Hello Garden, Here We Come!!

Posted on Thursday, August 6, 2026 by Paul

We got up early and headed to the Vet because it was time for Grace’s checkup, nail trim, and a precautionary de-fleaing—just in case she’d picked up any tiny freeloaders during her two-week “outdoor retreat.”

Getting her into the carrier was less of a task and more of a full-contact Olympic event.  Grace had approximately 14 legs, no bones, and the strength of a panicked raccoon.  It took both of us, several strategic maneuvers, and possibly a small violation of the Geneva Convention.

After surviving that adventure, we came home.  We headed to the garden to plant our seven new tomato plants.  I dug the holes, added fertilizer, and planted them with the confidence of a man who knows someone else will handle the aftermath.  Mary followed behind,  cleaning up after me—which, judging by the dirt trail, scattered tools, and general crime scene appearance, was not a small assignment.

My gardening uniform that day consisted mostly of loose-fitting skin — I was apparently in training for World Naked Gardening Day and had taken the “uniform optional” policy very seriously.

Thankfully, with the strategic assistance of a tomato plant, the whole scene remained technically “G-rated.” Think National Geographic, but with more mulch.

Naturally, this was the exact moment our neighbor — who had been home for the first time in six months — decided to look over the fence and ask about watering his orange trees. I immediately dove behind a much larger tomato bush like a startled garden gnome with legal concerns.

Mary was laughing so hard she could barely hold the camera steady. Out of nine photos, only one wasn’t blurry — and even that one may need to be sealed in a government archive.

Thank you, Mr. Tomato!

At 11:00, we were off to the Elks for the weekly “Girls’ Night Out” activity.  Great fun with the gang!  As the afternoon progressed, Mary assisted Sandee so Sandee would see, speak, or hear any evil!!

The “three wise monkeys” — see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil — are a famous symbol of moral conduct and self-discipline.

They are usually shown as:

• Mizaru — covering his eyes: see no evil
• Kikazaru — covering his ears: hear no evil
• Iwazaru — covering his mouth: speak no evil

The most famous version comes from Japan, especially a 17th-century carving at the T?sh?-g   Shrine in Nikk?, dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu.  The monkeys are part of a larger set of carvings meant to teach life lessons.

The phrase is often linked to a Japanese proverb.

“Mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru”?  Do not see evil, do not hear evil, do not speak evil.”

Not to be outdone, Mary and Sandee recreated the image “one no at timeme”!

See no evil!

Hear no evil!

Speak no evil!

We headed home, and I took a two-hour nap, which was not so much “resting” as it was my body filing an official shutdown notice.

After I rejoined the living, we watched a little TV and then headed for the pool.  The water is still 92 degrees, even after we lowered it to 90—apparently the warm weather took that as a personal challenge. At this point, the pool is less of a ” refreshing swim” and more of a “giant outdoor bbathtub “

After getting out, we watched the rest of PanAm 108 and then went to bed.  Gracie was roaming around the house and headed upstairs when we came down the hallway.  Finally, I got a face-on photo!

During the night, I saw our hallway, family room, and living/TV room lights go on and off, which means Grace is on the prowl!  Nothing like a four-legged burglar alarm!  Who needs a random lighting timer when Grace is on duty?

“I am mad!!  You took me to the Vet this morning!!!”

At 11:00 pm, we were sound asleep!

Posted in Elks, Vegetable Garden | Leave a comment

Mid Week Crisis Has Begun

Posted on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 by Paul

At 6:46 am, my eyelids flew open like someone had hit the garage door remote, and I launched out of bed with the grace of a startled squirrel.

Today is going to be busy—the kind of busy that makes your calendar sweat and your coffee file for overtime.  I get chills just thinking about it…  I thought about rolling over, going to sleep, and telling everyone that my electronic calendar committed hari kari!

  • Gym at 8:30 am – 10:00 am
  • Haircuts in Huntington Beach 11:30 am – 1:45 pm
  • Lunch with Mary’sfinancial advisor 2:00 pm – 3:45 pm
  • Mary has guests to go picking at 4:00 pm
  • Paul heads to Elks for an interview at 4:30 pm
  • Bob Z comes over for pre-board meeting activities at 5:30 pm
  • Starlighters Board Meeting 6:00 pm

After our workout (meaning bullied and pummeled), we managed to waddle out of the Peak Performance Palace of Horror and went to the grocery store to get some goodies for     tonight’s board meeting.  Then we went home to lick our wounds.  We had about 35 minutes to change clothes and head down the old Highway 55 to Huntington Beach for our six-week clipping.

Mary went in first, and then I followed.  My “ears lowered” took about 9 minutes, and I was declared handsome.  When Mary’s hair was under the dryer (yes, Mary was also),  I went next door to the Black Trumpet and devoured two happy hour items and a glass of wine.

