Day 1: O-Dark-Thirty And We Are Off And Running

Posted on Thursday, September 26, 2024 by Paul

Airplanes take off at 6:00 am. I  didn’t think airplanes woke up at 6:00 am!!

 Day 1 – Day 2 – Day 3 – Day 4 – Day 5 – Day 6 – Day 7 – Day 8 – Day 9 

Our limo driver was here at 2:30 am; Jonny on the spot!!  We were packed and ready to go with the checklist checked and double-checked.   The limo was loaded, and we were off like a herd of buffalo transversing the 55 to the 91 to the 605 to the 105 and finally into the American Airlines terminal. 

We unloaded my tiny little Ralph’s Market shopping bag of clothes and then hailed three porters to carry Mary’s steamer trunk and eight suitcases to the check-in desk. Did I fail to mention Mary had eleven carry-ons, and I was not one of them?!

The lady at the counter asked if we were smuggling pirates!

We arrived at LAX a little early, so we found a place to sit. We ordered breakfast at a small place. One cold turkey sandwich and two lattes for $36—we are in the wrong business! It was like a holdup!

Airport food can be expensive for a number of reasons, including:

High retail space costs – Airport retailers pay a premium for small spaces, and the cost is not fixed. They may also pay a monthly rate plus a commission on sales.

Security – Airport food must go through airport security frequently due to limited storage space. This includes extra precautions like counting knives multiple times a day.

Transportation – Airport vendors may need to pay for transportation to the airport and parking.

Employee badges – Vendors may need to pay for special badges for their employees.

Supply chain – Airport food delivery trucks need to clear security and may need extra insurance.

Demand and supply – Airports are high-security zones, so many outside food items are not allowed inside.

Competition – Airports have limited space, so there are fewer stores and less competition.

Supplier prices – Food wholesalers may charge more to businesses near airport terminals.

 

The first flight took off like clockwork on a swanky new 321 aircraft. It was so shiny, I think I saw my reflection in the fuselage! We had a lovely brunch on the airplane and a glass of champagne. We were both tired, so we crashed (excuse the expression) for the four-and-a-half-hour flight.

Leaving LAX this early was terrific!  It was foggy but as soon as we got to about 3,000 the Sun was out and the view was terrific.

… into the wild grey wonder!

As we banked to the south and eventually northeast, the Catalina Islands emerged from the clouds.  It is amazing how the Sun can burn off the clouds in a hour or so.

Catalina sticks her head out of the clouds.

About 30 minutes into the flight, the steward came by with breakfast. It was pretty good and warm, except for the champagne.  Even the fruit was ripe!

Breakfast is served.

After four hours of flying, we were over Philadelphia, and the aircraft was running low on essentials: wine!!

Philadelphia is our first stop!

We were first in line after a quick sip of the wine at the nearby saloon.

Bangor, next stop!

Mary had all the tickets, passports, and other documents we needed to check in. I took a wheelchair and am glad I did, as we came in on concourse C and departed on F, which was quite a walk!

Stop! I have the boarding passes!!

The next lap was approximately one hour, and it went fast.  The airplane was a puddle jumper, but it was comfortable, and the stews were terrific.

We are here!

The car trip from Bangor to Bar Harbor took about 60 minutes, but it was a little slower than expected because the rain fell fast, and this part of the country did not have street lights.

Check-in was easy, and the people at the front desk remembered us from last year.

After arriving at the hotel, we opened our drawers and put our things together before going to dinner at the hotel’s eatery!

I must say their Fish Stew had everything in it!

Fish soup in Bar Haba cannot be beat!

I was so hungry that my silverware looked like lights flashing on a dark night.

The wise old man!!

At 8:30 pm local time, we were in the sack and sound asleep!  These 3:00 am departures are NOT as easy as they used to be.

 

Posted in Adventures, Just Us | 1 Comment

Wednesday, One More Tortue Day And We Are Off!

Posted on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 by Paul

Up and at ’em!  We were ready for the trip to the torture chamber by 8:15 am and did 45 minutes on the stationary bikes before being called into the chamber, tied to a big machine, and had our muscles moved in very unnatural ways!

After the gym, we refilled our calories at the local bagel bar and then home to put the final touches on the packing.

