I did take C to the zoo and had a fun time. I'm glad we went, as she was so eager to go, she had her shoes and jacket on for an hour before we left the house. Her favorites are the monkeys and two of the chimpanzees were carrying on a crazy, loud conversation, swinging around and throwing a ball around - quite entertaining. We sat on a bench facing a large, silver backed gorilla while we ate a snack. He was quite impressive.
This afternoon, I packed up my stuff and changed the sheets on the granny bed. Lois arrived about 6:30 and that meant that this granny was pushed to the sidelines. I didn't even get a good night hug.
I tried another Martha Stewart recipe today and we had Spinach Lasagna for dinner that was really good - another keeper.
Tuesday, September 17 and 18 - SF to Oxnard. After a nice pancake breakfast this morning, I loaded up the car and was on the road again. It was an easy 6-hour drive and the traffic moved smoothly, and I traveled through some very beautiful country. There really is nothing that can compare to the beauty of the California coast.
It was great seeing Mary and Lance again and I felt right at home, settling in for an evening of much talking and catching up. We slept in the next morning and then headed to the Santa Barbara Zoo - none of us had ever been there before. Unfortunately, there was a huge traffic backup and we turned around and went into Camarillo and walked around the downtown until we came across Sly's and the menu sounded good so we stopped for lunch. It was a great choice, we all loved our choices. Mary and I had a 4-ounce steak that was served with a yummy sauce poured over it and some of the best french fries I've ever had. Needless to say, I put a huge dent in the large serving - not a wise choice but I just couldn't stop eating them.
After lunch we walked a couple of blocks to the beach and then did a bit of shopping before heading back home. According to the news, it was a good thing we didn't keep heading toward Santa Barbara and turned around, as traffic was backed up for hours. We will have to see the zoo on another visit.
After lunch we walked a couple of blocks to the beach and then did a bit of shopping before heading back home. According to the news, it was a good thing we didn't keep heading toward Santa Barbara and turned around, as traffic was backed up for hours. We will have to see the zoo on another visit.
Thursday, September 19. Home Sweet Home. It was a long, 7-hour drive today and it might have gone a little quicker if it hadn't been for a huge traffic backup at the I-5 interchange near Burbank, where I traveled very slowly for about 20 minutes. Other than that holdup, the traffic wasn't bad and I had no problems. It felt good to get back home with the exception of the house feeling way too empty.
All of the reminders of Mike were welcoming, although the thought of living the rest of my life without him is saddening. I'm just so glad that we had 46 years to hang out together.
All of the reminders of Mike were welcoming, although the thought of living the rest of my life without him is saddening. I'm just so glad that we had 46 years to hang out together.
Saturday, September 21. I'm getting back into the swing of things around here; morning and evening walks, stopping to chat with friends along the way.
Allan and Sharon came by yesterday because Allan offered to check out my water problem. He crawled under the house and learned that there is no leaking going on (good news), verified that there are 2 pipes carrying hot water to my house and it seems that one of them is blocked. The hot water pipe that comes out of the water heater has been modified, adding another pipe that goes to the bathrooms and that pipe is hot right up next to the water heater but cold about 2 inches away. Regardless, it requires a plumber, so I got a referral from our maintenance man and they will be here Monday morning to repair it. That will be a relief to have that fixed.
They took me to lunch at Vito's and I had a yummy sausage sandwich with peppers, onions and cheese. I had planned to go to TGIF for dinner tonight but they were having lasagna and I just couldn't get up the gumption to get ready to go. Besides, I didn't need any dinner after that big lunch.
Arlene stopped by and I was glad to see her since she is leaving on a one-month vacation. She has someone staying at her house to take care of her cat and she wanted me to meet him since she was leaving my phone number in case the guy needed help. He reminds me of Mike's long-time friend, Larry - what a resemblance.
Connie stopped by to see if I wanted to go to a sale with her and Donna (a coworker at Mesa Spirit) in the morning. I can't pass up a sale, so I was up at 5:30 this morning to go and the sale was a busy. We stopped at a few others that weren't very good either. Breakfast at the Farmhouse Restaurant in downtown Gilbert was great, though.
Sunday, September 22. I felt like a retiree again today, starting with sleeping in until 7:15. After Frisco's walk this morning, I enjoyed my coffee before starting to prune the Palo Verde trees in my back yard. That is a big job, and I got everything cut off the trees but most of it still on the ground waiting for another cool morning to cut it into manageable pieces and get rid of it.
I had a nice conversation with Pat this morning and then later on with Rene this afternoon. I told her I was headed to the pool and was going to drink a couple of beers since my fridge is full of the stuff. She asked me why I had so much beer on hand, so I told her "because you aren't here". That got a chuckle out of her.
I went to the pool with Connie, Cathy, and Vicki this afternoon and we yak, yak, yakked the entire time. It was a cool and breezy day, so the air felt chilly whenever you came up out of the water.
I don't know where my energy came from this afternoon, but I started off making a batch of liver treats for Frisco - yes, it stunk up the house. Fortunately, it is a cool day and it is supposed to get down to 60 degrees, so I can open the windows. Better yet, I decided to make a coffee cake so I have something to offer Allan and Sharon in the morning when they come for coffee. It made a difference.
I also got to see and talk with Ben and his family - all is good with them except Jill's headaches are back but not as intense as they had been. They will induce labor on October 7, if she doesn't start before then. My wish is for healthy babies and a speedy delivery.