Blow Gabriel Blow!!!

The Black Trumpet Bistro Tapas & Wine Bar is a family-run Mediterranean restaurant in Huntington Beach, California, located at 7041 W. Yorktown Avenue. Run by Chef Dino Ferraro, it offers French, Spanish, Italian, Greek, and Moroccan small plates, full entrees, and a curated wine list.

I was recognized immediately as I entered their establishment.  (They locked the safe and sent the women and children into the back room!)

Believe it or not, this is a stuffed jalapeño pepper — although at some point it clearly stopped being an appetizer and started applying for entrée status. The chef packed it with deer meat, cheese, and microgreens, and it was actually delicious. That said, any jalapeño that requires a knife and fork has officially gotten too big for its pepper pants.

The presentation was beautiful!

I was sitting at the bar when, all of a sudden, a beautiful young lady tapped me on the shoulder.  I was all prepared to say, “Sorry, ma’am, but I am very happily married!”  When I turned around, it was Paula.  She is beautiful, but I was safe!  Then 30 seconds later, Mary popped in from next door.

Ladies! Shall we order??

We found a table and placed our order.  I ordered tacos, and below was their answer.  It was amazingly good, but again, a tad difficult to eat since the taco shell was lettuce.

Tacos with a European flair!

Paula mentioned to the waiter that she saw some swimming attire he might like.  Without further ado, she pulled out her iPhone and showed him the image.  It frightened the guy so bad that he never returned to the table.

He never returned to our table (but I went home and bought three pairs from Amazon).

We departed the Black Trumpet at 3:05 pm and headed home, where I did a fly-by, meaning I dropped Mary off, and I headed to the Elks Lodge to attend the “investigation” of Alvaro Ruiz, whom I sponsored into the Elks.  I knew him 20 years ago, and now he works with Robin every day, so I know he is a good guy!!

Robin was going to follow me home but decided to go home directly;y, she had a long day at work!

We all dropped a few bucks into the donation center box to assist the wayward woman!!

As the Silver Fox and I were flying up Highway 55 attempting to get home before the board members arrived, we got a call from Mary saying Bob was already there.  I hit the Warp Drive Lever and further increased my chances of getting a speeding ticket.

As I arrived, the gang began showing up.

Jim, Betty, and Ed listened intently to Bob Z spewing forth a wealth of knowledge!

Will, Iris, and Vicky also participated in the meeting!

Bob conducted the meeting with skill!!

The maestro of mischief at work!

As everyone was departing, I remembered I again did NOT get a picture of us, so Vicky did the honors!

I was half in the bag by the end of the meeting!

Mary challenged me to finish off the shrimp, so I accepted like a champion.  That curly little sucker never stood a chance—one gulp and he became seafood history.

NOW, I am ready for a small glass (or bottle) of wine!

When everyone finally left, we peeled ourselves out of our clothes and made a beeline for the oversized hot tub they call a pool, where the water was still a cozy 90 degrees.  Mary handled bug patrol while I drifted around like an abandoned barge with no cargo, no captain, and absolutely no ambition.  When we began to get pruney, we carefully extracted ourselves from the water and headed to bed.

9:00 pm, time to go inside!

The “Bug Lady” was worn out, as we had been on the move for the last thirteen hours without rest!

The Bug Lady is collecting specimens

I was so relaxed, I fell asleep on the way to the pillow!

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Today Was Painting Day!

Posted on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 by Paul

We were up and going around 6:00 am, as today is 1) get-ready-for-the-board-meeting day and 2) watercolor painting day!

I got on a roll and got out all my shoes, ALL 24 PAIRS.  Oh my, I might be a girl!   All I need is about five pairs!  I need formal dress shoes (tuxedo), dancing shoes, leather dress shoes, two pairs of tennis shoes, and that’s it!   Someone at the Salvation Army is going to be happy!!

We worked around the house until 11:00 am and then got ready for Mary’s weekly painting class.  I dropped her off at 12:30 pm and then headed home for a few minutes before doing my errands:

  1. Filled up the tank on the Silver Fox; it was running on fumes!
  2. Stopped at the bank and refilled my wallet, which was down to $3!
  3. Did a Del Taco run and got a taco and a small Diet Coke
  4. Stopped by the cleaners to drop off two of Mary’s blouses

Then it was off to pick up her nibs at the seniors center.  Mary was into swamps today!

Knowing that she loves frogs, I used my magic and added two additional friends to her painting.  Snoop Frogg and Captain Croak were added to the masterpiece.

On the way home, we made a strategic stop at the post office to mail a letter to the IRS, with whom we are currently engaged in a spirited game of financial dodgeball.  We dropped it in the slot and hoped it would find its way to the one person there having a good day.

