Something Is Wrong; We Have Zero On The Calendar!

Posted on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 by Paul

I was up at 6:30 am, which was expected, but someone else did not rise until almost 9:00 am.  She got hooked on a movie and didn’t come to bed until midnight.

Scientists have finally discovered exactly how much sleep a human needs.  “Just five minutes more.”

We hit the garden at 9:15 am and returned inside around 11:45 am.  I reworked the grape vines to ensure the ties were not choking the shoots. I replaced the ties with plastic clamps.

The beets are ready to pick, so borsch will be on the menu in the coming days.

Q: Why did the beet go to therapy? A: To get to the root of its problems.

The beets look great, and their leaves are even better.

The strawberries are coming along well.  We will have to have Irene check the beds while we are gone.

We love fresh strawberries.

The Brussels sprouts are coming along.  You can see the babies forming below.  A half cup of this vegetable contains more vitamin C than an orange.

Did You Know?  A Dutch scientist, Hans van Doorn, who worked at a seed and chemical company, figured out exactly which chemical compounds in Brussels sprouts made them bitter.  The next step was to plant sprouts with the least amount of these chemicals and eventually cross-pollinate the chemicals out.

They will be full-sized in about three weeks.

Mary took down the last peas so that we could plant some more tomorrow.  The weather has not cooperated with the peas this year.  We peed for a good hour?  Correction, we shelled for an hour!  Fresh peas will be on the menu this fine day.

I was thinking about work. One day, my boss told me to have a good day, so I went home.

We worked around the house the rest of the day, watched movies, and had dinner.  It was nice just staying home and not having to drive!

It was in the mid-60s as I ventured out to turn off the pool water outlet.

I’ve asked so many people what LGBTQ stands for, but no one has given me a straight answer.

I tried to get Scout to go to the bathroom, but he spotted a rabbit, and that’s all it took.  He refused to do anything but watch for the rabbit.  I finally went to bed, and Mary came out and got him to come inside by using the old trick of rattling the treat jar.

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We Are Off And Running!

Posted on Monday, May 13, 2024 by Paul

We considered taking a Middle Eastern airline to Ireland, but after some quick research, I decided against it.   Their female airplanes look a little scary!

At 6:30 am, I took off for Los Alamitos to meet with the dermatologist.  I arrived early, and he had a cancellation, so I was back in Orange by 8:15 am, just in time for the gym.   While I was there, I asked what I could do about my face.  He suggested a transplant.

At the gym, we had another session of arm twisting and bodybuilding.  I was asked to wear my mask, not because of any medical issues but because they did not like the tongue marks on the floor after I got off the machines.

The gym exercises are working because I saw my shoes for the first time in years without having to inhale!

We had two cars at the gym, so when we were done, Mary went to the market, and I headed to the dry cleaners to get my formal wear for the trip and then to CVS for some meds.

Arriving back home, we headed to the garden for some harvesting.  Mary took the high road and searched for squash; she hit the jackpot.  Squash directly from the garden is magnificent.

Playing hide and seek with the yellow squash!

Did You Know? “Squash” comes from the Narragansett Native American word askutasquash, which means “eaten raw or uncooked.”

There are two different types of squash: summer and winter squash. Summer squash, like zucchini or pattypan squash, have thin skins and can be eaten whole — skin, seeds, and all. Winter squash like pumpkin and butternut squash have robust skins that aren’t usually edible (though some people like to keep the skin on with thinner-skinned winter squashes like delicata squash), much harder flesh, and their seeds generally need to be removed before eating (though they can be toasted and eaten separately).

Mary has the eagle eye and came up with a load of goodies.  The yellow squash (summer squash) cooks up so tender it is delightful when added to greens.

Just part of the harvest!

I thought about dining at home, which beats going out to dinner!  Tinkerbell should talk to her cousin  Tacobell and convince her of the same things!

Better idea: stay home and eat!

At 2:00 p.m., we popped into the Silver Fox and went to Mary’s dentist for an appointment. Then, we went to Chico’s to get Mary’s birthday present!

We were home by 4:00 p.m., so we brought Jeff some goodies from the kitchen, including items from yesterday’s Mother’s Day celebration. We talked with him for quite a while, had a small dinner, and then watched three movies.

While watching the movies, Mary made her trip list of clothes to take. I will do the same thing (minus the underwear and jewelry) because I had too many clothes on the last trip.

