Waking up was a shock; we drank too much last night! It was a rough cruise!
On the bright side, she did not need to borrow my toothbrush!
Oh my, I looked in the mirror, and it scared me!
I would have won first prize in the ugly contest!
We waited until nearly 9:30 a.m. to disembark, as we dislike waiting in lines. This gave us ample time to return to our normal condition.
Much better!
The ship looked stunning in the sunlight!
Bye-bye, old friend… See you again soon!
We were off the ship in a flash! With Bob’s assistance, we were loaded up and on our way to their house before going home.
We await the chauffeur to arrive.
With the help of a bottle of Vasoline and a hydraulic jack, we got everything inside.
Just one more!
We stopped at Robin’s house briefly before heading home via Del Taco. Auntie Irene left, much to Scout’s dismay.
We unpacked, started washing, freshened up, and popped in the car on the way to Campys Jax at the OC airport. Tonight, we had a Michael Bublé tribute band. You can’t keep us down!
Friends from Starlighters joined us.
Brenda and Irene were also there!
Brenda is on her phone researching something about the band.
We were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and we danced several times; I danced with three other ladies this evening.
Little devil I am!
Our hostess was none other than Vicky! She and Jim had a great time.
It was a toe-tapping event.
When we got home, we went straight to bed and slept until morning.
We had a sound sleep without waking up all night long. We kept the veranda door open to listen to the sound of the ocean waves, which added to our comfort. I woke up at 5:00 am, and we prepared ourselves to visit Ensenada Harbor, Mexico.
We got into port around 7:00 am, and by 8:30 am, we were on our way to taste wine.
The harbor was silent except for the chirping of birds and the barking of seals.
Every time we visit, the water appears crystal clear, and the city seems to have improved.
Mary attempted to communicate with the seals, but they didn’t respond. We need a guide on how to speak the Seal language. I tried, and two passengers threw me a fish!
“fut bat gom to bookie by diddle do” – It did not work!
The Carnival ship arrived after us and departed before us in the afternoon. Is there a message here?
We don’t even want to think about what happened there this morning.
Before heading downstairs, I stopped by the private Neptune Lounge to get the boss her morning latte and a sweet roll. I also grabbed some orange juice and a bit of salmon for myself. This was a quiet getaway from the hustle and bustle of normal shipboard activities.
The private areas are nice!
We met in the lounge and then headed out to the buses in the rain. There was a light mist, which everyone said was desperately needed. I am happy to report no one melted.
The buses were modern and clean!
The first winery was about a 20-minute drive up the coast on Hwy #1. It was spacious and served regular food like a restaurant, but unfortunately, the kitchen was not yet open when I visited, and I could not get a taco.
Let’s eat!
Many of the offerings at the winery included hot peppers, which we found interesting as we walked around and looked at everything.
Hot Stuff!!
The image captures why we want to cruise with our children and grandchildren!
We left the first winery and drove three miles to the second, which was more modern and had interesting displays. If we had space, we would have bought the wine bottle Christmas tree, empty of course.
Bring us wine, Santa!
No, wait! Maybe bring us this bottle of wine instead!
That is a bottle of wine!
We continue to taste, and Nick blends in well with the crowd. He’s quite a young man, and after taking a vote, we’ve decided to keep him!
Pour more!
We returned to the ship around noon, and it was misting again. We stopped for a picture. Bob set up his camera to get all five of us.
We were ready for a hot tub and hamburger session!
Mary decided not to get wet! Her trash bag became her best friend.
Setting a new trend.
We went to the hot tub in the adults-only spa area.
Always hand in hand.
We had a small pizza at the pool bar. I had a “Pain Killer,” Mary went for the Bloody Mary. We sat there and jabbered for a good hour before going to our rooms to get ready for dinner.
On our last night of the cruise, we enjoyed a delicious meal in the main dining room at 6:00 pm.
Mary wore green so she could wear her new jewelry.
Mary’s favorite color is emerald green.
I finally had my sushi! It was excellent.
What type of sushi does a soldier like? A combat roll.
It tasted as good as it looked.
We enjoyed dinner with the Dudas and discussed our wonderful vacation!
Bob took the pictures for us; he is an excellent photographer.
Look out, the steaks have arrived.
Dinner with my bestest friend.
Mental note: Hide the bathroom scales for a few weeks.
If Amazon sold meat, it would be Prime rib.
