First The Good News

Yesterday was Sunday and my honey surprisingly got me up earlier than I expected as we had made plans to attend the evening service at Solana Beach Presbyterian Church. Our son was away and my body (and mind) expected to sleep in until around 8 or so. We hadn't been to the beach lately and all of a sudden San Diego County is experiencing a heat wave. She wisely suggested that earlier would be milder than later at the beach and so off we went.

We drove down to Del Mar and parked on the street around 19th. Easily finding a parking space near 19th street is another advantage of getting up early. We even had time to share breakfast at Pipes in Cardiff before we reached our final destination.

While the beach wasn't deserted, there still weren't that many people there when we arrived. We walked about a half mile until we were clear of the surfer's only (in the water) zone and set our stuff down. I realized that maybe I should have waited in line at Pipes because I really needed to find the facilities. After walking about another half mile I was relieved (in more ways than one) to find a just-cleaned (read: hosed down) men's room. After taking care of business Marianne and I walked south to the tide pools. I don't remember the last time I saw sea slugs. (One was curious about my toes.) I kept imagining those cute creatures in Galaxy Quest that turn out to be ravenous beasts, but gently touching this fist-sized creature didn't turn him (her?) into anything but a shy guy. Further out in the ocean we saw dolphins surfacing over and over as they made their way north. I didn't go into the water very far as it was really cold. It's been a long time since I was in water so cold that it literally hurt to stay in it. What a contrast with the sun that seemed more blazing every few minutes.

We did get in about three miles walking. We'll be back on the beach again soon.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

Walking at Lindbergh Field

Marianne and I got up this morning a little after five and went to the San Diego International Airport/Lindbergh Field. Yes, the blogger from Big Man Walking drove. But I walked over a mile before seven, mostly at the airport. I helped Marianne with her bags and after she checked in with Continental, we got in line together for the security screening. I watched as Marianne reached the point where I could not continue with her and very soon she was through the portal and waved before she walked out of sight. So she's gone for two weeks to Florida. I passed back through the walkway/overpass and down the escalator and into my Buick, which Stuart and I refer to as the "stodgemobile". I made sure to keep my ticket and I was glad to pay the minimum. We didn't dawdle, so being able to be with Marianne as long as I could in getting her to the plane and then finding it fit right into their fee schedule just seemed fair to me.

Earlier, when Marianne and I arrived, we remembered almost 20 years ago when we returned to San Diego from a couple days in Las Vegas and we turned in our ticket and paid A LOT. After we turned it in the clerk said that it would have been cheaper if we had lost out ticket. We asked if we could just do that - say that we lost our ticket. She said we could have if we hadn't already turned it in! Live and learn as my dad used to say. Of course, he also used to say, "Too soon old and too late smart." Hopefully that second saying doesn't have to be true.

On my way back through Del Mar I decided I had a taste for breakfast and stopped in Cardiff-by-the-Sea at Pipes for a burrito, or so I thought. I was still pretty tired and ordered, but maybe I forgot to add "burrito" to what I ordered. So I got a plate full of really yummy food anyway (English muffins instead of tortillas...) and I drove a few miles to Moonlight beach in Encinitas and enjoyed breakfast watching the waves and listening to the Puzzle Guy on NPR. Now, there's another reason to visit San Diego County. Come for the waves, whether you're watching or listening or riding them, and check out Pipes while you're here. I was born and raised here and I love being near the ocean. I feel better knowing it's close. When Marianne gets back, we'll walk on the beach together right next to the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

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Click on the title of this post to see a photo of Pipes. Click here to see a couple short reviews by visitors. Click San.org to see the San Diego International Airport/Lindbergh Field link.