vacation vibe

It's so great when someone else is on vacation and their vacation-vibe is transferred to you, even though you're at home. Honestly, it's almost as good as being on vacation for me, because you see things through new eyes and give yourself permission to indulge (I hate that word; so women's-magazine-chocolatey-decadent, but that's what it is).

 My awesome friend Becky was in SF and we went to the Monk's Kettle, a place that seems like just another overpriced hipster pub on 16th and Valencia, but is actually worth every penny as they put magic into their foods and are also extremely friendly. I had the beef cheeks, which sounds disgusting (one reason why I ordered it) but I knew it had to be great. It was. Like, so great that when I Googled it, I found a million other people obsessing over it. Because I had vacation-vibe, I also ordered a huge platter of fries and a second beer. Thanks, Becky!

I also had vacation-vibe on Thursday, when I took Peter on an 18-hour birthday vacation which included an Aimee Mann concert at the Mountain Winery. I am ambivalent about Aimee Mann, but he adores her, and I will admit that she did put on a great show. Also, she is suprisingly hilarious.

We then drove along the windiest roads in California in the middle of the night to get to the Big Basin Tent Cabins. Passenger Peter saw a wild pig and a bunny, while I struggled not to careen off the side of a mountain! I love tent cabins as they mix two of my favorite things, motels and camping. The next morning we got up early, took an easy hike, saw one lonely banana slug, and drove home. Hooray for tiny vacations!