Every St. Patrick’s Day, Jason and I cook an Irish feast together and then watch some Patty flick while our bellies grumble about overuse. Both of us look forward to this ritual, despite our stomachs’ mixed feelings.
Jason decided that festive hats were essential to the success of our meal preparations.
This year we decided to make some tried-and-true dishes for our shamrocked supper: Shepherd’s Pie and Irish Soda Bread. No need for Irish luck, these recipes turned out perfect on their own. Then, Leap Year provided post-pig-out giggles.
Making Irish Soda Bread is relatively easy but messy. It’s a bit messier when I’m involved.
Our meal turned out tasty. Don’t believe me? Just ask the little green men.
It was a grand night spent laughing and eating, two of my favorite things. If you can’t find a pot of gold, a pot of yummy grub is the next best thing.
Jason and I have been to San Diego many times but we find ourselves continually returning. This February, Jason’s employer scheduled a management retreat to that temperate coastline and we were obligated to attend. We felt constrained to stay a couple of extra days after his work commitments were over to make the trip worthwhile. Yes, life truly is suffering and sacrifice.
Purely due to chance, we got one of the best rooms at the Hotel del Coronado. We were right on the beach and our patio looked out onto this.
Jason had all-day meetings scheduled for half a week at the Hotel del Coronado, a Victorian beach resort on Coronado Island. All of his management team and their spouses were booked at the hotel while these company discussions were taking place. Given the surroundings, it’s too bad that Jason’s work group had to, well, work. While they were engaged, I didn’t waste any opportunities to read a book near the surf or get a massage at the spa. It was relaxing but without Jason it was definitely lacking.
This Dragon Tree, located at The Del, is over 100 years old and was used as a backdrop in the Marilyn Monroe film Some Like It Hot.
Our nights were spent eating. Yes, just eating. It took hours to feed our massive group at the upscale joints we patronized. The cuisine at Chez Loma, Brigantine Seafood and Oyster Bar, and Primavera Ristorante was pretty tasty though.
Coronado Beach, in my opinion, is San Diego’s nicest shoreline.
Hotel del Coronado, a beautiful Victorian beach resort, was built in 1887.
Since chomping became a prolonged pursuit on this trip, it’s fitting that my favorite activity we did with Jason’s coworkers extended mealtime even further. We took a dinner cruise across the San Diego Bay aboard a private yacht, the Quiet Heart. This 82-foot vessel was pretty posh and its route was definitely scenic. We admired the underside of the Coronado Bridge, the twinkling shoreline, the hull of the USS Midway, and the swirly bay waters as we feasted.
From the deck of the Quiet Heart, San Diego Bay was a swirling dance of water and light.
After Jason’s business obligations were over, he and I spent a couple of days by ourselves at Paradise Point on Mission Bay. We were right on the beach again, which was rather fantastic again. Jason was exhausted from his meetings and ready to take it easy. I, on the other hand, had been taking it easy for days and was ready to take it somewhere else but I accepted my fidgetiness as a side effect of his prescribed relaxation.
At Paradise Point we stayed in a beach bungalow nestled on North Cove.
We rented bikes and rode them along the bay, walked on the beach, read books, and gobbled lip-smacking chow. Tidal, a highly-rated seafood restaurant, was just a ten-minute walk away and their seafood stew was amazing.
We rode bikes along Mission Bay our last afternoon in San Diego.
San Diego was a different experience for us this time. For me, it was quite possibly the sedatest vacation I’ve ever taken…maybe a little too restful for this energetic girl. For Jason, it was a blend of productivity, fun, and fatigue; at least fun was in the mix somewhere. I’m certain that we’ll be seeing you again soon San Diego!
Valentine’s Day: despised, adored, dreaded, avoided, relished. How can one holiday encompass so many sentiments? Regardless of how everyone else feels, V Day and I are cool with each other, cool enough for nicknames. Seriously, why would I carry a grudge for a holiday that gives me a chance to spoil my favorite man and do awesome stuff with him?
Come visit us at Pemberley anytime.
It was Jason’s turn to plan our V undertakings this time. He decided to spread things out. From Desert Star Theatre’s production of Pirates of the Scarribbean to the Extreme Mammals exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Utah, we did a number of V Day activities not on V Day. Attending Alton Brown Live! The Edible Inevitable Tour, part of Jason’s V Day plans, even happened weeks after the holiday.
We’ve become good friends with the members of our dance group.
The one thing we did do to celebrate Valentine’s Day precisely on Valentine’s Day was go to the Regency Romance Ball. We’ve attended this Jane-Austen-themed dance a few times but it never loses its appeal. Since Jason and I are now “experts” on vintage prancing, we ended up offering a lot of assistance to confused dancers at the ball, which was actually rather fulfilling. I decided to make a new dress for this event…again. Yes, I’ve sewn three for this particular time period but a girl can never have too many Regency gowns. I believe that’s rule #72 in the Girl Handbook. (Don’t try to look it up; the Girl Handbook is completely incomprehensible.)
Jason said the gift he most wanted for Valentine’s Day was time with me so that’s what I got him. In this box I placed a sealed envelope for each month of the next year and in each envelope the details of an activity we will be doing together that month.
This February Jason and I had a lot of fun in the name of love. V Day, no matter what others say, you are A-OK with me.
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