The Week Begins And The Weak Are Ready!

Posted on Monday, March 2, 2026 by Paul

We waltzed into the kitchen as our coffee was brewing!

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Monday has arrived, and we are ready to take our weekly punishment!  We climbed into the Silver Fox, whispered our final goodbyes to the garage, hit the door button like it was a self-destruct switch, and drove off to meet our fate: certain annihilation at the hands of our personal trainers.

Upon arrival, I was promptly claimed by Mary’s usual trainer—a diminutive woman with muscles of steel and a cauliflower ear.  She seemed to believe the word”stop” was just a helpful suggestion, meaning “twist it a little more.”

Meanwhile, there were screams of anguish coming from the “Arm Press,” sometimes known as “The Rack,” “The Cringe Crank,” or “The Gasp Clamp.” 

I immediately looked over at Mary and began helping her count; I am very helpful that way!

After the torture session at Peak Performance, we went to the market and got some essentials.  We had to get home at 11:00 am because our friendly neighborhood masseuse was coming to work on both of us.

He was right on time, so I went first—and honestly, he worked miracles on my shoulder.  After an hour, I felt loose, aligned, and ready to take on the world.

Then he finished with me, and I went out to the patio to “take it easy”… by straightening everything up and immediately turning the soil in the planters like I hadn’t just booked an appointment specifically because my shoulder was mad at me.

Mary went next, and after an hour, she said this was the best she had felt in quite a while.  Life is good!   I kept working in the patio, and Mary made a wonderful lunch of weenies and sauerkraut, plus some small toasted cheese-and-bacon sandwiches (she is SO creative).

I had much to do, including repairing some of the drip lines.  Thanks to my ample supply of dripline parts I keep in the He Shed, I was able to get the job done in a flash.

Playing with fire… the dripline connections must be heated and then put on whatever fitting necessary!

It was in the high 70s, and under the patio cover, it was basically a sauna, so I figured it was the perfect time to practice for WGND, which is coming up in May.
Little did I know Mary—who used to work for Candid Camera back in the day—was watching… and apparently I was giving her and opportunity to capture some vintage footage for free.

I was innocent; I was admiring my work, and I heard the camera go “CRICK” (we have a Japanese camera).  I was captured for eternity in a compromising position.

Hey, it was finally cool!

I had the planter all prepped by 3:00 pm, so we headed to Home Depot… where we calmly, responsibly, and completely accidentally spent a small fortune on flowers.

We decided the two beds by the patio deserved to live their best, most dramatic, “Better Homes & Gardens” lives, and we’d relegate the herbs to the vertical towers—because nothing says “culinary excellence” like being stored right next to the kitchen.  We were off to the store, horns sounding and speed limits be darned!

We filled the back of the van with flowers and two bags of red bark for the finishing touches.  By the time we left, the van looked like we were either starting a garden… or making a very festive getaway.

Returning home, we unloaded the goodies and placed them where they would be in their future home.  When the sun comes up, I will be dinning like a little gopher.  May did advise me on how to do the planting; Paul, remember, “The roots go down!”

 

We then dived into the swim spa and soaked for 45 minutes; it had been a very productive day!!!  We watched some “Suits”.  Being multitaskers, Mary did needlepoint and I read the laast chapter of my book!

At 10:00 pm we were done!

Posted in Gym, Vegetable Garden, Working Around House | Comments Off on The Week Begins And The Weak Are Ready!

A Planting We Will Go! A Planing We Will Go!

Posted on Sunday, March 1, 2026 by Paul

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Alexa announced we’d hit a glorious 83°F today—basically Mother Nature’s way of saying, “Get outside and plant, you lazy humans.”

So our first mission was to unload the Grey Ghost (which sounds like a haunted battleship, but is actually just our vehicle full of plant children).  Then we carefully transferred the babies to the garden and parked each one under its future cage—like assigning tiny green inmates to their own little tomato jail cells.

OK, everybody is ready!  Everyone is in position, and off we go!

You could almost hear them yelling, “Plant me first!!”

We set up a production line and went to work!

