Weekend Wrap Up - So Much Fun Had, Plus Some Coastal Sobriety

Weekend Wrap Up - So Much Fun Had, Plus Some Coastal Sobriety

Now that we are beyond the self-imposed days of keeping our calendars clear in order to get through jet lag (It took a full week), we entered into the weekend with a full slate of activities. Monday mornings are always my in-hindsight wake up call. If we wake up feeling good about the weekend, I made the right balance in planning our activities. If we wake up exhausted . . . well, perhaps I got a bit to ambitious.

This Monday morning we woke up feeling good, so, yeah, I appear to have struck the right balance. 

So here's how our weekend went -

Friday - I zipped out early to a supermarket in order to load my cart with loss leaders - $1.99 old fashioned oatmeal and granola bar 6 packs. A couple were for us, the remainder for a food pantry we support.

I next headed to the harbor for a quick 3 mile walk, then back to the house to get cleaned up for a monthly club ladies lunch. I enjoyed the other gals at the table, though I did get a bit sharp with one gal who opened her dialogue with me by making a crack about California and Californians. 

Never, ever, would I think to insult someone else's place of residency upon first meeting. Sincerely, who does that, and why?

Anyhow, we both recovered and moved on. But trust that I'll remember her and avoid sitting near her if possible in the future.

From there I returned home to read for a bit, followed by a tasty but easy tuna salad for dinner, then my spouse and I left for an event in Laguna Beach, where we also met up with friends.

The event was fantastic and just so much fun, and our friends much enjoyed as well, their first time attending at our invitation, and so that was a relief. I don't know about you, but I always feel responsible for someone having a good time if they are there at my/our invitation.

Saturday - My spouse left early for a men's event, and I headed down to the beach to see for myself the effects of a trifecta of events - increased swells from 1) Hurricane Marie, 2) Kelvin wave, and 3) high tide. The intense swells, and the subsequent damage caused to coastal infrastructure, was just amazing. I left in awe of the power of the ocean, and how truly insignificant we are in comparison. 

I am truly, truly sorry for those suffering financial and/or emotional loss due to damaged homes, but I am also in awe of the power of nature which is simply doing what nature/the ocean does. It's part of the natural cycle of the earth, and to have seen some of it working in action was something I'll not soon, if ever, forget.

This guy, and his videos, have been really interesting to follow. And, I have to admit, he also cracks me up with his nonstop "Hey Dudes" and other old-surfer-dude call outs:

 

From there (I was there walking and gazing for a good number of hours and miles- three hours and seven miles to be precise.) I scooted home to get cleaned and gussied up for a social event being organized by one of the social clubs we belong to, where my spouse then met up with me after his event concluded.

The event was fantastic. We danced, we sang, we ate, we laughed. We've belonged to this particular social group for almost 15 years, and at this point it is simply comfortable and fun to do things with the group. Really, very little effort involved other than getting ourselves dressed and there.  

Sunday - I returned to the beach, this time with my spouse, as he hadn't yet had the opportunity to witness the big swells. He was as awed as I had been, and at one point we spent some time chatting with a couple also out to see the swells, who had grown up in the area. They shared all types of interesting things about our section of coastal south Orange County, which we always enjoy learning more about.

From there, we returned home to clean up and head out to a live production musical at one of the playhouses in the area that we support and frequent. The musical was just fantastic, completely exceeding our expectations. Which is what I love about local live theater - you simply never know what you are going to get, and sometimes what you get is fantastic!

After that we went to dinner, sharing an entree during the restaurant's Happy Hour, since we arrived relatively early after our matinee production.  On the way back to our car, we passed a restaurant that was hopping with live music, and stopped in for a half hour to simply enjoy. It was a great crowd and energy, and I connected with several woman in the group, who all invited my spouse and I to return and attend again. Which we agreed we will - so another item to add to my list of fun weekend things to do.  🙂

We ended the night watching a little TV, which felt great. By then, yes, we were a bit tired.

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Today, Monday, is rainy here, so my plan is to do some chores, primarily laundry, get a workout in at our gym, spend the afternoon reading, and make turkey meatballs with lemony rice and tzatziki sauce, plus salad, for dinner. 

I hope your weekend was likewise good, and that today is also a good day, wherever you are!