Sunday Drive

I know the rest of the country will find this very hard to imagine but it gets awfully cold here in the summer.  When everybody else is dealing with the 100+ degree heatwave, we're barely getting out of the 50s and we haven't seen the sun in days.  Don't be envious, there's nothing nice about cold, clammy fog.

So on those days when we just can't take another day of chilly, damp weather, we head inland in search of sun.  One of our favorite sun-day drives (ha, I crack myself up with cleverness) is to a little town called San Juan Bautista, one of the original 21 California missions.  It's the cutest little town, looks just like the set of a western movie.

Most of the time it's a quiet, sleepy town except for 4 times a year when the arts & crafts/antique fairs come a callin'.  Today, however, it was quiet and sunny and warm and wonderful.

SJB has a lot of little restaurants.  We have only tried a few of them because we like those so much, we never want to waste a visit there by trying something new that we might not like as well as our favorites.  For the longest time we only ate at JJ's Burgers (which is awesome) but on our last visit we decided to throw caution to the wind and try the Orient Express.

Let me start by saying that we are Chinese restaurant snobs, so many of them are mediocre, so I'm thrilled to say that we love Orient Express!  Although they don't have my personal favorite, Hunan Beef, I have found new favorites in their Crispy Shrimp or Crispy Beef with Spicy, Tangy Sauce.  Today I went for the beef and had to fight with myself not to eat the whole platter.  Luckily, I won the battle (or did I lose?) and managed to stop while there was still enough to box up for another meal.  The crispy part is tempura batter wrapped around tender beef chunks, smothered with a rich sauce that's not too spicy or tangy but just right.

The restaurant decor is kind of country rustic meets Chinatown which sounds odd but it really works especially in a rustic town like SJB.  I love the hanging basket lamps.  I'll try to remember to take a picture of them next time.

No visit to SJB would be complete without a stop at Margot's Ice Cream Parlour which serves wonderful Lapperts ice cream from Hawaii.  My favorite flavor is Banana Caramel Chocolate Chip...don't knock it till you've tried it.  I can only show you the empty cup because from the moment they gave it to me until it was finished my only thought was of eating, not taking pictures.

If you'd like, I'll go back tomorrow and have more just so that I can get a picture.  Anything to accommodate my readers, don't you know.

j is for jasper

Yep, I'm going to talk about jasper again...but it's not what you think.  Did you know there's a gemstone called jasper?  I had a vague knowledge of it until a couple of weeks ago and then it suddenly took on a new importance for me so I did a little research.  I thought it might be nice to have a stone or piece of jewelry so that I could always carry a little piece of jasper with me.

Then I learned a really amazing fact - there are many types of jasper found in the world including a variety called...wait for it....RED JASPER!  My Jasper was a Golden Retriever but he wasn't yellow, he was a shade of red that pretty well matches the stone color so it seemed perfect. 



Even more perfect was the description of the 'meaning" of red jasper.

A strong protection gemstone, red jasper is known to protect against hazards of the night.  Jasper is one of the oldest known gemstones. It is mentioned in the Bible several times. Jasper is a strong securing gemstone. It is a stability gemstone. It is a powerful protection against things that are not good for you and it eases emotional stresses, making it a wonderful gemstone to have in your home.

Jasper gives one the courage to speak out and have personal independence. It also protects from fears in the night. Red jasper is thought to help balance the energy in the body. All jaspers help balance the emotional energy in the body.

After reading that, I had to have a piece of red jasper.  I guess I wasn't the only one, when I told T about this, he choked out the words, "how can I get a piece?"

Thank goodness for the Internet, it led us to a rock shop just a few miles away and within the hour we were holding our very own pieces of red jasper.  I don't know if I believe in the healing powers of gemstones or not but I do know that having something symbolic that we can touch and carry with us every day has been healing for both of us. 

I've learned a very valuable lesson - if I ever get another pet, I'm naming it Tiffany!

It won't hurt so much always, Anne.

The thought that it may stop hurting sometimes hurts me worse than all else, Marilla.

And that's where I am right now.  Saying goodbye to Jasper has left a hole inside my soul and left me feeling a little (ok, maybe a lot) lost.  Because he was a big part of each day for the last 15 1/2 years, his loss hurts more than any loss I've experienced thus far.  He was not my "dog", he was my child.  I raised him from a tiny baby to an experienced "man" of the world.  I helped him learn right from wrong.  I spent many sleepless nights worrying about him.  I cleaned up after him, nurtured him, laughed with him and shed a few tears over the years.  He made me feel like something I'd never been before - a mom.

