March 2010 Archives

Awake: 7:55am    Temp 37    sleep 7+42    sunny    overnight @ Englewood/Denver, CO.

 

Another surprise for me! Kathy made homemade "corn beef hash" with eggs over easy & an English muffin with homemade pear jelly from Katie. Corn beef hash is one of my favorite breakfasts if it's made correctly...& it was.....excellent!

 

Early afternoon, when I was searching for something in the computer desk, I found my old money clip which I used as a memo pad during the 60's & 70's. Lots of info is still stored on those pages from those yrs.

 

So while Kathy needle pointed, & watched her Home & Garden programs in the Murphy bedroom , I found names & phone numbers of some of my ole buddies that I haven't kept in touch with for over (30-40) yrs.

 

With the help of our phone book & area code changes, I called & talked with Jerry in Lincoln City, Oregon for (26) min. Turns out, he had tried numerous times thru FDX & other methods to get in touch over the years to no avail. It was exciting for both of us to chit-chat after such a long time. Now that we have made contact, we can chat more often.

 

Next, Tony & I were roommates during the early 60's & I introduced him to his wife, & was a member of the wedding party. Tony & I started working @ Brookhaven Laboratory, Long Island, N.Y. about the same time. We had a lot to talk about & our gab- fest lasted for a good (49) min.

 

Then I closed the money clip & called a young couple in PA, also RVers, with whom we usually talk frequently. Due to our busy schedule &, unless things have changed, a warning from them that only emergency calls are accepted when they are traveling, we kept our phone calling to zero.  Before they left PA however, I believe we talked once about Gregory's Baptism & we also exchanged a few e-mails along the way & that was it.  

 

Now that Rosemary & Gary are home from their travels, I made another call & it was great catching up on their travel adventures & other things of interest.  (29) min.

 

I was about talked out when my bro Don called from Ebensburg, PA. Good thing we had exciting "stuff" to chat about: tax returns, house building, our government, etc, or my jaws might have fallen asleep. Don & I talked for (35) min. I am not used to spending so much time on the phone, but today proves I can do it!  

 

Dinner: beef /broccoli stir fry, rice, & whole wheat bread with Mandarin organs to top it off.

 

Evening movie: "The Bitter Tea of General Yen" with Barbara Stanwyck, Nils Asther, Gavin Gordon, Toshia Mori, Richard Loo, etc. May seem antiquated to modern audiences, but Capra's sensuous story of American woman's strange fascination with a Chinese warlord is still dazzling; A moody, beautifully atmospheric, sensitively performed film. 1933. That's quite the description of this story; we would beg to differ, of course, but considering it was produced in 1933, no comment.

Lights out: 12:30am.

Awake: 7:45am     Temp 38     sleep 7+01     partly sunny & windy     overnight @ Denver.

We have no wifi in this campground; thus the Apple sits quietly in a corner & we are back to sharing computer time on the Dell.

Kathy continued her needle pointing today while I went outside & cleared away some of the snow that I squeegeed off the roof on Wednesday.

I was hoping that mountain of snow would melt faster due to the 1940's location of the sewer dump. It is behind our motorhome & centered. If I had backed up any further, that connection would have been under our chassis.

Ok, so I did get a little more exercise, but most importantly, the gray H2O went south.

K & I attended the vigil Palm Sunday Mass @ St. Louis Catholic Church. The church was crowded.     

Dinner: leftover beef, broccoli stir fry, bread, & mandarin oranges.

Evening movie: "The Lady Eve" with Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette, etc. Stanwyck is a con artist who sets her eyes on wealthy Fonda...the dolt to end all dolts, who proclaims: "snakes are my life." Sometimes silly and strident, this film grows funnier with each viewing. 1941. Somewhat romantic & yes, it can be funny.

Lights out: 12:13am.     

Awake: 7:57am     Temp 34     sleep 6+18     partly sunny     overnight @ Denver Co.

Katrina called while driving to the airport; we didn't talk long but we did wish her Bon Voyage & a safe & fun trip.

Early afternoon, K & I went house hunting; our architect in PA, sent us the addresses of (18) homes that he designed when living in Denver, CO. We found (17) out of (18); beautiful & stately homes, all of them. Here are a few samples of homes that Scott designed during his years in Denver, CO. That last photo & this one are most likely to be the only ones out of 18 that don't have "the box look". As we were admiring one of the boxes, Laurie, the owner, arrived home and after answering a few of our questions, invited us in. She gave us a complete tour, with her (3) young daughters & (1) young son following close behind. We were most grateful. One thing was obvious: all of the homes, save for the few, were square boxes. Our home will be a hex design with wings;thanks to Gary & Grace of  PA. 

We didn't find the (18th) home. Friday rush-hour was upon us & we opted to forgo that number for another time.

Back @ our home-on-wheels, rain with snow began @ 5:10pm. It didn't last, however, & we didn't complain.

Dinner: Kathy's crab cakes with homemade tartar sauce, rice with golden raisins & a Caesar salad.
No movie tonight; just political stuff.

Lights out: 12:41am.

Awake: 6:41am     Temp 26     sleep 6+11     sunny     overnight @ Denver, CO.

My computer has not been cooperating to my high standards these past few days; I probably need to get rid of more "stuff taking space no longer used" on the "C-disk." When I first purchased this Dell Computer (2004), Nick recorded over (90) episodes of Seinfeld on our disk. They have remained there ever since. I love Seinfeld sit-coms but have not watched any of them since 2004.

About a month ago, @ Fry's Electronics in San Diego, I purchased a USB Flash drive (4GB)...but I'm not sure how to use it. I did download about (45) episodes of Seinfeld & then the Flash drive was FULL! I couldn't believe it. I thought (4GB's) would hold all (90) episodes or more.

I need to talk to an expert about this; our guru sons in Seattle are @ work now & I would not be so brazen as to bring up my minuscule problem for them to solve. Who should I call? Ghostbusters or my guru buddy Ray in Ocean Park, WA? Ray it is!

With a laugh, Ray clues me in... that audio eats up computer disk space so fast that my measly (4GB) was not powerful enough. "You need a few more of those Flash Drives" Ray hinted. "OK for now," I tell Ray. "I'll watch for another good deal on flash drives."

Ray also cautioned me to delete the episodes from Seinfeld on the C-disk because what I have done now was simply copy them on to my storage drive. Thank you Ray, I didn't think about that. We yakked on other subjects for a total: 29 min.

Katrina called @ 8:17pm; we both shared talk time; we talked about hanging bikes, painting, walls & unclogging drains, etc.

Dinner: Beef stir-fry, with rice & golden raisins.

Evening Movie; we finished: "Party Girl" with Robert Taylor, Cyd Charisse. Lee J. Cobb, John Ireland, Kent Smith. Crooked lawyer (Taylor) and showgirl (Charisse) try to break free from Chicago mob life. Charisse has a couple of torrid dance numbers.1958. Not bad; when Kathy stays awake, it's got to be a fairly good story.

Lights out: 1:39am.

Awake: 5:38am      Temp 27       Sleep 5+10      light snow      overnight @ Denver/ Englewood, CO.

After coffee, at 7:26am, I called the campground office & talked with Beth regarding the power outage; she understood that a transformer blew out & the guys will be replacing it sometime this morning.

Next call I made to the office was @ 12:50pm. This time I talked with Janet & she told me the transformer has been replaced & the campground has power." Wonderful!" I replied, & I thanked her for the good news.

So....I shut down the generator & expected to be done with using our fuel to keep warm, etc. But...hold on there! We're back on battery power. After making a few checks, inside & outside, it appeared that when that transformer went bad, our motorhome's electrical sensors reacted to a fail safe system that would avoid sending in bad voltage on the AC input line.

