1.15.11 - Mt. Tam picnic

Yesterday Jack and I made chicken wraps using tomato basil tortillas, pesto, cucumber and tomato.  We packed them, some pita chips, hummus, pears, diet cola and Lambrusco and drove to Mt Tam for a picnic.  The weather was great.  The drive up was enjoyable in itself because it's a long drive and gives us time to let the conversation wander, or to enjoy many good songs from my iPod Shuffle.  That, and once you get to the foot of Mt Tam the drive includes many beautiful views along the way.

When we got to our picnic spot no one else was around.  It was a bit windy, and I'd brought a coat but Jack hadn't, so he ended up wrapping himself in our picnic blanket.  We joked around a lot, just in a very silly mood, and enjoyed the food and the view.  All in all it was a lovely date.  It's really nice to get out of the rut of going out to dinner over and over and try something new.

We brought ingredients for wraps.

Sun in our face.

Decent selfie.

Trying to stay warm!

As an aside, I think having a weekly date night has been very good for mine and Jack's relationship.  We've kept it up with almost no misses since he moved to CA in July 2009.  It becomes a habit after awhile, which is sort of the point, I think: you make sure to set some time aside, no matter how busy your schedule, to be one-on-one and relax a little.  It helps us show that we are a priority to each other and it also gives us an opportunity to try new things.  I think once you've been together awhile it's easy to get into a rut or routine that doesn't include making a point to focus on one another now and again.  Anyway, we got the idea from a couple I am friends with and it has worked out really well for us.  I recommend it.

We went home and watched The Golden Compass.  Jack loved the armored bears fighting, of course.

After the movie, Neil, Jack and I went to a house concert featuring four different bands, including the Pacific Rhythm Company.  The Pacific Rhythm Company is a new band that includes a member from an old band I liked.  I was hoping the music style would be similar, and it certainly was, and it was wonderful.  The songs are very sweet and relaxing.  Most of the bands were like that.  It was a low-key event, with Christmas lights decorating the place and music from pianos, trombones, ukuleles, etc.  In between sets we had some fun talks with Senta and Doug.  Doug showed us how to do the Dougie, which in this case is not a dance so much as whatever Doug happens to be doing at a given moment.

Relaxing to the music of the Pacific Rhythm Company.

Anyway, the whole day was lovely.  I'm trying to enjoy these last few days off as much as I can before my final semester starts which will include--buh buh BUM--the second half of P-chem. 

1.11.11 - bonding with baby Rocket

Dad and Ellen went down to the beach and I hung out in my room, mostly reading Churchill but also dozing and listening to music.  Then I went and hung out with Jill and Rocket while Dad and Ellen went down to Barcelo to Jet Ski with Julie and Denny.  That was one of the highlights of the day for me, because I enjoy talking about relationships and other things with Jill.  Rocket was asleep most of the time anyway.

Eventually he woke up and we took him down to “walk” around the lobby.  I was hoping he’d tire out because soon Jill left to go horseback riding with the others and I was babysitting alone, which was somewhat intimidating.  When I took Rocket back to mine and Ellen’s hotel room he was fussy and after awhile he was outright crying, so I decided to pack my things and take him to Dad and Jill’s room.  Just me transitioning from our room to theirs distracted him enough that he stopped crying and fell asleep almost immediately after that, which of course made him much cuter.  I put him in his crib and read more Churchill.  I was hoping he’d sleep for at least an hour, but less than half an hour later he woke back up.  He was less fussy after that, though, and much cuter.  I sat him in my lap and let him eat Cheerios out of a cup, then gave him some water.  I let him explore.  I carried him around the balcony during a beautiful sunset.  I had him in the hammock for a little while as I poked my fingers through the other side of the mesh and he tried to grab them.  Overall he was very quiet the whole time, which I think was a sure sign he was tired.

Eventually I started walking him back and forth, only this time instead of singing lullabies I just started talking to him in a soft monotone voice—totally stream of conscious.  The whole time I was talking Rocket was just leaning his head back and staring at me, which was amusing.  Eventually he went to sleep but when I tried to put him back in his crib he woke up immediately.  Ah well.  The rest of the crew joined us soon after that.

