Day One/Saturday: We Are On Our Way!

Posted on Saturday, March 21, 2026 by Paul

We were up at 0’dark thirty, loading our suitcases into the car and the two trailers we needed because of Mary’s suitcases and travel trunks.  After loading up, we were off at 4:00 am and promptly were flummoxed by freeway closures.  Three GPSes are going, and finally made it on the 91 east!

It was about 40 minutes to the arrival, and we were going just fine.  We got to the American Airlines gates and went through without a problem, except for the mountain of baggage we had to check in.  Mary overachieved in the clothing department.  After many questions from security, wondering why so much baggage (they were sure we were smuggling drugs, transporting people, or some other illicit activity), we got to the waiting area.

With my bad back, I was going to try to walk it, but decided to take a wheelchair instead. Thank goodness, because LAX is now a full-contact obstacle course.  We had to take three different elevators to reach the boarding area—at that point, I wasn’t sure whether I was catching a flight or unlocking a secret level.

We strutted onto the plane like royalty with absolutely no issues—turns out, booking first class means you board before everyone else and get handed a drink so fast you barely have time to pretend you’re not used to this kind of luxury.

On takeoff, we hit a bump in the runway, and Mary panicked.

“Let me outta here!”

She settled down when I said drinks are on the way!

“You promised a drink!”

We began takeoff, and within 90 seconds, we were winging our way southwest to the Hawaiian Islands.

Using my amazing math skills and elite navigation instincts, I took one look at Catalina Island, snapped a picture, did some quick calculations on my phone, and confidently informed the flight attendant that the captain was right on course.  She actually told him.

Somewhere up front, a highly trained pilot got confirmation from seat 4A with a calculator app that the actions were approved.

We were headed in the correct direction.

A few minutes later, brunch arrived along with our drinks, and all was good!

The meal was pretty good.

The flight was uneventful, and we actually landed 45 minutes early thanks to my navigation skills and Mother Nature!

We waited for our limo, which pulled up right on time, complete with a driver who insisted on carrying our bags to the car.

He was not, however, prepared for the fact that Mary travels with 234 suitcases.  After one look at the mountain of luggage, he calmly called a friend who owns an 18-wheeler.

By the time we left, we had a limo for us and a semi-truck for Mary’s “essentials.”

Upon arrival at the hotel and after unpacking into our three rooms (we were in #1, and Mary’s baggage just fit into rooms #2 and #3), we headed to the MaiTai Bar.

The opening of The Royal Hawaiian on February 1, 1927, ushered in a new era of luxurious resort travel to Hawaii.

The resort was built for $4 million and completed in 18 months.  The six-story, 400-room structure was fashioned in a Spanish-Moorish style, popular during the period and influenced by screen star Rudolph Valentino.

The era of opulence came to an abrupt end on the morning of December 7, 1941, when Japanese planes flew alongside Waikiki Beach on their way to the US fleet berthed at Pearl Harbor. The Navy recreation and morale office leased The Royal Hawaiian, transforming the resort into a relaxation center for Navy personnel.  The resort was restored to its pre-war elegance in 1947.

In the 1950s, many new moderately priced hotels were built in the Waikiki area, including SurfRider and Princess Kaiulani, built by the Matson Company.  As larger and faster planes reduced the flying time from the mainland to Hawaii, fewer and fewer vacationers wanted to spend 4.5 days aboard a Matson ship each way.  Although more than half of all the tourists who came to Hawaii in 1955 stayed in one of Matson’s four hotels, only a fifth came by ship.

The cheese board was perfect!!

All of a sudden, we felt like we were being watched.

Get closer, and you WILL BE LUNCH!!

Megan met us at the MiTai Bar and had lunch with us.

After lunch, we went to the front desk area and made reservations for a Luau, a trip to Arizona, and several other activities.

Great plans are now set in concrete!

My back was staging a full-scale rebellion, so we stayed in the room.  I slept twelve hours straight—amazing what painkillers can do when they’re not busy making you think the bedside lamp is judging you.

At some point in the middle of the night, I apparently grabbed the camera and took a picture out our window.  We’re on the fourth floor, overlooking Waikiki with a perfect view of Diamond Head.

I have zero memory of this.

So now I own a blurry, slightly crooked, medically assisted “art shot” of one of Hawaii’s most famous views.

