Raquel's Birthday

Raquel and I have been best friends for 13 years but we've never been together on her birthday. That has mainly been due to the fact that she moved to Illinois during the beginning of our friendship.

Well, I was extremely blessed when she moved out here in February for a year. I knew that this was the year when we would finally spend her birthday together. So, my scheming began. I originally intended to kidnap her and make the entire thing a surprise but I just couldn't keep the secret so I told her to plan on spending the day with me but I wouldn't tell her where we were going. So, I loaded up my Ipod, cleaned out my car, and sent her this little email:
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Hey Campers!

We are so happy you're going to be joining us on Sunday, May 18. Below is a list of items you will need. See you there!

Don't Forget:
Jacket or warm coat
Comfortable (but cute!) clothes
Stuffed monkey
Camera
Sunglasses
Bottled Water
SENSIBLE SHOES
Umbrella
Bathing suit
Cardboard box
A block of your favorite cheese
Walking stick
Compass
Instructions on how to fashion a tent out of garbage bags and duct tape
Garbage bags
Duct tape
Bible
Journal/Pen
Anti-caking agent
Parental consent form (see below)

Please do NOT bring:
Electronic devices
Weapons of any kind
Live animals (taxidermied animals are acceptable)
Boy band paraphernalia
(If any of these items are found in your baggage, they will be confiscated immediately.)


_____________________Tear Here_____________________________
PARENTAL CONSENT FORM

I, _________________________________, hereby give my permission for Raquel Angelique Lomelin to join Chelsea Lyn Dilbeck on a day of random escapades (full of excitement and wonder). I do not hold Chelsea responsible for any alteration (physical/mental/emotional) to said victim- I mean Birthday Girl. If any alteration exists after Raquel's return to civilization, I vow not to sue Chelsea for damages.

Sign Below:
_________________________________________________
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It was a team effort, the list compiled by my mom, Mallory, and myself. We had a blast putting it together and I knew she would be completely thrown off as to where we were going.
Sunday finally came and she arrived at my house in the morning. I had borrowed my mom's GPS so I inputted each of the four locations we would be travelling to that day.

I gave her four postcards, each one to be opened right before reaching the corresponding destination. Oh, the suspense I put her through all day! I only hoped that our activities would live up to the anticipation.

Each stop during the day was chosen for a specific reason. Our first stop was the marina in San Francisco, because Raquel had often mentioned that she missed the ocean most of all, since moving out to Illinois. Once we got there, we walked against the extremely strong wind and found the little spot, at the edge of the water, that I had been looking for. It was called the Wave Organ, and it was a dock made completely from the gravestones of a cemetery that was torn down awhile ago. It was actually really pretty. The reason for the name "Wave Organ" is the multiple pipes that come out from the cement and go down into the water below. If you put your ear up to the pipes, you can hear the ocean rushing beneath the stone.

We ate a picnic lunch there, even though it was really windy and really cold. It was still nice, though.
The next stop was MOAD: The Museum of the African Diaspora. It took us forever to get there because was couldn't find cheap parking. After driving around for twenty minutes, we finally settled on parking five blocks away, on a street marked "free parking". We prayed over my car (that it would still be there when we returned) and we went on our way.

The museum was incredible. It was small but beautifully done. There were a few rooms showing how Africans have brought their culture to America and how they have created history here in this country. We watched a few short films, one about how Africans celebrate and another about Nelson Mandela. Raquel and I were even more inspired than we already had been to go to Africa. My heart is for Zimbabwe and Raquel's for Malawi. We talked about Africa the rest of the day. That tends to be the topic of our conversations together anyway, but that museum really brought it to the forefront of our minds and hearts. I loved being absorbed in the culture for a few hours while there. I am craving Africa...

After our visit in the museum, we made the walk back to our car. On our way there, a homeless guy pushing a shopping cart hollered at me, "I'm rich, I'm just faking it. You're beautiful. Don't tell anybody!". Ah, the joys of being in San Francisco...

We got to the next block and another homeless guy looked at us and asked, "You're not going down there, are you?" We answered that we had to go that way and kept walking. He told us, "I wouldn't go that way." Sure enough, we ran into the hippie convention. We had seen a few on our walk to the museum earlier but they had tripled in number since. We had to shove our way through the lovefest and the weed (oh, and all of the guys standing on the corner with one index finger in the air). One lady walking through dryly commented, "Cute...smells like hippies." There was nothing creepy about it, just awkward and very, um, crowded.

One block away from our car, we were walking faster, eager to be in our car and driving away, when we passed a (wo)man who looked at me and said, "Hey, beautiful." I really think it was a woman but Raquel wasn't sure. Anyway, it was the capper for an eventful walk through San Fran.

Safe in our car, we happily drove to to our third destination, Golden Gate Park. The week before this eventful day, I found out, in a roundabout way, that Raquel had a secret love of buffalo. Well, on a whim, I went online and typed in "San Francisco + Buffalo". Funny thing was, something actually turned up! Apparently, there are buffalo in Golden Gate Park.

