DOUBLE FEAST

Just a quick note, here.  I thought I had lunch in the fridge and, indeed, if I were willing to ignore colonies of white fuzzy mold, I would have had lunch in the fridge.  I was not, however, willing and so tagged along to the taqueria down the street and around the corner to get take out for myself and a couple of other co-workers.

And, there, in the taqueria were 4, count them, FOUR, FIREMEN.  Now, I’m an old woman.  I’m over 60.  But, I am not dead and even though my eyesight is clouded by cataracts, I am also not blind.  I asked K – is it a qualification for hire for firemen that they must be drop dead handsome?  She confirmed my suspicion.  They were all decked out in their short-sleeved blue uniforms, tan, fit and clearly ready to save the world.

Dear Husband.  Do not worry.  If you walked into a taqueria and saw Angelina Jolie or Uma Thurman, I would totally understand and congratulate you on your good fortune.  So, understand when I say that today’s lunch was a feast for both the eye and the tummy!

IVY AND ROSES

A couple of weeks ago, I spent a few hours pulling the ivy off the walls in preparation for the new paint job on the house.  The ivy has been growing on the east wall of the garage for years and years and this is not the first time I’ve pulled it down so the house could be painted.  In a previous reincarnation, the ivy grew through the wood trim on the house and into the garage!  I’m thinking that might be the time the painter had to replace some boards?

I’ve always loved the look of ivy growing over stone walls or on the manor homes in England.  But our house is not stone, and certainly nowhere approaches a manor.  It’s stucco with wood trim.  Ivy is the great equalizer, tho, because it looks just as lush and cool on stucco/wood as it does on ancient stone.  On our house, it grows up over the little window in the entry way that is certainly more decorative than useful (although I did notice that it seemed lighter in the living room after the ivy was removed)  and then under the door and down the porch.  It also tries its best to grow into the attic.

Pulling the vines down leaves a dark line on the wall and little hair-like roots attached with nature’s tenacious glue.  Before the wall can be painted it has to be pressure-washed and then sanded.  It’s a big job.  So, I told “Jesse the Painter” that I had come to the conclusion that the charm factor had just been outweighed by the annoyance factor and so the ivy was coming out entirely this time, and would be replaced with something that didn’t try to consume the house.

As one walks up the sidewalk to our front door, the ivy and the overgrown Japanese maple tree offer a wall of cool green welcome to the visitor.  There is a stone bunny and a little fairy nestled at the base of the tree and over by the garage wall, larger than life acorns peek from the vines and leaves.  In spring, freesia blooms stand over the carpet of vines.  This year, the ivy finally discovered the tree trunk and was growing up into the limbs.  The Sunday morning after I pulled the vines down, I walked out to retrieve the newspaper and almost cried.  The wall looks so bereft and the “scars” from the missing vines score the wall.  It feels bare and neglected and hot instead of lush and green and cool.  Are you surprised I’m having second thoughts?

I’ve wondered about taking the overgrown maple out.  About replacing it with a variety that will actually NOT grow over the roof or with some larger bush that will bloom in season.  I’ve realized that my chaos gardening philosophy (plant it and let it grow as it will) has its drawbacks.  But I believe I am happier with nature unchecked.  And, I think it’s nearly impossible to really get rid of the ivy completely.  The roots must reach to China!  Surely there is a compromise?  Something espaliered on the wall?  A blooming ground cover that doesn’t spread vertically?

This weekend, the hedge roses are scheduled for demolition.  Twenty years of chaos must be removed in one weekend.  I think they will be replaced with a bush type bouganvillea I saw at the nursery last weekend.  Although the $35 price tag gives me some pause………I’m pretty famous for killing all but the most tenancious plants.

Well, the week after the ivy-ectomy, I came home one afternoon to find business cards on the porch…….one from a house painter and the other from a landscaper.  I guess it’s clear we are in some kind of flux at the house.  I’m interested to see how it all comes out.

THIS JUST IN….

Buried near the end of Willy Brown’s column in the Sunday Chronicle is an exciting piece of news!  The Musee d’Orsay will be undergoing renovations and they have decided to “store” their Impressionist collection with the De Young for a YEAR!

