You just can't beat San Diego beaches

Last week, Steve and I went for a walk at Torrey Pines Beach in La Jolla at sunset. We saw some dolphins (which, for the record, I enjoy watching from the shore or petting at Sea World, but not swimming anywhere in a 1/2-mile radius from me when I'm in the ocean). It's amazing that I only live like 15 minutes from these incredible beaches--and so sad that I rarely get to enjoy them.

I've been staying pretty busy with work. I really enjoy my job at Triathlete, and I feel like I'm starting to pick up the lingo. I bet in a month or two, I'd be able to talk traithlon with anyone. Also, I got a short story published on the website yesterday about a former NFL lineman who now races in triathlons for charity. (I'm not sure how long that link will be live, though.)

And in the last month, I've had five stories run in the North County Times. The one I enjoyed most was about a woman who was raised in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime, was forced into slave labor as a child and then her father was beheaded and her grandparents died of starvation. Now she's a doctor in Southern California and just wrote a book. She was so sweet -- she kept emailing me to check on how the story was going, and then told me that I conducted my interview like a professional, experienced writer rather than someone fresh out of college.

Steve and I are both busy with work, but we get to see each other a fair amount, despite being in a semi-long distance relationship (San Diego to east Escondido is quite the drive). Next week is our last week of work before we take a week-long vacation in Brookings, Ore., with my whole family to celebrate my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. I think it'll be very relaxing.