It was still in the mid-70s, and with the window open, we could hear the waves lapping at the beach!

See you tomorrow!

Posted in Family, Travel | Comments Off on Day One/Saturday: We Are On Our Way!

Packing Day!

Posted on Friday, March 20, 2026 by Paul

In retrospect, I should NOT have had Mary read the book three times!    I observed her packing activities and saw she thought packing for a week was easy: 3 swimsuits, 1 pair of flip-flops, and 47 “just in case” outfits for the hotel lobby you’ll never visit.

My packing strategy is quite simple:  Packing for a week in Hawaii is just deciding how many times I’m willing to re-wear the same pair of shorts and call it “vacation minimalism.”

We both packed workout clothes for Hawaii because we love telling ourselves lies in new locations.

Now all we have to do is fit it all into a Volkswagen bug!

We made it—another Spring!  Nature’s blooming, allergies are attacking, and somehow we’re still here to celebrate together.

Happy Spring, everyone!!

I heard Mary yelling and ran.  We had visitors, DUCKS decided to invade our pool, and we all know what ducks do in the pool.

I yelled so loud at them, they wet their feathers!

There were five of the little suckers enjoying a bath courtesy of Mary, Paul, and the pool man!

Off they flew, and I fear they were NOT happy!

Alas, we had one more funeral to attend—Papa Escolante passed at the ripe old age of 100 (clearly, he was on a long-term plan and actually stuck to it).  With Diane and the “Car Gang,” we went to Mass in Santa Ana and then on to Fairview Cemetery for the burial.  We skipped the group luncheon at the shop—after all that standing, I was getting so sore I was about to request my own folding chair and a priest.

I got to ride in the front seat of Tom’s 1942 Packard.

We went to Benjie’s and camped out at the bar, splitting a glass of wine and a vegetarian omelet.  Since we’re officially “regulars,” our order is basically on autopilot—the only decision left is whether the waiter should nod at us or start cooking the moment we walk in.

From Benjie’s, we went home.  Mary took a short nap, and I went into the backyard to verify that all the sprinkler/drip lines were working, since it will be hot while we are gone.  Robin and Joe will be watching over the place, with Robin staying several evenings.  We are lucky to have a policeman right across the street, and his Orange Sheriff friends often drive by to check on everything.

We also have our Multi-camera security system wired into the neighbor’s house so they can keep an eye on things along with us; you gotta love the Internet.

Robion brought dinner over around 5:00 pm, and we indulged in In-N-Out’s, plus we froze one which we will be taking to Hawaii with us for Mary’s brand daughter.

Before it got too dark, I changed the flag and the outside lighting (using my trusty iPhone and LED lighting system) to an Easter-based theme!

Looks pretty good!!

We watched a movie with Robin about time travel.  It was called “Just Visiting” and came out in 2001.  It was very funny.  The three of us got a real hoot!

As I lay down to go to sleep, I thought to myself,   why is it that I never made “Who’s Who,” but I’m featured in “What’s That?”

By 10:30 pm, we were ready for a quick show and then for about 4 hours of sleep, since we needed to go to LAX for an 8:00 am departure.  By noon Hawaiian time, we will be sitting on the veranda, watching the rain pour down.  The current report says, “Oahu remains under flash flood warning as threat of heavy rain persists.”

Posted in Dining Out, Friends, Just Us, Travel, Working Around House | Comments Off on Packing Day!

It Was A Sad But Beautiful Day!

Posted on Thursday, March 19, 2026 by Paul

Mary is my favorite subject!

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

I woke up SORE with my lower back screaming in agony.  We had to get up early because we were going to Jeff’s “funeral” at the cemetery just three miles down the road.   It was a small group, perhaps 12-14 of his dear friends.  The ceremony was small but nicely done.  Pam read a poem she wrote called “Daddy’s Little Girl,” which made several dry eyes start to rain.

Goodbye, my friend.  I’m grateful for every laugh, every talk, every moment.  Rest in peace.

We did not go to lunch with everybody as we had planned.  My back would NOT want to sit for 90 minutes on the patio at Rockwell’s.  When we returned, we (read MARY) began packing for Saturday’s trip.  I was going to practice for WGND, but that would require me to be upright in the heat!

Honolulu here we come!

We spent the entire afternoon selecting clothes, and Mary ironed 10 shirts/blouses for the trip.  We did see a lot of TV.