This is SUCH great news! On a personal note, I will be within driving distance of my favorite art in the whole world for an entire YEAR, and being a member of the museum, I’m hoping for a discount on the tickets (too much to hope that this amazing collection would be free to members).  On a more practical level, the museum needs the cash infusion that will surely follow such an exhibit.  The King Tut exhibit this summer will no doubt be a financial success, but having the Impressionists here for an entire year will be a bonanza.  At least, I hope so.  I didn’t spend near as much time at the d’Orsay in 2005 as I would have liked….well, you know, you want to just bring a sleeping bag and camp out for awhile.  So, caloo, callay and I can’t wait!

And….it’s an easier drive than to Berkeley!

VIELLEFEMME’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

Well…..perhaps excellent is a bit over the top. Husband is away visiting cousins and his brother in a little seaside town I have been wanting to visit since I moved to CA, but nevermind. He and I take separate trips all year – he goes to MN, I go to TX, he goes to the annual cousin reunion, I go to Portland, and we also take long weekends together at least a couple of times a year. It’s all good.

When he is away, I sometimes take a little day trip. This time, his trip coincided with a warehouse sale that I’ve been going to for awhile. It’s in Berkeley and called “Kiss the/that? Frog.” Some French people open a warehouse in May and Oct on 4th Street and put out all kinds of crap that is supposed to be wonderful by virtue of the French name. Sometimes you find a treasure or two, but lately it’s been pretty slim pickings. Today = very slim. As in, I wandered around and left without buying anything.

Then, down the street to the famous 4th Street Shopping District. Again, meh. Lunch at Bette’s Diner to go was the best part – tabouli with avocados and Orangina and 2 macarons – caramel and pistachio. Next stop, The Spanish Table. I love this store. All things Spanish. Today, olive oil, marcona almonds, manchego cheese, chocolate covered orange slices and saffron. Their website is sorely lacking – the inside of the Berkeley store is a visual feast. I had a most unhappy cooking accident awhile back that involved saffron. I measured out a teaspoon (maybe less and put the spoons down) then did some other task, and without thinking (clearly!) picked up the measuring spoons to measure something else and………..probably $10 worth of saffron threads on the floor! Ouch. So, I needed saffron.

Next to a jeans store on College near Ashby, Slash. This place has 2 locations, one with an entrance on College and the other around the corner on Ashby. The Ashby location (and I use the term very loosely) is actually like a kind of cave. You walk down from street level and into a room not a large as a bedroom where you are surrounded by probably 5,000 pairs of jeans, floor to ceiling. The only people who know where to find anything are the 2 women who work there. They size you up, ask what you want, and dig around flinging jeans at you from under piles of stock. You try them on in a closet just large enough to turn around in but must exit to find a mirror. There is literally no room for a mirror in the “dressing room.” I came away with a pair of Levi 517s. They are too tight, resulting in not one but 2 muffin tops. But, I gotta say, if I wear a top that is loose and thick enough to hide the overflow, I look pretty damn hot! Just don’t raise that top! They will be my incentive for when I think, oh, I’ve lost enough. Uh, no, honey, put on those 517s and think again.

Exploring College Avenue was fun – after scrounging change for a parking meter that doubles as an extortionist for the City of Berkeley. I did find a very cool peace t-shirt in a free trade store and the woman was very nice and gave me $2 in change which bought me less than an hour! Nevermind. Just walk. Found the new ice cream store, Ici. I’d read about it but forgotten where it was……orange with saffron ice cream. Yum. I skipped Tail of the Yak this time, it’s close by on Ashby but the meter was calling. And, that’s a store that’s more fun with company and if you have some $$. I stumbled upon Mrs. Dalloway’s Bookshop and bought the new Ruth Richl book and a couple of classics for Max to take along when I visit him and his parents in a couple of weeks. It’s a lovely store but, really, I used to work in a bookstore and the staff there is a bit distant.

Getting there this morning was a chore – some flatbed truck dumped its load one exit before the one I needed to take off 880, so I was stuck in 5 mph traffic (alternating with stopped dead) for quite awhile. I had been thinking for the past couple of days that I really hated 880 and I should take the “back way” to Berkeley which is 680, 580 and then 13 – which brings you into town on the west side by the Claremont. But, I didn’t. I hereby solemnly swear that I will NEVER go to Berkeley via 880 again. While stuck, I called my mom to check in on my cousin and his impending heart surgery and while being horrified by the latest stunt of my felon nephew, I missed a turn. Before I knew it, I was in the Caldecott tunnel. DAMN! I am claustrophic and hate tunnels and am not all that fond of driving for more than about an hour, so this was making me cranky. And, of course, I had to turn around and GO BACK THROUGH THE TUNNEL to get back on track. By the time I reached my first destination, I was so over driving. But, the day was sunny and almost warm and adventures awaited.

