Rain Rain Stay!!! We Need You!

Posted on Friday, December 26, 2025 by Paul
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

I Remember It Well!

Posted on Thursday, December 25, 2025 by Paul

It is now December 2020, and Sue has been gone for almost ten months.  Christmas would have been sad except that Dr. Mary entered my life, and my kids readily welcomed her into the family with open arms.  I introduced Mary to our tradition of watching “The Christmas Story” and dining on Chinese Food.  We celebrated at my home in Los Alamitos.  The kids had a great time teasing me about always falling asleep.

Not this year!!!

Well, we had our champagne and our glass of wine and turned on the movie.  We did OK until about halfway through, and we both fell asleep.  The kids teased us that it was the first time Mary and I slept together; they were right.

Out cold!!!

We missed the end of the movie, and the kids thought that was great.  We were made for each other!!

Mary brightened up my life during this season and has been making life wonderful ever since.  I am a fortunate man indeed.

Visit our Daily Diary entry from December 25th, 2020

At 4:00 am this morning, I woke up thinking it had to be Santa on the roof, but it was only the VERY HEAVY rain, which sounded like someone was there!  We headed to the kitchen, unloaded, and reloaded the dishwasher in preparation for today’s festivities.

Around 9:00 am, we made a series of phone calls, starting with Colleen, and then we went through our kids, leaving messages or talking to them.

By 11:00 am, we were getting ready for the expected visitors:

  • Dianne & Fast Eddie
  • Bob and Robin
  • Bob & Donna
  • The Liles’ clan
  • The Lind clan
  • Crazy Greg
  • …and us!

Join the fun with all the pictures on our website 

Our family and guests began showing up right on time, 5:00 pm.  Our live Christmas Tree alerts us as people approach the front door.   Is he worried about tree fires this year for some reason?

Mr. Tree is making sure he does NOT catch on fire.

The feast is open for business, and Chinese food disappears at an alarming rate.  Eddie goes first to make sure everything is OK.

The dinner bell has chimmed.

The front room erupts in laughter as stories are told and retold about years gone by.  Bob tells of the dinosaurs that roamed the area when he was a kid.

Stories are told in the formal dining room.

Bob, not being able to restrain himself, adds fuel to the laughter fires.

Bob has stories to tell, also.

It’s time to prepare the Mulled Wine.  We filled the punch bowl with two bottles of dry red wine and then added some sliced oranges courtesy of Jeff, our neighbor, and our own lemons.   The metallic bridge was affixed to the top of the bowl, and a sugar cone was carefully positioned in the center.

The Kraken was liberally splashed onto the sugar cone, soaking it through and through.  We drew straws to see who would light the flames.  I lost, so I pulled out my trusty lighter, and with a whoosh, flames shot into the air, frying several gnats and leaving marks on the ceiling.

The sugar cone is soaked in Kraken.

As I supervised, Mary carefully played in the fire, adding Kraken to the melting cone.  The liquid sugar dropped through the bridge directly into the bowl, making for a delightful after-dinner drink.

Here comes the fire.

THEN IT HAPPENED: a spark from the mulled wine drifted over towards our tree, and the tree caught fire.  We were lucky to have three members of the Orange Auxiliary Fire Department with us this evening.

In seconds, Amy, Dianne, and Donna changed into their firefighting equipment, and with the help of the Grinch and several bottles of champagne, the fire was put out.  The smell of burnt pine needles and steamed champagne filled the room, leaving several people asking for more!

These three brave and versatile ladies saved the evening!  Santa hats off to the fire crew!

Dianne comes to the rescue.

Donna is also a part-time fireperson!

Amy puts out a tree fire.

The party continued with cups of grog being consumed.  Charlie and Alex, our grandsons, were assigned to firewatch duty.  We wanted to make sure no additional sparks were flying around.

Visiting goes on all night long.

The grog hunt was on.  Bob, our resident German, gave us a passing grade on our efforts to recreate this delicious drink!

Bob and Donna look for grog refills.

Robn and Mary sat back and rested after watching the exceptional firefighting performance.

The girls decided to sit and rest for a few minutes.

All kinds of weatherWe stick togetherThe same in the rain or the sunTwo different facesBut in tight placesWe think, and we act as one

Just like “White Christmas”

Meanwhile, back in the formal dining room, Mae West had the most challenging job in the evening: keeping an eye on Fast Eddie!