Once home, we checked on the kitty—who, as usual, had been managing the household with complete indifference—then headed back out on an important expedition to Home Depot, also known as the place where”we only need one thing” goes to die.

We picked up a few more solar-powered LED walkway lights for the backyard, and now every planter has one.  At this point, the yard is better lit than some airport runways.  We also bought a new handle for Mary’s favorite rake, because apparently even garden tools get hip replacements, and seven new tomato plants, which will be going into the ground early tomorrow morning—assuming they don’t unionize overnight.

Then it was back home for the rest of the day.  Mary went VFR to the kitchen and successfully scrounged up a delightful dinner of corned beef and cabbage with a homemade cucumber salad.  Meanwhile, I performed the highly technical task of unloading the car and putting away our purchases without losing any receipts, tools, or dignity.

The new lamps were installed quickly so we could watch them come on as the sun set.  Sure enough, as darkness fell, the backyard began to glow proudly—like a tiny solar-powered Las Vegas, but with more tomatoes.

The west wall is now quite bright.

The center wall in the backyard is lit up like a Christmas tree!

We went into the pool for about two hours and watched the lights and the stars!

After drying off, we watched the rest of Comanche, a 1958 shoot ’em up.  Summary:  Released in March 1956 and directed by George Sherman, Comanche is a CinemaScope Western starring Dana Andrews as frontier scout Jim Read.  Read tries to broker a peaceful treaty between the U.S. government and Comanche Chief Quanah Parker, but renegade faction leaders and a bigoted government commissioner constantly sabotage their efforts.

Mary crashed directly after the movie while I stayed up and finished off the Daily Diary.  As I took pictures of my lighting handiwork, I found Grace in the Family Room contemplating a run for the back door.  I stopped her in her tracks!

“I will escape again, I will!!”

I returned to the office, powered down the computer, and went to bed at 11:30 pm.

Posted in Art, Just Us, Movies | Leave a comment

Monday, We Start All Over Again! (This Is My 4,260th Monday)

Posted on Monday, August 3, 2026 by Paul

I checked, and this is Mary’s 3,872nd Monday!  Therefore, I am ahead by 388 Mondays.

We had our coffee, put on our workout clothes, and bravely prepared ourselves for the weekly torture chamber.

Yes, it’s Monday—which means we voluntarily drive to Peak Performance and pay actual money for someone to bend, stretch, lift, and twist us into human pretzels with joint pain.

I found myself daydreaming about being young again—walking into a fitness center full of energy and walking out feeling strong, refreshed, and completely pain-free.

My goodness… can you imagine?  Leaving a workout without making noises like an old screen door.  What a magical time that must have been.

Me, 64 years ago, when I had hair and a body that did not ache!

After the workout, we wandered into the market next door for “mandatory groceries” — because apparently scones are now considered essential supplies.  Five bags and one suspiciously small watermelon later, we headed home victorious.

I heroically carried the bags from the car to the kitchen, where we formed a highly efficient grocery-putting-away task force.  Honestly, we make a great team — part fitness duo, part snack logistics department.

We invited Dianne over to join us in a terrific lunch; Mary was at her best.  Mary and Dianne had plans to rob the purse store in La Habra just like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, so having lunch was a good way to prepare for the adventure.

The sandwich used the goodies from Sunday’s adventure at Old World.

After lunch, the girls launched a highly classified mission to La Habra Fashion Mall to secure essential survival supplies: makeup, purses, and whatever else national security required.

I bravely stayed behind on the home front, where I tackled the dishes, spray-sealed Mary’s latest art masterpiece, and prepped the next batch of outdoor items for painting.

And yes, Mary left me a “to-do ” list—because apparently even in peacetime, I report to command.

Not exactly Blue Boy but a close resemblance!

His girlfriend has her Teddy Bear and is being followed by Scout the Wonder Dog.

Mary gets more and more artistic every time she picks up a brush!

When the girls returned home, they headed for the garden to go picking.  Dianne, being Italian, can always use tomatoes, and at this time of the summer, there could be other surprises lying in wait.

I asked if she were a bag lady.

Bag lady” usually means one of two things, depending on context:

  1. Old-fashioned/slang term for a homeless woman.  It often refers to a woman who carries her belongings in bags.  This usage can sound dated, insensitive, or insulting, so it’s best avoided.
  2. Playful term for someone who loves bags/purses?  In a lighthearted context, someone might say “she’s a bag lady,” meaning she collects or really likes handbags, tote bags, purses, etc.

The string beans are going full tilt.  “Going full tilt” means doing something with maximum speed, energy, or effort.  The beans must be picked, or the plant will cease to produce new fruit. 

Green beans are fascinating vegetables with unique names, colorful varieties, and a surprising history.  They are also known as snap beans or string beans, and they rank as the third most popular home-garden vegetable in the U.S.

