Driving at the speed limit, Monterey is an hour away. It took about fifty minutes (or all of tape 4 side 2, for those at home) to reach the Monterey Bay Waterfront Park, a small park bordered by Del Monte Beach and the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail. It has picnic areas, barbecue pits and sand volleyball courts.

In the morning, the weather was sunny and just chilly enough to require a sweatshirt. The continuous wind made lighting the pit a challenge. After many failed attempts and a substantial amount of lighter fluid, the charcoal was finally burning. In addition to the standard hot dogs, we enjoyed barbecue chicken and steak. There were also delicious bacon-wrapped shrimp; each stuffed with cheese and a slice of jalapeno.

To get warm, we played touch football, a sport where collisions seem to be the most frequent form of touch. The end zones were professionally demarcated by two sandals, a full beer bottle and a "Dodger blue" baseball cap that looked very purple. I should note that our team won 21-14, not that we were keeping score or anything.

Tired of football, we turned to volleyball. I don't know what it is about playing on grass, but I end up doing things I shouldn't, like trying to prevent high velocity volleyballs from touching the turf by agilely leaping after them.

The instant I see the ball coming down, I forget I'm not Superman or capable of leaping agilely. By the time my feet get the memo, it's too late. They've already launched me horizontally into the air on a possible collision course with the ball. Halfway through the dive, I suddenly remember that there's a landing involved. I keep my eyes on the ball and attempt to ignore the impending impact. The volleyball bounces mere inches in front of my clasped, reaching hands and floats over me as I hit the ground and slide across the field in a daze. I finally come to a stop and pick myself up. Instead of seeing if my limbs are intact, I check my shirt for grass stains, dust myself off and blissfully stand poised for another stupid superhero move.

Wiped out from playing hard, we recuperated at the Starbucks in Cannery Row before ending our fun stay in Monterey and heading home.