Still on vacation in Pismo, making a quick post while Spinner forages for breakfast.  Diego’s getting spoiled rotten with the long, leashless, walks on the beach.  This morning’s was a special treat though.

About halfway down the beach we stumbled on (and Diego sniffed) a young couple enjoying a bottle of champagne with the sunrise.  Didn’t want to intrude to the point of asking what they were celebrating – settled for luring Diego away so they could get back to their moment.  Have to assume though they were there to help celebrate our anniversary.  Yep, our wedding was one year ago today, on the second day of California’s 2008 marriage equality window.  The marriage is still going strong despite the best efforts of the H8ers, and I love Randy even more today then I ever have.

This was supposed to be the day I got my mojo back.  Spent the end of last week focussing on the Business of Law because I was kinda sick of the law itself.  Family law does that to me sometimes, and I have way too much of that on my desk at the moment, to the detriment of the transactional work that I truly enjoy.  Gotta go where the money is, especially in this economy.  But the mojo wasn’t on my desk this morning.  It’s on my calendar, in the form of deadlines throughout the week, but it just isn’t here.  I looked behind the Afrin, and under the Naproxen, and checked to see if Diego had chewed it up (like so many other things these days), but it just isn’t here.  Hopefeully it will turn up after my nap, otherwise this could be an ugly week.

An otherwise great weekend is being marred by news of the death of J.G. Ballard and the imminent death of a friend’s beloved pet of 15 years.  I haven’t explored Ballard’s writings as much as I should, but was a huge fan of the film of his autobiography, Empire of the Sun.  Prostate cancer deaths always twist my emotions just a little bit harder; going to have to find some of his other books at the library this week.  As for the other, spending time with Diego now and planning for the consumption of alcohol is very near future.

Didn’t sleep well at all. I think Diego’s fidgety anticipation of a giant rabbit bringing colored eggs stuffed with bacon (his beliefs, not mine) kept him up, and in turn that kept me up. Randy however, is somehow still out cold.

Not for long though. In an hour or so we’ll be heading out for an easter brunch in Laguna with old friends. Kinda like an Easter sunrise service in that we’ll be on the beach too close to the hour of sunrise, but we get a private booth, and well, get served. Some of the people there will undoubtedly look like the risen dead too.

Since you’re here though, enjoy some photo flashbacks of Easters past: 1995 or 1996, 2005, and 2007.  No object lessons, no ghosts, just fond memories.

Currently unwinding in a Las Vegas suite, a couple blocks from the strip, courtesy of Spinner’s side gig. Diego and I are watching the leaves blow around and cursing electronics with inadequate battery lives while Spinner does his thing. Enjoyed walking the strip today, and resting up for a busy Friday. Would’ve liked some pool time, but Diego’s doing his separation anxiety routine really well and my arm’s still in a brace and incapable of actually swimming.

Some attorney scheduled an emergency hearing for tomorrow that I’ll have to handle by phone, then we have lunch with some old friends of mine, and we’ll cap off the Vegas leg of the trip with a showing of La Reve in the evening. Been looking forward to that last one for weeks, and I’ll need the release after dealing with the so-called emergency in the morning. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it too many times: Failure to plan (or show up at regularly scheduled hearings) does not contitute an emergency on my part. pffft.

We spent Friday night at a local restaurant that we thought was new.  Neither of us had ever heard of Stone Brewery’s World Bistro & Gardens until it started popping up as a recommendation on the Urbanspoon app on my iPod.  The waitress said they’ve been open two years, and Spinner’s lived in Escondido for five, which just shows that despite lousy marketing you can still have an amazing restaurant.  

Good drinkies, of course, but also very good food.  The Mac & Cheese was delicious, and Spinner raved about the pork roast.  Best though was the venue.  Tough to find and literally in an industrial park, but they’ve built a wall and set up an enclosed garden for their guests that completely blocks out the Escondidoness.  Foot bridges and a pond with fake frogs and some adirondacks so you can relax a bit before or after the meal. Totally unexpected.

Zip forward to Sunday, when we brought home our newest shiney, a new Wii.  I know we’re late adopters, and we certainly can’t use the excuse that it’s for the kids, but OMG it’s so much fun.  Nothing like a little tennis in the morning before work without ever being more than a step away from the coffee.  Diego seems to think we’ve gone insane, but he learned pretty quick to get out of the way, and hasn’t stolen the controllers (yet).  Lots to explore there.  Nice to have some new in the life.

Nothing like being charged by a stray while on the morning walk with Diego to get the adrenaline going.  Who needs coffee when you’ve got slacker neighbors?  Who-rah!

Diego’s eating his normal dog food for the first time in a week.  I guess the fact that he isn’t expecting more ham, or roast beef, or quiche, or bacon, or some other buttery/greasy food to ‘accidentally’ fall in front of him shows his acceptance of a return to the status quo.

It was a great holiday season, incredibly busy this year, but I’m happy things have slowed back down.  I’ve got things I need to get done, and really need to take a look at the practice and make some changes for an economy that looks bleaker and bleaker by the day.  Too many projects became involuntary pro bono this year.  Sorry folks, but I decide where I volunteer my time, not you.

At least it will be a short work week as I ease back into some kind of a pattern.  Spinner goes back to work on the fifth, so I won’t get much done until then, except maybe a little mental health roadtrip.  And, weather permitting, our local little

The ghost of Christmas Present has me in my comfy robe blogging while the husband makes himself more presentable.  The ghost of  Christmas Future has us going out to fawn over decorations and finish up the shopping.  The ghost of Christmas Past has me feeling like an unrepentent glutton about to burst at the seams.  And now Tiny Diego’s going to find a big bag of treats in his stocking Thursday morning.

 This is my submission to a project of Chad Darnell, 12 of 12.  Twelve photographs from my life from the twelfth day of the month.  This is my second submission, having done this once before in July 2006.

It was a pretty boring day, except for a Christmas party with some of Randy’s coworkers. Didn’t take my camera in for that though, so you’re left with the drives before and after.

Glad I remembered to participate this month because it let me two kill birds with one stone, so to speak, and finally get some photos of some of the decorations people have been asking about,