So the big day was here, our younger daughter was finishing grad school and receiving her Masters in Public Administration from a school in California. Of course Chris and I weren't about to miss that for the world. So we made all kinds of arrangements for all our clients and left our 2nd in command with numerous instructions and jetted off for San Francisco about 2 weeks ago. We knew that everyone was in good hands and we were only a phone call away should a need arise.
Chris and I had not been away for well over a year and with all the stress of my mother's passing and hard work helping my father move, we were ready for a mini vacation paired with attending a lovely and meaningful commencement. Plus there was the added benefit of seeing our other daughter and our son in law, K&G. Chris' brother, sister-in-law and mother, Jean, also made the long trip. What a fabulous time for all of us to be together. Unfortunately, my dad couldn't make it, but we have lots of pictures for him.
Very early Friday morning Chris and I set off on our adventure, leaving our first lieutenant, MD in charge here in Dallas. San Francisco is so gorgeous and cool. Even though it's not the summer doldrums here yet, it has been plenty hot and dry and we were ready for some cooler temperatures.
Now here's the really wonderful part about the trip....K&G drove down in their new truck and pulled their brand new RV and brought their new doggies. So they picked us up at the airport and we were greeted by Jax and Roxy as well as K&G. How fun was that! We actually stayed with them at a wonderful and comfy RV park south of SF. So the first place we headed after picking up C, our younger daughter, was to the coast. How lovely it was to walk along the boardwalk, watching the boats, listening to the sea lions and feeling the cool breezes on our skin. Some of the "kids" even kayaked around the bay. After a quick bite to eat, we headed to the RV park to get cleaned up and dressed for the first graduation event, an early evening pre-graduation reception/party.
It is a relatively small, private school, so we were able to meet and chat with several of C's professors. Again, with the cooler weather and the Pacific Ocean as a back drop, it was quite lovely. By the time we ate dinner and were back at the campground, it was almost midnight and Chris and I were practically zombies....it was really 2AM our time...so we headed straight to bed.
Saturday morning started with a yummy "camp breakfast" and preparations for the long day ahead. We dropped the pups in the yard at C's house and were off. We were lucky enough to find front row seats, so we were in great shape. Oh and did I mention, the graduation was outside? How magnificent was that! It was a little chilly, but I'll take that over a blazzing 95 degrees any day. How proud we all were to watch C. walk on stage and receive her MPA, having never made a "B" while there...although a few A-'s kept her from a perfect 4.0. Next came the reception complete with champagne, hors d'oeuvres, more professors (bragging about C of course), pictures, tears, congratulations and again the lovely cool outdoor weather.
By 3:30 everybody was heading their separate ways to do errands, relax and prepare for the celebratory dinner together later that evening. Jean wanted to treat us all to dinner and C. chose a wonderful little restaurant in Carmel. The service was beyond spectacular including the owner playing the "Oud", one of the cooks serenading a couple celebrating their anniversary and a server coercing C. and her boyfriend to belly dance with her. The food, champagne/wine and baklava were amazing and they even sent us home with 2 free bottles of wine. Altogether, a glorious day and amazing celebration/dinner.
The next day we did a touristy thing and went to the outlet mall in Gilroy. Oh how wonderful all that garlic smelled. Gilroy's nickname is "Garlic Capital of the World." And of course we had to eat once at the requisite "In N Out" while we were in California, so we accomplished that in Gilroy also. One of my favorite things about that drive was seeing all the glorious crops growing in the fields.....strawberries, artichokes (down by Castroville), lettuce, and some things we could not identify, but that nevertheless were beautiful.
The big event for that evening was the entire family getting together and staying at the RV Park near Santa Cruz. The other folks had rented an airstream for the night. K&G had bought a new smoker and were going to cook up a feast for dinner including brisket, ribs, chicken and sausage. I did help out a little by walking Jax & Roxy and by preparing the salad and corn. A good time was had by all even if it was a little nippy sitting outside. We had a great campfire and ended the evening by cooking smores...a first for some of the folks.
Monday morning some of the group left to go back home. K, G, Chris and I headed out for more touring. We made it all the way down to Big Sur. What amazing, spectacular sites. I had not been there since I was a child and it was not to be missed. The views of the Pacific were breathtaking. Then we proceeded back up to Carmel. We ate lunch at a dog friendly restaurant that even provided doggie menus for Jax and Roxy. Next came the inevitable walk along the beach which was also a major highlight for Jax and Roxy, not to mention me. I love feeling sand between my toes and "touching" the cold Pacific.
The next stop was Monterey and all of its glorious splendor. Cannery Row, the Aquarium and the Wharf are some of the major spots. We sat outside along the bay and enjoyed a drink and the view. Our last stop of the evening was bittersweet. We had to tell Christine goodbye and that is never easy for me. But I always bounce back pretty quickly. We raised our kids to spread their wings, go where they want and do whatever they want and they have. We are extremely proud of both of them.
We made it an early night. We had to wake up about 3AM Tuesday morning in order to make our 6AM flight. We arrived back at DFW around 2PM. It was a wonderful getaway and such a joy to watch C receive her Masters. The only down side is that she has not acquired a job as of yet. She is heading to New York City today to live with a friend for a few months. Most of the jobs in her field are either in New York or Washington DC and she reasons that it is much easier to find one if you are already living there. Anybody out there who can provide a job for a fabulous candidate (if I do say so myself) as a project manager for an international non-profit organization, please call me.
Thanks for reading. More helpful news and information coming your way next time,
Jan
No comments:
Post a Comment