A Buddhist walks up to a hot dog stand and says, “Make me one with everything.”
It’s going to be another wonderful day! I’m up to date with the daily diary, the clothes are all washed and dried (but not hun up) and I get t spend the afternoon walking with my favorite person!
The shovel was a groundbreaking invention.
Waking up and having a purpose in life is outstanding. I am going to be a baby sitter today! The bright side is no screaming and no diapers! It is 6:30 AM, and I am on the road again, this time heading due East into the sun.
On my way, I called Zack to wish him a happy 30th birthday. OMG, thirty years! It is quite impressive when your kids are born but seeing your grandkids pop into this world and see then turn thirty and have kids of their own, wow! Nick turns twenty-one today, goodness, how does this happen?
I was going to sing Happy Birthday, but that might be considered cruel and unusual punishment.
At 7:00 AM, I arrived at Mary’s just in time for a hot cup of coffee and seeing Mary disappear into the office to do her Zoom meeting. Scout and I watched the news, and we both shook our heads.
He was ready for me!
Mary headed out for work, and it was just us guys! Scout had some suggestions, but they were quickly nixed. I didn’t think the two of us barking at the people walking by would be a good idea. Also, his suggestion of chasing cats was not taken seriously, especially at my age. Now his idea of playing ball was good, but who is going to throw it to us? We settled on TV.
So, here I am, minding my own business watching TV with a little blue blanket wrapped around me when all of a sudden, POUNCE! What is going on? Then I saw “the nose,” and I knew what had happened. Scout wanted on the couch also!
Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get a selfie from a horizontal position with fifty-five pounds of doggy on you? Well, this wasn’t the best part. Scout finally decided there was not enough room side-by-side, so he pounced right on top of me, and now we both had plenty of room.
The weight limit on the couch immediately flashed into my mind!
After an hour, when I felt the circulation in my lower extremities beginning to stop, we decided to go outside. Scout did his business, and I relaxed on one of the chairs. Well, relaxed is relative because Mr. Scout wandered over and plopped his head in my lap, and we played his new game, count the birds!
That boy was not moving at all!
Around 10:30 AM, I managed to escape his grip and told him about “Girls Night Out.” I headed for home to freshen up and get into a non-hairy set of pants and shirt. Then it was off to the Santa Ana Elks for our weekly get together.
My cell phone went off at 1:00- PM, and a text message appeared saying, “Bark, bark woof wooooof, bark” It was from Scout. The rough translation was, “If you don’t hurry back, I will tell mommy you only stayed five minutes and not to pay you!” Well, needless to say, the Silver Fox and I flew into action and headed to Mary’s, leaving only the smell of burnt rubber in the Elks parking lot. Onto the freeway, I got it up to 65 MPH, no, really!
We hooted and hollered for an hour before being thrown out!
Have you EVER seen a dog sitting at the door tapping his fingers and looking at his watch? It felt like my mom when I missed my first curfew. He was wondering why it took so long to go six miles.
I mentioned I stopped by the market for some necessities of life.
I know there is some Rocky Road ice cream lurking in the frig!
As I was shopping, I heard this frog-like sound, and, since I speak perfect frog, I listened carefully. I was saying, “Mary need me on her mantle!”.
I could not pass up the Halloween Frog, a necessary addition to Mary’s frog collection.
Roses are also a necessity of life, so they got added to the collection of goodies.
Duh!
After explaining my rationale to Scout, he understood and forgave me, only biting me once!
Well, we were supposed to go to Catal as that is Nick’s birthday tradition, but we found out at the last minute Catal was closed, the COVID thing. To make up for my indiscretion (the ten-minute side trip to the market), I made reservations at the Orange County Mining Company, six blocks from Mary’s home. That means we leave Scout for far less time.
Nick’s first legal drink! We had great seats, and we watched Ol’ Sol do hiss daily swan dive into the ocean.
S-h-h-h-h-h Mom is counting the bubbles!
Here’s to a great life! As Grandpa said, “Believe in the Good Lord and Never Miss A Chance To Make A Good First Impression!”
The sun was setting; the champagne level was lowering.
Time for the toast, I wanted raisin bread, but I was outvoted. Bob gave a profound and loving toast to our new member into the Twenty-One And Over Club.
