Mary knows me pretty well!
We woke up early and prepared for my eye doctor’s appointment at 11:15 am. We arrived early, hoping to finish in time for “Girls’ Night Out” at the Elks, where we planned to bid farewell to everyone.
As it turned out, we got in and out in just under forty minutes. The result was excellent; my eyes are in great shape for an octogenarian!
BTW during the eye scan test this morning, the operator used tape to put a cover over one eye. When she removed it, I screamed out loud with a resounding “OUCH!!!” The poor lady almost lost it, but after I got on my knees and explained I was only teasing, she crawled back down off the wall. She asked Mary to ensure she came to the exam room with me next time. Mary told her, “You think that will stop him??’
Into Precious, we went, and four miles later, we arrived at the Elks, where we met with the hard-core gang all awaiting our arrival. We got a standing ovation!
Precious does not do rain!
Why did the candle get a round of applause? It was scent-sational. We tried to provide we were here by taking a selfie but my arms were not quite long enough.
My arms are too short to take a good selfie!
Some of the gang had already hit the trail. Bob Z is on our side of the table. They stayed until we gobbled down lunch and then we all departed for places iunknown.
Everybody had finished so we ordered a salad and some fish!
Thank you, Will, for taking a picture to ensure we were here!
They are matching uniforms for the trip!
We have so much fun together; it’s always a near riot wherever we go! Now Mary knows she must go into the exam room with me in the future, OUCH!!!
Fun!
We went home for two hours before returning to Los Alamitos/Seal Beach and having dinner with friends at Old Ranch Country Club. It was Hawaiian Night, and since we would be on our way tomorrow, we stopped to get acclimated. James joined us along with Robin, Vicky, and Jim!
Our propinquity to the Hawaiian food meant we could smell all the goodies even before we went up to make our selection from the buffet.
The food selection was very nice!
It was a race to the poi! Poi—a sticky, sour, purple-gray paste made from taro—has been a pivotal dish in Hawaiian cuisine for centuries.
The fried SPAM looked great and tasted pretty good, also!
The steak was seasoned well.
We had a wonderful time laughing and giggling for a couple of hours. Jim and James were both in construction, and they shared some stories.
It was good to see James, and he is doing well; he is a good friend.
We all had Hawaiian stories, laughing at those things that never happened.
We talked about Hawaii a lot. It seems we had all better go again!
Vicky told some stories that got the entire table in tears! If laughter is a good medicine, we will all be well!
Vicky explains that she was on her own in Hawaii for about a week when Jim fell ill!
We left for home and then spent the next two hours packing. I realized I could manage with just one bag, even if my clothes were wrinkled, instead of two bags. The airline was charging $150 for a third bag, even though we were traveling first-class. So, I decided it was better to wear some slightly wrinkled clothes than pay $150 for an extra bag.
“I want my Moosie!!”
Saturday morning, we made sure to pack up all of Christmas and get it ready for hibernation until next year. Mary was still feeling stiff from her desert ride, but she’s doing much better now.
I found a photo that brought back memories. Mom passed in 1990, and my memories are vivid; I expect her to walk in the door any time. It was a picture of our mother taken in the 1970s at my house in La Mirada.
