THE PERFECT PLACE!

Well, Weber has done it, again. No, not that. Instead, she has found out the perfect place to spend a vacation.

She creates most of our posts. This is a rarity for me. I beg your forgiveness, if I get a little wordy.

As she has told you, this is work/VACATION week-and-a-half. The work part went well, albeit slowly. The inventory I worked in Eugene went smoothily and accurately. No problems there, except for the timing. I unfortunately missed running a 5K race I had entered in Eugene. Oh well, it's not like I would have won anything. I just like to run when I travel and having a race t-shirt would have been a bonus.

Now, it's vacation time, and I get to talk about the PERFECT PLACE. I'm not sure how she does it, but Weber has, over the years found us some incredible places in which to relax. In the pre-technology days, using magazines, newspapers, writing letters and making long distance phone calls, Weber always (well, except for Little Holland Court--we all have made mistakes) came up with great places. For years, Boston and Maine were her specialty. Then, technology came into play and one of her best emerged--a third floor, two story flat in an old, old, old, old building in Edinburgh, Scotland. A place I'll always remember. Our last cabin in Maine on lake Megunticook was another fantastic prize. But where I sit writing this post is right up there with the very best.

This condo in Depoe Bay, Oregon is phenominal! I'm sitting in a leather chair, typing away and looking out at the Pacific Ocean breaking on the rocks not fifty yards from our patio. The back of the condo, facing the ocean is glass. This is great. I'll admit that the weather is a little chilly (43 degrees), so I hit the switch, which fired up the gas log in the fireplace, and, voila, I can live with it. We have not yet used the hot tub on the patio, but I'm thinking wine and warm water may be in line for this afternoon. It is currently 9:00 am, the sun is up and there appears to be a wonderful day ahead.

Yesterday, I ran in the morning for about an hour--I clocked it at about 5-1/2 miles. It is great to run in a location like this. The difference in running at sea level vs. Salt Lake's altitude is unbelievable. I'm dressed and ready to head out for another run this morning. I'm planning on six miles today.

After my run yesterday, we took a beautiful ride along the coast to Florence, to visit the Chowder, Blues and Brews Festival. Paul Biondi and some of the musicians we met Thursday night were performing. We got there a little late (after 3:00, with thing wrapping up at 4:00), so we missed the chowder part, but the music was good. When they finished playing, Paul announced that the party was going to continue at the Traveler's Cove Restaurant and Bar in the Olde Town section of Florence, so we headed there. We had a nice dinner there and enjoyed more music. This group of guys (some different at each show we've seen, except for Paul) are very talented. They are truly impressive, and play everything from old-time swing tunes to blues and rock. We had a great time, again. And the local Mirror Pond Ale was a good choice.

By the way, mentioning ale reminds me: after settling in our first night here, we walked down the road to Tidal Raves a very nice local restaurant. The food was very good. I had talapia with wonderful garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables all under an incredibly good lobster-crab cream sauce. The sauce was so impressive, I even ate all of the veggies. God knows what they were. Well, I recognized the carrots, anyway. I've decided I need to go back there to find something else on the menu with that sauce. It would be great on anything. Oh yeah, the ale. With the meal I had Rogue Dead Guy's Ale. Now, I could not possibly pass trying a brew with that name. Damn, if it wasn't great stuff. I have a 6-pack in the fridge now, waiting for this afternoon. Maybe that instead of the wine in the hot tub. I'll let you know.

I'm not sure what we have in store for the rest of the day, yet, but that's what vacation is about, right? No hassles, no necessities, no stress.