With Mary’s assistance, we put together the roll-around clothes rack, which makes it easy to see what we have selected before we begin folding everything.

The portable rack makes packing a lot easier!

We did NOT take many pictures (zero, to be exact).  We crashed early, around 9:00 pm.

Posted in Friends, Working Around House | Comments Off on It Was A Sad But Beautiful Day!

Hump Day Has Arrived! We Are Off And Running!

Posted on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 by Paul

Mary is a good egg!!

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

It is Wednesday, and I tried to hide under the sheets, so Mary would not drag me to the “fitness center”.  Fitness center,r my aching everything!  I was made into a pretzel, lifted weights heavier than Superman could manage, and I pulled two muscles just getting up from the mat after the floor “exercises”.

It was so embarrassing—this new client walked by, pointed at me, and asked her instructor, “Uh… what is that on the floor?” like I was a mysterious stain or something worse.

I reviewed my iPhone camera footage from last night’s soiree and found the video of Mary powering down after her tax adventures.  She was performing at the Tartan Room.

Before going outside into the inferno, we had a light lunch of delicious leftovers from Roberto’s.  I checked, and there was no margarita left over!

We had an appointment with Mary’s doctor, so naturally, I used that “short time” to finish the drip lines and pound in 8-foot-tall steel posts for Mary’s sweet peas—because nothing says quick break like casually installing garden infrastructure.

We ran across a picture of Mary in the 1970s doing some doctoring in Germany.  I used some AI to clean up the image.  Dang, she is still pretty!!!

Physician, heal thyself!!

I used some digital magic, and voila, the old picture is saved.

BTW, we do not need to move the drinking fountain inside; the bidet now works just fine!  Super Handyman to the rescue.  Mary has decided to keep me!  Yeah!!

The doctor’s office visit was traumatic…for me.

I heard blood?  curdling screaming, and genuinely thought someone was being murdered outside, so I called the police.  Minutes later, sirens were wailing, red lights were flashing, and a dozen gendarmes stormed into the office with guns drawn.

Turns out the “victim” was Mary… apparently, her acupuncture treatment was not going as planned.   I made a generous donation to the police officer’s benevolent fund and apologized profusely.

As we got into the car, it was 100 degrees, but due to the solar panels under which we parked, the car was relatively cool!  After arriving home, I watered our remaining potted plants before testing the drinking fountain.  I seldom exaggerate, everyone knows, so I videoed the new drinking fountain in action!

We are going to have a light dinner and a drink at the Tartan Room again, IF they will let Mary back in after yesterday’s unscheduled performance.

They did recant and allowed Mary to enter after she signed a legal document stating she would NOT DANCE.

Upon arriving back home, I attempted to get out of the car, and my shoe and the car had an “incident” which resulted in me going ass over tea kettle, landing on the grass and part of the driveway.  I barely made it into the house, even with the assistance of a neighbor who was out walking his dog.

My back was really hurting, so I lay down in bed immediately.  Good night, all!

Posted in Gym, Just Us, Vegetable Garden, Working Around House | Comments Off on Hump Day Has Arrived! We Are Off And Running!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 by Paul

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17, began as a Christian feast honoring St. Patrick, the 5th-century missionary credited with spreading Christianity in Ireland.  Over time, it grew into a lively celebration of Irish culture worldwide—full of parades, music, dancing, and a lot of green.

The shamrock became its signature symbol (legend says Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity), and modern traditions range from wearing green to dyeing rivers, blending history, faith, immigration stories, and party spirit into one Day.  We plan to do it all!

But hold on—your regularly scheduled chaos is being interrupted by an “ALERT” from our dear weatherman: apparently, the atmosphere has filed a formal complaint and is now choosing violence.

So, our plan is to a) have coffee, b) verify we have enough green food coloring to handle today’s meals, c) do a quick trip to Home Depot, and d) finish whatever outside work we need to get done by noon.  Then, and only then, will we venture into the house and begin our chores:

  • Setting up the portable clothes hangar
  • Begin packing for Hawaii
  • Fixing the bidets (Paul)
  • Washing/drying
  • Emptying a wine bottle

We took a quick walk in the backyard before the Home Depot adventures began!  We spotted our first rose of the season and it looked good enough to spread on toast!

The first rose of the season!

I had to make TWO trips to Home Depot because apparently my brain refuses to store information about our plumbing setup.

