Washed, dried and folded 1,242 tablecloths.
Brooke & Corey got married.
Corbin & Nancy got engaged.
PAP normal - yay, another year without cancer.
Oh, but wait - mammo abnormal.
Right hand surgery.
Mother's Day - text only from Nancy and Corbin.
Came down with massive cold/bronchitis.
Angie's husband died.
Mammo re-check - mammo, mammo, ultrasound, biopsy, mammo.
Pause 2 days.
All clear.
Three year anniversary of Dad's death.
Steve moved out. I kept Lydia.
Doobert transport - Steve had to help because of my surgery.
Sick as a dead pig.
Stitches removed - healing well.
Picked Lainie up from airport. Loaned her my car for a week.
Mike's memorial (couldn't go; still sick + no car).
My 59th birthday. Text from Brooke first thing in morning, and from Corbin last thing at night.
In re severe depression, made appointment for psych intake/evaluation.
Treated to dinner by Steve, Lydia and Bill.
Janet turned 33.
Joel & Janet's 3rd anniversary.
Still coughing.
Took Lainie to airport.
Showing posts with label Steve. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steve. Show all posts
Water Heater Fubar of 2013 (part 2)
So...the water heater did, indeed, get fully installed and just in time. Joel and Janet arrived just as our fabulous plumber, Clint, was packing up to go home.
Water heater (woohoo!):
I know, it looks like every other water heater in the world, but we're dang glad to have her.
Steve and I have been rebuilding the damaged wall. I'm the insulation installer and he's the master of correct measurements for the drywall. We team up on the actual installation, then I follow up with the tape and joint compound.
Still looks unimpressive, but we're happy to get the wall sealed up. The joint compound is drying as we speak, and I'm still trying to decide if I want to take the trouble to prime and paint that wall since everything's moved away from it right now.
On the bedroom side, there was previously only one outlet on that wall. As we all know, that's never enough in this here 21st century, so I worked my girl-power magic and turned one into three.
I am now in the process of re-insulating the bedroom side but with our schedules it's likely we won't get that side of the wall sealed up until next weekend.
Meanwhile, this happened.
I know, it looks like every other water heater in the world, but we're dang glad to have her.
Steve and I have been rebuilding the damaged wall. I'm the insulation installer and he's the master of correct measurements for the drywall. We team up on the actual installation, then I follow up with the tape and joint compound.
Still looks unimpressive, but we're happy to get the wall sealed up. The joint compound is drying as we speak, and I'm still trying to decide if I want to take the trouble to prime and paint that wall since everything's moved away from it right now.
On the bedroom side, there was previously only one outlet on that wall. As we all know, that's never enough in this here 21st century, so I worked my girl-power magic and turned one into three.
I am now in the process of re-insulating the bedroom side but with our schedules it's likely we won't get that side of the wall sealed up until next weekend.
Meanwhile, this happened.
Water Heater Fubar of 2013 (part 1)
Sunday morning we got up and discovered the shower water just wouldn't warm up. Suspecting the pilot in the water heater may have gone out, Steve went out to check it and this is what he found.
.jpeg)
The ~15 year old beast had burst inside and was spewing water out the top, up into the vent. Of course the water would then trickle back down and all over the damn place. No telling how long this had been going on.
The "man cave" shares a wall with the garage. Steve checked in there and, sure enough, the carpet was sopping wet. I grabbed a pair of pliers for him, he started pulling the carpet back. As he pulled, the baseboard just kind of melted off like it was made of mush. That's when we discovered the mold behind the baseboards.
.jpeg)
Steve tried to clean up a bit and set up some fans* while I called the insurance company. As soon as the claim was opened, I tackled Angie's List and began calling plumbers. Remember, this was Sunday.
*It turns out that's a no-no. Air movement blows the nasty microbes around.
Monday I got three quotes, then called my neighbor's husband's brother's neighbor who quoted me half what everyone else had. Same unit, just not gouging me on the labor. He gave me his company's name and I learned the BBB gives them an A rating. No complaints!
Also on Monday, the insurance adjuster contacted us. He was very nice and said he'd have a restoration company call us within an hour. They did, and that afternoon they were out to inspect and measure.
Tuesday, right on schedule, the Rainbow Restoration crew arrived and started demolishing the affected areas. The drywall and insulation had to be removed across the entire wall and up about four feet.
.jpeg)
They sanded and hepa-vacuumed all the areas that showed mold. Then they sprayed everything with an anti-microbial solution and set up a machine that allegedly sucks up any stray microbes floating around in the air. They also set up a big dehumidifier. All this is on the bedroom side. The garage side got a big sheet of plastic stapled to it which will stay in place until we can reconstruct the garage wall tomorrow.