Mary asked me, “Do you know what all prime rib really is?” I replied, “A rib divisible only by itself and one?” The eye roll was audible.
My prime rib was outstanding.
We went to a magic show, and I even stayed awake.
The theater was packed.
On our way to the suite, we stopped and retrieved some photos of us. These are three out of about twenty we found.
We will return to the USA tomorrow and be home by 2:00 pm. Good night!
Our day started on a high note as we set sail towards Ensenada, Mexico. After refreshing coffee, we enjoyed a relaxing soak in the hot tub.
The elevators had rugs with the day’s name, which is very much appreciated after several days at sea.
Don’t pull the rug out from under us!
Mary brought our stuffed Thanksgiving animals with her, and they accompanied us throughout the day.
Breakfast with the bears!
The morning began with a delicious breakfast, followed by a relaxing soak in the hot tub. To enhance the experience, we sipped on mimosas, which have become a regular morning routine.
Champagne flowed!
Aw! It’s so exciting! We brought ourselves some adorable stuffies! We had lunch at the grill and headed to our afternoon entertainment events.
Buleah and Buster had a wonderful time.
Someone had dessert for brunch!
Wild berry dessert!
After the hot tub, Mary, Nick, and Robin went to art class, where they did watercolors. I stayed in the room working on the daily diary. When I wandered to the art room, paint flew in every direction. Brushes struck the paper at odd angles, and the teacher ran for her life.
It was a repeat of Mary’s best 3rd grade masterpiece.
Note to self: Do NOT hire these folks to paint your house, inside or outside!
We plan to hang these on the wall when we get home, the wall in the garage!
After a short rest, Mary and I went ballroom dancing at BB Kings on the second level. We had four dances, but the DJ did not know ballroom!
We did NOT have the traditional turkey for Thanksgiving; we opted for Italian, but we finished the meal with pumpkin pie courtesy of the manager.
She is deep in constipation, oops… contemplation!
Mary had a salad for dinner and felt full for the rest of the evening.
We were tired and went to our cabin to finish a movie called “A Walk In The Woods.”
On my way back, I ran into my buddy, C-3PO. We had a chat before I left in a vacuum.
The towels were hidden from me this evening; rumors about the towel storm last week had been circulating!
As we entered our room, we were welcomed by an elephant.
It was an albino elephant, very, very rare.
Mary fell asleep after only 5.67 seconds into the movie, snoring loudly and shaking the paintings on the walls due to her fatigue.
The sun was up, and so were we. The sunrise was magnificent, as seen from across the bay!
We were up with the sun!
We got quite a show when the Pelican Air Force flew by in formation.
The Pelicans provided quite a show.
We got on the bus and began our journey to Sonoma and wine country. Sonoma County wine is wine made in Sonoma County, California, in the United States.
County names in the United States automatically qualify as legal appellations of origin for wine produced from grapes grown in that county and do not require registration with the United States Department of the Treasury, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. We had front-row seats, which was perfect. Robin met a new friend, Mary, three rows behind us.
On the bus, Sonoma, here we come.
We toured old San Francisco along the Embarcadero before crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and heading to Sonoma through Marin County.
Sneaking upon the bridge.
The building of this bridge was impressive, considering it was almost one hundred years ago! The Golden Gate Bridge opened to the public in 1937 and quickly established itself as one of the most recognizable bridges in the world.
Almost done in 1936.
On the bridge, we bopped right along.
There was a scenic viewpoint at which we stopped. The bridge is always being worked on, as you can see from the scaffolding.
Always under maintenance.
We got some excellent photos of the bridge and the SF skyline.
A fantastic view of San Francisco.
We went by Sausalito and the boathouse community. Our tour guide lives on one of these babies. The pontoons are concrete and rise and fall six feet daily. There are approximately 425 floating homes in Marin County, the overwhelming majority in Sausalito. These floating homes can be found across several different marinas, each with its distinct style and personality.
I love those houseboats.
The Doobie Brothers manager owns the first winery and was quite impressive. An under-the-surface aquifer waters the grapes, and they seldom have to apply water.
Bruce Cohn, former manager of the California rock band The Doobie Brothers, purchased the original area in 1974. He named the property the Olive Hill Estate Vineyards after the grove of 145-year-old olive Picholine Olive trees, from which he continues to make ultra-premium olive oil.
