Happy July 5th!

Today definitely fit my definition or idea of a "perfect day", although I have had several of those recently. For instance, being lazy on Saturday, with the exception of going to the gym to watch the Paraguay/Spain match. That was a pretty perfect day (the trip to the gym was followed up by left-over tacos and an awesome nap). I believe that I took another nap yesterday. It seems that the simple things in life can make me quite happy.

While today involved a bit more planning and energy, it also involved an element of simplicity - hike to/around a beautiful spot and enjoy being outside. It seems fitting that Michael and I 'bagged' Mugu Peak this weekend, seeing as our last failed attempt was on Memorial Day. This time around we did not invite a friend with dubious hiking skills to join us but woke up on the early side for a holiday Monday and headed west. We arrived at the coast amidst a thick cloud of "June gloom" which has seemingly extended into July! On the plus side, it made for a cool (temperature-wise) hike which we both appreciated and hiking in the mist and tall grass made me think of Wales and the moors, even though Southern CA cannot possibly share much flora or fauna with that part of the world! On the minus side, we could not take advantage of the awesome 360 degree views that the Mugu Peak supposedly offers because we had a very limited visual range thanks to the gloom.

Still and all, it was a most enjoyable hike, presenting a butt-kicking challenge the first .7 mile as we ascended about 850 feet. Once we survived the initial upward trudge, the trail leveled out and we were walking on a path that cut through high grass. We looped around the valley and then headed up to Mugu Peak. The description from the blog Modern Hiker describes the experience from Mugu Peak in this way:

"When you reach the top of Mugu, you’ll be rewarded with 360-degree views of some of the most beautiful parts of Southern California — the Channel Islands, Boney Ridge, Mugu Lagoon, the Great Sand Dune, and all of the meadows you just wound your way through. All this, and an American flag to boot. Cue the patriotic music and you’re all set."

We did feel triumphant once we reached the peak, and the flag certainly added some patriotic flair to the hike. That, and the knowledge that Pt. Mugu, the naval base, was right across the way ('the way' being PCH, the Pacific Coast Highway, also known as "the 1" or "the One"). Sadly, we did could not reap the visual rewards of the peak after our hard work. Shrug. It will give us a reason to return, and that is never a bad thing! The descent was, in a few areas, a bit trickier for me with my knee. Although I am fairly strong, I still lack in confidence what I don't necessarily lack in strength, so that made a few places a bit of a challenge. Nothing that I wasn't up for, however. Ultimately, I was psyched about the hike: 5.2 miles in under 3 hours, 1255 elevation gain.

Before heading back east, we decided to take advantage of our west side stint and headed south from Point Mugu to Malibu. We ended up at a bit of a dive called the Reel Inn. Okay, maybe not a dive, but not, fortunately, an elegant or swanky locale. It offered good fish and chips and a decent bloody mary, and I did not need much more!

Flexibility!

I remember, when I was about five years old, my parents marveled over my crazy rubber-band of a body. Ah, those were the days! On a good day, I can touch my toes. Keeping that in mind, the flexibility to which the title refers is not of the physical in nature but is more figurative.

While I consider myself to be a 'go-with-the-flow' type of a person, I have to wrestle with and finally reckon with the fact that I am not. Oh, I'm not a grossly controlling or controlled person, and there is much evidence that points to a more laissez-faire tendency. I could haul out all of the evidence to defend myself and say, for example, that I don't keep a regular calendar or planner (a dreaded word to me), that my office is a disaster (as are my closets, my work bag, the state of my panty drawer and all other drawers, really). No, I don't need the stereotypical supports to keep my life under control, it's more a mental thing and a planning thing. I like plans - I like to daydream about them and I also like the follow-thru. I can deal with some plans that change. For example, I was supposed to work and live in Southern CA for three years, MAYBE four years, and then move on to another city, another region, another school... That plan changed as my life changed, and I've dealt quite swimmingly with all of that change. Pats on my back all around.

Life plans that change are one thing, weekend plans that suddenly surge and bolt and form are another beast altogether. In that small-scale, micro-arena, I can become terrifyingly neurotic.

And so, this weekend was a welcome break from "Kristina-the-time-control-freak". Some plans did happen, like drinks on Friday night; some plans formed in an impromptu fashion, like brunch at a friend's place on Saturday morning, blueberry pancakes made by yours truly and we all quaffed a mimosa or two (!); hanging out Saturday afternoon for what was supposed to be an hour or two but extended itself to four; ditching a hike before finishing it and heading to Ventura, CA for a nice, relaxing late morning/early afternoon excursion.

The last item was a bit of a bummer, to me, as I was really looking forward to the hike which offers wonderful 360 degree views. However we were hiking with a friend who is not only not 'athletic' but falls into the 'inactive' category, I believe. That is not a judgmental statement, just a fact. I don't consider myself to be athletic, but Michael and I try to stay active so that we can take the occasional hike. Anyway, he's a great friend and the hike really WAS a bitch, so it didn't hurt us to turn around. Michael and I plan on 'bagging' Mugu Peak at another point and time, so rather than be frustrated that I didn't meet MY personal goal for the day, we called it a morning and headed to Ventura. Life really isn't so bad when you have to face those sorts of choices. I was still, however, impressed that I could take on a more flexible attitude. Maybe there is hope for me yet?