Our cleaning team arrived about 1:00 p.m., and we left for the garden while they cleaned tho office and the master bedroom.

We planted peanuts in the garden a month ago an, and we expect a super crop in about two more months.

Goober—a nickname for peanuts—comes from “nguba”, the Congo language name for peanut.  By law, any product labeled “peanut butter” in the United States must be at least 90 percent peanuts.

We are gonna have peanuts in about 65 days!

The Mexican  squash was doing well, but we had to send them home with Domi as we will be gone and they will get too big. Mild in flavor and varying in size from baby to medium to large, Mexican squash sports a pale green thin edible skin. Appearing nearly seedless, its tasty flesh is whiter and sweeter than zucchini. Shaped somewhat like zucchini, this variety is most often larger more e, more extensive,.

The Mexican squash is milder and sweeter than zucchini and has green, speckled skin. Can you eat the skin on Mexican squash? Yes.

The rest of the afternoon, and had a small dinner before Irene joined us.  We crashed around 9:00 pm as we had to be up at 1:30 am to await our ride.

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Time To Pack And Sing “Happy Birthday”!!

Posted on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 by Paul

Happy birthday to grandsons Zachary, 34, and Nick Duda, 25! They celebrate the same birthday!  We are very proud of these young men!

Suitcase #1 of 8 almost closed!

This morning we departed for Dianne’s home to meet with Zachary so he could estimate the cost of putting in a first-class set of  security cameras and a updated wifi system in her home.  We arrived at Dianne’s and had a cup of coffee and Zack joined us at 8:30 am.

We walked the yard as well as visit the in-home museum!  I believe Zack was quite amazed!

One could spend an hour in here discovering the past!!

Even the ceiling was adorned with solid copper foil!

The Wurlitzer sounds like a full orchestra!

Did You Know?

The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass ,instruments from Germany for resale in the United States. Wurlitzer enjoyed initial success, largely due to contracts to provide musical instruments to the U.S. military. In 1880, th1880y began manufacturing pianos and eventually relocated to North Tonawanda, New York. It quickly expanded to make band organs, orchestrions, player pianos and pipe organ theatre organs popular in theatres during the days of silent movies.

Wurlitzer also operated a chain of retail stores where the company’s  products were sold. As technology evolved, Wurlitzer began producing electric pianos, electronic organs, and jukeboxes. It eventually became known more for jukeboxes and vending machines, which are still made by Wurlitzer.

Wurlitzer’s jukebox operations were sold and moved to Germany in 1973. The Wurlitzer piano and organ brands and U.S. manufacturing facilities were acquired by the Baldwin Piano Company in 1988, and most piano manufacturing moved overseas.

The Baldwin Co., including its Wurlitzer assets, was acquired by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in about 1996. Ten years later, Gibson acquired Deutsche Wurlitzer and the Wurlitzer Jukebox and Vending Electronics trademarks, briefly reuniting Wurlitzer’s best-known products under a single corporate banner in 2006. Baldwin ceased making Wurlitzer-brand pianos in 2009. Vending machines are still manufactured in Germany using the Wurlitzer name under Gibson ownership. The company ceased manufacturing  jukeboxes in 2013 but they still sell replacement parts.

Returning home, we packed and began getting things ready for Thursday morning for our 2:30 am departure to LAX via limo!

We finished up around 4:45 pm  and went to Benihana’s Restaurant in Santa Ana to celebrate Nick’s birthday.

Nick has been wanting to go here for a long time.

We sat in the Tappan room with 200,000 others— level sounded like that!  It was like trying to have a peaceful converse peacefully at rock concert featuring a very enthusiastic marching band.

Fun with family!

The chef was amazing making the knives clank on the steel table.  Flames were shooting into the air, I almost wanted to sing the Star Spangled Banner as I was  finishing my rice.

Call 911, my shrimp just blew u;!

We took a picture of the original photo the restaurant provided us. Bob’s sister and mother joined us for the celebration!

A picture of a picture!

We headed home and admired out new iPhone controlled outdoor lighting.  Sometimes it even scares me!!

New lighting can be changed with the touch of the iPhone!

We stayed up until almost midnight finishing some of the packing we had to do.

Here we come!