Mary plans for Ireland.

At 10:00 pm, it was time to water Luigi, who polished off his dinner since it was topped with Spaghetti. Scout sniffed a lot, so I assumed the rabbit had been in the bushes lately.

I think tonight might be a good time to hide in the bushes and make a noise like a carrot.  Then perhaps I can catch the waskally wabbit!

On his way to the potty, Scout had to stop ten times!

Sniff, Sniff, Sniff!  He is  going to wear out his nose!

Sniffing everything is a requirement!

We finally crashed at about midnight.  We have nothing planned for tomorrow, so that means chores around the house and some serious cooking.  Borsch is on the menu because we have so many beets1

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Happy Mother’s Day!

Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2024 by Paul

So very true!

We are having family and friends over to celebrate at 11:00 am, so we needed to be up and get things ready!  We called Colleen to thank her for Mary’s Mother’s Day gift; Mary loves frogs!

Colleen sent Mary a present: Frogs that light up at night!

By 10:00 am, we had almost everything ready.  Robin came early and brought a homemade Charcuterie Board.  It was beautiful!  We had bagels for every description and two different kinds of quiches.  While out this morning, I got fresh orange juice and a box of Kristy-Creme donuts, which went fast, BTW.

We could have fed a small army.

Every family get-together usually begins with a garden tour.  Lisa brought Toby to meet Scout.  Both dogs are fourteen years old, so the running around was slow-motion, punctuated with frequent rest stops!

What kind of flowers are best for Mother’s Day?  Mums.

Pete, Lisa, and Toby came from San Diego to join the fun!

Everyone visited the garden.  The dogs chased each other all afternoon!

The dinner bell rang, and everyone came running.  Our family was NOT bashful; food was flying in all directions.   Plates were filled, and plates were emptied.

Moms don’t wish they could sleep like a baby.  They wish they could sleep like a dad.

Come and get it.  Irene joined right in and filled her plate.

Making at least two complete circles around the island is essential so you do not miss anything.  Mary also made Jalapeno Poppers for those who like spicy things!

Silence is golden.  Unless you have kids, then silence is suspicious.

Plates were filled.

What did the digital clock say to its mother?  “Look, Ma!  No hands!”

Lisa kept an eye on Toby because he was much smaller than Scout.

We even had fresh-picked oranges courtesy of Paul’s long arms and our next-door neighbor’s permission.  Mary picked the Sweet Peas this morning.  Donna brought some red wine to have with breakfast!  All together, we had a feast!

Mary and Donna make their selections.

I asked everyone to tell us something funny or memorable about their mothers.

One person mentioned that while shopping at Zody’s (that will date the event), she saw her mother changing price tags on clothes!

Donna also told us about eating grass; ask her for the details.

I told the story of my mother running away from home because I opened a Christmas present early.  I can still see the image of me chasing Mom down the street, yelling, “I promised NEVER to do that again.”  To this day, I will not touch a wrapped present.

Bob tells a story!

Since we travel so much, Robin got Mary a travel purse that fits ID, money, and a cell phone and goes around the neck.  This keeps pickpockets and purse snatchers away.

Robion told the story of Sue, who was on an alcohol-free diet wanting champagne at Old Ranch.  When Paul turned around to get a soft drink for her, Miss Prim and Proper flipped him off.  The family nearly died laughing.

Robin also got one, so they will match when we travel together.

Bob Z. and I kibitzed all day, which usually goes down some bunny trail with no end.  He is my brother by another mother.

Bob and Paul cavorting as usual.

It is just us!  It was a wonderful day, and Mary’s daughter called to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day, which made Mary very happy!

Just us!

The day was beautiful, and we had time to visit everybody.  The girls cleaned up everything, so Mary and I could only remove the dishes from the dishwasher and put them away.  They are good kids.

We talked to Colleen and shared her day, which began with a gourmet dinner courtesy of her son (our grandson) Jon and Sarah.  Colleen then went to Cassie’s in-laws to celebrate some more.  All is good.

Posted in Family, Friends, Fun, Holidays | Comments Off on Happy Mother’s Day!

We Vegetated Today!

Posted on Saturday, May 11, 2024 by Paul

We were not up late last night, but neither of us wanted to move this morning!  We were up early and called Colleen while enjoying our cup of coffee.  We each had a bagel and watched a series called “The English.”

