My internal alarm clock went off at 5:30 a.m. and barked, “Get your butt up—and don’t even think about going back to sleep!”
So I got up and tiptoed to the office, trying not to wake Her Nibs—Mary and Oreo. I worked on the Daily Diary for a while, then, at 6:55, shot out of the house in the Silver Fox.
I was headed to Los Amalitos, where the drive can be anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. Around here, one freeway accident—or somebody changing a tire with the urgency of a sloth—can add a casual 45 minutes to your trip!
Before I departed, I took a picture to the West as the weatherman (also known as the Weather-Guesser) said rain today! The sky looked pretty good!
Rain or no rain, that is the question!
Today’s trip took a whole 17 minutes! No traffic, no accidents, no tire changing! I was whisked right into the office, and Dr. Sidney Newman and I enjoyed a 45-minute session of politics and medical conditions. I love my Dermatologist! He is an amazing man! We also discussed “age”.
I did almost everything in the chart below except:
Waited Tables: Does serving Mom and Dad at meals count as waiting tables?
Gas Station: Does working in the garage with my father count as a gas station?
Fast Food: Does making hamburgers and hot dogs at family gatherings count as fast food?
I did most of everything
When I checked in at the doctor’s office, I was amazed by how thick my file was. I guess after thirty years this was to be expected. Then she told me, ” This is volume III only!! Oh my!!
Mary called to warn me about an accident on the 22 East, so I decided to make the most of the delay and stop at McDonald’s for a breakfast sandwich.
I walked in expecting to order at the counter, where a human being might actually speak to me. Instead, I was greeted by a row of kiosks—those smug little screens that assume everyone wants to poke at a computer before they’ve had coffee.
I just wanted to tell a person, “Breakfast Mac and a Diet Coke, please.” Twenty minutes later, after several rounds of “What do you mean, select a category?” I finally placed my order.
Technology: making simple things harder, forever. Barf!
I got back home at 9:15 a.m., and Mary put me to work!! We mostly watched Oreo, but she’s almost done recovering!
Does the word “Spoiled” come to mind???
In the afternoon, after it rained, we worked on the patio. I planted and pulled weeds while Mary sat in the lounge, chirping and barking orders!!! No, not really! Mary and I work aas a team almost reading each others minds as what to do next!
For dinner, Mary fixed baked chicken legs, and they were terrific. With a salad fresh from the garden, we finished everything off while I rewatched parts of The Searchers that Mary missed last night!
After dinner, we went to the office and kept working until around 7:00 pm. Mary frets around Christmas time, wanting to make sure everyone is taken care of (does this remind you of someone??).
Mary is making sure we have all the bases covered (the trash man, the gardener, the postman, etc., etc.)
We were up and moving early; we have to get serious about holiday planning! We sat in the office and coordinated with everyone we know about who is doing what to whom, and we have a plan! Mary even placed an order with our favorite chef for Thanksgiving! Chef Marie will deliver on Tuesday at noon!
The best-laid plans of mice and men* often go wrong.
* FYI: The saying comes from Robert Burns’s 1785 poem “To a Mouse”. The speaker accidentally destroys a mouse’s nest while plowing and reflects that, however carefully anyone plans, life can disrupt those plans. John Steinbeck later used the phrase as the title of his novella Of Mice and Men.
We worked until 10:30 am, then got ready for our weekly trek to The Elks Lodge in Santa Ana, which is now decorated for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving at the Elks Lodge!
The usual suspects gathered, plus guests Carole and Terry!
Bill, Bob, and George were also here, along with Will and Iris.
We had a lot of discussion about Thanksgiving plans, which was helpful. Bill and Sandee are going to drop by early before they return home to visit their kids (at their house). Carole is going to Palm Springs. Bob Z is going to his in-laws in Rossmoor. Everyone has a plan!
We invited Wil and Iris to the Thanksgiving festivities because Iris’s kids aren’t available.
We were daydreaming of Thanksgiving coming up!!
After arriving home, we tackled the vegetable garden and worked for several hours. I pulled weeds, and Mary trimmed roses and cleaned up after me. We make a great team.
I missed one weed out of 2,00 and I get this reaction?
We were so pooped that we headed to the hot tub to soak for 45 minutes in the 95-degree water, and it worked. Mary fell asleep immediately on the couch while Oreo and I watched “The Searchers” on the boobtube.
Summary: The Searchers (1956) follows Ethan Edwards, a Civil War veteran who returns to Texas and finds his brother’s family attacked by Comanches. His young niece, Debbie, has been taken, so Ethan sets out to find her with Martin Pawley, a young man raised by the family.
Their search stretches over several years. As they follow Debbie’s trail, Ethan’s obsessive hatred of the Comanches—and his belief that Debbie has been “tainted” by living among them—puts him at odds with Martin, who sees her as family and wants to bring her home.
When they finally find Debbie, Ethan initially threatens to kill her, but ultimately lifts her into his arms and carries her to safety. Martin and Debbie return to the community, while Ethan remains outside, alone, as the family’s home closes behind them.
At 10:30 pm, we declared victory, and Oreo and I took Mommy to bed! Oreo was pooped out because she had to walk along with John Wayne all over the desert looking for Scar (the indian chief).
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes 1,435 Words (Including the speech)
Thinking about all our vets.
I was up with Oreo at 4:00 a.m. because she was restless and had to wear the “Cone of Shame” all night. We went to the office and worked on the website for this Sunday’s Starlighters event.
As soon as we arrived at the gym, I began my six-mile bike ride while Mart got the grand tour of Lori’s daughter’s wedding on the iPhone.
It must have been one heck of a wedding!
We started our workout, and Mary got plenty of comments and questions about her chapeaux. Everyone got the lowdown on Mary’s medical career and Army service.
We headed home right after the gym to let the varmint out in HER yard (yes, she claimed the yard early this morning). In fact, when we took her out, she showed us her latest trick:
“Today the backyard, tomorrow, the WORLD”!!!
In the afternoon, I worked in the garden, and my son, Joe, and my grandson, Charlie, stopped by for a wonderful visit. Mary asked if they could stop by briefly and help the old man (me) move five bales of straw (each weighing 90+ pounds) from the front yard to the back, move Halloween to the garage, and retrieve Thanksgiving decoration boxes. We lucked out because Joe and Charlie were returning from a game of golf, and we were on our way home.
I told Mary I could have done it, but it would have taken all day!
Mulch for the Winter garden!
I kept working in the garden, and Mary came out to practice her speech for the Delta Gamma Sorority in Irvine.
Of course, Oreo helped!
We have 300 square feet of Winter garden planted!
We work together well!!
Mary would read, and I would “suggest”.You can read it by clicking the down arrow on the right!.
Ophthalmology for Delta Gamma Sorority
November 11, 2026
INTRO
Good evening. I’m Dr. Mary Côté. Geri Lopker invited me to speak about ophthalmology. I will tell you a little about myself and ophthalmology, and then briefly discuss some common problems you might need to address. We’ll leave time at the end to answer any questions you might have.
I graduated from Loma Linda University in 1979 on an Army Health Professions scholarship. At that time, you couldn’t borrow enough money to pay for school, and you couldn’t work while you studied. After completing one year of a Categorical Surgical internship (rotating through Ear, Nose & Throat, Chest Surgery, Orthopedics, & Ophthalmology), I decided that advancing technology and the option of a balanced lifestyle made ophthalmology a good choice for me. Especially after I had four children. HOWEVER, the Army decided that, despite telling me I could complete my specialty training, they needed me immediately. So, one year out of medical school, I became a General Medical Officer in Germany (basically a family practice doctor).
Thankfully, about 4 years later, I got into ophthalmology residency training at White Memorial in Los Angeles, followed by a fellowship in ocular pathology at USC/Doheny Eye Institute. Ocular pathology is the examination of eye tissue after surgery to determine what tumor it is and whether they got all of it. My USC Faculty appointment went hand in hand with my next job as Chief of the downtown Veterans Affairs clinic in LA, which I did 50% of the time, and 50% in a private general ophthalmology practice. I maintained this 50/50 pattern throughout my career. Moving to Orange County brought me to UCI, where I held a faculty appointment in both Ophthalmology and Pathology and eventually became an Associate Clinical Professor. I became Assistant Chief of Ophthalmology for the VA in Long Beach in 1993 and retired from there in 2020, after 30 years of service.
Now, what is an ophthalmologist? I completed 14 years of training to become an ophthalmologist and ocular pathologist. And it doesn’t stop there. We must complete 50 hours of continuing medical education every 2 years to maintain our license. This contrasts with an optometrist, who specializes in optics and glasses. They complete 4 years of college, then 4 years of optometry school, and perhaps 1 additional year of residency for a specialty. About 19,000 ophthalmologists practice in the US, and twice that many optometrists. This is why they have such a strong political voice and are pushing to do surgery and handle many medical issues. In some places, they are succeeding.