You can almost hear them say, “Pick me!  Pick me!”

We have a second crop of grapes about to be ready to pick.  If you look carefully on the left-hand side, hidden in the share are grapes ready to pick!

They’re commonly used in dishes like dolmas/dolmades, where the leaves are stuffed with rice, herbs, meat, or vegetables.

The staff at Peak Performance love our grape leaves.

We have a new batch of tomatoes planted and are becoming of age; this is one of three plants remaining from the early planting session!

The orange fruit at the bottom is “lunchbox peppers.”

They’re called “lunchbox” peppers because they’re easy to pack as a snack.  They are:

• Sweet and mild, not spicy
• Usually eaten raw, roasted, grilled, or stuffed
• Great for kids’ lunches, salads, dips, and snacks
• Smaller than regular bell peppers, with thin walls and few seeds

They’re basically mini sweet peppers marketed as a convenient snack pepper.

The bitter melons are ripening.  Ripe bitter melons are usually yellow to orange.
As they ripen, they change from green to yellow/orange, and the inside becomes bright red around the seeds.  At this stage they are softer and much more bitter, and the fruit may split open.

The bitter melons make a pretty vine!

What is the best way to eat bitter melon? The best way to eat bitter melon is to prep it properly to reduce its strong taste, then stir-fry it with eggs, garlic, and savory sauces.

The red seeds and white pith must be removed!

How to Reduce the Bitterness

Scrape the inside: Cut the melon in half, scoop out all the seeds, and thoroughly scrape away the white spongy inner pith, which holds most of the bitter flavor.

Salt and squeeze: Slice the melon thin, mix it with salt, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.  Squeeze out the liquid and rinse it with water to wash away the harsh juices.

Best Cooking Method

Stir-fry with eggs: Cook garlic in a hot pan, add the prepped bitter melon, and pour beaten eggs over it so the egg wraps around the slices to balance the flavor.

Mary and I did NOT have dinner, as those sandwiches filled us up.  I played with the kitty for a while, enticing her with cat treats!

After Dianne departed, we worked around the house.  Grace was playing coy today and did not follow us around, so I came to her.   Little does she know how much energy it takes to get mt frail carcass into the standing position once horizontal!  Mary offered to call the local crane company.

Grace is under the table looking at me, thinking, “What is this hooman doing?”

No dinner tonight; the sandwiches were quite filling.  We went to the pool and floated around for quite a while before hitting the sack at 10:00 pm.

The Sun kept the pool at 94 degrees!

We have two duck thermometers, and these little guys have a love affair going on; they are always together.  I think they ought to be named George and Gracie or Lucy and Desi or Deann & Phyllis.  The names are still up for grabs.

Sometimes they hide by the filter.

We cannot figure out why they need ear muffs when the water is 94… perhaps they are headphones

Get a room!!!!

Mary had her work cut out for her.  She keeps the pool spotless by removing the debris from the water (that does NOT include me).  Small insects can get stuck on the water’s surface and can’t break free because of the surface tension.

Her smile brightens up the evening!!

We managed to get out of the water at 10:00 pm, looked at each other, and decided no TV tonight!  We went VFR to bed, where I slept for seven hours straight.

Oh, I did brush my teeth!  See below!

Posted in Cooking, Friends, Fun, Painting, Vegetable Garden, Working Around House | Leave a comment

It’s The Tooth Of August!

Posted on Sunday, August 2, 2026 by Paul

Never a dull moment in this household.  Today we went to Old World in Huntington Beach for a German festival.  I got all dressed up in my Lederhosen and off we went!  Mary tried to put on her dirndl, but alas, the closet elves had taken the clothes and tightened the seams!  So, we are going to the Dirndl Shop, and we are going to find one that fits and hide it from those pesky closet elves.

• “Lederhosen” means “leather trousers” in German.

• They were originally workwear for farmers, hunters, and laborers in Alpine regions.

• Lederhosen are strongly associated with Bavaria, but they’re also found in parts of Austria, Switzerland, and South Tyrol.

• Traditional Lederhosen are often made from deer, goat, or cow leather.

• The decorative stitching is called embroidery, and designs can show regional identity.

• They’re often worn with suspenders, a checked shirt, wool socks, and sturdy shoes called Haferlschuhe.

• Lederhosen became fashionable among nobility in the 19th century, especially thanks to romanticized Alpine culture.

• At Oktoberfest, Lederhosen are common festive clothing, but not everyone in Bavaria wears them daily.

• Short Lederhosen are called kurze Lederhosen, while knee-length ones are often called Kniebundhosen.

• The female counterpart often seen at festivals is the dirndl, though historically it began as servant or rural clothing.

Fun fact: Real leather lederhosen are often considered better when they look worn-in, not brand new.

