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| Home Sweet Home |
Let me tell you why I love San Diego: Today I got up at 5:45, I woke up the kids,
helped them get ready for school, dispensed money for field trips and lunches
like an ATM. Put on my chauffer hat, drove
Jackson to jazz band rehearsal, came home and drove Ali to her bus stop, came
BACK to the house to help Ashley finish getting ready, and then drove her to
school. Upon returning, I noticed an
ambulance, medic, and fire truck at Liz and Dick’s house (my next door neighbors). I checked on them, and Dick asked me to
follow the ambulance to the ER and stay there with Liz. I did.
Not having eaten breakfast, I bought myself a watery coffee out of a vending
machine and sat down. (She’s okay, by the
way.) When Dick got there, I was able to go
home, eat lunch and then go pick up the kids from school (today’s early
release). We went to Costco along with the rest of Lacey, and returned
just in time to start dinner before Chad gets home from work.
And THAT, my friends, is why I love San Diego.
Let me back up to our last day of vacation. Or as I will now refer to it: The Day I
Kissed Relaxation and Serenity Goodbye.
We woke up and lay there listening to the waves, and the
weird California birds that I have yet to identify. And goats, of course. And I regret to inform you, that Chad said I
am not actually “allowed” to buy goats because of all the allergies. And poop.
The four of us sat in Steffi and Alex’s quiet and peaceful
kitchen eating toast, drinking tea and coffee, and discussing things that did
NOT involve farting, homework, or why it’s important not to call each other “anus.” We talked about work, art, and things we
enjoy. After Alex left for work, we
looked at some of Steffi’s art books and then we loaded our luggage into the
rental car.
We had some time before Chad and I had to be at the airport,
so we drove to OB for lunch. Newport Avenue
was quiet and there weren't a lot of people out.
But when we stepped into South Beach Bar and Grille, I quickly realized
where everyone in OB was. At 11:30 AM on a Tuesday, South Beach was full. The bar is famous for their fish tacos, and it just so happened to be
Taco Tuesday. Chad and Steffi had mahi
tacos and I had a couple wahoo tacos.
They were, by far, THE most delicious fish tacos I’ve ever had. (And by “ever” I mean: out of the 4 places I’ve
eaten fish tacos in the world.) After
lunch, we shopped a bit, looking for souvenirs for the kids. But ultimately, I’m the one who wound up with
the best souvenir.
Chad was in Cow Records looking for some music for
Jackson. Steffi and I walked in and I
noticed an 8X10 picture of Steve Martin in the store window. Steve Martin is, to me, the funniest man
alive, and I asked the clerk where he got it.
He said, “Why, do you want it?” I
said, “Yes, can I buy it?” He took it
out of the window, gave it to me and said, “Just tell your friends to shop
here.” So friends, please go to OB and
stop into Cow Records. And tell the guy
in the black sweat shirt that Rachel loves him.
The picture is going in a frame right in the middle of all my family
pictures.
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| The Funny One |
Next we drove to Cabrillo National Monument, and spent some
time looking at the amazing views of San Diego.
Juan Cabrillo was the first European to set foot on the west coast, 50
years after Columbus. He’s said to have
come ashore on Ballast Point, which is right below the monument. There is a lot
of interesting history there, but the most important thing for you to know, is
that the statue on the monument looks like Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) with hair
and a beard.
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| Juan "The Rock" Castillo |
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I was about to teach Steffi a cheer I used to do when I was a cheerleader:
"Ready? OKAY!" |
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| Careful, Chad. |
We had to drop Steffi off before we drove to the airport, and
she brought out gifts for me to bring home to the kids. She also ran into her back yard and picked
lemons from her lemon tree to send with me.
Lemons from her lemon tree... Hmm. Wonder what that’s like? Must be nice.
Usually I don’t cry when I have to say goodbye to her, but I admit, I got
a little misty this time. We’ve been
friends for over 20 years, and there are a million things I love about Steffi,
but I added a few things to my list after this trip:
- She keeps pothos plants in her car to help
filter toxins out of the air.
- She lets her pygmy goats come into her kitchen sleep
on dog beds.
- She has her own woodshop where she makes art and
builds furniture. Which is a bizarre profession for a girl. And preposterous. (Inside joke, no need for your comments.)
- She is probably mad at me for writing this.
We dropped off our rental car (stay away from Ford Fiestas –
Chad doesn’t like them), said goodbye to the palm trees and flew home. We were so excited
to see our kids, and we are so thankful for my family who is there for us to give
us a chance to get away. And we love
Alaska Airlines (especially the $7 fruit
and cheese platter.) In fact, we love
Alaska Airlines so much that I am going to go figure out how and when we can
give them our business again – and go find that peace and quiet that we left in
San Diego…
Chad and Rachel
I'm feeling this one
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