How often should you see an ophthalmologist? Children are screened at birth and later by their pediatrician. Eyes continue to grow and change, so yearly exams are sometimes necessary. If a child has crossed eyes, a pediatric ophthalmologist should investigate it. Once you are an adult, your eyes will generally stabilize, and exams every two years are usually adequate. However, if there is a family history of eye disease, yearly exams are advisable. Once diagnosed with something such as glaucoma, every 3-4 months is best. Cataracts require yearly monitoring. Diabetes requires yearly checks, or more often, depending on the disease’s severity and whether it affects the eyes.
I’m going to tell you about four of the most common eye conditions. I’ll talk about cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy.
First, we’ll talk about Cataracts. This is the yellowing and clouding of the eye’s lens, an age-related change almost everyone experiences. It’s like grey hair: most people get it, but not everyone. Cataracts aren’t harmful, and the changes are so gradual that people sometimes don’t notice them. The surgery is elective, which means it is not an emergency and can be done at any time. There is no advantage to “doing it early” unless you want to help your ophthalmologist buy a new Mercedes. People generally have cataract surgery when they have difficulty reading or driving. It isn’t mandatory unless a white, enlarged lens is causing eye pressure. When you look at the pupil,l it is white because the lens is no longer clear. My husband had cataract surgery and said things were no longer yellowish. One of my first patients said, “Oh, what have you done? My house is so dirty!”
Second is Glaucoma, which is increased eye pressure and a blinding disease. About 3-4% of people worldwide, aged 40-80, have glaucoma. These statistics go up with age. You gradually lose peripheral vision. Sometimes it isn’t noticeable until people have “tunnel” vision. Try making a tunnel with your hand to see what it is like. It is treated with medication, laser, and surgery.
Third, macular degeneration is a serious disease that can limit central vision. In the US, 20 million people over the age of 40 have some form of AMD. (age-related macular degeneration). !.5 million are severely affected. You never get to the point of black blindness, but loss of central vision means that you would be unable to read or drive. Dry macular degeneration is treated with nutritional support, and new drugs can help. You cannot cure it; you can only slow it down. Wet macular degeneration means it is bleeding, and injections can now slow or halt this process. However, constant monitoring is necessary, as it can flare up again at any time. Also, it is hereditary.
Finally, and fourth on our list is diabetes. 1 in 9 people in the US are diabetic. It can also affect the eyes and cause blindness. The best treatment is prevention by maintaining a low Hemoglobin A1c. It measures average blood sugar over a couple of months and is more reliable than an isolated glucose reading. That is one of the reasons I retired. Partly because I lost my filter. All of the “pre-diabetics” are really diabetic, but not so bad yet. They are just in denial about their disease. I would say to those without a controlled Hemoglobin A1c, “So, you really want to eat whatever you want? You are going to go blind from diabetic retinopathy, so how is that working out for you?”
In conclusion, you heard about me, ophthalmology, and some common problems in ophthalmology. With that, I’ll wrap up and open the floor to any questions you might have.
I took Mary to Irvine and arrived just before 6:00 pm. Oreo insisted on riding shotgun on the way home, so she barked driving instructions the whole way (so I didn’t miss Mary at all)!!!
Mary finally got home around 10:00 pm, and after a glass of wine, we crashed!
We were, for the most part, homebodies today, nursing the varnmint back to health after her operation. In the morning, she wouldn’t drink, so Mary found a syringe in her doctoring bag, and we gave her water all day long.
Feeding the baby!!
For most of the day, we stayed right by her side. Mary went to her new “book club,” called “The Book Biddies,” made up of ladies from our neighborhood who meet one Tuesday a month to talk about the most recent book they all read.
The book club ran from 10:00 am to noon, so Mary went straight to her painting class, leaving Nurse Paul to care for the patient.
Mary did some watercolor tree decorations but still has additional work to do before she wants to show them, too bad! Here is the rough product!
We sat with Ms. Oreo the rest of the day, keeping an eye on her to make sure she does not lick the wound. She knows that if she does and she gets caught, she will have to wear “the cone of shame”!
We stayed glued to her the rest of the day, and by nighttime she was feeling much better. We did not give her the remaining pain pills,s and finally she began to drink and also wanted to play with her squeakies. We opted not to push her too hard. We all hit the sack around 9:30 pm.
We were up at 5:00 a.m. because the baby, Oreo, is getting fixed this morning. I didn’t even know she was broken.
We were up so early, Oreo started getting suspicious. Then at 7:00, we all piled into the car and headed to VCA Hospital in Orange, with Oreo conducting a full interrogation the entire way:
“Where are we going? Why are we going? And why does nobody seem concerned that I’m apparently broken?”
In the car before sunrise?
What is a spay operation?
During a spay, Oreo was under general anesthesia, so she’ll be asleep and won’t feel the operation. The veterinary team will monitor her breathing, heart rate, and temperature.
The vet will shave and clean the area, make a small incision in her abdomen, and remove her ovaries—usually the uterus is removed too. Then they’ll close the incision with stitches, sometimes beneath the skin, and keep her warm while she wakes up.
She may be sleepy or a little wobbly afterward. The clinic will give you instructions for pain medicine and keeping her quiet, and she’ll need to avoid licking the incision while it heals. The vet will let you know what to watch for and when to call if anything seems wrong.
I think she was suspicious because she’d never seen us dress up like this; maybe she thought it was Halloween?
Dr. Côté and Nurse Paul
We dropped Oreo off at 7:45 am, then headed to the gym to get beat up again! This time we think we were prepared. With our new outfits, the torture devices are useless! We found out that doing push-ups in the 120-pound120-pound armor was a challenge, to say the least.
Since we arrived a little early, I did seven miles on the stationary bike, and when I got off, I saw both tires were flat!
It was funny to see our trainer carrying oil cans like in The Wizard of Oz!
Come on, you trainers, we are ready for you today!!!
We went home after the gym and waited for the doctor’s call about how she did. We shed the armor and put it back in the “Gym Workout Closet”.
Mary made a nice lunch, and we worried together all afternoon!
We got the pickup call around 4:00 pm, so we raced to the hospital, and she was “happy” to see us. She was quite loopy,py so I picked he up and put her in the backseat bed.
Dreaming about chasing a ball? I thought I heard her whisper, “Did you get the license plate of that truck that hit me?”
The rest of the day, we just sat and watched her and her cone! We finally took the cone off and kept an eye on her so she would not lick the wound!
It’s really upsetting to see a dog you love feeling unwell. We know she will feel much better in a few days, but that time seems to drag on and on!
We watched TV for a while, but we were so busy watching Oreo that we hardly paid attention. We did watch “Sleepless in Seattle”, a great movie!
Sleepless in Seattle is a 1993 romantic comedy-drama directed by Nora Ephron and starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
Hanks plays Sam, a widower in Seattle whose young son calls a radio show hoping to find him a new partner. Thousands of miles away, Baltimore journalist Annie (Ryan) hears the broadcast and becomes intrigued, even though she’s engaged to someone else. Their story unfolds through letters, coincidence, and a famous meeting at the Empire State Building.
The film is known for its warm, bittersweet tone and its playful nods to classic romance movies, especially An Affair to Remember. Ross Malinger also plays Sam’s son, Jonah.
An all-time favorite escape!
Before bed, we all walked out to the backyard, and she did her business, albeit in slow motion.
Wake me up when you go to bed!”
She went right to the crate, but she struggled with the cone, which she had to wear while we couldn’t watch her. We all fell asleep immediately. It was a long day!!
Oreo and I went outside for one last visit before going to bed. She wore her cone to bed, but it didn’t make her happy, so we took it off as soon as she woke up and watched her like a hawk.
Ready for a funny?
Last night, Mary woke up from “watching” a movie in the TV room and asked for some dog treats. Naturally, I assumed she wanted to give Oreo a snack, so I put the treats in her lap and went to the kitchen for water.
When I came back, the treats were gone—and Oreo was still snoozing peacefully on her bed.
That’s when I realized Mary had mistaken the dog treats for people snacks and polished them off herself! Then I had to chase her around the yard twice to convince her it was time for bed. I’m honestly shocked she didn’t put herself in the crate!
It was funny the next morning when she scratched behind her ear with her left foot!
We worked in the office until 11:30 a.m., then wrapped things up and got ready for Vicky’s pre-party visit. Mary fought with the computer and made all the pre-travel arrangements for the European vacation. She filled out a mess of forms and made copies of our passports and other documents.
I worked on the Christmas website, cleaned up a mess of old code, and installed some new software I wrote to find certain hard-to-find errors from previous years!
Vicky and Jim came over right on time, and we talked and jabbered for two hours; time goes by fast when you are with friends.
We wandered the backyard to see how the winter garden is going.
Oreo was again a great doggie as she just sat and watched. When we went outside, she brought out a squeaky toy and had Vicky and Jim toss it for her!
I gotta rest, you guys pooped me out!!
Next up: a daring expedition into the garage “party closet,” where we’ll see what supplies we can contribute—and whether we can reclaim enough space to park a small bicycle. Wish us luck. The closet has a reputation for fighting back.
After Vicky and Jim left, we had a nice lunch: a homemade corned beef sandwich with lettuce from our garden!
We spent the rest of the day wasting time and working in the office before retiring to the TV room around 7:00 pm.
We gave up the ghost around 9:30 pm and went to bed! Tomorrow is Oreo’s vet visit to get fixed. I didn’t even know she was broken!
