Paul & Mary's Daily Diary | Our little space on the World Wide Web since 1996 where we share..

I B 80

Posted on Sunday, December 15, 2024 by Paul

Today, we celebrate even though tomorrow is officially my birthday (at 4:03 in the afternoon, eighty years ago!) We were all getting ready to leave for Old Ranch around 10:oo am, and the party started at 11:00 am. The party began three days ago in my beady little brain.

When we arrived, it was a beehive of activity, with Robin and Vicky cheering on the troops!

I DO NOT feel a day over 90!

Everyone was right on time, and the party started a little early. As we entered the area, images from five years ago were present, and people were remembered!

Pictures from the 75th

Across from the entrance was the essential party starter, but most of our friends do not drink… they guzzle! The bar did a fantastic job dispensing Coca-Cola, iced tea, and water bottles. I kept them busy with Hot Toddy’s to kill off the cough.

Did You Know? A hot toddy is a mixed drink that’s typically made with:
Hot water
Liquor, such as whiskey, bourbon, Irish whiskey, Scotch, brandy, or dark rum
Honey or sugar
Lemon juice or lemon slice
Spices such as cinnamon or cloves

Paul’s favorite spot.

Then we had “Calorie Central,” where just walking by and gazing will cause you to gain five pounds!

Yummy!!

Dianne brought a standup of my TV girlfriend from her museum. Cassandra Gay Peterson is an American actress best known for portraying the horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Peterson gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ-TV in her stage persona as Elvira, hosting Elvira’s Movie Macabre, a weekly B movie presentation.

I brought my girlfriend!

Vicky sponsored a skit, and our dance group sang a song to me. It was heartwarming and hilarious! I laughed so hard that I found a need to visit the gentlemen’s lounge soon after the singing ceased.

The skit was sufficient to require handkerchiefs!

The photographers went crazy with Jor snapping pictures all afternoon!

The photographers snapped about 2000 pictures.

Then the games began! What Vicky can do with plastic cups and balloons should go down in history! Everyone participated in some game or other!

Party games began!

Teams of three had to hold a fragile Christmas ornament between their legs and walk several feet to deposit it in a plastic cup. Mike showed us how not to do it, and Mary was speedy!

Do NOT drop the ornament, or Santa will not visit you!

Michele had it down pat and scampered to the depository without a hitch!

Go Michele Go!!!

We learned a new golf position to use right after driving your ball into the trees!

Is it a new golf swing stance?

Our live music did not make it because he had bronchitis, so Bob Z and Vicky improvised using an iPhone and an available boombox. All afternoon, we had perfectly danceable music, as evidenced by Elvira being played!

Dance time!

It was time for my speech, and of course, Bob Z announced that my childhood pet had returned to celebrate me. I quickly did the math and determined the Tyrannosaurus rex (T. rex) lived on Earth about 66–68 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period meaning I must be about 76,000,080 years old or therabouts!

I expected it to be Joe on the inside, but my grandson, Charlie, did the honors! Mary took him out for a spin!

Charlie plays a mean dinosaur!!

The party continued with an excellent Mexican meal. The theme was “Fiesta,” since it was Christmas, I found a red and green pepper shirt!

Just us!

We departed the facility around 3:30 pm and headed home to watch a Christmas movie and crash!

Posted in Dancing, Family, Food and Wine, Friends, Fun, Holidays, Memories | Comments Off

Gettin’ Ready!

Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2024 by Paul

Time for coffee

We were up and going fairly early, preparing for Diane and Pat’s visit for tomorrow’s birthday party.

They came into Long Beach at 11:00 am and to Casa Valencia at 12:30 pm, where we spent the rest of the day visiting.

I love hearing about Pat’s continuing adventures working on cars and fixing things around the house. He and I agree that YouTube is a lifesaver!

Brother In Law, Pat!

I found an image from the late 1950s with Sue and the Dad and little sister Dianne in the family home at Christmas!

Sue and Diane were sitting with their father a few years ago. (Diane is on the right.)

Dianne was such a wonderful person who helped me through my darkest days. Now, she is retired and having fun doing what retirees do: anything she wants!

Retired and enjoying life@! The grandmother of one and about to be the grandmother of two in February!

After arriving, we went to Rockwell’s for lunch and watched “Red One,” the latest goofy Christmas movie!

We then got ready for the Christmas Play. Dianne and Irene joined us along with Colleen we had a van full of people. We headed down the freeway and soon discovered Saturday was also a busy time on the freeway., We departed at 6:20 pm and arrived at 7:30 pm having to walk in front of everybody before the curtain came up!

Mr and Mrs Santa strike up a deal with a local producer for a Christmas Show!

