February 2010 Archives

Awake: 6+54am      Temp 47      sleep 7+00      sunny       overnight @ San Diego, CA.

My sister Corinne & I had a series of questions & answers via e-mail this morning mostly getting Momoko's name correct & its meaning. "Peach" I told her & I love it!

In the process, she mentioned that she will soon make time for visiting a few of our 1st cousins; especially Bernie & Richard. That e-mail chat reminded me that I haven't talked with Bernie since we left Nicktown October 13th.

After locating his number, we had a little gab session together. He cautioned me not to start motoring back to Nicktown just yet. "It's going to be awhile before the snow melts," he told me.

Zack & Kathy have been e-mailing back & forth also...dealing with the guest list for Katie & Zack's wedding sometime next yr.

About 12:40pm, we motored to downtown San Diego & spent about (15) min driving around to find a (no fee) parking spot fairly close to downtown. We have wanted to casually just walk the streets in daylight & see all we can see. So this is a start. Now that is one snazzy fire hydrant! Kathy also had a package she wanted to mail using FedEx, & so we figured they would have many offices scattered around town. After a good (50) min of free-and-easy walking & seeing the sights, we thought we'd better get the package sent....plus Kathy needed a suitable box to send it in, which a FedEx office would have.
                      I reflected on taking this photo....to shoot or not to shoot? With the help of some greeters behind the counter of the huge Bank of America building, we found the FDX office only (50) feet from where we had walked a street several times. By the time we exited the office, our clock time for further sightseeing was vastly limited. Yes, the parking spot was free, but had a (2) hr limit & those metermaids mark car tires. Speaking of limits, how long do you think this couple can remain motionless? We had time for a short visit to Macy's for a comfort stop & then maybe (15-20) min for checking out the latest high tech stuff in the Brookstone store.

Then we started walking the hill toward our Suzuki. Just ahead was the famous EL CORTEZ Hotel. In 1966, another fellow & I flew a small airplane from (I think) the Palo Alto airport (which is no longer) all the way to San Diego. It was the 1st time I had been here; we visited the Charles Lindbergh Museum (which is no longer) & rode the outdoor glass elevator of the El Cortez Hotel.


San Diego in 1966, was much smaller & the view from the top (20 th floor) was breathtaking. I'll never forget it!

So walking to our car, we took a different street so I could show Kathy the glass elevator that I so fondly remembered. As we got closer, no elevator; we walked ¾ around the building & still, no glass elevator. Kathy accused me of imaging things.

The Suzuki was chalk free; it hadn't been marked. Just out of curiosity, I had to go in that hotel to find out what happened to the glass elevator.

Be patient; 1st a little history about this place: Built from 1926 to 1927, the El Cortez was the tallest building in San Diego when it opened. It sits atop a hill at the north end of Downtown San Diego, where it dominated the city skyline for many years. From its opening in 1927 through the 1950s, it was the most glamorous apartment-hotel in San Diego. The large "El Cortez" sign, which is illuminated at night, was added in 1937 and could be seen for miles. In the 1950s, the world's first outside glass elevator and the first motorized moving sidewalk were built at the El Cortez. Returning to the car, I had the answer for Kathy:the sign on the big locked door read: this building is no longer a hotel, it is a condominium with (85) luxurious apartments. Oh, by the way, we walked a mere (3.3) miles today.

Dinner: leftover tuna noodle Florentine, cream of asparagus soup with ham chunks & sun flower whole wheat bread.

Evening movie: "All through the Night" with Humphrey Bogart, Conrad Veidt, Kaaren Verne, Jane Darwell, Frank McHugh, Peter Lorre, Judith Anderson, William Demarest, Jackie Gleason, Phil Silvers, etc. Bogart's gang tracks down Fifth Columnists (Veidt, Lorre, & Anderson) in WW2 N.Y.C. Interesting blend of spy, gangster, and comedy genres, with memorable double-talk and auction scenes.1942. Better than we expected; we also enjoyed seeing some of the young actors like Jackie Gleason & Phil Silvers. Another movie that kept Kathy awake & interested! We had light rain during the movie but didn't realize it until bedtime.

Lights out: 12:09am.

Awake: 6:54am     Temp 43     sleep 6+22     sunny     overnight @ San Diego, CA.

 

Driving the Suzuki, Kathy left @ 11:50am; she is meeting Sallie @ the Needle Craft Cottage in Pacific Beach to continue on this new hobby of hers.

 

Meanwhile, I got to be a free man for a few hrs. After breakfast dishes were cleaned up, I spent some time with a X-word puzzle & some catching up on my RV Magazines: Highways & Family Motor Coaching. This was the 1^st time in many months that I took the time & laid on our couch reading magazines; nice.

 

Kathy returned around 4:00 pm with a big smile. Besides going to the Needle Craft Cottage, she & Sallie went to La Jolla & spent some good time with the ladies @ the Needle Nook of La Jolla furthering Kathy's knowledge of this hobby.

 

After that, Sallie ran some errands before returning to their motorhome, & Kathy did some needed grocery shopping & also perused the Cerebral Palsy sponsored thrift store on Garnet.  

 

Dinner: Fish Tacos, asparagus & Cutie oranges.

 

Evening movie: "The Third Man" with Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton, (Alida) Valli, Trevor Howard, Bernard Lee, etc. Graham Greene's account of mysterious Harry Lime (Welles) in post-WW2 Vienna is a bona fide classic with pulp-writer Cotton on a manhunt for Harry. 1949. A good mystery story kept Kathy's attention throughout the whole movie.

 

Lights out: 11:54pm.

Awake: 7:07am       Temp 56      sleep 7+20       morning rain...then sunny      overnight @ San Diego, CA.

Larry & Sallie are flying back to San Diego from N.Y. today & I don't know when to expect them. About mid morning I called Larry on his cell phone & left a message referring to the above question.

Larry & Sallie's daughter Carrie called @ 10:40am & asked me if I could pick up her parents who are scheduled to arrive @ 12:15pm. She said she can't do it & asked if I could. "Of course," I told her. Obviously Carrie & maybe Debbie didn't stay as long in N.Y. as L & S.

Around 11:40am, K & I were just about ready to leave for the airport when the phone rang @ 11:42; it was Larry. They just landed in San Diego & told me that their bags were checked, so we don't need to rush over. Well, 1st we had to drive our Suzuki & climb the hill to Carrie's house, trade cars (Larry's) & then motor to the airport.

We were probably a few min late but they weren't complaining; they were just happy to be back in San Diego. Since they left N.Y @ 4:00am, they were plenty tired so we welcomed them back & then we did our own thing for the day.

Kathy wanted to visit the Needle Nook of La Jolla this afternoon & so we did. I brought my camera but left it in the car; another photo opt missed; about (6) lovely ladies were seated @ the round table doing their needle pointing. Such meticulous & beautiful needle point pictures & ornaments they were creating.

We spent less than an hr @ that store & then visited the nearby BevMo store, pricing their wine. A great selection but maybe we can do better in our local area. From here, we drove south on La Jolla Blvd toward Pacific Beach & parked our Suzuki near a section of stores & Cafes.

