I impressed my wife today by showing off my samurai-like oyster-shucking skills. We spent a wonderful day in Ventura at the laid-back The Jolly Oyster, a beachside stand that serves up fresh oysters, clams, and crab claws. Unfortunately, they were out of crab claws, so we stuffed ourselves with raw oysters (shucked them ourselves!) and steamed Manila clams (we had the Jolly Oyster’s kitchen take  care of that).

We ate, we laughed, we played oversized chess and checkers, we ate more, and we walked on the beach. It was one of those perfect summer Sunday afternoons that you don’t want to end, with good food, good music, and good times with the one person in the world who I’d want to be with for a day like this.