What I had to do was to reset the system by shutting it all down & starting over. That took about (15-20) min to get everything restored. Total generator run time was: 13.8 hrs.

Meanwhile, long since I've been told that a layer of snow can be an insulator, & underneath, the temp would remain 32 degrees. That may be so, but I couldn't quit thinking about all that snow on our roof & waiting patiently for the melting process.

So, up the ladder I went, carrying the squeegee. I spent over (2) hrs cutting blocks of snow & then pushing them towards the rear of the motorhome where there is an escape slot for just this sort of thing.

Anyway, @ 1st, it was kind of fun, like steering a boat down the mighty Mississippi or herding a bunch of cattle over the western plains; those blocks of snow would slide like a hockey puck on ice. About an hr later, it became more laborious. Around 6:20 pm, my sister, Corinne, called; she has been using a wheel chair, a walker, anything that works to avoid severe pain when she puts weight on her left leg.

She has had x-rays, & an MRI & so far with no conclusive results. All we can do is add her on our prayer list for now. Her spirits have been positive @ this point.

Speaking of Corinne, with her permission, she has notified the Johnstown diocese that she will not be signing up to be the Campus Minister for U.P.J. (University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown) next fall, 2010. She will be looking for some other job, maybe in the Pittsburgh diocese. Now we really need to get those prayers working for her.

Dinner: Tuna & noodle with asparagus.

A surprise for me; Kathy felt guilty that I exerted myself so much by getting the snow off our roof that she volunteered to do the dishes tonight. Gosh! She's a girl Friday on Wednesday & Thursday: cleaning snow off cars & now dishes. I was very thankful.

Katrina called about 8:15pm. She & Becky were doing some late evening shopping & were in our neighborhood & wanted to pay a visit. Kathy gave her a few quick directions & within min, they rang our doorbell.

Kathy gave Becky a tour of our home-on-wheels while I yakked with Katrina. Both girls looked a little hungry so out came the popcorn & some Sprite. We talked for close to (2) hrs & then they had to leave.

Evening movie: "Party Girl." We watched ¼.

Lights out: 12:22am.

Awake: 7:04am      Temp 40      sleep 6+58       sunny, then clouds       overnight @ Englewood, CO.

Early afternoon, for whatever reason, I thought I would take a picture of our campsite with Kathy in the driver's seat. Keep in mind, this Flying Saucer RV Park was built in the forties & not many updates have been done since.

But, if you look closely over the roof line of our motorhome, you can see one upgrade item for the campground: part of a new Flying Saucer sign. After looking @ the photo, I see a lot of reflections & one can barely see Kathy behind the wheel, but here it is anyway. Katrina called late afternoon from school; she has selected a restaurant for tonight's gathering & asked if it would be ok to bring one of her roommates along. "Yes, of course!" we tell her. We wanted to meet her roommates anyway. She suggested we meet @ her condo @ 6:00pm.

Well, in the meantime, winter weather moved in with a vengeance; heavy snow & wind. The rain started around 2:30pm & by 5:30pm, our Suzuki was beginning to accumulate snow.

We didn't realize how fast the snow was accumulating everywhere; by the time we arrived @ Katrina's condo, we could hardly see in front of us. It was like a white out condition. Fortunately, Katrina was watching out of her window & saw us go right past her place; she called our cell phone & talked us back to her condo for parking close by.

We rode in Katrina's new Subaru Out-Back to the restaurant of her choice; traffic was slow moving & difficult to see but Katrina is a good driver. Kathy & one of Katrina's roommates, Becky, rode in the back seats.

The "Little Basil" restaurant was perfect for our dinner rendezvous. Due to the weather, I'm sure, we & only one other small group were it. It took some casual salesmanship on my part to convince Kathy what meal to share, & with her so many N0's, I began to wonder if I did wrong by pushing the eggplant dinner meal after all. But, when she took that 1st bite, I knew I did alright! As we ate & chatted, we got to know Becky a lot better (a nice gal from the mid-west), & we had a good time catching up with each others adventures. Outside, the blizzard was still going strong; both Becky & Katrina had items to purchase next door @ the King Souper grocery store so we followed their (8--10) inch deep foot prints as best we could. Altogether, our time @ the "Little Basil" & the King Souper store added up to maybe (2) hrs; as you can see, Katrina's car accumulated quite a bit of snow during that time. Yes, that's Kathy brushing off the snow like a pro. Back in Katrina's condo, Becky gave us each a small bowl of ice cream to help warm us up after our adventures with "the blizzard." Then later, a tour of the condo & the changes Katrina had made since our last visit (3) yrs ago. She also gave us a preview of our "to-do" list. After looking @ that "to-do" list, we thought we had better get out of here before the list gets longer.

For the 1st time ever in our Suzuki, I used the (4-wheel drive) gear to get back to our motorhome. When we entered our home on wheels, something was not right; the temp inside the living room read 56 degrees & we were on battery power. Nearly the entire campground was dark, with a few small lights here & there.

En route to our coach, we heard of power failures being announced throughout various areas of Denver so we just assumed that the campground was also included. Therefore, I started the generator & we watched our recorded political programs & then....with generator running, bed time.

Lights out: 12:28am. 

Awake: 5:55am    Temp 32    sleep 6+00    sunny     overnight @ Green River, Utah.

The mountains blocked an early sunrise wakeup for Kathy but she sure enjoyed the extra sleep.

I was glad I reeled in the water hose last night as the ground surface was frozen early morning.

We left the A/OK RV Park @ 8:35am & continued heading east on I-70. So far, I-15 & I-70 Interstates have been, for the most part, very smooth. Kathy shot a few photos along the way to Denver. Our camera was (2) time zones off so it was really 10:23am when we came upon these tunnels; which we think are near the Colorado Canyon Area. When we passed through the city of Grand Junction, we gave a big wave to Tom & Marge who we hope to see in Denver over Easter time. We were tempted to stop for a visit but....we want to spend a little time with Katrina before she leaves for spring break, & Denver has a forecast of snow tomorrow, so we hope to get in & parked before the white flakes start flying. More of Kathy's photos Through the canyons....still on I-70.
We are not sure; is this Silverthorne? The Eisenhower & Edwin C Johnson Memorial Tunnel Elevation: 11,158 ft. At one point, we were getting 1.5 miles per gallon. Going downhill we were getting about (99) miles per gallon; hey, that what the gages read.

From I-70, we changed to State Road-470, then U.S.285 to Hampden & the Flying Saucer RV Park; arriving @ 2:35pm. We checked in @ the Flying Saucer office & then proceeded to our campsite.

Today's travel: 346 miles 6+30 time 61 gallons used 5.7 mpg 53 avg speed.

Kathy did a marvelous job guiding me into our campsite, which is the 3rd time we've been in this exact spot. After getting ourself organized, we call Katrina & leave a message. She returns our call later & we gab for 21 min. She is still at school so we plan on a get together tomorrow evening.

Dinner: Tuna & noodle with asparagus & bread.

Evening movie: "The Member of the Wedding" with Ethel Waters, Julie Harris, Brandon de Wilde, Arthur Franz, etc. Carson McCullers sensitive account of child Harris prodded into growing up by her brother's forthcoming marriage. Slow but worthwhile.1952. Slow but worthwhile???. Not recommended for nighttime or daytime viewing.

Lights out:12:06am.

 Awake: 6:06am     Temp 48      sleep 6+23     sunny      overnight @ Las Vegas, Nevada.