A toast to a great guy, Nick!
The five of us had a wonderful. The pictures were not super tonight as we were too busy getting to know each other and laughing at all the nonsense going on.
Chemistry in action!
Time to depart. Time to get home is only six minutes flat; two minutes had Mary been driving. Think smoke, flames, loud noises, and my eyes bugging out as we hit Warp-7.
Mary and I visited for a few minutes, started a movie, but we are both tired, so we parted ways at 9:30 PM so she could get some rest as she works tomorrow. The Silver Fox and I shot down the freeway reaching an unheard of speed of 67 MPH, a record breaker! It was too late to stop at Patty’s, so I went to bed, turned on the TV, and as out a few minutes later.
How was Rome split in two? With a pair of Ceasars.
That’s good; one eyeball opens, followed by the other! It’s morning, and the ceiling fan is still turning! It will be a great day. But, today is doctors’ day. Scout and I have appointments.
Bright and early at 7:45 AM, I arrived at the dermatologist to get the results from the five biopsies taken three weeks ago. Three spots out of five needed more work, so I am batting 400. I will be seeing him again.
‘Hmm…yes, I’m afraid it is a sign of cancer.’
But more importantly, Mr. Scout had a dentist’s appointment where he is getting a molar pulled. He had one too many hard bones, and the tooth cracked. Mary took him while I was at the dermatologist, and I knew she would be worried, so I visited, and we watched the TV and the phone for a couple of hours.
While waiting, Mary had her IT person fix the internet while I repaired the rollers on the back door screen. It was a successful morning. To keep distracted, Mary made muffins and a delightful egg dish, which I promptly added hot sauce.
We had a super brunch!
We watched a movie and talked, and Mary went through her box of accumulated mail! Finally, around 3:00 PM, we called, and Scout was finished, just waking up from his nappy. We popped into the truck, and Mary let me drive. Halfway there, she asked. “Have you broken 35 MPH yet?” Mary would have reached Warp-6 had she been driving.
The call came in; all is well!
Before Scout came out, the doctor explained what he had done to Scout. You can see more about pet teeth extractions here. The doc said Scout did well and, “He was the best patient they had all day!” We laughed as that is what all the staff said when they delivered the patients to their mommies and daddies.
The molar has three roots in a dog.
Scout wobbled to the truck where his ramp was awaiting his arrival. All the legs were working but not necessarily in a coordinated fashion. Mary decided the grass in the parking area might be an excellent place to visit, and, as usual, she was entirely right. Into the back seat, he went, and safety belts attached! We are off. Then we got the “evil eye.”
Mommy, what did you do to me?
Mary kept giggling, and we captured this shot of the baby. He looked as if he had been out bar hopping all night long. He apparently had t-many mar-toonies!
No pictures with my tongue hanging out, please!
When we got home, Mary took him via the side of the house to his yard, and he was happy. He was not the only one happy. The two of them lay down for half an hour. He showed signs of recovering and was able to walk into the house and get into his bed.
Home, safe, and sound.
It was a relief to know he was OK, and he showed no signs of any pain or distress.
Finally, relaxed!
It was suggested we celebrate with veal piccata from a local restaurant. In “The Dictionary of Italian Wine and Food” and “The Food Lover’s Companion,” piccata is defined as a thin escalope of veal. … dish with lemon, broth and/or wine and butter. Capers, chopped Italian parsley, shallots, and garlic are common additions.
While I departed, I introduced Mary to Colleen via the phone, and they talked while I left for the restaurant.
Mary talks to Colleen, who is in the hospital.
Dinner was terrific; we dined outside as summer ended yesterday at 6:23 AM, and it will soon be too cold for outside dining. Scout rested inside, and we could see him through the door.
As the evening progressed, Mary realized that she hadn’t thought about tomorrow, so I volunteered to come early in the morning before she went to work and sit with the baby during the day! The plan was in place.
The Silver Fox and I departed around 9:30 PM, heading due east into what was the sunset.
What cheese can never be yours? Nacho cheese.