Not a total loss, though—I came back with more flowers on the second trip, because nothing says “mission accomplished” like accidental landscaping.

While Mary was getting ready for her painting class, I went full handyman and installed the fountain!

Only one tiny issue: when I turn it on, it launches a jet of water about forty feet over the garden and into the neighbor’s yard.  So now I’m headed back to Home Depot to get a flow reducer… unless I engineer one myself and officially turn this into a water feature/neighborhood irrigation system.

We call him “Old Faithful.”

I just returned from HD when Mary was pulling out to leave for her class.  She was still feeling stressed about the taxes, so an afternoon of watercoloring should help relieve it!

When she returned, I was head over heels, fixing/resetting the bidet, and I think I have it working.  If not, I will bring in the high-powered water faucet  (Old Faithful) instead!

The artists did well!

They looked so real, all I fed them twice!  They seemed to enjoy corned beef!

Mary was still in tax-panic even after the painting session, so I decided we ought to go out and celebrate (read: peel her off the ceiling)

The poor computer really took a beating!

I made the mistake of asking Mary to drive, thinking it might take some of the tax burden off her mind.  It may have, but I lost my mind in the process.  She hit the accelerator, and I yelled, “Approaching Warp 2”.

The speedometer needle fell off and flew out the window!

We landed safely at our new favorite hangout.  The Tartan Room, where I guzzled a glass of wine and allowed my fists to unfold to get blood to my knuckles.  That four-mile drive was like “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”.

I did not realize there were brown picket fences down Tustin Blvd, but then it dawned on me, I was seeing telephone poles.  Mary was approaching Mach One.

I regain my composure after seven glasses of wine!

After a glass of wine and sharing some appetizers, Mary got back to “normal” (whatever that is?).  We shared some slides, and I gave her the avocado from the shrimp-stuffed avocado.

“I’m OK now… no worries until next year!”

We met a nice couple who took our picture.  We are getting to know the regulars.

We had a great day!  We have a new water feature in the backyard; the bidet now works, but comes in second to the water faucet.  The taxes are complete, and we had our St. Patrick’s Day celebration!  (NO, I did not have seven drinks).

Posted in Just Us, Vegetable Garden, Working Around House | Comments Off on Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Tax/Doctor Day, Oh My!

Posted on Monday, March 16, 2026 by Paul

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

We were up and running early because we were heading in completely different directions.  Mary was off to see the tax accountant (because nothing says “fun morning” like paperwork and panic), and I was taking Bob Z. to the hospital for a minor medical procedure.

Sounds simple… except first we had to play driveway Tetris with the entire fleet, relocate the van to the neighbor’s house like we’re hiding evidence, and get Precious (Mary’s car) prepped to go out—because Precious doesn’t “leave,” Precious requires a full production with wardrobe, negotiations, and a security detail.  It’s very seldom that Mary and I are apart!

Hang on, it’s going to be a rough one!

We rolled into the hospital at 9:01 for a 9:20 appointment, and—brace yourselves—those miracle workers took Bob back right on time.  I know.  I didn’t think hospitals could do that either.

Unfortunately, the head transplant ran a little longer than expected.  Lots of paperwork, I assume.  Anyway, Bob finally comes out… and I’m sad to report the doctors did everything they could, but he still looks the same.  So either the procedure was a total failure, or they accidentally put the original head back on out of habit.

Bob still came out as ugly as when he went in, so the procedure did nothing!

They call this the wireless age, bah humbug!

We met the boss at home, and she was fuming over the tax issues.  We decided on a stiff drink and some spicy Mexican food.

I ordered the 46-ounce Grande Margarita optimized for St. Patrick’s Day!   Bob could not drink today because of the procedure, Mary could not drink enough because of taxes, and I drank anything that passed under my nose.

“Race you to the bottom!”

Bob did sip the drink as the straw passed by his lips!  We all heard the “slurp, gurgle, belch, slurp, asperate, ingurgitate” and other disgusting sounds as the liquid libation transferred up the dual straws.

The drink was big enough to take a swim!

I’ve been teaching my kids, grandkids, and now great-grandkids how to “bite the tortilla” for years—basically passing down a sacred family art form.

And today I finally got to introduce Mary and Bob to tortilla-based artwork… where the canvas is carbs, the brush is your teeth, and one wrong move turns your masterpiece into “oops, I ate the evidence.”

