a blog is a blog is a blog: Big Sur

Although it's a few weeks early, KJ and I celebrated our third anniversary by taking a trip to Big Sur. We'd been to the area during our trip to California in 2005, but we were excited to return.

See how excited we are to be in Big Sur!

We were excited. Then we started our trip, which was pockmarked with luck both very very good and very very bad.

Bad Luck #1: Destruction of Jetta on CA-85
Not 15 miles from home, we ran over some road debris on one of my least favorite highways. I wasn't exactly paying attention, but Kevin seems to think it was a "clay pot" or "some glass;" it apparently was about the size of a rugby ball, though, and it crashed underneath the car with a mighty boom.

We were able to pull off the road at the next exit with a sickening grinding sensation under the floorboards. When we pulled into a neighborhood to check out the damage, we saw a random piece of plastic hanging down, dragging along the ground. Groovy!

Bad Luck #2: Attempt to Discern Amount of Destruction to Jetta
We'd actually pulled off the highway at the perfect time; any later and we'd been in a much more rural area. As it was, we were in a fairly industrial area populated by many, many, many mechanics.

Alas, it was Sunday.

And so I don't exaggerate when I say that we drove past over a dozen car repair shops - not to mention service stations - before we'd given up hope of finding something by pure luck. But perhaps luck was on our side, since on the corner where Kevin had decided to turn around stood a Shell station with open garage doors. Hallelujah! And while they weren't open, some suggestive pregnant-belly petting and pathetic looks from yours truly garnered us some time with a mechanic, who informed us:
(1) we have an oil leak (which we knew about);
(2) we were OK to drive.

Snap! Back on the road.

Good Luck #1: Free bassinet
Just moments after we'd received the good news, and as we were looking for the highway on-ramp, we received a call from friends offering us their not-really-ever-used bassinet. Excellent! Perhaps we can free up an extra six inches or so in the bedroom.

I think they might have been a little shocked by our willingness to take it off their hands, though.

Joe: You can take a look at the pictures and see if you like it; it might not be your style.
Kevin: I can't imagine what it would have to look like for us not to want it.

Bad Luck #3: A chilling realization...
We'd assembled our new mansion-tent and had started filling it with the dozens of pillows I'd brought when I realized I had forgotten to pack the sleeping bags.

Kevin's smiling on the outside, but shivering on the inside

Good Luck #2: We have a down blanket in the car
For emergencies. Like early-morning basketball ticket distributions.

Good Luck #3: The restaurant in the park where we're camping sells Blue Bunny ice cream - cotton candy flavored, to boot!

Bad Luck #4: When we go to get ice cream, after waiting so patiently, the store is closed due to "lack of staff."
Amy, defeated: I'm not sure what lesson I'm supposed to learn from this.

From here, though, it was smooth sailing. We saw tons of wildlife: turkeys, harbor seals, sea otters, lots of tidepool creatures, and many birds that we can never identify.