Today I made some changes that needed to occur but were difficult. I changed my answering machines to be just me, and I changed the name of the Daily Diary. The diary began when Sue and I retired, and I keep it up every day. My memories of my beautiful wife will never go away, but things must move forward and reflect what is happening now.
OK, back to the day! I will be waiting for the county inspector to show up and look at the electrical installation so we can get it sealed up before the rains come down. According to their plan, my home is 5th on the list of places he has to inspect today, which means anywhere between 8:00 AM and Noon.
2.6 miles this morning, not too bad!
Someone had extra paint laying around, and they are pretty handy with a brush!
That’s me in the center!
I see more and more Trump signs around; they now outnumber the socialists 2:1 in our hood!
Have to love my hood!
I will have to pass by tonight and see if they are lit up!
Funny, next to them was a BIDEN sign!
I pass by this all the time, and it is lit up with all kinds of orange lights!
The lights at night are great!
Upon returning home, I headed to the wine store, and I picked up a 1/2 case of Cakebread plus some Polish wine for our great dance instructor, Marcine.
In the afternoon, I awaited the arrival of Robin and Bob as they are going to pick up the Avalon for Nick. When they called, we decided to go to Patty’s Place.
Robin and Bob; I love my kids!
Chuck was there this evening, making it a pleasant visit.
Chuck and Robin, watch out for these two!
After dinner, I decided I wanted to see Mary since this would have been the first day we had been apart since July 28th. I popped over, had a half-glass of wine, and departed for home. Scout was happy to see me! Oh, so was Mary!
It was a necessary trip!
Mary reminded me of Dolly Parton night a few years back.
I always wanted to be a cowboy, now I know why!
It was a good day, and tomorrow will be better!
What do you call a girl with one leg that’s shorter than the other? Ilene.
It is a new week, and I am ready for it! Well, as prepared as I can be! Today nothing was in the calendar, so I will wash, dry, pay bills, and get the Avalon ready to meet its new owner.
Mary found out that if one takes a Senior Drivers Course, many insurance companies will provide reduced costs for their insurance packages. I signed up through AARP and am now taking a seven-hour online course.
Late in the afternoon, Mary called, and we decided to have dinner together at her home. I was happier than a pig in poo! Home cooking and fantastic company, wow!
When I arrived, Mary was also arriving as she had some shopping to do for Diane. We poured a glass of wine and began our kitchen activities.
It’s great to be in the kitchen with a doctor, especially at my age!
I looked at the spaghetti squash and was indeed a hard-shelled winter squash. The squash had a tiny label on the side, which said, “Maybe substituted for a football!”
I finally decided on my approach! I threw it up in the air and repeated the Ginsu knife commercial from TV. That was a big mistake. On the bright side, my initials are now carved in Mary’s kitchen cabinet doors. We won’t talk about the dark side.
Did You Know? Here is a neat way to cut the squash safely:
1. Use a sharp knife to poke a few holes in the squash where you want to cut. It should look like you’ve drawn a dotted line lengthwise on the squash when you’re finished.
2. Place your squash in the microwave for 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Let it cool slightly before removing it from the microwave. Cut along the dotted line.
Next time we will try that technique.
Mary worked the magic over on the stove, combining hamburger, onions, mushrooms, two types of sauces, the eye of a newt, the tooth of a tiger, at least two bat bones. Then things got serious; she went to the spice cabinet, and bottles were flying. I stood back, WAY back, in amazement.
The frenzy soon subsided, and we went to the patio for horses doo-vers!
We finished off our wine while sharing our day. We had hummus for an appetizer. I was in the middle of a story, and I knew Scout was close by, and then all of a sudden, my appetizer went AWOL. Scout has a smile on his face.
Scout is so well behaved!
Back inside, the main course preparations began in earnest. It was my pleasure to stand back and watch how a strand-ectomy is supposed to be done. I was waiting for Mary to say. “scalpel, please,” but no luck.
The process was unique, a thing of beauty, so was the squash!
Now that the spaghetti was ready, it was time to apply the magic. Mary mumbled her incantations, probably an old family secret. Scout and I were drooling and stood at the door, waiting for the plates to pass by.
Mary’s magic sauce.
We decided the patio would be good tonight, and we had better use it as summer will be over tomorrow, and Fall arrives Tuesday, September 22, 2020, at 6:30 am PDT.