Today is moving day; after our coffee, Kathy retracted the rear slides & organized some of the things that might fall on the floor during our travels; while she is doing that, I attached our tow car & retracted the shore cable.

We left the Riviera RV Park in Las Vegas @ 7:35am traveling initially on I-515, & then changed to I-15 north to Mesquite where we crossed into Arizona for about (30) miles before entering Utah.

                              Kathy takes a photo of the Kolob Canyons in Utah. We continued north on I-15 until Cove Fort & then changed to I-70 eastbound. Kathy, did you ask for air conditioning or heat? We make a Flying "J" fuel stop @ Richfield, Utah.I don't need fuel now but further east, we'll be doing some mountain climbing so it's better to be safe than sorry. (100) gallons of diesel fuel @ $2.94 per gallon & we're back on the road again. If you look closely @ the stone wall, you'll see an old prospector with BIG EYES. (123) miles later, we arrived @ Green River, Utah & checked in @ the A/OK RV Park @ 3:15pm.

Irene gave us a lengthy campsite & good thing; a few trees were blocking our satellite signals so we pulled forward about (25) ft; enough to get those DirecTV signals through the open southwest direction. Now our shore cable & water hose are both stretched out to about (25 & 30 ft).

Today's travel: 411 miles    7+20 time      71 gal used      5.8 mpg        56 avg speed.

Before dinner, I hooked up our tow car so I won't have to do it in the early morning.

Dinner: left over turkey with gravy, acorn squash, asparagus, & rice with golden raisins.

After the dinner dishes were cleaned by Kathy, I reeled in the water hose & filters, saving me from having to roll in a stiff hose in the morning; there is a  forecast freezing temps overnight.

Evening movie: "It's a Wonderful World" with Claudette Colbert, James Stewart, Guy Kibbee, Nat Pendleton, Frances Drake, Edgar Kennedy, etc. Screwball comedy with Colbert a runaway poetess, Stewart a fugitive chased by cops Pendleton and Kennedy. Very, very funny, with Stewart having a field day. 1939. Screwball comedy it was, but we were not laughing. Kathy couldn't wait for the finish.

Lights out: 11:55pm.

Awake: 6:22am     Temp 52     sleep 6+13     sunny     overnight @ Las Vegas, NV.

Aha: Spring Equinox is here. High temp in Vegas today: 72.

Kathy did (1) load of laundry this morning while I climbed the ladder to wipe off the accumulated dust from Thursday's & Friday's strong winds.

Kathy also did some needle pointing while watching HGTV (House & Gardens) TV.

We attended the 4:00pm vigil Mass @ St. Anne Catholic Church; (2.2) miles from campground.

En route to our motorhome, we visited a new store (for us): "Food for Less" & actually found the prices lower on produce & yogurt so we stocked up on a few items.

Dinner: Reuben Sandwich using left over corned beef & Kathy made Russian dressing with sauerkraut & Swiss cheese.       Very, very good meal!

Evening movie: "Brighton Rock" with Richard Attenborough, Carl Marsh, Hermione Baddeley, William Hartnell, etc. Tour-de-force role for young Attenborough as loathsome, baby-faced gangster who finally gets his comeuppance. 1947. Kathy didn't much care for this story as it was slow & difficult to understand the British accent. It only took (3) nights of various lengths to finish. My recommendation: just view the last (30) min.

Lights out: 11:43pm.      

Awake: 7:07am      Temp 57       sleep 6+45       sunny-windy    overnight @ Las Vegas, NV.

Kathy had found an ad for movies for $1.00 in Vegas, so we thought we would check it out & perhaps see a modern movie for a change. The movie "Blind Side" was playing today.   

Before we changed clothes I suggested we call the theater to find out if parking is free & that movie is playing today. Well....Kathy tried twice & both times, "the number you are calling has been disconnected" was heard; next plan, a 1940's movie tonight @ home with popcorn. Mid afternoon, we motored west on Sahara Ave to Trader Joe's for milk, oatmeal, Boursin cheese, etc. Dinner: Clam chowder with oyster crackers, & a mixed salad with olive rosemary bread.

Evening movie: "Brighton Rock." We watched another (40) min.

Lights out: 12:09am.

Awake: 6:53am      Temp 53      sleep 6+40      sunny, windy     overnight @ Las Vegas, NV.

Kathy is still having a problem with the Apple computer; she would prefer to send her e-mail via Apple in lieu of Squirrel Mail. In San Diego, the Genius Bar guy didn't solve the problem.

We have an appointment @ the Apple Store for 10:15 am this morning @ the Fashion Mall. We are a few minutes early for our appointment & as you can see, the guys & gals are eager to have our business. After the young man adjusted the Apple for the Las Vegas area (simply a different code), he explained to Kathy that she should change the code again if Apple e-mail can't be sent when visiting another location. Next we casually walked the Fashion Mall until 11:20 & then met Kathy's brother, "Skip," for lunch @ the Capital Grill, attached to the Fashion Mall.

We only hear & see her brother when we visit Vegas; other times, he makes no phone calls, & sends no mail. But he's so nice & friendly when we do get together, as if we just spoke last week...go figure! Kathy & I both have a gourmet cheese burger with all the trimmings. Then we drove south on Las Vegas Blvd to Fry's Electronics, where I purchased some black & color Ink cartridges for our small Canon printer.

En route to our motorhome, we visited the Business Costco, & topped off our Suzuki fuel tank with (13.5) gallons @ 2.74 per gallon; plus, purchased some frozen strawberries, blueberries & a few other items.

Around 6:30pm, strong winds from the east, then west. In this campground, a few things could be seen rolling down the streets plus (3) sites east of us a rather large shade unit was completely destroyed with the steel tubes bent & twisted plus some PVC pipes messed up. Fortunately we were back home where I retracted our awnings. 

Due to our scrumptious lunch, we simply had some healthy snacks for our dinner tonight.

Lights out: 12:22am. 

Awake: 6:36am      Temp 50       sleep 6+37       sunny      overnight @ Las Vegas, NV.

After our morning breakfast, we motored downtown, found a free parking spot & began walking the Las Vegas Strip.

We started close to the Encore & Wynn Casinos & headed south; stopping outside the Venetian to watch the young & old lovers riding in the Gondolas...under the bridge & a few turns is about all you can have; of course the riders are serenaded by the gondolier.                        This canal looks like a mighty good place to escape to ? But it's all graphics folks. As we walked the sidewalks, one would not believe that this state of Nevada is totally bankrupt; there are people everywhere....outside. Inside the Casinos, what we saw were a lot of empty tables with most people playing the slot machines; lots of unused ones, however. We understand though, that the heavy hitters usually play mostly @ night. The Casino Royale caught our attention...with (5) slot machines outside & (4) free spins, we fell for this ploy. Now don't get excited, but K & I both won $50.00. The highest one can win is $100.00. Then we had to cash the voucher to redeem either a beer or a Margarita, or try our luck, gambling our $50.00 on one of the special slot machines the on the inside. We chose the Margaritas, which cost us each $.50. Actually the strawberry Margaritas tasted great. Walking further south, we crossed the street simply to get to the other side! Oh, there's more; on the sidewalk we just left, a big bunch of St. Patrick's Day revelers were really having a party. Our target was to see what's new @ the Bellagio; thus the maneuvering. Great balls of flowers & umbrellas In the Bellagio Conservatory, the tulips are blazing with rich colors and the butterflies are dancing around the habitat. The air is filled with that scent of spring and you can just feel the warm weather around the corner. A rose is a rose is a rose....but this rose is a snail And you thought your ants were huge Melissa; these buggers are made of bronze, so they'll be around for awhile. Oh, by the way, the egg will be a girl. This tree is jjjljljl One last display I thought was worthy of reckonison ....Lindt dark chocolate 70% coca. Leaving the Bellagio, people were lined up outside to see & listen to the Bellagio Water Show, which featured "Chicago" & "All that Jazz." It was fantastic! Beyond the rainbow, how in the dickens can hotel guests see thru their windows when Donny & Marie are blocking their view? Mail in your answers & the winner will get a lovely gift after the Obamacare becomes active. Walking back to our car, Kathy was attracted to a good looking golden creature just sitting around looking....like gold? All total, our pedometer registered a mere (4.5) walk miles. Melissa called: she had a short question & I had a long answer. Then Kathy had a long question for Melissa & she had a short answer. It was late for them so we held our talk time to (15) min. Dinner: Corn beef & cabbage with carrots & potatoes, olive-rosemary bread & cuties. Evening movie: "Brighton Rock." We watched (18) min. Lights our: 12:13am.