Right before we departed, Mary found a dirndl that was not attacked by the closet critters, and we departed at 10:25 am!

Through the woods we go to celebrate something?

We arrived around 11:00 am, and the parking was pretty easy.  We headed to the Dirndl Haus so Marcould findne a new outfit.  She found several, but there were four ladies ahead of us, and they were S-L-O-W, so we decided to eat and come back!

The Dirndl Haus lived up to its name!

Floor-to-ceilingclothes!

I went for the Sausage Trio (Nürnberger, Polish, & Arrogant mini bratwursts served on a bed of sauerkraut) and Beef Goulash Soup (Tri-tip, onions, bell peppers, carrots & potatoes).

Mary knew what she wanted: Schnitzel Wiener Art (Viennese-style schnitzel served with a lemon wedge).

We had a bottle of vino and then did some dessert!  Apple strudel comes from Austria and is especially associated with Vienna.

Its roots go back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the thin layered pastry style was influenced by Turkish baklava.  The classic version is called Apfelstrudel in German.

I went off the rails and ordered a German Chocolate Cake and washed it down with wine!  The combined taste was surprising.

The commonly edible marigolds are calendula (Calendula officinalis), often called pot marigold.  Its petals are used in salads, soups, rice, butter, and teas, and they have a slightly peppery or tangy flavor.

Yes, the flowers were edible.

We went to the main event for a while before dropping by the deli to pick up some German cheese and some sugar cones needed for the holidays!

Arriving back at Casa Valencia, I worked on the website while Mary continued painting the yard decorations!

Mary painted until almost 11:00 om and then we crashed!

Posted in Art, Dining Out, Fun, Working Around House | Leave a comment

August Has arrived!

Posted on Saturday, August 1, 2026 by Paul

It was in the 90s again today!  We pretty much stayed inside working in the office.  Mary continued painting the garden gnomes while I worked on the website.  Today, I finished off our March 2026 trip to Hawaii, where we met up with Megan and watched her gymnastics meet.

I got a call from Joe asking about the diameter of the flagpole.  We are going to move it from the garden and put it on the concrete patio in the front yard, making it easier to change flags.  Joe is very clever, and since he was going to the OC Fair today, we planned to stop by the flagpole booth and get a ground-mounting sleeve.  He called, and I went outside and measured the diameter of the bottom tube.

The flagpole is not exactly vertical right now; it leans after we had to do some digging to get to the sewer pipe about two years ago.

I got out my micrometer, and it indicated the pole was exactly 1.4925 inches in diameter!

It is wonderful to have the proper tools when needed.

The rest of the afternoon we spent in the office.

On this hot Saturday evening, the kind where even the squirrels looked tired, Mary and I met up with Donna and Bob for Donna’s birthday dinner at Renata’s Italian Bistro.

We dined on the patio, and there was a nice breeze.

“Are we dressed fancy enough?” Bob asked, wearing his best golf shirt.

“You look like a vacation brochure,” Donna said.

Renata’s was packed, warm, and smelled like garlic, tomatoes, and happiness.  I immediately announced, “I’m only having something light,” then ordered today’s special and added garlic bread and “a little salad for health.”

Mary gave me a look.  “The salad is decorative at this point.”

Donna was treated like royalty by the waiter, who brought her a birthday candle to make sure she could eat it with a scoop of spumoni ice cream.  Unfortunately, the candle began melting sideways in the heat, and Bob tried to blow it out from across the table, accidentally adding candle wax to the side of Mary’s glass of wine.

“Nice aim,” Mary said.

After dinner, Donna opened her presents.  Mary selected the presents, all with some relationship to roosters, Donna’s favorite animal! 

I was going to give her a mystery box I wrapped myself using Christmas paper and duct tape, but Mary nixed that idea.

Donna dug to the bottom of the gift bag and found a kitchen gadget nobody could identify.

“What is it?” she asked.

Bob squinted.  “I was hoping you’d know.”

I examined the item (a small shovel with a wine bottle attached), which I had picked for Donna, and said, “Could be for shoveling pasta,  could be for catching leaks while plumbing, or could be for collecting rooster poop.”

Donna laughed so hard she nearly dropped her spumoni.

By the end of the evening, everyone was full, sticky from the heat, and smiling.  Donna declared it a perfect birthday.

“Good food, good friends, and one possibly useful object,” she said.

The spumoni is so big, it needs to be shared.

Then the owner came by and led the restaurant in a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday!

The cake is going home tonight!!

We had a good time being with great friends.

Love birds after almost 47 years together!

On the way out, Bob and I accosted a large group and asked if anyone knew Sheriff John and the song “O Put Another Candle On Your Birthday Cake?”  Two old farts, about our age, said they remembered.  So Bob and I, plus two guys, treated their table to a full-length non-stop chorus of the song!  The youngsters looked at us as if we were crazy!  “Who is Sheriff John?”

