SD Take 2

Sunday night we actually made it to Viejas Outlet Mall and Casino. We did a little shopping, ate at the buffet, and then settled in for some gambling. Neither of us is very good at Blackjack, so that was over quickly. Michael was really good at Roulette so we got up some, and then we went upstairs to the "Poker Room." 3 tables, mostly men, kinda intimidating. Nothing like the Wolf Creek days I'm use to.. but it only took a few hands before I threw down my AK on a hand involving 3 or 4 people and while they were all trying to figure out who won, I got to say, "BITCHES.." and show them my trip kings.. Oh yea. Baller. Michael wasn't having as good of luck, but after a few hours I cashed out and had made $75. Woop Woop. :)

But, then reality set in. It was 2 am when we got back to our hotel, and we had to get up at the buttcrack of dawn to get to our hot air balloon ride.. 2 hours of sleep = does not bode well for me. So, the ride to Temecula Wine Country was not fun..

We met up with 12 other people at South Coast Winery to load in a van to find the best balloon launch site.. mind you, it is 6am at this point. We went to a few places, and apparently the wind was not doing what they wanted. They finally settled on a site at a local school, and we were ready to go!

First, hot air balloons are friggin' huge. I had no idea. Second, 12 people had to fit into 4 cubby holes in the basket. Third, it was amazing. It was so peaceful and you just glide through the air.. it is definitely an experience I will not forget, and it was well worth the money and the lack of sleep. Once the balloon ride was over, we went back to the winery to enjoy some cheese, crackers, fruit, and mimosas. Then back to the hotel we went for a nap!

Once we got up and got going, it was CHARGERS TIME! Thankfully UPS pulled through and we got our tickets and were ready to go!! We ate at a local deli and then made our way to Qualcomm Stadium!

The Chargers and Broncos have history involving Philip Rivers and Jay Cutler, so of course the Bronco fans HATE Philip. Well, they were hating him when he tore through their defense and led the Chargers on a 35-0 run! :) We did leave early (my fault - I was draggin') to avoid traffic, but on the way home, we stopped at a hole-in-the-wall, indy-rock feel pizza place.. and it hit the spot!

Today our plans include the San Diego Zoo, Gaslamp District for some food, and then hitting up a local beach so I can finally see a Pacific sunset.. then off to the airport for an overnight flight back to the east coast. :)

Before I peace out, here are some things Michael and I have learned about Cali:

1) The freeways are like the Autobahn. I swear, we see a speed limit sign every 30 miles or so.

2) They have signs posted in restaurants that basically say "the food you eat here could cause cancer or birth defects." No joke.

3) Everything is so expensive.. no wonder they have such a foreclosure problem.. our cheapest meal has been $8 from the pizza place.. it's ridiculous.

4) Everyone runs. It's sickening.

And I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of right now. :)