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Fall Plus One And All Is “OK”

Posted on Monday, September 23, 2024 by Paul

We were up at Oh-Dark Thirty this morning because we had an appointment at the torture chamber commonly referred to as “the gym.”  We managed to lap down our coffee in order to to get the hearts started before departing.  We left Scout behind  doing his job guarding the backyard from stray elephants!

My trainer worked on my back as the sciatica has been giving me fits for the past week.  Mary rotated between all the pain-inducing mechanical equipment.  Even though I was face down on the floor, I could triangulate her approximate position in the gym by the yells, moans, and screams!

We escaped with our lives and ran into the Ralphs Market next door before they could find us.  We got milk and some other goodies.

We headed home because our masseur was due at 11:00 am to continue working on the back!  He worked on my back for a good hour, and it felt very different.  The sciatic nerve is a real pain when it goes south.  When he started by left leg was about two inches shorter than the right due to the nerves being tight.

OUCH!

The sciatic nerve helps you feel sensations in your legs, including the back of the thigh, the outer and back part of the lower leg, and the sole of the foot.

Double ouch!!

The sciatic nerve also connects the central nervous system to the legs. It originates in the lower back and runs down the back of each leg. Damage to the sciatic nerve can cause numbness, tingling, and weakness in the legs or knees. If left untreated, numbness and weakness can become permanent.

I worked in the office, sitting down the rest of the day until it was time to go to dinner with Dianne’s family on “the hill.” While sitting, the trusty computer reminded me of days gone by when it showed the following:

Mary is at home with Scout, The Wonder Dog.

She loves to cook, and we made a pot load of baked apples as well as applesauce  in the last few weeks!

Applesauce anyone?

Dianne’s family found a fantastic B&B up on the hill overlooking Orange County with a view from downtown LA to almost San Diego!  They cooked up some lasagne, and we ate, drank wine, and shared stories!  It was a lovely evening,

After dinner, stories.

The view from the dining table was amazing.  The local High School football stadium is in the distance.

It’s a fantastic view.

I parked just adjacent to the building and was a tad worried about falling off the face of the Earth!

Do you see my shadow?

The white house (mansion) at the top of the hill had a view of all of OC.

Wow!

We headed home around 8:30 pm and crashed; I needed to ensure the leg had a good night’s sleep!

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I Was A Sad Day, David Reidy 1942-2024

Posted on Sunday, September 22, 2024 by Paul

RIP – DAVID REIDY 1942-2024

OBITUARY

David George Reidy, 81, of Santa Ana, California, passed away on September 8, 2024. He was born on November 19, 1942, in Plymouth, New Hampshire.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Dianne Phyllis Reidy.

David attended LaSalle High School in Pasadena, California, and graduated in 1961.

His military service was from 1964 to 1970 in the U.S. Army Reserves, where he started his medical career, which he would continue for 60 years.

He began his career at Orange County Medical Center in the Army Reserve Unit, where he was hired as an orderly and then promoted to Autopsy Technician.

The county hospital became the University of California, Irvine Medical Center, and he worked there from 1964 through 2024. He was always proud to say that he and his wife, Dianne, had 97 years of service to UCI.

During most of those 60 years, he held the position of Anatomic Pathology Manager and specialized in training the resident physicians in autopsy procedures. Around 1987 he was asked to be involved with procurement for a new Alzheimer’s research program, today known as UCI MIND.

He reluctantly retired in 2004 after 40 years. The retirement officer asked him why he had waited so long. The answer became evident when they asked him if they could hire him back part-time. He couldn’t wait to sign up! He continued working with the residents on autopsy procedures and with the procurement for UCI MIND.

David met his wife Dianne at the hospital in 1969, when she began working as an account clerk. Dianne likes to tell the story of him showing up in front of her parents’ house in a yellow sports car (his second classic car) and her mother asking, “Who’s that boy out front?” He was relentless in the chase, as he also followed her to Disneyland, where she and her girlfriends spent weekends at the teenage dances.

They were married on September 14, 1973, at Holy Family Chapel in Orange, California.

Not like most young couples blessed with children, they began their married life collecting antiques, namely a piano for their living room. Then came music boxes, phonographs, and nickelodeons. They joined music collector’s clubs: Automated Music Instruments Collector’s Association (AMICA), Musical Box Society, and Antique Phonograph Society.

