Early Sunday I flew to Orange County to join them for the ride back. The last-minute booking cost only $119.60 on United/Skywest. The practical penny-pincher said that that was an unnecessary expenditure since I would see them later that night; the sentimentalist said it was a bargain—an extra day with the family was priceless.
We headed north on Hwy 101. Though it would take two hours longer than Hwy 5, 101 is more scenic, has more interesting towns to visit, and was far removed from the fires in the Angeles forest.
I liked the taste of Andersen's Pea Soup more than I did 40 years ago.
We exited in Buellton and spent a couple of hours at the Chumash Casino outside nearby Solvang. One of the members of our group was initially enthusiastic because the Chumash’s gaming age minimum was 18, not the 21 required in Nevada and most of California.. He dropped $40 quickly, and his enthusiasm faded. Stopping at Chumash was an educational experience that was well worth its cost.
Tiramisu at the Chumash's high-end dining room, the Willows.
The rest of the drive back went smoothly. We talked about the wedding. The young couple will be living with her parents because they’re having a hard time finding jobs. In fact he’ll probably go back to school for his master’s in engineering in the hope that the market will be better in a couple of years. We talked about our plans for college and dreams of retirement. We wondered about members of our extended family and voiced concern about their health. We speculated about the Giants’ prospects in the race for a wild card and were inspired to take in a game when we got back [which they lost, 4-3, to the Padres on Tuesday night].We pulled into the driveway at 10:30. It had been a long day of zero accomplishment and great reward. © 2009 Stephen Yuen
No comments:
Post a Comment