Tag / Jen

by Greg

A Lunch Meeting, And The Bills Won

We headed out the door at 12:45pm, knowing that Character’s Sports Bar was not too far from where we were staying. I had seen on the map where we needed to go, and was confident we could find it.

That confidence was misplaced.

When we got to where I thought we needed to turn, the road that was supposed to be there was not!. I improvised, and ended up in a maze of one-way city streets, going in circles. Argh. It wasn’t really a problem, except that we did not want to be late for kickoff.

Well, we finally found the place, and in time for kickoff, but then found out that the parking spaces out front were 24-minute parking spaces. Off we went to find a parking garage two blocks away. Double argh.

That’s when we met him.

As we were walking out of the garage, in a bit of a hurry to get back to the Bills game that was now two blocks away, we passed a man sitting on the cement planter next to us. When we passed he said, “Can you guys help me out? I’m kinda hungry. I just need some food.” I was intrigued by the request (he didn’t ask for money, that I remember) and so I said, very spontaneously, “Well, we’re headed up to a sports bar right now?” As I said it, I sorta invited him by gesturing.

To my surprise, he got up, and sort of gestured back, making sure I meant it, and I did. So, he followed us up to the restaurant.

We got to know Darren as we went. First names, then where he was from, and how he got to Monterey, CA. We sat down at a table and continued to talk. We don’t have a lot of money, but we had saved some up for a little splurging for our 10th anniversary trip—and we got to share some with a homeless man named Darren.

He has a sad story of lots of broken family relationships. He has slight learning disabilities, and told us a crazy story about waiting for five years for social security benefits or something. Not sure the details, really, but I could tell what we have that he doesn’t are the generous and loving family relationships, as well as close friends.

He stayed for the meal, and then thanked us again and took off. Not exactly how we had planned to spend lunch watching the Bills, but we were glad we could share.

The rest of the afternoon was a bit quieter (except for a rowdy table behind us) with only the occasional outburst from me and/or Jen when the Bills did something good. (It wasn’t that often, so it really was kind of quiet.) 🙂

The Bills did win, so that was awesome! JP Losman got into the game due to an injury to Trent Edwards. That should make for some crazy off-the-field drama this week. That’s pretty annoying, but, that’s just how it is.

We came back to our place and listened to the Bills post-game interviews, and got to talk with our kids (about the Bills game and more!) and then headed out for the rest of the afternoon/evening at the Fisherman’s Wharf back in Monterey.

You never know what’s going to happen when you head out the door. Today, we got to see the Bills win (as we hoped) and we also got to share a meal with Darren.

Very cool.

by Greg

Morning Football??

This morning we slept in a bit later. Remember yesterday? Our first day on Pacific Daylight Time? Today instead of getting up at 6:30, we managed to sleep till about 7:15. 🙂

We did try to just relax in bed for a while, but that didn’t work. Instead, since it was Jen’s birthday, I offered to bring her breakfast in bed. She accepted.

Breakfast consisted of a bowl of raisin bran, some orange/mango juice, a piece of toast, and a couple giant slices of a California navel orange. We looked for some NFL football pre-game stuff while we ate. (I had some tea in my new Apple mug as well…) 🙂

It was really weird watching NFL football at 10am. Especially after waking up at 7am. 🙂

(We’re definitely still adjusting to the time zone…)

It was also very strange to watch football games without eating lunch or some afternoon snack. I mean… you gotta eat when there’s football on, right?? We did not. We watched the two games that were on out here (the Miami/NYGiants game that was live from London, England, and the Oakland/Tennessee game) and then reheated last night’s pizza for an early lunch at 11:30am.

Jen got some calls from family for her birthday, and we had a nice leisurely morning, getting ready to head out to catch the Bills game at a local sports bar.

It was a nice, relaxing, birthday morning. 🙂

by Greg

My Jen

Today is my Jen’s birthday. I have known her for more than half of her life now. I have never loved her more.

I love that this birthday came during an entire week of life devoted to just being together. We are out here, 3000 miles from our life, just enjoying each other, and some of the things we like to do together. She is more relaxed than she has been in a long time, and it’s been fun to celebrate her not just for today, but really for this entire eight day vacation!

She is more special to me than I can possibly put into words. I am so grateful to God for the gift he has given me in her. We certainly are very different people, but there is no one I love more or would rather share my life with. I trust her with me, and I’m pretty sure that’s mutual.