After selling grapes to other wineries for several years, Cohn founded his winery, B.R. Cohn, in 1984. His first winemaker was the now-famous Helen Turley. Like other wineries, it maintains a wine club and public tasting room and hosts weddings and other events.
Winery #1
The leaves were turning and dropping off; the grapes had just been harvested a month ago.
The grapes were terrific.
The wine-tasting expert took her spot and pronounced the flavors she tasted: old tires, used socks, belt leather, and bird droppings.
Chief Wine Taster.
We tasted pretty good!
The olive trees are ready to be picked! Here is how you do it at home:
Place your picked olives in a food-grade container.
Pour your brine over the olives to cover. …
Loosely seal a lid over the container and place it in your pantry.
Leave the olives to ferment for three weeks, then tighten the lid. …
After 2-3 months, your olives will be ready to eat.
They had 500 olive trees.
Back on the bus, I could NOT resist this photo-op!
Really??
We had lunch in Sonoma adjacent to the City Hall. The Sonoma Cheese Factory has been a purveyor of award-winning cheeses in the Sonoma Valley for 90 years.
The Sonoma City Hall is located next to the city park, making it an excellent spot for a picnic.
Sonoma City Hall
Lunch was delicious. We quickly finished it before heading to our second wine tasting. Back on the bus for more wine!
Robin and Mary2
We got a picture of all the Marys! I see four of them!
Mary and Mary
We had more wine at Roche; we were almost snockered before we got there. Located just south of the town of Sonoma, the Roche family’s new winery sits on the valley floor within their “Tipperary Vineyard,” located on their estate in the Carneros AVA. This new 17,000-square-foot winery is built for the future of Roche Winery. With a capacity to produce up to 50,000 cases annually, this modern, state-of-the-art winemaking facility was also planned to provide a visitor experience showcasing our well-known Irish hospitality.
We finished a lot of wine at Winery #2
Back to the ship, we arrive just in time for dinner!
Hurry, or you might miss a meal!
We met in our suite and went to dinner!
We dined in the Rudi’s Sel De Mar! Since it launched on Koningsdam as a stand-alone venue, Sel de Mer has garnered guest and industry acclaim. Rudi’s Sel de Mer will build on this success with a version of the menu of classic French dishes, including locally sourced seafood served in a setting that will transform the Pinnacle Grill alternative dining venue into an intimate brasserie with custom décor, plates, menus, and uniforms reflecting the ambiance of the original Koningsdam restaurant.
We started with a mountain of fishies!
Piled as high as an elephants eye!
Almost too pretty to eat!
Of course we had wine with dinner.
We crashed soon after dinner; wine takes a lot out of you!
Crashing early means getting up at 1:00 a.m. and watching the ocean pass by!
Someone was pounding on the door at 7:00 a.m., so I opened it, and Mary had ordered breakfast for the next three days! Platter, plates, dishes, oh my! We enlisted the armchairs to hold everything that we were not working on immediately.
Breakfast is served
She ordered steak and eggs, but they brought an 18 oz breakfast steak. The steak was cooked perfectly, but the eggs were staring at her.
Hello there!
It got official when Mary put on her cap!
The Capt
During the morning, Mary attended a calligraphy class with Robin while Bob and I learned about Marconi and the magic of airwaves. The presentation was exceptionally well done and very dramatic.
I learned more about Marconi.
We all gathered at the outdoor bar beside the main dining hall and enjoyed drinks while waiting for noon.
Pre-lunch drinkie-poo!
We laughed and giggled and then headed to the main dining room.
We are getting our appetites ready!
We verified our location and realized we were gradually approaching the Bay Area.
Hang on; we will see you in a few minutes!
A text from Becca arrived with their family photo, celebrating eight years of marriage. They look great for an old married couple.
Zack and Becca sent their 8th Anniversary picture.
Our experience in the dining room was quite unpleasant. We waited for an hour, but nobody came to ask if we wanted anything to drink. Only one order was served, and even that was incomplete. We received only half of three of the orders. We were frustrated and disappointed with the service, so we got up and left.
Lunch was finally served.
We went upstairs to the grille and had a delicious pastrami sandwich. The guys were working hard!!
These guys work hard
We returned to the cabin, where Mary continued reading.
We had a leisurely afternoon.
We went shopping, and Mary found some emeralds.