Yeah, after all the stops and wandering College Ave, I got tired and arrived back at the meter with 10 minutes to spare. So, driving home was annoying except for the caramel macaron I had saved – which, when I was seriously considering just pulling over and having a good cry from being the car for so damn long, helped me get home. Dear lord, I hate to drive. But, I have a new book, a kick-ass t-shirt and jeans that are way too tight to show for the day. And, Max will like the books. I may spend the day tomorrow in bed reading, or maybe to the Los Gatos farmer’s market……we’ll see. But, definitely, nothing more than 10 minutes away!

P.S. Happy coincidence – I just caught the last of Henry V – starting just before “the speech.” Time for bed and book, now.

HENRY V

I’m not totally sure what I intend to say here, except that one of my links and a site I just discovered and have been visiting regularly is called Shouting at Streetlights, and this wonderful Englishman has a YouTube imbedded in his very recent post about Shakespeare.  The YouTube is Kenneth Branagh’s St Cripin Day speech from Henry V.

I’ll never forget the first time I saw that movie.  I absolutely LOVE Shakespeare and am always thrilled to the bottom of my heart to see and hear any of his plays.  The words, the words.  How to explain it?  They are like music to me – I feel as wonderful as I do when I hear great music – like Nessun Dorma.  It’s a visceral feeling, like some kind of magical drug has just been injected into my veins.  Henry V is, in my humble opinion, one of Shakespeare’s better plays.  The range of emotion stretches from complete tragedy (battle scenes) to joy and hilarity (last scenes with his new wife).  I’m always exhausted by the end, yet feel as if I’ve eaten my favorite meal (whatever that is) – completely satisfied.  And, to quote scripture (which you won’t find me doing much), my soul is harrowed up by the agony of battle and the horrors experienced by so many.

So, do yourself a favor and go visit Shouting at Streetlights – if I had the sense to do it, I’d offer you the video myself.  But, as I mentioned, I’m a bit technically challenged in that regard.

GADGETS

I am not a tech wizard.  In fact, I rank just above Luddite on the scale.  I can navigate the software at work pretty efficiently, and I’ve learned from being told a thousand times that the first fix option is to restart.

Thanks to Ashley and James, we have a Nintendo DS and a Wii.  Pretty good kids, huh?  I wonder if when they gave them to us they had any idea how many stupid questions we’d have about them.  The latest was I asked James how to TURN ON the DS!  Seriously.  Well, they gave it to Husband and while I have a Ratatouille game for it, I haven’t seen it in a while.  So, when I got an email from Amazon designed to seduce me into buying My French Coach for the DS, I thought:  Hey!  We have one of those! The game arrived and Husband located the DS.  Which was, of course, dead as a doornail.  I was astonished that I actually located the charger in the basket (do you have one of those baskets? of course you do!) of paraphanelia that is computer/gadget related and confidently plugged it in for an overnight charge.  The next morning, I popped in the little game chip and…………nothing.  I pushed the start button and all the other buttons I could see.  Nothing.  I brought it to work and took it to James.  “Can you show me how to turn this damn thing on?”  There’s a tiny little switch on the side…….it says power.  In my defense, James said the newer version has a very visible power button on the front.

Anyway, once I learned how to turn it on again (clearly I once had this information as I used to play that little rat game) and found the little stick that’s poked into the bottom, I was ready to start learning French.  Again.

Several months before I went to Paris in 2005, I bought the Pimsleur (sp?) CDs and listened in my car.  I found this less than ideal.  First, they spoke so fast I couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying, particularly over the road noise, and then, I’m a visual person.  I felt I needed to see the word in order to memorize it or pronounce it.  Anyway, it worked well enough that I managed to get around fine while there, not counting the times I tried to actually speak to shopkeepers.   Husband will periodically talk to me about Rosetta Stone, but it’s so expensive that you would actually, really, have to learn French if you bought it.  None of this just “getting by” after that investment.

I’m having fun with this new French Coach of mine.  There’s a cool gopher game (hit the gopher with the right word when it pops up instead of the gopher with the “other” word), a find the word in a page of words all run together and a multiple choice game.  You can hear the words pronounced – again a kind of lightning round, but you can do it over and over.  Realistically, I’ll increase my word identification skills but I’m thinking it’s not going to do a whole lot for the actual spoken word.

