Cat-like Reflexes

Okay, I guess it wasn’t good to just drop I saved a kid’s life at the airport and leave it at that. But that post was about all that was good with my trip, not stressful. Anyway, here’s the story, in a post of its own.

I’m at baggage claim at the San Diego airport waiting for my bag to be catapulted onto the conveyor belt below. I’m not exaggerating there. The bags drop with a vengeance, and some bounce back up, sometimes almost off the belt. I assume someone was once hurt by a rogue bag and that explains the small Plexiglas partition and metal rail in front of that exact spot where the bags drop onto the belt and rebound.

Just to the right of said spot is where a mother, grandmother and 3 year old were standing. Or should I say that is where a mother and grandmother let their son/grandson stand, and then proceeded not to pay attention to him.

I’ll be frank and tell you I flipped them a look—which I hope conveyed Really?? You’re gonna let him stand there? Do you see those bags flying off?—but to no avail.

And the next thing I knew this little boy, who was wearing a shell necklace that went down to about his knees, was four feet down the conveyor, being dragged by his necklace that was caught on the wheel of a suitcase.

With my cat-like reflexes (go ahead and laugh, Jill and Jon did) I reached out and snapped the necklace, thereby detaching the boy from the suitcase and preventing his injury/death.

Yay, me right? Nope.

As soon as I released him he started crying and ran back to his mom, who said, “it’s okay, we’ll get you a new necklace,” as she flipped me a dirty look.

Yes. Really.

Cocktails in Coronado

Spirit Restored

Aside from having to save a boy’s life at the airport in San Diego, while I waited for my bag to get catapulted onto the conveyor and Jill and Jon waited in the car, every moment of my vacation was perfect. Not once did I find myself wishing I were somewhere else. I was present, in the moment, happy and relaxed.


If I had to narrow down the top 10 moments/things I loved it most about my trip, it would be these (not in any particular order):

1. on time flights with free checked luggage (see previous post)
2. NO CANKLES!!
3. putting my feet in the Pacific Ocean (on more than one occasion) (without cankles!)
4. lunch at George’s on the Cove in La Jolla; dessert at La Valencia
5. fish tacos and a margarita (or two) upon arriving
6. cocktails in Coronado
7. lunch in Manhattan Beach with Jill, Lisa and Joanne
8. lunch in Redondo Beach, with Jill, Lisa and Joanne
9. spending time with everyone I was able to spend time with
10. being outside as much as possible, catching up on fresh air and sunshine

My spirit is restored. I plan to hold on to that for dear life until this school year ends.

Last Week in La Jolla: Bluer than Blue

Breathing New Life

I am finally in California. Those three and a half months without a vacation or a snow day culminated in three and a half weeks I wasn't, frankly, confident I'd survive. If ever I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, of telling my worst class (ever, not just this year) that they make me afraid for the future of America and happy that I never had children of my own, this is the year. These past few weeks I was one eye-roll and a sigh full of adolescent attitude away from screaming expletives and drooling bitter bile while waiting for an  ambulance to take me away. 

But that's behind me--3000 miles behind me. I'm in San Diego now where I'm enjoying every  minute--and conversation and meal and cocktail and ray of sun and vista (photos to follow in future post) wondering how I might reinvent myself so that this becomes home...

[Heart] Note...to Southwest Airlines

A) My bags fly free. Which means I can bring more shoes than I should because I don't have to carry them from concourse A to Concourse B in a  bag that I would have to try to jam in an overhead bin that clearly wouldn't fit.

And 2) what is more civilized than standing in numerical order? No shoulder-checking the person next to you so you can get on the plane first, even though you have an assigned friggin' seat. Think about the absurdity of that. Instead, you get in the order of your boarding pass and choose your seat like a civilized human being.

Strap in, listen to some corny jokes, and life is good.

No change fees, on-time departures and arrivals are just icing on the cake. 

I [heart] Southwest Airlines.

I Love It, I Love It Not...Waiting

I get it. The rest of the world is not always on my schedule, and might not have any interest in working with me when, say, like today, I wanted to grab sushi for dinner on my way home from work. Getting home to do laundry was the goal for the evening; figuring out dinner before I got started was--I thought---a great idea.

Until 20 minutes was actually 40.

Did I mention I hate waiting?

Well, more than waiting, I hate being ignored while I am waiting.

As I said, I get that the world is not on my schedule. I also get that sh*t happens--especially /even in restaurants where I have first hand experience.

I was the server who said, "I am SO sorry. I forgot to put in the ticket. Can I get you a drink while you wait?" I acknowledged, took responsibility and apologized, tried to make better. I got good tips. And customers that wanted to be in my section. I did not ignore the customer standing there in a fuchsia sweater whom I told it would take twenty minutes, and who arrived then, but stood there another twenty minutes later.

Time is money, I often say, so my maki roll lunch special was not the bargain and good idea it promised to be. Instead, it was an (expensive) exercise in waiting, and frustration, and poor customer service.

I do not love any of those things.

Photo Journal: Food or Art?

baby romaine with pancetta, beets, blue cheese and Green Goddess dressing



pork schnitzel over horseradish mashed potatoes with haricot verts



Victory

Today I feel victorious. Making it through yesterday, the last work day of two (very) busy weeks feels liked feat. Waking up late this morning was my reward and lounging in my pajamas (still) feels a little decadent. You'd think this is the first time I've ever had a long weekend; it feels like a snow day and a long weekend all in one!

I'm off to Boston in a little while, will be back for Easter Sunday with my family, and then another (but only one) super busy week before I celebrate another victory. Only next weekend I will not be congratulating myself with a second home-brewed Starbucks Verona. Nope. Next week I'll be patting myself on the back with a fish taco, a margarita, California sunshine, and the breeze of the Pacific Ocean.

Bring it!