Summary: Englishwoman Lady Cornelia Locke comes to the West in 1890 looking for revenge on the man she sees as responsible for the death of her son.  She meets Eli Whipp, ex-cavalry scout and member of the Pawnee Nation by birth.  Eli is on his way to Nebraska to claim the land he is owed for his service in the US Army, despite having been told that the white men will not honor their debt.  Cornelia and Eli discover a possible shared history.

I worked on my tan in the garden, and Mary stayed indoors and did chores around the house. At 3:00 p.m., we started getting ready to go to Campus Jax to see a Michael Bublé look-alike with Vicky and Jim.   Feelin’ Good: The Ultimate Michael Bublé Experience is a dynamic show that delivers the essence of a Michael Bublé concert at an affordable price. Ith interactive elements woven into its scripted format, the energy is high throughout.   backed by an 11-piece orchestra, the focus is on Bublé’s contemporary persona, moving beyond Sinatra’s influence to embrace his modern song choices.

We arrived just a little 6:30 pm6:30 pm and immediately went for some appetizers as we were starved.

We skipped lunch; Mary was starved!

We will never figure out how they got eleventh musicians onto that small stage, but they did it.  The brass section made the music jump out at you.

The band was set up when we arrived.

Vicky entertained us with stories.    I noticed she had her Michael Bubbles shirt on.    thought about stopping and getting some bubbles for Vicky, but we decided we were too hungry.  Also, Vicky would have been blowing bubbles all night long!

We had great seats, and Jack, the owner, visited since we were regulars.

The girls got the best seats.

Jim and the Roberts sat across, but turning the chairs 180 degrees was easy when the music began!

The Roberts joined u5:40 pm 5:40 pm.

Mary and I got up and danced, but our end of the table did not have much room.   ob and Dopnna had more room.

Paul looked sad because the bottle was empty!   Oh, Dear, what to do?   I yelled, “Uno Mas,” and as if by magic, a fresh bottle appeared.

We had a wonderful time.

We all left at 10:00 pm and headed home for tomorrow. It is a big day for Mothers everywhere. We are having ten friends and family over for brunch.

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Celebration Time!

Posted on Friday, May 10, 2024 by Paul

It is Friday morning, and we have a pretty full day, starting with Joe coming over with Bob to repair our solar system, which caused leaks in the roof last winter.  Then, at 8:30 am, we had to head for the hair parlor in Huntington Beach to get ready for the upcoming trip.

Three years have passed since we received the keys to the house that we have been lovingly transforming into Casa Valencia.  Take a look back on our website at that time.

On May 10th, 2021, the house became Casa Valencia.

We walked in the yard for a few minutes before getting ready to get our hair fixed.   I didn’t even know it was broken!  The sky was clear as a bell as we departed.  Joe had just shown up as he was going to save our butts and repair the roof leaks we had this past winter.

The leaks occurred UNDER the solar panels, meaning the installation had failed.  So, with the assistance of Bob, his high school classmate, they will remove the panels and reattach every joint using Henry mastic cement.

Once repaired, it will be good for twenty years!

It was a beautiful California Day.

The old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” does not work.  In fact, Mary goes out every morning and talks to the apples.  In another 30 days, we will be eating these beauties.

Did You Know?  Deciduous trees are plants that shed fruit or leaves when they reach maturity.  Half of all deciduous fruit trees used for fruit production are apple trees.  The countries that produce most of these trees are China, the United States, Poland, Italy, and Turkey.

There are four varieties of apples on this single tree.

They are butter-yellow!

We also have flowers in the yard, as evidenced by the Snapdragons.  International common names for snapdragons include “rabbit’s lips” in Asia, “dragon’s mouth in Spain, and “lion’s mouth” in Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.

Today, they are working on the fourteen front panels.  Next week, they will work on the remaining forty panels on the back side of the roof.

When we returned, Bob and Joe had fourteen panels removed and replaced.  They removed the lag screws and filled the hole with Henry roof cement, and then coated the attachment with polyurethane.

Next week, they will start early as it got hot on the roof today!

We just stayed indoors and read while the guys worked.  Mary would not let me onto the roof or a ladder.  If I tried to go up and assist, Joe and Bob would not let me!