It was a perfectly normal Saturday—until I got up and found the coffee machine warm and a cup of lukewarm coffee waiting for me.
“Odd,” I thought. “Did I get up, make coffee, and forget about it? Is this how it starts?”
I drank it anyway and headed to the office, where I found another lukewarm cup of coffee beside my Ensure Max Protein drink.
At this point, I was fairly certain my remaining brain cells had called it a day without telling me.
A few minutes later, Mary wandered in. I confessed my coffee-related memory crisis, and she explained that she’d gotten up before me, made coffee for both of us, then decided it was too cold to be awake and went back to bed.
Mystery solved! I’m not losing my mind—Mary just made coffee and abandoned it like a very considerate little barista.
The case of “The Extraneous Coffee” was officially closed.
We spent the next few hours getting ready for the special event honoring veterans at the Elks Lodge. We may have arrived a few days early, but we celebrated Veterans Day in style, welcoming more than 200 people from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. By then, I was ready for another cup of coffee—though I wasn’t about to trust my memory about who made it!
FYI: Veterans Day is a U.S. holiday honoring people who have served in the armed forces. It’s observed on November 11 each year.
The date began as Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I fighting on November 11, 1918. In 1954, the holiday’s name was changed to Veterans Day to honor U.S. veterans of all wars and periods of service.
It’s different from Memorial Day, which honors those who died while serving.
We had assigned seats, and Mary must have made friends because we sat right up front with a special guest! I was also promoted from a Liles to a Côté! I am glad it didn’t say Private Côté!
We walked around, saw the displays and other interesting items, and stopped in the middle of the stage to get a shot of Captain Côté! Wearing her real, genuine 1970 fatigues!!
Attention!!!
When Mary signed up for this event, they asked for her uniform, and Mary dug hers out. She planned to wear it, but after 50 years and three children, the jacket was a little tight! The buttons were under so much pressure that if one got loose, it would have shot across the room at the velocity of a .44 magnum bullet. The lanyard does have her 1975 picture on it!
We walked out onto the patio, and they had things for sale, plus tables full of images of vets from years gone by! I loved this sign, and although it is beautiful, I couldn’t think of where to put it on our walls at home!
Yes, I polished Mary’s boots before she came tonight!
At our table was a colonel, 103 years young. His kids and some grandkids were there to assist him, but he did fine. He enjoyed the festivities!
Welcome Colonel Russo!
As part of the program, we offered all the vets a microphone and asked them to share a bit about themselves and their military service. Some remarks were right on, but several rambled for several minutes. Bob and I were looking for the Vaudeville Hook.
FYI: The vaudeville hook was a long pole with a hook at the end, used as a comic stage gag to pull a performer offstage when the audience disliked the act.
It became a familiar symbol of vaudeville’s tough, fast-paced variety shows—if an act fell flat, the performer was supposedly “given the hook.” The image is more famous than its routine historical use: stories and cartoons often exaggerate how commonly real performers were hauled offstage this way.
Mary spoke briefly (because dinner was almost an hour late). She was the highest-ranking woman in the group of 250. She did well!!
I never tjhought of a soldier being “Arm Candy” but here we are!!
Bob Z sat next to us taking Robin’s seat (Robin was cloistered away at home because of the 91 freeway closure this weekend). Bob did well, but I was sorry I didn’t have eggs, tomatoes, or a cream pie to use!
Bob did well to remember that far back!!!
The entertainment got going after a hamburger dinner. We were treated to a 14-year-old girl who sang the National Anthem, bringing tears to many eyes.
The next act was a group that did the Hula to “America the Beautiful”. They were marvelous. Mary and I were moving our hands as they performed.
It was very interesting!
Then we got down to the serious swing dancing singers and dancers. The Andrews Sisters look-alikes (The Swing Dolls) were fantastic! Mary and I got out there and beepopped to show our dancing skills.
One of my Elk friends asked what happens if I missed a step? I told him Mary usually says, “Drop and give me ten!
The Swing Dolls were rocking the room!
Since I couldn’t get a picture of us dancing, I got the next best thing! I asked Bob to take Mary out and “wear her out.” That way, I could get a picture of her and also avoid having to throw the squeaky toys for her and Oreo when we get home!
One of the professional dancers came by and tapped Bob on the shoulder (she must have seen him dance), and she wore old Bob out! They really looked smart!!!
It was 5:30 pm, and the three of us were ready to go home! One last pose! Sargent Zaitz and Captain Côté say goodnight to all!!!
OK kids, BEHAVE!!!
Several folks I talked to this evening shared their opinions about people today, especially after the election.
When we got home, Oreo gave us a suspicious look. Oreo changed clothes, put on her army uniform, and we both snapped to attention immediately.
Oreo is a no-nonsense dog!!!
We were dismissed, went to the barracks, and returned in our jammies to watch TV. Mary found something called “10,000 BC” that we watched, and three squawks for the next 90 minutes.
10,000 BC is a 2008 adventure-fantasy film directed by Roland Emmerich, starring Steven Strait, Camilla Belle, and Cliff Curtis.
It follows D’Leh, a young mammoth hunter whose village is attacked and whose beloved, Evolet, is taken captive. He sets out across unfamiliar lands to rescue her, encountering other peoples and a powerful civilization along the way.
The film runs about 109 minutes. It’s known for sweeping landscapes, mammoths, and large-scale action, though it takes considerable liberties with history and received a mixed response. Approach it as a pulpy prehistoric adventure rather than a historically accurate account.
We crashed around 9:30 pm. The general and I went out for some nighttime training; playing fetch with your commanding officer is always interesting!
We worked in the office coordinating all the Christmas activities, and we’re busy every day!
We had some errands to do, and Oreo wanted to go, so off we went.
First, we had lunch at our favorite Iranian restaurant, where we sat on the patio. Oreo was a perfect lady, no begging, no barking;g, she just sat there patiently
Anytime you want to feed me will be fine!!”
We had a delightful meal. I selected the chick shiska bob with rice and Geri, while Mary opted for tabula!
Yummy!!
From the restaurant, we made a quick stop at Trader Joe’s, and Mary said that when I left the car, Oreo was panicking… Where did Daddy go? Is he alright? Etc! She does the same thing when Mary goes inside, and I stay in the car!
Then we high-tail it to Roger’s Gardens in Costa Mesa to see the choo-choo, walk the gardens, and make reservations for lunch when Becky comes into town on the 11th.
Oreo was excited to say the least! New smells and a new adventure, but as usual, she was very well-behaved and got compliments from many customers!
We went to the store outside first, and she did well in the crowded conditions.
Mama shopped, and we just followed her around!
Oreo and I loved the $900 lamp!
While Mary continued shopping, Oreo and I went outside and watched the choo-choo.
We headed home, and the freeways weren’t too bad! After getting home, Oreo was ready for a session of fetch.
Mary took Oreo for a walk down to _ _ _’s house to visit and get some exercise. I stayed home and moved the water delivery from the driveway into the garage. Then I unloaded the cases of wine and stashed them away.
We were going to go in the hot tub but ended up working in the office, continuing to plan for November and December! We are looking forward to Starlighters!!
We finally went to the TV Room where we kinda watched TV. At 10:00 pm, we called it quits. Another bust day done!!
We stayed in bed this morning after yesterday’s great adventure traveling across town!
The office called first thing, so we did our usual work until about 10:00 am, then got ready for Girls’ Night Out at the Elkst. Two new prospective members joined us today. We invited one at the Halloween party, and the other came along with him. They seem quite interested!
After we departed, we went to the allergy doctor, and he did the normal screening test, and the only thing he came up with was that I am allergic to “dust mites”.
Dust mites are tiny, eight-legged relatives of spiders that live in household dust—especially in mattresses, bedding, carpets, and upholstered furniture. They feed mainly on shed flakes of human and pet skin. They don’t bite or live on people, but proteins in their waste and body fragments can trigger allergies or asthma in some people. They thrive in warm, humid conditions.
The doctor gave us some tips:
Wash sheets and pillowcases weekly in hot water (about 54°C / 130°F or hotter), then dry thoroughly. If items can’t be washed hot, a hot dryer cycle may help. We change everything weekly and wash in hot water!
Use allergen-proof covers on mattresses and pillows. We bought allergen-proof matress covers and changed the bankets to velour. Velour is a soft, plush fabric with a short, dense pile that feels somewhat like velvet. It’s often made from cotton or synthetic fibers and used for clothing, upholstery, and blankets. Unlike traditional velvet, velour is commonly knitted, so it tends to stretch more.
Reduce dust-catching fabrics in bedrooms—especially wall-to-wall carpet, heavy curtains, and extra cushions or stuffed toys. Wash soft toys regularly or freeze them overnight, then wash away the allergens. We have no carpets or fabric curtains in the bedroom. We may consider moving the two throw–rugs by the sid eof the bed. Mary has a couple of frogs which are stuffed so theuy may go in the frrzer every week for a while.
The doc said the new bedding might take a week or so, but it ought to fix the problem!
After we got home, we played with the baby until she was tired, then went back to the office.
Mary was asked to speak to a ladies’ sorority (Delta Gamma) about life as a female doctor, so she was busy doing that!