Awake: 7:11am        Temp 50      sleep 7+27       sunny      overnight @ Las Vegas, NV.

 We like this campground; the people are friendly, we have pull-thru parking, & we are only (4) miles from the Las Vegas Strip.

Early afternoon, we motored across town & visited with Wayne, Sandy & Sydney. They just traded in their old 2008 Newell motorhome for a 2010...which they helped design themselves.

Of course we were invited on a tour to see what's new & different &, sure enough, Newell continues to make the high tech stuff even more high tech. After the tour, Wayne & I discussed the many advances of technology the Newell planners have brought forth since the early 2000 year coaches.

For example, without going into a lot of detail, the latest awning change is displayed on the left side of their motorhome; the awning curves around & down along the slide, in lieu of just going straight out, which allows for a lot more shade. Also, Newell is now suggesting a Cummins Diesel engine in lieu of the CAT or Detroit; The Cummins engine has been getting a good (1) mile for gallon better mileage.

Later during our discussion, Sydney, the dog jumped up on my lap after I gave her a few good scratches under her neck, head, shoulders, etc. Wayne was surprised that Sydney was so quickly enamored with my dancing fingers.

After a good chit-chat session inside, & a quick photo of Sandy in their living room, we moved outside under the shade of the large awning & continued our dialog. Sandy brought out some mixed nuts, pretzels & potato chips for a snack & Wayne brought out (8) small yogurt cookies that he put into the wooden Dog Twister for Sydney.

Wayne told us that Sydney had to work her brain for food; just watching Sydney turn that Dog Twister around with her nose & paws to find another yogurt cookie, convinced us she is a smart dog besides being friendly & man's/woman's best friend. Oh yes, Sydney is also a great frisbee player & gets no extra rewards except...more love. We enjoyed our time with Sandy & Wayne ...& Sydney. They'll be leaving for their homestead in WY soon so we were lucky to have made the call when we did.

Dinner: pasta with meat sauce, bread, grapes & a mixed salad.

Evening movie: "The Seventh Cross" with Spencer Tracy, Signe Hasso, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, etc. Seven men escape from Nazi concentration camp and are pursued by the Gestapo. Exciting film makes strong statement about a cynic who regains hope when others risk their lives to save him. 1944. This...sit on the edge of your seat story, kept us both wide awake & holding on to our posterior.

Lights out: 11:59pm.

Awake: 6:56am     Temp 51     sleep 6+58     sunny     overnight @ Las Vegas, Nevada.

About 11:30am, we walked to the office, met Barbara the campground manager, & paid our fee for a week's stay.

Later in the day, I called Wayne on the other side of town; we spent some time with Wayne & his wife Sandy last year @ a rally in Branson, MO. We made plans to rendezvous tomorrow at their campground.

Nick called while walking home from work; it was Kathy's turn to talk. He told Kathy that he was getting ready to go to the b'day party of a colleague last Sat evening. (3) min before he was to leave to catch the bus, Jerry, who was sitting on his lap, threw up all over himself & Nick. They saved the couch from the mess, but Nick decided to forego the party. Jerry did seem to feel somewhat better afterward.

Dinner: Tuna steak, brown rice with golden raisins, asparagus, mixed salad & cutie oranges.

Evening movie; we finished watching: "Reds" with Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Edward Herrmann, Jerzy Kosinski, Jack Nicholson, Paul Sorvino, Maureen Stapleton, Nicolas Coster, Gene Hackman, etc. Sprawling ambitious film about American idealist/journalist John Reed's involvement with Communism, the Russian Revolution, and a willful, free-thinking woman named Louise Bryant. Provocative political saga is diffused, and overcome at times, by surprisingly conventional, often sappy approach to the love story (climaxed by Bryant's Little Eva-like journey to Russia over the ice floes). 1981. Based on a true story, these 3.5 hrs of watching "Reds' were most intriguing, fascinating & simply amazing to comprehend.          

Lights out: 11:44pm.

Awake: 6:36am      Temp 47      sleep 7:04       sunny overnight @ San Diego, CA.

I woke up thinking about this alternate route change idea but....I'll try it & see how it is. After all, Larry is very knowledgeable & I like to keep Kathy happy. I do know it's a longer stretch on the miles but how many more?

Last night before going to church, I retracted the front slides due to expectant nighttime dew. This morning I climbed the ladder & wiped off the expected dew on the rear slide tops before I gave Kathy the retraction ok.

After our coffee & a Kathy muffin, we left the Mission Bay RV Resort @ 8:10am. Following I-5 north to State route-56 east to I-15 north to State route-60 east to I-10 east to Thousand Palms & a Flying "J" fuel stop.

We topped off our tank with (129) gallons @ $3.07 per gallon.

Along the way, Katrina called & talked with Kathy for (45) min. She forgot about daylight saving time & so was unable to get her full Sunday workout in before church. But she's on schedule now & on her way to meet a friend for coffee.

We continued going east on I-10 admiring all the wind generators along the highway, most of them turning @ a good pace. @ Desert Center, we headed north on state route-177 & connected with state route-62 going east, until we reached U.S. Route-95, then it's all 95 until Henderson, N.V. Then I-515 north to the "Riviera" RV Park arriving @ 4:30pm.

Today's travel: 434 miles      8+17 time      78 gal used      5.6 mpg      53 avg speed.

To sum up our "good times" on the alternate route today: the massive amount of wind generators were impressive to see; State route-177 was ok & seeing a few Joshua trees en route was good....but state route-62 & U.S.-95 were rough, bumpy, curvy & flat, with dips & rises for at least some (200) miles until reaching the town of Searchlight....then we entered a cloud of smooth roads all the way to our target campground. How many thumbs up? None.....all (4) thumbs down.

Oh yes, all together we went over (110) miles out of our way; bah humbug on that idea.

Our campsite was reserved for us so we drove right in & parked.

Dinner: leftover chili with chips & cutie oranges.

Later, Kathy talked with my sister, Mary Jo, in Lodi, CA. She reported that the planned first-time meeting with Jen's boyfriend, Francisco, went very well. They ate together, played Genius Phase Ten (Francisco was the winner), went to church & generally enjoyed being together. Matt came home for a few hours to meet him & gave his approval. All in all, it was a positive, "thumbs up" experience.

Evening movie: we continued watching "Reds" for about (45) min.

Lights out: 11:58pm. 

Awake: 6:30am     Temp 51     sleep 6+29     clouds, then sunny     overnight @ San Diego.

Kathy did (2) loads of laundry while I yakked with the Alaskan neighbors; then she took a turn visiting the neighbors while I began shrinking our bus.