We are as happy as a goose (or geese)

We rested most of the afternoon because as one ages, one needs more sleep!  There are two of us, so we need twice as much.  At 6 pm, we jumped in the Silver Fox and headed to the gas station. The Fox was dead empty. I  punched the button on the dash and asked for “range to go.” It responded with, “Are you kidding? You better be prepared to push this sucker!”

We drove to Huntington Beach for the second time today. The first was to the hair parlor, and now we’re going to Vittorios for dinner with the Capps, Iris, and Will. The Ash’s came a little later.

The Piano Bar was open for business, with Ken James doing the honors!

Ken can play anything!

The music was quite danceable, So Iris, and I tripped the light fantastic.    For a woman who is 97 years old, she moved right along with the music.

You go, girl!

We had quite a dance, and she helped me back to the table!

We got a lot of applause from the other patrons!

Yesterday at the Elks Lodge, we talked about Carter’s Little Liver Pills. I ordered some from Amazon for Bill, who is currently in “liver training.”  Bill brought them this evening so everybody could see them.  He plans to share with others in “liver training.”

Bill carries them everywhere; you never can tell when they will be needed.

Mary was happy because they had veal piccata and steamed veggies. She shared them with me. I went for the spaghetti and meatballs only because I would bring some home to Luigi, our Italian son who used to be named Scout before he got turned on to Italian food.

Mary loves her veal.

Did You Know?    Veal is the meat of calves, in contrast to the beef from older cattle.    Veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed; however, most veal comes from young male calves of dairy breeds which are not used for breeding.    Generally, veal is more expensive by weight than beef from older cattle.

Will and Mary are deep in discussion about who knows what!

They are probably continuing a conversation that started last Thursday at the Elks.

Linda and Mary are making plans for the upcoming Starlighters Dance, which has an English theme!    They also discussed the various kinds of Sweet Peas.

There are hundreds of varieties of Sweetpeas grown in the US.

Linda and Mary talk about the fragrance of sweet peas.

We left at about 9:00 p.m. and headed home via Aces Bar And Grill. We stopped there for a quick glass of vino before going home for the night.

Posted in Dining Out, Friends, Fun, Working Around House | Comments Off on Celebration Time!

Another Busy Day!

Posted on Thursday, May 9, 2024 by Paul

We hope Becky’s life is like ours!

June Gloom has come early this year.  The sky is grey every morning, but by noon, the sky is blue, and the birds are flying backward to see where they have been!

May and June are typically the cloudiest months of the year in coastal southern California, with only 59% and 58% sunny days, respectively, on average in San Diego.  The number of days in May and June that are “gloomy” varies yearly.

Mary got a video/slideshow of Becky’s wedding shower, so I converted it to share with friends and family.  The shower was held a week ago in Newport Beach.!

We both wish you two nothing but a lifetime of love.  See you at the wedding in two weeks in Ireland.

Today is Girl’s Night Out at the Elks Lodge, and we are getting close to celebrating our fourth year having lunch there on Thursdays.

Being at the Lodge every Thursday started thanks to my brother by another mother, Bob Z. It was on July 16th (twelve days before Mary and I had our first “date”)  that Bob pried me out of the house (click the link to visit July 16th 2020 on the Daily Diary).  Bill Capps and Mike Andersen were also there.  Thank you guys!  We have gone there every Thursday since missing only a few days due to being out of town.

Since we were heading to the Lodge, Mary wanted to bring Iris some sweetpeas, but she had already picked all the lower ones.  So, with the assistance of a ladder, she went up top to get the ones closest to the Sun.

As we left, the sky became clear, and we enjoyed beautiful blue skies all day, with temperatures in the mid-70s.

Up Up And Away (Great title for a song!)

I trimmed the onions while Mary was up in the air and looked after our newbie, the Borage.  Borage grows 2 to 3 feet tall and has blue, star-shaped flowers.  The leaves and stems are grey-green.

Quite an attractive plant!

Did You Know?  In traditional medicine, borage is used as a sedative and a diuretic and as a treatment for seizures and kidney disease.  The leaves are often used as dried herbs or tea.

Borage leaves have a subtle cucumber-like flavor and are commonly used in salads, teas, and cocktails.  They add a refreshing taste and are rich in nutrients.

We departed at 10:45 am as we had to stop at the Honda Dealer and get new windshield wiper blades, which we bought a month ago, and finally had time to install them.