Joe called and asked for some snaps of the backyard with the new lighting system on. We plan to add another light to cover the front of the backyard to eliminate shadows.
As seen from the loft!
The back of the yard has lots of light, but we are seeing shadows in the front (bottom of the picture).
Joe plans to use swivel mounts for the lights, and the ones mounted on the HeShed should light up this part of the yard!
Mary worked on her speech for the Delta Gamma sorority coming up on the 11th. She wrote her speech, and I added some suggestions. It is now a ten-minute speech about ophthalmology.
We were up and going around 7:00 am so I guess we were tired from doing nothing yesterday. Oreo shot out the door like a rocket and hit her favorite place in the yard.
One thing to report: I turned the yard lights on and off several times when I got up around 3:00 am and checked the neighbor’s security lights; they didn’t react! So I am guessing either he disabled his, or there was motion in his backyard at the same time, and the lights went on. Maybe my yard lights made an animal move in his yard, setting off his motion detectors. More testing tonight with us texting each other.
We headed to the gym to get beat up again. We compared notes, and we believe they still have seven of our muscles remaining to mess with: four on Mary and three on me! This morning I did over five miles in 32 minutes, which means I was pedaling at 10 miles per hour.
Pedaling at 10 mph can count as cardio, especially if you keep it up for 10 minutes or more. The effort matters more than speed: if your breathing is quicker but you can still talk (though singing would be difficult), you’re likely doing moderate-intensity cardio. Uphill terrain, wind, and your fitness level can change how hard 10 mph feels.
The machine comes with a Fire Extinguisher!
I finished a few minutes early, and Mary was still going strong. She stopped repetitions somewhere after 1004! The machine was smoking hot (so is Mary!!).
Go girl go!!! p.s. She is counting by 100s!
The machine was starting to heat up, so Mary had to slow down, or I would have to pour water on the pulleys.
We may have to buy machine insurance!! BTW: What is the phone number for Nine-One-One??
We went home and began our day’s adventures. Oreo was in the back seat taking it all in! First we went to In-N-Out. We both had cheeseburgers, and we got Oreo a puppy burger!
Oreo was so forceful
After In-N-Out, we went to CVS and then the dry cleaners. Then we headed to Los Alamitos! We were supposed to go to Charlotte’s home at 1:00 pm, but the doctor’s appointment was delayed, so we called Vicky and asked her to join us at the Fish Company!
They had Wednesday Oyster specials, so we ordered two of each for Vicky. I ordered a shrimp cocktail, and Mary had a bowl of clam chowder soup!
When Mary ordered the chowder, she asked the waiter, “Is it fresh?” “Absolutely,” said the waiter. “The clams were still arguing when we put them in the pot.” Mary took a spoonful. “What were they arguing about?” The waiter leaned in. “Whether they should clam up.”
No need for dinner tonight.
After our “snack,” we went to Charlotte’s home and visited for a while. Oreo came in and visited with Charlotte and Wayne. Wayne is recovering from a stroke, and he really enjoyed Oreo’s visit because he got to throw the ball and watch Oreo do her tricks.
On the way home, we stopped by CVS because Mary left her Paperwhite book on the counter, and they found it. We love honest people!
We finally got back home, and Oreo and I played catch in the backyard. I pooped her out, and my arm was sore after 30 minutes of throwing!!
We went to the TV/Living Room and watched some TV. We were so tired I do NOT even remember what we watched! We hit the sack at 9:15 pm
Memories (I did them all; I am really old!!)
Before going to bed, I took a picture of Mary as a young Army Captain and ran it through AI to clean it up. She is going to use this photo at the Elks Lodge Veterans Group next week. Damn, she was and is pretty!
“Yes M’am!”!!!
We went to sleep immediately; driving around town all day is tiring! Oreo hit the crate as soon as we entered the room. She was pooped out, too!
We didn’t do too much today. Mary went painting, and I worked around the house.
I watched some of the election returns and could not believe that over half the country are liberals who want men in girls’ sports, want the borders open, love having drugs and criminals in our neighborhoods, want to stop getting rid of illegals, defund the cops, don’t mind corruption on a majestic scale and cannot understand that a few months of higher prices is a small price to pay to ensure the damed crazy fanatic religious ragheads in Iran won’t blow up our grandkids.
I am glad I am old. I will miss our country! It was NOT a good night!
Monday, and that means we self-inflict pain. Paul and Mary arrived at Peak Performance on Monday morning, hoping for a gentle workout and perhaps a muffin afterward. Instead, Antony and Najla greeted us in Viking leather outfits, brandishing sharp-looking knives.
“Are those real?” Mary asked.
“Relax,” said Antony. “They’re for opening protein-bar wrappers.”
Najla pointed toward the exercise bikes. “Three miles each. No pillaging until you finish.”
I pedaled with the grim determination of a man trying to escape a very weird history documentary. Mary kept pace, though she suspected the bikes ran on ancient Viking curses. After three miles, we dismounted, wobbly but proud.
Bring on the torture devices; we are ready to engage!
That’s when the trainers sprang into action. Antony and Najla ushered us toward two horrible bone-crushing machines—or, as the sign put it, leg presses.
“Wait,” I protested. “We were promised fitness, not medieval consequences!”
We strapped ourselves in. The machines groaned. My knees sounded like a tiny ship sailing through ice. Mary pushed the lever and accidentally launched her water bottle across the room.
Najla caught it like a seasoned shield-maiden. “Excellent form,” she declared.
By the end, we were exhausted, triumphant, and negotiating for muffins. Antony lowered his knives. “You have survived the Monday workout.”
“Next week,” Mary said, “we’re bringing our own Vikings.”
We made it home and went straight (after a short but much-needed nap) to take down Halloween! We started at 3:00 pm and finished at 6:00 pm, packing five large plastic storage containers. The house now looks totally naked!
Of course, Oreo helped! We are working on hand signals!
It should be easy; Mary has been using these on me for five years!
We decided it was movie night, so we watched Goosebumps II. Haunted Halloween is a 2018 family-friendly horror-comedy and a loose follow-up to Goosebumps (2015). Jeremy Ray Taylor, Caleel Harris, Madison Iseman, and Wendi McLendon-Covey star, with Jack Black returning as R. L. Stine—though he has a smaller role than in the first film.
FYI: R. L. Stine (Robert Lawrence Stine) is an American author best known for the Goosebumps and Fear Street horror book series for children and teenagers. He was born on October 8, 1943, in Columbus, Ohio.
The story follows two friends who discover a mysterious manuscript and accidentally bring Slappy, the mischievous ventriloquist dummy, back to life. Slappy unleashes Halloween creatures and chaos across town, and the kids have to stop him before things get out of hand.
It’s aimed at younger audiences (like us), with spooky monsters, slapstick humor, and mild scares rather than intense horror.
We crashed around 9:45 pm, though I stayed up to finish the Halloween Elks Gala website. Oreo and I went outside and played catch before she went to bed. She understands the normal activities around the house; she is smart!
We all got up early (Pete, Lisa, and Robin stayed overnight). I decided to fix the bagels we bought yesterday and found out Oreo ate Bob (Bag of Bagels). The bag was empty, so the little girl had two complete bagels and took two bites out of the remaining bagel! We were surprised that she didn’t wake us up and ask for Creme Cheese!
“Bagels are now my new favorite food!”
We had to leave the house by 9:30 am, and everyone decided to head home at the same time.
We had an appointment at the Hilbert Museum. The Hilbert Museum of California Art is in Orange, California, and is affiliated with Chapman University. It focuses on art depicting California and its people, places, and everyday life—especially 20th-century paintings.
Its collection includes California Scene paintings, plein-air landscapes, illustration and animation art, and works by artists connected to Southern California. The museum also hosts changing exhibitions, so what’s on view can vary.
It’s at 167 North Atchison Street, near the Orange train station and Old Towne Orange. Admission has generally been free, but check the museum’s website for current hours, admission details, and exhibitions before visiting.
Hilbert is a member of our Packard International Car Club, so the museum gave us a first-rate tour.
When we arrived, a 1955 Packard Clipper was in the parking lot.
Goofy-looking car!!!
We walked through the museum, and Mark Hilbert told us about the backstory of much of the art (it was originally his). The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University was founded by art collectors and philanthropists Mark and Janet Hilbert.
In 2014, the Hilberts seeded the museum with a $10 million gift from their personal collection (including $7 million worth of art and $3 million in cash).
The artwork below is an oil painting titled “Animal Style” (or part of the burger series) by Southern California artist Bradford J. Salamon. It looks good enough to eat!
Each piece has a good story behind it!!
When Mark visited a friend, he learned the guy had been collecting weathervanes for 40 years and offered to display the collection at the museum.
Weathervanes—also called weather vanes or wind vanes—have been used for centuries to show which direction the wind is coming from. Their history blends practical weather-watching with architecture, religion, and folk art.
Ancient Greece: One of the earliest recorded examples stood atop Athens’ Tower of the Winds, built in the first century BCE. It was described as a bronze figure of Triton, the sea god, holding a rod that indicated the wind’s direction.