Because they enjoyed the old dance music and dressing vintage, they joined a vintage dance class and went on to dance at many ragtime and jazz festivals.

They became interested in old Hollywood movies and attended many Hollywood autograph shows, where they met Margaret O’Brien (once a child star) and many other movie celebrities. They collected well over 100 personal autographed photos that they beautifully display on their hallway walls.

THEN! Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park closed its doors in 2005. David and Dianne attended the auction of hundreds of wax figures. This was life-changing. David purchased several to the point that another attendee asked Dianne if they had a museum. Her reply “Ah, yes, I guess we do now!” David continued the hunt for more celebrity and famous wax figures over the next 17 years. They have entertained many curious friends, from Shirley Temple to former President Trump. Of course, their house had “no vacancy,” so eventually, they had to annex part of their collection to a small museum where David created a mini Movieland and housed his antique cars. This was a milestone.

Throughout all of his collecting, automobiles remained his first passion. He has belonged to many car clubs, including Packards International, Classic Car Club, Antique Automobile Club, and the Buick Club of America.

David was quite a storyteller. As many of you know, he could talk to you about his life, growing up, his school days, his army years, his work-related stories, their vintage dancing, meeting the Hollywood stars, collecting and creating a museum that told a story of David Reidy. A man with a mission accomplished.

The service was held at Saddleback Chapel Funeral Home in Tustin starting at 10:00 am.

It was a simple but elegant service.

Many friends brought their cars to the service and parked them out in front of the chapel.  Each vehicle has a story to tell.

His friends brought their cars.

The Honor Guard from the American Legion, located on Balboa Island in Newport, honored his military service.

The American Legion accomplished the flag ceremony

Ten speakers had stories to tell about David, and they all rang true. Robert Escalante of Custom Auto Service did an excellent job.

Many friends stood up and spoke about David.

Mary decided to say a few words at the last minute, and she did it very well while fighting back tears.

Mary kept her composure the whole time.

The service was over at noon, and we headed to Highway 39 Event Center, which was very close to UCI Medical Center and just off State College Boulevard South. Inside, it was loaded with classic cars.

We departed the chapel at 12:30 and headed to Highway 39 Event Center

Many items at the mortuary were also brought to the center for display.  The house was packed and we dined on hot dogs and hamburgers, David’s favorite foods!  Stories were told and retold.

More cars.

Almost 200 people were participating in the honoring of David, including a family from Oregon who drove down for the event.

Dianne’s sister and family were there.

We went to Casa D’Oro Restaurant later in the evening. We were supposed to meet Vicky and Jim at the Elks, but we invited them to the restaurant to meet family.

Vicky joined us for dinner.

The evening was joyful, and lots of memories were shared.

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Happy Fall And Time To Get Busy!

Posted on Saturday, September 21, 2024 by Paul

The first day of fall in Los Angeles is on Sunday, September 22, 2024, at 8:44 am, the autumnal equinox. This is the astronomical start of fall, and it occurs when the sun passes directly over the equator, making day and night nearly equal in length.

Today, we are off to a busy day, beginning with a trip to the Polish Festival with Bob and Robin! Hopefully, we won’t end up doing the polka all day long with pierogis flying everywhere!

The kids came by the house to get us, but I ended up driving. I guess they just wanted to enjoy the festival without having to deal with my *exceptional* parallel parking skills, which I ended up not using.

The parking situation was so bad that it felt like we were participating in an extreme sport just to find a spot! We walked to the festival, but Bob had to retrieve the car as my sciatica was acting up fiercely.

The decimal point needed to be corrected; it was 2.0 miles.

We walked all around the festival and found some interesting things.  The kids got their pictures taken.

You are looking good!

We had to follow suit.

Great fun at the fair.

There were continuous performances on stage, everything from plays to dancing and music.  Many of the people spoke in Polish but the signage was all in English or we would have been in trouble.

The kids loved dancing for the crowds.

So, our brilliant plan to indulge in some delicious Polish cuisine was foiled by long lines and limited tables. The universe said, “Nah, you’re not getting your pierogi fix today.”