I felt we needed to do a little walking for exercise & maybe do some beach combing. Up & down the streets of La Jolla we walked & then made the transition toward the ocean. The cliff was steep & posted danger signs but the metal railings & steps were well made & led us right down to the walking area. Kathy was a little reluctant to start walking at first, but then....... she quickly turned the other way & climbed the stairs toward safety. There was no beach in this area. We tried several other spots where they had stairs & hand railings but they were completely closed off. Finally we gave up & headed for our car admiring some of the homes along the way. What a gorgeous view many of them have. Dinner: Chicken veggie stir fry; quite good even though it was chicken!

No movie tonight. Lights out: 12:32am.

Awake: 5:55am     Temp 55     sleep 6+41     morning rain, then sunny    overnight @ San Diego.

Nick called a little early this morning but we were both up & moving gracefully. We haven't Skyped lately due to low signal strength for our Apple computer, so we updated each other via phone about "what's happening."

Nick discussed one of the homes for sale that we toured with them over Christmas time. It is still for sale & now they have reduced the price somewhat. He is being very careful & casual about (if) he should make an offer or not.

 

We also talked about Eriko's pregnancy & what the mid-wife had to say yesterday when she was examined. This is where Nurse Kathy took over & I will catch up on that info later. All together, we talked for 54 min.

 

Nick told me he planned on taking Eriko & Jerry to the Tea Pot Café @ 9:00am, a weekly traditional Sunday treat; this time however, he would be meeting with Zack & maybe Nathan to discuss the particular home for sale concept.

 

After Kathy made eggs over easy, with bacon & sunflower whole wheat bread, she settled down with the Apple computer & spent most of the morning e-mailing & looking things up on Google.

 

After cleaning up the breakfast dishes, I copied her similar style.

 

At 1:41pm, I got a text message from Nick; it read: water seeping out from Eriko. The mid-wife says wait for contractions to start before going to the hospital.

 

@ 2:55pm, Zack called from his rental home; he was aware of what was happening with Eriko & was monitoring the situation via phone. Nick had assigned Zack to care for Jerry in the event Eriko was truly going to the hospital today, but Zack had not heard from them so he called us.

We shared a 1 hr 5min call with Zack covering many different subjects; during that time, no call from Nick. So we went back to our computers.

 

Katrina called @ 4:32pm. She was returning from an overnight stay @ a condo up in the mountains that she & her buddies share when they go hiking, snowboarding, etc. She had some interesting stories to tell me about the last few days (a little too long for revealing) but quite amusing to say the least. Never-the-less, I brought her up-to-date on what I knew about Eriko. She told me she would text Nick as soon as she got inside her condo to get the latest. She & I talked for 52 min.

 

At 6:00pm sharp, Nick called & announced: It's a Girl!

Name, Momoko; born: 5:18 pm Sunday, February 21st. (5 lbs 12 oz). Black hair. Mother & baby are doing fine. Yippee!

Well done Queen Anne family people.

 

Dinner: left over tuna noodle Florentine & a mixed salad.

 

Evening movie: "Four weddings & a Funeral" with Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas, Simon Callow, etc. Delightful contemporary comedy about a young man who can't sustain a relationship, while all his friends seem to be getting married. Then he hits it off with another wedding guest, and the plot thickens. 1994.

Fairly good show but not for the youngsters; definitely some good laughs.

 

Lights out: 11:47pm.  

     

 

 

 

Awake: 7:30am      Temp 60      sleep 6+54       intermittent sun & rain        overnight @ San Diego.

Lucky me; I had a few phone calls this morning that made my day. Our oldest grandson, Matthew, called from Indiana, PA & wanted some advice on how to fix their family's Eureka vacuum cleaner.

He spoke very clearly & articulated the vacuum cleaner's symptoms like a pro. "The beater bar isn't turning & Mommy would really like to have it working again," he told me. "

My dad & I already took the bottom section apart & everything looks ok, even the belt," he said. I questioned him about their Eureka having a separate motor for the beater bar itself & whether it had a DC motor or an AC motor. Matthew didn't know but he said he was ready to work & find out.

Then we discussed the difference between the two motors & a few possible ideas for the repair. I asked Matthew if he would like to speak with grandma a little; "I told you I was ready to work," he replied. "Oh, yes you did," I said & I wished him good luck. Matthew is very interested in electricity & I enjoy it myself. He is slightly over 6 yrs of age.

Then Melissa came on the line & we quickly went thru the discussions that Matthew & I had; she emphasized that she needs that beater bar working now. Then Mel asked if I would like to talk with Andrew. "Yes of course!" I said.

I had to ask Andrew questions that he would respond to; like "do you like playing with your yellow school bus?" Andrew answered "yes." Do you like playing in the snow? "Yes," he said. Andrew is still a little shy on the phone but not in person. Altogether, Matthew, Melissa, Andrew & I talked a total of (16) min.

Later in the day, I googled the Eureka Optima vacuum which Matthew had referred to, but could not find any better clues on whether the unit has an AC or DC beater bar system.

Out of curiosity, I called Melissa & asked her if any progress had been made on the Eureka; she said the beater bar motor was definitely AC as she herself saw (120 volts) stamped on the motor. She also told me that when Kevin powered the motor with (120) volts, the motor armature moved a little. Hmm, could it be bearings, windings, etc.

We left for church early enough to stop at Charlie's Best Bread & buy a loaf of sunflower whole wheat. Since we still had ample time we picked up a few items from Von's & a few things from Trader Joe's before attending the 5:30 pm vigil Mass at St. Brigid's.


Dinner: Kathy's homemade cream of asparagus soup with ham & sunflower whole wheat bread. Her first attempt at making asparagus soup was a tasty success.                                    No movie tonight. Lights out: 12:14am.

Awake: 7:08am     Temp 59     sleep 7+02     cloudy     overnight @ San Diego, CA.

 

Dick called from Goodyear, AZ. He has made arrangements to rendezvous with us in Vegas next month. As much as we've enjoyed being here in San Diego, I am looking forward to new territory & spending time with Dick & Christine.

 

Kathy & I both did some serious reading off & on during the day.

 

Dinner: Tuna noodle Florentine

 

During our movie time, off & on rain; aah, the beauty of having a DVR.

 

Evening movie: "The Prize" with Paul Newman, Elke Sommer, Edward G. Robinson, Diane Baker, etc. Irving Wallace novel is mere stepping stone for glossy spy yarn set in Stockholm, involving participants in Nobel Prize ceremony, Newman and Sommer make handsome leads; Robinson has dual role. 1963. Great mystery story; don't miss it.

 

Lights out: 12:36am.

 

Awake: 6:40am      Temp 49      sleep 6+49      sunny      overnight @ San Diego, CA.

After our usual healthy breakfast, & checking our e-mail, weather, & national/local news, we motored to a different side of San Diego called: Point Loma.

Well, there are several distinct neighborhoods in P.L.: the commercial & the heart of the peninsula is called Point Loma Village.