Today she is one year older. One more year that we have lived together. I am thankful for what we have already shared, and looking forward to all that we have remaining.

Hopefully I’ll get to celebrate birthday #66 and #99 with Jen. Maybe even #133? 🙂

I love you, Jen. Happy birthday. 🙂

by Greg

Pacific Ocean

We took a stroll up to the Pacific Ocean tonight. It’s only a few blocks from our house. (Although I think that beach is technically Monterey Bay, it’s close enough!) There’s a beach called “Lover’s Point” at the end of our road. I thought that was rather appropriate for our 10th anniversary trip. 🙂

It was a beautiful view, and nice to just leisurely walk to, around, and back from the waterfront. We saw some seals on the rocks near the beach. Lots of maritime birds. (Seagulls, pelicans, etc.) And I saw a pretty amazing starfish, too. (Of course, whenever we get the cable for our camera, I’ll be posting some of these photos!!)

After walking to Lover’s Point, we drove less than a mile to the edge of the Monterey peninsula to see the sunset on the Pacific Ocean. It was getting pretty chilly at this point, so we sat on a bench overlooking the rocky Pacific for maybe 10 minutes or so, but then we got back inside our vehicle and watched from there. 🙂 I got lots of photos, a few of them are pretty cool (I hope!) with the big waves crashing against the rocks. Another amazing view.

After the beach, we were going to go back home but decided to go check out the Goodwill we had seen yesterday. We found a couple books and a nice Wheaton College t-shirt (where our niece is in her senior year). The Goodwill is in the center of Pacific Grove’s business district, so we walked around a bit afterward and decided to get dinner at Papa John’s pizza while we were there. Lots of interesting ethnic restaurants in this town. (And yes, we decided on Papa John’s…) 🙂

Following a really nice, quiet dinner together, we headed back to our vacation home and played a few rounds of Boggle before Jen retired for the evening. I’m doing a bit better getting on PDT I think… 🙂

Oh, I forgot to mention our morning. We did head out to get groceries, which was fun. Found a place called Save Mart or something like that. It was a pretty cool grocery store. Funniest part was when one of the workers said, “Good morning” when passing by us, and both Jen and I thought, “It’s not morning!!” But in fact it was well before 10:30am! We were still adjusting then for sure!!

We had a great lunch after we got back, and then Jen took a quick nap while I went to the coffee house around the corner and read some blogs while I sipped on a chai! Very nice.

Tomorrow is Jen’s birthday! We’re going to watch NFL football at 10am!! ha! And then we’ll head out to a sports bar to watch the Bills/Jets game… followed by a trip back to San Jose to eat at Red Robin for her birthday! Should be a super fun day!

We are having such a great time! We miss our kids. Lots of things remind us of them. But this is just fantastic. Such a nice break for both of us, and we’re thoroughly enjoying each other’s company. Fantastic. 🙂

More to come!!

by Greg

PDT

So, we’re three hours behind out here, did you know that? Cause… I do.

Last night we went to bed at 9:21pm… exhausted! And then, due to me using the decorative pillow instead of the real one most of the night, I kept waking up thinking it was time to be up. It wasn’t. I really thought it was at one point, and I looked at the clock (which is on Pacific Daylight Time – PDT) and um, it was 3:35am. 🙂

The next time I looked it was 3:55.

Not a great night of sleep. 🙂

THEN, Jen and I woke up together at 6:30 or so! Ha! (If you know us… that’s not our normal time of day…) 🙂 It was really, REALLY nice to just wake up though, and not have kids doing that for us. Or have to get up and get them breakfast.

We watched an episode of Monk at like 7am, when we just gave up on the idea of sleeping to a decent hour. Now we’re getting ready to go get some groceries and some breakfast. We have a nice view of the Pacific ocean out our bedroom windows, too. Very nice!

More to come…

by Greg

Like Magic

We’re making our final approach (at least, pretty soon… I can feel us going lower) and even from the middle seat, the view is breathtaking. The mountains are amazing. Even the deserts are pretty amazing.

What I am most amazed by though is, having done this trip several times before on the ground, the fact that we can leave Buffalo at 8:30am and arrive in California around 3:00pm (EDT). The trip from Seattle to Rochester always takes us 5 days. Today, we did basically the same trip in just over 6 hours.