Did You Know? Emeralds get their green color from trace amounts of chromium and vanadium. Unlike the other precious stones, which can be found in various colors, emeralds are only evergreen, though their hues range from yellow-green to deep jade. The palest stones are not emeralds but rather known as green beryl.
A shopping we will go!
The port pilot joined us for the last few miles and took us into Pier 27, the new passenger liner dock.
Did You Know?
A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, port pilot, ship pilot, or simply pilot is a mariner with specific knowledge of an often dangerous or congested waterway, such as harbors or river mouths. Maritime pilots know local details such as depth, currents, and hazards. They board and temporarily join the crew to guide the ship’s passage safely, so they must also have expertise in handling ships of all types and sizes. Obtaining the “maritime pilot” title requires being licensed or authorized by a recognized pilotage authority.
The harbor pilot was right on time.
Everyone visited our cabin to watch us pass under the Golden Gate Bridge.
We partied while going under the bridge!
We ordered cheese plates and champagne to celebrate! Our veranda was the perfect spot, protected from the wind and relatively warm.
Celebration time!
If we got cold, we could watch everything from the big screen TV in our suite.
The TV showed us everything.
It’s almost 100 years old and still going strong.
Hello Golden Gate!
Our dock was adjacent to downtown and the Embarcadaro, so there were plenty of things to do!
We awoke to the sounds of the sea with water splashing all around us; we forgot to turn off the shower last night! The sun was bright and came right in the window saying “Get up sleepy head!”
Sunrise, and we were up and moving.
We wandered around the ship for a while and then heeded the call for exercise. We surveyed the decks from above before going walking. Deck #3 was the obvious choice, as we could walk around the entire ship without going inside!
Traditionally, a promenade deck on a cruise ship is an outdoor walkway that circles the ship, usually on a center deck. It serves as the lifeboat boarding area in an emergency.
Why can athletes lift more than prisoners? Because the pros outweigh the cons.
The sea was calm!
Maggie, Mary, Robin, and I walked around deck #3 for one mile, three laps. Nick joined us for the last half-mile. The number of lines around the lifeboats was astounding.
We walked for a little over a mile.
After the walk, we went to the main restaurant at noon and had a two-hour lunch. We visited and told and retold stories for hours. The meal was terrific, and many lobsters died to make us happy.
“I’m watching you!”
Robin had the giggles!
Lunch is served.
We had great seats overlooking the ocean. A couple of freighters passed by as we were eating.
Stories from last night came out. I was told that on my way to the cabin last night, I was on my hands and knees and conversed with a vacuum cleaner who I apparently thought was “R2D2”. Oh dear!
We dined for 90 minutes!
I had two 7 oz lobsters, and they were cooked perfectly. I shared my potato with Dr. Mary.
I love that lobster.
Did You Know? Shells left over after lobster processing are usually tossed into landfills. So, to make them worth something and keep the money in the lobster industry, a University of Maine professor created golf balls with a core made out of lobster shells. They’re also biodegradable, designed for golfing on cruise ships or courses near oceans and lakes.
The problem is they only go about 70 percent of the distance from a regular golf ball so that you won’t see them at the U.S. Open anytime soon.
Mary did the salmon.
We relaxed and shared stories. Irna and Mary speak to each other in Spanish! Good practice for Mary.
Robin and Irma
OK, it’s time for the hot tub, so we went to our room to change.
“Come in and see me, big boy.”
I wanted to lay out by the pool, but the crew said, “NO WAY!!”
Maybe I should have worn by swimsuit?
OK, no pool for Paul. We went to the spa and spent an hour in the hot water. Mary, Robin, and I got our joints massaged with the high-pressure water. Now, we needed alcohol.
The sun was setting so everything had that late afternoon tinge!
They had wine, I had a banana-split milkshake.
Great fun!! Joined at the hip! All we needed was Colleen to complete this image!
Laughs and giggles.
Everyone else went to the pool area and saved us seats for the movie. Mary and I went dancing in the BBKing Lounge. The music was perfect. We waltzed, chacha’ed, two-stepped, and more.
We went dancing at the BB KinCenterer.
We had front-row seats to see that latest Harrison Ford movie. We used the table nearby to have pastrami sandwiches, which were perfectly done.
Movie time, we had pastrami sandwiches and popcorn.
After the movie, we went to the fourteenth floor and enjoyed a glass of wine before bed. It was difficult as the ship only has twelve floors.
