Midway through breakfast, Griff finished reading aloud the San Francisco Chronicle's coverage of the Huygens - Swifts game.

"Actually, what came into my mind," he said to Caydance, "were Ken Stabler's immortal words about a game like that -- or maybe about something else:

'You buy your train ticket and aim to get off at your stop, unless you happen to drift off. Then you go to wherever you wake up, and maybe that was just the destination that was meant for you from the start.'"

The beach house kitchen was warm with October sun. Onto a second helping of waffles, Griff poured maple syrup. Caydance was wearing a short pink shirt dress over a blue silk slip.

"We need to work on your press quotes," she observed.

"I can think of something better to do," Griff responded.