Then there is Liberty Station which has residential & educational sections.

And there is the Midway district at the northern end of the peninsula, which is primarily commercial & industrial with a few small residential developments.

Also La Playa, which includes some of the most expensive homes in San Diego; and the hills above La Playa are known as the Wooded Area.

And not to forget the northwest corner of the peninsula, where the San Diego River flows into the ocean, there is a separate community known as: Ocean Beach.

There are a few more areas of less known distinction but I need to move on.

As you can see, we had to do some homework this morning before leaping off into this new territory of Point Loma. Our goals for today are only the old Point Loma lighthouse, the Cabrillo National Monument & Visitors Center, viewing downtown San Diego, & the Military field + airport, surrounding neighborhoods & we also hope to spot some gray whales migrating north this time of year.

We brought our cheat sheet with us to stay on course & we were off @ 12:05pm. The Cabrillo National Monument (the end of Point Loma) is a mere (4) miles from our campground.

It didn't take long for us to detour the course we set out to follow......due to such nice & intriguing neighborhoods + a sneak peek @ the Pacific Ocean....... but wait a minute....that girl on the beach, is she carrying a Bible ? We had quite a nice talk with Kristin, who lives nearby & frequently brings her Bible with her to the beach at Ocean Beach.  

We continued our course on Catalina Blvd, & arrived @ the pay hut; the young lady told us: "that will be $5.00 for a (7) day pass." I asked her if I could use my Golden Age Passport, & after showing her some identification, we were free to go.

After parking, we went directly to the viewing area & what a grand surprise. Aside from the day being a little foggy/hazy, we were stunned by what we could see. We each had our 10X
binoculars bringing those views even closer.On your far right is downtown San Diego; most of the middle picture is all Navy & Coastguard. Straight out beyond the Military field, is San Diego's Lindbergh Field. Too much haze & difficult to see though. 


Then the visitor center announced a 25 min movie @ 2:00pm on: The search of Cabrillo The explorer  that discovered San Diego.

After the movie, we walked over to the Cabrillo Monument & read about this guy. On September 28, 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo accidentally hit paradise, or as it's more commonly known, Southern California, he anchored his ships on the peninsula of Point Loma. The Cabrillo National Monument stands in his honor at Ballast Point in San Diego Bay. 

So far, we've seen no signs of gray whales. The waters were relatively calm & the only wave making signs were done by the Coast Guard, small sail boats or yachts.

Next, we climbed the hill & checked out the old Point Loma Light House which was built to guide the vessels safely into the harbor. Unfortunately, the location hadn't been well thought out & fog + clouds frequently obscured the light's signal. However the old lighthouse still stands as a tribute to the lonely life of a lighthouse keeper & the many crews who depended on the light's guidance.

There were whale watching areas up near the light house also, but no gray whale waves to be seen. We climbed the circular stairway up to the Fresnel lens. The circular stairway was not made for touring so we did get up close & personal a few times. 
 
Time was ticking so before the shops close, we drove about 1/2 mile down to the ocean to witness the Tidepools. Some of the rocks were slippery so we were careful in walking around.

We found out the tides control the rhythm of life along the ocean's shore. The marine plants & animals living here in the rocky intertidal zone have adapted to harsh conditions of pounding surf, intermittent exposure to sun & drying wind & sharp changes in temperature & salinity.                       

Awake: 5:15am      Temp 50      sleep 6+05       sunny      overnight @ San Diego,CA.

(2) days ago, Larry asked for a favor; he, Sallie, & one of their daughters are flying to N.Y.C. this morning (Wednesday), another daughter tomorrow, to celebrate their son, Alex's, engagement and attend the party in his & his fiancée's honor. Of course I was delighted to do this for them as they have toured us around so much in San Diego.

So @ 5:30am, driving our Suzuki, I headed up the hill to their daughter's home, helped Larry & Sallie put suitcases in their car & I rode to the airport with them. After a sincere bon voyage to them all, I brought Larry's car back to their daughter's home, & then returned to our campground in our Suzuki.

Today is Ash Wednesday for us Catholics, so K & I attended the 7:30am Mass @ St. Brigid Church & got ashes on our foreheads. Then we returned to our coach, had breakfast, & then motored to the main downtown post office, about (4) miles away.

Such a huge building! We went inside, stood in line for a mere (10) min & watched my special large envelope get fed into the system. As we exited the building, Kathy spotted a plaque on the wall. Well, well, finally I realized what happened to the famous Dutch Flats. This is the airport ( a huge main Post Office building now) where Lindbergh had his Spirit of St. Louis built & tested. He took off with less than (50) people knowing where he was going, flew to St. Louis, then Long Island New York. The next day he made the historic non-stop flight from Long Island to Paris, France in 1927.

Here is what Google had to say about this Dutch Flats field: Lindbergh Field began life as Dutch Flats, a smelly, insect-infested tidal marsh on San Diego Bay. William Kettner, an influential congressman whose house overlooked this eyesore, was in a position to do something about it. In 1919, he convinced Major General Joseph Pendleton that Dutch Flats was the perfect location for the Marine Corps Advance Base Force.

T. Claude Ryan thought Dutch Flats was perfect, too, and he moved his Ryan Flying School next to the Marines. Then T. Claude Ryan switched to building aircraft. In 1927, a special order came in, and in just 60 days, Ryan built a plane for a young St. Louis pilot named Charles A. Lindbergh.

Days after Lindbergh made his historic solo flight from New York to Paris, the Chamber of Commerce named San Diego's new airport after him. When it was dedicated in 1928, San Diego Municipal Airport - Lindbergh Field was the first federally-approved airport in the United States.

So this property, the huge P.O. is sitting on, is part of the ole famous Dutch Flats. How interesting!

From here, we went directly to Costco & stocked up on groceries soon to be needed.

Back in our motorhome & about 5:25pm, Nick called while walking home from work. He seemed especially cheery as he spoke.... & then he announced the news.....no, the baby still has a few weeks before greeting our world. But "Congratulations to Nick" are in order, as he has been promoted to Director of Product Management with Isilon. He will still do some traveling & give talks, but that will just be added to the list of other obligations. We discussed other topics & gabbed for a total of (19) min.

Later, Melissa called & we shared our talk time in lieu of using the split cord system. She has given up using their computer during Lent & wanted us to know that. All totaled, we spoke with her for over (47) min. I enjoyed hearing her report on how the boys are doing with all the snow, the candle lit nights, sled riding, etc. We miss our grandsons during our winter travel.

Dinner: Clam chowder with extra clams & oyster crackers.

We watched our pre-recorded programs & no movie tonight.

Lights out: 11:51pm. 

Awake: 6:40am       Temp 51       sleep 6+42      sunny overnight @ San Diego, CA.
 
I finished eating breakfast @ 1:05pm; my morning was taken up with the property drawings & plans. I had to get serious & get this paperwork sent out so I can be more like Kathy: do more touring & goofing off in my retirement. Next we visited the campground office & had duplicates made of my drawings & documents. With rush hour now in progress, we decided to mail our stuff tomorrow.