The other gadget I recently acquired is a new wireless phone thingy.  How’s that for tech savy – I don’t actually know the name of the gadget?  Instead of plugging something into my ear to use the phone while in the car, this is a little black box, with something called Blue Ant technology, that attaches to the sun visor.  It has a pop out microphone (that’s how you turn it on and off) and volume adjustment so I can actually hear the other person.  I bought it because my morning calls with my mother were making me crazy – couldn’t hear her over the road noise.  Instead of buying a more expensive ear piece, this seemed like the perfect option – and people can think I’m mad as a hatter for appearing to have a very animated conversation with myself while driving with no visible cyborg like plug in attached to my ear.  Always a plus.  It stays in the car and, so far, it hasn’t even needed recharging.  Which was the second gripe I had about the ear piece – the charge seemed to last for 1, maybe 2, conversations.  Incredibly annoying.  My only reservation about this gadget is that it attaches to the visor with a magnet – I think something a bit more secure would be a better idea.

I like gadgets (even if I’m lame and forgetful) and if I could justify the monthly data package fee ($30 mo = $360 yr) with the phone company, I’d have myself one of those new fangled IPhones.  They are scary cool!

REWARD

I really did not want to go to my pilates class tonight. I came home from work, changed into my gym clothes right away (like always on Monday and Thursday nights) and then was almost overwhelmingly sleepy. I sat on the couch with my eyes closed, then got up to eat an orange. That helped some. A few more nibbles and it was time to go. I’ve learned that if I bailed every time I was tired, I’d never go, so I hauled my butt out the door and into the car.

Had to park in the Target parking lot, but it was close enough anyway. Then, I was REWARDED for showing up. Right there in front of the gym on the sidewalk was a BRIGHT RED VESPA! Immediately my heartrate was at fat burning level! I cannot explain it, but I WANT a red Vespa. I lust after a RED VESPA. I walked around it for a bit and appreciated the color, line and cute little tires. I thought, OK, coming was worth seeing this and went inside.

Standing in line waiting for the class before us to finish, I was behind a very thin young woman with a tatoo peeking out between 2 tops….I immediately recognized the red and white striped hat. Cat in the Hat! But I couldn’t see all of it. I stood there a bit and then said, “Uh, excuse me. Would you be totally creeped out if I asked to see the whole Cat?” She laughed and said sure and I pulled aside one of the tops and there it was…….a very cute Cat in the Hat! The execution could have been better, but I loved the choice of characters. He had a little blue book balanced on one finger. Just adorable. So, all in all, worth the trip.

Inside the class, I saw a sub that we sometimes have when Leigh is gone – which isn’t very often. Chris! Chris is a guy and used to be a dancer. He teaches pilates and yoga and he’s tough! Leigh is lovely but I can get through her routine without a huge amount of effort – yes, we do 120 criss crosses and that’s always hard, but on balance, I can finish each exercise and I haven’t been sore for a long time now. Chris, however, has a different routine and it’s HARD. I was glad I came. I mean, a RED VESPA AND A CAT IN THE HAT TATOO! What more could you ask for?

JOE ROMBI – LA MIA CUCINA

About 15 or 16 years ago when we were looking around for a place to have dinner to celebrate our anniversary, the desk clerk at  Gosby House mentioned there was a new Italian restaurant just around the corner.  She called over for us and made a reservation for that night.  We went back the next night, too!

We’ve been going back for a long time, now.  And so have the citizens of Pacific Grove and Monterey.  One of the things we like so much about the place is that it’s small – only 13 tables, 3 of which seat 2 – and that every time we are there, there is always a table of 6 having a good time.  Sometimes it’s a family, sometimes a bunch of friends, but always they know Joe and have lively conversations with him about their golf games, their kids, their sports teams or local news.  This last visit, a couple came in and practically ran to the back of the restaurant to a table of 6, shouting, “Oh, we saw your car!  We’re so glad to see you again!”  There are a couple of waiters who have been there a long time, one guy, the one in the back right of the photo, has been there at least 10 yrs, maybe more.  He knows everyone and they know him.

