surfing

I usually blog from the perspective, as much as I can gauge it, of our family, but I just returned from a trip on my own to my parents' home outside of Monterey and thought I'd spend some time describing my visit with Mom & Dad, David, Beth & Gary, and Lisa. David first suggested the trip, since he was going to help out around the house, and then Beth and Gary helped arrange my flights. As usual, Lisa was the point person for coordinating much of the time, and she and Mom must have figured out the meals together. There were lots of good eats, and a little wine. David grilled tri tip, ribs, and a roasted chicken, while Lisa cooked a stroganoff the last night. Lots of Lisa salads, and Beth made a potato salad that was different and amazing. Dad supplied ice cream, Beth blond brownies, with and without nuts, David Panamanian coffee, and Mom laid out breakfasts and lunches. All wonderful. Mom packed a lunch for my return flight.

Beth and Gary picked me up from the airport and we drove down to Salinas together that evening. David, Dad, Gary and I spent some hours on Saturday and Sunday cutting grass, with a tractor, a brush mower, a lawn mower, and a weed whacker on the hills, before breaking for meals. The land is about 6 acres and I finally figured that this was the cut after the growth season there and just before the Hawaii trip. Beth and I also visited Lisa at the pool she manages. Such a really lovely place, and I could tell immediately how she was a perfect fit. They must love her there. But with her teaching, it means never having a day off. She did say she was planning a trip with Sarah to visit Michael and his family.

Beth and Gary held over another night and left on Monday. David and I spent the better parts of Monday and Tuesday boating in the bay, rowing the boats he made and keeps stored down there just for these trips. Monday we rowed over to Wharf No. 2 from the Coast Guard launch, past the sea lions lounging under the wharf--and even on some of the boats moored outside the marina--and along side the seals and otters, and had a breakfast at loulou's. I really enjoyed this and wanted to return on Tuesday, but it's closed on Tuesdays, we discovered. (When I searched for the website address for the link, I also discovered that tripadvisor readers' rank it the no. 1 restaurant in Monterey.) We met one of the owners. The next day we ate at Lopez Taqueria, across the street from the wharf, and ate on a picnic table next to the beach, in the park where Terra and Karl had their rehearsal dinner. (I couldn't find a good web page, but I discovered it may have been formerly known as La Casa Bodega and may be now owned by a family that owns a restaurant nearby.) Good tacos and burritos.

We spent some time at the divers' beach near Cannery Row after rowing on Tuesday, and the day before we did go to the other, popular wharf and got a beer after the rowing. I got the boys some sea urchin shells there. When we were on the municipal beach the next day, David suggested collecting a couple of beach rocks for the boys, too. Rylee loved these gifts, and I let him think I picked them up in the tide pools, as well as on the beach. I don't know if Jackson was so impressed, but he certainly was glad to see me when I got home and we've spent more than the usual time together since.

I have to tell you how we came to be eating on the beach. We decided to row onto the beach and not dock. David went first, straight in, as he should. Then I rowed toward the beach. A half-second before I hit the surf, my boat turned and it rolled over the wave and capsized with me. Sopping wet, a sight I'm sure. David thought this made for a great adventure. Luckily, I had a dry fleece stored in David's boat to change into.

While I was gone, the boys had a couple of baseball games. I'm sure to hear from the parents how they did, 'cause Jackson reported he pitched one entire game, very unusual in his league, what with a stringent pitch count. His team won and the coach gave him the game ball. Meanwhile, Rylee got a break from first base and finally got to play catcher for a change, his long favorite position. His team won, too. He said he got one in the knees and "they let me walk it off" before resuming catching. He also told me about what might have been a pretty play where he ran in from first to get a hit ball and then tossed it to the pitcher who was running over to cover first. It sounded like he still got to first before the pitcher, but together they got the out. Cyndi reported that Rylee's teacher conference was full of praise for him, including marks for a good sense of humor and the teacher's go-to student to explain a new lesson to the rest of the class. Both boys looked to have grown a few inches while I was gone, and it was so good to be back with them.

I had a wonderful chat with Ariel as she was sitting on the plaza below her place in Manhattan. The weather sounded perfect, trees blossoming, that sort of thing. There was discussion in Monterey about all the kids, Jenni and Jacques' baby on the way, and a possible "reunion" for us all in Asilomar, instead of the Hawaii idea we bandied about a couple of months ago.