Sunday

Again, we tried to sleep late. Didn't happen. This time it was much harder to get up, though, because we didn't want to go home. Jon and I had decided we liked the mountains (nothing new, by the way).

Everyone else was up already. The Haggerty cabin was hosting breakfast, and we were all slowly getting together the stamina to convoy over. There was cleaning to be done before we could go, however. But we did it cheerfully. By the time we finished, though, Jon and I were ready to get on the road.

Unfortunately we ended up missing the big breakfast, but the road was a-calling.

Driving to Strawberry ended up being much too easy, much too boring. So we kept driving. Somewhere outside the city limit we saw a sign directing us to a lake. We took the road and zigzagged down the mountainside to a man-made lake. After driving across Beardsley Dam we continued up into the mountains on the other side. This was a road definitely less traveled. On all sides the car was surrounded by lush purple and blue lupine. The steep drop offs afforded gorgeous views of the Stanislaus River running through the national forest.

All along the way we discussed "our cabin", you know, the one we will build one day to enjoy together, and with our families, and with our friends, and then with our children, and then with our grandchildren. We began laying out potential floor plans, coming up with ideas on views, window placement, etc. And, at various points on the drive, we'd point out the windows to the "perfect spot" for our cabin someday!

That could have been enough, but not for us. Once back on the main road and heading roughly in the direction of home, we stopped in Sonora. Our objective: lunch and a cabin magazine. I had an excellent roast turkey and jack cheese sandwich on sourdough at the Diamondback Grill in downtown Sonora. And Jon was in such a good mood I even urged him into a couple of antique stores before we hit the road again.

The cabin magazine we chose was a complete success. It bulged with suggestions and ideas, floor plans and pictures, stories of other couples who had dreamed big and made their dreams reality. I read aloud and sketched what we talked about while Jon drove. The miles flew by!

So now we're home. We sat for a while before deciding to go out for a date. Nicole Kidman may not be my favorite (she looks weird!), but I've been wanting to see her new movie, "The Interpreter". And, surprisingly, it was worth the exhorbitant ticket price. Loved it. New respect for Kidman, too. She looked a lot less weird this time.

Bedtime calls. I work tomorrow and our crazy lives will be back on their monontonous track once again. But we've got energy all stored up from our wonderful weekend with friends. Thank you, once again, to our hosts, the Youds, for giving us a place to stay. And thanks to our highly intelligent anonymous friend for all his entertainment. Thanks to Scott for the amazing food! And to Alysa for bringing Scott. Thanks to all, a suppose, who made this weekend possible.

And now, good night.