Friday night is lasagna night – Husband’s favorite.  A few years ago, I mentioned that the menu had not changed since they opened – with the exception of the nightly specials – the menu is the same predictable fare.  This is not necessarily bad as you can find your favorite and count on it being available each time you go.  I will say, however, that the house salad really does need updating or rearranging or just tossing out.  It’s lettuce, diced tomatoes and corn with some kind of mayo or sour cream base?  Not sure, but not remarkable. They have a really good bruchetta – perfect small size and just the right amount of garlic.  The tomatoes are sweet, even tho it’s not really tomato season just yet.  It comes as an amuse bouche along with the bread and olive oil and basalmic.  I wish I knew the brand of basalmic – it’s just the right mix of sweetness and kick. The portabella mushroom ravioli is very good as is the Pasta Rombi – vegetarian – and the eggplant parmesan is good, too.  The best, however, is the seasonal strawberry shortcake.  I don’t know if she still does, but Joe’s wife used to make the sweet biscuits that are used in the dish, just as Joe used to make the lasagna himself – I don’t know if he still does.  The strawberries are sweetened just a touch with a very light syrup and the whipped cream is WHIPPED!  It’s just a few beats this side of butter and I like that – can’t stand the runny stuff you sometimes get for whipped cream or the can stuff that I’m pretty sure is not even cream.  This is one gluten product that is worth being a bit uncomfortable for!

This last Saturday, the soup was white bean – ham stock.  Hm.  I failed to mention that at The Whole Enchilada I ate 2 of Husband’s shrimp.  First seafood , other than just a taste of the occasional crab cake I’ve had in probably 20 years.  I have to say I had forgotten how sweet shrimp can be and I truly enjoyed them both.  So, when my favorite white beans showed up with a little ham accompaniment, I thought, what the hell?  I ate shrimp, I’ll have some ham!  Then, for the past nearly year I’ve been fantasizing about crab cakes.  The special for the night was……….wait for it………..crab cake!  So, that did it – it was an omen, yes?  Here are the photos and, again, I apologize for half-eaten entrees……….I tend to be rather single-minded at the table.

The soup was lovely and best of all, there wasn’t a ton of it.  It barely covered the bottom of the bowl, which in my humble opinion, is a good thing.  You don’t fill up before the entree.

I like ham.  I remember.  I like pork.  

 

Here’s the salad that won’t die.  It’s colorful…..

 

 

 

 

 

I confess to being so excited at the prospect of crab cake that I totally spaced on the photo….as you can see.  Also on the plate:  roasted asparagus, beet and herbed cous cous.  I never thought I would say that there was too much aoili on anything, but someone in this kitchen got carried away with the squeeze bottle.  I scraped it aside and put some on the asparagus.  The crab cake was just the right mix of crab and spices – I really enjoyed it.  The cous cous was lovely and, well, I just really love a good beet!  It was a great meal.  Now, for the piece de resistance….

 

You can just see the top of the biscuit over the whipped cream.  Husband finished his first and wondered why he always gets a smaller portion than me!  HA.

Great meal, great company, great fun.

 

 

 

 

And, good night!

SATURDAY, APRIL 11TH – 28 YEARS!

You could say Husband and I are in a rut.  Hell, we’d say we are in a rut, but you know what?  It’s a really nice and comfortable rut, thanks very much.  We quite like it.  Every Saturday of our anniversary weekends for more than 20 years, we’ve gotten up, had a leisurely breakfast, gone back to the room and read the paper or lazed around for an hour or so, then headed south on Hwy 1 for Big Sur.

Our destination is the Nepenthe complex just south of the little village of Big Sur.  The drive down is just breathtaking and photos can’t do it justice.  I took some anyway.

 This is a drive by of the beautiful white sand beach in Carmel.

 

 

I always feel sorry that Husband has to keep his eyes on the road when there is such beauty just outside the window.  

When we left PG, it was foggy and windy and the wind was sharp and chilly.  But, as in the past, as we drove south along the coast, we came out of the fog and into the bright sun and warmer temperatures.  The fire and floods earlier in the year have closed the Big Sur Campground and we saw a couple of cars marooned in the mud just where the parking lot to the gift shop/restaurant used to be.  They have a lot of work to do to re-open the campground by Memorial Day weekend.