Rod, one of the office crew, stopped in to say goodbye & said he was going to miss us. Over the (3) months we've been here, we've had good vibes with all of the employees of this Mission Bay RV Resort. Even the boss man, Kevin & his wife Brenda, treated us with the best of care. They run a class "A" campground.....which is a true destination favorite....that's for sure.  

We attended the 5:30 vigil Mass @ St. Brigid Catholic Church.

Dinner: left over stuffed peppers & whole wheat bread.

After dinner, Kathy called Sallie & did some quick question & answer talk about needle pointing, & between Kathy wanting to go a different route to Vegas & Larry telling me how beautiful the route is that he usually takes....the pressure was on.

Evening movie: We watch about (40) more min of "Reds."

Lights out: 11:32    

Awake: 6:55am       Temp 53      sleep 6+52       sunny       overnight @ San Diego, CA.

We've been curious about what part of San Diego our nephew, Brian, lives in, so early afternoon we motored to his address, parked near his apartment & called his cell phone #. I listened to the recorded message & left him a message. Brian does hang out in a nice, clean neighborhood. From here, we drove a few miles & checked out a different "Henry's Farmers Market" that is bigger than the usual "Henry's" we shop at. It was a good stop; Kathy found some good deals on veggies.

Next we visited the Needlecraft Cottage in Pacific Beach; while Kathy was buying a book & a few more colors of thread, I walked across the street & bought (2) small cartons of yogurt.

Then a few blocks east, we visited the Cerebral Palsy Thrift Store where Kathy found a new bag in which to carry her needlepoint & also a new looking Dockers belt just my size.

Back @ our campsite, we visited our next door Alaskan neighbors & had a delightful chat. Unfortunately just as we are beginning to get to know them, we are moving on; but we did exchange e-mails.

Dinner: Kathy's version of cream of vegetable soup & a cutie orange.

Evening movie: "Reds." We watched (34) min.

Lights out: 12:01am. 

Awake: 6+45      Temp 46      sleep 6+35      sunny overnight @ San Diego, CA.

 Kathy has (her) Apple computer set for a 7:45am wakeup in the kitchen; this morning when she opened the cover, only a light blue tint was visible on the screen. Horrors!

No matter what she tried: no response on the screen? So after breakfast, she called the Apple Computer store in Fashion Mall & made an 11:15am appointment @ the Genius Bar.

After breakfast, we motored to the Fashion Mall (15) min & found the Apple Store. We checked in with one of the floor attendees & gave our name; maybe (5) min later, Brian motioned us to the counter. Kathy began to tell her story of her sleeping computer while Brian opened the cover & presto, the computer worked as normal.

Kathy has had another problem----she can receive EM directly through the MAC, but cannot send it out directly. Instead, using Safari, she has to go through Squirrel Mail. Brian investigated, made some changes & was sure he had the problem fixed. Much to Kathy's consternation, that was no so. We'll make another trip to an Apple Store in Las Vegas. 




Back in our motorhome, Kathy did some vacuuming, dusting, washing & waxing the granite floors while I oiled the tow bar unit outside & organized one of the basement bays to get rid of some miscellaneous stuff we no longer need.

That inside cleaning, washing & waxing stuff must have worn Kathy out....but she guards her Apple Computer religiously. Since we plan to leave San Diego on Sunday, Sallie & Kathy made plans for us to dine out tonight @ the "Fish Market" on Harbor Drive for our farewell dinner.

We've eaten @ the Fish Market once before; January 24th with Sallie & Larry, Mabel & Shaul. The restaurant was full but not overcrowded then.

Well tonight, the place was super crowded. The wait time was (15-20) min & there were people everywhere. While Kathy & Sallie joined the long line to sign in, I followed Larry upstairs to check the 2nd floor; yes, there is vacancy with a view of the ocean. I motioned to the ladies to "come on up."

After taking our seats overlooking the Pacific Ocean & admiring the eloquently dressed table with linen napkins etc, we were a little suspicious that this higher seating profile may come with a higher price tag. When opening our menus, our suspicions were right on.

Down to the 1st floor & back in the line-up we went. I had no idea this restaurant had so many rooms & every room was packed full...save for a small corner @ the end of the restaurant for us. Kathy & I shared a fresh Alaskan Halibut & we each had a spinach salad. I also helped Larry with his sushi sampler dish. Definitely, this Fish Market is a reasonable dining spot with many choices of tasty fresh fish & other non-fishy options. Larry & Sallie dropped us off @ the main gate; were we said our goodbyes for now & wished each other "safe travels. We thanked them for all the touring time & other help they've given us & walked about a thousand feet to our motor home.

We will miss San Diego & Sallie & Larry, who have definitely added to our enjoyment of our stay here.

Aside from our PA hangout, this has been unusual for us to stay so long (3) months in one spot, but the weather & touring opportunities were ever so magnetic. So many of the other states were having unusually cold & rainy/snowy weather.....why not stay a little longer.

Lights out: 12:02am.

Awake: 7+07     Temp 47     sleep 6+38     mostly sunny     overnight  @ San Diego, CA.

More paperwork: write checks for J.C. Taylor for car insurance; Pueblo West Property tax & our architect on house plans.

After breakfast, we motored to Pacific Beach & mailed the (3) checks plus our tax organizer to Jeff in Alaska.  

Dinner: stuffed pepper, sugar snap peas, grapes, cuties & Rosemary-olive bread.

Evening movie, we finish: "The Scarlet Empress" with Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge, Louise Dresser, Sam Jaffe, etc. Von Stornberg tells the story of Catherine the Great and her rise to power in uniquely ornate fashion, with stunning lighting and camerawork and fiery Russian music. It's a visual orgy; dramatically uneven, but cinematically fascinating.1934. What a show & amazing film for 1934; based on a true story as per our use of Wikipedia.   

Lights out: 12:10am.

Awake: 6:23am     Temp 54     sleep 6+34     sunny & windy     overnight @ San Diego, CA.

My ole buddy Ray in Ocean Park, WA & I chit-chatted for (21) min talking about the good ole days when Ray was driving a Jet Car for the thrill of it. Of course, we covered other subjects but that Jet Car grabbed our attention; it had an engine taken from a fifty's fighter jet & installed in a special built car. I have no photos but Ray does. The exhaust flame streaked out to (20-30) feet.

Later, Ken & his wife Patsy paid us a visit mid afternoon for about (20) min. I met Ken nearly (3) months ago in this campground. He & Kathy were my eyes when I was backing into our parking spot when we 1^st arrived @ the Mission Bay RV resort. Ken is an airplane nut so we share that hobby, but this time Ken was more interested in a Newell motorhome. Most of our time was focused on flying lower & slower in a Newell.   

Sallie & Kathy met up in Pacific Beach @ the Needlework Cottage where Sallie helped Kathy select types & colors of yarn for Kathy's ongoing needlepoint project

Meanwhile, I stayed in the motorhome & renewed our Escapee card via phone to Texas.

Later, Kevin (the campground manager) brought our package of forwarded mail from AK. I got right after that so as to get the remaining tax papers accumulated. 

Shortly after that, Zack called us from Seattle; he was walking toward the Apple computer store. He & Katie & a number of friends are attending a wedding in Hawaii...leaving early tomorrow.

Next call was from Melissa; for the 1^st (15) min, I got my (2) cents in. She introduced me to their latest adventurous plan of biking on the rails-to-trails, starting from McKeesport & ending up in Washington, D.C. A (3) week bike ride with their (4) boys under (7); their dog, Kinley; tents; food; diabetic supplies, etc. This will be GREAT I say. Kathy got the next (18) min of chat time (but who's counting?!).