Mae West keeps an eye on Fast Eddie.

The girls gather around the table while the boys find a comfortable place to swap stories.

The boys talk about the desert trips. Joe on the left (Son) and Zack on the right (Grandson).

Becca and Amy are both teachers, so they always have a lot to talk about.

Amy and Becca talk shop!

Mary revealed how she influences Santa.

Mary influences Santa.

Bob Duda set up the camera to capture all sixteen of us!

Yeah, yeah, the gang’s all here.

As the evening wore on, I thought a lot about my life.   I have been very lucky in my 81 years on this planet.

Good night, all, and Merry Christmas!

We had one more glass of wine before retiring to the TV room.

“Cookie little boy???”

 

Posted in Family, Friends, Memories, Movies, Working Around House | Leave a comment

Christmas Eve 1987

Posted on Wednesday, December 24, 2025 by Paul

In 1987, I left home and was in the process of getting a divorce.  I moved into an apartment near work in mid-summer.  I missed the kids, and they were pretty much mad at me for leaving.  I understood, but it was something I had to do!  It’s a long story!

December was a difficult month because the kids were not around, and I was alone.    Most of my co-workers knew what was going on, and right before the holiday break, Sue Miller asked me to join her and her mother at Disneyland on Christmas Eve.

Sue and I worked together on the Space Station proposal for Rockwell, and I had previously met her back in 1975 when she and her husband worked in my laboratory.

I was a little unsure but finally accepted Sue’s kind offer.

I had a big car, so with Sue’s excellent directions, I stopped by to pick her up in Los Alamitos and then went to Garden Grove to pick up her mother.

We spent most of the day at the park, enjoyed a nice dinner, and stayed to watch the fireworks even though I was freezing to death.  It was a lovely day, and it helped me get away from the sadness of not seeing the kids.

Disneyland had some magic that evening because three months later, in March 1988, we got married and stayed happily married for thirty-three years until Sue’s passing in February 2020.

Mary and I were up early getting ready for tonight’s celebration with family and friends.  We left the house at 8:15 am to go to Trader Joe’s for last-minute supplies, then stopped at Ralph’s on the way back.  We could not be without Fireball Whiskey!!

Please enjoy the entire evening on our website.

Mary is ready to play Santa, and she changes quickly!

We expect everyone around 5:00 pm, so we can get things started as soon as we get home.  We also decided to use the formal dining room for the first time in a long time.

We started with the grog!

One whiff and it will knock you over!

Mary got all fired up and raced through the house, making everything ready for our company!  I finally figured out what she moved so fast…

The Grinch came to visit, and no, it’s NOT Paul!

Yummy!!

The dining room was ready!  It was nice to use it after almost a year!

We even have the fine Christmas plates out!!!

We loaded our plates in the kitchen and came to the dining room for the meal!  WC Fields kept an eye on us to make sure we were OK!

Stories are told.

MAe West kept an eye on the other side of the table!

Paul has the anti-freeze ready!

Robin made Jello Shots, but this time she used Fireball!

Jello-Fireball shots in process!

After dinner and the movie, we sat for a while, remembering this wonderful evening!

Yacking is a favorite pastime.

Everyone got the memo except Dianne!

Good Night All!

It was almost time to leave on the sleigh, so I kissed Mrs. Claus, and I was off on an around-the-world journey.

Soon after everyone departed, I kissed Mrs Claus good night, and we were off!

Posted in Family, Food and Wine, Friends, Holidays, Working Around House | Leave a comment

Getting My Picture Taken At Christmas!

Posted on Tuesday, December 23, 2025 by Paul

Every year from the time I was one until my mid-teens, Mom insisted that we go to a photo studio and get my picture taken.  Yearly pictures at Christmas made sense, as my birthday was mid-December and Christmas was a good reminder.

Mom hung the pictures on the den wall, and after years of wondering why, I found a solid answer.  Our house was free of mice!  My portrait eliminated the little buggers.  One glance at my photo, and they fell over dead!

After we moved from Comey Avenue in 1961, Mom stopped with the photo sessions.  I was a teenager and never home; I was at school or working.   When Mom unpacked everything in the new house, my photos got relegated to the storage area under the living room table.  That was OK with me!

