San Jose!

This last week my sister and I went to San Jose to visit my grandparents! We also got to see my Aunt Dorianne, Uncle Doug, and our cousins while we were there, peoples we only get to see maaaaybe once a year. Though it's already twice for me this year! This time, though, I got to go with my baby sister.

My grandparents live in this pretty sweet retirement community that has different levels of care and it's a pretty great little set up. The days were pretty tame there, but it was nice getting to hang out. We would eat breakfast, hang out for a bit, maybe play some cards and read, then go back to the dining room and grab lunch. I was told by several of the residents there that I reminded them of "that girl on Criminal Minds." I take this as one of the highest compliments, because I kind of idolize Penelope Garcia and hope to someday be the school counselor version of her.

After lunch on Tuesday we checked out the library that our grandparents run and took over some projects of theirs for the community art show. We also went through some old photo albums that they've put together over the years. This picture is of the grandparents with their oldest, my aunt Dorianne. And those glasses! When I was little, I would look through albums and wish I could have glasses like those. And now I do! Ha!!

That evening we met up with my aunt and uncle and my cousin Emily and her husband, David, for dinner at Round Table Pizza. Lots of talking and catching up. Good times.

Wednesday Jesi and I took off with Grandpa's car and went to Daiso and Target. Daiso is like a Japanese dollar store. Everything there is $1.50 unless otherwise marked. Jesi bought me some presents at Daiso including a cute little lunch box with little Russian dolls on it to complete the little set of containers I bought at the Daiso in Seattle (I had bought her a round stuffed fox thing at the airport on the way down to San Jose that we've dubbed Butter Ball Foxy or B.B. Foxy). I think I have enough cute lunch box things for every day of the week now! It's my goal this year to get into the habit of making a good healthy lunch for school. Cute lunch boxes really help.

Oh! And BEFORE lunch, Jesi gave Grandpa a haircut. She's been doing Dad's hair all summer (and trimming both hers and my bangs). Not sure if she actually knows what she's doing, but she's saved me at least $40 in bang trims so, if they aren't perfect, they'll do. She doesn't look to sure about what she's doing here in the picture...

Wednesday night Doug and Dory came over for the fancy French themed dinner at the retirement home. We were serenaded by an accordion while eating filet mignon, asparagus, potatoes, and chocolate mousse with macarons for dessert. Yum!

Thursday after lunch Jesi and I went out with Doug and Dory to the California Academy of Science. I LOVE museums and this was a particularly fun one. There was an aquarium, a rainforest with butterflies (and giant nasty spiders), an earthquake simulator, and a room full of awesome skulls. The skull room included the skull of one of the cutest animals EVER: the Dik-dik. It's a tiny antelope and it's so cute!!

And, of course, we had out own personal tour guide with a million awesome facts about how jelly fish and sea anemones are related, what you can tell by looking at an animal's skull, etc from my uncle who only recently retired from teaching science.

After the museum we drove around until Kathy, their daughter, got home and we all went out to dinner. We got to stop by a park and get a pretty great view of the Golden Gate Bridge and a bunch of other stuff (like Angel Island) that the aunt and uncle pointed out. There's a lot of nifty stuff in San Francisco.

Kathy just started teaching physics in a high school in San Francisco and was regaling us with stories about her students. And, of course, their was lots of advice from Doug, Dory, and Kathy for me for starting my internship this next week (so excited!). I love that we have so many educators in our family. :)

And then Friday I got up bright and early to come home. Jesi was there for another day before flying down to San Diego to visit my mom's side of the family before heading down to start another year of school. It was a fun visit and I got to hear lots of awesome stories about my padre (seriously, Dad... I never knew you were so irresponsible in college...) and some of the great trips my grandparents have taken around the world. What a fun week! Jesi got some good selfies with the grandparents after I left.

And now I'm doing a bunch of little things to get ready for my internship to start up next week. I still only have one internship currently and I'm still waiting to hear back about my second one. I heard unofficially about one perhaps pending, but I'm still waiting. I've been told several times that everything is fine and even if I start a little after the school year in the second internship, it's not a big deal, it's normal, etc. But I want to know NOW (she says with a pout and a stamp of her foot).

Oh well. I'll just try to not stress out as much as humanly possible in the mean time. And now that Criminal Minds is on Netflix I have found a mindless way to pass the time and get some outfit ideas, as well.