Picking Up

Right where I left off on day two.  The ocean.  My first time.  And, as I said before, the beach right off the Hotel Del on Coronado Island is probably a pretty fantastic first time spot.  It was cloudy and I do believe it rained five drops, but it was still one of the most glorious times I've had in awhile. 

• The Boss was a proud trolley sticker wearing beach goer.  
• Shelby and I apparently felt the need to clutch our purses for dear life as if someone was going to jump out and take them.  Good thing we realized that looked odd and then had The Boss hold them instead. 
• I, of course, was wearing appropriate beach foot attire.  I have a tendency to wear inappropriate footwear.  We've discussed this before.  
• My attention span does not allow for doing things like finding sand dollars, but Momma Mitty has excellent attention skills so she took care of that for me.  
• Never mind that I forgot about those sand dollars in my purse until I was wondering what the funky smell was in the conference the next day.  Note to self.  Sand dollars and other shells really, really smell if you put them in a plastic bag and don't wash them.   
• It was early evening so the sun was starting to set.  
• Shelby and I stood next to the water and were visiting about how the waves crashing in were so beautiful and then all of sudden we were running and were soaking wet from the knee down.  
• Those waves keep getting closer and closer.  Another mental note to self.
• This made us laugh, yell, and run like goof troops.  Momma Mitty caught it on my camera.  
• Then, I set the camera so it wouldn't be blurry which inspired the whole tourist, nerd herd jumping scenario.

• I do believe I could take pictures of the ocean all day.  Every day.  Even shoes look amazing with it as a backdrop.  
• The Boss wrote his name in the sand.  My and Shelby's tendencies to revert to being five years old wore off on him.
• Shelby wrote a message to her husband.
• My sock might have been dropped into the water.  By me. 
• Momma Mitty, being the good attention holding person she is, walked and waved my sock around so it would dry.
• The sun started to really set and we were going to be late for the last trolley pick up of the day, so we missed the actual sunset.   
• I would have been alright with being stuck on the island and not having to cross that bridge again. 

As I was walking away, I turned around one last time...this just might be my favorite.

• Shelby and I had to walk with wet, sandy feet tucked into half wet socks tucked into shoes.  Real comfortable.  But, so worth it. 
• We caught the last trolley. 
• Shelby made friends with some marketing people and they wanted her to work for them; it could have something to do with her ability to talk to strangers. 
• When we made it over the bridge and I was done with my Dear Jesus, I joined in and then we all were SHUSHED rather rudely by the trolley driver.  It was like we were the naughty kids in the back of the bus. 
• Once back to Old Town, we did some shopping and I made some friends. 

• Robert drove us to The Fish Market which is located right on the harbor.
• I did the sushi thing for the first time.
• The two men making the sushi told me, "Your first time?  You do cooked fish."  I replied, with a fist slammed down on the counter, "If I'm going to do this...then I'm going to DO this.  No cooking!"
• Then, they laughed and whipped me up something that was not octopus because that's just yucky.
• I tried to take pictures of them making it, but they wouldn't let me behind the counter.  Weird.
• Someone asked me if I worked for a magazine.
• I think this is a sign I take pictures of things too frequently.  
• LOVED THE SUSHI.

• Robert took Shelby and I along on a couple of pick-ups and drop-offs he had to make.  He said he could use the entertainment.
• The pick-ups/drop-offs included two guys from San Fransisco, two guys from New York City, and a group of pilots.  
• Robert issued me a challenge that if I could get the group of pilots to laugh by the time we brought them back to hotel, then I was officially funnier than him.  It took him a week of daily pick-ups before they would banter with him. 
• Done.
• They laughed within a minute.  When they opened the door to the van, I was sitting right there and said, "I hear you boys are real good at driving trains."
• Let's just say they laughed.  
• Robert was impressed.  I know he was.
• When we got back after the last run with Robert, then Mitch {front desk} took Shelby and I out with him.
• It was fun and full of interesting folks.  
• Family pictures were taken with strangers which included a guy from Ireland wearing a Carhart coat. 
• A scarf wearing musician {John Hull...great at what he does} chatted it up with me about my camera and lens.
• Then, he took a pretty great picture of Shelby laughing.
• And then, well, things just got ridiculous.  Shake weights, like on the infomercials, were brought out.  What kind of a going out establishment has shake weights?   
• We were introduced to the mush face by John which then turned into a fake punching lesson by his friend Coraly.      
• Mitch can do THE BEST star-jack I've ever seen and for this, I feel he and I will be forever friends.

Day two was crazy full of wonderful places and people.  I feel like I lived four days within that Sunday and I wish I could re-play it over and over again.  And, at the end of it, Shelby and I decided that we really just wanted to put Mitch in our pocket and take him back to ND because he gets as excited about things as we do.