 

Dinner: Crab stoup & oyster crackers.

Evening movie: "The Scarlet Empress." We watched ½.

Lights out: 12:29am.   

Awake: 6:27am     Temp 58     sleep 6+09      light rain....then mostly sunny     overnight @ San Diego, CA.

I spent some time today shuffling the papers & finished the tax organizer; so only one more item is needed before I can return the organizer to Alaska where it came from. I am expecting our next mail call to be either tomorrow or Wednesday.

Dinner: pork chops, fried noodles & a mixed salad.

Nick Skyped with us for about (9-10) min. our apple signal was so poor, we couldn't keep our picture or audio.

Evening movie: "All Fall Down" with Warren Beatty, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, Angela Lansbury, & Brandon de Wilde. Improbable but absorbing William Inge script about narcissistic young man (Beatty), his admiring younger brother (de Wilde), indulgent parents (Lansbury and Malden), and the older woman (Saint) with whom he becomes involved.1962. Not a happy movie to watch but, just as in real life, not everything is happy or has a happy ending.

Lights out: 11:49pm.   

Awake: 7:10     Temp 52     sleep 6+03     off & on rain most of day     overnight @ San Diego, CA.

I called for my cousin Al in Nicktown but he was out on serious business. So I talked with his wife, Donna, for a short time & will call Al later this day.

Kathy made a hot breakfast of egg & onion matzos with bacon.

Corinne called & we talked for a good (34) min. She is on spring break & enjoying her free time.

Later, I called my Cousin Al in PA & we had a nice chit-chat for (20+) min. He gave me a really cool description of their winter weather, so cool it gave me the chills. 

Dinner: Kathy's special Chili with chips.

Evening entertainment: We watched Barbara Walters selection of Oscar nominated actors for tonight. Then watched the Oscars themselves. Not only did we enjoy the Oscars but we were delighted to have the whole series recorded; thus skipping over many commercials.

No call from my nephew, Brian, this day.

Lights out: 12:18am.   

Awake: 7:45am     Temp 58     sleep 7+38     partly sunny     overnight @ San Diego, CA.

Kathy did (1) load of laundry & some ironing this morning.

Around 1:00pm,  I called our nephew, Brian, who lives very close to our campground. After yesterday's chit-chat, I wasn't sure when we could expect to see his smiling face. My phone call didn't go through so I hung up & will call him later on. About (5) min later, we had a message on our cell phone that he didn't feel well & would not visit us today.  

About 4:40pm, K & I left for shopping @ CVS/pharmacy & took our umbrellas with us. Good thing, as a major cloud burst en route to & from the store would have soaked us plenty. Afterward, we attended the 5:30pm vigil Mass @ St. Brigid Catholic Church. We like this church a lot. The priests have always given good homilies & their music encourages us attendees to sing our hearts out.

After Mass, K & I motored about ½ mile & shared an Ahi tuna Caesar salad & bread dinner @ the World Famous Restaurant. This is the 3^rd time we've had this meal & we love it. Aside from spending about (20) mins seeking a parking spot, it was a nice diversion.

Back in our motorhome, I had a (42) min chat with John in PA. He cautioned me to take our time going east. They have a lot of snow yet to melt.

Evening movie: "All Fall Down." We watched a good ½. 

Lights out: 1:07am.         

Awake: 6+26      Temp 46      sleep 6+01      sunny      overnight @ San Diego, CA.     

Kathy did (2) laundry loads mid morning.

Dick called from Goodyear, AZ & gave us an update on his health. Seems he had kidney stones & a stint was put in following removal of the stones. The stint is to be taken out soon, but due to this complication, they are still not sure if they can join us in Vegas.

I called nephew Brian & talked for (18) min. We are planning on a rendezvous either Saturday & Sunday.

I called Alaska & asked to have our mail forwarded to this campground before we leave.

Before we motored downtown today, we had a good chit-chat with our new neighbors who, just this morning, moved over close to our campsite. We met them (5) days ago while walking around the campground. Richard & Nancy are real Alaskans from Fairbanks, so we had a lot to talk about.

K & I left around 12:40pm for the big city of San Diego to continue our walk around the town. Same deal, we parked in the Horton Plaza & walked the blocks in a rectangular fashion. This time, we went in a north to a south direction & then a south to north direction repeating every block.  

After walking up & down the city blocks for over an hr with nothing of interest to report, finally we came into the Historic Gaslamp Quarter where there is plenty to see & do; dining, bar hopping, entertainment & urban shopping available. Note: the San Diego Convention Center in the background. How about a little history of how this came about: In the 1870s Alonzo Horton built a wharf at the foot of Fifth Avenue and a development boom ensued. The original visitors of the 1880s were gamblers and prostitutes, such as Wyatt Earp and Ida Bailey. In the "Boom of the Eighties," numerous gambling halls, (71) saloons, opium dens, and (120) brothels sprang up in San Diego's "Stingaree," the wide open, red light district, esp. around 3rd & I (Island).

The Grand Horton was an elegant, ornate structure built by a German immigrant as a replica of the Innsbruck Inn in Vienna, Austria. Opened in 1886, the hotel was one of many constructed during the "Boom of the Eighties" to accommodate the influx of people.

After the arrival of San Diego's first trans-continental train in 1885, some 26,000 visitors flocked to the little town of 5,000 the following year.The Grand Horton and Brooklyn hotels were scheduled for demolition in the late 1970's and were purchased from the City of San Diego for $1.00 each. The redwood infrastructures were swapped for the labor needed to dismantle them brick by brick. Over 10,000 pieces were cataloged and stored in a warehouse until the rebuilt "Horton Grand Hotel" reopened at its present location in May, 1986. Ida Bailey, for whom the Horton Grand Hotel's turn-of-the-century restaurant is named, was the district's most famous - and classiest - Madam, with an establishment less than two blocks from where the Horton Grand Hotel now stands. But by 1909, when Chief of Police Keno Wilson expressed opposition to closing down the red light district (he preferred the status quo so the police could keep an eye on things), the public outcry to "clean up" the Stingaree was nearing the point of no return. The "Great Raid" was finally planned for November 11, 1912. At 6 a.m. on Sunday morning the police struck and 138 ladies were arrested. There was so much confusion over the date the raid was going to be held, that the Mayor of San Diego and three Councilmen got the dates confused and were picked up by the police while visiting Ida Bailey's brothel which by now was next door (and now part of the Horton Grand Hotel).

The Mayor offered the ladies their choice of leaving the profession by accepting a job with the city or leaving San Diego. Only one lady took him up on his offer and worked on the switchboard. Her replica can be seen in one of the whimsical vignettes, visible when using the Horton Grand's north elevator......which we missed seeing.

When we walked past the Petco Park & the stadium of the San Diego Padres, we also saw the sign: Little League World Series 2009: Chula Vista Named Champions ... The Coast Express Rail, or Coaster can be seen behind the palm trees, & in front of the San Diego Convention Center; also in blue & white. We wanted to avoid the Friday rush-hr so we hustled back to the Horton Plaza & whistled outta town just in the nick of time. The pedometer registered 4.7 miles for today.

Dinner: Pasta with a crab & asparagus sauce & whole wheat bread.

Evening movie: "Two Weeks in Another Town" with Kirk Douglas, Edward G. Robinson, Cyd Charisse, George Hamilton, etc. Overly ambitious attempt to intellectualize Irwin Shaw novel, revolving around problems of people involved in movie-making in Rome. Reunites much of the talent from THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, footage from which is used as the film-within-a-film here.1962. We didn't really care for this movie or story, but we did enjoy seeing a few of the photo's around Rome.

