San Clemente Redux

This year at San Clemente was marked with good weather (very little cloudiness) warm water (in the low 70's most of the time) and perhaps a little less noise and confusion around the apartments because of the maturing group of kids.

We stopped in Saint George and stayed with Grandma and Grandpa both on the way there and on the way home. I flew home Saturday the 11th and back early Monday the 13th, so I wouldn't miss three Sundays in a row and so I could attend Tyler Schumann's missionary farewell. I saw Shauna Robbins and her daughters on the way home and Missy's Dave on the way back.

I haven't flown since the increased airline security of a couple of years. Boy, what a hassle. I'm surprised there hasn't been mass revolt.

We were awakened about 7am the first Monday morning with construction going on right next door. We were reminded of our Italian vacation and how the generous landlord dealt with a similar problem.

The first night I was repeatedly awakened by Ameer who was pounding his head on the floor because he couldn't sleep. We fixed that real quick and told him to quit doing it.

Despite some attempts I didn't see Chris or Stuart or Toni this trip. We borrowed Ed's very nice new unused surfboard (10'2" Robert August) and the two boards that we usually borrow from Sean and did as much surfing as possible. I think we might have missed two days. The best day for me was the second Tuesday when we went to "Old Man's." I had a great time and was finally getting the hang of it again. But, I was always sore; my arms and shoulders and my knees. Near the end of each session I could barely push myself up off the board.

I didn't go cycling a ton, only 219 miles and only saw one rabbit. My last ride a guy on a Carbon Kuota TT bike passed me right before the turnaround. I caught up to him. But, every time I went to pass him I couldn't fight the wind. So, I just stayed in his slipstream for about 8-9 miles.

I didn't get called an old man like last year. But, once while I was lying with my eyes closed on the hard sand near the tideline I overheard someone ask, "is he dead?"

There was really only one day where there were some OK bodysurfing waves. Of course, when I picked up the boards from Sean he said, "you should have been here last week."

Laney got braver and braver in the water throughout the stay until she was using the boogie board a little and playing in the smaller waves. On the last day I took her out to where the big people hang out and she had fun with me holding her. I got her into a little trouble with one larger wave though. I tried to get her out past where it would break. But, we didn't make it. So, I tried to throw her over it. She came up sputtering. But, not to much worse for wear.

We ate plenty of Cassano's pizza and soft serve ice cream cones. The kids went to the Spectrum one day and I went with Ailsa and Jensen to see Bourne Ultimatum one night. We have so much fun on this vacation, it makes it hard to leave.