Having sharp teeth is an advantage!

One bitten into and displayed, one has a choice!  Eat it, wear it on your head, or as a mask!

Le Petite Chapeaux on display!

After lunch, we drove home, and Bob continued to his home in his truck.  Bob had fully recovered and was feeling quite good.  We were very happy to repay Bob for the help he gave me when I was laid up in the hospital for two weeks last September.

Mary spent some time online and on the phone getting additional tax information needed for our returns, a job she truly does NOT enjoy!  I headed to the backyard and, while practicing for May 2nd’s WGND, I pounded in the sweet pea stakes, planted and watered 18 lettuce and 6 Swiss chard plants.   Mary joined me after a while and planted her sweet pea flowers, a gardening tradition.

Mary loves these flowers, and for two months, she has been bringing flowers to everyone we visit!

Did you know there are flowering and edible sweet peas?

Sweet pea (the flower: Lathyrus odoratus)

  1. Not a pea you should eat: The common sweet pea is grown for fragrance and looks; its seeds/parts are toxic if eaten in quantity.
  2. Famous for scent: Many modern varieties were bred for bigger blooms, sometimes at the cost of fragrance—older lines can smell stronger.
  3. A climber: It uses tendrils to grab supports and can grow several feet tall.
  4. Cool-weather lover: It thrives in cool spring temperatures; heat shortens flowering.
  5. Name origin: “odoratus” literally means “fragrant.”

“Sweet pea” (the edible vegetable: sugar snap/snow peas)

  1. Snow peas: flat pods, eaten pod-and-all.
  2. Sugar snap peas: plump pods, sweet crunch, also eaten pod-and-all.
  3. Peas are legumes: They help enrich soil through nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Mary also did some last-minute planting in the front yard.  Tomorrow we will go to Home Depot for a few additional tall flowers, and I will get the pipes/fittings I need to install the drinking fountain!   Yes, we will have a drinking fountain in the garden for those hot summer days.

Since the plumbing comes from the house and it is all buried underground, the water will be cool!!

We worked until it got too hot, then went inside, made a few calls, and headed to the swim spa to relax our muscles.  The outside temperature was still in the 80s even at 8:00 pm.  We sat, talked, and just enjoyed life.  We went inside and changed into our jammies.  Mary watched a movie, and I set up the website to accept the images from our upcoming trip to Hawaii.

We crashed at 11:00 pm!

Posted in Doctor, Friends, Working Around House | Comments Off on Tax/Doctor Day, Oh My!

Time To Recover & Work In The Garden

Posted on Sunday, March 15, 2026 by Paul

Feel like you are being watched?

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Mary and I were up early in the kitchen playing Dishwasher Tetris after yesterday’s party—loading, unloading, and reloading like it was an Olympic event.

Huge thanks to Robin for her amazing help.  As the party was winding down, Robin basically ran the entire kitchen like a five-star restaurant: filling the dishwasher, putting away food, rinsing cookware, and calmly supervising the cleanup like a benevolent (but highly efficient) general.  At the same time, Bob put away the table and chairs and did the heavy lifting!

Robin and Bob are absolute gems, and we love them with all our hearts.

We love our kids!

After cleaning up the kitchen, we headed to the office to finish preparing for our appointment with the “tax man,” where we get to learn how much money the government gets to take from us to waste away on frivolous things like the bullet train, the house/feeding criminal aliens, and the list goes on!  Oh well, it’s still the best place on Earth to live!

Around noon, I wandered back out to the front yard to resume my very serious “flowering activities” (read: playing in the dirt like it’s my job).  At the same time, Mary stayed inside doing the washing and heroically wrestling her tax paperwork into submission—singlehandedly keeping both our wardrobe and our freedom intact.

After a bit, Mary came out in her gardening uniform and jumped right into planting efforts.  I was NOT allowed to come outside in MY gardening costume.

Caught working!!!

We had tools, bags of amendments, fertilizers, and gardening tools all over the place.  We planted, trimmed, and dug amendments and fertilizer into the ground as we worked from left to right.

We had a big mess on our hands.

Around 4:00 pm, it started to come together!  With the trash and tools removed and after a good raking job, it looked presentable.

After raking and picking up the tools and bags, it looked pretty good.

We checked out the lighting system, making sure we did not accidentally cut the power cord; all was well!

