a weekend away

* I will be posting the race recap of the 2013 Stadium Challenge 5K as soon as the professional pictures are up. I can’t wait to share! *

Mr PugRunner planned a really lovely weekend away for the two of us.

And you know what? I don’t have a single picture. I left my DSLR at home and just didn’t think to whip out my phone to snap away.

Little man stayed with his amazing babysitter overnight, having the most incredible time, while Mr PugRunner and I headed off to the beach for some R&R.

We were both exhausted from the late night at the race, and we had enjoyed a busy morning, entertaining a friend and her newly rescued pug mix. However, by early afternoon, we gave our sweet boy hugs and kisses and headed off to the beach.

The weather wasn’t great, but we managed to get inside and grab a spot at the bar of Poe’s Tavern before the heavens opened for a torrential downpour. Which was fine by us. We ordered delicious burgers (the Gold Bug with cheddar cheese and fries for me and the Telltale Heart with fried egg, bacon and cheddar with bacon and bleu cheese slaw for him). I know I was ravenous, but there was no way I could finish my plate.

The rain let up enough for us to retrieve our car and get to the hotel. Mr PugRunner had booked 4 PM spa services for us: a 50 minute massage for him and a manicure and pedicure for me. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever done a real spa before. I like getting pedicures from time to time, but I am really bad at the whole zen music and bathrobe and serenity stuff. Not saying the spa wasn’t gorgeous, with its ocean views and all, but sitting quietly with little stimulation is very difficult for me. I wanted to start rearranging the carefully feng shui’d furniture or something.

However, the nail tech was great and she did a wonderful job. Mr PugRunner, who does not have quite the same issues with relaxing as I do, really enjoyed the pampering as well.

Then we took a little nap and watched TV. The weather was still pretty ugly, but we were able to walk to our dinner reservation at Ocean 60. For an appetizer, we split a dish of diced ahi tuna, avocado, tomato, roasted corn and onion, tossed with a sriracha based sauce and served in a lettuce cup. The flavors were bright and fresh, and the addition of fried wonton strips added a little extra crunch. I will be craving this appetizer for weeks. For dinner, Mr PugRunner had the surf and turf, which looked delicious, and I had the 60 Style Shrimp Scampi. It was so good, but so rich, with a creamier sauce than is usually served with scampi. There was also a really nice heat to the dish, brought on by the chili flakes. I barely made a dent in my plate, and it pretty much ensured that I had no room for dessert.

We enjoyed some nice conversation and talked about catching a movie on Sunday. We chatted and read, while watching some of the NFL Hall of Fame inductions, and got a great night’s sleep.

Mr PugRunner wanted to sleep in, but I was awake at 6:15. I let him get his extra Zs, while I texted with the sitter and read some more. We took our time getting ready to check out and stopped for a delicious breakfast at the Metro Diner. Best. Pancake. Ever. The thing was obscenely huge (hanging off the plate itself), but had such great flavor and consistency. I think they added vanilla, which gave it just a hint of added sweetness, and I am going to experiment with that the next time we make pancakes at home.

And then it was off to the movies. We have been seeing the commercials for 2 Guns and we are both huge Mark Wahlberg fans, so we decided on that. The theater was practically empty since we were at the 11 AM showing on a Sunday morning, but that was fine by me. the movie was fantastic. Denzel Washington and Wahlberg were just about flawless in their roles as an undercover DEA agent and a disgraced naval intelligence officer looking to infiltrate a dangerous and powerful drug cartel. The dialogue was snappy and engaging, the plot full of twists and turns, and the action pretty much nonstop. The rest of the cast (Bill Paxton, James Marsden and Edward James Olmos) were also fantastic, and we loved watching the story unfold.

Of course, we missed little man and after the movie, we grabbed a bite to eat and headed home. He was so excited to see us, but he had had so much fun with his babysitter and her family. They had gone to Target and Chick-Fil-A and the park (at night!), and then to historic downtown and there was all kinds of awesome playtime and fun. We were so grateful that he and the pugs were in such good hands, and it’s nice to be able to get away here and there, knowing that everyone is well cared for and loved.

It was so important to get that downtime and I’m very grateful that Mr PugRunner thought of planning for the time away. Monday is that much easier for it.

How did you spend your weekend?

Do you ever get to take a little night away from it all?