So, we took the kids to Benji’s NY Delicatessen in Tustin. The universe has a thing for pastrami sandwiches and matzo ball soup!  We sat in the lounge area because it was more relaxed and closer to the bar.

Fantastic food and quite diverse!

The food was terrific.  Mary had some soup, and I went for a pastrami, which I shared with Mary.  I don’t understand the science behind it, but those fries must have gone to fryology school and got a PhD in potato perfection!

My oh my, piled high!!

From Benji’s, we headed home as we had a Starlighters Dance this evening. It was a travel theme, but I only had enough energy to travel to Mexico, so we donned our costumes and headed to the Elks Lodge in Santa.

We sat at a table with three couples we had not met before and made sure they knew all about the club before they departed for the evening.  “All six of them were so excited about the upcoming November dance, they even started practicing their funky chicken dance moves in the this evening! It’s going to be a hilarious sight to see!

The theme was “Around The World.”

We boogied down so much that Mary begged me to rescue several single ladies from the sidelines and drag them onto the dance floor. They were probably regretting their decision to attend the party at that point!  Other gentlemen were available to dance with the ladies, so I only got to dance with Nita and Yolie.

Yolie and I tripped the light fantastic!

When it comes to the F-word, FOOD, the Elks went wild this evening. The prime rib was amazing, and I had Dover Sole, which was also outstanding.

The prime rib was excellent!  It was the size of a whole cow!

On the way home, we stopped by Aces for a drink and to listen to the Statler Brothers we put into the internet jukebox.

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Aw So!

Posted on Friday, September 20, 2024 by Paul

This morning, it was office work first! We had to validate our trip to New Hampshire, get the final names for those going to the Elks Costume Party on the 26th, and complete several other ” to-do ” items.

When we first moved into our office, it looked like a furniture store had thrown it up! Desks, chairs, and random stuff were everywhere. We had a cacophony of desks, some dating back to the Civil War.

We decided it was time to do it right, so we ordered two new desks and bookshelves —one of our better decisions! All the old stuff was donated to the Salvation Army!

My desk is on the left, and Mary’s is on the right. We placed two small file cabinets between the desks, and our two printers are on top of the file cabinets. We are set up to stay organized (not an easy task) and have a bed for Scout the Wonder Dog, our proofreader.

The desks face the backyard and are beneath the ten-foot-wide window, so we get lots of light!

We departed for Pasadena and the annual Mid-Autumn Moon Celebration!   We had to leave early because of the anticipated traffic (2:00 p.m.). Using three local freeways, it took us an hour and a half.

You can see all the picture on our website.

We decided to have dinner before the visit and found a Chinese restaurant in Old Towne Pasadena. Family-owned and operated for over 15 years, Grandview Palace has prided itself on serving our guests exceptional Chinese cuisine. The meal was standard American Chinese, but it was delicious. It was not exactly health food, but we will soon walk it off!

We had dinner at an interesting Chinese Restaurant!

We made it, and we were in line by 6:00 p.m.  We offered people to take their pictures, and most did an “OK” job. The lady who took the picture below knew her iPhone!  Nothing was cut off and nothing growing out of our heads!

BTW, many people commented on our matching shirts!

We walked for almost two hours.

As we started to walk over a small bridge, a man with a large bottle pusing a two-wheeled cart came by. We let him pass, and his job was to blow up the moon! Helium eventually leaks through almost anything, and the moon was slowly dropping into the lake.  We watched while he carefully sent a new supply of helium into the moon via a small diameter hose.

The helium moon was out and about.

We rambled around the lake and stopped under the waterfall!  Time for a quick picture.

Walking underwater

From our “vantage” point across the lake, we had a hilarious view of the famous Moon Bridge. It looked like something straight out of a cheesy romance movie, complete with a dramatic soundtrack playing in the background.

People enjoyed walking on the Moon Bridge.

Traditionally, floating paper lanterns symbolize the guiding of souls, those who have left the physical world and now exist spiritually. The orange dots by the Moon Bridge are all small floating lanterns with individual messages inside.

The Sun went down, and the lights came on.

There were four musical groups in the area, so their music was like a buffet of different flavors—it was like going from salsa to heavy metal to classical to reggae all at the same time! It was certainly an interesting musical journey, but let’s just say it’s a good thing they didn’t play for too long—my brain needed a break to process all that musical diversity!