    • Mary digs the hole using the power rotary drill.
    • Mary put in some fertilizer.
    • Paul takes the name tags and ties them to the cages
    • Paul plants the tomato babies while Mary plants the peppers
    • Paul installs straw mulch underneath the plants
    • Stand back and admire our work!

Placing straw mulch is a tedious job—especially when you must bend over like you’re trying to apologize to the soil.  So we fixed that problem!

Enter the porta-bench: my new favorite piece of gardening equipment and, honestly, my back saver.

Now I grab a straw from the back of the garden, haul a big bunch over to the planting area, park myself on the bench like royalty, and stuff mulch around the base of the plants—no back-breaking, no groaning sound effects, and only minimal complaining.

One handful at a time!

Sometimes I need to dig the hole a little bigger or deeper, depending on the plant selected.  Notice that Mary keeps herself well hydrated (although I’d rather have wine, which could result in the loss of plant life).

Dig baby, dig.

Mary was minding her own business when she suddenly screamed, “HELP!”
Turns out her preferred mode of transportation—yes, the broom—had a catastrophic malfunction.

The engine compartment backfired like it was auditioning for an action movie, and the bristles launched out in every direction, spraying the ground like a Chia Pet explosion.

Fortunately, Mary was only a few feet off the ground, so it was less “tragic aerial disaster” and more “unexpected low-altitude parking mishap.”

She checked herself, and all was OK, her broom, however, needs some serious repair.

We must get this repaired by Halloween.  Until then, I permitted her to use my shop-vacuum!

We worked from 8:00 am until almost 1:30 pm and completed two beds.

We watered everything down, making sure the roots were covered with soil!

Then, at 1:45 pm, we jumped in The Grey Ghost and headed to Lakewood and the H&H Nursery, where $175 worth of new veggies (and some flowers) awaited us.

We wandered around checking out the veggies, roses, and ground cover.

Back home, we carried four flats of new babies to the garden and placed them in their new spots; tomorrow they will get planted, if the creek(s) don’t rise and the good Lord’s willing.

It’s 4:00 pm, and time to hit the hot tub.

Sunset was rolling in, so we donned our “vintage-wrinkled” swimsuits and slipped into the glorious 96-degree H2O.  Oh my—every muscle had an opinion, and then immediately changed it to ahhh.  Naturally, we toasted the day’s success with a tiny glass of vino.

Posted in Just Us, Vegetable Garden | Comments Off on A Planting We Will Go! A Planing We Will Go!

We Gather Today!

Posted on Saturday, February 28, 2026 by Paul

There are days like this!

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

We were up early, caffeinated, and trying to convince our brains that yes—today is a big deal.  Because today is Tomatomania.

We’re rolling in with Miss Robin, Chef Bob, and Dianne (a.k.a. the Tomato Task Force). After we bravely choose our future vine-covered roommates, we’re celebrating our excellent decision-making with lunch at The Farmhouse.

While getting ready to go, I got a reminder that it was eight years ago today that I visited my dear aunt Kaye for the last time.  She was an amazing woman whom I dearly loved, but was failing and was just moved to a care facility in Stockton, California.  We went up to see her several times, but when COVID hit, we were not allowed to go into the facility.  She passed during the opening months of COVID due to old age.  I have stories about her that I often share with friends.

RIP Aunt Kaye Hale 1919-2019

Cruising to Costa Mesa in The Grey Ghost (our van that haunts the fast lane at a firm 62 mph), we were all chatting and swapping stories like we were on a very low-budget podcast.

Then I, for reasons that can only be explained by overconfidence and seatbelts, casually dropped the question, “So you want to hear my recent fantasy!”

The van got so quiet, I’m pretty sure the air conditioning stopped to listen.

We rolled in right at 1:00 pm and, as if by divine intervention, were assigned a handicap spot right next to the door.  Between my back, Robin’s knee, and Mary’s foot, we weren’t looking for “nearby parking” so much as a medically necessary docking station.

We grabbed two carts and entered the fray!   We were after 18 plants, and we carefully selected 60% big tomatoes and 40% cherry or cherry-like tomatoes.  We are getting better at this every year.  Mary and I wore our “Tomatomania T-Shirts,” and the artist who designed them came over to introduce himself.