We all went down to town with the intent of going to the hamburger place again for dinner, but on the way there Dad stopped to look at the menu of one of the other restaurants.  The woman had called to him from the side of the road.  We ended up eating there (It’s name was Spanish for “Elbows on the Table”) and we had lots of drinks (sangria, pina colada, margarita) and a lot of food (flank, beef fillet, carbonara, pomodoro).  I am very stuffed even now.

We had fun conversations.  Dad and Jill and Julie started talking about logistics for the wedding and had some new ideas.  We finally took a cab back.

1.10.11 - Breezy lobby

This morning when Rocket fell asleep I laid down with him on top of me, both hands clasped around his little back, and I passed out too.  Ellen was outside in the hammock reading, I think.  I woke up in a pseudo-state, trying to lift up my hands and move him to the bed, but when I moved them they didn’t move, they just stayed on his back.  A few times I thought I had moved him to the bed only to realize I was still holding him on my chest.  Finally I woke up fully and was able to move him, and realized how asleep I’d been in all previous attempts.  It was weird.

Jill, Dad, Ellen, Rocket and I all went down to town to meet Julie and Denny for breakfast.  We went to a crepe place where Rocket crawled around happily exploring.  We had bits of crepes and croissants, although Jill’s, which was supposed to have sausage, came with a hot dog.  I liked the place.  I liked the décor and how it was somewhat raised above the ground around it.  We talked about Dad someday holding a baby Olympics when we all have kids.  Apparently Julie, Ellen and I each hope to have 4-5 kids, so there may be a lot of grandkids.

We finished breakfast and went back to Denny and Julie’s hotel, Barcelo, to inquire about scuba diving and parasailing and massages and horseback riding.  

We went back to Las Brisas and everyone was down in the rooms and for awhile I was up in the lobby totally alone.  It was mid-afternoon, the bar was closed, and the whole lobby was totally quiet and peaceful.  The TVs were off and covered.  The place was very clean, I took off my shoes and put my feet up and read more of the Churchill biography and enjoyed the breeze.  Dad and Ellen joined me later and chatted and hung out, and eventually Jill and Rocket joined us and we all went back down to Barcelo so they could do parasailing.

I did get to hang out a bit one-on-one with Julie while I watched Rocket and everyone else went parasailing, and that was nice.  Rocket still wouldn’t go to sleep. 

When they were done we went to the hamburger place again.  I got Chayote, which appears to be some kind of squash with a dollop of sour cream and some parmesan cheese, and it seems like it wouldn’t be that unhealthy, so I enjoyed it.  Eventually Jill left for her massage and Ellen and Denny left for their scuba lesson and Dad and Rocket and I went back to Las Brisas.  We hung out in the lobby, which was initially pretty empty.  Dad read more of his book about the Pacific part of WWII, and I mostly watched Rocket.  He was pretty happy to eat little chips of a peppermint and crawl all over the carpet and play with Dad’s wallet.  He’s adorable.  Eventually he got sleepy and again would not sleep while I was holding him but konked almost as soon as Dad started walking him around.  He slept on Dad’s shoulder for a long time, even after Jill and Ellen had returned.

We spent a lot of time in the lobby tonight.  Watched Rocket go crazy, talked about first dates and first romantic moments.  It was nice.  Sitting around and visiting like that really is my favorite part, probably, which is funny because we could also do that at home.  Anyway, we stayed in the lobby till long after it was dark.  Finally got tired and came up here to sleep and spend one last day in Mexico tomorrow.

1.9.11 - oceanside

Rocket wasn't feeling well this morning.  I just held him and walked around till he chilled out, then sung him to sleep with Heart and Soul and The Way You Look Tonight and a few Disney songs as I could think of them.  I laid down with him and felt his little head and little rib cage heave as he slept.  He didn’t stay down for long though and then he was awake and his happy self again.

Julie and Denny came over and eventually they and Ellen and I went to the beach, to be joined later by Dad and Jill and Rocket.  The weather was great.  Ellen and I tanned some more.  Denny played in the ocean like a happy dog.  It made me think of how Jack would be if he were here.  Dad seemed to like it too.  Rocket seemed unsure.  He napped later, of course, in his goofy over-sized orange baby sunhat, ha.

