An extra day - and a lost menorah

We were up early – Dave and I especially early because the folks next door started moving their car and loading up around 4:15. We had planned a pig’n breakfast as our before we leave tradition, although last night we had second thoughts given that we finished stuffing ourselves with pie after 10. It worked well for Josh and Jen to have a big breakfast before they left so they could drive non-stop to Medford, so we all accompanied them – after all, a little overeatin’ never did us any harm. Early Pig’n works well as there are no lines and the service is fast, and the food is delicious as always (although Sam’s apple crepes were a disappointment). It wasn’t scheduled to rain for a while so we walked there and back, which was nice.

The rest of the day was quiet – the three of us headed out for a walk, but it was very windy and I just didn’t have a windy walk in me. So I went back to the house while Sam and Dave kept going, and put on a little Nia and danced. By the time Dave and Sam got back it had started to rain, so I was glad I’d turned around.

For the rest of the afternoon we read and relaxed and Sam worked on school assignments. I finished A Gentleman in Moscow, which I enjoyed very much except I’m not sure I liked the ending. I also mostly finished (1 row left!) the banded bottom section of the sweater I’m working on, which was exciting.

We headed out for an early dinner at Mi Corazon, probably for the last time. Their ceviche is delicious, but everything else is overpriced and underwhelming. They also have a minimum amount of money for each person to spend, plus no splitting checks, no this, no that, and even though there are 3 tacos in an order of seafood tacos, and 3 different kinds of seafood, you can’t get one of each. I like the art, and the space is bright and pretty, but the overall vibe is not welcoming. Also maybe the heart theme is a tad overdone – is it really necessary to make the rice into heart shapes and even cut the cheese and cactus slices to match?

We’re still working on separating the house from the weather, since we’ve driven to most meals. It’s hard to remember that the house is really centrally located and all of Cannon Beach is in easy walking distance. The house is really great and it’s fun to walk around the slanty floors and look at the uneven beams and imagine how the house has settled over the years.

Bonus: We got packed up and home easily (no traffic on a foggy Monday morning!) and Dave took Sam to the airport while I laundered and did the grocery shopping. Since we spent the extra night at the coast, we missed the first night of Hanukah. When I went to get out the menorah it was nowhere to be found. We spent half an hour searching through closets and cabinets. We both remember putting it away last year and thinking "it's early next year, we should put it where it's easy to get at". After much fruitless searching (and by the way, the earliest Amazon can get a menorah here is Saturday) and several DIY ideas (birthday candles stuck to a plate; votive candles on blocks) we were in Josh's room about to go through the closet (it wasn't in Tim's closet or under his bed) when I remembered the three drawers full of seasonal apparel in his dresser - and there they were, right next to my chanukah leggings, tank tops, and sweaters. If I hadn't retired. I would have gotten them out right after Thanksgiving. Don't put things away where you'll remember them, folks. Put them away where they've always been.