Here we are.  Up the stairs is Cafe Kevah – a terrace that looks out over the ocean and down the coast.  Inside Phoenix is, well, I guess it depends on how you look at it. They cater to local artists and sell one-of-a- kind jewelry, pottery, weavings, handmade soaps and lotions, books about the area, paintings, toys, windchimes and unique clothing.  There is a downstairs at Phoenix and they really should have a sign that reads something like: Abandon Your $$ All Who Enter Here.  Oh, that sign should be right at the front door!  Anyway, I’ve certainly abandoned a ton of money there over the years.  On the other hand, I have some wonderful jewelry and jackets and such that you’ll never see on anyone else.  So, you get what you pay for and I confess I am filled with anticipation before each trip.  What wonderful stuff awaits?  

This “sign” hangs over the stairs that lead down to the clothing treasures.  There is a smaller jewelry counter, women’s clothing and men’s, too.  The clothing tends to the elaborate, dramatic and expensive.  I found a 3/4 length embroidered jacket this trip that just brought me to my knees – both the beauty and the price.  I have no where to wear such work of art, even if I could afford the $495 price tag.  But, I really do appreciate it!  And covet it. 

I did find a wonderful linen jacket of asian design and it came home with me.  The sleeves need only an inch or so shortening.  It’s a lovely shade of fresh green – perfect for spring and summer.

 

Upstairs at Kevah, there is never any wind, just warm sun and the feeling that you’ve stepped into another world.  The food is nothing special, I guess, but I always have the home fries with salsa, a poached egg and a dollop of sour cream.  I make the same thing at home from time to time but the ambiance is sadly lacking.

I’m thinking just about anything you eat while taking in this view is going to taste absolutely amazing!  And, if a bottle of water is $2.50, well so be it.  I could sit on this terrace for.ever.  They never run you off and encourage you to stay and soak in the special energy of the place.

This year, I purchased a couple of pieces of the “special energy” of Big Sur.  I bought earrings made from Big Sur jade.  They are awesome and called my name all the way from The Phoenix while we ate lunch upstairs.  I had no choice but to obey.  Really.  I could hear them.

On the way back to PG, we stopped at the peace garden so I could take pictures.  It’s crazy stacked rocks and in the past there was always a sign admonishing the current government bullies to knock it off.  No such sign these days, but very interesting designs……..

Click on the photos for a closer look – it’s worth it.  There’s something very moving about this garden – zen, maybe?  I don’t know but I always feel a sense of the artist who worked so hard to put it together – his way of making a beautiful statement about the awfulness of the world at large.  

I’m going to take a break, now.  The next post will be dinner at Joe Rombi’s in PG.  We’ve been having our anniversary dinner there for about 15 years and it’s a unique little Italian restaurant.  A true neighborhood gathering place.  Oh, and hands down the best strawberry shortcake EVAH!

whew……..Friday at last

I’ve been trying to get back here and upload the photos from our trip to Pacific Grove and Big Sur and talk about some other stuff………I’m either very busy or very lazy.  Most likely the latter.  Anyway, we got away on time last Friday and headed for our first stop:  The Whole Enchilada in Moss Landing.  We’ve driven past that restaurant hundreds of times and I always think:  deep fried artichokes!  But, until this trip, we never stopped.

This is a “mexican food” place with emphasis on seafood.  It’s right on the harbor and just south of the ominous Moss Landing Power Station.

The inside is cheerful and colorful with lots of plants and a mermaid on the wall.  We got there about 1:30 and it was busy the whole time we were there.

I wanted deep fried artichokes.  So, I ordered them and a salad with a tortilla of refried beans topped with guacamole and sour cream and marinated artichokes. Husband chose a crab and shrimp salad.

As usual, I’m so focused on the food I forget to take a picture before diving in.  Unfortunately, the other photos of food in this post will appear similarly half-eaten.  This is not appetizing and I do sincerely apologize….it’s clear where my priorities lie.

You can be sure that these 3 remaining little tidbits were quickly dispatched!

 

 

 

 

We shared a piece of snickerbar pie.  It was good – how can you screw up ice cream and a snicker bar?  Then, on to Pacific Grove and to Gosby House.  We were so full from a late and large lunch that we had a light dinner of the snacks put out at the inn.  They routinely put out fruit, usually cheeses and crackers and some kind of sweet – a cake or some such – oh, and some kind of alcohol, maybe brandy?  Anyway, this night they had a dish of potato salad instead of cheese – weird – but good enough potato salad.    We were glad to have nowhere to go and nothing to do.  I read, Husband watched TV and before long, I was thirsty so we walked down the street to the liquor store and I bought some bottles of water.  Turned in early and slept very well!