This was a very nice two weeks. For the most part everyone got along well and worked together to make it nice.
Since Ailsa and Jensen were on their way home from the UK, it was just Lenore and Laney and me in the car on the way down. We had an uneventful and pleasant drive with no problems or even traffic until we got onto the 5 freeway in Irvine. Traffic was backed up because of a truck crash somewhere down the line. We limped into Capistrano and finally got off to find the Costco and do some shopping. We ran into Jeff and Kim Bean and spent a little time chatting with them.
Laney and I REALLY wanted to get down to the beach. But, right after unloading at the apartment, we had to get cleaned up and dressed to go back to Tustin Hills Racket club for Melissa's wedding. While getting dressed, I realized that 1) I had brought a mismatched pants/suit coat set; and 2) I grabbed the wrong shirt and did not have any cuff links. The wedding and dinner were very nice.
To honor Morteza's family the food was Persian and it was quite good, especially the Walnut paste/sauce. We had fun visiting with our family and also with Kris Hendryx and with Doug and Dan Rozsa and their families.
We stopped at the John Wayne Airport on the way home to pick up our weary world traveling kids. It was sure fun to see them again and hear their fun stories. Their bags were extremely heavy. I don't know how they lugged them around the UK for two months. After we got back to the apartment they gave us all some gifts they bought us over there,... and mine was a set of beautiful cuff links. How fortunate. It must have been fate that I forgot to bring some. The set they gave me displays St. Piran's flag, a white cross on a black field, the flag of Cornwall. How fitting. I like them a lot.
The ward we went to on Sunday ends up to be a different ward now, no longer that of Debbie Stapley. It is the ward of Brent Jesse, Larry Wares, and Mark Goings. It was fun to see them and catch up.
True to form we arrived just at the tail end of a bit of a swell. The surf was still nice probably through the first Thursday or so. I had lots of fun bodysurfing. But, I find I have to be real careful about trying to do more than I can. I had a little bit of a cold the first week and so I didn't have the breathing ability that I would normally have. I had to be careful not to get too winded. When I was out in the water Laney was usually right there with me or trying to be. She's gotten quite fearless. One day I went with all of the girls closer to T street and didn't bring my fins. But, I was still able to catch some waves and have a lot of fun.
I was being a little careless and some of the waves were breaking in fairly shallow water. I had already hit my face once on the sand and then on the second Tuesday I did it again. I had taken a smaller wave and was only able to go straight in. I tried to kick out with a flip turn and smashed my face right into the sand. The water was a lot shallower that I had thought. My head stung but I thought I was probably fine since the first time I hit my face earlier the week before there was hardly any sign. But, this time when I got out of the water I had blood streaming down my face. It looked like someone had attacked my forehead with a belt sander. It only took about a week for it to heal over though.
Lenore and I cooked Hamburgers one night and Carbonara another. It was pretty good. We thought we might need to cook another night. But, it worked out that we didn't.
I was supposed to do about 360 miles cycling while in SC. I fell about 10 miles short of that. We did quite a bit on the tandem. Ameer and I got up to 41.1 mph on the one spot where we like to sprint at San Mateo creek. But, we all got the cold at some point or another and we weren't able to average very fast times. I had brought quite a few spare parts and equipment for my bike, just in case. But, my rear shifter broke and needed rebuilding while I was there. The bike shops in town said they wouldn't be able to do the work. So, I rigged the dérailleur to stay on the 17 tooth cog and just rode the last 65 miles with a high and low version of that speed.
For most of the two weeks the water was VERY comfortable and near the end it was in the 70's with a couple of 75 days and one 74. Even Lenore went in the water. It was very enjoyable. Maybe we should plan on going a week later every year. The only problem meteorologic-ally speaking was the last two days were overcast, so it was slightly anticlimactic.
Daniel Taylor brought a friend's soft top 7' surf board and during the second week he had me help him out and show him and Ameer and Laney what to do. I tried the board myself. But, it was quite small and squirrelly for me. I really need a bigger board. First I took some time pushing them into waves and having them try to stand up, first from their bellies. If that was too hard (and it usually is) I had them kneel on the board and do it that way. Most everyone is able stand up from their knees. This gives them some security and confidence and makes it more fun for them.
Then I showed them how to push off from the bottom onto their knees or belly and then stand up. This way they don't have to do a ton of paddling. Because, let's face it those paddling muscles haven't been used for anything else and won't be in shape. They all did this quite well too. After a while they were trying new things on their own. All three did really good. But, I was especially proud of how fearless Laney was. She wasn't afraid to try to paddle out quite aways, almost to the normal lineup and give it a go. She said she really enjoyed it. I know what I will be doing for the next couple of years there.
I spent some time feeding the birds. I know they don't like you to do it. But, hey it's fun. The pigeons are the most fearless. Several times I would have them scrambling over some poor unsuspecting sleeping relative (usually Leslie) in pursuit of the crumbs I was throwing.
For years we have talked about walking from the pier to the Western White House (President Nixon's old residence, it is the last house on the beach before you cross into San Diego County.) I was pretty sure I knew where it was and how far a walk it was. Last year we went about 2/3rds of the way. This year on the second Wednesday we took some time and did it with the whole family and Sarah. It is a long ways about three and a half hours for us to make the round trip. I tried to stay on harder sand. But, the tide was high and we ended up walking a lot in softer stuff and on a fairly steep slope.
There were some guys surfing at Cottons. One of them had a chocolate lab who was just frolicking in the surf. He would get completely engulfed in a shorebreak and then shake it off and go back for more. It was fun to watch him. This is where we found the hut that Laney crawled into for the picture. It has been years since I have been down to this area I forgot about the rocks. I don't know if it does this at low tide. But, with the high tide some of the (football sized) rocks at the tideline get pushed around and then roll back out with the waves over other rocks. It makes a really neat clacking sound when they hit each other. It would be a pleasant rhythmic sound to fall to sleep to. We saw lots of gulls and pipers and some cormorants.
There is an older man whom I have seen running at San Clemente I'm sure every year for the last 20 years or so. Last year our eyes met and I think he recognized me and gave me a knowing nod. I saw him again this year. I wonder how many more years I will continue to see/notice him there.
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