To the Explorer Bar for a nightcap.
We jumped at the site of a wild animal awaiting us.
There was an animal in our bed, and it was not me!
Mary needed some help. I did not know she owned a burka!
Mary needed some assistance.
We crashed as tomorrow we will be up [ early for breakfast and then to the art class.
We sailed all night, slowly going to the Island of Catalina. We awoke early and watched an excellent movie called “DOG.”
We watched a movie about Dogs!
Get ready to laugh!
As soon as the movie ended, Catalina emerged from the sliding glass door of her stateroom. Within an hour, small boats would shuttle people to and from the island to our sailing vessel. We decided to skip the crowded transportation and remain on the ship.
Catalina off the port bow.
We went to the Neptune suite area, just two doors down, where we could enjoy our latte, coffee, and a variety of rolls, juices, and champagne. Think of the Neptune Lounge as a living room and an oasis of relaxation. A large-screen television, library, sofas and chairs, complimentary refreshments throughout the day, and Wi-Fi for a small charge are all available for your comfort and enjoyment. Continental breakfast and morning coffee or tea are served daily until 11 a.m., and cookies, sandwiches, and pastries are served from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
It was very quiet, an excellent place to hide!
After wandering around, we ultimately chose to have breakfast in the main dining room instead of the suite dining area, despite being closer.
Breakfast is served
Mary wanted my picture, so I did the “Robin pose.”
Mary said I was her “eye candy,” and then she mentioned it was sugar-free!
I ordered the lox and bagel selection, and this is the first time it came as a burger! It was delightful! Lox is a fillet of brined salmon, which may be smoked. Lox is frequently served on a bagel with cream cheese and often garnished with tomato, sliced onion, cucumbers, and capers.
While lox may be delicious, the term is quite confusing — what we now call lox, derived from the German word for salmon, lachs, is, in fact smoked salmon. Proper lox is brined in a salty solution, which cures the fish but leaves a strong, salty taste. Today, lox is cured with light salting and then cold-smoked, which provides the typical “Nova” or smoked salmon flavor.
This was indeed different.
Mary had her card, and it opened all sorts of doors.
This card does everything.
We went to the spa and got a better view of the Casino. The spa is on the 10th floor at the bow and provides a 270-degree view of the ocean.
The Casino appears, and we know where we are.
Maggie The Magnificent took us to the hot seat where the chairs fit your back and are warm, a good place to recoup after an hour in the hot tub. I was already drinking; I had ice water!
I did resent the couple that walked by me, pointed, and yelled, “Thar she blows!” Rude, very rude!
In the hot seat!
Do NOT say it… Do NOT even think it!
We are now headed to the hot tub, which is enormous! There were nine in the tub, and it could have easily fit another ten!
The water comes out quite forcefully, making the muscles relax.
Come on, girls, it’s time.
Ready for the large hot tub!
After an hour in the hot tub under the mighty waterfall, Mary still looked amazing, while I looked like a drowned rat.
After an hour in the hot water, she still looks fantastic.
Perhaps a little smooch under the water?
I was rinsing off.
We just had to wait until the clock struck noon before we could drink while sailing. (Who came up with that rule anyway?)
We were lounging around.
Get ready, get set, go!
Hello there!
Dang, I get to hang around a bevy of beauties today!
It is cooling down.
Now we are underway making the ship lighter by drinking the alcohol! If alcohol floats, we will be safe should the ship sink!
We all drank to the hot tub!
We just had Perrier water. Maybe we hid the booze!
Just one more!
Bob and Nick returned from the island. Bob showed us his new duds!
Bob provides a fashion show!
We went to our cabin and took a small nap before dinner. We went to the Tamarind for dinner. Asia’s exotic flavors are fresh and flavorful every night at Tamarind. You’ll have many options from dim sum to sushi and curry.
Dinner at the Chinese Fusion Restaurant.
We all had fun and laughed our way through dinner.
The gentlemen behaved, not so much Paul!
Maggie and Robin were enjoying their selections.
To a successful day!
We returned to our room and fell asleep after a delightful day. I was told that I was a bit tipsy at dinner and kept referring to the lobsters as sea cockroaches. I thought I was always well-behaved. When Mary starts talking to me again, I will ask her!
Tomorrow, we will be sailing up the coast toward San Francisco.