“Ookie ookie, I have a good one!!” Ookie ???

The girls were on a mission to find the perfect plants—inspecting, judging, and generally acting like members of the Botanical Supreme Court.  And just when we thought we were done, they spotted some gorgeous peppers and said, “Yep, these are coming home with us,” and into the cart they went.

Making our selections!

As we wandered through a jungle of tomato plants, we were decked out head-to-toe in the official Tomatomania uniforms—looking like a highly trained produce task force.  Mary even had a Tomatomania hat… which somehow made her look both in charge and one step away from being recruited by “The Big Tomato”.

We were iin our Tomatomania uniforms!

We walked around and visited the flowers, but we will likely end up at Home Depot, as the prices are about 50% less (for flowers).

Members of the Supreme Court of the Tomato Patch!

Around 3:00 pm, we headed to The Farmhouse, where we had reservations for lunch.  While sitting in the “foyer”, we slugged down a glass of vino and chatted with one another.  At the appropriate time, we were escorted to our table beneath the famous gazebo.

The original 1955 Disneyland bandstand/gazebo was designed for Town Square but was moved multiple times—to near the Castle, then Magnolia Park in Adventureland—because it obstructed views, before being removed in 1962.  It was famously spared destruction and relocated to Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar.

In its original locations at Roger’s Gardens.

The city of Anaheim planned to throw it away around 1975, but Roger’s Gardens rescued it, where it still stands today.

We did NOT need the heater today!!!

The menu is quite eclectic, and the presentations are amazing.

A dictionary would have been helpful!

There is food underneath the greenery!

We ordered a cauliflower steak to share, as Dianne had not heard of such a thing!

They’re called cauliflower steaks because the shape and general appearance are rather, well, steak-like.  The name is also an indicator of which cooking methods to try—any way you might cook a steak can be used for cauliflower steaks, too.    You see, cauliflower is a pretty hearty vegetable.

Delicious!!

Dianne had a difficult time deciding, but finally decided a sandwich would be just fine!

The Farmhouse mission is to support local artisanal and boutique producers who are conscious of what goes into their products and how they are produced.  From farmers and fishermen to wine and spirits makers, our food is created through the careful sourcing of only the best ingredients.  Our simple, flavorful, and creative dishes are not only inspired by the ingredients themselves, but also by the network of friends who supply us with the quality ingredients that Farmhouse is known for.

I was so good we didn’t even get offered a fry!!

It was about time to go home with our tummies full and the Grey Ghost loaded with plantables!

Bye Bye!

Not Yet!!!!  Behind door three was a cheesecake dessert, oh my!  It was almost too pretty to eat!

You could almost hear the dessert sing, “I am pretty, I am pretty.”

Bob also had a good-looking dessert.  Mary and I gained three pounds just looking at it!

All four of them are good-looking!

Bob drove home while I jogged beside the van—strictly to keep my weight under 190.  I was doing great… right up until he cranked it up to a blistering 2 miles an hour.
Dianne headed home, and Bob and Robin hung around a little longer to “conversate” (because apparently we’re also making up words tonight).

We watched some “Suits” before crashing around 11:00 pm.

Posted in Dining Out, Family, Vegetable Garden, Walking | Comments Off on We Gather Today!

Tomatomania Minus One!

Posted on Friday, February 27, 2026 by Paul

Mary had a great morning!!!

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

We calculated it, and we have 65 days until we celebrate WNGD.  We are getting prepared as the days get longer and the time is about to change!  We love WNGD!

Since we had some time before the outside temperature warmed up, Mary finished the leprechaun picture.  Finishing off means outlining details in a black pen to make them stand out.  Check out the shamrocks,  his eyes and beard, and beer mug.  She also added gold paint to the buckles (hat and shoes).

Before

After!

On our way to the front yard, a UPS driver swooped in with a few packages—one was a “thank you” gift from Colleen!  Mary, who proudly collects frogs, is thrilled.  It’s a lifestyle, and I am one of the collectibles, but I refuse to have her paint me green, and I do NOT eat flies. These new little ribbit-roommates will be moving into the kitchen, where they’ll sit on display and silently judge everyone’s snack choices.

