After posting photos of all the gorgeous houses on the beach, I’m sharing the house we’ve rented each summer since 2018. It’s a three-block walk downhill to the beach. Behind the yellow front door is the bedroom. Upstairs is the living room, kitchen and bathroom. I think it’s cozy and cute.
We made the drive home from Santa Barbara to Arizona in eight hours. We left in the wee hours of the morning and we’re both exhausted. Kitty Olive was so glad to see us. The cat sitter took good care of her and left notes like “Olive was lonely so I petted her for 20 minutes and turned on classical music.”
Once home, I ran into all sorts of weird snafus. The lamp on my nightstand collapsed at the neck where the light bulb is. Then I couldn’t get my Bird Buddy (AI bird feeder) to charge after bringing the camera unit inside while we were out of town. Then I tried to log into my Cox app on my phone to view the outside camera — and it logged me out — and won’t let me log back in. I tried resetting the password. Nothing worked. Not even our cable TV.
I received money via Venmo and I tried to transfer the money, only to get a message that Venmo wasn’t available in my area.
My husband snapped at me over something minor. I realized we are both tired and I gracefully accepted his apology.
Everything is going haywire. It’s like our house is upset we left it alone for three weeks. The electronics are rebelling.
I decided to focus on my reactions. I can’t control many of the issues surrounding me. But I can control how I react. I closed my eyes and pretended I was sitting on the beach listening to waves.
Here are a few more photos:
The kitchen of the house we rented. I love the shabby chic decor.
The view from the patio with barbecue and table. Perfect except for electrical lines.
The cottage we rented in Laguna Beach for at least 15 years while our kids were growing up. That’s our beloved Angus on the front porch (RIP). Can you see why I’m a beach cottage fan?
How do you react when electronics seem to be working against you? What do you do to control your reaction when things seem out of control?
I’ve had a lot electronics issues lately that cost me a lot of my time. I just had to deal with it . Ugh . Your house is super cute .
Electronics took a lot of my time too. I’ve rented the house for next summer. If I wait too long it’s all booked up with very little choice.
You have to be very careful with hackers lately as many small businesses and large corporations have been affected by them.
I’ve seen more hacking with Zelle. Actually none with Venmo — at least I haven’t heard of it.
That is a pretty house. Sometimes you can redirect yourself all you want but in the end, the moment passes. We do not use venmo.
It is pretty! True, the time does go by and on to new problems or good things. I don’t use Zelle because I paid our handyman and he never got the money. The bank had no explanation where the money went to. It took months to get my money back. So Venmo works for me.
I don’t know what Zelle is. This is really weird-I typed zelle and then deleted it. Can you read my deleted thoughts? Ha ha.
Zelle is used by the big banks. Direct transfers. Venmo is a separate app.
I learned something new. But about my deleted thoughts, still scary!
Ha!
By the way, E.A. Wickham, Thank you for your review of my novel and your continued support. Although I don’t mention you in today’s blog, I wanted to not let a few bad seeds chase me away from blogging. I am living in the present and realize they would win and keep me from writing. Thanks, again.
You’re welcome. Don’t let anyone chase you away from what you enjoy. I’ll check out your blog today.
Well, sometimes people can be downright ugly and I am not discuss’looks but yeah, I get it, got it.
👍🏼
The cottage is adorable and so cozy, with a great view to boot! Electronics can be such a pain.
I love the cottage. I’ve already booked it for next summer. It was weird nothing was working at home. There was a storm while we were gone so maybe we lost power?
Ah, that’s possible! We did have a windy night last week. Typically, as you get further out from the city and neighboring open desert, the winds are higher, so maybe there was a downed power line or power outage.
That’s what I think.
I enjoyed your thought about the ‘electronics rebelling’. Maybe so! I often feel like I’m at war with technology and complain that the universe is held together by these teensy little threads that have minds of their own. I like Erin’s thought (below) about high winds and power outages while you were away. That makes sense…but still. It’s a lousy homecoming, isn’t it?
Thanks for the pics of your getaway cottage. It’s charming in every way. xo! 🥰
We were so tired after an eight-hour drive. But I tackled one electronic rebel after another. It was so frustrating, but I worked through it. I agree with your “teensy little threads that have minds of their own” theory. I love that cottage. It’s perfect for the two of us, but we can squeeze in our kids when they join us.
Thank you so much for sharing the pics with us.
Glad you’re wrestling your way through the tech rebels. Slay those dragons one at a time…and give Olive some snuggles from me! 🥰🥰🥰
I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. Olive is the most affectionate kitty of her lifetime. She is either on my lap or my husband’s.