When we arrived in Golden Gate Park, we saw tons of people in the craziest costumes. It took awhile to figure out what was going on but we finally learned that it was Bay To Breakers that day. Honestly, it was the most entertaining day I have ever spent in San Fran.

Once we parked and started walking, I realized, with a twinge of worry, that this park was BIG! I didn't have a clue as to where the buffalo actually were and the GPS wasn't going to tell me. I just went in the general direction that I had recalled form the map I had found online the day before and hoped for the best. While walking, Raquel was seriously wondering what I could possibly be taking he to. He postcard had said, "I always knew you were a country girl at heart but only recently learned how true this is." She was convinced that I was dragging her to some Billy Ray Cyrus statue or something.

At the point where I was about ready to give up and admit that I was lost, I saw them, tiny brown specks in the distance.

She was the happiest Raquel I had ever seen! She hugged me so many times and kept taking pictures of the big nappy animals. It was pretty cool, though, considering I've never seen one in real life. We stayed there for a good while, watching them, well, pretty much stand there. She loved it, though.

Our last stop of the day was our chance to be kids again. This was my favorite part of the entire day. We went to a little (and I mean little!) park at the edge of town, tucked in a tiny residential neighborhood. There were 2 cement slides there. This was where the cardboard boxes came into play. Until this moment, Raquel really didn't know that I was serious about bringing them. One look at the slides and the boxes in my hands, and she looked a little freaked. I don't think either of us was so sure that we would be able to go through with it. Well, we'd come this far.

By the time we walked up to the top of the slides, it appeared a whole lot higher than it had from below. Sitting on our cardboard, at the top, was not a little bit scary. We just willed ourselves to go and (after counting a couple times) went for it. I swear I got, like, 3 feet of air that time (Napoleon Dynamite fans, you dig?). I actually did come a little off of my seat at the bump in the middle. That was the scariest. I got the biggest adrenaline rush I've had in a long time. Once we started to go down, we couldn't stop because there was no friction. Scary but totally cool!







What a rad way to end Raquel's birthday. We had so much fun and she really seemed to enjoy every place we went. I had a blast planning the whole thing and spending the day together so I call it a success!

Giants Photo Day!

In case you didn't know, Mallory is the biggest Giants fan I think that exists in San Jose, next to my dad. I, on the other hand, have never been able to get through a single baseball game on television. That said, I never thought I would be here talking someday about having met all of the Giants players and going to multiple games in one summer. Mallory has converted me. I may not be the biggest fan of baseball but I love those Giants boys (almost as much as Mal) and can actually sit through an entire game (at the park) without complaining (too much). Hey, this is improvement folks! I love that Mallory and I have created this bond between us. It started last year when I took her to a game at AT&T park (my first time there) for her birthday. I got hooked. I loved the park and I loved learning the ins and outs of baseball (as only Mal can tell). She explained things in simple ways that I could understand and I could actually start following a game (somewhat). She also liked the players and knew all about them, which was the fun part. We figured out what time to get there to get autographs and where the best places were to stand to get their attention. We figured out the best seats in the house, where to buy the best park food, and which concessions vendors we liked and which we wanted to be really far away from.


We went to Spring Training with the family this year and Mallory and I started going to as many games as we could afford. We feel like old pros at this now. Our favorite part is meeting the players so when we looked at the 2008 schedule and saw "Photo Day", we knew WE COULD NOT MISS THIS! So, we made our plans and vowed to be there, rain or shine.


So, the day finally arrived and we got to the city at 10 am. We knew the gates would open at 4 pm so we had plenty of time. We ate breakfast at a cute little restaurant across the street form the park and enjoyed a nice walk from the parking lot to the park. We spent some time in the Dugout store and finally decided that maybe it was time to get in line. So, we found the line and staked out our spot. We had come prepared with all of the necessary accoutrements. We had snacks, water, a blanket, trivia books, cameras, sunscreen, and paper and pens (to play M.A.S.H.,m of course). We wiled away the hours talking, sleeping, and waiting. Luckily, we had a great view of McCovey Cove so we had plenty to watch. There was always people watching, too.


Finally, the time had come and they let us through the gates. The anticipation we had at that moment is indescribable. I was so nervous, mainly because I love Kevin Frandsen and wanted so badly to meet him (but what was I going to say?).
They let us out onto the field, which was thrilling beyond belief. Mallory and I were just as excited about standing on that hallowed ground as we were about meeting the players.


We found a great spot, directly in the front of the rope. Then the players started coming. Every player from the team walked around the entire circumference of the field, so every person there got to see every player. The first few who came around were rookies who Mallory and I didn't really know so we didn't ask for their pictures. It was weird, though, because it was all happening so fast. We knew we needed to get our game faces on so the next guy who came around, Billy Sadler, cutie that he was, was the first one we took a photo with.