We stumbled upon this tiny spot with a bench, plopped down, and soaked in the sweet melodies.

We sat and listened to the musicians.

By the end of the evening, the lanterns were all over the lake and they freely floated about the various bridges. We marveled at breathtaking lanterns reflected in the lake as we strolled through illuminated pavilions, courtyards, and pathways. Delicious-looking entrees and treats (all available for purchase) were available at Jade Court Cafe, Freshwater Pavilion, and the Terrace of Shared Delights. We, however, were stuffed from our early dinner so we avoided the lines.

Paper Wish Bags floated all over the lake.

By 9:00 pm, we were tired and ready to call it a night. This was definitely an “out of the box” experience for us/  On our way out, MAry wanted to hang with Mr. Lion. I swear, Mary can befriend anyone, even a stone lion!

Goodnight!

We headed home, and miraculously, there was no traffic. Fifty-two minutes flat. I felt like I was in a movie where the hero gets home just in time.  My superpower was finding the one moment in the day when there was no traffic!

 

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Busy Busy Busy!

Posted on Thursday, September 19, 2024 by Paul

We have a jam-packed day, starting with visiting the Huntington Beach hair parlor. Get ready to witness the magical transformation from beach bum to beach hunk!  Mary had her two-hour makeover, and I had 9 1/2 minutes, including shaking the apron. They had to catch the three hairs which were trimmed.

After getting our hair done, we flew VFR (Very Funny Ride) to the Elks and found Will, Iris, George, and our beloved waitress. We must have looked quite the sight, with our freshly coiffed hair and ready for some good times! Mary and I shared a Dover Sole, plus I splurged and had a hockey puck (hamburger patty plain)!

I also had a special they called “Mary’s Special”!

It was a mouthful!!  (Just kidding!)

At 1:15 pm, we departed the Elks and went to Dianne’s to be there when the locksmith was scheduled to show up.  The smithy replaced almost a dozen locks with new ones and a single key.

We stayed around for a while and then did another errand involving returning a noise-canceling headset to Best Buy from Bob Z.

David and Dianne were members of Amica (The Automatic Musical Instruments Collectors’ Association).  The Automatic Musical Instruments Collectors’ Association was formed in 1963 by a group of collectors in the San Francisco area. They were committed to preserving, restoring, and enjoying vintage mechanical musical instruments that play by themselves, focusing on those made from 1885–1935.  They have quite a selection of highly excellent devices, including an ancient Wurlitzer Organ.

One of the speakers at the funeral wanted to play the tune in the background, so I captured a three-minute video of David and Dianne’s 1920s Wurlitzer Organ machine in their home. We copied about three minutes of the “fantastic” audio!

They have several other units, and the one below has an animated person “playing the upright piano.”

If you like this music, several sites on the web have mp3 files. As an example, take a listen to the 1940s radio network!

The last leg of today’s journey was just a few miles to go home and visit Jeff.

On the way, we were stopped at a railroad crossing as the arms were down, and the express barreled down the tracks at 60+ miles per hour. I’ve never seen a train in such a rush to get somewhere! Maybe it had a hot date waiting at the next station.

Back home, we visited Jeff and saved the world at least three times.  When he and I were kids, we talked a lot about “vacant lots”!

At 8:00 pm, we crashed, watched TV for a few minutes, and sawed logs all night.

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Hump Day Has Arrivith!

Posted on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 by Paul

Oh no!  AT 8:15 am, we have to depart our humble abode and go to the dungeon and get severely punished; yes, folks, I mean “the gym.”  We arrived at the gum at 8:35 am, five minutes past our regular time, so we rode the bikes faster than usual.

Amazon had left us a package, so it was open, and I went to work, hanging the talking eyeball on the front porch.

MAry could NOT pass this up!

We talked to Dianne and plan to join her for some errands to prepare for Saturday’s funeral. I made two copies of the presentation on thumb drives, and we were off. We stopped the mortuary and made sure the video would play on the machine, and sure enough, it played perfectly.

It was lunchtime, so we went to Rutabegorz’s in Tustin. Back in 1978, this small “hippie joint” opened its doors to an unsuspecting town. Little did this city know what a trendsetter Rutabegorz restaurant would become.

