Deep Green

This past Sunday we had a visit in the OC with my brother Karl and my nieces Stella and Ruby. Because I'm so generous, I let my little bro pick the lunch spot, and because he's a crunchy Berkeley boy we ended up at The Veggie Grill in Irvine. Now, I've grown far more tolerant of the green stuff over the years, but I hadn't realized this place is VEGAN. I got skeeved out by my veggie cheeseburger half-way through and had to focus on my sweet potato fries to regain my composure. Jarrah had brown rice mac with soy cheese, and after a while she said "Mommy, this mac n' cheese doesn't have any flavor." I began "Honey, that's because NO healthy food has any..." and thought better of it, but not fast enough for my sharp little miss, who was all like "What, Mommy? Did you say NO healthy food has any flavor?" Oops. So much for my plans for wholesome indoctrination.

Stella had her heart set on a boat ride, so after a short one on the Balboa Ferry (after which only Jarrah could manage to lose her flip-flop in the teeny-tiny gap between the ferry and the landing, occasioning a full-out search party but resulting in a trip to the pharmacy around the corner for some new ones "the color of the Burmese Python at the zoo") we checked out some rentals. After a bit of sticker-shock, we settled on a lovely 8-person electric craft with a canopy and an iPod dock, perfect for a bit of Queen-themed Pandora.

Since Jarrah can't quite swim yet, I imprisoned her in the lifejacket, but this didn't last long, I'm afraid. She even took a turn at driving the boat!

As we chugged around the harbor at a brisk seven miles per hour, I couldn't conceal my amazement at the beautiful place where I grew up, showcased oh-so-well from the million dollar perspective of the many yachts and mansions lining the shore (no, we didn't have any of that.) The sun was out, the breeze was brisk, and the fat-bottomed girls were frisky. Also I got to be with people I hardly ever see, even though they're family. Really, a perfect afternoon.

When we alighted at the dock (none too gracefully, I should confess) my dad was waiting with a hatted gentleman on a bench. The latter was much interested in our boating party, and asked who all these people were. "Well, my brother is visiting from Berkeley, and these are his daughters, and over there is my husband and our daughter, and this is my dad." After I said all this, it struck me Why, we're sort of having a family reunion today. How nice is that! So I said that, too. "It's kind of like a family reunion." "So I see," said the gentleman. "How lovely."

And it surely was. Then there was Skee ball, and air hockey, and the Ferris wheel ("If this goes around one more time, I'm definitely going to be bored," reported Jarrah) and a taco feast back at home.

"Whatcha think of the boat?" my brother asked me. "Um, I think we have to rent it every time you visit," I said. And I'm not kidding.