Beach weekend

Sometimes it seems like you have to get away from home in order to relax. Rhonda is only off every other weekend, so it's all too easy to let that magical Saturday/Sunday time slip away. If we're hanging around the house, there always seem to be chores, projects and honeydew lists staring at us (these obligations seem to be much more pressing to Rhonda than myself!).

Last Friday afternoon, we headed down to the coast. Great news not just for us, but Jack as well; the beach is his favorite place in the world. City life is kind of rough on a dog with the leash laws, having to stay inside so much, etc. At the beach, a dog can really be a dog. The combination of the wind, the sand, the birds, the freedom and the great wide open really gets him fired up. Our buddy Vern- same guy who's doing our kitchen- has a cabin in a little beachside community called Tierra Del Mar, about an hour and a half away. We generally head down there several times a year for a little weekend getaway.

We timed our departure just right, as the last vestiges of daylight ushered us into Tierra Del Mar. After a quick stop at the cabin to drop our stuff off and get a fire going in the woodstove, we headed to nearby Pacific City for our customary beach weekend kickoff spot, the Pelican Brewery and Pub, my nominee for Brewery With the Best View in America. Great beer and pretty good food, too.

Ended the evening back at the cabin with a couple of brewskis and some tunes. Rhonda turned in early, and I curled up on the couch with a book til about midnight.

Saturday, the best day of the week! Got up nice and early, ~5:00 a.m. and got a fire going. While Rhonda got her beauty rest, the fellas headed out to the beach (about a 300 yard walk), Jack acquiver with anticipation. After 30 minutes of chasing birds and the tennis ball, he was pretty worn out. Back at the cabin, I had some cold leftover pizza, the breakfast of champions. Rhonda got up around 8:00 and we soon had the crockpot steaming (Shauna's cajun potroast recipe was on the menu for lunch and dinner). Headed into town to grab some biscuits to go at the Grateful Bread (run by some old hippie chicks) and some more treats from the Pelican. The temps were mild and the winds calm, so we were able to take several more trips to the beach and hang out in the backyard. In the late afternoon, a shower sent us inside, where we played a little Scrabble, did some reading, and played 'dueling DJs' with Rhonda's iPod/my mp3 player. Very relaxing day.

Got some rain very early Sunday, but it was clear enough for one last trip to the beach before we had to pack things up for the trip home. Stopped by the Tillamook Cheese factory for fudge and cheese curds. An afternoon of couch potato-ness ensued. I highly recommend the occasional (or not-so-occasional) lazy weekend!