Desert Waterfall

Turning 31 no longer means clubbing with the college kids as we try wholeheartedly to hold on to our 20s. My friend Maria started the tradition of celebrating with an adventure last month. Her activity of choice was to ride a hot air balloon. I chose to hike.

I received my AAA magazine a few weeks ago where I tabbed several pages. One of them had a list of five hiking trails throughout Southern California that conclude with waterfalls. The sites range from Palm Springs to Malibu, and the OC to Pasadena. My goal is to tackle all five this year and on Sunday I checked off Tahquitz Canyon at the Agua Caliente Reservation in Palm Springs.

My adventure began with the beautiful drive to the Coachella Valley. Interstate 10 is filled with spectacular views of rolling green hills, snow-capped Big Bear, and desert-land that meets the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains. 

A map of the land.

The view to my left.

We had agreed to meet Maria and her family at 11am. I will admit that it was a late start but Daylights Saving Time had just kicked in and I knew our bodies would think it was only 10am. Leo and I stopped at Jack in the Box to fuel our systems before taking on the 2-mile hike, the perfect distance for Maria's kiddos to enjoy without giving out too early. 

Me and Leo at the start.

The reflection of the mountains on the windows of the Guest Services building.

My posse for the day.

Our guide.

Tahquitz Creek.

It was a little warm. After all, it is the desert.

Maria's girl playing with the Lebacho-Tahquitz Creek Ditch. "It was built in 1830 by the Cahuilla to bring water from the canyon to the village for drinking and irrigation." 

The U.S. Geological Survey Gaging Station was built in 1947.

Tahquitz Falls. "This is a place of power. When you enter you're tired and weak, when you leave you are rejuvenated and energized."

Wider shot.

The water froze Maria's toes but her little man didn't  mind at all.

A view of Palm Springs.

I love this family portrait!

Ahh, to be a kid again. Never mind that Maria told her, "I already carried you for nine months."

Goofing off on the Lookout Rock of Kak wa wit.

Our tour guide, done for the day.

 

We worked up an appetite after the hike. Since we wanted something fresh, Maria suggested sandwiches, sushi, or Mexican. Leo didn't want sandwiches and I didn't feel like Mexican food so Maria's hubby led us to a sushi place. Before heading out, though, Maria handed me a card that her little girl made for me:

The cutest birthday card I received this year. The earrings were a close second.

 



We were all very tired and sleepy at the restaurant. So sleepy, in fact, that Maria's husband caught me asleep with my eyes open while he was talking to me. That was embarrassing. Luckily, this came and distracted him.

The men's plate. Surprisingly, I  enjoyed my California Roll but the Cucumber one not so much. 

The waiter came back with the candles lit on the number 13. That's a nice person right there.

I wonder where the next 31st adventure will take us...

This Is How I Roll



The festivities started two nights before my birthday at Pete's Cafe and Bar in Downtown L.A. on Saturday night where my high school BFF and I celebrated our 31st year of life. 

On Sunday, one night before the Big Day, my parents treated me out to Chili's because my mother was craving the turkey sandwich she had there in December. (Never mind the fact that we were celebrating my birthday and I wanted pizza.) I told her before we ordered, "If you tell em it's my birthday, they'll bring free dessert." She told the waitress, "Eats hur berthday." The waitress said, "Happy birthday! Do you mind being humiliated?" I said, "Not at all." So about six waiters sang to me after we cleaned our plates. Joke's on them. 

My aunt gave me this ensemble. She always dresses me and luckily, she has good taste. So good, in fact, that I wore the blouse on my birthday.

Beautiful earrings from my cousin and nieces. My parents bought me the 24 inch TV for my bedroom. Fine, my mom can choose where to eat any time.

I walked into my apartment and saw these roses on my table. Since I told Leo I didn't feel like celebrating on the anniversary of my actual birth, he tried surprising me on Sunday night. I say tried because I spotted his car in the Guest Parking when I arrived.

This was my main gift from him. I didn't want a tablet because I have the urge to type blogs, stories,  and emails sometimes. You are reading this because of my new awesome little laptop.

He also got me the movie I wanted. I told him he better not have spent more than $13 at Target because that was the sale price. He said he had to because it's the Blue Ray/Digital Copy/Ultra Violet version. Alrighty then. 

A gift from my "work mom."

Soo cute! Also from her. 

She made sure to point out that the scarf was from her while the blouses were from her son, my friend and coworker. 

Bday balloon from a friend.

She knows me too well--those are my favorite colors! I put the bracelets on right away.

The celebration continued on to the next day. Ms. Irene and Pops gave me the  perfect relaxation gift box: Stella Rosa, a book, and two movies. It's for sure now, I am doing NUH-THING this weekend but consume myself with these presents. 

I promised my friend, the giver of such gift, and myself that I will not spend it on yogurt, peanuts, toothpaste, or paper towels. 

And finally, the gift from my sister is in the mail, right Jackie? Since I refused to pay $40 for a shirt at the concert, she said she'd get it for half the price on P!NK's website. I wonder which one she chose and when it will arrive...hopefully sometime this year.