Thanks, Colleen!  We hope she will be sending a fresh supply of New Hampshire flies once a week!

Ribbit ribbit!!

We did some transplanting, so our newly replanted flower is currently in full-on drama mode—totally wilted and acting like we ruined its whole life.  But by morning, it should forgive us and be back to normal.

Mid-day nap in the warm sun!

We have decided to put flowers in the patio flower beds to add color and use the rotary stands for the herbs.  We love the rotary and stacked vertical gardens because we can water the entire system using GreenStalk’s patented watering system by simply filling the top water reservoir to the 5-tier mark to water all the tiers below.

We have two of these vertical gardens; one for edible flowers and one for herbs (but strawberries seem to creep in every year)

We worked until almost 12:30 pm and then declared victory due to the 92-degree heat wave in February.  We accomplished:

  • Weeding the large vegetable bed and readying it for rototilling.
  • Cleaning out one of the many grow boxes and replanting it with korabi
  • Putting up the last of the tomato cages and readying for labeling the new plants
  • Cleaning out the bug zappers (using compressed air)
  • Resetting the bug zapper timers
  • Turning the soil for planting sweet peas tomorrow!

Of course, Mary always has an observation (or two).

At 4:00 pm, we geared up for a big evening: first, seeing if Precious can pass her smog test—because nothing says “glamorous night out” like begging your car to breathe responsibly—then off to the Elks for dinner and dancing.

She passed with flying clouds of smoke!

We departed the smog testing station at 4:30 pm and headed to the Lodge, leaving a trail of smoke like a Navy ship generating a smoke screen. As we cruised down the freeway, we could hear people in cars behind us coughing and choking, but eventually the smoke stopped, and Precious was back to her normal self.

Tonight was not just any dinner; it was steak-and-lobster night.

We departed the smog station in a cloud of smoke, sending a secret message to all of our indian friends.  The message was, “Sorry, the blanket caught on fire!”

Dinner was good, but we played it safe—Mary had a salad, and I treated myself to a vegetarian flatbread.  Ronnie was supposed to start at 6:00 pm, but he got tied up “working the tables,” so we left at 6:45 pm.  We were both tired and needed to get ready for tomorrow!

We came home early, watched “Suits,” and crashed around 10:15 pm; tomorrow is a BIG day!

Posted in Dining Out, Elks, Gardening, Vegetable Garden | Comments Off on Tomatomania Minus One!

Woooooooosh!

Posted on Friday, February 27, 2026 by Paul

Talk about “on the go!”  We were up doing our thing, and then it was time to go to the Elks for “Girls Night Out”.

Lunch was fun, but Iris was not feeling well, so she stayed home.

After lunch, Mary wanted to pick up her new glasses, so we zoomed to Huntington Beach,h and she got them.

From there, we headed to Brea Mall so Mary could get her Brighton purse fixed—because apparently even purses need maintenance.  Off we went in a cloud of dust, bravely crossing town like pioneers… except in a car with air conditioning.

We took 22 to 55 to Imperial and rolled in like seasoned highway warriors.  This time, we trusted the GPS (a bold character-development moment), and it dropped us off in the JCPenney parking lot.  Miraculously, Brighton was only a couple of hundred feet away—close enough that no one had to pack snacks, leave a trail of breadcrumbs, or file a missing person report.

OK, two errands down—but behind door number three was dinner, and the prize was a visit to The Tartan Room in Orange.  Just off the 55 at the Lincoln offramp, we found it easily, which felt suspicious… like the universe was briefly being nice to us.

Mary and I each had a salad and a glass of wine—because nothing says “responsible adults” like leafy greens paired with fermented grapes.  We’d both been there before, but not in over twenty years, so it was basically a reunion with a restaurant we once knew… and honestly, it’s aged better than we have.

“Mungry” (Translation: I am hungry!)