Typical of the photos:

Cute little guy, I was!  BTW, the cake is on a rotary table that plays Happy Birthday.  I still have it, and it is 78 years young.

In 1989, a P-51 fighter plane crashed into my childhood home.  I think it was aiming for those stashed-away photos.  The pictures and the entire living room was instantly reduced to tiny pieces of wood by the momentum of the P-51!

A quote from the pilot’s brother-in-law that was in the local paper:

“They lifted off, began to climb into the clear blue sky, and suddenly, like a bolt out of the blue, an actual bolt flew off the engine and into the propeller.  Then, adding to the nightmare, birds followed.  The plane spiraled out of control as my brother-in-law fought to keep it aloft.

Horribly, gravity prevailed.  The plane rolled, rolled again, and crashed on top of a house next to the airport.”

The plane went through the house and into the street in front of the home!

So, in conclusion, the airplane crash saved the world from ever having to see those Christmas-time photos, but often at Christmas time, I have an urge to take pictures of family and friends and store them in a safe place, in the cloud!

We were up and moving at 7:00 am and, as usual, we deposited ourselves in the office, the computer in front of us, and a hot cup of coffee to get our hearts started!  First, I checked the weather report.

It appears as though Christmas will be wet!

We “Walked The Yard” to make sure everything was battened down for the upcoming rainstorm.  We expect at least three inches of hard rain in the first few hours.

At 10:30 am, we headed for the showers to get ready for the hair appointments at 1:00 pm.  We have to go to Huntington Beach, and our hair person has moved to a new shop so that it will be a little hide-and-seek!  Mary said she wanted to dress to be cool, but I never imagined this!

What do you call a search engine that sings Christmas songs? Michel Googlé

Get into the holiday spirit with the Joe Di Fiore Big Band—a 17-piece powerhouse bringing the classic big band sound to Campus JAX!  Join us for an evening of festive favorites and swinging arrangements, featuring special guest vocalist Anna Crumley.  From timeless Christmas standards to jazzy takes on holiday classics, this show is the perfect way to celebrate the season—just in time for Christmas Eve.

Checkout the YouTube video of tonight’s performance!

Jack got all seventeen musicians onto the stage this evening; he must have used a shoehorn!!

Where would you find a Christmas tree?  Between a Christmas two and a Christmas four.

We had the best seats in the house!

For dinner, I tried the “Sweet Thang”—boneless chicken breast in a basil, garlic, white wine sauce over vermicelli pasta with parmesan cheese.  There was so much that I brought half of it home.  The meal was excellent.   Mary again went for the filet mignon, but this time she got the hot sauce on the side,e and I brought that home.

We both got the notice to wear red this evening!

Mary and I brightened up the room with our outfits and blinking lights

Vicky and Jim also enjoyed the performance!

Great fun with great friends!!

We stopped at Rockwell’s “The Post” on the way home and enjoyed a glass of wine.    They had a DJ, so we actually got up and danced a couple of times!  We were applauded by the clientele (mostly people in their 40s and 50s).  We stayed for about 30 minutes before we decided we had enough loud music for the evening.

The place was jumping this evening.l

From Rockwell’s to our house is 0.9 miles, so we were home in a couple of minutes!  Just in time to hit the sack!  It was a long day indeed.

Hello, we’re home now!

Posted in Friends, Memories | Leave a comment

The Milkman Got A Surprise; So Did Mom

Posted on Monday, December 22, 2025 by Paul

In the olden days, we had a milkman who came by the house every day.  They used a system to avoid going back and forth to the door.  The system was a set of brightly colored cards fastened together at the bottom.  By opening the cards to a specific color, the milkman knew what to bring to the door.

At Christmas time, they had a larger selection because of cream and eggnog, etc.  The device was placed in a glass milk bottle so it was high enough to be seen from the street.

So, being a precocious little boy, I spotted the cards when I went out to play.  There were a lot of cards, but they were at the bottom.  Only one card was visible, I think it was for milk!  Not knowing what they were for, I spread all the cards out so every color showed and then placed the device back into the bottle.

The milkman hit the jackpot!

Mom was a tad angry when she got chocolate buttermilk, a dozen rooster eggs, pickle juice, escargo flavored cottage cheese, and several other items Mom DID NOT ORDER.  She was shocked when she went to the door, and the three steps were loaded with dairy products!’