Lights out: 12:07am.

Awake: 6:06am      Temp 55      sleep 6+03       light rain overnight     then sunny     overnight @ San Diego, CA.   

I called Tommy @ Newell in Oklahoma & set up an appointment for April...

Sallie called for Kathy; she is baby sitting & asked Kathy if she would like to come up & see the latest drawing & further discuss the project. Kathy left @ 10:43 & returned around 12:55pm. The girls are making slow but professional progress.

With good weather again today, K & I motored to Balboa Park just north of downtown to look a little closer at what we have yet to see & do here. We've read that there are (15) museums, performing arts venues, beautiful gardens & the San Diego Zoo, in this park. We went to the Zoo a few yrs ago,& some of the museums are just not on our interest list & others are for a rainy day schedule. Like this Art Museum on a nice & sunny day. For the time being, we checked out the forthcoming theater schedule & looked into the Museum of Man; San Diego's only anthropological museum. Hmm, that too, would be a rainy day opportunity. All in all, we decided to walk across the Cabrillo Bridge, built in 1915. From left to right; you're looking at State-Hwy 163 going away from Downtown San Diego, then I-5 South...& then I-5 North.   The bridge we are walking across is an historic pedestrian and automobile bridge providing access between Balboa Park and the Uptown area of San Diego. Initially this bridge was built for the Panama-California Exposition of 1915. At that time, it provided the main access across Cabrillo Canyon (formerly known as Pound Canyon, which was used to hold cattle and horses in the late 1800s).

After (2) fires, one in July 1951, & the other in June 2004; both times the aged wooden concrete forms ignited & the Redwood timbers smoldered for several hours. The fire was difficult to reach and extinguish. Firefighters saved the structure by punching holes in the bridge sidewalks with jackhammers to pump in foam and water. The near-disaster spurred a major rehabilitation of the Cabrillo Bridge. A one-year, California Transportation project repaired broken concrete, replaced corroded steel, & finally removed old wood from the original construction.

After crossing the bridge, we walked the concrete trail around the western side of the park, watched a few fellows competing in lawn bowling & then followed a dirt-gravel path that headed down into the canyon. Up ahead, is that a mountain climber? Oh, yea, it's Kathy.


An hr ago, in the city, now in the canyon of the mountains; and  we have a fairly good view of the renovated Cabrillo Bridge 1st hand, with some steep up & down hiking included.


Back on the eastern side of Balboa Park, a young & beautiful bride-to-be was preparing for photo shots soon to be taken by her nearby photographer.



Leaving Balboa Park, we were detained for some time by a police escorted protest march. The protesters were mostly college students, many holding up signs for "public money." My pedometer registered a total of: (2.6) miles.




Dinner: Beef stew, a mixed salad & whole wheat bread.

Evening movie: "D.O.A." with Edmond O'Brien, Pamela Britton, Luther Adler, Beverly Campbell, etc. Gripping, original film noir with O'Brien desperately trying to find who has given him a slow-acting poison...and why. 1950. Best to stay awake; this riveting story is complicated.

Lights out: 12:25am.

Awake: 6:53am     Temp 53     sleep 6+49     sunny     overnight @ San Diego, CA.

 

Sallie & Kathy called each other & talked needle pointing a few times during the day.

 

I spent hrs deleting unnecessary & out-of-date data on this Dell computer. The Dell is nearly back to being a normal Inspiron/5150 again.

 

Dinner: Almond-crusted Tilapia fish, broccoli, mixed salad & cutie oranges.

 

Evening movie: "Five Graves to Cairo" with Franchot Tone, Anne Baxter, Akim  Tamiroff, Erich von Stroheim, Peter Van Eyck, etc. WW2 intrigue situated in Sahara oasis hotel run by Tamiroff and Baxter; Tone attempts to obtain secrets from visiting Field Marshal Rommel (von Stroheim). 1943. Good WW2 story.

 

Lights out: 11:57pm.

 

Awake: 6:30am      Temp 56      sleep 6+36      sunny       overnight @ San Diego, CA.

Last Wednesday when we drove downtown to walk the town, we didn't do a very good job of it, & ended up running out of time & not seeing much. One good thing came of it however; during our short visit to the Brookstone store, the young girl we were talking with suggested that next time, just park in the Horton Plaza underground parking facility & get your parking ticket validated. It's good for (3) hrs of free parking.

It worked like a charm; counting our drive & parking time, we were out walking the streets within (20) min. Our self walking tour began @ Macy's & the big clock. Walking west on G Street we cross to the north & admire some high rise condos & the beginning of the Martin Luther King Jr. walkway, pond, promenade and Children's Park, From here, we walked a little further north to the Santa Fe Depot & the Coaster AMTRAK Train. The light rail system also feeds into this connection.               The Cruse Ship Terminal is just across the street from the Amtrak Station.                       Still walking north, check out this beautiful Palm tree trim work. Then we went (1) block east until we came to Little Italy. Oh my gosh, my picture is ruined! Where did that UPS truck come from? In this city, parking meters are everywhere for autos; motorcycles & motor scooters have their own parking spaces without meters. Keep that in mind Ray. From Little Italy, we went (1) block south & then turned west on a different street for (7) blocks. We continued block walking for another (4) complete rounds & then it was time to get outta town.

Rush hr was near so we headed up to Hillcrest, location of Trader Joe's & Ralph's grocery stores. After a quick purchase of Organic milk, yogurt, etc., we were heading north on I-5 to Mission Bay RV Resort.


It was an interesting & fun exercise to do; we hope to squeeze in another afternoon & finish walking the downtown areas of San Diego. We walked (5.2) miles total.

Back in our motorhome, Nick called & talked with Kathy about a glitch with her Apple computer. Glitch is not rectified yet.

I spent some more time cleaning up my disk with the speed getting more favorable.
 
Dinner: Beef top sirloin roast, brown rice, asparagus, whole wheat bread & Cutie oranges.

No movie tonight.

Lights out: 12:04am. 

Awake: 6:45am      Temp 50       sleep 5+29       sunny      overnight @ San Diego, CA.

About 10:10am, Katrina called & talked with Kathy; it was Kathy's turn. Katrina was on her way back from the mountain. No school today because they had parent/teacher conferences last week & stayed until 7 pm (2) days.

After Katrina's phone call, Kathy casually continued searching for a suitable campground in Las Vegas; our plans have changed since signing up for (3) more weeks here @ Mission Bay. We're going to stay another week & she's been going thru the campground books, exploring the computer, & making some phone calls. Finally she found a decent RV park that we think will meet our needs for about a week.

Mid afternoon, we walked the campground & outside the campground for a good hr. I forgot to strap on my pedometer, otherwise I would know the mileage. We did stop & talk with (2) different couples who reside in Alaska, but annually go south for the winter. Both of the guys have serious back problems & are being seen by a physician during their stay here @ Mission Bay Park. One of the guys from Alaska, Richard, reminded us that he has never seen the tide as low as it was now. I just happened to have my camera so the next lap around, a mud shot in lieu of a mug shot. Shortly after 6:00pm, Melissa called from PA; we each talked for (15) min...& for Kathy, those minutes went too fast!

In my spare time, I started slowly deleting some computer files & other stuff I don't care to keep. Plus I've done the disc cleanup & the disc defragmenter. My Dell is doing a little better now but I'm not quite finished.

Dinner: leftover chop suey, (from the meal with Linda & Tim last evening) sugar snap peas & cutie oranges.

Evening movie: "Out of the Past" with Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming, Richard Webb, etc. Mitchum finds he can't escape former life when one-time employer (gangster Douglas) & lover (Greer) entangle him in web of murder and double-dealings. 1947. Relatively good suspense story; if you like suspense, you'll like this one.