We met some interesting people at the table next to us.  He was twelve years younger than me, but grew up on Venice Blvd, about three miles from me.  We shared some fun events, and I was able to tell him about Hoppyland and other interesting facts about the area where he was raised.

This day’s game had FOUR doors; the next one was Jan Mongel’s home.  We stopped by for a few minutes and harassed her about going to the Elks next week.  It was a futile attempt, but we tried.

After getting home, we watched an episode of “Suits” before crashing!

Posted in Dining Out, Elks, Friends | Comments Off on Woooooooosh!

Oh No!!! It’s Gym Day!

Posted on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 by Paul

Experts informed us that a glass of wine can reduce the perceived pain inflicted by our personal trainers.

This morning we tested the theory… but accidentally substituted “glass” with “bottle.”

Result: the workout was completely painless. In fact, we don’t even remember being at the gym.

The drive to the gym, however, became a full-contact sporting event. I discovered new skills like flashing my lights, driving on the sidewalk, laying on the horn, and aggressively greeting all the neighbors walking their dogs. They were clearly impressed— I could see them in the rearview mirror enthusiastically waving the middle finger and pointing in the direction we will “definitely” not go.

Good news: we sobered up on the drive home.

Bad news: then we could feel the workout again.

Catch me if you can!!

When we got home, we had 4.5 seconds to change clothes and head to Seal Beach for lunch with Robin and her retiring boss.  We went to CPK (California Pizza Kitchen) where the food is upscale and quite excellent.

After lunch, we headed home, arriving just as the cleaning staff was exiting.  Mary took a short nap, and I worked in the large garden bed, planning to de-weed it over the next two days and rototill it (it’s too large to do by hand anymore).

We got ready for dinner and the theater.  We are off to see “God of Carnage” at South Coast Repertory Theater (adjacent to Seagerstrom).  But first, we stopped for dinner with Greg and Carolyn at the Silver Trumpet.

Today was Greg’s 74th birthday, and his lady brought him a boutonniere—sweet, classy, romantic… until Greg tried to pin it onto his loose sweater and realized he’d basically been handed a decorative fishhook for a knitted marshmallow.

The sweater stretched, the flower spun, and Greg did that careful senior-citizen thing where he’s moving slowly but somehow looks more panicked. For a solid minute, it was less “dapper birthday gentleman” and more “man attempting minor surgery on a cardigan.”

By the time it finally stayed on, the boutonniere was pinned to a completely different zip code, and Greg looked victorious—like he’d just wrestled a tiny floral octopus and won.

The play was hilarious!  We all a) stayed awake, and b) laughed until it hurt.  We had seats in row H, near the center, and the acoustics were far better than at Seagerstrom!

Summary:  A playground fight between 11-year-old boys brings four parents together to resolve their sons’ conflict. At first, diplomacy rules. As demands are revealed, the living room peace summit spirals into a riotous free-for-all of opposing parenting styles, conflicting personalities, and marital tensions.

We walked back to our cars after the play and headed home.  Precious was in her glory, being parked where everyone could admire her.

She needs another seventy-five miles on her before she can reapply for a smog certificate!

Upon arrival at home, we watched just two episodes of “Suits” before crashing for the night.   I was able to wake Her Nibs enough so she headed down the hallway to bed!

Today was a busy but enjoyable day!  We are getting excited about Sunday, the day of planting our garden!

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Go SLOW, We Tried!

Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 by Paul

It must be 5:00 pm somewhere!!

Today was a laid-back Tuesday!  We had our morning coffee, and I walked in the garden, getting mentally set up for Saturday, when we go to Tomatomania at Roger’s Gardens.  Mary came outside and sat in the sun for a while, as she is not walking much right now.

In adults, heel pain is most commonly associated with Achilles tendonitis, which occurs when the Achilles tendon at the back of the lower leg becomes irritated and inflamed.  This happens most commonly due to intense or repetitive strain on the tendon.  Patients describe the pain in the back of the heel as uncomfortable and limiting.  Patients often have reduced ankle range of motion and calf tightness due to the pain.  Sometimes there may be redness, swelling, or heat in the back of the heel, along with stiffness.

