day 7: Ventura

Ug. So many stories to tell, and barely enough time to upload a picture. Oh wait - I can't do that anyway, because the Pacific Ocean swallowed my camera and spit it back out Pinocchio style. Unlike Pinocchio, my Nikon was not better for the trip.

Neither was the iPad, or my chargers, or my phone. But all six kids survived the rip-tides, so we had a relatively happy ending.

Yoda and I were searching for shells on the beach, my bag was next to Kelley who was watching her two year old. She had to take a phone call from the hospital, so Rico took over watching the two year old, and I assumed he also took responsibility for the bag - which I might add, was an easy 300 feet from the highest water mark on shore. 

The rest plays out like a slow-motion Adam Sandler movie. As Yoda and I are heading back towards Rico, I notice a giant wave coming into shore. I start running and shouting, "Nooooooooooo!" At the same time, a shirtless Samaritan, starts walking to my bag to grab it, Rico looks at me, Kooka looks at me. I point at Rico, shouting "Him!". Rico thinks I am pointing at the shirtless dude, and looks over his shoulder to the guy, who us now trying to pull my soggy electronics from a 15 year-old GAP bag. Rico assumes the worst, and tears off at top speed towards this guy, who is probably the size of two Ricos, because damned if somebody is gonna steal his wife's Chapstick and back-up glasses and iPad on his watch.

The beauty of this whole scene, is how the guy was barely meandering back to his towel, while Rico is barreling full boar at him thinking "this is gonna be so easy, this guy isn't even trying." This big guy turns around, throws his hand up like he is genuinely scared of this little Greek dude, and says, "Ahh, I was trying to save your bag!"

Sadly, for self explanatory reasons, there are no pictures of this either.

The rest of the day contained good times, but much less excitement:

* our first In-And-Out burgers. Verdict = awesome.

* Kelley teaching us all first aid and CPR, because, let's face it, we're the kind of people that need it.

* Yoda's face meeting the pavement outside of the Mexican restaurant. The exceptional enchiladas and rellanos made with authentic Ortega chiles direct from Mexico completely made up for the plastic surgery she may have to endure later in life.

* a hospital visit with Uncle Brad who's been diagnosed with a leaky heart valve, and will need surgery.

* a tour of "the factory" in the backyard. I won't divulge what's back there right now, no time to properly explain, but I will say that seeing how clean and fastidious Uncle Brad is with his workshop, reminded me of my grandad in the best way.

* a two-hour drive to our Anaheim hotel - tomorrow is Disneyland.