Well, Peeps. I'm back! That was seriously the best birthday present I could have gotten. I feel so refreshed! Rather than write everything twice, I'll cut and paste part of my emails to Libby below so you can have an idea of what I did with myself while I was away. First last night. I wrote this sometime after 11:00:
I have been having a FABulous day over here. Right now, I’m sitting with my window wide open, listening to the pounding of the surf and smelling wafts of wood smoke from the fire that has been burning down on the beach for several hours now. I can’t see much out there except for that fire and the sparks shooting off on the breeze and lines of white surf. It’s completely, utterly peaceful here.
I left about 11:15, got down here around 1:00. I went to the outlet mall first. You will not BELIEVE what I got! First, I got—get this—2 shirts for Asher, and two shirts, one pair of shorts, one hat, and a darling fleece “coat of many colors” for Analeigh … for $16.00 total. Can you believe that? Then I got one shirt each for Kayte and Alex (who really don’t need clothes, but I wanted to bring them back something, and … who could resist those prices???) and two shirts for Brendan, who DOES need winter shirts. Then I went to the toy store, which is going out of business, and bought the neatest thing for my future lesson on “La Casa” (the house). For $1.19 each, they had these magnetic folding boards with a dollhouse image on it and people/pet magnets to go in it. I bought ten of them. I know the 7th graders are going to get a kick out of the practice session I hit on, when I saw those. “Pon el padre en la cocina.” Put the dad in the kitchen … Too fun!
I had a very yummy late lunch at a Japanese restaurant at the outlet mall. Salad and chicken and rice and California rolls and some kind of pot sticker type thing. So good! I sat and read _Shakespeare’s Monkey Review_. (I need to send them some more stuff, since they published my “Rage.” I need to see what themes they have upcoming.)
I looked at stuff for me, but nothing really jumped out at me, except for one green blouse which I loved—but apparently so had several other people, because there was only one left and it was far too small for me. (I didn’t even bother trying it on.) So … that’s okay. This trip is enough for me! Besides, tomorrow my “mission” in the gift shop is to find the perfect collectible miniature. I haven’t added one in over a year, so I think I’ll see what I can find.
But not until after I walk on the beach! I haven’t been down there yet. After the outlet stores, I checked in here, put my stuff around to make it homey seeming, and … climbed under the covers. I didn’t want to miss the sunset, but I was SO tired. I could only half-sleep, though, and ended up bolting awake with my heart pounding, as it sometimes does when I try to nap, but still, it was refreshing to just rest.
Then I wrote part of a short story that started out strong and sort of ... got off on tangents, I think. So I went to the store to get some food (nachos and tin roof ice cream. I’m going for health food here! But hey! I balanced it out with a vitamin water …) I decided, as I drove, to set the detoured short story aside and work on my novel for a bit, which is what I did until just a few minutes ago …
And this morning:
I wish you could see what I’m seeing, sitting here at the table in my room, looking out over the ocean … The wind is so strong this morning that it’s whipping the top right off the whitecaps and sending this rainbow colored mist high into the air. Gorgeous!
And from home, late this afternoon:
I DID make it down to the beach. The wind that made the short walk to breakfast rather unpleasant had let up (mostly) by the time I had to check out of my room. I went down there with my coat zipped up and my hood up, and ended up uncovering myself bit by bit until finally I was carrying my coat by the time I made my way up the looooooooong stairway behind the motel where I had stayed.
I could see evidence of the wind on the drive home, though. It looked like God had swept through the VanDuzer Corridor with his arms outstretched and just sheered the limbs right off the trees, for miles. Not ALL the limbs, obviously! But quite a few of them.
And, OH! There was a man parked at Mo’s, where I went for lunch (for their famous clam chowder and shrimp salad) and where I read the first chapter of _America’s Women_. DANG, that’s a good book! It’s going to be hard to set it aside now, but I simply MUST focus on reading up on Latin America history. It’ll give me something to forward to over spring break, though. Anyway … what was I saying? Oh, the man parked outside Mo’s was cutting up a tree that may have (?) fallen down in the wind. (I’m guessing … or maybe they wanted it taken down.) Anyway, he had in the cab of his truck the most ADORABLE boxer puppy. Not brand new, obviously, but still fairly little. He was bouncing around, making his opinions known, and the man finally said, “Hey, you (can’t remember the name), can you take it down a notch in there?” Hah!
Oh! I almost forgot. I saw the funniest thing from my window, earlier! You know Frisky Dog that I was telling you about? Well, someone came by with a dog who was on a leash—but they weren’t holding onto the leash! The dog was just dragging it behind himself. Frisky Dog grabbed up the end of that leash and took his new buddy for run! The other dog clearly had a need to do his business, but F.D. would have none of that! He tugged and pulled and ran, and Other Dog had no choice but to follow along! It was SO CUTE!
So, anyway! I know that-all is kind of random. I've edited it some, but I know it's still rather helter skelter. (You have to sort of think like Libby and me to understand our emails as written--and very few people DO think like us! We're twin nuts in a shell, I think ...) But this will give you an idea of what I did with myself down there. Thanks again, family!
And now that grades for last week have all been put into Pentamation so that I can give printouts to one and all, I must go mix up the coffee cake that I promised the juniors we'd have with our live viewing of the inauguration in the morning. (Why did I tell them I'd bring food? Well, it sounded like a good idea at the time! :) )
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