Medieval Europe: Weathervanes became common on churches. The rooster was a popular design, linked to Christian symbolism and the biblical story of Peter. In time, the rooster became a familiar church-topper across Europe.
Colonial America: Weathervanes were fitted to churches, barns, and public buildings. The facing direction letters—N, E, S, and W—helped people read the wind, while the vane’s broad tail turned it toward the direction the wind was coming from.
19th century: They became both useful instruments and decorative objects. Blacksmiths and makers crafted them from sheet metal in shapes such as roosters, horses, ships, fish, and arrows. Some were finely made and are now collected as folk art.
Today: Weathervanes still work as simple wind-direction indicators, but many are mainly ornamental—on barns, rooftops, gardens, and cupolas.
A small detail: a weathervane points into the wind, so if the arrow points north, the wind is coming from the north.
Weathervanes of all types were on every wall, and each one had its own story! The museum has many small galleries that hold collections.
I remember we had a weathervane on our home when I was growing up!
It was nice hearing from the man who originally bought the paintings and why he did so!
The paintings also told stories about Southern California. Mark called this one “his Rembrandt.”
Artist: Erin Hanson (born 1981)
Title: Sunset Lace (2022)
Medium: Oil on canvas (featuring her signature open-impressionism textured brushstrokes depicting a sunset field of Queen Anne’s lace and silhouetted trees)
You can see the sunlight about to disappear.
One gallery honored Disney animator Jørgen Klubien. The Hilbert Museum of California Art in Orange has Disney and Pixar animation art, including original storyboards by Disney/Pixar animator Jørgen Klubien—known for work on films such as The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Cars.
Another gallery was devoted to stones. In Asia, deep meditation focused on a “viewing stone” or “scholar’s stone” has stretched back for centuries. This fascinating exhibition pairs, for the first time, a diverse collection of viewing stones (on loan from collectors throughout Southern California) with paintings selected from The Hilbert Collection.
Mother Nature, The Artist!!
I got interested in the “Art Of The Airwaves” collection. Art of the Airwaves: Radios from The Hilbert Collection features classic shelf and floor radios from the 1930s to the 1950s Golden Age of Radio, highlighting materials like Bakelite, Catalin, Plaskon, and marbled plastics, including designs by Walter Dorwin Teague and the rare blue mirrored-glass Sparton Nocturne.
I loved it!! Eddie is fun as Dianne, and I recognized many of the old radios!!!
Mark was amazed I knew about the magic eye (the circular feature directly above the radio dial on the circular blue radio). A “magic eye” tube was a small glowing indicator built into many radios from the 1930s through the 1950s. It let you tune a station without a meter: as the signal grew stronger, a green or blue pattern on the tube narrowed or changed shape. Tune for the clearest signal, and the pattern would close to its minimum.
Inside, a vacuum tube with a fluorescent-coated target glowed. The radio’s automatic volume-control voltage drove the indicator, changing the glowing pattern as signal strength changed. Common types included the 6E5 and 6U5; later versions displayed a bar or other shapes instead of the familiar wedge-shaped “eye.”
They were called “magic” because the glowing display seemed almost electronic and futuristic at the time. The tubes eventually faded from use as radios moved to transistor electronics and cheaper tuning indicators. Today, radio restorers prize working examples—but the phosphor can grow dim with age, and the tubes are no longer as readily available as ordinary components. Be careful around vintage radios: tube equipment can contain dangerously high voltages, even after it’s switched off.
When the tour ended, Mark came up to me and said I looked too young to know about the magic eye. He asked if I knew how to repair these old radios, and I told him yes!!! He and I are about the same age; I think I beat him by two years.
Stories were told and retold!
After the two-hour tour, we walked across the street to the Streamliner Restaurant. Orange Station (formerly the Orange Transportation Center, also known as the Orange Transit Center) is an intermodal transit center in Orange, California.
The Streamliner Restaurant is beautiful, and it was originally the Santa Fe Railroad Station!
Metrolink trains and Orange County Transportation Authority buses use a small building next to it. In the day, Santa Fe passenger liners would stop here on the way to New Orleans. The station sits adjacent to the Chapman University campus and four blocks from Plaza Park, in the heart of the city’s Old Towne neighborhood.
The station occupies the site of two former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway depots. The present depot opened on May 1, 1938, and closed in 1971 when Santa Fe discontinued passenger service. It now houses a restaurant, and the city designated it a historic landmark. 15, 1990.
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway stopped operating its own passenger trains on May 1, 1971, when Amtrak took over most of its remaining passenger service.
The last Santa Fe-operated trains left on April 30; several famous routes, including the Super Chief/El Capitan, continued under Amtrak. So passenger trains didn’t disappear from Santa Fe’s routes—the railroad’s role as their operator ended.
Just like the old days when trains were widely used!! It’s a mini-version of Union Station in LA.
We went to a “private” room with our party of 24 people and enjoyed a nice meal. We sat with Dianne and Eddie. We enjoyed watching the train run around the top ledge.
Dianne and Eddie are fun to be with!!
Dianne and Fast Eddie really got into the choo-choo train mood at lunchtime!
We departed for home around 1:00 pm so we could spend the rest of the day with Oreo!
In the evening, I turned on the new yard light which Joe installed for Vicky’s upcoming party. We will have plenty of light! We wanted to test it after the Halloween evening rainstorm.
Now Oreo has nowhere to hide!
The light looked pretty good, but later that evening, I learned via text that it was so bright it triggered our neighbor’s motion sensor and lit up his patio. We need to adjust the aim!!
The light was the LED equivalent of a 3200 watts incandescent bulb!
After a few minutes, I heard a “pop” sound, and I looked up to see Joe had added a fireplace feature, which I was NOT aware of! The light worked for a few minutes, then everything went dark, including the neighbor’s house!
I went into the house and read up on the workmanship guarantee my son provided! Oh-oh was the first thing that came to mind
I found poor Oreo cowering under a patio chair, mumbling something about biting Joe when he comes over.
We hit the sack around 11:00 pm; it was another good day!! Good night, all!
FYI: Some people call Halloween “satanic” because it uses witches, ghosts, demons, magic, and occult imagery—things some Christian groups regard as spiritually dangerous or as glorifying evil. Others object because Halloween has historical ties to Samhain, an ancient Celtic seasonal festival, and they see any connection to pre-Christian practices as incompatible with their faith.
The history is more layered than the label suggests: Halloween also grew alongside the Christian observances of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day; “Halloween” comes from “All Hallows’ Eve,” the evening before All Saints’ Day. Today, many people celebrate it as a secular holiday focused on costumes, candy, and community—not as a religious or satanic observance. Beliefs and practices vary, so some choose not to participate while others do.
We worked in the office most of the morning. When Joe called to remind me he was coming over, I got dressed and went outside to help. Oreo was wondering what all the noise was!
Joe brought all the materials and asked Charlie to assist him. At my age, I am of little help anymore!
The commercial parking lot lamp at the She Shed isn’t set up, and it lights the entire backyard.
We couldn’t test it since it was daylight, but tonight we will flood the yard with light.
At 2:30 pm, Pete and Lisa came to call with Toby. We all sat around and talked, waiting for Robin; she had part of Lisa’s costume. Toby and Oreo “played” in the backyard, and Oreo was very gentle with 16-year-old Toby! (We found out the next day that Toby slept for 18 hours straight; he was popped out!!)
Off to the Elks we went! The whole lodge was decorated for the event!
Come on in IF you dare!!!
The house was full this evening. Ghouls and goblins everywhere. There were some pretty amazing costumes.
As usual, the service was excellent! The Elks waitstaff are really good, and I am on the same page with the staff!
Mary and I were ready to spend the evening cavorting,ing and we did well!!
Time to dance!!!
Everyone was on time except the Zaitz, who got here around 6:30 pm, but there was plenty of food for all, and it was quite good!! They had good portions of beef, fish, baked chicken, plus a nice salad!
Bring on the music, we are ready!!!
Miss Denmark joined us this evening. Charlotte was ready to line dance the night away,y and she did very well!
Charming and delightful as usual!!!
Fast Eddie and Dianne joined the fun! Dianne came as the head of the Pink Ladies; Eddie came as himself!
They got the memo about wearing black!!
Santa and Michele were having a lot of fun!
Michele told Santa what she wanted for Christmas!!!
Franklyn was ready to dance!
Franklyn was ready to deal a deck of cards!
We danced, Mary danced, and Charlotte danced… we were all moving! The band was a little too 90s for us, but we went out and made fools of ourselves anyway!
Carol came with her neighbor, “The Doc,” a urologist named “I. P. Freely.”
He dispensed medical information “Freely”
Jim, Vicky, and Yolie looked great!! Raggedy-Ann was fantastic, and no matter what she says, she dances well.
FY: Raggedy Ann is a beloved rag doll character created by American writer and illustrator Johnny Gruelle. The story goes that his daughter Marcella found an old rag doll, and Gruelle drew a cheerful face on it. He patented the doll in 1915 and introduced her to readers in 1918 with Raggedy Ann Stories.
She’s usually recognized by her red yarn hair, triangle nose, blue dress, striped stockings, and a little heart that says “I Love You.” Her brother, Raggedy Andy, joined her in stories a couple of years later. Their adventures celebrate kindness, imagination, and the cozy charm of handmade toys.