Travel from New York City via two undercover elves to the Land of Snow to meet the Ice Queen and her court, including Jack Frost and Suzie Snowflake. Then it’s only a short magical sleigh ride to the North Pole to help Santa prepare for a Christmas program that will have you laughing and cheering.

The toys in the toy shop come out to visit the audience. It was a wild collection of animated wooden toys!

The cast was large!

The time came where Santa invited all the children of tjhe world to join him on stage and with the assistance from his big sister, Lilly, Remy headed to onto stage.

They are off!!

We were remembering that Remy’s daddy, the 250 pound Might Zack, was once in Mrs. Santa’s arms during thiplay about 30+ years ago! I may have had a little mist on my eyes!

He gets reassurement from his big sister!

He looks so serious! I should have stood up and yelled “SMILE!”

He made it through without a problem, Lilly by his side.

Santa and his helpers said good night to us and hoped we join them next year!

Good night and tanks for a wonderful evening!

We gathered together at the stage when most people were gone and got the group picture.

Colleen was seeing a man about a horse!

We got together again outside the theater. The Lind’s were already gone as they have an 8:00 am softball game in the morning. It was a delightful evening getting together with family!

We love Christmas time!

We headed home and the freeways were wide open! It was a wonderful uplifting performance making this season even more special!

They did; tune in tomorrow!

Posted in Family, Friends, Holidays, Theater | Comments Off

Friday Has Arrived And All Is Well!!

Posted on Friday, December 13, 2024 by Paul

When I think of the season, I think about TV shows I have seen, and Amos N’ Andy 1952 ranks pretty high on my Christmas favorites list—right up there with the time I accidentally set my holiday ham on fire while trying to multitask with gingerbread cookies!

Seriously, though, please take a few minutes to watch it. We need more Americans like Andrew H. Brown. If we had a few more of him, we might be able to sprinkle some joy on this world—preferably without the risk of igniting our Christmas dinner!

We were up early and Colleen was gone! It was unusual for her to be up before everyone else, especially on a chilly December morning. I checked the kitchen, but she wasn’t there either. I could only imagine what she was up to—maybe brewing her favorite holiday coffee or sneaking in a few minutes of quiet time before the days festivities began. I quickly grabbed my sweater and headed outside, hoping to catch her taking in the trash barrels or something?

The world was still waking up, and that magical early morning light was just beginning to sprinkle across the snow. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of what we might do together today, just like I did when I re watched that holiday show featuring Andrew H. Brown.

Colleen always brings the joy and warmth of the season to life!

We forgot that she was picking up Joe at the Long Beach Airport at 6:00 am, he was flying in from Las Vegas.

Mary and I worked on our respective computers until Colleen showed up and then we went outside and finished decorating the front of the house! We were short some bunting and re setup the inflatables that were crunched with the previous windstorm.

Putting on the final touches!

After all the work, someone said “breakfast”. My mind went to cereal but MAry suggested the three steaks we bought yesterday. I did my marination thing.

Did You Know? Marinating is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. This liquid, called the marinade, can be either acidic (made with ingredients such as vinegar, lemon juice, or wine) or enzymatic (made with ingredients such as pineapple, papaya, yogurt, or ginger), or have a neutral pH. In addition to these ingredients, a marinade often contains oils, herbs, and spices to further flavor the food item. I have a secret receipe!

Breakfast anyone?

The fragrance wafted through the house and our trusty sidekick, Scout, went wild. The sweet potato had previously been frozen making it a delicious side dish.

Overall, sweet potatoes are often considered healthier than regular potatoes due to their higher vitamin A content, lower glycemic index, and greater antioxidant properties.

Right off the griddle.

Who doesn’t love a fresh salad straight from the garden? There’s something so satisfying about using ingredients you’ve picked yourself—crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, mild red peppers, and maybe even some herbs for added flavor. It brings a whole new level of freshness and taste that you just can’t get from store-bought produce. Plus, it’s a fun way to enjoy the outdoors and get a little exercise in while you’re at it!

We needed a breakfast salad!

After saying Grace, we dug into those steaks with a fervor not seen in years. It sounded like the sound track from a TV movie where the lion catches his prey!

Our lovely daughter joined us!

After Colleen left to visit her mother and catch the nephews’ soccer games, we turned the house into our own little retreat! We tackled the ongoing battle against dust bunnies, and when we ran out of steam, we indulged in glorious naps that rivaled the Sleeping Beauty! Who knew that a quiet house could feel so luxurious? It was like a mini-vacation—complete with lounge wear and zero responsibilities. I think we might just start a new trend: “Home Alone and Loving It!”

