Sep 1 - Sep 7, 2011

Thursday Sep 1: getting ready

In the course of the week I have moved my bed time up three hours to get a head start on my friend Jet Lag. The plants went to Niamh yesterday to be taken care of, the neighbors have the gold fish food (and the garage door opener, just in case). Shannon has a key and will come weekly to mow the lawn. I think to myself how nice it is that I don’t have to arrange a dog sitter anymore. Then I acutely miss Gretchen…

All right, girl, FOCUS. The suitcase is packed, as well as the carry-on bag, the backpack, and the bellypack, and I put them all in the minivan except the bag with the computer. The alarm clock is set for 3:45 A.M., the coffeemaker is ready to brew. One last time to check email and Facebook – no, never mind, I can’t get into the internet. Computer into the carry-on, carry-on at the door. I take my shower and get to bed by 9.

Friday Sep 2: Boston – Los Angeles

I think I was awake before the alarm went off. Funny – I had no trouble jumping out of bed in spite of the early hour… I turned on the coffeemaker, then got dressed; I’m done so fast that I had to wait a minute or so for the coffee to be ready. I pour it into the spare disposable that I got from the coffee shop yesterday. I grab the carry-on and I’m on my way a few minutes after four.

They way I set up my FlightLine pick-up is, they meet me at Ernie’s garage, because Ernie’s brother Joe is going to fix the minivan’s bumps, scratches and rusty spots while I’m away. So I drive the minivan to Ernie’s. I had set the alarm so early to give me ample time to get there before the 4:45 pick-up time, plus or minus 15 minutes, but everything goes so expediently that I get to Ernie’s around a quarter past four. No problem, I have my coffee and my puzzle book so waiting for the FlightLine van is no hardship.

At Ernie’s I get out of the car and drop the key with note into the slot. Turn around and there is the FlightLine van already… Obviously, no traffic to speak of on route 93. He drops me off just after 5 A.M. Obviously, there is no line at the bag drop or at security either, so I’m at the gate before 5:20. Which is a little early for my 7:58 flight! Good thing I have the puzzlebook. And a diving manual I want to read.

After a good flight with excellent seat neighbors I spend a wonderful afternoon and evening with Deirdre and the kids.

Saturday Sep 3 Los Angeles

Jeff has the whole long weekend off and we start the festivities with breakfast at the Torrance Farmers’ Market. It doesn’t get much better than this on a Saturday morning!

Today Deirdre planned a brief getaway for the six of us for the rest of Labor Day weekend. I’m the easiest to pack because I’m all packed in a suitcase to start with…

Sunday Sep 4  Big Sur trip

We’re on our way at 8 A.M. and drive north. Breakfast in Oxnard, playground in Orcutt, lunch in Morro Bay. No, lunch in San Luis Obispo, Belgian Frites with yummy dipping sauces. Morro Bay was (early) dinner.

We stay overnight in a motel in San Simeon. Functional and clean and a swimming pool, and the beach across the road (the PCH). We spend some great beach time saving pebbles from the surf. When it’s time to leave we each pick our favorite rocks. Jeff of course picks two. All seven pebbles live in the XL pot with the peach rose now.

Hailey and I have a sleepover in one of the two rooms, and mommy Deirdre and daddy Jeff room with the two boys. Mommy and daddy spend some lovely together time with a bottle of wine, on the patio in front of the rooms.

Monday Sep 5 Big Sur trip

On our way to breakfast we stop at the elephant seal look-out and admire them for a while – the babies and the teenagers and the mamas and a few huge papas. The teenage boys are sparring with their chests out, and they make loud blubbering noises. Then we drive the PCH as far as Ragged Point where we have bagels. We turn back soon after, because the drive home will be substantial already. We really enjoy the rugged beauty, and stop in, ? Morro Bay? for lunch. It’s after this stop that Jeff hears a funny noise, we pull of the road to investigate, and discover the tire problem. Deirdre parks at another stretch of beach where the kids and I enjoy digging holes in the sand for the advancing surf to fill, while mommy and daddy put the spare on. The rest of the trip home goes at <50 mph. We stop somewhere for dinner – too many place names in my head, I’m starting to mix them up! But I know we had dinner. And it was tasty.

We got home at 11, very grateful about the tire holding and Deirdre getting us home safely.

Tuesday & Wednesday Sep 6 and 7

I’m still in L.A.. We take the kids for haircuts and school clothes on Tuesday and off to school they go on Wednesday. That’s Riley and Hailey – Elliot isn’t going back to pre-school until next week. They both like their new teachers and the new school year is off to a good start. I do scrape up my heel Wednesday morning, but a Band-Aid takes care of it. I don’t bother disinfecting, I never have any trouble, it’s only a small scrape… (Can you hear the ominous music in the background?)

After dinner I spend some time repacking the suitcase and the various bags. I plan to stay up as long as I can to help bridge the jet lag gap, but I’m too tired… going to sleep before 11 (PST).