Unbeknownst to Mary, I ordered a foot bucket to soak his foot in ice and also a device to help keep the foot cold.  They should be here tomorrow.

I can hardly wait to plunge her foot into this device filled with ICE COLD WATER!!!

Then, instead of trying to wrap a flat icepack around her foot, she will have one that fits perfectly and keeps her foot cool for almost 2 hours!

Pain never stops the Enerrizer Bunny; she keeps on going!

Right after lunch—an aggressively glamorous spread of one hard-boiled egg and some cottage cheese—I chauffeured Her Nibs to her weekly watercolor class, where today’s masterpiece was none other than the St. Patrick’s Day leprechaun (or, as I like to call him, a tiny green man about to get judged by amateurs with paintbrushes).

At 3:00 pm, I arrived to pick her up and watched for a while, staying out of the way of splashing paint.

Busy artist at work!

But what was the subject matter today?  The St.Patrick’ss Day leprechaun, which is a tiny green fellow who looks like he grants wishes, but mostly judges your brushwork and hoards your best paint water.

NOTE: This painting is NOT finished yet—Mary still hasn’t added her official signature.  Apparently, the masterpiece needs some touchups and black-line drawing, so the celebrity endorsement is still pending.

It looks pretty gamazing to me, though.  I’ll post a before-and-after once she finally blesses it with the autograph and makes it “legally art.”

Mary got scooped up by Precious, who needed to rack up a few more miles to appease the Smog Test Gods and keep her license from being revoked by the state of California and/or karma.  So off we roared to Seal Beach for a totally not suspicious clandestine meet-up with Charlotte and Wayne—very” spy movie,” if the spies were armed with iced coffees and sensible footwear.

Mary was on a high-stakes mission: deliver Charlotte her latest hummingbird painting.  The handoff was smooth, professional, and only mildly dramatic—no briefcase, no code words, just a beautiful flock of tiny, winged overachievers delivered like contraband art.

Charlotte loves hummingbirds!

We polished off a bottle of vino with Charlotte and Wayne and gabbed for almost an hour and a half—solving the world’s problems with the confidence only fermented grapes can provide.  Then we winged our way back to our nest, got cozy, and settled in to hear the State of the Union from our great President… because nothing says “relaxing evening” like wine, friends, and a national progress report.

We then watched “Suits,” and Mary whipped up a light dinner from the fridge.  We set a bedtime of 10:00 pm, since tomorrow is another zoom-zoom day!

Good night, Red!

Posted in Art, Friends | Comments Off on Go SLOW, We Tried!

Slow Day In Paradise!

Posted on Monday, February 23, 2026 by Paul

Mary was thinking about her upcoming birthday!

Girls and boys, what day is it?  That’s right: Gym Day.  And with all the drama of a covert operation, we rolled out at 8:25 am sharp—no fanfare, no witnesses, no one stopping us to ask, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

This perfectly timed escape gives us a solid 30 minutes to storm the cardio floor and terrorize the stationary bicycles—pedaling furiously while going absolutely nowhere, like hamsters in a cage.

At mile five or 9:00 am, whatever comes first, we transitioned from the bikes to floor exercises where kissing one’s kneecap is the beginning ritual.  The music played at Peak Performance is at a sound level just below that of the Saturn V Rocket leaving for the Moon.  At that level, the scream of agony, anguish, atrocious pain, distress, and pain cannot be heard from the inmates.

I made my escape from my captors a little early and immediately went undercover at the market next door for “necessary groceries”: milk, vanilla scones, and—because I’m nothing if not unpredictable—two ears of corn.

Mary met me at the getaway car, and we drove home as if nothing had happened.  There was, however, an occasional “Ouch!” stemming from turning my head and stepping on the brake.

At home, we switched cars, and Precious came out of hiding.  She needed to be smogged!

Mary has used the smog-measuring station for almost 30 years, and the old gentleman recognized Mary and Precious.  While getting smogged, Mary and I went across Chapman to The Original Pancake House.

We shared an omelet the size of Texas.

I added sliced jalapenos to my “half” of the omelet.  Mary cut this sucker up, and my “half” was still the size of California.  The Pancake House has perfected fluffy omelets; we must find out their secret!