The wild table!! We wanted to ask what the f was he was cooking for dinner!
Jamie came as Peg Bundy and did a magnificent job. We still have no idea how she shuffled around like Peg all evening. Al and his bride Liz joined us this evening, and Al made quite a hit as the head cowhand from Yellowstone Ranch!
Having fun!!!
Al brought unmarked bills to pay off his debt! I think they call this picture Tex-Mex??
They were indeed unmarked, but they were still wet!!!
We had a ball, departed around 9:30 pm, and headed home on the light rail!
Parting is such sweet sorrow!!! Lisa, Mary, Dianne, and Robin saying “Good Night, Be Safe”!
We crashed as soon as we got home. Between the cavorting and dancing, we were all pooped out!!
Tomorrow is Halloween, and we are having family over to get ready, and then we will all go to the Elks to celebrate! We know the lodge is ready!
Mary also asked me to trim the rootbeer tree and bay bush while the gardener was here so he could haul away the trimmings. I rescued three bay branches from the Great Garden Cleanup—Dr. Mary can turn their leaves into Christmas gifts for family and friends. First, though, the branches needed a proper bath. Even holiday gifts deserve to be squeaky clean!
Bay leaves are those aromatic little overachievers that add a subtle, savory fragrance to soups, stews, sauces, beans, and braises. In the U.S., “bay leaf” usually means the dried leaf of the Mediterranean bay tree (Laurus nobilis). Not the kind you toss in the pot and then forget to fish out—unless your guests enjoy a surprise botanical experience.
How many: One or two leaves are usually enough for a pot of soup or stew. Too many, or cooking them for a very long time, can make the flavor harsh.
Flavor: Mildly herbal, woody, and slightly floral. They add background depth rather than a strong, obvious taste.
How to use: Add a whole leaf while food simmers, then remove it before serving. It’s stiff and can be unpleasant or risky to bite into.
Fresh vs. dried: Dried leaves are common and keep well; fresh ones tend to taste more pronounced. Store dried leaves airtight, away from heat and light.
I could almost hear them singing, “I Am Pretty, I Am Pretty”
Then, with surgical precision, Mary removes the leaves and pops them into the air fryer to dry. It’s morning, and she is already dressed for the occasion!
“Come here, my little beauties”
We went to the post office, then shopped for supplies. First we stopped at Bebmo to get Butterscotch Schnapps. Butterscotch schnapps is a sweet, golden liqueur that tastes like buttery caramel or butterscotch. It’s usually made with a neutral spirit, sugar, and flavorings, and it often has an alcohol content of about 15–25% ABV, though brands vary. It’s commonly:
Sipped chilled or over ice
Added to hot chocolate, coffee, or cider
Mixed into cocktails with vodka, cream liqueurs, or apple flavors
The flavor is rich and sugary, so a little goes a long way. “Schnapps” can mean different things in different countries: in the U.S., butterscotch schnapps is typically a sweet liqueur, not a strongly distilled spirit. We are going to make Harry Potter Alcoholic Butterbeer!
Butterbeer is a fictional drink from the Harry Potter stories, served at places like the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. It’s described as a sweet, warming drink with a butterscotch-like flavor.
In real life, themed versions are usually nonalcoholic and often taste like cream soda or butterscotch, with a sweet foam or whipped topping. We are going to use clear vodka and Butterscotch Schnapps in our concoction!!
Yummy for the tummy!!!
After visiting Ralph’s Market, we went home and worked in the yard for almost four hours. Mary trimmed her roses and plants along the pool’s edge. I planted in the garden, completing two of our five gardens (one is full-time berries).
Oreo supervised and caught any balls that might have been thrown. Today I even used gloves and moved a lot of mulch between beds. We have one more to go, then we need to clear the weeds from the large bed; we may have to occlude the bed (put an opaque tarp over the area for about six weeks).
Farmer Paul at work!
We are keeping tabs on the proper way to raise our new child.
After working so hard and starting to get cold (we finally quit after 5 pm), we all went inside to the warmer air. We called Robin and coordinated tomorrow’s visit. We had a light dinner, then went to the TV/Living room to watch Halloweentown II.
Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge is a 2001 Disney Channel fantasy-comedy TV movie and the second film in the Halloweentown series. It runs about 81 minutes.
Marnie Piper and her family return to Halloweentown, where Kalabar’s son, Kal, plots to use a magical spellbook to turn Halloweentown into a dreary copy of the human world—and transform humans into monsters. Marnie, her siblings, and their grandmother Aggie have to stop him.
Kimberly J. Brown stars as Marnie, with Debbie Reynolds as Aggie and Daniel Kountz as Kal. It’s a light, spooky family movie with Halloween magic, a cozy early-2000s Disney Channel feel, and a story about embracing what makes you different.
Scary!!!
Mary fell asleep as the four hours of hard work caught up with her. I watched John Wayne in Rio Lobo while she sawed logs. Wayne plays Colonel Cord McNally, a former Union officer who teams up with two ex-Confederate soldiers to track down traitors who stole Union gold during the Civil War. Howard Hawks directed it, and it was his final film. The cast also includes Jorge Rivero, Jennifer O’Neill, Jack Elam, and Christopher Mitchum.
Oreo and I went outside before bed so she could go potty. Mary and Oreo went to bed, and I stayed up working on the website.
I ran across one more Collie Guide while I finished my email! I have this funny feeling that Oreo is sending us these messages! She is pretty smart!
At midnight, I joined Mary and Oreo for a good night’s sleep; tomorrow we party!!!
We worked in the office until 11:00am, then departed for the Elks weekly Girls Night Out! Oreo was her normal, wonderful self. We played ball inside for a while, and finally she said, “Enough, time to go outside and really throw the ball!”
Dad!! It’s time to go outside and play our favorite game!!!
So we went outside, and I spent about 40 minutes throwing the ball and planting the winter garden. I’d throw the ball, plant three veggies, then throw the ball again. I was getting pretty good at multitasking—though the ball may have thought I was running a very confusing fitness class.
I planted cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, three kinds of peas, onions, cabbage, three kinds of lettuce, Swiss chard, and some herbs. At least the garden bed won’t be bare when the party arrives in November. It’ll be dressed for the occasion before we are!
Then we came back inside and got ready for Girls’ Night Out at the Elks. While Mary finished up and looked beautiful, I checked my email and found the Starlighters’ invitation to Vintage Christmas!
It’s a FORMAL affair, so I get to wear my brand-new tuxedo, and Mary will wear a holiday ball gown. We do enjoy playing dress-up—apparently, November is shaping up to be a very fashionable month for both us and the vegetables.
The Holidays are here!!!
We got to the Elks at noon and visited the Bill C. Bob Z, George,Iris and Will. We had a great time teasing each other. Oero had to stay home. Bill wore his Halloween costume, the little devil! What could he be thinking?
Bill was looking pretty horny this afternoon!
Mary and I always dress for the occasion, but we haven’t done costumes yet! We have enough Halloween clothes to wear something different every day for 30 days! Then we put the clothes away for another year!
Just us in our holiday decor!
On the way out of the lodge, there was a Halloween display, and Mary had to kiss the skeleton’s bald head. She said it reminded her of me!!!
The poor guys were trying to have a nice quiet lunch!
We returned home, worked in the garden for a while,e and played with the baby. Oreo likes fetch a lot! Mary was short on watercolor paper and several special colors, so we asked Oreo if she would like to go in the car. ZOT! She was sitting in the driver’s seat before we got there. It took some talking, but she finally gave up the front seat and settled into her bed in the back seat!
We went to the Art Supply Warehouse in Westminster. Oreo had a new adventure, seeing and sniffing all the art supplies and many of the artists! The owners were extremely friendly and had treats for the baby and a bowl of water for visiting pets!
They have anything and everything an artists might need!!!
After returning home, we worked in the garden for about 45 minutes and took out the very heavy trash cans (full of the remnants of this Summer’s garden). We (Mary) decided to go to the Tartan Room for dinner. Oreo stayed home and listened to country western music, her current favorite.
The Tartan Room is 65 years old and a “hole in the wall,” meaning it is NOT flashy and is hidden, but the food is amazing, and locals mostly patronize it! It’s on Tustin Avenue, but it is so far back from the main drag that, unless you know it’s there, it looks like a store.
Wonderful food, and they specialize in steaks!
As soon as we arrived, we gained control of the jukebox and played our favorites. Mary had the quesadilla while I tried the street tacos. We both had a glass of wine and enjoyed dinner while revisiting the day! I am lucky to spend every day with my best friend!
Oreo took one sniff of us and got that :Where’s Mine” look.
We explained to Oreo that she wasn’t Scottish, so she couldn’t go, but we would bring a treat next time. Even though it was dark outside, we had to go play fetch for a bit so she would be happy again!!
We finally settled down in the TV/Living Room and watched Halloweentown, an old Halloween movie.
Summary: Halloweentown is a 1998 Disney Channel fantasy-comedy TV movie about Marnie Piper, a girl who discovers on her 13th birthday that she comes from a family of witches. When her witch grandmother, Aggie, takes her and her siblings through a hidden portal to Halloweentown—a place where supernatural creatures live—Marnie gets swept into a mystery as a dark force threatens the town.