Then, I got into our file cabinet, brushed the dust off the papers & started organizing the tax organizer.

Dinner: leftover lamb chops, couscous with golden raisins & pecans, sautéed asparagus, egg plant & tomatoes & a mixed salad.

We watched our regular recorded programs for the evening.

Lights out: 11:10pm.

Awake: 6:40am     Temp 51     sleep 6+06     sunny     overnight @ San Diego, CA.

 

Kathy did (2) laundry loads while I continued drawing a schematic diagram of where things are located on our property in PA.

 

Tim returned our call from Escondido; we are planning on a rendezvous sometime after his wife returns from Oklahoma.

 

Dinner: Tuna steak, broccoli, rice with golden raisins, & a mixed salad.

 

Evening movie; we finished: "A Streetcar Named Desire" with Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter, & Karl Malden. Stunning production of Tennessee Williams' play with, Brando as the animalistic Stanley Kowalski and Leigh as his wistful neurotic sister-in-law. 1951. Bittersweet & depressive...but a great movie. Seems as though Tennessee Williams' specialized in this sort of life.

 

Lights out: 11:58pm.  

 

Awake: 6:22am      Temp 55       sleep 6+09      sunny      overnight @ San Diego, CA.

Kathy made eggs over easy, bacon & toasted English muffins for our breakfast this morning.

Early afternoon K & I motored over to the Hillcrest area, which is just northwest of Balboa Park & found a parking spot for our car.

On foot, we toured the active University Street from east to west. Hillcrest is where we located (2) of the (3) hidden bridges; but we are not bridge looking today, we are somewhat curious about the people activity here & would like to learn more about: "what's happening?"

Hillcrest is a neighborhood known for its diversity & locally-owned businesses, including restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs & thrift stores. It's known to locals as "The Village in the City."

Going east, we passed a very crowded restaurant with open doors & windows loaded with young adults, most likely college students & many young professionals. My camera shot does not do the bar & crowd justice.
  Not far from the 1st bar-restaurant, we came to another similar active bar-restaurant with music & talk even larger & louder than the 1st. Heading west, we passed Winn's Barbara Shop; doing business since 1943; a very popular & reasonably priced haircutting spot in town.


Next we passed a wonderful mural of a hardware store; not like the ole days, this store was open for business on a Sunday. 

Then a large grocery store, "Whole Foods." Out of curiosity, Kathy wanted to peruse this place (we'd been in other Whole Foods stores in other cities). So (35) min later, we had seen & checked a lot of their wares (tasted some) convincing us that yes, this is a very good store but also a little more costly than we like. Kathy even pointed out that:

                                       "This little pig went to market!"



Continuing our direction west, we more or less, reached the end of activity & decided to head south by one block, then paralleling our direction by going back east again.

I mentioned to Kathy that we'd been seeing a lot of things but where are the churches? Amazing enough, on the next block, the view opened up & there were (3) churches to be seen on various corners.

Not only that, but walking parallel to our street, was an angel. Wow! I called to her & politely asked if I might take her picture. She cooperated nicely but her wings didn't flutter like I had hoped they would.


Continuing east on this residential street, we admired the old homes along the way; some looking very good, others showing their age in faded, chipped paint & lack of attention to landscaping.

We walked about (4-5) blocks in this direction & then....up ahead was a sign: "Dead End." Ugh! We didn't want to reverse our direction & use up the time doing it...but what choice did we have.

Just then, a young man was walking the street toward us; we asked the fellow if there was any other walking route we could take to continue walking east. "Nope" he told us.

OK, so we had to reverse course & double back; we walked about ½ block & we both saw a short dead end street with an electrical boom & the electrician doing some work on an overhead transformer. My curiosity led us both further into this dead end street.... & then, "WE SAW IT," the 3rd mysterious hidden bridge. WOW!



And guess what? On the other side of this bridge was the parking lot for Trader Joe's & that is where we parked our Suzuki.

This bridge was rebuilt in 1995 & is decorated with some very meaningful poetry written on the fence along the way. We fraternized Trader Joe's, purchasing organic milk, wild Alaska Cod, mango, taco shells, etc. Then motored back to our home-on-wheels. Total walk distance: (3.1) miles.

In the motorhome, we Skyped Nick for about (15) min...but our poor Apple had such low signals, we had to give up for the night.

We called Katrina in Littleton; another surprise: she was home in her condo. Using our patch cord, we gabbed for 26 min. Katrina told us that the mountains finally had some good snow & she's been enjoying a lot of snowboarding. She also told us she snowboarded a black & double black for the 1st time from the highest lift in North America + loved every min of it. 

Dinner: Lamb chops, pasta & a mixed salad. 

Evening movie: "A Street Car named Desire." We watch 1/2.

Lights out: 12:34am.   

Awake: 7:25am      Temp 51      sleep 8+47      sunny      overnight @ San Diego, CA.

On our separate couches, we woke up to a sea of cars, nearly flooding the BIG public parking area. I heard nothing during the night or morning. It isn't like I slept well; I would wake up off & on while sleeping on the couch, & this mid morning, I slept my best.

There had to be over (100 +) runners doing their morning warm up exercise. By the time I climbed up on our roof, most of those bodies had already started sprinting down the trail.

                                        And looking toward the east & south...

Skip the photos, the cars were everywhere. Actually these young adults were practicing for a Rock & Roll Marathon held this June in San Diego with an estimated (300) adults participating 

  Next.......out came the Outrigger Canoes...more practice for the upcoming races in May. 



We were impressed that these people were thoughtful enough to leave us a wide opening in the event we should drive out.....which we did @ 12:05pm. We signed in @ the office, paid our bill, picked up another key & parked in a different campsite.

With Kathy's help, it took about (3) back & forth movements to get the bus parked in our site. Unmovable trees & obstacles were the culprits.

Mid afternoon, a slow moving car pulled up near our bus & an elderly gentleman wanted to learn more about our motorhome. After a few minutes, he hinted to have a peek inside. His wife scolded him about that but he ignored her. We felt ok with a peek & so we talked for a good (15-20) min. His current motorhome is much smaller so I was not going to encourage him on trading his small for a large.

Then we attended the 5:30pm vigil Mass @ St. Brigid Catholic Church @ Pacific Beach. Yes, the choir singers & instrumentalists did another excellent job up front.

The church was packed & the congregation was very responsive.The priest did announce at the beginning of Mass that this weekend was a celebration of married couples. So before the final song was sung, the priest asked all married couples to stand up, face each other, hold hands & with the guys going first: repeat after him:. " ____(name), I took you once & I take you again to be my lawful, wedded wife (husband), etc.

We guys recited our wedding vows looking into our wife's eyes. It was a bit emotional from the very beginning and got even more so as we specified: "for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health"...etc.

I noticed that Kathy's eyes were not continuously focused on my eyes & were actually welling up, especially  during the "in sickness and in health" part..., and so I began to do the same.

Then it was the ladies turn to say their vows to their husbands; again, when the: "for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health" came up, the same emotional reaction happened. The guy behind us could be heard crying. It was such a powerful experience.