When she yelled my name, I knew I was in trouble, so I put on my adorable little face and came to the door.  Mother explained that I was NEVER to touch those cards again, ever!!!

Every time I play cards and see the cards spread out, I think of that day!

Why did the snowman want a divorce?  Because his wife was a total flake.

Today started normally!  We had our coffee and then headed to the doctor’s office to see the cardiologist for the monthly ticker check.  Our appointment was at 9″30 am, and we arrived on time!  Everything was good news!   Cholesterol was 75, no heart synchronization issues, and blood chemistry was perfect.

What did the gingerbread man put on his bed?  A cookie sheet.

Then it got complicated!  We decided to have breakfast/lunch at either El Torito or Benji’s, but as we drove and thought about all the food we had in the fridge at home, we changed our minds and went home.

We were decorated for the occasion!

As we were setting up for brunch, Domilita and crew showed up.  I forgot they were coming early this week because of Christmas.  So, we re-stuffed the fridge and headed out the door so we would not be in Domi’s way as she cleaned.

Mary got dressed to go, but I decided she needed something a little more conservative!

“No, young lady, you ARE NOT going out dressed like that!!”

Back down the freeway we went, finally ending up at El Torita and enjoying a delightful lunch.  I enjoyed their Chicken and Sour Cream Enchilada with a Taco!  Mary went for the quesadilla!  She brought half of it home with her!

Her eyes were bigger than her stomach

The sour cream enchilada was outstanding; I could eat one of those for every meal, but alas, my target weight has been reached, and I must not eat anymore.

Lunch is served!

Mary mentioned that I have too many pictures of her, so she got her camera out and took one of me enjoying the meal!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

We ended up taking some of the meal home.  The leftovers will make a great late-night snack!

Time to eat!

We managed to kill off a margarita or two before driving home to take a well-deserved nap!  The Margarita, America’s favorite cocktail, has murky origins but popular tales credit Tijuana’s Carlos Herrera for a showgirl or socialite Margarita Sames in Acapulco; it’s related to the “Tequila Daisy” (Margarita means daisy), uses tequila, lime, & triple sec, and gained fame via Tommy Hilton before Mariano Martinez invented the first frozen machine (inspired by Slurpees) in the 1970s

Did we say nap?  We crashed for about two hours!  We then headed for the TV room to watch two movies before going to bed at 10:30 pm.  While the movies were going, Mary put the finishing touches on a front door wreath she bought today at Michaels.  Dr. Mary is quite artistic!  Right before bed, the fridge was opened, and out came the casadeas from lunchtime.

Walking down the hall to the bedroom, Mary described a special plate she is going to make for Christmas Day!

I smelled a rat!

Then it came to me, Mary and the Grinch (played by me), are an item!

Mary selected a dress that matched my fur!

Posted in Dining Out, Doctor | Leave a comment

Mary Got A Bike!!!

Posted on Sunday, December 21, 2025 by Paul

I asked Mary to share one of her Christmas memories:

I lived in a small town called Medford, Oregon, with a population of 15,000.  As you know, I was born into a low-middle-income family, and my foster parents tried to do the best they could.  All the kids at school had bicycles except me, so I wanted to catch up to the Smiths and have a bike.

My parents saved and saved, and on Christmas morning, I got my wish.   Santa Claus brought it in the Mayflower truck that my dad drove.  The bike cost about $50, which is the equivalent of $500 today!

I received four speeding tickets in the first year!

I rode it all the time.  My sister had the same one.  Even Santa had a bike!

Santa could not catch up with me!

My mom always made a theme for the Christmas tree.  One year, it had all gold ornaments, and the following year, blue, silver, or red.  We put on the tinsel a strand at a time and took it off the same way so that it would be suitable for the following year.

Tinsel’s origins started in 17th-century Germany, made from real silver to reflect candlelight, a luxury for the wealthy, evolving to lead in the 1950s (now banned for toxicity) and eventually safe PVC plastic.  The word comes from French for “sparkle,” and beyond trees, it once adorned prints, but its history includes fire hazards (aluminum tinsel) and a shift towards safer materials for holiday decor.

One year, we had the infamous aluminum tree with a color wheel.  Christmas has always been my favorite holiday.  I love giving gifts, thinking all year about what would bring you joy.  I would then hide it, and we are always lucky if I can find it again at Christmas.