Incredible. Like magic.

by Greg

Southwest Alphabet

Well, we made the next leg of the trip, but it feels like barely! We got to Chicago just after 9:15 maybe, local time, and had to get the flight to San Jose, CA at 9:55 local time. Seems like plenty of time right? Jen took a needed pregnancy bathroomo trip, and we headed through the airport to Gate B1 (all the way to the other end of the concourse!) only to find tthat the lines were already completely full!

This is my first time flying Southwest, and overall I would just give it an “average” rating.

Here’s why the lines matter. When you buy a ticket, you are not buying a seat. You get put into one of three groups. A, B, and C. Theoretically, the first people to arrive, get boarding passes in group A, then B, then C. That is also how they board the plane. Since it’s every man (or woman) for himself, you take what you get as far as seating.

We lucked out on the first flight, finding the last pair of seats together. Not so on this flight. Only middle seats left. Not to worry, I told Jen. I trusted in the goodness of humanity. Someone will move to the middle so that the pregnant lady can sit with her husband….

Not so. 🙂

So, Jen is in the row behind me. I am squeezed between two guys… and it’s a four hour flight.

I don’t think we’re going to fly Southwest again. I want to buy seats, not try to “get lucky”.

So, we’ll see what the flight holds. I’m sad for Jen. She’ll have to try to get out to go to the bathroom a time or two! 🙂 We’ll see if we can work the system on the way back so we don’t have to do this on the return flight!

More to come….

by Greg

And So It Begins

The alarm sounded at 5:30 this morning. But I think that was about the 20th time I had awaken since going to bed at 11:30 the night before. I think my mind had been active all night. I feel… tired.

But ready to go.

Our plane leaves at 8, so we’re heading out in a few minutes. There is an overall feeling of excitement. I really can’t even believe we get to do this!

However, I must admit, last night it felt wrong. As I was saying goodnight—and goodbye—to my kids, my heart was heavy. I’m not supposed to say goodbye to them for eight days??? It will be fine, but I told Jen last night, “I don’t want to do this ever again.” (And we haven’t even left yet!!)

It’ll be alright. I can’t wait to have my wife to myself for 8 days.

More along the way…

by Greg

This Time Tomorrow…

So, it’s really here. For months—maybe even years?—we’ve waited for this day, this trip. We’re packing stuff up now, getting the house ready to leave. The kids are ready for their vacation, too. A whole 8 days at Grandma & Grandpa’s!!

And for us? Eight beautiful days at a resort on the Pacific Ocean near Monterey, CA… without our kids!

Now THAT’S an anniversary present! 🙂

We leave Buffalo tomorrow at 8am local time, and get to the San Jose airport around 12:30 local time. We’ll find our rental car and drive about an hour or so to the coast. After checking in, and checking out our place, getting settled, etc… we’ll head BACK to SJ for the evening to get some dinner, and get a copy of LEOPARD at the local Apple Store! 🙂 (First 500 people at the store get free t-shirts! We’re so there!)

We’ll just be spending time together, celebrating 10 years of marriage, and just enjoying each other’s company. Walks on the beach, walks through town, nice dinners… QUIET days. 🙂 Can’t wait. Really can’t wait.

I may post some here during the week, or I may not. 🙂 Depends on what Jen is doing. This week, I’m totally with her, and I don’t want to miss any of that!

I will definitely miss our kids. I can tell already. But I can’t wait to have 8 uninterrupted days with my wife. I love her more now than ever before (which was already a lot!) and can’t wait to just be with her!

(Can you tell?) 🙂

We will also get to visit with some friends from college who live out that way, so that will be a huge bonus, too.

And it all starts very, VERY soon! So…

Gotta go! 🙂

by Greg

10.18.97

Wedding Smiles
I don’t have time today to write what I wish I could write about this day. Maybe I will have more time when we are on vacation at the end of the month? Regardless, I did not want to let the day pass without mentioning it here at GregsHead.net.

I am a lot of things… writer, musician, web designer, tech support, computer sales, sports writer/podcaster, and a few more. But there is nothing that means more to me than being Jen’s husband. (OK, you can throw in being my kids’ dad… and some other close relationships…)

POINT IS… 🙂

I only have one wife, and my one and only choice was and is Jen. I have a lot of stuff, do a lot of things, and even have lots of great relationships… but there is only one Jen. And I love her more than I can ever say. I am so, SO thankful that God has given me 10 years so far as her husband, and I’m looking forward to the next 10 even more. 🙂

I love you, Jen! Happy anniversary.

[PS… posted some old photos from 1997 on Facebook. Thought I’d share here, too.] (You don’t need an account to see the photos.)