We walked back to the smog station, and Precious had a sad look on her face; she had failed the test!

I remembered that we had replaced the battery three weeks ago and that replacing (or disconnecting) the battery often makes a car more likely to fail a smog test shortly afterward because it resets the engine computer (ECU) and wipes emissions self-test data.

Common reasons for smogtest failure after a battery change:

Readiness monitors reset to”Not Ready.”

  • After a battery reset, the ECU (Engine Control Unit) loses the results of its onboard emissions checks (catalyst, O2 sensors, EVAP system, etc.).
  • Many smog programs automatically fail (or reject) the test if too many monitors are “Not Ready,” even if there’s no check-engine light.

Temporary rough running / relearn not completed.

  • The ECU may need time to relearn idle, fuel trims, and throttle settings.
  • During this period, emissions can be higher than normal, especially at idle.

A hidden issue shows up once monitors run.

  • After you drive a bit, the ECU reruns tests.  If something’s actually wrong (weak O2 sensor, small EVAP leak, borderline catalytic converter), it can trigger a fail once the system checks itself.

What to do next

  • Drive 50–150 miles over a few trips (mix of city/highway, including a cold start), then recheck readiness with an OBD-II scanner before retesting.

Mary was quite upset that Precious came home with an “F,” so we devised a correction behavior for Precious!  We called Vicky and decided to visit her and bring her some clothes that we found for her brothers.  We went through the garage jacket closet and eliminated fifteen coats, including my Disneyland leather jacket.  Better if Vicky’s family and friends get the clothes than they stay cooped up in the garage.

We had a wonderful visit with Vickyshe’ss basically sunshine with better stories.  She covered the dining room table in goodies like she was catering a small wedding, and we sat there sipping lemonade and solving theworld’ss problems… with the confidence of people who definitely should not be left in charge.

Mary found one of Del’s trophies from his rabbit hunting days!

Mary found one of Del’s trophies from his rabbit hunting days!

It was around 5:15 pm when we hit the road for home, and the Sun was putting on quite a show!

Traffic was heavy, so I kept my eyes on the road while Mary described the sunset in vivid terms!

After getting home, we had a small salad and finished off a small piece of chicken quesadilla before hitting the TV/Living room for another session of “Suits”.

Mary crashed first!!

Posted in Friends, Gym | Comments Off on Slow Day In Paradise!

The Electric Slide Was Shocking!

Posted on Sunday, February 22, 2026 by Paul

Mary woke up in a rare mood.

Today should be pretty slow—unless you count the Santa Ana Elks Lodge Line Dancing Class, where we signed up with Dianne to learn some new steps.

After a cup of coffee and a few chores around the house (aka my brief attempt at being a responsible adult), we headed to the Santa Ana Elks to meet Dianne and line dance—because nothing says “quiet day” like aggressively stepping to the left in perfect unison with a room full of people who definitely know the counts.  Look out, toes!

We had lunch in the McCalla Lounge first and then went into the ballroom for the class, which, I must say, I enjoyed.  I finally remembered two of the steps I used to do many years ago and am ready to face the music the next time we go out and about.

I refreshed myself on the Electric Slide and then again learned The Black Velvet Line Dance when Mary was on the floor, and I was at the side of the room, carefully watching.

When class was over around 3:00 pm, we headed home to do some serious hot tubbing!  We had to say goodbye to the Daddy Elks in the lobby!  Rumor has it that he is very horny!

Notice the Elk is looking the other way!

Rumor has it that if you stare at the Elks too long, you can be transformed almost instantly.   I overheard Dianne say, “Don’t mind me—I’m just branching out.” Then, Mary said, “If you’ve got it, flaunt it (especially if it’s velvet).”

It’s a long story!!  Perhaps I should give you some  “pointers”!  NOTE!  Being a child-friendly site prevents me from saying they both have nice racks!

Long-time friends, over a quarter-century, are so important in life.  Shared values beat shared hobbies over time.  Interests can change; how someone treats you (and others) is the real glue.