Good girl. She missed her family! 💕💕💕
Yes! I’m so happy with the cat sitter. I’ve boarded Olive since we moved to Arizona and it was a nightmare. I got calls that she refused to eat or drink and there were no other bodily functions. They ended up putting her in a storage closet! She is a scaredy-cat and the other animals and strangers made her nervous. By the second visit with the cat sitter Olive was allowing to be petted!
Yay for all of that…we’ve also had some nightmares with boarding and I think 90% of the challenges were related to the sensitivities of our pets – not poor care. Yes …how scary it is when you hear they’re not eating or drinking. Oh my. Glad you found a gem of a sitter. 🥰🥰🥰
She is the cat whisperer. She was referred to me by a graphic designer I worked with 30 years ago in Palm Springs. The graphic designer moved a few miles from where we live 15 years ago. We recently met up for lunch.
Love those connections! 🥰
Me too! I’m glad to have found my old friends out here.
🥰❤️🥰
Oh, I love beach cottages too. And dear Angus – so sweet! Sorry to hear about the electronics – seems like they were urging you to continue your vacation! Welcome home, Elizabeth!
Maybe that’s it. We were supposed to enjoy more beach walks!
How do you react when electronics seem to be working against you? Electronics and I have a difficult relationship. I have come to accept that all machines and gadgets are my frenemies.
What do you do to control your reaction when things seem out of control? Excellent question for which I wish I had a foolproof answer. Breathe deeply? Yell to the heavens above? Pout and mutter? I dunno, a mix of all of them, maybe.
I used a combination of all three of your options. Deep breaths, yelling, lots of pouting and muttering. Then realized I had to work through each problem with calm and objectivity.
Small, quaint beach homes are always my choice. I love places like these! I know some want the luxury hotels and all that goes with, but I’m much happier in a place I can call my own and have privacy.
I sort of live in a dead zone all the time so it’s always hit or miss with anything that needs an internet connection or tap into a signal from my phone. I’ve been getting a lot of “no voice service” alerts over the past month or so mostly early in the morning. They come and go randomly. All of it is pretty normal and has been this way since I moved here so I just go with it.
I’d much rather stay in a small cottage than a hotel resort. Definitely like my own space. The Laguna cottage with Angus in the photo was a dead zone too. Back then we didn’t rely so much on our phones and laptops. So it didn’t matter.
I’ve wondered if here it’s simply a mix of old equipment in this old building, a lot of trees and the brick exterior? If I step outside things are fine and I am literally across the parking lot from the City Buildings that you know have the best connectivity because it is also the police headquarters.
As to your mystery EA- maybe Olive was fumbling around in her angst- unplugging things or silently chewing on stuff she wasn’t supposed to thinking in her adorable cat brain that she was going to show you just how she felt being left at home 😉
Someday I am going to have a beach cottage. LOL! Looks so cozy and Aww on your precious dog. <3
Sorry about coming home to such a mess with your electronics. You probably feel like you need another vacation! Hope things get straightened out.
How do I react? It varies, usaully I mutter words to myself and inwardly fume. Then I get mad at myself for letting electronics have that much power over my mood!
Someday when we win the lottery we will own a beach cottage, too! Yes, I agree with you that I get upset that we’re so dependent upon electronics. That when things don’t work, I get upset — rather than let it go.
I think you’re right that the home is showing it’s resentment on being left alone for 3 weeks. Slowly it will came back to normal. 😂😂😂
I’m convinced this is true!
😂
Your cottage looks lovely (well, I know it’s not really yours, but it must feel like it). So much nicer than a hotel room especially if you are staying for more than a few days. I’m sorry to hear about things going haywire. We haven’t started using Venmo or any payment systems like that and plan to avoid them completely if we can.
I love the cottage that we’ve stayed in since 2018. Except the first year, I had ACL and meniscus surgery a few months before our vacation. I looked at the steep stairs to reach the bathroom, kitchen and living room and wondered what I had done! Now it’s a challenge, but a welcome one to get in better shape! I’m getting each small electronic challenge taken care of. Venmo worked after restarting my phone. Rebooting or unplugging seems to be a good solution.
Yep, and yet the beach cottage and other rental houses in the photos sure have unique and appealing features.
So true. All unique in their own ways.
That sounds extremely frustrating! I am not good at handling technological meltdowns. Getting better. Have been known to make things worse by having a conniption fit. You seem quite sanguine by comparison.
I don’t stop until I figure it out.