Monday, March 8th 2004
at 9:37 a.m.
Home sweet home!
It's great to be back home, and the weather is amazing. . .
Michelle picked me up from the airport with Gina, and I got to see her new car, which is VERY CUTE. It's a '97 black Toyota Tercel, yay! However, there was a little bit of stress regarding my situation with Alex. I'm definitely feeling a bit tender about that.
For those who don't know what I'm talking about, it's a long story, but it involves the guy Alex is seeing and how she asked me for my honest opinion, then resented me for it. Talk about a setup! It goes deeper than that (she's the one who's fed me all my info so what does she expect me to think), but I won't really get into it.
Michelle had to go back to her great-uncles wake, and she was kind enough to come get me after the funeral, so we didn't get to really do anything, but I was exhausted, and a bit emotional (it was a long trip, is my excuse!).
I went straight from the airport to my mom's work (she works in a school district close by, down the coast a bit in San Mateo), and I got to just sit and relax for a little while, eating a leftover cupcake from some kid's birthday party, and checking my e-mail. I still had the feeling I was in the air though. You know the one, after you've been on a boat or int he air for hours and hours, where your body assumes it still is? Lol. It's a bit disconcerting, but anyway. . .
The plan was my mom and I were going to go down the coast even more, to the coast of Central California. So it would have been pointless for me to go home to San Francisco since I was already there south of the city, then have my mom come down and then both of us drive back. Right? So we took off while it was still very light outside, at about 4:00, and took the scenic route.
I LOVE THE PACIFIC! When I first saw it, I was again amazed. I don't think I'll ever get complacent about it. But seriously, coming out of constant rain and overcast cloudiness in England to the dazzling California sun playing off the vast ocean, together with the lush green bluffs above it, was just amazing.
It's so weird that it's so gorgeous now, because usually around this time, the weather is JUST as bad in San Francisco as it is in London. So I was very pleased, considering we were going to be along the coast the whole time!
The drive down was fun. I caught my mom up on things, like Carl, school, friends, and we blasted oldies and sang at the top of our lungs. We also talked a bit about the divorce. . .she said that she's still not ready to tell people "that Brian left me." I said I had issue with her phrasing it like that. Afterall I think she should have been the one to end things, and phrasing it like that makes her seem powerless or something. I'm not sure why it bothers me so much�it's hard to articulate�but I do.
We stopped a few times to take in the spectacular views, but other than that we drove straight to Moss Landing, between Santa Cruz and Monterey.
My mom made reservations at a small seaside inn called "Captain's Inn" and it was fantastic! It wasa big Victorian house all made up in antiques, and ocean-themed. Each bedroom had a plaque on it like, "Captain's Quarters," "First Mate," etceteras. It was all very tasteful though. Just what you'd imagine when thinking of a sea-side inn.
We got some restaurant recommendations from the innkeeper, and walked down to a small seafood restaurant run byt a former 4? 5? (whatever is the highest) star chef who wanted to retire out of the city and get to know locals.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! I had filet of sole coated in chopped macademia nuts with garlic mashed potatoes and a glass of white wine, and my mom had something she couldn't stop raving about either. The chef was very personable and came out of the kitchen to welcome us in. Everyone else seemed to be a local: everyone was joking and talking to one another.
When we walked back all the frogs were singing in the fields on either side, since they were full of ponds after all the rain, and I loved that of course (I'm a frog fan: but the real thing, not frog merchandise!). There sounded like THOUSANDS of them, but of course the next day when we went to look there were none to be found. We just saw tadpoles. But anyway!
When we got back that evening we found two homemade cookies on our bedside table, and after finishing them I feel into a dead sleep. It had been a looong day.
The net morning we were treated to an deliciose homemade breakfast (it was a B&B) made up of lemon scones, spinach, mushroom, and cheese omelettes, tea, and strawberrise and cream.
And THEN!
My mom and I walked down to the docks, past a few antique shops, so that we could go on our whale watching cruise.
If you want to do that, then you should go here because they were AMAZING.