Ellen was not interested in shade. She needs to be careful though. Notice the marks of the last lounge chair dragged out to sea.

I don't know. Must be a honeymoon thing.

At one point I was tanning and listening to random songs when “Don’t Stop Believin’” came on.  I went and stood in the tide and watched the foam and listened to it and thought about my life.  It’s a pretty good life.

Anyway, eventually we all moved to the pool.  Did some swimming, some more reading, and ate a club sandwich ordered at the bar.  I went up to the hotel room and showered and changed and went back down to join them because I was going to let housekeeping clean our room.

Way later we all walked down to town to the same hamburger place, talked about Julie being a vegetarian and about what books Dad reads, etc.  We walked back up this time, instead of taking a cab, and then I Skyped with Jack. 

1.8.11 - Drinks at sunset

We went to Nuevo Zelande in town for breakfast.  I was roamer.  Afterward we walked around town and found what looked like a lone small shop that may have new flip flops for Dad.  Actually it turned out to be many shops all connected with lots of touristy souvenirs and a few practical things as well.  Ellen and I looked around together, occasionally re-bumping in to Dad and Jill and Rocket.  Ellen bargained a guy down for an elephant ring (Republican) and a lightning ring (Harry Potter).  We looked around a bit. I bought a beaded bracelet on a whim, and Ellen had one very similar.

We finished, went back to the hotel, and went down to the pool.  This time we went to the larger pool rather than the small, private kiddie pool up top.  I dozed in and out in the sun listening to random music on my Shuffle—a bunch of hip hop, some songs that reminded me of Jack, etc.  Thinking about random memories.  I read some more of the Churchill biography and sipped rum and Diet.  I did eventually get in the pool for awhile.  Ellen and I took pics of each other.

We went up to our rooms to chill for a bit before going to the lobby for happy hour.  Julie and Denny met up with us.  We watched the sunset over the ocean during happy hour while sipping various fruity drinks and eating peanuts.  I don’t really remember what we talked about.  I got a little buzzed, Denny moreso.  They make the drinks strong.  Then all of us walked down in the warm night to the town to a hamburger place.  I was again roamer.  On the walk down I talked to Ellen a lot about L’abri.  That was fun.  The walk in the warm night reminded us both of L’abri slightly.

When we got back I Skyped with Jack; Neil was in the background, and he goofed around walking in and out of the screen and slowly rising behind Jack’s chair like he was going to kill Jack.  It was pretty hilarious.  I had to try not to laugh too loudly because Ellen was very focused on Perelandra in the bed next to mine.

Singing along to Elephant Love Medley.

1.7.11 - hammocks

Ellen and I had Fruit Loops for breakfast.  Dad brought Rocket over Ellen got Rocket to fall asleep and then eventually laid him on the bed.  She and him both slept for like an hour and a half, and I sat in the hammock, listening to the ocean and reading and listening to music.  It was the most relaxed I’ve been so far since we’ve been here.

Ellen and Rocket enjoy a nap.

Jill and Ellen and Rocket and I went to the pool for hours and hours, and we talked while Rocket either floated in his boat or slept or rubbed crackers on the ground and then ate them.  We had guacamole and chips for lunch, pretty much.

Eventually we came upstairs, and Jill, Ellen and I watched Ever After, which Jill had never seen.  That was very enjoyable.  Dad was feeling sick so afterward Jill and Ellen and Rocket and I went down to the restaurant and had pretty good food with incredibly slow service.  Now I’m here ready to crash again. 

1.5.11 - Ixtapa

We got to Mexico and Ellen has been adoring the warm weather since.  Took a cab to Las Brisas. 

Wish you were here.

After we dropped our stuff off in our rooms we went and had drinks and watched the sunset.  That was pretty nice.  I went and Skyped with Jack that night.  We were on Skype for two and a half hours, but at least a half hour of that, probably more, was him watching me walk back and forth across the room with Rocket, singing “The Way You Look Tonight” and “Heart and Soul” over and over, getting him as sleepy as possible until his parents took him back.