never too early.

in my long-winded recap, i forgot to mention our daytrip to santa barbara last weekend!

i have two cousins who are currently students at UCSB, plus my sister graduated from there a few years ago. although i myself never took advantage of the benefits of higher education (which is obvious!), i DO want the kid to. as with most parents, i want her to have a fabulous life and do things i didn't, learn from my mistakes, blah, blah, blah. and this starts with a solid education, right?

our first stop was, of course, the habit. i'd been absolutely fiending for one of their chili cheeseburgers, and i wasn't disappointed. i absolutely devoured that thing and wished i'd have gone for a double! oh, well. now, i know they've expanded and now have a location that's really not that far from home, but that would take some of the magic away. kind of like trying to eat a "hawaiian shave ice" in rancho cucamonga. it's just not the same. anyway, i washed it down with a few gulps of the hub's chocolate malt and off we went to meet up with my cousin.

well, okay, so UCSB's a major party school. i'm fully aware of this - and it was evident as we drove through isla vista and saw all the gatherings...and this was at 1:00 in the afternoon. i also learned a thing or two, like the fact that cardboard beer cases DO have other uses after they're empty other than recycling. and how pretty vodka bottles can be! oooooooh, shiny.

it's a pretty campus, and five minutes from the beach. my cousin took us on a walking tour of the campus before we got back in the car and drove through the little downtown area. the kid seemed to be impressed and thought it would be a great place to go to school. our last stop on our walking tour was in the bookstore, during which she took extreme care in selecting a hoodie to take home. it helps that she loves this cousin to death, and wants to be just like her. ha!

the last stop, of course, was a stroll down state street. i mean, come on - santa barbara's got some really fabulouso shopping! i didn't actually buy anything *gasp* but it was good exercise. yeah! lots of walking! right.

next stop, UC irvine. i think. we'll see. kid's only 12....there's plenty of time.