Lights out: 11:54pm.

Saturday 27 February 2010

 

Awake: 6:32am     Temp 56     sleep 6+24     heavy rain throughout the day    overnight @ San Diego, CA.

 

This morning, I called & renewed our Good Sam Club card; this allows us 10% off the camping fee @ all Good Sam RV parks, which there are many.

 

Mid afternoon, we make a trip to Costco for Suzuki fuel (12.2 gallons @ $2.79 per gallon) & groceries.

 

We nearly got soaked when getting into our car to attend the 5:30pm vigil Mass @ St. Brigid Catholic Church. The rain rushed in so fast, our umbrellas were not positioned for the sudden downpour; California does need the rain however.  

 

Dinner: slow cooked beef stew with veggies & whole wheat bread

 

I called & talked with Kevin for a short time & then we both talked with Melissa for a short time as well. It wasn't a good time for our call so we agreed to let them call us another evening.  

 

Recently I've been having some Dell computer problems, & I am not for sure what to do about it. Before I get in touch with our computer gurus, I'll do what I can to work it out.

 

In the meantime, we finish watching: "Damsel in Distress" with Fred Astaire, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Joan Fontaine, Constance Collier, etc. Bright Gershwin musical set in London, with dancing star Astaire pursuing aristocratic heiress Fontaine. Burns & Allen have never been better...they even get to sing and dance. 1937. The movie was: so-so, but Burns & Allen were great.

 

Lights out:  12:16am.

 

Awake: 6:49am     Temp 48       sleep 6+33 sunny overnight @ San Diego, CA. I called my brother in Ebensburg, Pa & we updated each other on: "what's happening?" My bro is making good use of his snow blower this winter. We had a lot of topics to exchange & chatted for (31) min. Then, I called my 1st cousin CY in Silver Springs, Md. We haven't heard from him for over a month & have been wondering how well his knee replacement is doing? Long before his knee problems began, CY was the neighborhood Good Samaritan guy doing favors, making furniture, renovating, etc for his neighbors. This winter, the neighbors paid him back by keeping his sidewalk & parking spaces open during the heavy snow periods. His doctor told him he is way ahead of the curve for recuperating. We talked for about (18) min. @ 12:40pm, K & I motored in our Suzuki (33) miles northeast to the town of Escondido, CA. We are visiting the young couple who in 2005, were our dinner table companions, along with (2) other couples from Alaska during our (62) day Asian Pacific Cruise. We were delighted that they fit right in with the rest of us. Also Linda & Tim joined us on Thursday, the 4th of February for a mini reunion @ Croce's Restaurant downtown, San Diego. Tim & Linda have quite a house & a great location. We weren't sure just what door we should knock on. We don't get out to San Diego very often so we wanted to spend more personal time with them while we had the chance.
  We spent the 1st (4) hrs in their family room just catching up on each others lives & family.

Before Tim & Linda took us for a downtown tour of Escondido, Tim revealed some of his eclectic collections of things from the turn of the century into the 40's, 50's 60's etc.
Everything from comic books to Disney figurines to art work to Smurfs & on & on!

                    I think this picture was drawn by Tim's father; a portrait of Linda.                       Tim has no intentions of a yard sale; so don't get any ideas. These things will be passed on to their grandchildren. Just looking @ a few of these collectibles brings back memories of our younger days. As Tim was touring us around in their home, casually showing us a few of his collections, he cautioned us to NOT use the shower in one room. Well, upon opening the door, we found out why: just a few of his old comic book collection. Wow! With a little effort, Tim & Linda could have a very enticing oldies museum. After our downtown Escondido tour, Tim parked the van & we had a dinner @ the China Bistro Chinese Restaurant. Excellent meal! We really enjoyed our rendezvous with Linda & Tim & pictures of their family, plus their beautiful landscaped back yard & those collectables. We thank you guys a lot for your hospitality & renewed friendship & of course, the Chinese dinner. About (30) min later, we arrived @ our home-on-wheels. We returned a phone call from Katrina; no answer, so we left a message. Evening movie: "The Solid Gold Cadillac" with Judy Holliday, Paul Douglas, Fred Clark, John Williams, Arthur O'Connell, etc. Dazzling Judy in entertaining comedy of small stockholder in large company becoming corporate heroine by trying to oust crooked board of directors. 1956. Very funny with excellent entertainment. Lights out: 1:16am.

Awake: 6:29am Temp 53 sleep 6+13 sunny overnight @ San Diego, CA.

K & I started out the day doing some reading for (2) hrs.

Then I called my 1st cousin Florentz, living near Nicktown, to find out if the snow & wind were really as much as had been forecasted? "Yes it is," he said. "I snowplowed twice already & will be doing it again in a few more hrs!" I let him know that we won't be racing back to his neighborhood anytime soon.

This afternoon, in this campground, the workers were busy trimming the Carrotwood trees. They grow fast & every so often, the tree trimmers are called in to keep the trees trimmed skinny so motorhomes, 5th wheels, trailers, etc won't be scraping the sides of the RV's.

When they trimmed our (2) trees, Kathy went out & asked to have a few more limbs taken off due to our wider span. The boss man had no problem taking care of that. I was occupied working on our tax organizer & was glad she was her usual super girl Friday.

Dinner: Clam chowder with extra clams & bread.

After dinner, K & I drove to St. Bridget Catholic Church & joined the good size crowd to watch & listen to the Gospel of Luke as performed in the oral tradition by Michael Reardon. He was accompanied by Patrick Lane, the director, musician, & lighting artist. Lane has designed the special effects & written the original music which he performed live.I missed getting a picture of Patrick operating his busy organ, sound effects, lighting, etc.  


Reardon has memorized the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John, as well as the book of Revelation. Kathy & Reardon did some talking during a short intermission.

They have given over 1,000 performances in cities throughout the US, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Republic of China, Europe, & Israel.



They only ask for a free will offering & the private prayers of the audience. It was very inspirational & most memorable.


Evening movie: we finish watching: " A Damsel in Distress" with Fred Astaire, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Joan Fontaine, Constance Collier, etc. Bright Gershwin musical set in London, with dancing star Astaire pursuing aristocratic heiress Fontaine. Burnes and Allen have never been better....they even get to sing and dance.1937. Movie was so-so; Burnes & Allen were great! 
 
Lights out: 12:08am.













 

Awake: 7:04am     Temp 57     sleep 6+55     cloudy -partly sunny    San Diego

 

After breakfast, Sallie called Kathy. Since she is babysitting her grandson, Ross, & cannot leave she invited Kathy to drive up the hill to further discuss the ongoing needlepoint project.

 

Perfect, now I can spend some time working on our tax organizer without distraction. Kathy left @ 1:42pm & returned around 4:30pm. She also did some light grocery shopping before her return.

 

Dinner: Tuna steak with garlic cream sauce, brown rice pilaf, & a spinach salad.

 

Nick called on our cell phone & we chatted for (38) min. Lots of Momoko talk & how she is sleeping peacefully during the day, with lots of awake times at night. When she's hungry, or needs a diaper change, she can make a loud noise; lungs are strong.

Eriko's father arrived from Japan today; he will spend a week with them & then her mother will replace the father. Due to Momoko's night time wakefulness, Nick, Jerry, & Eriko's dad will sleep in the "boys" bedroom & Eriko & Momoko will sleep in the living room. Nick sounded a little tired.

 

Evening movie: "Damsel in Distress." We watched (23) min.

 

Lights out: 12:16am.