Remember, this video is 70 years old (before color TV existed).

It was still light out when we headed home.  Mary fed Grace, and as she was busy eating, we hit the pool.

We stayed in until the Sun set and the moon was up!

At 10:30 pm we crashed!

Posted in Dining Out, Friends, Fun | Leave a comment

The Week Is Almost Gone

Posted on Friday, July 31, 2026 by Paul

Mary, Robin, and I wandered out to the garden for a little harvesting adventure.  Afterward, we collapsed around the breakfast room table to recover from all that strenuous vegetable wrangling.  That’s when we spotted a very strange-looking creature shuffling past the kitchen window.  It was quite ugly, with a peculiar gait that suggested either a zombie… or someone who hadn’t had their morning coffee.

We were not afraid since Robin went into the phone booth and changed into her Supergirl outfit.

The creature turned, opened the door, and proudly announced itself.

It was our son, Joseph!

What a surprise!  He had stopped by to rescue the new iMac that had been serving as a very expensive decoration in its box for the past month.  Within minutes, cables were everywhere, screens were glowing, and he had started the data transfer process.

Then it happened.

Joseph began speaking what sounded suspiciously like ancient computer wizardry.  Once the technical incantations started, we figured our presence was no longer required.  We quietly escaped and headed to Peak Performance for our twice-a-week workout.  We were dressed in our Nija outfits.

For the next hour, we were stretched, twisted, bent, folded, and generally reminded that muscles exist in places we never knew about.  By the time we staggered out, we could summarize the entire workout with one simple word:

OUCH!!!

Hopefully, by the time we can walk normally again, the new iMac will have finished transferring our files… and Joseph will have translated whatever language he was speaking.

When we returned home, both iMacs were smoking with data being transferred at the speed of light.

Mary went to the office and started painting with girl and boy statues.  When Mary starts painting,g she really gets into it!  I need to buy her a bidet to wear.

Even Grace goes into the act!!

While Mary painted, I visited “kitty jail”, the place Grace is staying while she gets readjusted to living inside the house after two weeks running wild outside!  I provided her a treat, and she responded by rubbing my leg and purring!

Grace really wants out of “Kitty Jail”, maybe tomorrow?

At 5:15 pm we headed to Vittorio’s Italian Bistro in Huntington Beach to have dinner with the Capps and perhaps a little dancing?  You never know!

Posted in Dining Out, Gym | Leave a comment

Something Different Today!

Posted on Thursday, July 30, 2026 by Paul

We are off on an adventure today.  We are skipping Girls’ Night Out because we need to see our Financial Advisor, and we generally go down to his office and then go to lunch with him.  After almost 30 years, he has also become a friend!

Note: Yesterday’s margaritas were really good.  I slept from about 4:00 pm until 6:00 am this morning, and Mary didn’t move until almost 8:00 am.  Between the last three days of going going going and the heat, we were exhausted!  Mary’s wine and my margarita managed to turn off the “wake up button” on the Alexa!  We needed the rest!

After doing some chores, we got ready and headed to Laguna to meet with “moneybags”, our financial manager and hisfiancéee.  We had a great session with home, and then we went to Nick’s for lunch!

Nick’s has been around forever and is a wonderful hangout.

Marshall was a well-known quantity at Nick’s, and they made us feel at home.

A wonderful lunch at Nick’s

On our way back to the car, we stopped for some gelato.  Gelato is an Italian-style frozen dessert, similar to ice cream but usually:

• Denser and smoother
• Lower in fat than many ice creams
• Served slightly warmer, so the flavor feels stronger
• Made with less air whipped in, giving it a richer texture

Common flavors include pistachio, chocolate, vanilla, hazelnut, lemon, and strawberry, but this place has 50+ flavors to select from!

Decisions decisions!

Mary and I have so much in common; we both went for “Rocky Road”.  It’s called Rocky Road because the marshmallows and nuts make the ice cream look and feel like a rough, rocky road.  The name also became popular during the Great Depression as a cheerful idea: getting through a “rocky road” in life with something sweet.

More decisions!!

When we got home, we walked into the garden to see what was happening.

The separation wall is low and is white.

I used AI to repaint the wall to see if we wanted it to be green, but we kinda decided we were happy with white.

Too much green!

We noticed the girls had begun popping out and showing their silk, meaning it was getting time for the boys and girls to get frisky!  The top of the corn (tassels/boys) began to rain down on the girls (cobbs/silk) so fertilization can take place.  This will occur in the next few days!

We can hear the cobbs saying, “Hey big boy, drop down and see me sometime soon!”