The light is used to shine on our holiday banners.

When I stood up, I felt the orange tree on the back of my head, and when I turned around, I saw the babies.  If all the blossoms hold, we will have a gaggle of oranges later on in the summer.

Oh my!  We have oranges!!

We went on a mission to add color to the garden, and I’m happy to report we understood the assignment.  That said, we’re still on the hunt for some snapdragons and other tall flowers for the back—because every garden needs a “supporting cast” with height.  And I’m planning to plant some snake plant (aka mother-in-law’s tongue) to add a little extra drama and attitude to the area.

Pretty in purple!

Our backs were filing formal complaints, so we went VFR straight to the swim spa—45 minutes of warm water and high-pressure jets negotiating peace with every sore muscle.  And of course, the weather was flawless… around 80 degrees.

We attempted to watch TV, but alas,  our bodies signaled “No Way, José” and we crashed at 10:00 pm!  It was a good day, and things are looking up!

Posted in Gardening, Just Us, Working Around House | Comments Off on Time To Recover & Work In The Garden

Don’t Spare The Smarocks, Bring On The Corned Beef!

Posted on Saturday, March 14, 2026 by Paul

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Today we’re having friends and family over to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early—because this year it falls on the 17th… aka a Tuesday, the official day of “We can’t celebrate on a Tuesday, we are retired and have work to do.”

At 6:30 am sharp, Alexa sounded her “get the hell out of bed ” alarm, meaning it’s time to go to the kitchen and begin preparations.  Today, we are making corned beef boiled, baked, in the slow cooker, and in the Instant Pot.

Did You Know?

  • Corned beef gets its name from the “corns” (large grains) of salt historically used to cure it, not from corn, the vegetable.
  • Traditional Irish corned beef wasn’t the everyday staple in Ireland; it became strongly associated with Irish-Americans in the U.S., who often bought brisket from Jewish butchers as an affordable substitute for Irish bacon.
  • The cut is usually brisket (or sometimes round), cured in a salty brine with “pickling spices” such as mustard seeds, coriander, peppercorns, bay leaves, and cloves.
  • The pink color in many store-bought corned beef comes from curing salt (sodium nitrite), which helps prevent spoilage and keeps the meat rosy even after cooking.
  • Historically, beef in Ireland was relatively expensive; much of the salt-cured beef was exported, especially in the 17th–19th centuries.
  • Corned beef and cabbage became a classic St. Patrick’s Day meal in America partly because cabbage was cheap and readily available alongside brisket.
  • Corned beef is cured (brined) first; pastrami is typically corned beef that’s then seasoned (often with coriander/pepper) and smoked.
  • The brisket’s two main parts are the flat (leaner, slices neatly) and the point (fattier, more flavorful).  Many packaged corned beef briskets are mostly flat.
  • If you cook corned beef too fast or too long, it can get tough.  Low—and—slow simmering or braising helps melt collagen into gelatin.
  • Leftover corned beef is the classic base for corned beef hash—and it also makes a great Reuben (or”Rachel” if you swap in turkey).

We are now on a search-and-rescue mission to find the appropriate cooking utensils, including pots and pans!  We found everything and remembered where we stashed it.

    1. A large pan for roasting
    2. The one-gallon pressure cooker
    3. The Dutch Oven for boiling, and
    4. The slow cooker

We scurried around the house getting everything ready.  We set up tables, moved chairs in from the HeShed (thank you, Robin),  set the table, and did all the other things needed for a party.  You can see the entire party right here!

Mary went “picking” in the garden and returned like a vegetable pirate—arms full of onions and carrots—then dumped the haul on Paul and said, “Congrats, you’re in charge of washing, peeling, and prepping these for whatever cooking chaos we’re attempting today.”

When Paul was done, they were perfect for tossing into the pots!

Mary took a few minutes off to relax before our friends and family arrived.  Everything is ready to go!  When the alarm bells go off, dinner will be served!

“Wake me up when it is over!!”

When Robin arrived around noon, she ran to the kitchen and began preparing the green Jello shots!

Jello shots are small, single-serving snacks made by mixing gelatin (like Jell-O) with water/juice, and alcohol (usually vodka, rum, or tequila), then letting them set in little cups.