Mary and Dianne, the Dynamic Duo

I met Dianne almost twenty years ago at a dance, probably on the Queen Mary, but I had no idea that she and Mary were very close friends.  It was a pleasant surprise to discover this relationship; Dianne is kinda like the little sister I never had!

Be careful of the Elk, he is listening.

One more picture of us cowboy wanna-be’s!  It looks like the movie poster for “Beauty And The Beast Go West“.  Oh yes, the beast is the one in black!

Y’all behave… I’ve got Spurs.   I mentioned to Mary, my hat’s bigger than my problems.  Then Mary replied, “I always wanted to be a professional fence inspector or a ‘Certified yee-haw specialist.” We moseyed out of the lodge, holding hands, toward where we parked the hoss we rode in on.  

Just enjoying life.

Once in the saddle and convincing The Silver Fox he was NOT a horse, we headed straight home and sank into the hot tub for a blissful 45-minute reset—equal parts unwind and “gear up” for the night’s adventures.  While soaking in the 95-degree water, we got practical: made a chores list and mapped out the week.  And the best part?  We’re counting down to Wednesday at South Coast Repertory with Greg and his lady!

While preparing the Daily Diary for this day, I ran across a picture of Mary from when we went to One-Hung-Lo’s Chinese Restaurant a few weeks ago.  Mary always likes to dress the part.  As we started toward the restaurant, I told Mary, “Wok this way.”

“What’s on the menu today?”

Returning to civilization, we landed in the Living/TV Room and watched “Suits” until 11:00 pm.  I did NOT realize that after nine seasons, the show was canceled, but a new series, Suits-LA, was unveiled and lasted only one season; it lacked the chemistry of the original.

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It Be Saturday And We Have Nothing Going On! Until Dinner!

Posted on Saturday, February 21, 2026 by Paul

We slept in late this morning, not getting vertical until AFTER 8:00 am!  Oh my!   I fixed coffee, and when Mary came into the breakfast room, I heard the coffee mumble to itself!

We piddled around the house most of the day.  I did some additional cleaning in the garage, and I can see the workbench, an amazing feat!   Mary whipped up a delicious lunch from boxes and bags that were in the fridge.  She is amazing that way!  While she made breakfast, I wandered outside and put the St. Patrick’s Day banner back up after the winds blew it down.

The banner will stay up this time!

After brunch, Mary and I marched out to the garage for a little more “straightening up” (read: moving stuff from one pile to another).  The grinder and drill press have officially been banished to the He Shed, which means we can now get in and out of the cars without auditioning for an obstacle course.

Lookin’ good!!

It was almost 3:00 pm when I suggested we take our glorious naked bodies outside and into the hot tub and soak before heading out to dinner.  The sun was blazing, and my poor little scalp is still sore from our hot-tubbing adventure a few days ago.

Thankfully, Mary came up with a solution (credit to Vicky): a hat for the hot tub.

WARNING: Ladies, do not stare for more than 15-20 minutes!

After soaking in the hot tub, we scrubbed up, put on some clothes since it was going to be in the 40s this evening, and headed to Huntington Beach.  We will meet Bill and Sandee Capps for dinner at 6:30 pm at Vittorio’s Italian Restaurant in Huntington Beach—proof that we can be civilized… right after being completely uncivilized.

We had a wonderful booth, and our favorite piano player entertained us this evening!

I went for the seafood linguini, and it was basically an ocean doing laps in a pasta bowl—absolutely packed with seafood. I even rescued the last pieces of garlic bread from the basket and used them to mop up every drop of those buttery juices like it was my job. The old tummy? Filed a “no more food” complaint and shut down.

I do believe that one of the items was looking back at me!!

Sydney joined us this evening and got to meet Bill’s friends, plus our piano player!  Sydney brings the table to life!

“Who?  Little old me?”

Having dinner with my bride and friends is always a little celebration—shared smiles, soft giggles, and the kind of joy that lingers long after the plates are cleared.

There is love in her eyes and in her heart!  She is a special lady!!

We headed home around 9:45 pm and didn’t even think about watching TV; we hit the sack.

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