It’s party time at 5:00 pm!
Before cleaning up for today’s adventure, we grabbed a snack and coffee at the front office. I wasn’t hungry after last night’s dinner. A day without coffee is like… Just kidding. I have no idea.
Mary is still talking about Katrina’s Salad, which has romaine lettuce, green cabbage, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, red onion, cilantro, and lemon-olive oil vinaigrette. She added protein to the salad, which was interesting; she never had sliced roadkill before.
I ordered the Tutto Mare, a dish of spaghetti with prawns, clams, mussels, white fish, white wine-tomato sauce, parsley, garlic, and chili flakes. I had trouble sleeping after eating the muscles because I had the urge to cling to a rock.
Today we start the celebrations with a throwback to Disneyland 2004! The girls are having a great time.
Fun at Disneyland 2004.
When Hannah graduated from high school, she moved to Southern California and attended the University of California, Irvine. We were fortunate to have her close by for many years.
Now Lisa was off to High School, but sooner than you think, she will be a college girl also!
Hannah graduated from HS in 2009.
It’s 2013, and Lisa has just graduated from Cal State University, which is located just around the corner from us. She’s now headed back to NorCal, and we missed her.
Two beautiful ladies!
It’s 2023, and Lisa is now married to Patrick. They’re expecting a child. Meanwhile, Hannah and James are newlyweds. Time flies!
We decided to explore Old Town Saratoga, so we put on our walking clothes and set out on an adventure. I always keep my eyes peeled because one day, while walking through a farm and a group of pigs jumped out of a tree on me. It was a hambush.
Did You Know? Cupertino and San Jose border Saratoga to the north, a small portion of Campbell and Los Gatos to the east, and Monte Sereno to the southeast. Saratoga is located at 37°16?21?N 122°01?10?W.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.4 square miles (32 km2), all of it land. Within its borders, Saratoga includes lush redwood forests, foothills suitable for wine grapes, and a sunny valley floor once covered with prune and apricot orchards, now with suburban homes, schools, and churches.
Beware of the infamous Wild Saratoga Octopus!
Our first stop was at an Episcopal thrift store where Mary found leopard skin pajamas and matching shoes. She also found some green jewelry that matched her birthday dress. (Notice I did not say birthday suit!)
We continued our search for breakfast. Mary suggested the wine-tasting room, but wine does not go well with Cheerios!
Darn! How about Rice Krispies? Snap, Crackle, Hic!
Many restaurants were offering Thai, Indian, Peruvian, and American cuisine. We opted for a coffee bar to satisfy our latte cravings. I asked Mary, “How do you take your latte?” she replied, ” Very, very seriously!”
We walked three blocks down and three in return.
We visited another old thrift and antique store and found a pillow for Dianne. Mary was attached to it! It looks just like the girls a few years back!
Mary had to get this for Dianne.
I warned Mary that her camera might break while taking a picture of the elderly man, but she went ahead anyway. I exercised great restraint and refrained from biting into the sandwich.
We enjoyed a breakfast burrito and a croissant sandwich paired with a latte.
The effects of the coffee kicked in three doors down the street, prompting us to head to our hotel room quickly. After checking for any light leaks in our eyelids for an hour, we plan to visit Diane’s around 3:00 pm to see if we can offer any assistance.
The street was now bustling with cars and motorcycles. At the end of the road, there were paths for motorcycles leading up into the hills.
Love the “old towns.”
After the party winds down, we may head for La Fondue for dessert and a nightcap!
Tomorrow we will find a time for La Fondue! (Maybe after the party today!?)
We went shopping at 2:00 pm and stopped at Safeway wine cellar to get Chardonnay for our afternoon visit. We ended up getting three bottles and some berries for a late-evening snack. It is 4:00 pm, and we are heading to Diane’s.
The outdoor pizza party was a hit!
We went a little early to assist; Mary helped put out the table decorations, and I assisted in putting water into the flower vases.
Mary helps decorate!
We showed the girls this Daily Diary entry and decided we needed to pose them accordingly.
2023; Lisa’s prediction was quite correct!
We sat with James’ parents and enjoyed the evening.
Mary and James’ father speaks German; now we can call him up and practice!
Mary and Diane even spoke in Swedish to each other (Diane was in Sweden for several years for Northern Telecom), and Mary spent a summer in Sweden selling bibles while working her way through college.
Mary and Diane had several long conversations throughout the evening; I think Diane felt sorry for Mary.
Hannah’s friends came to celebrate; we have known some of them since they were in High School together!
Friends from High School and Law School
We needed adult supervision, so Patrick and Jeffery watched over everything.
Patrick and Jeffery watched the goings on!
I promised Mary fondue and surprised her with a visit to the fondue restaurant on the way home tonight.
After the party, we went to La Fondue. Despite the restaurant being about to close, I convinced the staff to let us in. We chatted with a nearby couple, as well as the manager and wait staff, and stayed until 12:30 am, two and a half hours after they closed, enjoying fondue and champagne.
After indulging in chocolate fondue and dipping strawberries, marshmallows, apples, and cheeses, we may wake up with large pimples about the size of Detroit decorating our faces.
We met a friendly Indian couple, exchanged business cards, and had a delightful conversation about culture and food. The husband works as a financial analyst at Google, and the wife is a nurse in a local hospital’s labor and delivery room.
We met some other newlyweds; the evening blossomed!
Our waitress’s sister, who was the manager, stopped by to visit. Since the other staff members were having a party in the back room, we sat with them for almost an hour. Our new Indian friends were surprised to hear it was our second anniversary, as they were celebrating their first.
We returned to the hotel at 12:35 pm and slept until 8:00 am.
