QT Time with My Family*

Dh is taking some time off work to relax and work on an online grad course. Tuesday night he told me he planned on going to the library Wednesday to work on his course (since, yeah, it's pretty much impossible to do schoolwork when Baby E is waltzing around you acting adorable, and asking you in irresistible ways to read her a book or take her on a walk). However, yesterday morning Dh walked into the dining room and announced, "I've changed my plans for the day slightly (slight pause) completely." I busted up laughing. "Let's go to the coast!" I agreed wholeheartedly and an hour later we were off!

Baby E slept on the drive over (it's only about an hour). We went to a well-known Oregon coast restaurant chain.** The place was moderately full. However, all the waitresses were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, acting very flustered. Food was piled up on the counter, ready to be brought to tables, but anytime the waitresses went up to the counter, they never took the food. It all sat there, and they frantically waved receipts in the cook's face. I know this because we were seated directly next to the kitchen. These chicks were incompetent. After ten minutes, we didn't even have water. Nor did we have any idea which lady was our waitress, as no one had come to our table, aside from a busboy bringing some silverware. Dh was starting to get pissed and suggested leaving. I was game. I had only suggested the restaurant because it was the first place that popped in my head.

We drove up the road and spotted a restaurant in a hotel. We decided to go there because by then it was 1:30 and we are all starving. Well. This place was almost empty yet had the most amazing view of the ocean. The food was delicious (I got the grilled salmon with an orange chipotle glaze) and we spent about the same as if we had stayed at the crappy place. We decided we need to stop sticking with what's comfortable, because it means we've been missing some awesome stuff.

We hit the outlet mall briefly so I could score some baby boy clothes off the clearance racks at Carters. (So. Cute.) Then we headed down the coast to attempt some whale watching. Unfortunately it was a rather stormy day so even if whales had been frolicking, we wouldn't have been able to distinguish their plumes from choppy cresting waves. A lady at a souvenir shop said she saw six on Monday! Dh was kind of disappointed to not see any. But we still all enjoyed ourselves. He bought me a silly little silver ring one size bigger than normal so I'll still have something to wear when my fingers get too swollen for my wedding rings.

On the ride home, everyone was driving like grandpas because Oh my gosh! It's raining! It's never rained in Oregon before! We'd better drive 15 miles below the speed limit! So it took a loooong time to get home. Baby E threw her binky where we couldn't reach it and we weren't willing to pull over to find it and thereby sacrifice the lead we had finally obtained over the slow drivers. (We're bad parents. We know.) And it was past her bedtime. So she cried herself to sleep. Which she hasn't done since she was about three months old. I felt kind of bad, but mostly glad that she was sleeping peacefully instead of crying. She perked right up once we got home and got some mandarin oranges into her system. I gave Dh props on his excellent decision to change his plans completely. He's a genius.


*Dh started saying "QT time" ages ago for reasons unknown, and now we both say it. I think it's funny. If you have a sense of humor, you think it's funny too.

**Let's just say it starts with an M and ends with an o's. It has consistently crappy service and mediocre food, yet is inexplicably always packed.