We were at the Lodge with Bill C., Iris, and Will, which made for an interesting conversation.

Iris and Will joined us today; Iris will be 98 this year!

Somehow, I can’t remember how we got on the subject of old medications.  I blurted out “Carter’s Little Liver Pills,” and everyone remembered these little gems, which, by the way, can be bought through Amazon!

Interesting conversations always occur at the Elks Lodge.

Carter’s Little Liver Pills (Carter’s Little Pills after 1959) were formulated as a patent medicine by Samuel J. Carter of Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1868.

Did You Know?  Carter’s trademark was a black crow.  By 1880, the business was incorporated as Carter Products.  The pills were touted to cure headaches, constipation, dyspepsia, and biliousness.  In the late 19th century, American businessman John Morgan Richards marketed them in the UK.

Carter’s Little Liver Pills predated the other available forms of bisacodyl and was a very popular and heavily advertised patent medicine up until the 1960s.  It spawned a common saying (with variants) in the first half of the 20th century: “He/She has more  (filling a noun) than Carter has Little Liver Pills.”

In 1951, the Federal Trade Commission required the company to change the name to “Carter’s Little Pills” since the “liver” in the name was deceptive.

Most surprising of all?  While the marketing is practically non-existent today and the packaging has changed, you can still find these storied little pills on Amazon.  Carter’s Little Pills are currently offered as a sodium-free laxative, the active ingredient of which is bisacodyl.

We all thought the conversation hilarious.  We are a combined age of 400 years, wow!  There is nothing we do not know! In addition, if we do not know something, we make it up!

Just us!  The soup and salad kids!

We headed home because we had gardening to do.  We worked in the front yard for about an hour.  The neighbors had requests regarding our new decoration, which we promptly ignored.  Ceramic flower pots are long-lasting and add character to the home.

We watered everything carefully! During the summer we give the plants two flushes!

Then we went to the backyard, where Mary trimmed the roses while I worked on the grapes and manually removed the suckers from the tomato plants.

Keeping roses trimmed keeps the blossoms going all summer long.  Even though these blossoms were “done”, it made a nice picture.

I cropped this image from a larger image.

Roses are red, violets are blue; roses are red—whoa, déjà vu!

The picture started as a picture of the wheelbarrow!

The beautiful picture was taken in a wheelbarrow.

We worked in the backyard until about 6:00 pm, then headed to the swim spa to ease our aches and pains.  The older we get, the farther down the ground seems to be.

Mary gardened and clipped the dead flowers and examined the lillies.

After three cycles in the tub, about 45 minutes, we felt no pain!  We discussed the plan of attack for tomorrow as Joe and Bob are coming over around 8:00 am, and we are heading to the hair parlor at 9:00 am to prepare for our trip to Ireland.

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Hump Day Has Arrived! It Is Down Hill From Here!

Posted on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 by Paul

The neighborhood rooster went off at 5:54 am this morning, leaving us six minutes before we had to get up and get started.   We did not want to be in a hurry, so we got ready to go to the gym and departed at about 8:15 am.  A walk in the garden can wait.

We had thirty minutes at the gym to ride the stationary bikes before working out.

One more time, and he will be dinner!

After an hour’s worth of physical abuse, we had just enough energy to walk across the Ralph’s Market parking lot to the bagel store. The cops showed up because people reported strange noises coming from the parking lot. It turned out to be our bones creaking after the workout.

My bones seem to produce an F-flat melody, and Mary’s is an A-sharp. We make beautiful music together. We sound like two cats fighting inside a 100-gallon trash can!

The cops gave us two shots of WD-40 and sent us along our way.  This seems to happen to us more and more as we get older.

Just the knees? I think not!  My everything creeks!

Mary had an “energy bar” bagel, while I opted for the “Everything But The Kitchen Sink” bagel. We had a latte and sat in the store, downing the bagels. People stared at us, and I overheard one lady saying, “They smell like a service station.”   I guess it was the fumes from the WD-40.

We made it home and then walked the garden, Mary in her workout uniform and me in my “get an all-over tan” uniform!  As an added benefit, my outfit scares away the birds and small rodents!

The first stop was visiting the rooster killer.’ Yeah, right!  That baby doggie would not hurt a fly unless he thought they were sky raisins.

