Birthday Weekend

I left work early Friday, taking an unofficial two hour birthday leave, so I could get home around four to pick up Carolyn and drive down to the Blue Lantern Inn in Dana Point for a short birthday break. Carolyn had arranged both the hotel and dinner and the weather cooperated with blue skies and temperate temps.

We had a nice first floor room just off the lobby, but it was private and quiet and had a small patio with a view to Cannon's and the north end of the marina. We enjoyed a glass or two of white wine with a few appetizers in the late afternoon, and then after a quick nap for me, we dressed and walked over to Luciano's for a great Italian dinner. Carolyn had secured the most private two-person table and the pasta and wine and conversation were all incredible. A very nice almost-birthday dinner.

We returned to the Inn to watch a silly movie, In Laws, and relish a great bed with soft sheets and the smell of the ocean in the air. We were able to sleep in and then enjoyed a B&B breakfast on the patio with bright sun and a slight breeze. Thankfully, we didn't have to check out until noon, so we were able to appreciate the view overlooking the harbor.

For whatever reason, I wasn't feeling that great when we got home so we took to bed for a nap and a book read. I powered through a murder mystery that Lisa had given me around Christmas, and then I got a surprise call from Ashley around 5:30. Obviously, Ash and Bryce keep different hours from us as it was 1:30 in the morning in Edinburgh, and they had just come in from a 'pub crawl' with friends. Where did we go wrong! (just kidding) But we had a good conversation catching up on their current plans and ours, and it was just good to hear her laugh at my bad puns/jokes and she just seemed happy. I like that!

Sunday, Lisa, Katie, Carolyn and I went over to Trader Joes to make a picnic lunch before Wanda met us at our house and then we headed down to the boat for a sail in Newport harbor. It was pretty cloudy over Lake Forest when we left and I was thinking it might be pretty blustery at the beach, but the closer we got, the fewer clouds there were and the sunnier it got. We took all of our lunch onboard and ate salads and sandwiches and fruit with a glass of champagne before leaving the dock.

As we sailed down the harbor, I let Katie try her hand on the tiller and she did quite well sailing us under a beam reach almost the entire way down towards the jetty. At that point, I asked it they wanted to go out in the ocean to which the replied affirmatively, so the Journey made her first excursion into the ocean with me at the helm. We sailed down the coast a bit, and just off Big Corona, two porpoises leapt out of the water only 20 yards to our port! That was cool. We continued down to the Crystal Cove area and then headed back to the harbor with a nice breeze and relatively calm seas.

It was a great four hours on the water and everyone enjoyed the sail. It was a wonderful Mother's Day and we all came back a little more relaxed and some of us a bit more sunburned!

UPDATE: I just spoke with Dennis who said their family had just arrived at Big Corona on Sunday for a Mother's Day picnic when they saw us (their boat) heading out the jetty! Pretty funny and we couldn't have planned it better.