Accident

Yesterday I got into a minor accident while en route to picking up one of my kids. My car was hit from behind while the child's sibling and I were stopped in traffic. We were talking about the price of McLaren's when we got the jolt from behind. Thankfully, the girl who hit us quickly followed my car to a side road and was very apologetic.

As I went to inspect the damage, which of course my brain imagines to be severe, I was relieved to see hardly any--just a license plate frame impression on the back bumper; another dent to add to the collection on my poor car. It felt worse than it was. The impact was enough to open the sun roof door of my car, but not enough to bother us in any way. We were perfectly fine physically, just a little shaky.

The girl was outwardly worried because it was her fault and she had never been in an accident before. I was inwardly worried about the child in my back seat. That's something I have never experienced before and hope I never have to go through again. It's a huge responsibility, especially when it's someone else's child. The possibility of a car accident has always worried me since I started driving other people's children around for my job. I hoped it would never happen. Now I will never drive that same route again without getting a bit anxious.

But there was nothing I could have done. I have to keep telling myself that. Accident's happen and they are nothing but accidents. You can't change them or prevent them. You can't think, If I would have done this, or If only I had gone the other way--who's to predict what could have happened in the other direction?

Happily, the process of exchanging information went smoothly, and the child in the backseat of my car was very cool, calm, and logical about the situation. I will still worry, of course, but I can be relieved that it wasn't a traumatizing experience and that no real harm was done.

Half Moon Bay April 27, 2012

Eric and me in front of the Ritz Carlton.

On Friday evening, Eric and I had a much needed romantic getaway at Half Moon Bay, CA. Thanks to our friend Emily who was able to watch Mia, it was just the two of us and a lovely night at the Ritz Carlton. Eric was at the hotel early for a picnic and hike--he hiked 8 miles through mud, redwood trees, and banana slugs!

I drove up to meet him and got there around 7pm. I guess at the Ritz you aren't allowed to do anything yourself, which I didn't quite understand at first but it has been a learning experience! A valet opened the car door for me, another one parked my car for me, and a third guy took my bags and directed me to the front desk. It seemed silly to have someone take my small bags that were packed for a night's stay. I was followed by a bellman pushing my tiny bags on a large luggage cart. He navigated me through the hotel up to my room and knocked on the door where Eric was waiting for me. Niether of us were prepared to give out tips so our smallest bill was $5. Lucky bellman!

Our room was exquisite! It was small but very elegant and had a large bay window with an unbelievable view of the ocean. It was so relaxing to open the window and hear the soothing sounds of the waves rolling back and forth. The bathroom was only comparable to the one in our room at the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui, and it was complete with separate shower and large soaking tub, bathrobes, slippers, large ceramic sink, and even individually wrapped cotton balls--Eric was impressed.

Since it was dinner time we didn't have much time to explore. We learned that to get your car you need to call ahead of time so that it is ready when you get to the lobby.

We drove into the small town and did some Italian restaurant hopping on Main Street, starting out with a reservation at Pasta Moon and ending with an impromptu stop at It's Italia.

Pasta Moon is a restaurant we have passed by on Pumpkin Festival trips, and one that I have always wanted to try. I was very excited to have a romantic, candlelight dinner here, but it did not meet my expectations. Upon arrival we were greeted by no one, so we stood around awkwardly for a couple of minutes trying to decide if we should seat ourselves or not. Eventually our hostess came and directed us to the only open table for two in a small room off to the left. It was the second of two tables placed in a tiny cubicle that were so close together we might as well have shared one table. They should never have tried to sit two separate couples here. There was no room for conversation. We could tell that the couple already seated next to us was put off from speaking and we weren't comfortable about speaking to each other until they left. This kind of seating only works in a place like the Cheesecake Factory where the noise level is so loud it drowns out the conversation of the other couples you are crammed in with. Thankfully, the hostess did not seat anyone else there after they left. There were plenty of tables in other rooms of the restaurant so why they chose to cram us into a corner I have no idea.

We did get a nice picture at our little table!

I ordered the butternut squash ravioli, ready to gorge myself on delicious fresh-made pasta. It was absolutely delicious, but I was a bit disappointed by the portion size. I definitely could have eaten all of the larger portion, but the waiter recommended the smaller one for me. Never having eaten here before I took his word for it. I expected them to be large raviolis but they were bite size. It felt more like a small appetizer than an entree. Eric's large portion of his pasta dish--a linguini bolognese--seemed very small for him as well. Perhaps we were suposed to order in courses? Eric's request for parmesan cheese on top of his pasta had to be repeated. My pear martini was very delicious and fruity, but not very strong. They did serve bread, but after eating that and our pasta dishes we were still hungry. Rather than order another expensive entree that might not be fulfilling, we decided to try a different place.

Love Letter--made with
raspberries and rose petals.

On the next block we found the restaurant, It's Italia! They greeted us as we entered the restaurant and were able to seat us if we waited a couple of minutes. We got a nice four person table all to ourselves and it felt very free, open, and comfortable. We were able to relax more here. It might not have been as fancy or sophisticated but the food was just as great and was served in larger portions for about the same price. The service was impressive by comparison. Eric ordered the tomato basil bruschetta and I ordered the spaghetti with meat sauce. All that and another basket of bread definitely hit the spot! I also had a drink called Love Letter, made with raspberries and rose petals. It was extremely strong and I am not used to drinking that much hard alcohol--I am usually a wine or beer person. But it did feel great to get our money's worth at this place! I think we will come here again.

When we got back to the hotel we put on our swimsuits with the intention of relaxing by the pool. We found out at the front desk that it had closed at 8pm, so we decided to take a nighttime stroll instead. The moon and a large light shinning from the roof of the hotel lit up the ocean beautifully for a late night walk. We walked down to the pool area to see where it was and found a pond on the golf course with an insane amount of noisy frogs. We also caught a raccoon sneaking into the gazebo. Closer to the hotel were some lit fire pits surrounded by big, comfy patio chairs and blankets for our convenience--it was a cool night. We enjoyed the ocean air and the fire pits for awhile.

We made ourselves get up early the next morning since check out was at noon and we wanted time to take advantage of the amenities. We had a big (and expensive) breakfast at the hotel restaurant. That's the cost of a booth with an ocean view!














We learned the night before that the use of the spa facilities was open to us and included in our resort fee. So, after having our fill of eggs, sausage, potatoes and cappuccino, we went downstairs to the spa. We went into separate locker rooms and found in our lockers complimentary robes, sandals, and towels. The woman's side had a lounge with a fireplace, complimentary tea, bottled water, and fruit, private showers with soap, shampoo, conditioner, and shaving cream, a private/clothing optional hot tub, steam sauna, and dry sauna. Eric and I met up at the coed hot tub which was completely vacant besides us, so it was like our own private jacuzzi room. There were candles lit, a burning fireplace, two tsunami showers, comfy chairs, and, again, complimentary fruit and water. It was amazing! We were very pampered and spoiled by check out time, and we loved our one night stay at the Ritz Carlton!

The view from our window.

Golf balls in the gutter, which is very close to our window!

After we left, we drove down the highway to find access to the coast. We stopped at a place called Cowell Ranch to hike down to the beach. It was a short hike, though very pretty and scenic. We saw lots of wildlife, including many different species of birds and even a little snake. The lookout to the ocean was breathtaking, and the sand below was very inviting. I hope we can return to Half Moon Bay very soon! It would be a perfect place to have a little day trip. Mia would definitely love it, and there is still so much more to explore!

"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me..."

See the snake?