I was going to explain how T and I met, but something came up today that I think merits discussion. Because my husband spent 10 long, cold, lonely months working in Rock Springs, Wyoming (which we fondly refer to as “Rock Bottom”), his reward was going to the beach after the job ended. Well, here we are in Santa Barbara, CA – one of my most favorite places in the world, not to mention great wineries.

So, after purchasing some great wines: Wrongo Dongo and Evil, (I like to buy based on the names) – and one very special bottle (Kenwood – Artist Series) for the christening of the Thelma & Louise art studio, we decided to go to two of the local winery tasting rooms. This is a great experience if you’ve never done this. You pay $5.00 and get to sample six of their wines and you even get to keep the glass. That being said, after the second wine tasting room, I was feeling pretty good. What could be better - a slight buzz from the wine, being able to buy the wine without going to a state owned store; the sun shining on my face and fresh ocean air.

So after leaving the wine tasting rooms, we thought we would go to the grocery store and pick up a few needed items. As I got to the store, the 12 partial glasses of wine (and the water in between to freshen my palate) hit. I immediately headed for the restroom. Time was of the essence! I moved much quicker than normal and just in the nick of time, or so I thought. As I approached the door for the women’s room, you can imagine my amazement, not to mention disgust, when I realized that I need to pay a quarter to use the facilities. You have got to be kidding me. Well, because I was trying to travel light, I had no change. Fantastic. I was headed to the cash register to get change when, fortunately, my husband came walking in (anyone that knows Bill also knows that he would be having a cigarette before coming into the store). Much to my relief, he had not one, but two quarters. Thank goodness, since he needed to use the men’s room. Since the bathrooms were not unisex, if he had only had one quarter, he would have either had to pretend that he was a very hairy woman or found a tree somewhere!!!

So, my advice to all who go to California – if you think that you will need to use the restroom somewhere other than your own room, bring quarters!

Stay tuned - tomorrow I will tell the tale of how T and I met.