(My 36th Birthday Getaway, Monterey Peninsula, CA.)
Today I turn 36.
Thirty-six. Sounds so serious. I can't believe I'm halfway past the fourth decade of my life. That's three whole cycles of the Year of the Monkey.
Yet it doesn't feel so bad to be 36. I guess it's hard to feel miserable when you're surrounded by people who care about you. My birthday celebration has been ongoing all weekend. Yesterday, we had a joint birthday celebration/ BABY SHOWER at my sister-in-law, Selina's house. I knew about the birthday party, a joint one for my niece, Katie and me, but the baby shower was meant as a surprise. My mother-in-law and sisters-in-law were all co-conspirators, and even my husband, Lorenzo, was in on the plan. It was a lovely gesture, one that I would always cherish and remember.
As all Sereno family gatherings go, we were up all night, singing karaoke while the menfolk played poker in the living room. By the time we left Selina's, the sun was already on the rise. We all proceeded to my brother-in-law, Simon's house, where we slept for a few hours before waking to a heavy, very satisfying brunch. Later that day, we went back to Selina's to help her effectively deal with her leftover problem.
Now that I think of it, I guess we've been celebrating my birthday for over a week already. Last Sunday, Lorenzo took me to the mall to buy me a whole new Spring wardrobe. My maternity clothes desperately needed updating, having had their roots in Lance's pregnancy, more than five years ago. Maternity fashions have certainly gone a long way since the Laura Ashley look was in vogue. When I was pregnant with Max in '92, I never would've imagined myself wearing low-rise maternity jeans!
During the week, we also took Lance and Troy to the beach. Troy has never been to the beach and Lance barely remembers his one-and-only beach trip, when we took him to Santa Cruz when he was just 18 months old. This time, we went to Monterey, just a short drive from Salinas, CA, Lorenzo's first home when they moved to the States. The original plan was to go to the beach first and to Daddy's old house later.
(BEACH BOYS: Lance, Troy and Lorenzo.)
Lance and Troy had a wonderful time digging in the sand with their shovels and pails. They loved getting their feet wet in the cold sea water. There were warnings posted all over about rogue waves, so we didn't let them go in too far. Even with these precautions, a naughty wave got to us, wetting my new cropped jeans, another addition to my Spring wardrobe.
(Mommy, Troy and Lance before the naughty wave got us!)
When it was time to go, all plans of going to Salinas flew out the window. We all decided we hadn't had enough of Monterey just yet. The combination of mountains and crashing surf had woven its spell upon us. Good thing we picked up one of those ubiquitous traveller's coupon books during a pit stop. We figured it would come in handy in case we decided to spend the night. Lorenzo and I have always been spontaneous vacationers, and it was not unusual for us to stay out-of-town overnight just on a whim.
I checked out available lodging in the area, and found what looked like a really charming place, the Carmel Resort Inn. "Quaint cottages nestled in the pines," it said. I checked out the rate and did a double-take. I couldn't believe I actually found such a modest rate for lodging at Carmel-by-the-Sea, Clint Eastwood's former enclave. A community that was so snooty it actually banned fast-food places and neon lights.
A quick glance at the amenities revealed the usual pool and spa, as well as the requisite coffee-maker and microwave and (what's this?) popcorn in every room. "Hmmm...the kids would like that", I thought, reading on, "and free breakfast too!". And then I saw the best come-on so far: "Fireplace in every cottage", and I was sold.
I called the number, half expecting to be told there was a typo in the advertised rate, and anyway, they were fully booked. To my relief, I was told they did have vacancies, and yes, they would honor the coupon. We wasted no time in getting there, and found the most charming place imaginable.
(Our quaint cottage at Carmel Resort Inn.)
This place was reminiscent of another cottage at another mountain sea resort I stayed in, the Marbella Beach Club at the Costa del Sol in Spain. Of course, this cottage cost us a mere fraction of what we paid nine years ago in Marbella, but the clientele seemed just as upscale. Upon seeing the Mercedes parked discreetly by the cottage next to us, and the Corvette parked not so discreetly behind ours, Lorenzo and I were glad we decided to take Tibby, our "dating car", instead of Vanna, our minivan.
(TIBBY, our "Dating Car".)
We checked out the place and quickly checked in, settling ourselves before dinner. I took full advantage of our fireplace, hanging my damp jeans over the mantel to dry them faster. Lance and Troy explored every nook and cranny of our cottage while Lorenzo and I decided where to have dinner. It was important that we find a place soon, because our comfy quarters were starting to lull us into a somnolent state.