Ratchet forward thirty years, I got Becky (my youngest child) a Beanie Baby calendar and didn’t find it until two years later; it was under her head.

Today is another busy time during this season.  Joe and family are coming over around 11:30 to take us out for my Birthday dinner.  We decided that Italian would satisfy everyone and that Renada’s, near the traffic circle, would be a good choice.  Then in the evening, we are going to Campus Jax for a Christmas musical extravaganza with Bob and Donna!

Joe, Amy, and Alex came over around 11:30, so we could open presents, and Joe brought me a new air compressor; the old one blew its top!  We spent an hour talking before departing for lunch at Renada’s!

What do you call a bunch of chess players bragging about their games in a hotel lobby?  Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.

Present exchange!

We had the perfect table at Renada’s, complete with a view of the street so we could hear and see the regular traffic, punctuated by ambulances, fire engines, and motorcycles.

What’s the most popular Christmas wine?  “But I don’t like Brussels sprouts!”

We had a birthday lunch at Renadas near the traffic circle.

We missed Charlie, but at eighteen, girl friends take priority.  We are not too old to understand teens!

Charlie was with his girlfriend!!

We returned home and had an hour nap before departing.  We stopped by some friends to return a pair of sunglasses left at our house, then headed to Campus Jax for a Christmas celebration.  We enjoyed Mark Woods and his group’s performance of Christmas favorites in a new style.

We were decorated for the evening!

We were dressed for the occasion.

I went for the spicy meatballs and lobster ravioli, which were quite spicy (Jack of Jax is from Louisiana, and the Cajun cooking followed him to Newport Beach!).

My pasta and meatballs were perfect.

The filet mignon was cooked perfectly, but it was coated in a Cajun spicy sauce.  Mary saved the steak from drowning in the tangy sauce and managed to eat it without it.

Mary’s filet mignon was excellent, although she had to save it from the sauce!

We were lit up, with matching lights that blinked a secret message to the bartender.

All lit up!

The four of us really enjoyed the toe-tapping musical adventure!

Why does Scrooge love reindeer?  Because every buck is deer to him.

Great fun with friends!

We headed for home around 10:30 pm and watched some TV before crashing.

I asked my wife what she wanted for Christmas.  She told me that nothing would make her happier than a diamond necklace.  So I bought her nothing.

Posted in Family, Friends, Theater | Leave a comment

The INTERCOMM

Posted on Saturday, December 20, 2025 by Paul

When I was in Junior High School, I took “Electric Shop,” where we learned Ohm’s law, how to use meters, and the proper way to run power plugs.  For the last project, we built an Intercom from a five-vacuum-tube radio.

First, we had to bring in a “working radio” to class, and I found a Zenith radio in the garage.  When I plugged it in, it actually worked.  Then I needed to go to Radio Shack and buy an aluminum box, a speaker, and a toggle switch.

The instructor gave us step-by-step instructions for the general modifications.  Every kid had a different radio, so it got complicated.

I worked on that project for almost a month, but finally I got it to work.

I took it some and wrapped it up as a Christmas present for Mom and Dad.  If it worked, it would allow Mom to call Dad, who was in the back yard, from the kitchen instead of having to walk through the house to get his attention.  Well, IT WORKED, and Mom and Dad knew I was headed to be an electronics engineer!

Today was relatively slow.  We jumped into the hot tub for the first time in three months.  Finally, all my scars from the operations were sealed up tight by Father Time.  The water felt amazing, exactly 94 degrees.  We got out and headed to the showers to get ready for a long day of visiting people.

While sitting in the hot water, I thought a lot about how I could better automate my newfound “Mobile Humanoid Drink Analyzer”.  The old one works just fine, but it is a little slow, taking about 4 minutes from the initial sip to the final facial expression.

Perhaps I could augment the process with a mid-taste and final taste “PA TOOEY” sound effect?  BTW, click for a full-sized image!!

The biggest event today is to visit Vicky’s Open House.  Miss Vicky is very proud of the work she has done to rework the home since her daughter left a year ago, leaving it chopped up into small rooms.  The place now looks like a dollhouse!

Yolie at the helm!!

Authentic enchiladas made the day!  I asked Yolie how she washes her hands after cooking.  She said without hesitation, “With Santatizer.