The fact that we feel so blessed that with God's help, we have made our marriage work this far, and the knowledge that we are getting older with all of its uncertainties, esp. regarding our health, must have been responsible for our somewhat unexpected emotional response. 

Yesterday, Kathy & I were so nice to each other....it was amazing what just repeating those vows did for us for a day. But...we are usually nice to each other anyway......may it continue.

We made a pharmacy stop & a stop @ Von's en route to our home-on-wheels.

Dinner: ham & Boursin cheese melt & asparagus.

Evening movie: "Some Like it Hot" with Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe, Joe E. Brown, George Raft, Pat O'Brien, etc. Legendary comedy by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond about two musicians who witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and try to elude their pursuers by joining an all-girl band heading for Miami. Sensational from start to finish, with dazzling performances by Lemmon and Curtis, a memorably comic turn by Monroe as Sugar Kane. 1959. Why not watch the St.Valentine's Day Massacre & make us feel real good tomorrow on Valentine's Day.

Lights out: 12:13am.  

 
 

Awake: 6:54am      Temp 48      sleep 6+42      sunny      overnight @ San Diego, CA.

After breakfast we got our motorhome ready to move out of our campsite. We couldn't believe how fast the month had passed by. We said our goodbyes to our near neighbors, who also will be moving to another site in the campground; their move is due to someone else reserving their site & they have priority...@ least for the 1st month.

We turned in our key @ the office, & then drove both vehicles across the street to the BIG public parking area.

With such beautiful weather, we couldn't resist taking another walk around the scenic Mission Bay area for a grand total of, slightly over 5.0 miles. Along the way, we saw something different going on down in the bay water; the young man we talked with called it: "stand-up paddle boarding." Balancing is everything when a person is doing this act of...almost walking on water. A beginner seen in the distance just fell off his board; we watched, as he used his hands & knees, & bravely climbed back aboard the board. There are many things to do & see in & around San Diego; here we have (2) kite surfers racing back to their girl friends. Ray, could one of those guys be your son, Nate?          And next, we have a sail boat, but there are also jet skies, power boats,etc.  This Mission Bay multi use  trail covers about (3.5) miles one way; there are at least (6) bathrooms conveniently spread along the route with flush toilets, urinals, soap dispensers & high speed air dryers, etc. On our return trip, K & I made a comfort stop...and then, the most unusual thing happened to me! Someone gave me the bird! Yes, she was real & did not want to be disturbed.

While Kathy was making dinner, Nick called during his walk home from work. We chatted for an interesting & updating (15) min. All is well with them...especially Eriko, she's feeling great he says.

Dinner: Crab cakes, salmon, broccoli, rice & a spinach salad.

We finished watching: "The Days of Wine & Roses" with Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick, Charles Bickford, Jack Klugman, Alan Hewitt, etc. Modern LOST WEEKEND set in San Francisco, with Lemmon marrying Remick and pulling her into state of alcoholism. Realistic direction and uncompromising writing combine for excellent results. 1962 Terrific story with a powerful message.

Generator run time: total (4.4 ) hrs.

Lights out: 10:38pm.

Awake: 7:07am       Temp 47       sleep 6+45      sunny       overnight @ San Diego, CA.

@ 9:00 am I called Ed in St. Augustine, Florida; he updated me on the condition of Maryann's mother, Posey, in Pennsylvania. Ed, my laboratory buddy @ Brookhaven, Long Island, N.Y., is missing his wife who flew back to PA to help care for her mother.

Meanwhile, it's been (3) weeks now that Ed has been a bachelor. I asked him if he is losing weight! He admits that he's doing things right & staying the same. We gabbed for (30) min.

Kathy dusted & vacuumed the motorhome & later, I cleaned out the filter. I also back flushed the gray water tank in prep for leaving our campsite for (24) hrs tomorrow.

Around 6:00pm, K & I joined the group from Campland on the Bay, meeting @ Po Time, the Vietnamese restaurant near Pacific Beach. Ken & Lee are leaving on Saturday & heading southeast; thus, a farewell gathering for them. Otherwise, we knew about (6) people amidst these good looking young seniors. Regardless, Larry & I enjoyed a good gab session throughout our dinner meal. Since Kathy was sitting closer to the group, she was able to converse with Linda & her husband, Ken & Lee, & Sally.

K & I shared (6) egg rolls as an appetizer & vegetarian fried rice for our dinner.

Afterwards, K & I did some light shopping @ Henry's Farmers Market & Trader Joe's. Evening movie: "The Days of Wine & Roses." We watched about 1/4th.

Lights out: 12:12am.

Awake: 6:49am      Temp 46      sleep 6+51      sunny      overnight @ San Diego, CA.

Sallie called mid morning. She said Larry was golfing with Bill & other guys & asked if we were walking today? "Yes," I told her; "how about we pick you up within (15-20) min & we'll tour La Jolla by the sea."

We still have boxes of National Geographic Magazines from Seattle in the backseat of our car, so we hauled a few boxes out & stored them temporarily in our motorhome, making room for Sallie.

La Jolla is a mere (6) miles north of Mission Bay. After parking the Suzuki, we walked thru the main part of town to the La Jolla Cove, overlooking the ocean with its waves crashing onto the rocks below. Along the boardwalk, we saw people galore, lots of birds, & lazy seals, young & old, sunbathing on the sand & rocks. What a sight to behold!                           Now, how did those lazy Seals get onto the rocks? The experts report that Pelicans can carry as much as 25 pounds of fish in their beaks.                        No, the Seals are not dead, they are working on their tans. High tide is not always a good thing....these canoes & boats stuck together & you see where they ended up? On our route back to the car, we watched a fellow, honing his rock climbing skills on the man-built rock ocean wall. The line you see is not a rope, it's a shadow from a palm tree. Back in town, we visited Warwick's books, gifts, stationery & office supply; a favorite book store of Sallie & Larry's. We were merely looking. Sallie got in touch via cell phone with Larry & we all agreed to have dinner @ the World Famous restaurant @ Pacific Beach.

For all you people who have pet dogs, here is a serious message! From here, we drove down the La Jolla Blvd, a very pleasant & somewhat scenic hwy by the sea, & parked the Suzuki near the World Famous restaurant.

Sallie & Kathy selected a favorite table with a picturesque view overlooking the Pacific Ocean & the beach; many runners, bikers, walkers, dogs, etc, on the boardwalk added to our entertainment.

Larry & Bill, & later, Bill's wife, Kay, joined us for dinner & oohing & aahing over the BIG SUN sinking into the BIG PACIFIC OCEAN; quite a sight!

K & I shared a yellow fin Ahi tuna Caesar salad, which we had had before & really enjoyed.

Good thing we cleared a seating space earlier for Sallie in our car since Larry rode with Bill in his car to the restaurant & Bill left before we did. Now with Larry & Sallie reliving their teenage days, (she sat on his lap & there were lots of giggles & "stop its"), we were able to drive them back to their campsite.

