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Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Swan Song ACCORDing to Mint Julep

By MoBerries at 12:21 PM  ,  No comments

 The following is based off of Chuck's soliloquy from Supernatural's season five episode, "Swan Song".

The Honda Accord, of course, has all the things other cars have... and a few things they don't. But none of that stuff's important. This is the stuff that's important. The many used facemasks that Natalie lost in between the seats – they're still stuck there. The fake fingernails that she accidently dropped into the vents – to this day, heat comes on and we can hear 'em rattle. These are the things that make Mint Julep hers – really hers. 

Even when Ryan and Landon helped rebuild her from the ground up, they made sure all these little things stayed, 'cause it's the blemishes that make her beautiful. 

The World doesn't know or care what kind of car Natalie drives.

On days off between Target and Starbucks, Natalie would mostly get a day – sometimes a rare weekend, if she was lucky. She used to pass the time watching cooking shows and Anime. Now, Natalie spends that time with Mint Julep. Her dream is that soon they will be able to go anywhere and do anything. But right now, with friends by her side, they fix the flat and the fuses, the distributor, too. The hoses are next, with an axel to spare. 

 

Nicole, keys in hand and Laurie with pink slip, it was clear their gift to Natalie was her beloved Mint Julep. They'd park her in the middle of their lot for a year and now she is all fixed up, She's parked proudly next to Reba. Sitting under the moon roof and watching the stars... or hours turning left around the dog park... squirrels giggle but don't say a word. 


It never occurred to Natalie she would own a '99 Honda Accord. A car born the same year as her.

Any one can buy car off a lot, all shiny and new. But taking a decades old car and turning it into your dream is nearly impossible. You need to be surrounded by clan of great friends. And still, the car may moan and groan. There's always gonna be more repairs. (She's 20+ years old)  But, since this is a new beginning, it's all supposed to add up to something great. 

 

I'm telling you, those surprise repairs are a raging pain in the a$$.

 

So, what's it all add up to? A 'new' car for Natalie. A driver's test, glasses, insurance and more... all those adulting things. And I think she did all right. 

 

Up against good, evil, angels, devils, destiny, and God himself, they made their own choice.  

Natalie and Mint Julep chose each other. And, well... isn't that kinda the whole point?



Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Half Moon, halfway, on the Bay

By MoBerries at 11:03 AM    No comments

March 2021...WOW! We have reached that point where we lived in the Bay Area for THREE YEARS! AND!!! Half of that time we have been fulltime RVers! Yes, I expected so much more to happen in the past 18 months, but who could have planned on this world wide pandemic? Still, I seriously doubt we can be considered 'newbies', anymore.

First off, we have moved our little Home Sweet Rolling Home 26 times during this past year and a half. TWENTYSIX! And yet, we have never once brought our sweet rolling world past the borders of this one campground. Sigh.

We have grumped and groaned and shouted and moaned over the frustrations of pulling this beast out of very tight spots. Backing the truck up to the hitch and missing by just an inch over and over. The too close to the line, too far from the line moments that RVer has again and again. Just none of the oohs and awes , mountains and seas from her bright shining windows. 


Still, for the first time in 14 months we ate out an an 'open to the public' restaurant! Miramar Beach Restaurant in Half Moon Bay, CA. Located a couple of blocks off of Hwy1 on Miranda Road, I can tell you, we would never have found this place if not directed to it by a local resident, Shawn/Sean (not sure how he spells his name).


The Miramar is located so close to the ocean, you know, Pacific, we could feel the water splashing us in the face as it crashed against the rocks. Don't let the road in the photo fool you. It is literally falling off into the water. Outdoor dining is still all that is allowed in California. Not a problem, when you are dining on the water. This place has outdoor seating on both ends of their dining room. They also took our temperatures as they let us through the doors. I love California.

We didn't didn't just randomly decide to end our quarantine 14 months in because we suddenly had an uncontrollable need for fish and chips. Our niece, Greg's brother's daughter, Katie is out in California visiting her boyfriend Shawn((?) see above). We have not had a chance to get together since 2014 when we were back in Minnesota for a family reunion. She left the winterly wonderland of Dallas!?! to fly here. Thank goodness they are finally warming up in Texas. Crazy times.


After lunch, we walked down a 'rustic 'stairway to Mirada Surf Beach. There were surfers there when we first arrived at the restaurant, but most had dispersed by the time we finished eating. On this cool last day of February the only creature left swimming was a sweet yellow Labrador. Even he didn't seem quite sure of his life choices.

 

A quaint little beach, I am not certain we would ever have noticed it with out the help of Shawn, who grew up just down the road. 

Driving in with the help of Siri, she directed us to turn on Magellan Ave  to get to Mirada Road. Having been there one whole time, now, I would definitely say those are BAD directions. At least on a SATURDAY turning left. There is no stop light at that intersection, and traffic DOES NOT STOP! Either go up to the next stop sign and U-turn around. Or, look at a map and drive up Mirada from the other direction!!!Once you are into the turn lane, there is no getting out of it.


Half Moon Bay is a small city on the California coast, south of San Francisco. A string of beaches along the bay includes Half Moon Bay State Beach. The Coastside Trail leads north to Pillar Point, near the huge waves of the Mavericks surf spot. Nearby, Montara Mountain rises in the protected Rancho Corral de Tierra area. The Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve is on the slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains. ― Google




It was a nice time to visit with family and feel the sand between our toes. Figuratively, cuz there was no way I was taking my shoes off in 50 degree temperatures with the wind and the waves. As you can see in some of the photos, Katie and Shawn were both much more adventurous than us East Bay folks.  I will wait for either the eighties of summer or a full body wet suit, thank you very much!


 
Our first step back towards normal was pleasant. More family, more friends, More time out in the world just doing 'things' and living life. Hopefully we are more than halfway there. It was super great visiting with you and your beau, Katie, in Half Moon Bay, CA!

Hope to see you again, real soon.