Enchiladas originated in ancient Mesoamerica with the Mayans and Aztecs, using corn tortillas filled with fish or other items and dipped in chili sauce (“enchilar”).  The Spanish introduced meats and cheeses, while modern versions feature diverse regional styles like verdes (green), rojas (red), and Suizas (creamy).  The name “enchilada” appeared in 1885, and the first U.S. cookbook recipe was in 1976, though it’s a staple in Costa Rica, too.

¡Reales, auténticas enchiladas de Yolie!

What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations?  Tinsillitis!

We love the Christmas tree.  No needle problems and it can stay up all year long, if need be!  The dining room has returned to its former glory (without red walls, an inside joke).  All the popcorn ceilings are gone, and indirect lighting sets the stage!

I did not see an Advent calendar, so I asked what happened to the man who stole it.  Vicky responded, “He got 25 days.”

Vicky’s unique Christmas Tree

The old trophy case is a memory, and in its place are new memories.  The kitchen table is ready for meals, and the master bedroom is fantastic with the latest windows and window treatments.

We stayed for almost three hours visiting with Vicky’s family and friends and eating our way through all the delightful foods and dips!  Burp!

The new room and memory wall!

After seeing all the movie stars on the memory wall, I had to ask, “Which famous playwright was terrified of Christmas?”  Yolie, of course, responded, ” Noël Coward.”

I read about Sleepy Joe’s problem getting money for his library, so we donated!

I donated a roll of toilet paper, mostly new.

Arriving home via the gas station (the Silver Fox was running on fumes), Mary wrapped little presents for our friends, and I did the hard work: I checked for light leaks!

We “watched” some goofy movies, but between wrapping and checking for light leaks, we didn’t miss much!

We needed rest, so by 10:00 pm, we were sound asleep, awaiting tomorrow, another big day!

Posted in Family, Friends | Leave a comment

Christmas Eve Flood Of 1955

Posted on Friday, December 19, 2025 by Paul

This day was going normally at Christmas 1955 until that call came from Stockton.   My Aunt Kaye called Mom and said Stockton had flooded, and her home was sitting in 7 feet of water from the overflow of the levee across the street!  Aunt Kaye said everything was lost, including the Christmas presents for cousin Tom and Gayla.

Throughout its history, Stockton has been prone to periodic and often catastrophic floods.  In 1955, the so-called “Christmas Eve Flood” inundated much of the city.  It was caused by a series of “pineapple express” storms barreling in from Hawaii, by early, rapid snowmelt in the Sierra, by eight days of steady rainfall in San Joaquin County, and by a preventable human miscalculation.

Although Pacific Avenue was temporarily closed due to water sloshing into stores, South Stockton felt the brunt of the storm when Mormon Slough began to overflow.  A year before, the Stockton City Council had decided, based on bad advice from the Army Corps of Engineers, that the city no longer needed the slough for flood control and protection.

It therefore approved filling in part of its bottom for a parking lot and constructing several earthen bridges to join city streets across the chasm.  According to The Record columnist Michael Fitzgerald, “through these obstructions, engineers ran a culvert as adequate to the coming flood as a straw to a swimming pool.”

Under water!

We packed up everything the next morning, including several of my presents that we had NOT opened, and headed to Tracy, California, where my grandparents lived.  Aunt Kaye and family stayed there on Christmas Eve and for many days afterward, until the water level went down.

Cousin Tom Hale (1944-2017) and Aunt Kaye (1924-2019)

We celebrated Christmas with Ray, Kaye, Tom, Gayla, and my grandparents.

Mom, Dad, and I returned home a couple of days later, as we could not do anything to help other than provide financial support.  To get to their home, they needed a boat.  The water finally receded a week later, and they went to the house, but the flood destroyed everything, including their new 1954 Mercury.

It was a time to remember how families stick together during emergencies.

We were up early and had our cars ready for their baffy!  Our new car wash guy, Manuel Rios,  was here at 8:00 am sharp and began making the automobiles look brand new.  When I went outside to give him Robin’s keys, the Silver Fox looked like it was in a snow bank.  There were white bubbles and soap everywhere!!
At 9:30 am, we took off for the Rogers Gardens for our annual Christmas Visit—time to do some serious shopping in the fairytale land.

The first thing the girls do is to accost a poor, innocent soldier.

Join the fun on our website.

