Celebration Weekend

This was our last weekend in San Diego. I was in a great mood on Friday because I finally got my car back from the dealer with a new hybrid battery installed, covered under warranty! So that's why our mileage has been sucking- the hybrid battery has been dead since the engine light went on about 3 months ago. And it's taken me this long to get it fixed. The auto technician said it was actually not very safe to drive. Whoops. We made at least 3 trips up to LA in the poor thing.

I was mostly just happy because the service on the car was free. So I went to my favorite supermarket (Henry's) and bought a bunch of groceries since it will probably be my last run there- oogling over the fresh produce, I came home with a plethora of white flesh peaches and nectarines, blueberries, mangoes, sweet white corn, and my favorite- brussel sprouts! Yeah, they get a bad rap, but sauteed with some garlic, salt, and olive oil, they are delicious. Or, even better- we've found that brussel sprouts on the grill are amazing! Fresh and cheap produce is definitely the best thing about California.

I also got a porterhouse, some amazingly large scallops, and some yummy cheeses. So I decided it was Celebration Weekend. To celebrate our year in San Diego, which was filled with some particular themes when I look back: Personal growth. Community with married couples for the first time. Waiting on God. Companionship.

Well, the grill was out of gas and we didn't want to refill it before moving, lest the Uhaul blow up. But we did manage to have a tasty dinner anyway, with the help of the broiler, a small bottle of champagne, and some pate that I brought from France. (We're trying to eat as much as we can from our cupboards.)



Yesterday we used a gift certificate that Paul's sister gave us for Christmas. She thoughtfully researched a kayak rental company and got us a tandem tour for whale watching. Since there are not whales in the summer, and I hate whales anyway (been seasick every time I've gone- and yes, I know it's not their fault, but I can't help the bad association) we exchanged it for a tour through the La Jolla caves. It was a ton of fun! It was a gorgeous day (as usual) and the water was giving off a particularly beautiful greenish-blue hue. I guess Paul was doing most of the paddling though, because he was sore this morning and I wasn't. Or maybe I'm more fit than he is!

San Diego has been good to us. Paul says that he thinks it's been the best year of his life. I can't disagree. I look back and I think of many happy times. Just a sweet kind of happiness from enjoying having a life together as a couple. I think of my old restlessness being replaced by a deeper contentment with life in general. It was just what we needed as a sort of "gap year" to detox from the stress and busyness of New York. I would have been a different person if I had moved from NY to LA directly. I can't really say how, but I do know that I've learned to relax and just be for the first time. That's a hard thing for me to do, but there really could have been no better place to do it. And now begins a new chapter.