There are still good people in this country!

Colleen got a call from some folks in Long Beach, they had found the contents of her purse. Obviously the money was gone but the other essentials were still there. The folks are going to drop it off at the Lakewood Police Station and we will get it tonight or tomorrow. It is so nice to know there are still some good honest people around. God Bless Them!!

Colleen was visiting her nephews who are soccer stars.

Our Star!!

Mary and I went to the Packards International Shop Party with Dianne and “Fast Edddie”. Robert Escalante runs the restoration shop and he had many cars in various stages of repair; some ready to go and some jusy hulks of “what will be”.

The cars were ready to go!

“Fast Eddie” is a funny guy and is claim to fame is restoring motorcycles, mostly the engines of vintage machines. After dinner, we raided the dessert counter and gave us his opinions on the various selections. A true dessert taster!

Fast Eddie found the donuts!

The shop was crowded with people. We almost met the Santa Ana Mayor and the Santa Ana Chief Of Police who attended the event. They mingled around in the crowd. There were also some state assemblymen in the local districts sprinkled in for good measure.

The party was full of action.

Dr. Mary went into action when her tookie came back with a broken leg. I thought surely she would perform leg surgery on it by adding some needed frosting but instead, SHE ATE IT!

Dr. Mary fixed his leg, chomp, and we had a quick amputation

The party was in a car shop, so we knew from previous years it would be cold; we dressed accordingly. As we arrived, the familiar scent of motor oil mingled with the festive aroma of holiday treats.

The atmosphere was lively, filled with laughter and the sound of tools clinking as friends caught up and reminisced about past gatherings. We made our way to the snack table, grabbing chardonnay topped with marshmallows while our favorite holiday tunes played in the background.

It was a great reminder that even in the unlikeliest of places, the spirit of the season could shine through.

Just us!

Until I found out the cost, I was ready to buy the red roadster as it is a wonderful color. These beauties are getting ready to be picked up by their owners.

Love the restorations.

Dianne and “Fast” Eddie having a great time. We laughed and giggled all night long.

Dianne and “Fast” Eddie

I caught a quick glimpse of Old Saint Nick over the the corner of the shop working on his sleigh.

Posted in Cooking, Family, Holidays | Comments Off

Is This The Twelfth Day OF Christmas???

Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2024 by Paul

I was up at 6:00 am and ran into Colleen making a quick departure. She was going to Los Alamitos Joint Forces Base to get a new military ID (their office opens at 5:00 am).

As she left, I remembered that my birthday was approaching! I’ve been on this planet for eighty years and do not feel a day older than 90!

Today is Thursday, and that means “Girls’ Night Out.” Colleen, Mary, and I jumped in The Silver Fox at 11:30 am and headed for the Elks. We had a wonderful lunch and even got a picture of our illustrious group.

Just the happy group!

After lunch, we went to Roger’s Gardens, only nine minutes away. We also stopped to visit the Elks lobby Christmas tree.

But first, we stopped at the tree, threw in a penny, and made a wish!

Off to Roger’s, we flew in the newly fallen snow!

We walked around for 45 minutes and bought some candles and a patriotic ornament. Everything was decorated to the hilt!

I thought I heard them singing!

After coming home, we watched three Christmas movies and had turkey soup. We crashed at 10:15 p.m. It was a good day! Tonight, we’ll embark on an epic journey… to bed! We meticulously organized our blanket fort and strategized snack placement. Who needs sleep when you have dreams of pizza?

Posted in Elks, Family, Holidays | Comments Off

It’s The Middle Of The Week And We Are Already Tired!

Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 by Paul

I asked Mary about Christmas and got his answer!

We were up early, but the cold bug must have bitten us, as we were both under the weather! Therefore, we canceled our trip to the gym. We sat and talked to Colleen for quite a while, and Mary went back to bed, and I caught up on bills and other paperwork!

We are still ready for the season!

We got smart, and Mary began taking her cold pills yesterday. I took a preemptive strike on my bronchitis by requiring some antibiotics early. We called my pulmonologist on his cell phone and he called in a prescription! He did that because he knows that my bride is also [=an MD and knows what I need. The cold bug is like that annoying friend who shows up uninvited and won’t leave—especially when it starts throwing tissues at your nose like confetti!

Nasty little bugger he is!!

We just took it easy all day, popping pills and, doing various voodoo dances and repeating African Witch Doctor incantations hoping for the best!

We took a stroll through the garden to check on our peas, and let me tell you, they’re living their best life! They’re so magnificent that I half expect them to start a reality show called “Keeping Up with the Peas!” I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re throwing a party for all the veggie neighbors—carrots and radishes are already looking a bit jealous! ??

