Skip the boardwalk.

Early this morning, Michael and I headed back to Napa by ourselves. Monique and John kindly offered to keep the kids for more Monterey exploring and a bit of beach and boardwalk time in Santa Cruz, blustery though it was. Natalie would come back with them too. I appreciated the time alone, as we needed to have some time to talk. We started our itinerary with the dazzlingly beautiful 17 Mile Drive through Pebble Beach. Oh, I could live here! Golf has never looked better.

We stopped for breakfast at the Stillwater Bar & Grill in The Lodge at Pebble Beach (www.pebblebeach.com). First though, we walked around the resort. It felt very gentrified, not at all like golf courses in Napa, but then this is one of the most amazing looking courses on earth. Good thing we were wearing resort-appropriate Red House pieces, the ivory cardigan for me (RH17) and black Silk Cavalry Twill Jacket for Michael (RH28) - instead of our new Monterey Bay Aquarium sweatshirts! Starchy though the atmosphere might be, you sure can’t beat the setting. This morning was foggy and serenely magical. I could spend all day on the terrace here sipping Bloody Marys and gazing out at Carmel Bay.

We didn’t talk as much about the job in Charlotte as I thought we would. The jist is that Michael wants the job and they want him – or they want the other candidate. He learned when he got there that there is another person they are also closely considering, but not to worry: the other’s qualifications are very different. That’s all they wanted to tell him. Hmmm…. And did Michael mention his geographical, family and preexisting career and transitional conditions? No. He reminded me that the right time to negotiate is when the offer is on the table. Sigh. So not only is he still in the running but I have to wait even longer to FIND OUT. I hate that.

The rest of the family got in pretty late. Apparently, the junk food and rides (bad combination!) of the Santa Cruz boardwalk were a real hit with the kids, especially the old wooden coaster. Monique said it was old and rickety and she ended up with a few bruises after multiple jerky rides. She was surprised it hasn’t been scrapped in favor of one of those smooth magnetic coasters as used by Disneyworld. (Thanks for taking a few hits for the team, sister! So sorry I missed it!) She said Santa Cruz reminded her of our childhood trips to Coney Island. Ah yes, the sad and creepy carnival atmosphere. And at dusk the Santa Cruz gangs sort of drift in and take over the boardwalk so Monique and Jon decided they’d leave rather abruptly. This didn’t go over well with Andrew, who, unbeknownst to them, stormed off onto the beach. For about eight scary minutes (that seemed much longer), Monique, Natalie, Jon and Delia looked for him, finally finding him pouting and kicking sand. This was probably due as much to a saltwater taffy and churros-meltdown than unhappiness to be leaving the unsavory boardwalk. Anyway, she didn’t want to call and scare us while they were looking. Yikes.

The one thing Michael and I agreed on today was to promise ourselves that no matter what, we’d be back to Pebble Beach next summer to see more of this incredible place. It would be The Concours d’Elegance for him, with its sparkling fleet of classic luxury and racing cars, and the Lodge spa and galleries in Carmel for me. We both want to see the Mission Carmel, built in 1771. And how about wineries?! We missed them all! Oh, happy thoughts, please supplant those I don’t want to think about!