“Hi, soldier!”

They look so innocent; yeah, right!

“We’re going in!”

While they were chasing soldiers, I followed the choo-choo train around the facility, and I helped it by making my famous train sounds.

ZYje cjoo choo was running.

During our walk, we spotted many incredible decorations with the brightest reds one could imagine!  This tree was made of red jingle bells.

Red?

Robin caught us at a good moment in the doorway to the packaging center.

Just us!

Inside the store, more decorations were available.  Mary’s eye caught this one, and we almost purchased it since it was so true.  We were not sure who the pillow was referring to: Mary, Robin, or me!

How appropriate!

Everyone knows about the “Elf On The Shelf,” but I caught a glimpse of “The Elf In The Tree.  It looked like Mary, but I was sure Mary would not be climbing inside the tree, or would she?

There was an elf in the tree!

From Rogers, we made a quick stop to see Dr. Bill, who applied his skills to my feet.  He chopped off my toenails, and now I can put on socks without them hanging up.

The American Legion that Mary belongs to is in Newport Bay, Balboa Island.  We sat and enjoyed the view, and could see the fog blotting out our usually great view.

The Legion was fogged in!

We had a glass of wine and shared their amazing turkey club sandwich, which kept us full all day!  Rovin tried their roasted bell pepper soup, which she proclaimed as fantastic.

We had a fantastic lunch!!

The fog was so thick we could not see across the bay!  Driving toward Dr. Bill’s, the fog cleared up, and it was a bright, sunny day!

We need Rudolph.

After we departed Dr. Bill’s, where I got my toenails trimmed, we ended up on Irvine Blvd, so I suggested we stop at Verde for a daycap (it’s like a nightcap but different).

We entered Verde, and Anthony was awaiting our arrival!  Mary and I had a “Becky’s Good Hair Day” while Robin went for the Christmas drink made of Fernet and Chartreuse.

Fernet is a dark, bitter Italian herbal liqueur (an amaro) known for its intense, complex flavor from ingredients like myrrh, saffron, chamomile, and rhubarb, typically served as a digestif to aid digestion after meals or mixed with soda/cola, especially in Argentina, where “Fernet con Coca” is a national drink.  It’s strong, with an alcohol content around 40%, and offers a potent mix of bitter, minty, and spicy notes, developed initially as a medicinal tonic in the 1840s.

110 Proof, Chartreuse is a potent, complex French herbal liqueur made by Carthusian monks from a secret recipe of 130 plants, flowers, and herbs, famously existing in green (stronger, woodsy, 110 proof) and yellow (sweeter, honeyed, milder) varieties, used in classic cocktails like the Last Word or sipped as a digestif.  Its natural green color comes from chlorophyll, not artificial dye, and it’s aged in oak barrels for distinct flavor profiles.

After downing the hairday, Mary tied the Christmas drink with the following results:

She tried the Christmas drink!

Robin seemed to enjoy the drink, although towards the end of our visit, her glass got poured into mine.

Someone liked the drink!

Anthony did his usual selfie, which we sent to Becky!

We stopped at Verde to see Anthony and get a drink!

We made it home around 3:00 pm, and Robin took off for her “date night” with Bob.  We went to the TV room and binge-watched “Landman” until almost 10:00 pm.  It was time for bed.

Posted in Dining Out, Family, Fun, Holidays, Walking | Leave a comment

I Was At Work Christmas Eve In 1968!

Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2025 by Paul

I was lucky enough to work on the Apollo Program and knew these folks (at least to talk to and work with while they were in Downey).  I worked on their space machine (Apollo Command and Service Modules).  I was inside, sitting in their seats, during tests in the North American Aviation/Rockwell final test and checkout facilities.

I met the astronauts when they came to Downey for the final checkout procedures.  (In fact, Frank Borman and I argued about how the SCS works… I won the argument, and he was very friendly for many years.

Following its journey from Earth to the Moon and back was exciting beyond belief.  I will never forget that I knew the guys speaking from the Moon on Christmas Eve 1968.

I was assigned to work the MSR (Mission Support Room) in Downey.  The MSR was on call in the case NASA needed additional design or operational information.  I was a member of the SCS (Stabilization & Control System) support team.

We did not get a call that evening, but it was exciting to get a live video/audio feed from the spacecraft.   I returned home just before the astronauts made the lunar landing.  It was an exciting Christmas Eve!