I was starting to smell something vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. It was a "homey" scent from my past, something that brought me back to my younger days. And then I realized it was the smell of clothes being ironed. I started to ask Lorenzo if he could smell the same "bagong-plantsa" smell when I remembered my jeans in front of the fireplace. I made a beeline for the hearth but it was too late. My brand-new cropped jeans, the ones we had just bought the day before, were singed at the hem. "Oh well", I rationalized, "at least I now have a souvenir of my stay in Carmel!"
That broke the spell, and we all realized we were hungry. It was also getting quite late. We decided to head for Fisherman's Wharf. With its many seafood restaurants, there was bound to be at least one that was still open. When we got there, we chose an Italian seafood place called "Rappa's", right at the end of the pier. Our booth had a lovely view of the water. Lorenzo had the salmon linguini and I had the baby shrimp spaghettini, both specials for the evening. They were divinely delicious. Troy was also in a seafood mood, ordering popcorn shrimp, but Lance, ever the landlubber, had his usual grilled cheese.
(Lance and Mommy at Rappa's, Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey, CA.)
After Rappa's, we went to catch the candy factory, one of our usual haunts in Monterey. We got pink and purple cotton candy (Lorenzo's favorite) and some peanut brittle. We didn't get fudge this time, since the one I got during my last visit was too sweet. Instead, I settled on a chocolate-covered strawberry for my dessert. I nearly balked when I saw the price: $2.95 a piece. "At this price, those strawberries should be as big as my fist!" a voice inside me said, but my inner tourist won. People DO tend to splurge when they're on vacation, and the strawberry WAS superb.
After dinner, we took a drive down the coast. The weather was so mild that we were able to keep the sun roof open. We checked out the immediate vicinity, driving through nearby Pacific Grove before finding ourselves back in Carmel. When we got back to our cottage, we all had warm baths while waiting for "The Road to Perdition" on HBO. We hadn't seen the movie, and it was a perfect opportunity to try out our in-room popcorn maker. It was one of those old-fashioned ones which used hot air to pop the kernels. Lance was so excited to see the newly-popped corn spill out into the waiting bowl. He fell asleep in the middle of the movie, and we moved him to his bed.
The next day, we woke up bright and early and availed of the free breakfast offered at the resort. Then we went back to our cottage, where Lance and Troy watched PBS kids while Mommy and Daddy packed our belongings. We checked out at noon, proceeding to Pebble Beach to take the famous 17-mile-drive. The houses were beautiful and the views were awesome. We drove from the mountains, down to the coast and back, taking lots of pictures along the way.
(Lance, Troy and Daddy, 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, CA.)
After that, we took our planned trip to Salinas, where Lorenzo showed Lance and Troy around his old neighborhood. Daddy took us to see his old school, and then we proceeded to his former home. The house was right in front of a park which featured an old locomotive when he still lived there. To the kids' disappointment, the old train was gone, so we cheered them up by taking them to Denny's instead. And then we settled down for the long drive back to Modesto, away from the mountains and the beaches. But it was okay, because we knew they were just a memory away.
Later that week, Lorenzo would give me another birthday present, Ralph Lauren's new Tender Notes, a limited "summer" edition of his Romance perfume. I love the scent, so light yet sweet, and very, very feminine. He also got me a beautiful birthday card, with words that etched themselves onto my heart. Oh, I love my husband so much!
I really enjoyed this birthday, and the weeklong celebration which came with it. I loved the clothes and the perfume, and my husband's beautiful birthday card. I appreciated the birthday party and baby shower, and all my family's love and care that went with it. And I treasure that unexpected little trip which we took on a whim, because we were up early and the weather was beautiful.
(A HAPPY FAMILY: the best gift a girl could ever get!)
This is getting to be a tradition. Last year, we checked into the Crowne Plaza in Milpitas for my birthday and ate nothing but Asian food: Thai for dinner the first night, a Malaysian lunch with the kids while Lorenzo was at work, and for my birthday dinner, Todai's Japanese buffet, with all the sushi, lobster and snow crab legs you can eat!
This is why I simply adore birthdays. They give us all an excuse to feel special once a year.
I wish to thank everyone who made this birthday so memorable. My husband, Lorenzo, for being so thoughtful; my kids, Lance and Troy, who brighten up my life just by being there; my son, Max, for his long-distance greetings from Palm Springs and Toronto; my sister, Maya and her husband, Charlie, for sending me a birthday text message; my Mom, who called me from New York and spent almost four hours "just talking" on the phone with me; and the Sereno women, for taking the time and effort to throw a birthday party/baby shower for their "manugang/hipag".
I also wanted to mention everyone who took the time to greet me through my websites: perskasins BatJay and BatJet, Christine, Tet, Joey, PB, Pinayhekmi, Ayeza, Tanya, Ka Rodge, Mona, AnP and SM.
Thank you all, for remembering my birthday. I am truly touched and honored.