A Day In a Boy's Life

On Sunday, I accompanied Leo to the Fontana Auto Club Speedway. His buddies from the GTR shop in Rancho Cucamonga were going to be racing their Mustangs. It was so windy and cold that the other two girlfriends present stayed in their cars while their boyfriends worked on a featured Mustang for the duration of the event.

It looked beautiful but it didn't feel like it.

I hadn't been to the track in years. The last time I was at this specific location, Leo raced his 2000 silver Mustang against his brother's white 1999 one and his brother won the quarter mile. Leo was obsessed with a capital O with his Mustang when I met him in 2001. Before our first date, I asked him what kind of car he drove because I lived at the dorms and wanted to distinguish his ride from all the other people getting picked up at the turnabout on Saturday night.

 

"I used to drive a little Honda," he said.

 

Oookay, I thought. I didn't ask him again what he currently drove because I thought he didn't understand me. But he had. His plan all along was to pull up in his almost new convertible to impress me. It was too early for him to know that I preferred Jeeps.  

 

Leo's Mustang in 2012.

I hated his Mustang for the first couple of years we dated. He spent more time and money on that car than he did on me. After listening to Leo talk about wanting custom tires, even I contributed to the Mustang's improvements by giving him $200 for his birthday towards his first set of rims. That was true love right there because I was just a college student working in the residence hall making nothing. I did make sure to point out that the front passenger tire and rim were mine, just in case we broke up.

 

That damn Mustang also caused Leo to miss an event with me and made us late to my friend's wedding. Leo knew weeks, probably months, in advance about a wedding my family was going to attend and I wanted him to come with me. He promised to show up for the reception because he was going to work on the car in the morning. Well, Leo is no mechanic. Whatever work he completed was made possible by following a Mustang manual. When the reception hour crept closer and closer, I called him to get an update on his ETA. But Leo had broken parts and tools that he couldn't replace anywhere. I know he tried the best he could to fix his car but he never made it to the wedding reception. I felt like I had been dumped sitting at the party with my family and grandmother who came from Mexico specifically for the wedding. I was all dressed up and had no one to dance with.

 

Probably a year later, Leo worked early on the Mustang the day we were supposed to drive an hour to the desert for my friend Maria's wedding. I was ready to leave two hours before we planned on heading out but Leo hadn't even showered. When the driving hour arrived, I threatened to go by myself; I was not going to miss that wedding. But he begged and said he was going to be ready in five minutes. So I drove to his place and picked him up and if I remember correctly, we took my car because I was not going to take any chances "testing" the car and and Leo's labor skills. In short, we arrived to the wedding just as Maria and her man were exchanging vows. Leo knew he cut it close. I was so mad that his Mustang was getting in the way of our plans and ever since then, Leo has never worked on his car on the same day we have somewhere to go.

 

Leo has since bought another vehicle, more comfortable for all the driving he does for work. But he's been working on the aging Mustang lately as a hobby. He never planned on racing it on Sunday because it's been over heating along with other repairs that need to be made. But he still wanted to participate in the manliest activity of them all. When he invited me I didn't hesitate. I threw on my mini jean skirt over black leggings, recently bought Nine West flats from Ross, and a yellow long sleeve under a turquoise winter vest. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of myself. It seemed too girly to ask my boyfriend to capture me next to his Mustang while the rest of the guys watched. I acted like a reporter instead. Although there was a real one on the premises already.

 

Apparently, 5.0 Mustang and Super Fords Magazine was doing an article using one of the guys' new 2013 stock Mustang GT. Tom, the photographer and Mustang tester, provided wheels and suspension to compare speeds. First, the GTR guys exchanged the stock tires for nifty 18 inch wheels and then Tom gave the Mustang about three good runs.

Putting new wheels on.

Bad-ass rims.

Custom carbon fiber hood. Why do I know this? To the left of the Mustang you see a Saleen.

The Saleen's ass.

 

My apartment isn't this clean!

Tom from 5.0 Mustangs Magazine ready to hit the pavement.

 

There it went!

Guys being guys, waiting to hear the reviews from Tom.

 

There weren't only Mustangs at this race. This Focus is as old as mine. I asked the GTR owner if he would supe up my ride like that one so I can get to work faster.

The Focus spun out during a run.

Test number two: better suspension. Tom cut three seconds from his original time by adding a special suspension system. That's a lot in the racing world. Ask Danica Patrick.

My main man enjoying the show.

Yes, even girls raced. I saw women driving their Nissans and Mini Coopers. The girl wearing my favorite color was messing with her tires' air pressure while some fools with a camera and microphone interviewed her. But check out Big Bear in the background!

Leo riding with an experienced GTR driver. He admittded being a little scared before the adrenaline took over.



 

I took video of Leo and his friend during the run. The driver had to slow down after the initial turn because the car before him spun out, hence a dude waving a flag at them. If you look closely, you can also see the featured Mustang spinning out behind them at the end of the video. The noise you hear is the wind. If you think it's annoying, be glad it wasn't you standing out there.