Still on vacation in Pismo, making a quick post while Spinner forages for breakfast.  Diego’s getting spoiled rotten with the long, leashless, walks on the beach.  This morning’s was a special treat though.

About halfway down the beach we stumbled on (and Diego sniffed) a young couple enjoying a bottle of champagne with the sunrise.  Didn’t want to intrude to the point of asking what they were celebrating – settled for luring Diego away so they could get back to their moment.  Have to assume though they were there to help celebrate our anniversary.  Yep, our wedding was one year ago today, on the second day of California’s 2008 marriage equality window.  The marriage is still going strong despite the best efforts of the H8ers, and I love Randy even more today then I ever have.

We spent Friday night at a local restaurant that we thought was new.  Neither of us had ever heard of Stone Brewery’s World Bistro & Gardens until it started popping up as a recommendation on the Urbanspoon app on my iPod.  The waitress said they’ve been open two years, and Spinner’s lived in Escondido for five, which just shows that despite lousy marketing you can still have an amazing restaurant.  

Good drinkies, of course, but also very good food.  The Mac & Cheese was delicious, and Spinner raved about the pork roast.  Best though was the venue.  Tough to find and literally in an industrial park, but they’ve built a wall and set up an enclosed garden for their guests that completely blocks out the Escondidoness.  Foot bridges and a pond with fake frogs and some adirondacks so you can relax a bit before or after the meal. Totally unexpected.

Zip forward to Sunday, when we brought home our newest shiney, a new Wii.  I know we’re late adopters, and we certainly can’t use the excuse that it’s for the kids, but OMG it’s so much fun.  Nothing like a little tennis in the morning before work without ever being more than a step away from the coffee.  Diego seems to think we’ve gone insane, but he learned pretty quick to get out of the way, and hasn’t stolen the controllers (yet).  Lots to explore there.  Nice to have some new in the life.

Diego’s eating his normal dog food for the first time in a week.  I guess the fact that he isn’t expecting more ham, or roast beef, or quiche, or bacon, or some other buttery/greasy food to ‘accidentally’ fall in front of him shows his acceptance of a return to the status quo.

It was a great holiday season, incredibly busy this year, but I’m happy things have slowed back down.  I’ve got things I need to get done, and really need to take a look at the practice and make some changes for an economy that looks bleaker and bleaker by the day.  Too many projects became involuntary pro bono this year.  Sorry folks, but I decide where I volunteer my time, not you.

At least it will be a short work week as I ease back into some kind of a pattern.  Spinner goes back to work on the fifth, so I won’t get much done until then, except maybe a little mental health roadtrip.  And, weather permitting, our local little

Spent a big chunk of the afternoon watching Spinner and the rest of the San Diego Men’s Chorus perform some numbers from tomorrow’s Christmas concert. For the second year in a row they were combining the concert with an outreach effort for San Diego students interested in the performing arts. This year the event was at the Balboa Theater in the Gaslamp, as is Saturday’s concert.

While the school kids definitely seemed to be enjoying SDMC’s music, the big cheering was definitely for American Idol finalist Paris Bennett, who is guest starring with the Chorus this season. No, I don’t watch American Idol, and have to admit I couldn’t have picked her out of a crowd before today, but she definitely knew how to work the crowd and was a blast to watch. And yes, we met her after the show, and she and her Mom are just as wonderful in person. I just threw that last one in there for Micky, my favorite American Idol fan. There are benefits from being married to America’s favorite second tenor.

I wasted most of my Sunday coding on the sites, and now I’m just vegging on the couch watching Futurama while Spinner makes some pancit for dinner. Life is good.

Despite the slacking, there was a good swim and steam yesterday, and the coding means that comments are back on the photo gallery. This will be an ugly Business of Law week, but at least I’m going into it well rested, and fairly content.

The fall household decor came out of storage this afternoon. Halloween stuff, Thanksgiving stuff, turned leaves and the earth’s plastic bounty in a cornucopia centerpiece. Diego sniffed around a bit. He was obviously tempted to play, but not sure what he could get away with.

Then came the Voice of Temptation (also the winder-uper of Temptation), Spinner, to push him to the edge.

The Voice of Consequences at the end of the video is provided by yours truly.

Writing a lot this week.  Just looked at the calendar and realized that I’m probably going to go the whole week without seeing a single client face-to-face.  Phone calls, e-mails, faxing, research, drafting.  I really should have done a lot more out at the pool – then at least I’d have a better tan to show for my diligence and hard work.  Instead I’ve got billable hours on the books, and an accounts receivable number that was ugly on Monday and hasn’t moved a bit since then, neither of which are going to fill the gas tank this weekend. 

At least I got out Tuesday to spend time with KipEsquire and Randy at the Wild Animal Park.  Very fun day, even if Kip’s sunburn kept making me wince.  And I got my ego stroked a bit by the kind folks at PBS’ new Engage blog, which always makes life look better. 

Rough day watching other people’s relationships in action.  There were a lot of reasons I never wanted to get back into family law, and the emotional stress of spending too much time dwelling on the issues from failed relationships tended to make me dark and cynical.  Even darker and more cynical than I was after the nine years with State.  Hearing all the stories and witnessing on the pain can make you spend too much time saying ‘what if’ when dealing with your own life.  Better to live the life.  I think I’m handling it better this time around – having someone around to slap me back to reality when needed helps.  But after this morning I’m really ready for a vacation.  Sure, I’m scheduled to swing by the courthouse on Monday and put the legal stake in someone else’s marriage, but it’s been undead for years and both sides need to move on.  Fortunately they’re getting divorced in Ventura, on the way to this year’s vacation central.  So after legalizing that reality, I can put the file away and spend three days on the beach with Spinner and Diego.  Eat good food, see good friends, ride good waves, take some (hopefully good) photographs.  All the things that go with vacation. 

Sunday night ended with Spinner pointing out that our voracious little reader had devoured the spine and back cover of Orson Scott Card’s Xenocide, and Monday morning started with Joe pointing out that someone had hacked Spinner’s site. 

The week is not boding well at this point.

Temps here are supposed to be in the 90s for the third day in a row, and I’m really contemplating doubling up the Naproxen and plowing through a nice, long swim.  I can deal with the consequences to the various tendons later, but I really think I’m going to need the mental aspects of a good swim today. 

Ninety-nine degrees outside here.  This is supposed to be April, not August.  Diego might be embarrassed at how Friday’s haircut looks, but I’ll bet he’s loving the comfort level in the shade about now.

While I always love good conspiracy theory (OMG hot air from rambling democrats is killing the icecaps) I suspect the unseasonal heat is just residual energy from Spinner‘s sizzling performance last night with the SDMC at their Dreamguys show at the Balboa Theatre.  Gotta love it when grown men can break out the hand puppets as back-up singers for The Lion Sleeps Tonight, and maintain more-or-less straight faces in the process.