The tree-lined street reminded us of days gone by!

Inside, the decorations were most interesting.  A collection of old coffee makers was on the top of the shelf to the left!  Bob and Donna come to the one in  Orange every Saturday morning and have for years.

In Old Town Tustin!

The menu was eclectic, and I ordered their MuShu Burrito.  It was snow peas, carrots, broccoli, brown rice, and almonds wrapped in a wheat tortilla and smothered in our wonderful Mu Shu sauce.

It was delicious; I downed every bite.

Dianne was with us, and we were all clowning around.

Mirror mirror on the wall!

Along with many vegetarian dishes, Ruta’s also serves white breast of chicken, turkey, albacore tuna, and assorted lean deli meats. Our salad dressings are fresh and house-made, and our condiments are low in fat. As usual, we use only the finest and freshest fruits and vegetables. Their mission has always been to provide the communities with a healthy alternative to traditional restaurant offerings without sacrificing taste.

After a small blackberry pie, we started home via Sprouts.

We then dropped off Dianne and headed home with our tunnies full to the gills!  We promptly took a long nap, and dinner was out of the question!

Mary diligently worked on her needlepoint as we watched some movies in the TV Room (aka the living room). I attempted to create a spooky ambiance with the outdoor lighting, complete with my very own dramatic lightning strikes! I must say, I think I scared myself more than anyone else!

Some of the lighting effects I was trying.

We watch several action movies with Chuck Norris before turning in at midnight!

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Nothing On The Calendar Day!

Posted on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 by Paul

Today, we were busy, but we were not doing anything.  It was an odd feeling.

Early morning, we did our zombie shuffle through the garden, which could have been more uneventful. We stumbled around like a couple of sleep-deprived ghouls, scaring the birds and startling the squirrels.

We then moved the Halloween packing boxes to the side of the house, which allowed us to move freely without stumbling over containers.

While I puttered on the computer, Mary did the hard work.  My mother taught me that you can never have enough paper goods stored away.  Mary took two cases of kitchen towels up the stairs and stacked them away in the closet.

While Mary was preparing to leave for the outside world, I   finished taking pictures of the decorations and uploaded them to our Halloween 2024 website. 

We have been busy!! (Click the image for the full-sized image)

It’s fun to walk through our home and see everything we have collected in the past 150 years (between us).  Amazingly, we have several Halloween decorations that are alike, such as the ghoul wine glasses.

I had the head witch do her mandatory inspection, and she gave me a passing spell with just a few minor hexes that needed fixing. I need to work on my potion-mixing skills!

Notice her conscience in the reflection!

We called Dianne and offered to assist with the collection and processing of pictures for David’s funeral this Saturday. We were both hungry, so we decided to go to our local NY deli. At Benji’s, we shared a Mexican omelet, and I added an onion bagel to the mix.

On our way to Dianne’s, we made a detour to Sprouts to load up on goodies for her. We also grabbed some groceries because who can resist the temptation of snacks? Thankfully, we’re always prepared with a thermal bag in the trunk to rescue any frozen treats in distress.

We landed at Dianne’s around 1:00 pm and delivered the goods.

There will be a slideshow featuring moments from David’s life at the funeral on Saturday, and we offered to assist. At Dianne’s, we were able to copy several files of PDFs, each of which contained 8-12 images. Of the six we brought home, three were “damaged,” so we had to go to another source.

We worked until around 10:00 pm and created an excellent 20-minute video for use at the Highway 39 center.

Highway 39 Events Center

It is a perfect venue for David’s funeral day to end.

Cars of all ages are everywhere!

The image and the presentation will be displayed (it is about 450 MB, so it might take a moment or two to load and play).

Click the image to see the 20-minute movie!

We finally hit the sack around 11:00 pm after some coordinating with Dianne. Dianne and I have officially achieved expert-level coordination skills, especially when deciding when to call it a night!

Tomorrow morning: the dreaded gym where we willingly subject ourselves to torture, only to reward ourselves with delicious bagels afterward. It’s all about balance, right?

Posted in Family, Movies, Vegetable Garden, Working Around House | Comments Off on Nothing On The Calendar Day!