Our rooster chaser was out of commission this morning.

We sauntered down the path to the veggie garden, and I felt like someone was staring at me. Mary’s garden decorations seemed to follow my every move, probably because of my gardening attire!

Well, I never!

The apples are going great, with two of the four species coming along nicely. The other two will be waiting until late summer to bloom and produce.

The apples are doing well.

Mary loves the purple flowers, and these spotted gladioli are magnificent.

Talk about purple!

What do you call a grandpa flower? An elder-berry!

What is special about the gladiolus? These blooms are very rich in symbolism. Generally, gladioli represent strength of character, faithfulness, moral integrity, and remembrance. Gladioli are actually the traditional 40th-anniversary flower and the birth flower for the month of August!

We visited the Hawaiian Islands for a few minutes and observed how our pet pineapple was doing. He has been in the ground for almost four months and is getting some green growth. It takes 18 months to grow a pineapple, so next year, we will know.

Once you have a pineapple, you can grow another one from the top. After chopping up the edible flesh, don’t toss the remnants away. Recycle the pineapple’s top by planting it to regrow it into a houseplant that will produce fruit.

Why did the pineapple stop in the middle of the road? It ran out of juice!

The pineapple we planted from the January Hawaii trip is doing quite well; just another year to go!

We worked in the garden for about an hour.  Mary observed that my gardening outfit was turning a little red, so she suggested we go indoors for a while.

The timing was perfect, as our cleaning crew arrived at 1:30 pm.

We love our roses.

While the cleaning folks were here, we went to the dry cleaners and delivered my dark suit and tuxedo so they would be ready for our trip to Ireland in a week. Returning home, I took a two-hour beauty nap; it did not work.

Mary fixed a super dinner of homemade beans and a salad from the garden.

We got cleaned up and headed to the Tustin Senior Citizens Center for an evening of dancing. Mary was wearing her new dance shoes, so we only stayed for about two hours before going home to read and eventually crash!

Dancing the Night Away: The band was extra good tonight. We waltzed and two-stepped and did several other dances this evening.

She is such a dear!

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Go Go And Go

Posted on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 by Paul

BECKY!  If you re reading this, look at our website!

Today is another “catch me if you can” day.  It begins with working around the house, followed by a visit to the doctor (both of us), dinner at a Spanish restaurant, and then to the Segerstrom Performing Arts Center to see Aladin!

After three hours in the office, we had brunch with everything except the cheese and cranberry juice from our garden!

We are happy to announce our full  Panama Canal trip is on the website. 

We love those beans, and the pamellos were perfect. The weather was warm and clear as a bell.

I had a little salad with the lettuce just picked, and it was so crisp; it was like eating crackers; they were so crunchy!

It does not get fresher than this!

We went to the doctor’s office for some acupuncture treatments for Mary’s back and my sciatica. The treatments seem to work, and they are better than taking a bunch of pills. Her office is close to the theater, so going home made no sense. We selected Vaca since it opened early and was within walking distance of the theater.

Vaca  (which means Cow in Spanish) is between the world-famous Segerstrom Center for the Arts and the premiere shopping destination, South Coast Plaza, on Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, California.  The space evokes the energy and ambiance of Spain with the comfort of California.

I looked at the bar and thought I had died and gone to heaven! Oh my! Floor-to-ceiling drinks, oh boy. I wanted to order something from the tippy-top, but alas, my eyesight would not support my plan!

There was a wide selection of alcoholic drinks… vast!

Pavlov walks into a bar. The phone rings, and he says, “Damn, I forgot to feed the dog.”

We had a Spanish chardonnay, which was pricey but outstanding! The barkeep knew how to use a camera, which was quite refreshing.  We didn’t have our heads cut off!

Hey, how did this happen?  We are together in a picture.

I’ve started telling everyone about the benefits of eating dried grapes. It’s all about raisin awareness.

We dined outside, and it was pleasant.  The toast was quite interesting. We spread a homemade tomato sauce on the bread, covered the sauce with olive oil, and then added a pinch of sea salt. It was delicious.

We polished this off in about ten seconds.

As usual, Mary brightened up the surroundings.

Yummy!

Since it was a Spanish restaurant, I ordered a selection of their famous ham plus, an oxtail appetizer, and  “Datiles Rellenois,” blue cheese stuffed dates, bacon, and honey.