We woke up at 6:00 a.m.; by 8:00 a.m., we had loaded the van and were on our way to Corona to pick up Robin, Robin, and Nick for our trip to San Diego. The gas tank was full, and we were all set to go!
We arrived at Robin’s house 40 minutes later because I forgot my hearing aids and needed to stop at the bank.
Locked and loaded, we are off!
We left Robin’s place at 9:00 a.m. and arrived in San Diego 80 minutes later. We hit some traffic near the Star Of India, where the port is located.
Almost there!
We got stuck in a traffic jam caused by two ships arriving simultaneously. Fortunately, Bob managed to park the van while we queued up. Maggie and Magnificent came to our rescue and guided us through the lines straight to the cabin. In just twenty minutes, we were already in the bar, enjoying a drink!
Our ship has not sailed yet!
We saved seats at Ocean Bar for Duda’s, who arrived after we downed two glasses of chardonnay.
We needed a glass of wine!
We partied for an hour before heading to the pool area for burgers and ice cream.
We ALL needed a glass of wine!
Mary had the salad, but the old man ordered a jalapeno burger and a vanilla sundae. I, being good, refrained from having chocolate.
Lunch was perfect!
Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., we will be taking a shower together.
Guess where we are going?
We walked for a while, getting a tour of the ship. The Disney Magic was docked next to us.
The Disney Cruise ship was inport also.
We visited the spa and tried out their equipment. Robin picked her favorite.
Which one shall I use?
Poor Bob inserted a quarter and received 45 minutes of playtime. Here is Bob at the halfway mark.
Too pooped to pop; we had to pry him off.
We had a group grope on the poop deck courtesy of a lovely lady who knew her way around an iPhone.
The gaggle assembled on the poop deck!
My favorite subject!
On our way to dinner.
This is a model of our ship’s great-grandfather.
Our ship, in reality.
We got dressed for dinner.
Quick, freshen up.
We had dinner and watched to port move away from the ship, or was it the other way around?
Departing San Diego.
The Duda’s were sitting across from us.
The Duda’s
Just us, with Nick watching.
I feel like someone is watching us!
Robin ordered the Baked Alaska!
Baked Alaska for dessert.
The name “baked Alaska” was supposedly coined in 1876 at Delmonico’s, a restaurant in New York City, to honor the acquisition by the United States of Alaska from the Russian Empire in March 1867.
After dinner, Mary and I went to get our toes done!
We had our toes done at 8:20 p.m.
By 9:00 p.m., we were exhausted and retreated to our room. We opened the sliding glass door and listened to the calming sound of the ocean waves. We were barely moving.
I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and started getting ready to leave for my 8:00 a.m. appointment in Newport Beach. Even though I left my house at 6:30 a.m., I got stuck in a lot of traffic until I passed the 405 off-ramp. After that, it was smooth sailing.
Yep! In the fast lane, doing zero MPH!
The car arrived at the destination 45 minutes early; I followed by a few seconds. There was a Carl’s Junior nearby and a Jalapeno Hamburger along with a cup of coffee jumped onto my tray; great way to start my day.
I left with Mary and Scout snoring to Dixie’s tune; they make a great pair! Although Mary doesn’t snore, Scout’s nose rivals a rocket taking off!
While on my way, Mary called to confirm my well-being and gave me the address of the hearing aid company. I appreciate her always looking out for me.
I visited the hearing aid store and was in and out within 30 minutes. After that, I headed back home. Mary had already left for the gym by the time I got home, so I decided to join her. I met with the gym owner at 10:00 a.m. and decided to start going to the gym with Dr. Mary from December onwards.
We called Bob and sang him a song for his birthday! He is 58 today!
Paul and Bob four years ago!
I left the gym early and headed to the market to pick up some things for Mary before going back home. Mary arrived shortly after that. We went to Ace’s for lunch and shared a large salad and some stuffed jalapenos while enjoying a glass of wine.
Returning home via Albertsons Market, we stopped for a short visit with our shut-in, Jan.
On the way home, we received a video from Mary’s daughter who recently started playing the piano again after taking a break for several years. She sounded amazing, and Mary is extremely proud of her!
I took in the groceries and got the van uncovered and ready for tomorrow’s journey. When I came into the house, Sleeping Beauty was resting.
Z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z
We made several phone/video calls and then crashed about 9:00 p.m.