This face is Mary’s “No pictures of me eating look!”
So technically speaking, eating is defined as “put (food) into the mouth and chew and swallow it.” We have NO chewing and NO swallowing here!
No entirely eating yet… 500 milliseconds later, it would be eating!
We finished off the delicious dinner and did our kitchen chores. Everything was cleaned up by 8:00 pm. We didn’t watch TV but sat on the couch and talked about family, our kids. We must make a road map for each other’s families.
A special evening with a truly fantastic person!
The Silver Fox and I pulled out about 8:45 pm as Mary needed to crash as Tuesday’s and Thursday’s are her long days.
We, the Silver Fox and I, were given another secret assignment from Miss Mary! Tonight is the Silver Foxes first “Meals On Wheels” delivery. We are off to Jans’ where I visited her for a few minutes before heading home.
What can I say?
I got home at about 10:00 PM and crashed also. The rest of this week will be busy.
Have you ever heard of a music group called Cellophane? They mostly wrap.
I slowly arose this morning and was attempting to figure out the day, what will it bring. I called Mary, and she said, “Come over, I have a new recipe I want to try on you!”. Well, she has mastered potato pancakes. We had fried eggs, potato pancakes, and turkey bacon. Nice way to start a day!
I was told in no uncertain terms!
Did You Know? Although many Americans associate potato pancakes with Hanukkah, they have more broad origins. They originated in the eastern European countries of Germany, Austria, Russia, and Poland as peasant food. Potatoes were cheap, plentiful, and easy to store, making them a staple and necessitating inventive potato recipes.
I was given an assignment while Mary finished off cooking breakfast, and, should I choose to carry it out, Mary promised to tell anybody! What was it, you ask? I was given the assignment to make Bloody Mary’s for breakfast. A flashback from my younger days, I remembered Mom saying, “Every morning should start with a good BM (Bloody Mary).”
I finally got it right after four tries! Hic!
We determine our TV Ministry Series was being bumped by the Emmy’s, so we did the next best thing, we found a movie to watch.
After the movie, my buddy Scout, the Wonder Dog, began to bark. My Australian is a bit rusty, but I could pick up his meaning, and it was something like, “Why don’t you lounge lizards get off your collective tuchuses and move the rug into the house!”. Clever that Scout.
We began to move furniture around and then the moment of truth arrived, will the rug fit. Fortunately, Mary had pre-measured the spot and was sure it would fit.
I was worried when she explained that she measured the area three ways to be sure. I felt good about the measurements until she mentioned she first measurement was in milli-rods (1), followed by common cubits(2), and finally in Indian jows. Oh boy! This could lead to some serious issues!
(1) Rods – In modern US customary units, it is defined as 16 1/2 US survey feet, equal to exactly 1/320th of a surveyor’s mile, or a quarter of a surveyor’s chain, and is approximately 5.0292 meters. The rod is useful as a unit of length because whole number multiples of it can form one acre of square measure.
(2) The common cubit – was based on the forearm length from the tip of the middle finger to the bottom of the elbow and was divided as six palms × four fingers = 24 digits.
(3) A jow (also called a jacob) – An obsolete unit of length in India approximately equal 0.25 inch (about 0.63 cm). After metrication in India in the mid-20th century, the unit became obsolete.
After some serious effort, the rug found its new home, and Mary pulled out some strange device that plugged into the wall, made noises, puffed smoke, and was named “Jaws”. I think witches use these on Halloween.
Scout approved of the final location of the rug, so all is well.
Fortunately, we had adult supervision courtesy of Scout.
It was getting late, and we had to visit David and Diane before we went dancing. I brought my dance togs and changed clothes and freshened up. Mary got ready, and we were off like a shot. The Silver Fox slithered around the curves and even making it up David and Diane’s rather steep driveway!
We visited David and Diane for a while and then headed to Chino, where we expected no issues finding dinner. To our dismay, every restaurant had a one hour wait time, so we ended up at Islands with Donna and Bob. The ladies, of course, had salads while us hard-working he-men did burgers. Calories replenished, we were ready for the dance floor.
We sat with Donna and Bob and laughed the entire evening.