Did You Know? While Spain’s regions vary in their local food traditions, cured Serrano and Ibérico hams are treasured from coast to coast, from the markets of Barcelona to the bars of Galicia and everywhere in between.

Iberico Pork comes from the distinctive Black Iberian Pig.  Native to areas of Portugal and central and southern Spain, the pigs’ diet of acorns and elements of the natural forests in these areas directly impacts the meat, giving it a nutty, evocative flavor.

Delicious, even Mary tried it!

I went for the seafood paella.  The paella contained prawns, clams, mussels, octopus, saffron bomba rice,  and garlic aioli.

Sofrito, the base for paella,  is a flavorful mixture of onions, garlic, tomatoes, and peppers.  It’s often called the “secret ingredient” in paella, as it adds a depth of flavor and richness to the dish.

The prawns took some work, but they were well worth it.

Mary saw filet mignon, and that’s all she needed!  The cow thought something different!

How could you? Cannibal!

Mary proceeded anyway much to the dismay of our new friend.

Mary thought it was pretty good but NOT as good as the Grill on the ship!

We dined outside, and the overhead heater kept us quite comfortable.

We so enjoy each other’s company; always a laugh and a giggle!

We saw Aladin, which is always a hoot, especially if the genie is good, and tonight he was hilarious!

His expressions and comedic timing was perfect!

The night was magic.  A pleasant 70 degrees and a very slight breeze cleared the sky of could, and the stars were out.

We went outside at halftime to get some cold air.  Usually, a dark, warm spot after a glass of vino does us in.  Not tonight; the show was terrific.

We talked about the plan for Mother’s Day, which is this Sunday!  We are ready to go!

Just us!

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Go Away Monday!

Posted on Monday, May 6, 2024 by Paul

One Summer Night was a wonderful tune.  I remember it well!

More kids ought to think about this!

We were up early again because we had to go to the gym at 8:30 am and get stretched until it hurt!  After three weeks of vacation, I am starting to get all the kinks out of the system.

After the workout, we returned home, freshened up, and went to our Huntington Beach dentist appointment.  Dr. Anne gave us an A+ rating, and we did not need dental work.   Since we needed no work, she tried to sell us some Amway!

While cleaning my teeth, I took a picture of their new cleaning machine, which uses water from artesian wells.  It is outdoors so as to capture the healing rays from the Sun.   I was a little worried when a bird landed in the machine.  I had visions of the bird taking off with my teeth in his beak!

The technician drops my teeth into the bath, and a few minutes later, they come out clean!

After the visit, we went home, and Mary jumped into the kitchen to make beans, cornbread, jalapeno poppers, and other goodies for dinner.

The beans were picked last year and stored in an airtight glass container.  Mary let them soak overnight, and after an hour of simmering, we had astoundingly good bean soup.  I chopped up an entire red onion and added it to the soup, and Mary added the celery greens to the mix.

While Mary cooked, I worked in the garden for an hour, planting some ground cover around the base of the grapes.

Did You Know?  Healthline says the top five healthiest are garbanzo beans (chickpeas), lentils, peas, kidney beans, and black beans.  These varieties tend to be the highest in fiber, folate, and protein and are the most effective at mitigating post-meal blood sugar spikes.

Beans alone and rice alone both lack certain essential amino acids.  If eaten together, however, each contributes what the other is missing to form a complete protein.  Beans-and-rice dishes are highly valued for protein in areas where animal proteins are often hard to obtain and expensive.

This was serious bean soup; out of this world, delicious!

We took some goodies to Jeff, who likes a good home-cooked meal!  We returned home, watched TV until about 9:30 pm., and crashed.

While putting on my jammies, Mary remarked that my knees were black. It was more than a remark: “YOU AIN’T COMING TO BED WITH THOSE KNEES!!!”  She sounded just like my Mom!

I looked down, and sure enough, my knees matched the black color of the kneepads I used today.

I went to the shower, washrag and pumice-laden soap in hand. Rubba-dub-dub and a good hard scrub returned my knees to their original glory!

Posted in Cooking, Gym, Working Around House | Comments Off on Go Away Monday!

We Continued Relaxing Until We Remembered It Was Cinco De Mayo!

Posted on Sunday, May 5, 2024 by Paul

The day got started early!

Holy guacamole, it’s Cinco de Mayo.