Another month, and we will be up to our keesters with fresh peas!

While outside, I got a bag full of oranges from our neighbors trees. They are hardly ever home and invited us to pick all we want anytime we want. The oranges will last the next few days and provide a shot of fresh vitamin “C” into our diet. which was delightful. !

I can see fresh squeezed OJ for tomorrow’s breakfast!

We dilly-dallied around the house all afternoon, awaiting the arrival of the cleaning crew and Colleen!

We cleaned up at 2:00 p.m., and our housekeepers came in around 4:30 p.m. We were getting ready to depart.

Colleen showed up with an unhappy look on her face. She had been robbed! While out of the car for a few minutes, her purse was stolen from the van’s front seat! She was pretty unhappy, so we decided to go to Aces and have a drink! Mary did the steak salad, Colleen did the fajitas, and I did two hard-shelled tacos.

Arriving back home at 7:30 pm, it was LIGHT OUT within seconds!

While falling asleep I thought seriously about Christmas and the New Years. While I always try to do these things, I plan to try even harder next year!

- - Cherish every moment.
  - Focus on what truly matters.
  - Make time for what’s important.
  - Share your talents and strengths.
  - Make others feel valued.
  - Speak your truth.
  - Appreciate the little things.
  - Bring joy to someone’s life.
  - Be the change you wish to see.
  - Spread love and kindness.
  - Mend broken relationships.
  - Foster peace.
  - Tell those close to you how much you care.
  - Live with intention, leaving no room for regret.
  - Prepare your heart and soul for what lies ahead.
  - Each moment is a gift—live it fully.

Night night you all; tomorrow is a new day!

Posted in Family, Holidays | Comments Off

We Made It Through The Night With Power!!

Posted on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 by Paul

It took a lot of work, but I got our transportation going!

We woke up this morning, and while it was still “breezy” (or, as I like to call it, Nature’s way of giving us a free ice bath), the power was on, and the house was warm. I half-expected a polar bear to waltz in and ask for a cup of cocoa! Who knew my biggest challenge would be negotiating the dance moves with Scout, who clearly thought it was time for his morning yoga session right in the middle of my transportation hustle?

I got the trusty van ready by turning on the heat and bringing it to the street against the curb so that Scout could get in quickly. We exited Casa Valencia with a vroooom and headed to Scout’s beauty parlor.

After dropping him beauty parlor, we went to the Original Pancake House on Chapman and shared one of their vegetarian omelets! 2,000 calories of the delightful breakfast (divided by two as we share)

We attacked the omelet with a vengeance!

Did You Know? The origins of the omelet are disputed, with some believing the Romans created it first and others thinking the French did so. The word “omelet” comes from the French word “omelet,” which means “blade.” The shape of the omelet is thought to have inspired the word. The word “omelet” was first used in the late 17th century in the French cooking publication Cuisine Bourgeoisie.

Oh My! 1400 calories of goodness!

It was time to fly VFR to the OC Airport, pick up Colleen, who was joining us for a week, and celebrate my 80th birthday! She arrived safe and sound at 11:00 am! It was terrific to see her here, as the last time was in the Caribbean in August.

We love to see the statue of the great John Wayne, especially when the pigeons decide to hold a “poop convention” on his head. It’s like they’re trying to give him a fancy new hat! Who knew public art came with its own feathered friends?

John made sure Colleen arrived safely!

Santa’s elf is now in the house and we will press her into duty!!

We took her home via Dunkin’ Donuts and Ralph’s Market just in time to turn around and take Mary to her art class at 1:30 pm.

Colleen and I picked Mary up at 3:00 p.m. and headed home to await Robin’s arrival. We could hardly wait to see what she painted today.

Another masterpiece!!

Perhaps a frame is needed? Not too bad after only six lessons!

The three little elves!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

We then went to dinner at Renada’s near the traffic circle in Orange. On a cold winter night there is nothing like a hot Italian dinner!

Time to laugh and giggle.

We had a super meal and then went home via CVS for a med-pickup!

I have the Sinatra special!

I took a short nap, and the ladies worked on the surprise birthday party!

Mary and I watched two movies about WWII and people saving the Jewish people who were the target of the Nazis.

Posted in Dining Out, Family, Holidays | Comments Off

Another Windy Day???

Posted on Monday, December 9, 2024 by Paul

Back to everyday life, we were off to the gym at 8:15 am. We went through standard exercises and passed with flying colors.

Then we got the news: We will likely shut off your power in the next 4 hours due to wind-driven fire conditions. Conditions could last through Tuesday evening. We are working to reduce the number of customers affected. Weather could also affect shutoff timing, and wind-related outages may occur. We will notify you again if we shut off your power.