So yeah, it hurts.

And yet, like Anne of Green Gables, the thought that one day it won't hurt so much anymore makes me sad.  I know it'll happen but it somehow seems like a betrayal, like I will be forgetting him and happily going on with my life.

Logically I know that I'll never forget Jasper and that it's natural to go on with my life without him.  I'm not really one to wallow around in misery and self-pity so it's not likely that I'd want to be sad for too long anyway but I'm just not there yet.  I'm going to let myself feel what I'm feeling for as long as I need to.  I'm still lost but eventually I'll stumble back onto the right path.  I'm sure of it.

Hello from the Road...

by Jasper Ngo

My name is Jasper Ngo.

I am the Travelin' and Eatin' Dog. Ricky Nelson could have written a song about me.

In my 15.5 years, I have lived in three states (VA, CA and FL) and visited AZ, NM, TX, LO, MS and AL. I have flown across the country. I have taken 6 road trips between CA and FL. I have seen Route 66 and stood on a corner in Winslow, AZ. I went to many beaches, mountains, deserts, countless towns and cities. I traveled so much, I had my own suitcase. I got really excited when it came out because it meant Adventure Time was here. My favorite beach is Carmel Beach where I can run. My favorite town is, of course, Carmel-by-the-sea and eating at the Tuck Box or The Forge in the Forest or Casanova or getting a drink from a silver bucket at Porta Bella. It was also a lot of fun spending a weekend at the Happy Landing Inn or having Afternoon Tea at the Cypress Inn. Although I liked Carmel, going on long weekends to San Simeon, having lunch at the Main Street Grill with my Mommy and Daddy gave me lots of fun memories. The irony in my life was, I lived by the sea but I was not fond of the water or the swimming pool. I have been to Yosemite Park and walked up to Bridal Veil Falls under the admiring eyes of the many tourists. My favorite desert is the Mojave desert, where I stood facing into the cool desert wind inhaling all the sweeping scents as if I was reading a doggy world newspaper.

Since I never bark, I have successfully sneaked in and out of many motels but never made a single mistake in them!

I am pretty sure, I have seen more places and traveled more than some people.

As for food, I have snacked (now a verb) my way through life. I have loved eating with my family even though I am sure that, at times, they would have preferred not to share their food. I became a Master at "Sad Eyes" when it came to food. Just to let you know, the family phrase "Daddy does not share food!" did not apply to me, that's how good I was. Since I was never quite sure if it was easier with Mommy or Daddy, I got food from both!

My favorite foods? Pizza, Cheerios, Hot Dogs (National Hebrew), Marshmallows, Daddy's Special BBQ Ribs, Lucky Dog Bakery Cookies and the occasional popcorn.

I have indulged my Mommy with her hat fetish. So many embarrassing pictures of me in hats for various occasions. One of the best is winning a trophy in the very First Reindoggy Parade held in Carmel in Dec 2005. At least in that contest, Mommy and Daddy had to wear silly hats as well.

Let's not forget that I am famous. I was featured in the Carmel Pine Cone newspaper in October 2008! I was "interviewed" for the Sandy Claws column by Margot Nichols after my Mommy figured out who we needed to meet to get interviewed!

So you see, I have led a life full of love and fun adventures. I made a lot of memories with my little family.

Alas, all things do come to a close, always too early, even after many years of a good life. I am thankful to have had a wonderful, happy, long healthy life with my Mommy and Daddy. Together, we grew, we walked, we played ball, we played the "slippers" game, we went to work together, we went for car rides, we traveled, we ate good food, we laughed, we explored, we had fun quiet times and most importantly we LOVE each other. Together, I was never afraid of Life and learned that Adventure is out there. They were my little family and I was their World. For over 15 years life was a wonderful adventure, now it is time for them to have their own adventures and me to have mine... It will be very hard but they gave me the courage to do so, I will always carry their love and a part of them in my heart where ever I go... I know they will do the same.

With unending love for my Mommy and Daddy and until we meet again.

Jasper

into the pool

time for a swim!

fog

so glad we sprung for the oceanfront room. ;~)

still beautiful, though

My weekend