Today is Thursday, so it is off to the Elks Lodge for Girls Night Out!  But first, we worked in the office and refined our plans for getting together with friends.  Mary remembered that Paul promised to go out and get a Christmas Tree.  Off I went through the rain, hail, and snow and the puddles filled with alligators, to fetch my bride a tree.

We got ready for the Elks wearing our matching Christmas shirts.

When we arrived, we were greeted by a roaring chorus of happy birthday and presented with a cupcake Christmas birthday cake.  Yummy!!

George and Beverly brought me a birthday cupcake!

Yes, it is in black and white because the sun, through the window, makes the color photo nearly impossible!

We like the old black and white Christmas

In the lobby, the Clauses were ready for Christmas Eve,

They are prepared to rock!

Everything gets decorated at Christmas, including Mr. Elk.  Maryy suggested we hang red and green balls on him, but I suggested we stay away from the business end of this beast!

Mr. Elk was decorated for the holidays!

We are off to see our neighbor, Jeff Smith,  who is in a care facility down south.  It was a 30-minute drive, but it was worth the trip to see him.

Here she comes, we are on our way to see Jeff.

We spend 15 minutes with him talking before heading home, we will meet up with Robin for dinner and a Christmas movie.  Robin arrived about 5:15 pm, and we had a snack before going to Yang Ming for dinner.

We had our matching uniforms.

After coming home, we went to the TV Room and watched “Landman” on Paramount+ Premium!  A little rough in the language department, but probably realistic.  We are awaiting Sam Elliot’s arrival on scene.

We crashed at 10:30 pm.  Before we went to sleep, Maary gave me a nice kiss!

S-m-o-o-o-o-o-c-h!

I decided before closing my eyes, I would go over the Naughty List on more time and to my surprise….

Posted in Dining Out, Elks, Family, Friends, Holidays, Memories | Leave a comment

Talk To Me!

Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 by Paul

As I had mentioned previously, Ralph Lebowitz, my Dad’s boss, was an amazingly generous man.  He was aware that I loved American Flyer trains and came to see the layout at our home.  One Christmas Eve, our family went to the annual company Christmas Party at Ralph’s home to celebrate with many of the company’s employees. As the evening rolled on, it came time to open presents.  The staff got little envelopes, which I now know were filled with bonus checks.

When it was my turn, Ralph pointed under the Christmas tree at a large package.  What could it be?  I opened it up instantly and was amazed.  It was an American Flyer Talking Mystic Train Station!

The price in 1956 was $19.00.  $19.00 in 1956 has the same buying power as approximately $226.31 today (2025).  As I said, Ralph was a generous and loving man!

It had an internal record player!!

The #799 model, built from 1954 to 1956, featured an “Automatic Talking” function with a record player and control unit to simulate train sounds and a station master’s voice.

The train station was built only between 1956 and 1956, but you can still find them for sale on eBay today.

We left the party early (so Dad could keep celebrating), but when Mom and I got home, we went to the backyard train room.  Remember, it was December 24th, and it was cold.  I installed the new train station onto the layout, wired it up, and played with the train, starting and stopping at the station until late midnight.

Do you know the drill? Today is midweek, which means it’s time for calisthenics at the local training facility! Today, we again wore matching Christmas shirts and performed well. I managed to do five more counts on every machine than requested. We actually finished about five minutes early, so we headed to Ralph’s to get some goodies, including eggnog and orange juice.

It felt funny putting the car into the garage since it had been outside for two weeks. Yesterday’s garage cleanup effort was worth it.

At 12:15 pm, we headed to Mary’s doctor’s appointment near Costa Mesa, and while she was with the doctor, I finally got halfway through my book. Dirk and the gang are driving the Chinese Communists crazy with their disguised special operations ship.

When we got home, the cleaning folks had just departed, and I suggested we go to Aces for a light dinner instead of messing up the house.  Ace’s was CLOSED!  Oh my!

We then went to OC Mining Company and sat at the bar with a drink and a light dinner, artichokes, and a baked potato, which we shared.

When we got home, we opted to watch some TV using our Paramount+ Premium channel, meaning NOT COMMERCIALS!  Yeah.  We hit the sack around 11:00 pm.

Posted in Just Us, Memories | Leave a comment