  • How they’re made (basic idea): dissolve gelatin in hot water, mix in cold liquid + liquor, pour into cups, refrigerate until firm.
  • What they’re like: sweet, jiggly, and usually about 0.5–1 oz each.
  • Alcohol content: varies a lot; they can be surprisingly strong depending on the recipe.

Yummy!  Jello and Fireball!!!

We took a grand tour of every garden bed, like we were hosting a very low-budget nature documentary—explaining what we’d done, what we meant to do, and then giving everyone our best, totally scientific estimate of when they can come back to start harvesting.

A little Irish dancing was needed to liven things up!

Come and get it!  The clamor of people moving to the kitchen island was so loud that the neighbor’s dog began marking!  We had several first-aid kits available just in case!   We placed signs under each of the different methods used to make dinner.

Serve it up!  Remember to keep track of which method you liked!

Vicky arranged her corned beef in numerical order to make the selection and voting easier.

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What!  You too?  I thought I was the only one.”

Beef, beef, everywhere I look!

Happy people mean full tummies—and full tummies mean nobody asks what’s for dinner.

I introduced several people to my new creation, the totally clear Chocolate Martini.  It is a dangerous drink because it tastes like a chocolate bar and is about 4.5 ounces of various vodkas all mixed together!  It is guaranteed to solve the problem of not sleeping, as evidenced below!

Then, suddenly, the Chocolate Martini hit!

“Family is not an important thing.  It’s everything.”

Bob and Robin, our heroes!

Your happy hosts are simply enjoying the fact that everyone is having a good time!  We spent three hours together swapping stories, reliving adventures, and curing the world’s problems.

We didn’t want anyone to go home, but alas, they need a nap, too!

We were the last people standing; everyone else was in their cars,s sitting down!

Bye-bye, you all, see you this time next year!
May the wind be at your back, not because of the corned beef and cabbage!

You can see the entire party right here!

 

Posted in Cooking, Family, Food and Wine, Friends, Holidays | Comments Off on Don’t Spare The Smarocks, Bring On The Corned Beef!

Friday We Worked And Worked And Worked!

Posted on Friday, March 13, 2026 by Paul

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

By 8:00 am, we hit the dirt, planting everything in sight!  May did several small plantings, including the cantaloupe, while I dug ditches for the corn!  We mulched, then picked everything up, as we expect to have some garden tours tomorrow (our annual St. Patrick’s Day corned beef extravaganza).

We added four more rows of corn to these and added two rows of cantaloupe adjacent to the corn!  Then we mulch!

After three hours of working with our 12 mil latex gloves, we had to laugh.  When we sat down to rest and pulled off the gloves, our hands were spotless, but perspiration poured out of the gloves!

We figured we’d beat the lunch rush, so we rolled into Del Taco to aggressively refuel our bellies.  Then we took a casual two-hour round trip to H&H Nursery and somehow turned the back of the van into a mobile garden center—now the front yard is getting a glow-up, and the van definitely needs a nap.

The H&H Nursery is huge!

The trip is about 32 minutes on the 55/22 route and a little longer going home; the good old 91 is always slow!!

Since it was that time of year when you buy three bags of Bumper Crop and get one “free”, we came home with four bags.  We got four bags two weeks ago and turned them into the backyard planters.

Master Nursery Bumper Crop Organic Soil Builder, which I have been using for almost twenty years,  has always been known for its exceptional quality and rich biodiversity, and, as an OMRI-listed soil builder, it is trusted by gardeners across the United States.  It is a balanced blend of sphagnum peat, aged wood fiber, cured compost, aged bark, lobster meal, worm castings, kelp meal, and dehydrated poultry manure that ensures your plants receive all the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development.  Additionally, it is inoculated with endomycorrhizal fungi, which helps to improve root function and overall plant health.

We took the 55 to the 22 to the 405 to H&H, then the 9a home.

After we rolled home with our haul, Sleeping Beauty announced an emergency nap—strictly for “beauty maintenance”—before gracing the front yard with her presence.
While she was off in her royal coma, I went full yard goblin: pruning like I had beef with the shrubs, digging holes like I’d lost something expensive, and planting as the HOA had hired me.

Mary joined me after a while and did some serious gardening inside the fence, and she made the Plumeria look wonderful by adding color around the base!  She also arranged the larger flower pots on the right side of the yard so that I can start early on Sunday!

Looking good!

