Santa Catalina

Paul and I got to go to Catalina Island for President's Day. We actually went so Paul could preside over a baptism. It was the first baptism there in about 10 years. The baptism was definitely the highlight of the day. Either that or snorkeling. No, maybe kayaking. Gosh, it's so hard to decide.The ferry ride was just a little bit windy. You can tell because Paul's hair is a bit tussled.

I have to admit we both look pretty amazing in tight, tight, tight wet suits. The rental guy gave me a size too small (which, though flattering, made it so I couldn't even stand up straight).

Paul put on his war face. I'm not quite sure what he was fighting. Maybe that "jellyfish" he saw in the water (NOTE: it was actually a plastic bag).

This is me, excited because I saw a seagull. In case you're wondering, yes, that was the coolest thing we saw all day. Wait, no, we did see a total of four gold-colored fish. And kelp. Lots of kelp.

This is a view of the casino. By far the largest building on the island. Lest you think Catalina has given way to the sins of the world, the casino wasn't even operating. They did have expensive tours, though, of the non-operating casino.

This is a view of the condo-laced terrace above the beach where we had the baptism. Pretty amazing how much people will pay to live on a secluded island. And by "secluded," I mean "lots of people but no real civilization."

All in all, it was a great day. We loved it. We welcome anybody to come visit us here in Long Beach. But you'd better hurry...we'll only be in Long Beach for another 2.5 months! Then it's off to Menlo Park, CA for 7 weeks and NYC for 7 weeks for Paul's job at Davis Polk & Wardwell.