Kimberly J. Brown stars as Marnie, and Debbie Reynolds as her grandmother, Aggie. The movie has a cozy, whimsical Halloween vibe rather than a scary one, and it launched a popular four-film series.
Before going to bed, I checked my email. Mary and Oreo got there before me. I got a notification from Roger’s Gardens reminding me we must visit soon!
What a day! We all had fun and are looking forward to tomorrow’s adventures! Good night, all!
Oreo got restless around 4:00 am, so I let her out of her crate and invited her outside. She looked up and, in NO uncertain terms, said something like, “Are you kidding? It’s cold and dark out there! I will plop in the TV/Living Room until you guys finally get up!“
Mom and Dad! Stop dressing me in these silly PJs!
Mary and I finally arose. I headed to the office, and Mary made coffee. Oreo joined us; she likes to help! We attempted to explain Halloween to Oreo, but she looked confused. We will have to get her a costume before Saturday.
But first, we must go to the gym (Stop #1). We arrived at the gym feeling strong, confident, and wildly underinformed. Nijla and JC guided them to the exercise machines, where every seat seemed designed by a medieval blacksmith. “Just a few reps,” Nijla promised, while JC adjusted the settings to “historic regret.”
Mary pushed, pulled, and made noises usually heard from old floorboards. Paul tried to look athletic, but the machine kept returning him to the exact same spot—like a very expensive rocking chair. Nijla and JC cheered them on as the minutes stretched into several geological eras.
At last, the torture ended. We staggered away, victorious—and already dreading the long walk to the car. We did get one last laugh!
We made it home and changed for the never-ending errands we had planned. We told Oreo about the errands, and when we found her in the house, she was ready to go, complete with goggles, a red banana, and a leather duster.
“OK, Mom and Dad, I am ready to go!!!”
We departed at 10:30 am and headed out for seven stops.
The second stop (Stop #2) was Los Alamitos Hospital to pick up some records. They located the records, but it would take 15 minutes to prepare them. So we left for lunch at In-N-Out (Stop #3) and got burgers for the records person and us. We also got a “pup burger” for Oreo. An In-N-Out “pup burger” (often called a pup patty) is a plain hamburger patty, usually served without a bun or toppings, or seasoning, for dogs.
Stop #4 was back at Los Alamitos Hospital to retrieve the records.
Then we stopped (Stop #5) at Chico’s (Mary’s favorite clothing store), where Mary found some Christmas goodies, including potential presents.
Finally, we went to our original destination (Stop #6), H&H Nursery, where we got three flats of winter veggies and three bags of veggie food.
Oreo was a perfect lady, walking with us and helping us pick out winter veggies.
The Lexus pickup was loaded, and we headed home, but Mary fell asleep during the drive, so I quickly decided to stop at the Elks (Stop #7) and assign tables for Halloween. Mary woke us just as I turned off the 55 to go to the lodge.
After twenty minutes, I was done. Halloween is set in concrete, rain or shine!!
So now we are at Stop #8, rescuing Precious from the Lexus dealer. Mary went inside and when she did, Oreo got a little crazy aas if to say, “Where’s Mom, what’s she doing!!” When Mary drove out for me to lead her home, Oreo was in panic mode. After one block, she settled down. When we got home and saw Mommy drive into the garage, she was OK.
After driving all over town, we were happy to be home. Mary helped me with the veggies. The poor old Lexus pickup’s tummy was full!
I should add a stencil to the back of The Silver Fox identifying it as an F-150!
Our cleaning people were here, and Oreo visited them before going outside for a while. Domi and crew love Oreo, and Oreo is smart enough to stay out of their way, or she might get cleaned also. She seems to be adjusting well to her new life!
We had a small dinner, then migrated to the TV room for the rest of the evening. The TV was tuned to some channel I’ve already forgotten, but the main event was Mary needle pointing at and me providing professional ball-throwing services.
I threw the ball 25 times. Oreo made an impressive mid-air catch about half the time—which means the other half was apparently a surprise to everyone, including the ball.
Tomorrow, I’m upgrading my setup: a chair with a clear throwing lane down the hallway and into the family room. Oreo’s training regimen waits for no one.
I ended up watching Granite City on BYU TV. BYUtv is a television and streaming network operated by Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. I love their programming since it is family-friendly.
We crashed around 10:00 pm.
Posted inGardening, Gym, Just Us, Oreo|Comments Off on Today We Gymed, Obtained, Dined, Shopped, Selected, Retrieved, And Delivered!
The day started with “Where is Oreo?” I left her crate door ajar on purpose to see what she might do. At 4:00 am, I woke up and looked for her. The baby was sound asleep in the TV/Living room, and nothing in the house was touched. She is a good girl!
At 7:00 am, I finally threw off the veil of sleep, jumped up, and yelled, “Let’s go pee-pee,” and Oreo zipped out of the crate at top speed and headed to the back door. We both went outside, and after 20 minutes of “fetch,” she finally did her job. Mary came out to assist in the game of fetch. Oreo always wins even when there are two of us!!
Yes, we are working on Oreo so he can fetch veggies from the garden!!
Our friend “AJ” emailed us to ask about tonight’s dinner! Dinner? Tonight? Oops!! Yep, we forgot to put in this season’s ticket for the Seagerstrom Theater, so we adjusted plans and will have dinner with AJ before the play!
We left the house at 11:00 am to pick up The Silver Fox, who stayed overnight at the Lexus dealer. He looked beautiful when we picked him up because he’d just been washed!! HE is good for another 5,000 miles!
Clean as a whistle!!
We drove home but left Precious with Lexus to change the oil and repair the center console. We will pick her up tomorrow, and I am sure she’ll be washed too!!
The Hot Rod in action!!!
After a bowl of soup, Mary headed off to painting class at noon, and I sent Oreo out to inspect her new backyard kingdom. She sniffed every square inch—including beneath the trees—so I’m pretty sure the yard has passed its first official security sweep.
Next up: Oreo gets a 90-minute solo trial while we go to the gym, preferably on a day when we’re not expecting any visitors. May the grass be interesting and the squirrels remain diplomatic. As a reward, we will take her to Los Alamitos to go to the Nursery and pick up some winter plants; we want something in the garden for the upcoming party.
We are surprised there are no skid marks where he stops and jumps at the ball/squeaky!!!
Mary brought home her work, but it was unfinished. The teacher gave them a tough assignment. I took a photo of the unfinished work so we could see a before-and-after! We had to paint each face and each square on the chef’s pants individually, and the watercolors had to dry first.
Mary plans to add a pizza and a wine bottle to the table, finish the background faces, give the chef a red bandana, and maybe add some black ink-pen highlighting.
Halfway through the product, looking pretty good!
Mary asked to send the incomplete watercolor to AI to add details that would help her finish the work.
So, I asked AI to: Optimize: Change the picture to add a red scarf around the chef’s neck, add a pizza to the left of the table, add three bottles of wine and glasses on the right-hand side of the table, and put some food on the table.
We cleaned up and left for the Silver Trumpet at 4:45 after a short walk with Oreo. We had dinner reservations for 5:30 pm. AJ joined us this evening. We saw “The Outsiders,” which was pretty good. It changed the names from “Greasers and Socs” to “Nerds and Socs”; I could identify it instantly. Obviously, I was a nerd!!!
Summary: In Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1967, Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade, and their Greaser family of outsiders battle their affluent rivals, the Socs. The Outsiders navigates the complexities of self-discovery as the Greasers dream about who they want to become in a world that may never accept them. With a dynamic original score, The Outsiders is a story of friendship, family, belonging…and the realization that there is still “lots of good in the world.”
FYI: In my high school in the late 1950s, we had several classes. Over the last twelve years, all my friends fell into one or more groups when we entered High School. Here were some common high school groups I remember (That was almost seventy years ago):
The Socialites: The socially prominent kids, often from wealthy or influential families.
The Preppies: Well-dressed, upper-middle-class or wealthy students, often associated with country clubs and college ambitions.
The In-Crowd: The popular students who dominated the school’s social scene.
The Socs (Socials): The wealthy, privileged teenagers, especially familiar from The Outsiders.
The Jocks: Athletes, particularly football and basketball players.
The Greasers: Leather jackets, slicked-back hair, hot rods, and rock ‘n’ roll.
The Nerds or Brains: Academically focused students.
The Rebels: Students who challenged school rules and authority.
I was a Nerd; I liked ROTC, enjoyed ham radio and the various shops, but turned up my nose at football and dancing.
We were gone for five whole hours, and Oreo ran the house. She handled the responsibility magnificently—no scandals, no surprise renovations, and apparently no plans to sell the furniture.
When we got home, I gave the “pee-pee” signal, and she was out the door in a flash. Then we played fetch in the dark, because, apparently, bedtime is for people without important ball-related business. Eventually, we called it a night and hit the hay.
Oreo and I discussed Christmas plans, and she’s already excited! Tomorrow we will order Christmas tree ornaments!