Oh dear, it is the 5th of May, and we must get going!  To celebrate, we have a 10:15 appointment with Vicky at Casa Del Sol.  This activity is NOT clothes optional, even though it is World Naked Gardening Day!

We dressed for the occasion. I was wearing a hot pepper and was also with a hot pepper!  Surrounded, yeah!

We both got the memo!

We began with a glass of water, perhaps a glass of cactus juice!  There was an occasional shot glass thrown in for good measure.

At least you don’t need a prescription for tequila.

When life gives you lemons, get tequila and salt.

Okay, are you sitting down?  Because this last tidbit might make you weak in the knees.  According to researchers, the sugars found in agave plants, and thus, tequila, may be linked to weight loss.

I swear to you, I am the cheapest drunk on the planet. It takes nothing to get me loopy and doing stupid stuff. Yeah. Well… like riding an electric floor buffer for a shot of tequila. Did it! I polished it off!

We got there as it was opening, and we had the best seat in the house!

Jóse Hernàndez, the owner, is a master of mariachi music and an internationally recognized musician, composer, and educator known for breaking boundaries in the world of mariachi. A sixth-generation mariachi, Jóse brings the pleasure of mariachi music to audiences all across the globe. 

The restaurant is in Tustin.

The place was packed as we departed for home.

The facility is enormous.

We were next to the stage and thought, there goes our ears.  That is not true; the musicians were AMAZING.  They were the best Mariachis we have ever heard!

Mariachi is an ensemble of musicians that typically plays ranchera, the regional Mexican music that dates back to at least the 18th century and evolved over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico.

A mariachi band was in a car accident.  Unfortunately, some of the instruments were damaged, and the band members were injured.  Don’t worry, they made a maracaless recovery.

We were right next to the stage!

All dressed for the occasion!

What do you call a mariachi band with one member?  A Juan man band.

Ladies!

The gents were ready to party!  We all went to the buffet several times as their selections were excellent.

I tried to get them to ride the floor buffer with me, but alas, I was alone in this endeavor.

Gents!

The music was not loud, and the vocals were exceptional.  It was quite enjoyable.

The band was terrific!

Eye Yi Yi Yi!  We could not help ourselves.

We were ready to dance.

The ladies had their eyes on this young man, guessing her age between 18 and 25.  I asked him about his age, and we fell over when he said, “I am fifteen!”  This kid has a future in music and singing.

How old is he?

At noon, we departed: the Zs went gardening, Vicky and Jim were going home to rest, and Mary and I were going to celebrate World Naked Gardening Day!

We departed around noon!

The day turned out terrific, with the temperatures in the mid-70s and the bright sun.

World Naked Gardening Day is an annual international event generally celebrated on the first Saturday of May by gardeners and non-gardeners alike.  (It was yesterday, but the temperature was in the high 50s, so it was too cold to celebrate!)

Finally, a nice day!

She caught me working hard in the garden!  I have to send my gardening outfit to the cleaners to see if they can remove all the wrinkles!

World Naked Gardening Day officially got underway in Orange.

Mary did most of her gardening behind the tomato plants!

I yelled, “Come out, come out wherever you are!”  Not a sound was heard.

Mary hides everything well.

At 4:00 pm, we stopped gardening, dressed, and headed to Campus Jax to hear Lia Booth.

As we arrived, they were doing sound checks, so we had some early entertainment.

Back at Campus Jax.

Mary and I enjoyed a glass of wine, waiting for Vicky and Jim to arrive.

My Lady is ready for the show!

We had an hour to eat and swap stories.  Vicky was wound up this evening, so the waitstaff gave our table a wide berth for fear of getting poked accidentally.  We laughed and cried and just enjoyed each other’s company.  Good friends make the troubles of everyday living go away!

Vicky talks with her hands.

The performance was good, and we tapped our toes with the band!

Lia kept us entertained.

After departing Campus Jax, we stopped at Aces to visit the locals and see what celebrations were underway.

Mary checked her iPhone to see what photos she had taken today.

We went home after stopping at Jeff’s to drop off desserts from Campus Jax.  Jeff has a sweet tooth, and we are trying to keep his teeth happy.

Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

Posted in Food and Wine, Friends, Theater, Vegetable Garden | Comments Off on We Continued Relaxing Until We Remembered It Was Cinco De Mayo!