We have several large pumpkins on their way.  These guys will become a 30-pounder in the next 30 days and will eventually become pumpkin pie at the hands of Dr. Mary.

Here’s some fun pumpkin trivia:

    • Pumpkins are fruits, not vegetables — they’re a type of berry called a pepo.
    • Pumpkins are native to North America.
    • The word pumpkin comes from the Greek word pepon, meaning “large melon.”
    • Pumpkins are about 90% water.
    • The tradition of carving jack-o’-lanterns originally used turnips in Ireland and Scotland.
    • Pumpkins can be orange, white, green, yellow, red, or even blue-gray.
    • The largest pumpkins can weigh over 2,000 pounds.
    • Pumpkin flowers are edible.
    • Every part of a pumpkin can be used: the flesh, seeds, skin, leaves, and flowers.
    • Pumpkin spice usually doesn’t contain pumpkin — it’s typically cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice.
    • In the U.S., Illinois is one of the top pumpkin-producing states.
    • Pumpkins are part of the squash family, along with zucchini, gourds, and cucumbers.

“Stand back, I am growing quickly!!”

We have green beans everywhere!  Every day we go out and pick a handful and deliver them wherever we are going!

We planted six green bean seeds in the garden about a month ago and then immediately began acting like proud parents.  I read them the weather report each morning.  Mary knitted tiny scarves “in case of breezes.” By July, the plants had climbed the poles, the fence, and, somewhat accusingly, Paul’s favorite lawn chair.

Yum yum good!!

The cucumbers are going wild!  This year we have grown 50+ large cucumbers and delivered them to our friends.

We have about five different varieties so far.

Say goodbye to the last of the tomatoes.  We have a few new plants,s but they are not producing yet!

Hanging on!

We had a quick dinner before going swimming in the pool.  Robin, Mary, and I floated for about 90 minutes, enjoying the Moon and the stars.

Robin and Mary floating in the pool!

By 10:30 pm we were dry and heading for bed.  It has been a good day!!

Posted in Dining Out, Family, Friends, Vegetable Garden | Leave a comment

Mid Week And We Are Still Busy!

Posted on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 by Paul

Mary and I planned the day, and hopefully it will be a little slower.  This morning is the gym, and then we take Dianne to the post-Op checkout at UCI.

So, into the jaws of death we go, fearing not the terrible torture brought upon ourselves at the “fitness center”.  I managed a little over six miles this morning!  We did the floor exercises, which, by the way, take two trainers to get us up and vertical again!

I do not know how fast I was going because the needle on the speedometer flew off and hit the wall!

After doing a bank fly-by and a post office visit, we went home to clean the house so the house cleaners can come today!  Just before noon, we departed for Dianne’s home to pick her up and go to the UCI campus to get her post-op check!  The doctor was happy with the results, so we needed to celebrate!

After the visit, we went to Rodrigo’s Mexican Restaurant in Tustin.  It is the same chain as the one in Orange, but it was close to Dianne’s home, so we tried it out.

It was 3:00 p,m and the place was empty!  Just like we like it!

At exactly 3:00 pm, Mary and her 35-year partner in culinary adventures, Dianne, and I marched into Rodrigo’s Mexican Grill with the confidence of three explorers who had already studied the dessert menu.

The waiter smiled.  “Early dinner?”

Mary nodded.  “We’re just beating the rush.”

Dianne whispered, “And needing some liquid encouragement”

I ordered chile verde, a tamale, and what the menu modestly described as a GIANT Margarita.  The girls ordered salads!

The word “giant” turned out to be an understatement.  The glass arrived with its own zip code, complete with enough salt around the rim to keep winter roads safe.

Mary took one sip and declared, “This is practically a fruit salad.”

Dianne agreed.   With excellent decision-making juice.”

Their Adios Amigos signature margarita was on the menus, so I of course ordered one.  The minute I did, Pancho, my faithful sidekick, decided to try it to make sure it was not poison.  Little did I know that tasting for poison required the taster to consume massive quantities of the items.

Suddenly Dianne got interested in the drink when she saw the calimari floating around.

Their laughter echoed through the restaurant as they debated whether the tamale counted as one serving or several.  The chile verde disappeared faster than ice cubes in July.

When the waiter asked if I wanted another margarita, both ladies stared at the enormous glass that still looked full.

Mary applied her lips to the straw, and I could see the liquid level go down as if there was a hole in the bottom of the glass!

Mary replied, “He’s making wonderful progress.  We can almost see the bottom.”

The waiter leaned over and grinned.  “Ma’am… that’s the decorative green glass.”

The two burst into laughter so hard that nearby diners started laughing too, even though they had no idea why.

At 5:00 pm., Mary, Dianne, and I floated happily out the door singing “La Cucaracha ” at the top of our lungs, completely convinced that 3:00 pm was the perfect dinner hour and that every friendship should come with chile verde, a tamale, two salads, and one hilariously oversized margarita.

