San Diego - The Rest of the Story

There are multiple Holiday Inns around San Diego. Is it strange that every time we passed one we all broke into song? "Ho-tel. Mo-tel. Holiday Iiiiiiin!" Yeah, I didn't think so, either.

We've been back for two weeks and four days, do you think it's about time I finish the damn story!?

I left off in Rose's room... By the way, did I mention that Saturday was Rose's birthday? I can't remember... She got ready and then we headed back to our hotel so Noelle and I could get ready. We decided we should call a cab for a ride to the restaurant because we all wanted to drink. Noelle actually hailed a cab on the road and we hopped in. The driver was really great... didn't drive like a maniac, cracked jokes and was fun to chat with. Naturally we asked for his number so he could come pick us up when we were ready to go back.I looked at the paper he gave me and asked what his name was because I couldn't read it very well. The man's name is Hiis (pronounced: hees)... and that's when the jokes began. Not because he was a jerk, just because we liked his name and it entertained us. I think Noelle was the first... "Hiis nice," (read: He's nice), and that's how it went for the rest of the night.We had reservations at Cafe Coyote so we were sat right away. The drinks came out quickly and the dinner followed shortly thereafter. The food is good, the drinks are huge and the service isn't bad, either. Our server was really cute and brought Rose a flan then sent the mariachi band over to sing Happy Birthday to her. The candle on the flan was actually a strip of a tortilla chip they lit on fire... kinda funny.After dinner we took a walk up the road and looked in a few of the little shops. I ended up buying shot glasses to bring to a few peeps at home (and after I got home I read the sticker on the bottom that said: Caution - This item contains lead and may be hazardous to your health - or something like that). Oh well, it's the thought that counts, right? We called Hiis to come back for us and he drove us back to our hotel. I was fine to drive (apparently alcohol doesn't affect me anymore... I guess I'll just stop drinking) so we hopped in the car and headed to Rose's to grab the map for the marathon the next morning. Did I mention I love that Chrysler 300?We decided to take a walk on the beach when we got back to Rose's because we didn't think we'd have time the next day... and if the sun isn't out, it doesn't really matter if you walk on the beach during the day or at night. For those of you who know me, I couldn't care less if I stuck my toe in the water or not, so the three of us walked down on the sand, but Rosie was the only one who went to the water. There's so much seaweed and crap on the beach in Cali that I didn't want to be standing in it. And God knows how I love when things happen to me in the ocean. I'll share those stories another time. This was our self-portrait on the beach. Noelle and I left Rose in her room and headed back to our hotel. We got all packed so we could head out first thing in the morning. Did I mention Sunday was reserved for marathon activities? We decided to be to the 13 mile marker by 8:30 so Rose came to our hotel around 8 (if I remember correctly) and we checked out and headed toward Maddie. We actually parked the car at the Mall and walked up to Friars Road right before the 12 mile marker but it all worked out. We waited for about 35 minutes and started getting nervous that we'd missed her. We saw all the crazy dressed-up people... there was a guy with a Nemo fish hat on, another one dressed up in a banana costume and a flock of Elvi. It was the Rock & Roll Marathon so we saw a lot of people dressed up as Elvis, but the Flock of Elvi was the best.... Maddie and her girls came running down the road a bit after 9 AM and we were sooo excited and happy to see her! We all got a little teary. We're a sad bunch, we know! I cropped the pics so you can see them a bit easier. After all of that she said she didn't see us. We were kinda bummed about it, but oh well, whatcha gonna do?! The three of us (who Maddie lovingly nicknamed the Witches of Eastwick) went to Starbucks to grab some food and coffee. Noelle had to wait in line at Sbux to use the bathroom. The dude in front of her went in with a ginormous backpack and a towel... and he didn't come out for about 20 minutes. We think he showered, shaved and got ready for the day while he was in there. Gross!

From Sbux we headed for the designated parking lot so we could catch a shuttle to the Marathon Finish Line. We parked where we were supposed to but there were no shuttles or a Trolley to be seen. So what did we do? We got in a rikshaw. And that, my friends, was my breaking point, the final straw, the end of my huge ass as I know it. The poor guy (who's name was Marcello, and he was from Brazil {or Brathil}) huffed and puffed and worked his ass off carrying our asses up the hill. We got passed by numerous other rikshaws and were so thoroughly embarrassed by the time it was over we all wanted to die. I nearly jumped out at multiple points along the road. The dude made $45 dollars, but still, he worked for it. We apologized when we got off.The finish line for the marathon was inside the Marine Corps Recruit Depot and we couldn't be happier to be surrounded by multitudes of sexy men! We got searched, hopped on a shuttle to take us further inside, and then made our way to our spot at the finish line. About 45 minutes later, Maddie crossed it! She finished at 5 hours and 32 minutes, but is accounting for about 30 minutes for water, snack and potty breaks. I couldn't be more proud of her, and I haven't even know her for that long!We hung around there for a while, Maddie decided to head back to the hotel with her team, and we grabbed a shuttle back to the parking lot (hey, where was it when we needed it the first time?). While we were standing in line for the shuttle we saw a guy with a shirt on that said "I thought you said this was 2.62 miles." Noelle and I dropped Rosie at the airport and then headed to grab lunch and see Maddie after her race. The hotel they stayed in was great and we decided we should stay there next time! The plane ride home wasn't as uncomfortable as it was on the way down, so that made the evening a little more tolerable!

Note: The three of us also decided we are The Trifecta, and whenever we're in the same city together, shitty weather will ensue. No more traveling as a threesome, I guess!

Here are a few of our men in uniform... we got to oogle them while we waited for the shuttle...

And there you have it... all the trips have been accounted for. Now it's time to start planning the next one... Who wants to go to Vegas? Or back to San Diego? Maybe the weather will cooperate this time!