The weather is changing, and rain is expected around Halloween eve—though, given the weatherman’s track record, it may show up a day or two late. It’s definitely fall, and the holiday season is upon us. Time to bring out the decorations, the cozy blankets, and our most reliable forecast: “We’ll see.”
I went to the office, completed today’s Daily Diary, and then hit the sack at 11:30 pm. The Doc and Oero were fast asleep. I turned on the whole-house fan to lower the indoor temperature. Tomorrow is another big day, beginning with physical punishment at Peak Performance!
My morning routine has changed now! I get up, turn on Mary’s bathroom heater, check the house temperature, adjust the thermostat, open the back door, and return to the bedroom so Oreo can escape! Oreo goes down the hallway like lightning and shoots out the door like a 16-inch shell, leaving a battleship behind. With one little tinkle, she returns to me with a squeaky toy in her mouth. For 15 minutes, I stand out in the cold in a bathrobe, tossing toys onto the wet grass. Oreo didn’t even bother to take off her jammies
Happy Birthday to Mom, who would have been 118 today! That is Colleen (on the right) and Mom together. I do not know the other person anymore. This image is circa 1988.
???, Mom and Colleen
Yes, it is Monday. Mary and I arrived at Peak Performance for their bi-weekly workout, armed with water bottles, optimism, and a suspiciously large bag of emergency snacks. The trainers greeted them with smiles usually reserved for people about to enter a haunted house. “Ready to suffer?” Coach Antony asked, holding a clipboard ominously.
They strapped Mary and me into medieval-looking exercise machines that resembled a cross between a catapult and an office chair designed by a wizard with poor boundaries. “These are ergonomic,” Antony promised, tightening a strap. I glanced at Mary. “If this is ergonomic, I’m a decorative throw pillow,” he whispered.
The workout began with squats. At rep three, I negotiated with his knees, which had formed a union and demanded better working conditions. Mary pedaled a bike while Antony shouted encouragement. “Imagine you’re chasing a bus!” Mary pedaled faster. “I’m imagining it’s chasing me,” she gasped, “and it has teeth.”
After twenty minutes, the trainers announced a “fun finisher,” involving ropes and lunges beside a machine labeled DO NOT PANIC. I pressed its button anyway. A bell rang, lights flashed, and it dispensed a tiny towel. “It knows my limits,” he said. Antony raised an eyebrow. “It knows your laundry needs.”
They finished sprawled across the mats, victorious but moving like very old furniture. Antony handed us the schedule for next week. I stared at it. “Bi-weekly means twice a week, right?” Mary asked, suddenly alarmed. “Twice a week is correct,” Antony clarified. We sighed with relief as trainers cheerfully reset the machines for the 10:00 a.m. victims!
After the “workout,” we went straight home to check on the baby, and Oreo was perfect; she didn’t get into anything!! I played with her for a while before going to the Tustin Lexus dealer for a checkup.
Mary stayed behind and walked the baby around the block! After returning from their walk, Mary drove to the dealer and picked me up in Precious, May’s Lexus LS500h.
Precious is on the road commanding a lot of attention!!
The Lexus Sales Manager happened to be there, and he offered Mary $85,000 on the spot to buy it. He said it would become a collector’s item since they discontinued it this year.
We didn’t know how long my car would take, so we decided to go to the American Legion on Balboa Island for lunch. We had our usual, a glass of wine each, and shared their ginormous turkey club on rye. I added a baked potato, ensuring I wouldn’t need dinner tonight!
They have the best turkey club sandwich we have ever had!!!
Paul, our usual waiter, was there, so he brought two glasses of chardonnay before we even ordered.
FYI: The turkey club grew out of the broader club sandwich, an American sandwich that appeared in the late 19th century. Its exact birthplace is uncertain: a frequently repeated story credits the Saratoga Club House in Saratoga Springs, New York, in the 1890s, while other early references point to New York clubs and restaurants. So the Saratoga origin is popular, but not definitively established.
Early club sandwiches were commonly made with toasted bread, poultry—often chicken—bacon, lettuce, and tomato. They were often stacked in layers and cut into triangles, sometimes held together with toothpicks. Turkey became a familiar substitute for chicken, and “turkey club” came to mean the same classic combination with turkey, usually served with mayonnaise.
As sliced turkey became easier to buy and diners spread across the United States in the 20th century, the turkey club became a standard menu item.
The day was magnificent, with a temperature of about 75 degrees and a slight breeze. The water seemed a little high, but that was expected given the storms brewing south of us.
Dressed for the season!
The flags were flying, and they were all brand new!
Mary spotted another lad in a Halloween-themed shirt,rt so they compared notes.
The bay was fairly calm, with a few boats going back and forth enjoying the sunshine.
The sky was as clear as a bell.
No call from the Lexus dealer, so we went home to visit Miss Oreo, whom we let stay in the house rather than in her crate. The house was in perfect condition, but we saw that Oreo paced while we were gone, as shown by the security cameras going off continuously.
At 5:00 pm, I texted the dealer to keep the car and pick it up tomorrow; we didn’t want to drive in the 5:00 pm traffic!
We watched some TV and played “fetch” for a couple of hours before going to bed at 9:30 pm.
Today was relatively “slow” as we had nothing going on except going to the Elks for their annual holiday boutique. As soon as we got vertical, Oreo and I went outside for a rousing game of fetch. We had her running for 30 minutes non-stop with three of her favorite toys!
After the game, we got ready to go to the Elks. The women’s auxiliary sponsors this event every year, and they fill the ballroom and outdoor patio with purveyors of magnificent “stuff” you cannot do without.
FYI: The Elks Emblem Club is a community-service and social organization associated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Emblem Clubs commonly raise money for local charities, support community programs, and hold social events.
They’re separate from Elks lodges, and membership requirements vary by local club—many welcome women with an Elks connection.
Buy, Baby, Buy!!!
Robin came by the house at 11:15 am to meet Oreo for the first time, and they hit it off! Robin got “fetch duty” for about 15 minutes while we got everything together to go. We met Dianne there around noon.
We arrived just a tad early, four minutes before noon, and their buffet was closing. They loaded our plates with scrambled eggs, waffles, sausages, potatoes, biscuits, and gravy! Mary resisted, but I let them pile my plate high, so guess who did NOT eat dinner today? Robin didn’t join us because she is still watching her diet!
The meal was wonderful!
Dianne came in around 12:15, and the four of us sat around finishing breakfast. Since it was afternoon, Mary and I had a glass of wine while Robin drank champagne.
Next door in the ballroom, people bustled around doing their holiday shopping.
Oh my! One would think it was December!!
Mary found her favorite clothing boutique, where she bought her “bling” outfits. Bling is slang for flashy, eye-catching jewelry, clothes, or accessories—especially things that sparkle, like gold chains or diamond rings. In our case, it is rhinestones. Rhinestones are small, faceted imitation gems made to sparkle like diamonds. They’re commonly made from glass, crystal, or plastic and used on clothing, jewelry, and accessories.
When she donned the outfit, I had to wear sunglasses!
I tried to follow the girls around the entire area while they shopped, alternating between banker, wine glass holder, and package carrier. At the end, I was pooped out! I was in Estrogen overload! I did cave and bought a bag of roasted almonds, which I devoured as we walked around.
I would have probably taken more shopping pictures, but I was busy juggling three wine glasses, three purses, and a collection of goody bags.
Finally, I retreated to the lounge area, plopped down, and ordered a round of wine for us all. I almost decided to drink all four glasses, but the girls came struggling in from all that work!
Robin ordered a special brew!
Dianne came in empty-handed, saying nothing caught her eye. Little did she know I’d hired a witch to stop Dianne from spending money; she cast a powerful spell: “May every purchase turn into a sensible decision!”
I saw Dianne pick up a gorgeous handbag—and immediately put it back. “Thirty dollars?” she gasped. “That’s practically a retirement plan!”
She left with nothing but a free perfume sample. I smiled proudly. When Dianne came to the post-shopping event, she opened her purse and revealed the three “free” tote bags she’d been given to carry everything she didn’t buy.
Mary made up for Dianne! It took a small, two-wheeled handcart to get Mary’s acquisitions to the car, and then we had to drive home with the trunk open and tied down because it wouldn’t shut!
We headed home to let Oreo out and exercise. Oreo wandered what was in all the sacks for her!
Robin departed for home as husband Bob was due home from his Arizona gig any moment.
I played fetch with Oreo for about 45 minutes, but she sat down and didn’t bring the toy back!
We went inside, joined Mary in the TV/Living Room, and watched two versions of “The Canterville Ghost”, both telling the same story in different ways!
In Oscar Wilde’s “The Canterville Ghost,” an American family, the Otises, move into an English manor despite warnings that it is haunted. Sir Simon, the ghost who has frightened the house’s residents for centuries, tries to scare them—but the practical, unflappable family treats his supernatural tricks as ordinary inconveniences.
Only Virginia, the Otises’ kind-hearted daughter, responds to Sir Simon with sympathy. She learns that he is trapped by a terrible old crime and helps him find peace. After Virginia’s compassion allows him to die and be laid to rest, the haunting ends. The story humorously contrasts American practicality with English tradition, while showing the power of kindness and forgiveness.
Oero and I went outside, braving the night air while she did her business.