Slurp, burp!

By the time we were done with dinner, I had a chance to change my attire to something more befitting a fine Mexican dinner.

It was a disappearing margarita!

Here’s some fun margarita trivia:

Classic ingredients: A traditional margarita is usually made with tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur like triple sec or Cointreau.

Salt rim tradition: The salted rim helps balance the drink’s sweet, sour, and bitter flavors.

Origin is debated: Several people claim to have invented the margarita in the 1930s or 1940s, mostly around Mexico and the southwestern U.S.

Name meaning: “Margarita” is Spanish for “daisy.” There was also an older cocktail category called a Daisy, made with spirit, citrus, and sweetener.

Frozen margaritas got famous later: The first frozen margarita machine was inspired by a soft-serve ice cream machine and helped make the drink wildly popular.

Most common tequila: Margaritas are often made with blanco/silver tequila, though reposado can add a smoother, oakier flavor.

National Margarita Day: In the U.S., it’s celebrated on February 22.

Popular variations: Strawberry, mango, spicy jalapeño, Cadillac, skinny, and mezcal margaritas are all common twists.

The “Cadillac” margarita: Usually made with premium tequila and topped with Grand Marnier.

Glassware: Margaritas are often served in the iconic wide-rimmed margarita glass, but many bartenders prefer a rocks glass for practicality.

Dianne was worried because she did not wear any makeup!  Silly girl!  Makeup is not allowed for a week after the eye operation; makes sense.  She is still a beautiful lady with or without makeup!!!

We all three laughed and giggled a lot!

I went to work so Dianne would NOT feel out of place.  Soon, Dianne became Puncho Two!  We debated whether the mustache was upside down or not!  The verdict is still not in!

We have heard Dianne sing before, so she was NOT allowed a second margarita.

We dropped Dianne off at home, just a few miles from us, and then told the Silver Fox to head for Casa Valencia post haste!

After arriving home, we laid down for a short nap at 4:01 pm, and we got up in the dark at 9:49 pm.  I worked on the Daily Diary and then crashed again around 11:00 pm!

Posted in Dining Out, Doctor, Friends | Leave a comment

Tuesday Has Arrived AND We have been Married Five Amazing Years!

Posted on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 by Paul

What a day!  We went this way and that way and then this way!

First we jumped in the car and headed to Newport to meet up with Amy at her latest eye doctor’s appointment.  We got there a little early, and Mary found the bakery, and we had breakfast on the run.

From Newport, we went home for a bit before going to Mary’s art class.  I returned home to fix some of the remaining night lights for the garden and stopped by Trader Joe’s for a supply of “Four Buck Chuck!”; yes, kids, the $2 is now $4!

At 2:30 pm, I returned to the Tustin Seniors Center and retrieved her nibs from class.  Today, we did peaches!

They looked so real that after five minutes, they got visitors!

After returning home, we freshened up and headed over to the Elks for Lee’s initiation.  That’s right — she officially became an Elk this evening.  Antlers pending.

Every Tuesday, the Elks Lodge served tacos with the solemnity of a state dinner and the organization of a barn dance.

This week, Bill Capps, the lodge treasurer, was in charge of toppings, a decision everyone regretted immediately.  He labeled the sour cream “white guacamole,” the lettuce “taco confetti,” and the jalapeños “tiny green regrets.”

By 6:30 p,, the line stretched past the pool table.  Lee asked for “mild,” and Bill gave her a taco that made her glasses fog and her earrings sweat.

Then the lodge president rang the bingo bell and announced a taco-eating contest.  The prize was a commemorative spatula and two coupons for windshield wiper fluid.  Competition was fierce until our friend’s Chihuahua, Napoleon, escaped her purse and sprinted across the table, stealing the winning taco from Bill.

Mary, showing remarkable restraint, had only an artichoke… plus a suspiciously generous portion of my beans and rice, which mysteriously disappeared whenever I looked away.   An investigation is ongoing.

Lee arrived a little later, had dinner, and we all visited with friends.  BillCapps joined us this evening as he is an officer and joins the meetings.

Dinner be served!!

At 7:00 pm, we were called into the Lodge Room, and things took a serious turn.  The initiation took about two and a half hours, and we were all ready to go straight home afterward.

The ceremony was about to start!

Arriving home, we checked on Grace, who was doing just fine and clearly did not need our supervision.

No TV tonight — the evening’s entertainment was Mary crashing immediately, like someone had pulled her power cord.

I stayed awake for Lee’s “safe arrival” call after her hour-long drive home, performing my very important role as Chief Worrier and Phone Watcher.

Posted in Elks, Friends, Uncategorized | Leave a comment