Late evening movie; we finished watching: "The Americanization of Emily" with James Garner, Julie Andrews, Melvyn Douglas, James Coburn, Joyce Grenfell, etc. Garner is fall guy for U.S. admiral's master plan to have American naval officer first Normandy invasion victim, with predictable results. Cynical Garner-Andrews romance blends well with realistic view of life among U.S. military brass.1964. Most interesting with some real battle scenes from WWII.

Lights out: 12:22am.

Awake: 6:50am    Temp 52    sleep 6+52    early light rain    overnight @ San Diego, CA.

 

After breakfast, I called & paid our insurance coverage on our Suzuki for the yr 2010.

 

Next I spent some time drawing a schematic diagram of approximately where our house will be located on our property.

Also drew in the circular drive with locations of electric units, well water, sewage connections & final disposal area, power transformer, street names, etc. After a few hrs, I needed a break & got after another x-word puzzle.  

 

Sallie called to make sure Kathy was here; she wanted to visit & show Kathy what she has done with her 1^st drawing. She & Kathy scrutinized it pretty well, looks like a keeper!

 

Around 4:00pm, rain moved in for about (2) hrs which messed up our recorded political programs for the evening.

 

Dinner: turkey leftovers from my sister Mary Jo's Thanksgiving dinner & Kathy's mashed potatoes, gravy, mixed salad & grapes.

 

Evening movie; we finish watching: "Downhill Racer" with Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Camilla, Sparv, Karl Michael Vogler, Jim McMullan, etc. Vivid study of an empty life, with Redford as small-town egotist who joins U.S. Olympic ski team. Basically a character study; problem is an unappealing character. Dazzling ski scenes make lulls worth enduring. 1969. Fantastic ski scenes & most interesting....some filming of actual Olympic racers.

 

The night is long & Kathy is so beautiful...so we started yet another movie: "The Americanization of Emily." We watch about 1/3^rd.

 

Lights out: 12:22am.

 

Awake: 6:25am     Temp 46     sleep 6+31     sunny     overnight @ San Diego, CA.

 

Another casual day for us; aside from reading, X-word puzzling & computer time, we took the time to walk over to Sallie & Larry's Campsite; about a (3.3) mile walk.

Yesterday Kathy searched on her computer, found some acceptable pictures of Christmas scenes & then copied those pictures in color. Sallie is going to try drawing one on a stocking shaped needlepoint canvas for Kathy to work up.

Larry & Sallie were golfing so we dropped the colored pictures off in their motorhome so Sallie could find them & look them over. Sallie is a good artist & has a lot of experience needle pointing, which will certainly be to Kathy's advantage.

 

Dinner: Italian sausage, spaghetti & a Caesar's salad.  

 

Evening movie: "Downhill Racer." We watched ½.

 

Lights out: 11:58pm.

Awake: 7:09am     Temp 57     sleep 6+48    windy...mostly sunny    overnight @ Diego.

Kathy made: eggs over easy with bacon & toast for breakfast. Then I called John in Pennsylvania to get the real scoop on the winter weather they are having. Gosh, Phil, the groundhog, wasn't kidding.

Larry called & invited us to go downtown to do a little condo hunting with them in the Little Italy area. We couldn't pass up an invitation for touring with Larry & Sallie; they have a lot more experience seeing San Diego than we do.

In the Little Italy area, we perused an Art Store to start with; then, with the address in hand, we looked @ a nearby condo from the outside. A few blocks further south, again based on the address, we looked @ another condo from the outside. If Larry & Sallie have any further interest, they'll get in touch with the realtor.

Walking back to Larry's car, the aroma from the Buon Appetito Ristorante Italiano was so inviting that Larry had to have something to eat right now, even though he had breakfast not so long ago.

Both K & I declined having lunch as we had just finished a late breakfast before they picked us up. However, when Larry ordered, he & Sallie wound up with more food than they could consume, so K & I had to help clean those plates off good. Kathy must have felt a little uncomfortable when Larry & Sallie 1st ordered as she reluctantly ordered a bowl of minestrone soup. After our food stop, we continued our walk to Larry's car; here are a few more scenes along the way in Little Italy. We don't know these ladies, but some call them the wall girls. Back in the car, Larry drove us further into downtown San Diego to see how far the prospective condo would be from the nearest shul (synagogue). It was about (1) mile, a distance they felt they could walk for Shabat services.

Larry & Sallie found out later, there was a mistake in the asking price; a hundred thousand dollars more than advertised. So much for that idea they told us.

From downtown, Larry drove us north to La Jolla, (20) min in fast moving traffic, to visit their other daughter, Debbie, & family. Getting out of the car, I couldn't help noticing a tree across the street with budding flowers; spring time already? Our timing wasn't so good as Debbie & their younger son, Levi, were napping & her husband, Ethan, was out for his exercise run. Only their son Zev was up & about in the back yard. Zev has an automatic ball pitching machine in the back yard so he & I took a few swings @ the fast moving ball & actually hit a few. He was also practicing his golf swing using the same large ball. I was impressed with the speed at which that pitching machine shot the ball out. Sallie & Larry's dog, Teddy, was with us in the car on this trip, but was restricted to staying inside until we arrived @ Debbie & Ethan's home. So with Teddy running around barking & we hitting balls in the back yard, Debbie was wakened from her nap. Fortunately, Levi slept through our intrusion.

Debbie & Ethan have a nice home in a good location; we had to keep moving so we missed seeing Ethan & Levi. Larry & Sallie took us back to our Mission Bay campground; they will be returning to Debbie's later today to celebrate Levi's 2nd birthday. We were invited, but graciously declined. Another fun day for us!

Dinner: tuna steak, rice & golden raisins, broccoli & a Caesar's salad.

Evening movie: we finished watching "Fiddler on the Roof"with (Chaim) Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon, Paul Mann, Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh, Neva Small, Candice Bonstein, etc. Rousing, colorful location filmed adaptation of Joseph Stein's hit play based on Sholem Aleichem stories of humble village of Anatevka. Topol is hearty as Tevye, trying to preserve Jewish heritage. 1971. Long but most interesting; funny but sad.

Lights out: 11:54pm.

Awake: 7:05am     Temp 59     sleep 6+34   rain with wind, off & on.      overnight @ San Diego, CA.

 

Corinne called mid morning; we used our split cord to both hear & talk. She admits to a lot of snow (2 ft +) with more on the way. It's beginning to cramp her lifestyle we think. We spoke for (18) min & then she had other calls to make.

 

Another good day to stay mostly indoors here in San Diego, however, around mid afternoon, some of the clouds drifted away giving us periods of sunshine.

 

Late afternoon, K & I drove over to the Needle Craft Cottage where I twiddled my thumbs while Kathy talked with the owner about different aspects of needle pointing.  It sounded awfully complicated so I chose to listen to NPR on their cottage radio most of the time.  

 

From here, we drove less than a mile & attended the 5:30pm vigil Mass @ St. Bridget Catholic Church. We were delighted to listen to & sing with the choir group as they harmonized and echoed beautifully. They were accompanied by piano, guitars, and harmonica

After Mass, we drove to Ralph's Grocery store just a few blocks south & bought a few grapes & Matzos. Prices were somewhat higher @ Ralphs than we liked, so we stopped @ Von's a few blocks east & nearly finished our weekly grocery list.

