Asilomar

Kristiana promised (to Kristi, at least; I don't know to whom else) that I'd write some kind of post-trip wrap-up, but I'm not ready. Firstly because there are a handful more details about the trip I wanted to write before attempting some kind of grand (or not so) summation, and secondly because no sooner are we home from one trip and a little bit recovered from the time change than we're off on another -- or at least I am, but I'm hoping Kristiana will join me.

I'm writing from the main living room of Asilomar, where my company is holding a company retreat, spouses invited. Asilomar is a state park and rustic conference center / getaway on the Monterey coast which takes its name from the combination of two Spanish words, one signifying "beautiful view of the sea" and the other "no internet access." The latter had a couple of us pretty terrified, but it turns out that in a concession to us brittle city folk you can in fact get online from the main lodge where I am now. Despite which, out of force of habit I am writing on my blackberry.

The actual lodgings are spread out across the grounds in various directions. They do not have internet access, nor telephones, nor televisions. The intent is that you show up here and fully commit yourself to calm repose and the quiet contemplation of nature (unless you brought your smartphone which, well, pretty much all of us do). And if you absolutely, positively need your fix, you have only to roam a few hundred yards to the lodge, in the dark, stalked by bears or sea lions or whatever runs around out here, to get it.

I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'm sure it will be very nice.

The plan is that tonight we will meet for cocktails (more accurately wine and cheese, but conceptually it's pre-meeting cocktails) in our conference room. Apparently this is slightly illicit, but because I was tasked with bringing the wine and cheese I didn't ask for details: it's probably better if I don't know. We will take dinner in the common dining hall, then retire to our rooms to read, meditate, enjoy the coastal air, and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, though, after a day of meetings we're going in to Carmel for dinner (at Bouchee, a favorite), and I'm pretty sure there will be real cocktails.

Kristiana unfortunately came home to a much less calm situation at work than I did, and isn't able to get away to be here tonight. I'm very much hoping she'll be able to manage it tomorrow.

Part of the reason I've lodged myself in the lodge is that I'm pretty sure I'm the first one here - everybody said they'd leave work around lunchtime, but I seem to be the only one who did - and I wanted to spot and greet the rest of of my group as thet checked in. Now that it's been a while, I'm thinking maybe I should go and hide instead. It's bad enough that I've just been on vacation for two weeks, I also sacrificed most of a day of work to jet-lag zombie disease, and now to arrive at our coporate retreat long before everyone else makes me look like a slacker.

Or maybe I'll just sit here and read my book. In keeping with the let's-work-smarter-not-harder theme of our retreat, I brought "Four Hour Work Week."