brothers, though apparently my 11 year old brother threatened him, which I thought was incredibly sweet. (the bf told me about it on the drive home) I'm going to meet his parents sometime this week. I think we're going to do breakfast Sunday morning.
I suppose at some point I'll have to create some blogosphere names for people like the bf and my little brothers. Jacen is really a nickname for my best friend, just like Jaina is his nickname for me. (it's a Star Wars thing from a long time ago, the third best friend has one too...they hardly ever call me by my real name anymore. They usually use Jaya, the short version of the nickname) I guess I've always gone by an alias online. I did start to switch my blog over to my actual name yesterday, but then decided it might confuse the owners of the blogs I comment on, so I decided to leave it as it is. Nothing wrong with using my nickname, and for the few of you who actually read these ramblings of mine, now you know. :) Honestly I'll answer to either name. Nicknames are fun, I like them. Hmm...I will have to come up with some creative names for my little brothers. Thoughts on if I should continue calling the bf just that? Or actually have some sort of nickname for him? (how funny would it be if he actually came across this blog, I'm sure he would be much amused)
I'm impressed with myself, two days of posts? That's got to be some kind of record. But perhaps I should wait to be impressed until after a straight week of posting. I love blogging, and just need to make it a priority to do some writing every day. It should keep me consistent with my camera as well. The pictures may not be from the same day as the post, and occasionally I may pull up some of my favorite older photos, but mostly I'll try to keep them current. And I'll get better at posting the picture info at the time of the post.
Haha, I went on rambling so long I forgot to mention anything about the photos! As you can probably guess, they are a few of the many I took Sunday out in the desert and at the poppy reserve. Looking out to the west end of the valley was a gorgeous sight of blazing orange, it literally looked like the desert was on fire...without the thick smoke and danger to the firemen. I don't know what it is, but I absolutely LOVE the poppies. If you've never seen a field of poppies in person, it's definitely something I recommend doing when you have the chance. They have the most beautiful scent, and the petals are soft as silk, lovely to touch. (but don't pick them...it's illegal) This year is the best I've ever seen them, it's literally carpets of orange. Some years there are next to none, but it's SO beautiful this year. I am SO excited that the bf and I went up to see them. He was amazed, he'd never seen anything like it. It was a lot of fun. :)

Photo specs: (top)
~taken April 13, 2008
~setting: no flash (may have been landscape, info did not say auto)

Photo specs: (bottom)
~taken April 13, 2008
~setting: auto, no flash


4 comments:

Kellan said...

Very cool that you were friends first - might (hopefully) make for a wonderful and long-lasting relationship! My sister and her husband were friends for several years (very good friends) and then just one day decided to become involved and now they are married (only married recently). You sound very happy - I'm glad.

Take care and I'll see you soon - Kellan

Jaina said...

Thanks Kellan, I am very happy. And you're right about the friends thing, I am so relaxed and comfortable with him, he reads me SO well. It's crazy. See you soon :)

Erin said...

I can't keep up with you any more girl! Way to go on the postings and photos. How cool to see those fields of poppies. Gotta get to CA in the spring aparently. Nice to hear about the bf and good luck. Keep us blog readers posted.

Jaina said...

Haha, thanks Erin! Yeah, California in the springtime is lovely, everything is green and blooming. Oh, and they have the flower fields in Carlsbad, which are quite a sight to see. I think my friends and I are heading up there next weekend to see them. I will definitely keep you all posted, I should have a new post up here sometime this morning. I met the parents yesterday!