That’s just what we need with Colleen coming in tomorrow morning! I will power up the generator. I have decided to charge the power company for the cost of gasoline on the days they shut off the power! The 10KW generator uses about 0.5 gallons an hour under 70% load, so I plan to deduct that from my bill!

I did some research and I can put in a 24 KW generator for about $8k and one more power outage I will do just that!!

At noon, we went to Mary’s doctor, and after that, we came home via Trader Joe’s, where we restocked our wine and got two bags of other necessities.

Mary fixed an outstanding small dinner…stuffed peppers and a fresh salad from the garden!

I heard some noise in the kitchen and went to investigate. Turns out Santa has been at it again! I found him trying to make cookies but mistook the flour for snow and ended up building a mini winter wonderland! I think it’s the first time I’ve seen a reindeer in a snowball fight with the cookie dough! There was Santa watching over all the activity sipping my Gin!

He got into my Gin!!

We crashed around 10:30 pm, literally and figuratively leaving us in the dark! It’s like our power decided to play hide and seek, and I still need to get the memo on the rules. Who knew that losing power would turn us into amateur candle makers? At this rate, if we don’t get the lights back, we might start a new cozy little candlelit book club… or an underground rave with all the glowsticks we can find!

Posted in Doctor, Gym, Just Us, Working Around House | Comments Off

It Begins! My Oh My!

Posted on Sunday, December 8, 2024 by Paul

Destination #1 is Gulliver’s at the OC Airport for a festive visit with the Packard International Car Club members, Dianne, and the gang! The parking lot was filled with old Packards, looking like a retirement home for classic cars. I half expected to see them gossiping about their glory days and arguing over who had the best tailfins. One played bingo with a few rusted-out Chevys while a lonely Volkswagen Bug looked on, wishing it could join in!

We saw him last night at the Elks!!

We had a wonderful time visiting with new and old friends! We laughed and giggled for a few hours and enjoyed some great prime rib and Christmas cheer!

Dianne is in rare form!!

At 1:30, we jumped in Precious and zoomed to La Mirada to join the kids at the La Mirada Civic Performing Arts Theater to see Elvis in action. Robin and Bob got the tickets for us, and we were pleased to join them in a rousing two hours of “bring on the house” good ol’ rock and roll!

When he sang “Dixie,” I was brought to tears!

After the show we went to Panda Inn and had a super Chinese dinner! I think we were over stimulated!! We headed home and crashed!

Posted in Family, Friends, Holidays, Theater | Comments Off

A Busy Day Indeed!

Posted on Saturday, December 7, 2024 by Paul

Today is busy with a capital “B.” We rose late today and diddled around the house before preparing for the annual Christmas Carol Play at the South Coast Repertory Theater. This was my 37th year of seeing the play. At this point, I’m pretty sure I could audition for a role—maybe the part of “Person in the Audience Who Can’t Stop Laughing.” The actors probably know my laugh better than their lines! If I see one more dramatic pause, I might start shouting the next line from my seat. At this rate, I’ll need a loyalty card for all the popcorn I’ve consumed—10 shows, get the 11th free!

Just us! Like a two-person band playing with a kazoo and a triangle—I mean, who needs a whole orchestra when you’ve got this crazy duo?

Let the show begin!

We had a glass of wine at the hotel adjacent to the theater.

We departed the theater after a glass of wine at the Westin and headed to the Elks Lodge for the annual Christmas Gala.

Dinner and dancing with friends!

The gang is here tonight; we are just missing Dianne!

Iris (98 years young) comes to visit!!

What a day! We rolled out of the Elks like we’d just run a marathon, only to collapse at home like a pair of exhausted heroes in a bad action movie. Tomorrow, we do it all over again—because who needs sleep when you have questionable decisions and potential regrets to look forward to?

Posted in Holidays | Comments Off

Talk About A Full Day!!

Posted on Friday, December 6, 2024 by Paul

We knew we were going too fast!!

We were blessed because the power returned at 6:30 am after I determined I would have to start the generator. I tippy-toed out of bed and turned on the heat, racing back under the covers like a scalded hound! It was nearly 50 degrees inside, but thanks to our robust heater, we soon got it to a comfortable 52 (oops, I mean 72).

The day begins on a sad note with us going to the funeral of a dear friend, Mary Capps! We joined many of her friends and family at the funeral held at the Tustin Presbyterian Church at 11:30 am. We went to the Santa Ana Elks Lodge at 1:00 pm for a reception. She was a beautiful lady full of life and fought until the end. RIP, dear Mary!