Here are five things that have recently made me smile, laugh, or sigh in contentment. The hope is that by keeping track of and sharing them here, I will continue to focus on the good things in life, of which there are so, so many, even if its metaphorically storming elsewhere..
1. Doug Emhoff Sighting in DC. I was in Metro DC last week visiting my youngest daughter and two granddaughters, and on Wednesday we headed to the Distract Wharf for lunch and to walk around. While we were chilling along one of the docks watching the girls play, a detail of very serious people walked by, along with a handsome masked man wearing dark denim jeans, a white shirt and a jacket. After staring hard for a few moments, my daughter and I realized it was none other than our first SGOTUS.
2. 'I Love You Nana.' I get (and give!) lots of "I love you's" from my oldest granddaughter, but this past week is the first time my 2 year & 9 month old youngest granddaughter told me same. Heart. Melted.
3. Best Whale/Dolphin Sightings Ever. I have done lots of whale and dolphin boat excursions over the years, including in Hawaii and Alaska, but the one I did with my granddaughter during her recent visit was literally the best one in my lifetime. Firstly, it was, yeah, a gorgeous blue sky day. Second we saw not one, not two, but four whale breachings. It was breathtaking to watch the young adult whale (per onboard naturalists) leap out of the water again and again right in front of us.
But that wasn't all. After our thrilling gray whale sighting, we spent time being surrounded by hundreds of bottle nose dolphins (the Flipper dolphin if you will) that leapt alongside and under out boat for a good 30 minutes. There were lots of babies alongside their mother's, and my granddaughter was absolutely spellbound, excitedly telling me at one point that This is better than both popcorn and TV! 😄
We then went on to find a similarly large pod of common dolphin, who added to the excitement of our day by speeding alongside and under our catamaran within easy viewing sight for at least 20 minutes.
What a day! My only regret is that my granddaughter may have just experienced the peak of her whale and dolphin watching experiences at six years of age!
And, happily, we now know for sure that she does not get seasick. The swells were significant enough to require constant hanging on to guard rails, but the bigger the ups and downs of the boat, the more she loved it.
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| If it's pink and ruffled, my granddaughter is there for it. The pink leggings underneath were a compromise. 😀💖 |
4. Bloody Mary's. Yesterday, Sunday, my husband and I went for a long walk along the beach in San Clemente, stopping in at Cafe Mimosa along Del Mar Avenue on the way back, because I had spotted Bloody Mary's on their menu. I came to the Bloody Mary scene somewhat late, discovering them in 2016 at the famous Darling Oyster Bar in Charleston, SC, and have loved them ever since.
The Bloody Mary served at Cafe Mimosa did not disappoint. And I loved that it came with a pickled green bean, pepperoncini, and thick slice of bacon.
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| Yum! |
5. The Return Of Happy Hour. Happy Hour pricing pretty much went by the wayside when the pandemic hit last March due to restaurants having to move to first take out only, then take out and outdoor seating only, thus limiting significantly any of their special event 'slow time' pricing such as Happy Hour. As time-flexible retirees, we had gotten used to enjoying great food and cocktails at discounted Happy Hour pricing, so we've missed it for sure. However, now that our county has moved into a less restrictive tier, meaning restaurants can expand capacity by reopening some of their indoor seating, Happy Hours are beginning to resume operations, and we'll be partaking for the first time in a year this coming Friday. The restaurant we're going to seats their Happy Hour customers outside, which continues to be a non-negotiable priority for both of us.
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That's it for me at the moment. What's making you happy this week?
Sounds like a great list. I am eager to do some whale watching in Alaska. We had an Alaska cruise booked for last may, of course it got cancelled. My happy list this week includes: 1. Second Covid vaccine completed this morning 2. Wife's birthday lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with the family yesterday. 3. Bright sunshine and blooming daffodils in the yard.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your second vaccine! May your second shot symptoms be mild, if at all. My husband experienced a low grade flu for about 24 hours after his, but was then very much back to normal.
DeleteCheesecake, sunshine and spring flowers . . . yes to all!
And regarding Alaska - perhaps you and your spouse could consider flying there instead? Hard to know at what point cruising will makes it way back onto the scene. Just a thought!
What great experiences. So much to be thankful for.
ReplyDeleteSo very much, yes. Family and time spent outdoors was at the top of my list when the pandemic started, and it remains there still. Outdoor dining is the frosting on the cake at this point.
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