 

Dinner: Clam chowder with oyster crackers, grapes & mandarin oranges.

 

Evening movie: "Fiddler on the Roof." We watch: 1/3^rd.

 

Lights out: 12:21am.

 

Awake: 7:30am     Temp 55     sleep 6+07     rain forecast     overnight @ San Diego, CA.

 

Early afternoon, K & I checked out another grocery store not far from our campground; after a thorough investigation, she gave me (2) thumbs down & I approved of her message. Smart & Final was not what we are interested in.

Next, Kathy wished to peruse the Michael's store along the way; she's getting ideas for making needlepoint Christmas stockings for our grandsons. Our visit was short as she was simply looking things over & wasn't very favorably impressed.

 

Then we took a shortcut to Costco, which was extremely busy. Waiting in line for fuel for the Suzuki was not so bad but finding a parking spot anywhere was a challenge. On one occasion, we were creeping along looking ahead for a sign of someone pushing their cart back to their car....suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a half-full cart speeding down the slope heading right for our driver's door. Yikes! Full speed ahead & then full braking; glancing back, I saw the young lady running after her speeding cart....& she did catch it before it rolled over or hit the fence. Yes, Friday is not a day to shop @ Costco.

 

Around 6:30pm, a medium sized rainfall moved through the area, & later, a gentle rain.

 

Dinner: homemade crab cakes, with asparagus & rice.

 

Evening movie: "Five Easy Pieces" with Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Billy Green Bush, Fannie Flagg, Susan Anspach, Sally Struthers, etc. Brilliant character study of musician with great promise who gave up a career to work on an oil rig. 1970. Beware; definitely not a family movie.

 

Lights out: 12:31am.  

 

 

 

Awake: 7:43am      Temp 55      sleep 7+04       sunny      overnight @ San Diego, CA.

@ 9:30am, we drove over to Sallie & Larry's campsite, changed cars & rode with them to Pacific Beach & had a great breakfast @ "The Eggery Etc." Afterward, we strolled down the ocean side & then headed east & walked along the Sail Beach. That was about it for our walking this morning. Larry still has a sensitive toe that he is babying.

Next stop, the Needle Craft Cottage where Sallie & Kathy analyzed the patterns & yarns inside. Then to the Bank of America where we cashed a few small checks, & finally a stop @ Trader Joe's for a few groceries.

Back @ Larry & Sallie's campground, K & I visited briefly with Lee & Ken just across the street from L & S.

Back @ our motorhome, Katrina called & we both talked with her about her activities & adventures for a quick (55) min. She was on her way to meet a friend & they are going to a dinner theatre in Boulder to see, "Singing in the Rain."

Later, my sister Mary Jo called from Lodi; we chatted for (44) min covering both their kids & our kids & grandkids & other miscellaneous things.

Next K & I drove our Suzuki to downtown San Diego, found a parking spot & casually start walking around. For a Thursday night, there are people everywhere & many of the sidewalks are filled with outdoor dining areas.

We arrived early just to do some looking around before meeting up with our ole Alaska friends. They are in town for a few days before they leave on a cruise, departing from San Diego. After walking around for (5 or 6) blocks, we are convinced that we need to visit downtown during the day & thoroughly do a walking tour of this place.

About 6:20pm, we entered Croce's Restaurant & before our eyes, all but (2) of our gang of (8) were just taking seats. Friends from Alaska & friends from our 2005 Asian Pacific Cruise + (2) more we haven't met yet. We had a lot of catching up & reminiscing to do which occurred during & after our wine time. Finally the (2) late comers arrived & our meals are on order.

K & I shared a filet mignon with two side orders + a Caesar salad. We were having so much fun just talking with each other during our wine time & meal time....that was, until the music started; then we could barely hear what was said by someone two seats away.

Once outside, we attempted to find a small café for coffee & enjoy some more gabbing. That wasn't easy as most of the café's we looked into, were crowded & also noisy. By chance we ended up on the 2nd floor of a Starbucks where we hung around & closed up the place. It really was a cozy little reunion & I must admit, we all looked pretty good for our senior ages. Left to right> Bruce & girlfriend Linda (Barbara's older sister); Barbara, wife of Joe (across the table); Linda & husband, Tim; Joe; Kathy & me. Remember, double click on the small photo to see the enlarged BIG photo.  

Lights out: 1:24am.

Awake: 7:20am    Temp 56     sleep 6+56     mostly sunny     overnight @ San Diego, CA.

 

Our morning & part of the afternoon, was turning out just like a deja vu of Monday...until Kathy suddenly said: "Let's take a walk." I thought her legs might still be complaining from our Pacific Ocean walk; but obviously she remains the tough one.

 

We started by going out of the campground & around the Mission Bay area & then walking toward the Campground office. At this point, Kathy had an idea & I seconded the motion. "Let's talk with someone in the office to find out if there is anyway we can stay for (2) weeks longer after our month is up without paying the daily rate, (which is rather stiff," she suggested.

 

We probably spent a good (20..30) min talking about several ideas with the agent. All & all, I think we may have a deal...but we won't know for sure until next week.

 

We don't wish to start heading east too soon, or staying here too long.

 

Our interrupted walk was a good deal shorter than we planned as the pedometer recorded a mere (1.6) miles.

 

Dinner: leftover Italian sausage, spaghetti, filled pepper & salad.

 

Evening movie: "High Sierra" with Ida Lupino, Humphrey Bogart, Alan Curtis, Arthur Kennedy, Joan Leslie, etc. Bogey is Mad Dog Earle, killer with a soft heart on the lam from police, in rousing (if not exactly credible) gangster caper. Lupino as the moll and Leslie as the lame innocent whom Bogart befriends offer interesting contrast. 1941. Kathy tells me it was a typical old gangster movie. That's right on folks.

 

Lights out: 12:39am.   

Awake: 6:55am      Temp 51     sleep 7+13      mostly sunny      overnight @ San Diego.

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning so..... (6) more weeks of winter.

We miss the Super Wal-mart stores that have many things that we use for lower prices. However around San Diego, Wal-Marts are not Super & are not geographically convenient.

We drove across town anyway; Kathy didn't come close to fulfilling her list but I did ok. We took a different route on the way back & drove thru the Ole Town of San Diego. During our visit in 2004, K & I did a little touring thru Ole Town but not very thorough... & this time, even though the day was perfect, I declined the opportunity. Kathy was a little disenchanted about that but I'll try & make it up by giving her a good haircut; we both desperately need a good trim anyway. Ok dear, could you smile for a picture? Gosh, this idea isn't going so well! Hey, just look @ that beautiful & happy girl now! Whew, that was a close one.   Dinner: salmon with maple syrup glaze, rice, & a mixed salad.