Mary was a total MVP and helped me with the cleanup.  We tossed all the tools and gardening goodies into the wheelbarrow and parked it by the side of the house—because apparently we’re starting a “Yard Work: The Series,” and the next episode drops on Sunday.

Around 6:00 pm, we declared victory and headed to the Swim Spa for a well-deserved soak!  Guess what?  The modern hot tub, popularized by the Jacuzzi brothers, was created to help a family member who has rheumatoid arthritis.  We both have “gardenitis” after working all day in the garden.

We enjoyed watching the sunset and seeing the sky turn different colors as the Sun makes its journey around the Earth (yeah, I know, we go around the Sun)

Take the pain away, PLEASE!  We again tried to watch “Suits” but gave up and tried a Bruise Willis movie called “Being Us”.  It was “OK” but nothing I would want to see again!

By 10:00 pm we were crashed!  Our eyelids felt like iron doors.  Tomorrow is a big day!

Posted in Gardening, Working Around House | Comments Off on Friday We Worked And Worked And Worked!

Thirsty Thursday Has Arrived With 90 Degree Temperatures!

Posted on Thursday, March 12, 2026 by Paul

I love that girl even if she is a frog!!

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Yes indeed!  I rolled over, looked at the wall clock, and it said 6:30 am, but then I looked outside, and it was dark, with the time reading “it’s 0’dark-thirty”.  What to do was the question!  I flipped a coin and finally got up,p leaving her nibs sound asleep.

I crept into the office using my most stealthy move and started working on yesterday’s Daily Diary… but apparently my brain didn’t get the memo.  The older I get, the harder it is to remember what we actually did yesterday—at this point, I’m one cup of coffee away from writing, “Day: occurred.  Events: yes.” Growing old is not for the faint of heart!

While Mary was getting ready for the Elks, I went to the backyard and planted a flat of corn; sixteen went into the ground.  It took about 90 minutes to dig the trough, drill the holes, fertilize, and plant these suckers.

I had all my necessary tools with me!

The garden is about 90% planted, and if we can find spaghetti squash and some watermelons, we will declare ourselves done!

Dig baby dig!

At the Elks, I could NOT resist but to put green food coloring into Bill’s vodka!

We made plans with Bob to take him to the doctor on Monday morning—he’s having a small procedure, which apparently comes with a “no driving” rule, so we’ve been hired as his post-op chauffeur… paid entirely in gratitude and awkward small talk.

Is he having second thoughts?

On the way into the lodge, Mary spotted a “Get Well Bear” that was made by the Emblems (the ladies auxiliary of the Elks).  Mary smiled, so I knew I had to get it, and I did, surprising her after lunch!

Cuddling the new addition to our family!

We went home, and Mary took a nap while I did the glamorous work of dragging the trash cans to the front yard—because nothing says “romance” like curbside logistics.

At 3:00 pm, Alexa went off, and it was go-time.  Mary geared up for Disney Jazz at Campus Jax.  Naturally, she put on the full mouse costume, and I threw on my”Grumpy” car service shirt—because every magical evening needs one person committed to the vibes and one person committed to being mildly annoyed about it.

We were absolutely in the mood.  Magical!  Musica!  We had Robin and Bob with us, making for an amazing evening.

Watch out for the mouse!  Hide your cheese!

You can watch the show below!

They jazzed up all the Disney classics, and the sound was pretty good; we actually sang along to some of the songs!

It was nice to see musicians/performers dressed up for a change!

Bob was attempting to figure out what the drummer was doing!

“Beats me!”

The girls were having fun all evening long!

“Give me a hand!”

We rested outside after the show, allowing those in a hurry to clear the parking lot.

“Minnie would never do that!!”

One Ginnes beer and we went crazy!

Clowning around!

After the show, we waited!  Bob found the missing placard!

We watched the people exiting the lot going 60 mph; we stayed behind!

Robin and Bob headed home, and we headed to The Tartan Room in Orange to bravely “finish off the evening” the only responsible way: one glass of wine and a couple of Gillis beers.

We even met one of the entertainers—now we’ve got plans to catch his performance next Wednesday night… because apparently we’re the kind of people who make midweek nightlife commitments like we don’t have jobs, laundry, or a couch that misses us.  We are FREE!

Posted in Elks, Just Us, Vegetable Garden, Working Around House | Comments Off on Thirsty Thursday Has Arrived With 90 Degree Temperatures!