Lighting in a dance studio is impossible!
The evening was so full of laughs we were in tears. Mary wore a black feathered boa this evening, and on occasion, it would “shed” a feather or two.
Before the dance started!
Well, when a long black feather hits the dance floor and the ceiling fans are blowing down and people are moving, they looks strangely like an animals moving. When I saw the first one drop to its death (ignoring the screams and sounds of agony), and, not being able to help myself, I yelled, “Mouse! Mouse!” and began to stomp the feather to death.
Mary almost fell over laughing, and of course, Bob Z. picked up on the plot, and when he saw another feather fall, he began stomping on it. Mike Andersen, on the other hand, heard the word “mouse” and jumped up on a chair. Bridgette finally calmed him down! The whole room burst out in uncontrollable laughter.
We danced, and we had fun! We danced pretty hard between giggling fits and belly laughs.
Mary sans boa!
It’s a work night, so we all had to leave early. The four of us cleaned up our table and headed out about 9:15 PM.
I did point out to Bob and Donna that Marys boa has fewer feather in it than when she arrived.
After the dance the boa was bare!
I walked Mary inside as I had her dance bag plus our wine bag. We took Scout outside and then parted ways. I arrived home at about 10:15 PM as it is 25 minutes between our homes.
Another lovely day!
What did the Buffalo say to his little boy when he dropped him off at school? Bison.
It was a busy day starting with me visiting Mary and then heading to her friend’s house to get a rug and flip the mattress. Oh, the romantic things we do. Mary, like myself, has many older friends who we have, over the years, cared for and gone out of our way to assist. I like that a lot.
Sp, the Silver Fox, parked behind Precious, and that way, Mary could back the truck and as we plan to haul a good-sized throw run from Irmy’s to Mary’s place.
Mary’s truck met “The Silver Fox” this morning. The Silver Fox spotted Precious in the garage and got all bashful.
Irmy is 93 and needed some help, and Mary offered to assist; I provided the muscles. While we were there, we flipped her mattress and remade the bed. Last time I flipped my mattress, I had to call Zachary to assist. We visited Irmy, and of course, Mary got to practice her German. Ich genieße Marys Gesellschaft sehr und wir arbeiten gut als Team zusammen!
Irmy and Mary, longtime friends.
Mary’s sone, David, who Irmy took care of many years ago, got some new pictures, and Mary looked through them. After the work was done, we all sat at the table and had some German breakfast cake and a nice cup of coffee. It was a good visit, and I have a new friend!
Mary goes through some recent photos of the kids and grandkids.
We returned to Mary’s house and put the truck in the garage. We will move the rug into the house later. We made a mad dash for the Silver Fox and immediately headed to the local fast food joint, so we could bribe Jan into teaching us some new steps. Curly fries are the secret.
The secret to Jan’s heart!
Then we headed to Jan’s house and spent the afternoon there getting a refresher on the waltz. We found out our ChaCha is just fine. We waltzed and laughed and waltzed some more.
Jan has a dance studio above her three-car garage, and it was perfect this afternoon!
I got to sit for a while, and Jan guided Mary through a complicated step.
Did You Know? The peasants of Bavaria, Tyrol, and Styria began dancing a dance called Walzer, a dance for couples, around 1750. Some people, however, found the dance undignified, and in 1760 the performance of the Walzer was banned by the church in parts of Germany.
The waltz became fashionable in Vienna around the 1780s and its gliding, whirling movements immediately became the rage throughout the entire population.
We had to stop the lessons as I was in overload. More than three new steps, and I have to give up! We will practice Sunday evening. We returned downstairs and into the kitchen, that’s, of course, where the best visiting is done.
Jan is and has been an excellent friend to both of us.
Stories are told, and the best stories are retold because none of us can remember!
We sat and talked for quite a while.
Dinner time, and we selected The Rib Trader. Mary has been eating there for years but only ribs, tonight she went off-roading and tried their Tri-Tipsteak. I tried a rib-eye, and we shared. They were both excellent. Mary had some steak remaining, so it will probably be lunch next week. When I looked at my camera roll, I realized no pictures from the Rob Trader. Well, Jim, the bartender, was on duty, and that means we laughed and giggled the entire time!