Then came my other favorite, good ole Jack Taschner. He is the friendliest and smiliest guy I've ever met! Mal and I joke that he totally remembered me from last time I met him and took a picture with him at Spring Training because when I said hi, he responded with an open-armed "Hey!" like he totally knew me. It was the greatest moment of my day.
A couple other guys started coming more quickly now. We had to grab them as we could so Mal took a picture with Ray Durham, Bengie Molina, and Matt Cain. Matty and Beng are her favorite favorites. (She can't choose just one).
How cute is he?



Then we saw Dan Ortmeier, another all-around great guy. You can really see Jesus in Jack and Dan. I was impressed with them when we first saw them at Fellowship Night last year, but they live it everyday. It's awesome because these are the most genuine, friendly, happiest looking guys on the team. Anyway, Dan was having so much fun that he went around the field twice!
The moment when I got to meet Frandsen for the second time, I froze up and just said hi and asked for a picture. What a whimp! No wonder he doesn't say much to me when I meet him. Well, I made up for it a few months later when I met him and had a conversation. Yay me!
Tim Lincecum was next. Timmmmyyyyy! I don't know what it is about this kid that appeals to me but I think he's an amzing player and he's so popular and so young, he's living a really interesting life, in my opinion. He was quiet when we met him but we didn't say much to him, either. I just think it's cute how awkward he seemed, walking around, waiting for someone to ask for his pictyre. Not that people weren't but he was definitely more standoffish in a shy way than some of the other extroverts (Dan for instance).
Before this day, Mallory and I planned out who we had to meet and which one of us (or both) would be in the picture. We got everybody, plus more, that we wanted to meet. We had the BEST DAY EVER!

We hardly paid attention to the game that day because we were talking about our afternoon and looking at our pictures over and over and over again. We even stopped at our parents house at 11 that night, on our way home, to share our photos with them. My dad was as excited as we were. What an awesome day! Gotta love those baseball players.

The long road home

Nicole and I decided to spend our last day at Coney Island because we had done everything else that we wanted to do and we noticed that Coney Island wasn't too far from where we were staying. Even though we knew that it would be closed and really cold there, we decided to take the trip. We got onto the subway at around 9 am and slept most of the way there. It was about an hour away, so we had plenty of time to relax. About halfway there, the subway route changed from an underground track to one outside , high above the traffic. It was very much like the route we took in Paris, when we got further out of the city.
It was raining pretty hard by the time we got to Coney Island so we tromped through the giant puddles and fought the wind with our umbrellas. I can't remember the last time I was in wind and rain like that. We were soaked from the knees down by the time we walked out to the beach.

We walked around a little, taking a few pictures, which took talent considering we were holding umbrellas in one hand and trying not to get our cameras wet. It was cool to see Coney Island, because I've heard so much about it but it looked a lot like the Boardwalk we have in Santa Cruz so I felt happy that I haven't missed much. Still, I would love to go back there someday in the summer and see it brought to life. I imagine it's pretty cool.


After walking around for maybe fifteen to twenty minutes, we decided we'd had enough. I was freezing. I don't think I got warm for another twenty-four hours. It was a nice way to spend our last morning, though, because we were able to take it easy.

We got back to the hotel with about 30 minutes to spare so we sat down and looked through our pictures from the week, to commemorate a great trip. Little did we know how much waiting we had left to do. When we got to the airport at 4 pm, we found out that the weather was so bad that no planes were allowed to fly out of the La Guardia airport for another 3 hours. Although that seemed a tad longer to wait than we wanted, it didn't seem so bad...until we realized that this delay would cause us to miss our connecting flight. Turned out that the only flight we could make from the Denver airport would have to be at 8 am the next morning!

I have had delayed flights but I've never had to wait longer than a few hours. 12 hours was a loooong time! We ended up sleeping in the baggage claim area of the Denver Airport that night. What an adventure! At least I got to miss work the next day. Nicole wasn't so happy about this unexpected turn of events, however. We stayed away from each other as much as possible that night. This was for sheer preservation of our friendship. I admit it was the most tiring night I have ever spent. There is nothing like trying to sleep in a chair when you're exhausted from five days of very little sleep to begin with. The only way to lay down completely was on the floor, since all the airport had were chairs, no benches. We could only sleep for about 30 minutes at a time. We moved around every inch of that airport, which was kind of cool since no one was there, being after hours and all.

My favorite part, though, was sitting next to the giant windows facing the tarmac and watching the sunrise over the mountains. I never get to see the sunrise so that was a real treat for me.

Overall, what a crazy way to end a whirlwind trip. I wouldn't have traded one minute of the sleepless nights, hours of waiting in the subway stations, being hounded by black market purse vendors, or laughing so hard I cried. Every minute was spent with my entertaining, fun, adventurous friend. Nothing beats that!