We spent everyday of the first week at the beach and ate out occasionally. We found a local pizza place that we enjoyed, a local Chinese place (a staple for sure), and for me a local brewery and wine bar. It was not as if I would sneak out on the kids for an evening cocktail; however, when I needed to unwind from thoughts of Brady, I retreated to either my local brewery or wine bar. The Gas Light District in San Diego also had plenty to offer, and we  would frequent it often throughout the summer.

In the second week, Isabella decided that she wanted to visit the San Diego Zoo. This was amenable to Liam and I, so we went on Tuesday. It seemed like a good day to meander slowly and catch the best of what the zoo had to offer, as most people besides mother's without jobs would be at work. No summer vacations/breaks for the weary. I can remember distinctly how hard it was to get Brady to even take a week off from his job. He enjoyed it, and it provided for a wonderful living for me and the kids.

The zoo lived up to expectations. As they always said in the movies, "Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my"! We even had a decent meal there and it took us from opening until 6:00 PM that evening to catch all the attractions, brief seminars and the animals, of course.

We decided to go out to eat to the Cheesecake Factory that evening; one of my household's favourites. We have a system that may seem uncanny, but now that I have let out the secret, I feel sure that others will be doing it. At the Cheesecake Factory, you eat your desired dessert first. This way, if you have leftovers from your meal, there is plenty of ways to reheat the item(s) to your satisfaction. Cheesecake in the fridge overnite; however, just does not have that same, fresh taste, the next day.

Retreating to the patio once again, we would spend just about every nite there in the evenings at what I called "Casa Amor", or "House of Love". It would become my Italian Villa of Love for the summer, and perhaps many more to come.