Thursday, August 19, 2010
VACATION
I am back from my holiday and I had a very good time. I am not saying "great" or "fabulous" because it was uniquely just right and part of a flow of experience for me that has been coming on for quite awhile. Feeling good about life, me, my place in the world.
That includes all the changes we have been through as well as the beautiful permanent things that I have. Like this place I go to every year.
At first, for business. Training trainers. A great place for that.
Recent years, just me, no work, just sitting.
It is just a small hotel. Extremely well run. Caring. Exact to a point where I have not been anywhere that is so attentive. And the food, in a modest, small, uncrowded restaurant is superb.
The clients seem to be as balanced, healthy and satisfied with themselves as I and the hotel are. Gracious. There is no noise. No disruption.
And the setting is just beautful.
On one side there is a marina and the other the wide bay with the city on the other side. In the foreground a boat ramp which is a beehive. Actually a seal hive and a pelican haunt to say nothing of the fisherman who, spilling the guts of their catch and all, keep the seals and the pelicans on site. Sadly things were a little low key at the ramp this year. The economy I suppose. Not quite as many boats or human and wild lives to look at but somehow this made it more interesting as I zeroed in and saw some neat stuff.
On either side of the hotel there is a long quiet avenue of other hotels to the right and a yachting complex to the left. Shops, sail stores, yacht dealers, small business dealing in the niches of sailing. A different world for me to peek into.
Some surprises. The first night I went out to gaze at the marina and out in the not to distant distance was fireworks. Quite spectacular too. As you may remember I missed out on Independence Day fireworks as I was huddled in the back bath with the Airedale who would have liked to go into the next condo if possible. So I feel redeemed.
Another thing. There is a concert venue next door. If you leave the sliders open you hear it all. If you close the sliders, pull the drapes and turn the AC to low you do not hear a thing. But on a good night you want to hear it. This year I had Rodrigo y Gabriela who are a guitar duo. M and F. Maybe a couple but in show business you don't know. Their warmup act was ludicrous so, as I came back from dinner, I was about to pull the curtain and then they came on. I don't much like Flamenco but it was actually very good for half an hour. Well, flamenco based rock.
The second night, Meat Loaf. I shut the curtain the whole time. It is a funky seaside kind of venue and a lot of boats come to listen for free. They have no drapes and AC so, if they don't like the show, they can paddle away.
This morning when I got into the Volvo at 345AM, I was ready to come home.
The car/station wagon had its first long and varied ride going and coming on this trip.
I went up the mountain and down the other side to the freeway into San Diego. The V loved the switchbacks. It was great on the freeway and very comfortable.
It has features we are still finding. Like easter eggs. The rear red lights go on when you open the back hatch in the dark. The better for people to see you and to be warned. Only at night. I was surprised!
Great.
It is good to be home. I am almost back onto the routine.
I found this video.