Evening movie: "Anatomy of a Murder" with James Steward, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Arthur O'Connell, Eve Arden, Kathryn Grant (Crosby), etc. Long exciting courtroom drama; daring when released, tamer now. Sterling cast: O'Connell as drunken lawyer inspired by Stewart, Scott as prosecuting attorney, Joseph Welch as judge (Welch was the famous Army-McCarthy hearings lawyer who later became a judge in real life). Stewart towers over all as witty, easygoing, but cagy defense lawyer.1959. Great story; Kathy insisted we...watch it all tonight!

Lights out: 1:24am.

Awake: 6:20am     Temp 49     sleep 6+54     sunny     overnight @ San Diego, CA.

 

We declared this day to be a day of rest in lieu of Sunday. Therefore, it's book, magazine, & X-word puzzle + computer time off & on throughout the day. Kathy has no interest in walking outside this day.

 

Dinner: Italian sausage with spaghetti, mixed salad & mixed fruit.

 

Evening movie; we finished watching: "The Adventures of Mark Twain" with Fredric March, Alexis Smith, Donald Crisp, Alan Hale, C. Aubrey Smith, etc. This Hollywoodized story of Samuel Clements' colorful life may not be great biography, but it's consistently entertaining ----despite some biopic clichés. 1944. K & I thoroughly enjoyed this story which didn't get the best review from the movie guide but, according to the information in Wikipedia, the story of Samuel Clements, (Mark Twain), the movie, appears to closely reflect his real life.

 

Lights out: 11:42pm. 

Awake: 8:00am    Temp 49    sleep 7+18     mostly sunny      overnight @ San Diego, CA.

Mid morning, my brother called from Tyler, TX. He & Josie have been visiting their son Craig, his wife Nanette & their kids for (10) days. He said it's been cold in Tyler but they walked nearly every day for exercise. We talked for a good (29) min about the kids, grandkids, home building, politics, summer plans, etc. My brother is keeping up-to-date on: what's happening with our USA.

Kathy made a hot breakfast of: eggs over easy, bacon, whole wheat bread + a fruit salad.

Since we talked the walk yesterday & didn't walk, we tried making up for that today by leaving our motorhome @ 1:45pm, & walking to Campland on the Bay where Larry & Sallie hang out most of the time. Their motorhome is parked @ their daughter's home today but tomorrow they will be back @ the Campland site.

In 2005, when I first met Larry & Sallie, we stayed @ Campland for (10) days. Their campsites were pretty narrow for our motorhome but once parked, it was fine. Campland has done some cleaning up & adding 50 amps to some of their sites, so we did some checking on that while we were here. Then we decided to continue walking west to the Pacific Beach & Ocean. I had my pedometer on my belt keeping track of our miles.

San Diego has some interesting trees to admire in the suburbs as we headed toward the ocean.                            Do you think this tree was grown in China? After walking south along the boardwalk watching the surfers & beach combers, we began walking east back to our motorhome taking a slightly different route than before. Still a lot of debris left over from the storms of two weeks ago.   (7) miles total & (4) hrs later, we were back @ our home on wheels ... & we are tired! Look closely @ the top right corner to see a green double circle...just below the golf course. We started from there, walked over to the BIG X (Campland on the Bay,& then followed the black line going left(west) to the Pacific Ocean & back home. 


Larry called, inviting us to join them for a movie at a movie theater, but we declined.

Dinner: leftover eggplant, fried rice & a spinach salad.

We Skyped with Nick for (52) min.

Evening movie: "The Adventures of Mark Twain." We watched 1/3rd.

Lights out: 11:26pm.

Awake: 7:40am     Temp 49     sleep 6+45     sunny     overnight @ San Diego, CA.

 

@ 12:00 noon, K & I joined Sallie, Larry, Benji & Ross at Benji's house for a good lunch and lots of gab time. We had all planned on a walking tour of the neighborhood after lunch, but yesterday Larry banged his big toe while golfing & wants to do as little walking as possible for the time being. And Sallie did not feel well after coughing through the night & not getting much sleep. After a good (2) hrs, we thanked them for their hospitality + good food & returned to our motorhome.

 

Kathy wanted us to do our own walk for exercise today but I still had a bunch of unopened letters to go thru, so we agreed to do it tomorrow & get an earlier start.

 

A light dinner of leftover: stuffed pepper & eggplant with a spinach salad + bread.

 

Evening movie: "LA. Confidential" with Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, Davie Strathairn, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, etc. Vividly atmospheric tale of L.A. in the early 1950's, run by corrupt cops....one of whom (Spacey) works hand in hand with the publisher of a sleazy tabloid (DeVito). Self righteous Pearce, however, thinks he can rise above the muck in the department. 1997. Kathy's take on this flick: suspenseful, bloody, frightening if truthful, & definitely not for children.

 

Lights out: 12:42am.   

 

 

Awake: 7:20am      Temp 49     sleep 6+44     mostly sunny     overnight @ San Diego.

Mid morning, a young lady just across our street was attempting to open the front hood on her motorhome. I hesitated a little but then walked over & offered to help. She had what appeared to be a yellow drip coming out somewhere near the front of her engine.

Try as we might, that cowling or hood would not cooperate. Finally, another near neighbor offered his expertise. After what seemed like an hour, Rex pushed the lever hard enough that one side opened & that was the answer; use brute force.Before Rex came over, we hesitated in doing that as we didn't want to break anything. Later, I put some machine oil on those levers for easier opening on the next time.

Pat was concerned that she might have an anti-freeze leak; but after rubbing my fingers in the little puddle, that oily feeling wasn't there. I did make a 50/50 solution with my anti-freeze & brought her reservoir up to the required line though. Then I gave her a helping hand loading her motor scooter onto the back carrier unit. Pat is leaving this morning with a destination of Yuma, AZ.

Mid afternoon, K & I walked 2.2 miles along the Rose Creek river path for exercise. We've been having some gorgeous sun sets lately...but timing is still everything to get a good photo...which this is not! Dinner: leftover turkey fried rice, eggplant casserole & a spinach salad.

Evening movie: "The Last Angry Man" with Paul Muni, David Wayne, Betsy Palmer, Luther Adler, Joby Baker, etc. Sentimental story of an old, dedicated family doctor in Brooklyn whose life is going to be portrayed on TV. 1959. Great story; add it to your list.

Lights out: 12:55am.

Awake: 7:02am     Temp 48     sleep 6+54     sunny     overnight @ San Diego, CA.

 

We got a call from the campground office; our forwarded mail has arrived. K & I walked over & brought back the big box of mail.

Most of the Christmas mail was included; many cards with letters summarizing the past year's activities of the sender. Reviewing these cards & the tax statements pretty well consumed our afternoon.

 

Larry called & invited us to have lunch with them tomorrow.

 

Dinner: Turkey fried rice with a spinach salad.

 

Evening movie: "The Swan" with Grace Kelly, Alec Guinness, Louis Jourdan, Agnes Moorehead, Jessie Royce, Landis, etc. Mild Molnar comedy of manners has attractive cast but not much sparkle. Jourdan good as Kelly's suitor, but she's promised to Prince Guinness. 1956. Entertaining with a good message, but a bit slow.

 

Lights out: 12:36am.