We will meet Bob and Robin at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning on our way to San Diego!
While we’re away, our dear friend Irene will be staying with Scout. Our son and grandson will also be checking on them from time to time, and we’re fortunate to have wonderful neighbors who will be keeping an eye on the place. One of them is an Orange Police Officer, who will ensure that patrol vehicles make several passes by the house during our absence.
Scout was already awake and reading a book when we got up. When he saw us, he began reading aloud. We assumed he was reading about Thanksgiving.
Scout read aloud to us: Australian Shepherds, known as “Aussies,” don’t come from Australia — despite their misleading name. They were developed in the 19th century on American ranches to herd sheep and participate in dog sports and shows. These dogs are incredibly agile and have fast reflexes, making them very successful search and rescue dogs, guide dogs, disaster relief dogs, and more. They are a loyal and guarding breed and are inclined to bark at trespassers, although they rarely, if ever, engage aggressively.
These brilliant dogs love games and can quickly learn new tricks. They are independent and low maintenance, meaning they can do well on even 45 minutes of daily exercise. Aussies love people and love to hang out and play, especially in open places. They might not be a great fit for kids under eight, though, as their highly energetic and erratic behavior is prone to injuring kids below a specific size due to accidents such as accidental tackling. They are best suited for ranches and big, open houses and should not be raised in small, closed apartments.
Mary and I looked at each other and, after a short discussion, decided Scout must want a raise!
We left the house at 7:30 a.m. to take Mr. Scout to his doctor’s appointment. He was due for his shots. He thought we were going to the hairdresser and got all excited.
“I am on my way, Mom and Dad!”
Scout received his vaccinations and was met with adoration by everyone present. After visiting the vet, we headed to the hairdresser, where he eagerly awaited a grooming.
Upon entering the groomer’s office, they warmly welcomed the little devil and gave him a treat. Although I sat up, I didn’t get a great?
Next, we headed to the CPAP distributor to pick up replacement filters and hoses. It was down the 55 freeway and roughly five minutes from the Elks Lodge. We came out with a box full of goodies and some advice (which I will promptly ignore)
I prefer chardonnay anyway1
The CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine uses mild moisturized air pressure to keep breathing airways open while you sleep. It makes me sleep a lot better! Some people do not like them, but I adapted instantly and will take it on our vacation!
As we had some free time, we decided to visit Home Depot. We walked around the store but did not purchase anything. Since we still had time left, Mary suggested we see the nearby CVS to buy some things for our upcoming trip.
While on the road, we made reservations at Five Crowns on my birthday! I will miss my son, Mitch, as he always made the reservations for that day of the year and took the old man to dinner.
On our way to CVS, Mary checked out Facebook, and her post scared us until we figured it out: Colleen must be careful not to scare the old folks!
That was a close one!
“Wow, she’s always so thoughtful! Seeing pictures of our great grandbabies is always such a treat.”
After finishing our CVS shopping, we returned to the Lodge, where our usual table was ready. Unfortunately, Dr. Capps was absent today, but we enjoyed being accompanied by George, Bob, Iris, and Will. As time passed, Sydney and her father joined us, and we all had a great time together.
We were planning to call our friend Jan, but we knew that she would come up with an excuse not to join us. It’s frustrating, so we decided not to call her. Maybe someday, she will reach out to us and start living a more normal life, and we can go out on Thursdays together and go back to visit her during the week. We miss her.
Ready for our occupancy!
We did not have dinner last night and were starving, so we ordered ahead of everyone else. Mary did salmon and a small bowl of soup, and I did a chili size with a small salad. The food there is quite good. We stayed and visited with Sydney until almost 1:30 p.m.
Just us!
We departed for home and, on the way, got Scout from his hairdresser; he had to prance around the car twice, showing off his doo!
A goosed Moose!
We spent the evening packing for our trip! Mary filled her steamer trunks and is working on the three hangup bags. I splurged this trip and am taking a Ralph’s Market shopping bag.
The other steamer trunks are yellow, white, and orange!
By 6:30 p.m., we were tired of packing and watched a movie on TV for a while. Before going to bed, Scout made the rounds and had to get told how pretty he was! He and Mary talked to each other for several minutes; I do not know what they said, but they were both smiling.
They may be plotting to send me to the groomer next week!
After a quick video chat with Robin, Dianne, and Joe, we crashed for the night!