We were with whales the whole time, and we even saw some flukes (where they dive out and show the arc of their tails) I took tons of pictures, which turned out beautifully except that since there was no zoom they were little specks. Well in real like they were SO close. Like, 20 feet! They were grays. What made it so nice especially was that the owners and captains of the boat seemed genuinely passionate and caring about the animals. They are activists for cleaner measures for the Monterey bay, and respect the animals by not getting too too close (then it lets the whale come check the boat out, which they do and did!) It was so exciting.
We also saw some dolphins and lots of sea otters! Soooo cute.
The only problem was that my poor mom does not have sea legs, but not only was she wearing a relief band but the seas were some of the calmest our captains had ever seen. LOL!
When we did get off we browsed in the antique stores but didn't find much.
We decided to go to Monterey and the wharf, where I FOUND A STORE THAT HAD MY NAME on a mini California license plate!!!
I cannot even tell you how much my mom and I have searched for this. My whole life! I was deprived as a child. Everyone else had those little blue and gold things attached to their bikes, or on their room doors, or in their lockers, but not me! Nooo, my name was "too exotic," or "rare" or something. Jerks! But it's better late than never, and I just stared amazed, then grabbed up the last one!
Then upon further thought I realized that while yes, I am VERY excited to finally get a Cali license plate of my own, dose that mean that 'Chloe' has entered into the mainstream? Gasp, horror!
We got saltwater taffy then walked down the path along the Monterey beach, and got in free to the aquarium because it was to close soon. So we just got to see out favorites. Mine are the gamboling otters Mae, Rosa, and Maggie in the two-floor tank and habitat, and the huuuuuuuge tank of 'bay creatures' such as (relatively harmless) sharks, huge tuna, sea turtles (awww), diving birds, and tons of fish. They recreated the pilons of wooden piers on which were starfish, crabs, and lots of shellfish. It's very cool. My mom's favorite part is the jellyfish, which granted are really wow. I love that place! It's "awethome," as Michelle and Alex say.
Dinner was in a fancy seafood place right over one part of the Monterey Beach, which was awash blue-white in moonlight from the full moon. Fittingly the restaurant was called Blue Moon. It was delicious, but it wasn't until later at the B&B that I realized I had left my purse there. With my bank cards, student IDs, and PASSPORT.
We called but it hadn't been handed in. We drove back to the restaurant the next day ourselves. No one had handed it in still, and it wasn't anywhere around our table. SHIT!
I have only 4 days until I am heading back to the UK. Plus my passport had my residency information on it, and I don't have any other papers to prove that I am a student. I tried to call my school to get something faxed but since it is Spring Break, no one was there.
That was the only bad part of the weekend (though admittedly pretty bad and stressful), but the rest was sooo nice, and truly relaxing.
Anyway, before driving back to Monterey, we checked out of the Inn the next day after another amazing breakfast of sliced mangoes, sweet-potato pancakes with cut bananas, and homemade apple turnovers.
We drove past this amazing beach when we drove down to find my purse, so when we came back we decided to go to it. It was so beautiful. It was Marine State Beach, and the water was turquoise and clear, like it is towards Baja. My mom and I purchased new bathing suits (we hadn't brought any) for cheap at a nearby K-Mart, as well as $2 straw hats. Normally I can stand VERY cold water temps, but the winter currents made the water too cold to even stick in a toe, so we laid out on the beach and it was heaven. One week ago had I imagined that it would have seemed an impossibility!
All my stress about the passport, papers due, midterms, just faded away. I was so on vacation.
When it got a little chilly we got back in the warm car and headed back down Highway 1, windows down, to Santa Cruz Boardwalk.
I LOVE THE GIANT DIPPER! (Who's with me?) And Dippin' Dots, mmmm.
We exhausted our fave rides�several times�and then came home, where I was reunited with my cats (though Mugsie was a jerk and not himself), and my mom got out her homemade soup for us for dinner, mmmmm, and I then full into a full sleep in my big bed!
FABULOUS start to a vacation.
What song is playing on my iTunes right now: What I'm reading: What I'm Wearing: Back to anecdotal journalism again! - Tuesday, May 1st, 2007
Plan? - Monday, Jun. 19, 2006
FINALLY things are going better!
(This month redefined my understanding of stress and 'hell') - Monday, April 24th, 2006
Just a few more days! - Monday, February 27th, 2006
Another one to chalk up to College Experiences - Sunday, February 12th, 2006