After dinner, we returned to Mary’s, where we watched a movie called “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!”.
The movie was a little weird but we enjoyed the onepliners!
After the movie, I headed for home at about 9:30 PM.
What cheese can never be yours? Nacho cheese.
Well, today will get busy early as I am going to make sure I have plenty of room in the garage for the new car, whose name is “Silver Fox”, thank you, Mary!
The Avalon got cleaned out and trunk emptied as Nick and Bob are coming over tomorrow to get it and take it to his new home in Corona.
Only 135,000 miles young!
After getting the cars straightened up, I went to the doctor as I needed a refill on some stuff then off to the cleaners and then to the market. The doc was very happy with my weight loss of 43 pounds since I last saw him! I
Doc Rucker is one cool dude! We was quite happy that I am moving on as he knew Sue and I quite well over the years.
didn’t return home until about 2:00 PM so I got cleaned up and may head over to Old Ranch for a drink before Mary calls after her last patient.
We are going to celebrate tonight, National Cheeseburger Day!
Did You Know? Three different states claim to be the birthplace of the cheeseburger. California says Lionel Sternberger was working in his father’s Pasadena sandwich shop in 1928 when he experimented with dropping a slice of American cheese on a beef patty —and the cheeseburger was born.
Kaelin’s Restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky, said it invented the cheeseburger in 1934. One year later, a trademark for the name “cheeseburger” was awarded to Louis Ballast of the Humpty Dumpty Drive-In in Denver, Colorado.
The largest cheeseburger ever made weighed 2,014 pounds (914 kg), including “60 pounds (27 kg) of bacon, 50 pounds (23 kg) of lettuce, 50 pounds (23 kg) of sliced onions, 40 pounds (18 kg) of pickles, and 40 pounds (18 kg) of cheese.” The record was set in 2012 by Minnesota’s Black Bear Casino, breaking the previous record of 881 pounds (400 kg).
It’s OK to go off your diet once in a while!
After dinner we will likely hit the hot tub and then watch a movie with Scout, he likes “Ol Yeller” and “Lassie”.
There’s a new type of broom out; it’s sweeping the nation.
Oops! When I attempted to text “Good Morning” to Miss Mary, no phone? I must have left it in the car. After a thorough search, it was AWOL. Then I remembered, I put the phone on the coffee table at Mary’s last night because of my best buddy, Mr. Scout, popping up on my lap, and I did not want to phone falling out of my pocket bopping him on the head.
Using the iMac, I texted Mary, and sure enough, she found it. She suggested I go over the VA and get it from her. Holly Mackrel Andy! The VA is enormous; I had only seen it from the street. I made my way to her office with help from several people. Luckily I had bread crumbs with me, or I might still be there! Phone in hand, all is well!
I did it without getting lost forever!
After arriving back home, armed with my iPhone, I called the OC Courts and verified my need not to go to jury duty. Then it was back to chores and get ready for this evening.
On the way to the Elks, I listened to the new car’s radio, and I drove five miles past my turnoff. It was kind of funny. I ended up using the iPhone’s GPS to get me back on track.
We were all collected by the watering hole and began our typical banter and solving the problems of the world. Bob was getting a little frisky. I think it was the iced tea.
Girls’ Night Out was fun!
The special was a roast-beast sandwich, and I selected coleslaw, one of my favorites. The food at the Elks Lodge is quite good.
A healthy lunch selection.
After lunch, the guilty get their picture taken. I noticed that the waitress was counting the silverware and dishes; what could that mean? I did sneak a peek into Bob’s bag, but it only had “Donna food” in it!
It was a lineup! We heard two waiters talking and pointing at us! I am innocent!
Back home, I was preparing to drive to Mary’s and pick her up, but the text device went into convulsions, danced the iPhone across the table, did a double back-flip. Quickly I grabbed it before it committed suicide by going off the table and hitting the floor. It was Mary, and she was in my driveway! Cool!
She asked a neighbor to watch Scout, and she didn’t want me driving back and forth to her home twice this evening; she is a thoughtful person. We sat at the table and did our “how did YOUR day go thing,” sipping a glass of wine as we proceeded. That little ritual makes me happy, sharing is a good thing.
