Here in Coronado we’re less than an hour south of Leucadia, which is where Peps is living these days. Yesterday he took the train down to San Diego, rode his bike to the Coronado Island ferry, took the ferry across the bay, then rode down to our RV park.

For lunch we went to an Italian restaurant called Sapori, and there we met up with a high school classmate of ours named Steve. He was a year ahead of me in school, and a year behind our older brother Mike. Steve got in touch with me several weeks ago to tell me that he’d like to get together to share stories about Mike, who died in a mountain-climbing accident on Mt. Rainier in 1971, just after he turned 24.

In high school, Mike and Steve were on a medley relay team that set new school records that still stand today. Steve told us that Mike was absolutely the driving force behind the team and its success. He got the football team strength trainers to work with them, and he constantly coached them on their mental race. One time he brought 4 unusual hats to a track meet and made the team walk around in them before the race, just to psych out their competition. In addition, Mike was a personal inspiration for Steve, who went on to compete in track for a number of years, then coached track and began a career in writing about track and then about women’s bodybuilding, which he has had a major influence in promoting.

After this very special lunch, we went back to the RV park/ marina and rented a boat to take Peps out on a tour of the fascinating marine elements in the bay. The weather is still beastly, so being out on the water in the wind and the spray of the boat was delightful.

This morning before it got too hot we went out for a bike ride up to Starbucks with Peps. He’s been so helpful answering all our bike questions!