52/52: Pomegranate

Ending it all with a half-assed and slightly blurry photo of a fruit I don't know how to eat.

Now what?

51/52: Photo Booth

A photo of a photo totally counts, especially when you've captured that much freaking joy.

50/52: Arboretum

Another picture from Dallas. I was hoping the Arboretum would keep me occupied last Monday while I was on my own in Dallas on my manfriend's first day of work in his new city, but did you know an arboretum is just a grouping of trees? I walked around looking at plants for about an hour, walked through 4 cobwebs, killed 30 minutes in the gift shop, and then gave up.

I've been back in California for a week now and each day makes me feel farther and farther away from Jason. And not just physically. People weren't made for long distance relationships. I wasn't made for a long distance relationship. This sucks.

49/52: Dallas

Downtown Dallas from Reunion Tower.

48/52: Drinking my gin and juice in tha hood.

Where "gin and juice" literally means gin and juice (which I never knew tasted so freaking good) and "in tha hood" means in San Diego. At my brother's home. In the neighborhood in which he lives.

It was a good Thanksgiving.

47/52: Netflix and Reeses

I kept telling myself when this project started (BACK IN JANUARY) that the pictures would get better.

But I forgot what a procrastinator I am.

Then, on top of waiting until the last possible moment, the boyfriend decided to move to Texas.

And then everything went to shit.

So, as I spend time with him during his last week in southern California (which BTW is FIFTEEN HUNDRED MILES AWAY FROM DALLAS), taking amazing photos (or any photos at all for that matter) is at the bottom of my to-do list.

Below watching a new Netflix show, eating peanut butter cups, and snuggling on the couch.

46/52: Sprouts

Of all shapes and sizes.

Also, I don't know if I ever really thought about it, but I had no idea Brussels sprouts grew on a stalk. Weird.

Also, I thought it was "brussel sprouts" until I googled them. Brussels sprouts. Weird.

45/52: Stone

If you look at it just right, it's almost like staring into the sun. (Not really, but kinda.)

44/52: Indecisive

Fuck this photo project. And fuck these shitty photos. And fuck this waiting-til-the-last-minute thing because NO WONDER THEY SUCK. And fuck Mother Nature for not knowing what to do with herself. Bathing suits AND umbrellas? W. T. F.

43/52: TP

Yeah, I'm this girl.

42/52: Distractions

And then this happened and nothing ever got accomplished again.

41/52: Duality of Sky

The sky over Peter's Canyon last Monday. The weather we've been having lately... bizarre. Today it was over 100 degrees. Apparently Mother Nature didn't get the memo that it's now Fall and some COOLER WEATHER WOULD BE NICE.

40/52: Chocolate + Beer

I was taking photos of this weird chocolate bar (it had both chipotle and pop rocks) (and later gave me a tummy ache) when my boyfriend plopped his beer down in the shot and said "something for you, something for me."

39/52: Moon

Because EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING IT.

And because the other photos I took this week? Blech.

38/52: Mini Canyons

Yep, another hiking photo. Which wasn't the plan except then I got all fever-y and ill on Friday and of course I got sick when I actually remembered to grab my camera on the way to manfriend's house. Which is where I spend, like, half of every week. Which is fun, but kinda getting old, too, 'cause it means PACKING EVERY SINGLE WEEK. And no one likes to pack. Even more so, no one likes to unpack. And, don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm packing a suitcase, but still. I mean, I count myself in good shape if I throw extra socks and panties in my purse and grab an extra shirt off the hanger. Or else I'm doing an emergency load of laundry and running back and forth from the laundromat and the apartment in baggy men's pajamas. That's not embarrassing or anything.

Anyway, as this is the only photo I have to share, let me tell you about it. We got some rain last week. (Every time it rains in Southern California, I make the same bad joke: "Does this mean the drought's over?" It gets a chuckle like a quarter of the time.) (I have the sneaking suspicion that some people think I'm serious because no one really knows how much rain we need. Let me be clear: a half an inch AIN'T GONNA CUT IT.)

So, we got some rain last week (which means everyone was three hours late to work because we all go full retard when water starts falling from the sky). The hiking trails are usually "closed for 3 days following rain," but they can't really "close" the trails 'cause, well, there aren't any doors. So, I guess it's an "at your own risk" sort of thing. I risked it. So did lots of people. There was some mud, sure, but the ground is so dry these days, any moisture we get is almost immediately absorbed. The smell of wet, clean earth: amazing. The rain caused mini canyons. (Canyons upon canyons.)

And then it got dark. Even earlier than last week. And, as I was still a mile from my car, a minor freak out ensued. But I survived the darkness to tell you about it, so I'll count that a success. The end.

37/52: Sunset Hike

The days are getting shorter. It was just a couple weeks ago that I was able to hike as late as 8:30. (At least, it feels like only a couple weeks ago.) Now 7:45 is pushing it and even earlier if I'm alone cuz hiking in the dark by yourself is scary.

My mom and I hike together once a week. This past week was super hot and humid. (We don't do humid in southern Californis. Humidity turns us into the biggest babies you've ever seen. Seriously, it's almost embarrassing except we're so miserable we don't care what you think.)

Despite the miserableness of it all, we've been getting these crazy cloud patterns and beautiful sunsets. (I'm still a sucker for a pink sky; that much hasn't changed.) I left my phone in the car so once I saw what was happening on the horizon, I had to keep asking my mother for her phone. Which I think irritated her a little bit, but I've been irritating her for 33 years now, WHAT'S ONE MORE DAY.

This isn't my favorite photo of the bunch; I posted that one on Instagram. I was gonna double dip but that felt like cheating.

36/52: Palm Tree

So, here's a random fact about me. If I can't hang something perfectly straight, I will intentionally hang it at an extreme angle. Otherwise, every time I look at it, I'll notice how crooked it is... even if the imperfection is minuscule.

Textures are my "extreme angles" in photo editing. If I'm not happy with a photo, I'll use a texture and just cover up all the stupid imperfections. Lame, I know, but hey, whatever helps me sleep at night, right?

This palm tree was one of many that surrounded the pool I sat in for three super relaxing day while celebrating my birthday out in the desert. There's only one thing that could have made the trip any better and that's if it had been longer than three days.

35/52: The Desert

Celebrating the big three-three in Palm Springs this week. The desert sky always looks so pretty without the haze of pollution I'm used to in the OC. However I may have over-edited this one. But guess what? At 33, I'm too old to care.

34/52: Oreos

You know the saying, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions?" Yeah, so is the road to really bad photos. Despite carrying my camera around with me, this was the only picture I took this week. And I snapped it with my cell phone. A couple of friends and I started sending each other pictures of the different varieties of Oreos we find. We're convinced Mr. Oreo is trying to sabotage all of our diets. But they can only be sabotaged if we buy them, right?

33/52: Gate 14

I started hiking back in April. Since then, I've made it a habit to go 2-3 times each week, however I am by no means an expert (just to set the record straight). A couple weeks ago, a friend and I decided to try this 8-mile "strenuous" hike in Laguna Beach. But then one of us got tired (her) and one of us was unable to finish (her) and, 5 miles into the 8 mile hike, one of us had to call an Uber (her) and, ever since then, one of us has been dying to go back and finish the damn thing (me). I finished it at 10:36 on Saturday morning. And it kicked my ass. (The 120 degree heat certainly didn't help.) (My phone tried to tell me it was only 79 degrees, but I call huge, stinky bullshit.) This gate marking where the trail started and ended was a most welcome sight.