Dr. Mary did me a favor and went through my collection of pills. While I only take two prescriptions, she did go through the supplements and suggested I drop two as the others in the pile had the same ingredients. That was super; my pill container now fits everything inside again.
We are examining the meds!
The plan was for me to make dinner, but we decided to try The Fish Company instead. Well, it was at least a thirty-minute wait, so we looked at each other and said, at the same time, “Patty’s?” Duh!
I wore the shirt was we planned to swim, but it also goes with Patty’s fish tank! Chuck took our picture, and we look pretty good together!
Paul tells a story.
Then it happened. Simultaneous puckering began, the heart rate increases, eyes flutter, the blink, the slow-lean and BAM, the kiss. Now it is time to get serious and eat! Salmon for Miss Mary, and I went for the Shrimp Scampi.
Something is fishy here!
We headed home to my place and went swimming. We made a quick stop at Trader Joe’s for some necessary supplies for dessert, if we have time!
The three of us swam for about an hour. Oh, I should mention, Alexa now joins us while we swim to play 1950s music, waltzes, and we can ask her the time or other silly questions we may need the answered as we swim.
Curfew was 9:00 PM this evening as Miss Mary needed to drive home tonight and she works tomorrow! We only had one glass of wine while swimming and we just had dinner, so Miss Mary was okay to drive home.
Mary called when she got home, just like I asked! Silly me cleaned up after Mary departed and put the large pool towels on top of the iPhone so I did not hear it go off. I was so relaxed that I crashed. I responded at 12:30 AM and Mary was up waiting.
The pool was perfect this evening, a balmy 92 degrees.
What a beautiful day. I said goodnight to Miss Sue, which I always do. New to me but I am saying my prayers before bedtime. It feels pretty good.
Always beautiful.
Tomorrow is a slow day as I have a doctor’s appointment in the morning, and Mary and I will meet up after her work, arrangements are TBD. I may do some gardening as Fall has arrived, and we do not expect any more heat spells this year.
Why did the octopus beat the shark in a fight? Because it was well-armed.
So the day started great! Mary called, and she talked to Jan and Jan we will visit Jan on Saturday and get a dance refresher, yeah! We will stay and visit Jan, which ought to be just fantastic. Then the car guys called and said the car is ready for pickup, so I headed out at 10:00 AM to go to Tustin and sign the papers. They will deliver the car this afternoon.
Dear Dad,
First of all, Happy Birthday! Even though you left this world fifty years ago, I still miss you every day!
You are NOT going to believe this, but your son just bought a hybrid electric car, battery-powered! We only used to dream about these things, and now they are real. When I start it, meaning connect the battery, there is zero noise. It gets 43 miles to a gallon of gas, and it has goodies on it we could only dream about in the 1960s. That is going to take some getting used to, but all new things do. It runs smoothly and is so quiet, like floating on a cloud. I wish you could be here to see it and be my first passenger, but Mary will beat you to that honor this evening.
We are going to dinner with your great-grandson, Zachary, as is bride, Becca, to meet Mary before the big 30th birthday party for Zach, which is coming up.
I have thought about you a lot these past few weeks, more than usual, because of the values you instilled in me and the ability to be strong yet share feelings. You were a wise man, and I am so very proud to have had you as a man to look up to and try to emulate.
Well, wish me luck and hope that I do not electrocute myself in this battery-powered contraption.
I love you, Dad!
David
Lexus ES 300h Luxury
Dinner was at Patty’s, and as usual, it was super. Zack and Becca and Mary hit it off just fine, as I would have expected. We talked for almost two hours. Afterward, Mary confided in me she was quite relieved as Zack and Becca were “just like real people.” Becca confided in me, saying, “Grandpa, you picked a real winner! She is beautiful, smart, and she likes you a lot!” How do girls know these things? It is another one of those mysteries of life.
It was my plan to take pictures but we were having so much fun that the camera stayed laying face-down in the table the entire time.
I drove Mary home, and we watched the tail end of a movie we have seen before. Good thing because all we did was talk about the evening. I had a cup of coffee before returning home to begin the long read of the instruction manuals on this fancy new car.