.jpeg)
The box/stand under the water tank also had to be removed. It was pretty badly rotted.
Tomorrow Steve and I will fetch some drywall and rebuild the area where the new tank will go. (Yes, I investigated replacing it with a tankless system but it would have been three grand - t'would pay for itself in a mere 20 years or so.) We will also, of course, need to put in a new stand.
Since Sunday, we've been "bucket bathing" -- warming water in pans on the stove, then carting them to the shower to wash. It's actually not feeling like too much of a hassle (thank you, Lexapro) and the new tank's scheduled to be installed either Wednesday or Thursday evening. Just in time for house guests!
.jpeg)
The ~15 year old beast had burst inside and was spewing water out the top, up into the vent. Of course the water would then trickle back down and all over the damn place. No telling how long this had been going on.
The "man cave" shares a wall with the garage. Steve checked in there and, sure enough, the carpet was sopping wet. I grabbed a pair of pliers for him, he started pulling the carpet back. As he pulled, the baseboard just kind of melted off like it was made of mush. That's when we discovered the mold behind the baseboards.
.jpeg)
Steve tried to clean up a bit and set up some fans* while I called the insurance company. As soon as the claim was opened, I tackled Angie's List and began calling plumbers. Remember, this was Sunday.
*It turns out that's a no-no. Air movement blows the nasty microbes around.
Monday I got three quotes, then called my neighbor's husband's brother's neighbor who quoted me half what everyone else had. Same unit, just not gouging me on the labor. He gave me his company's name and I learned the BBB gives them an A rating. No complaints!
Also on Monday, the insurance adjuster contacted us. He was very nice and said he'd have a restoration company call us within an hour. They did, and that afternoon they were out to inspect and measure.
Tuesday, right on schedule, the Rainbow Restoration crew arrived and started demolishing the affected areas. The drywall and insulation had to be removed across the entire wall and up about four feet.
.jpeg)
They sanded and hepa-vacuumed all the areas that showed mold. Then they sprayed everything with an anti-microbial solution and set up a machine that allegedly sucks up any stray microbes floating around in the air. They also set up a big dehumidifier. All this is on the bedroom side. The garage side got a big sheet of plastic stapled to it which will stay in place until we can reconstruct the garage wall tomorrow.
.jpeg)
The box/stand under the water tank also had to be removed. It was pretty badly rotted.
Tomorrow Steve and I will fetch some drywall and rebuild the area where the new tank will go. (Yes, I investigated replacing it with a tankless system but it would have been three grand - t'would pay for itself in a mere 20 years or so.) We will also, of course, need to put in a new stand.
Since Sunday, we've been "bucket bathing" -- warming water in pans on the stove, then carting them to the shower to wash. It's actually not feeling like too much of a hassle (thank you, Lexapro) and the new tank's scheduled to be installed either Wednesday or Thursday evening. Just in time for house guests!
Grandma's not used to this (continued)
Day 5 - Monday
Landon spent this day with his Grandpa Dave, Aunt Laura and Uncle Daniel. He had a great time swimming for hours.
Day 6 - Tuesday
After my morning conference call, and after breakfast and a haircut for the boy, Dave brought Landon back here. I'm doing what grandmas do best and spoiling the kid rotten. Heh heh. Grandmimi likes to hold the baby and rock him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, until he releases that baby-sigh of relaxation and his little eyes close. This is how we spend every nap time and every nightly bed time.
Grandmimi had a nice conversation with her boss, who agrees she should not be concerned with work when Mr. Priority One is here. The rest of the week will be All About Landon.
Day 7 & 8 - Wednesday & Thursday
We have a little routine now, and Landon continues to be happy and extremely well fed and hydrated. All systems are operating as they should.
a period of general hyperactivity when Steve, who started out as Faux Grandpa but has devolved to simply Faux Pa, delights the child by throwing him around like a hackysack.
He's very careful, but sometimes Grandmimi just can't bear to watch.
Day 9 - Friday
Joel arrived right on time, late Thursday night. I waited up for him and was awake when he rolled in at 12:42 AM. The three of us spent Friday catching cat-naps, then trying to get through a small to-do list involving his new vehicle and air conditioning. We didn't accomplish very much.
Day 10 - Saturday
The air conditioning in the Explorer gets fixed by Joel & Koby. Unfortunately, their efforts to chill the Jeep aren't as successful.
I spend the afternoon rolling sarma. Brooke and Bill keep me company at the counter, uttering small noises of empathy and appreciation at appropriate intervals. Steve gets home and I have all my favorite family around me.
Later, after dinner, and nanoseconds before I'm getting the boy to bed, Laura and Hurricane Daniel arrive, putting a whole new spin in the evening! Daniel > (Baby Landon x 6) + (Baby Koby x 12). Bill decides to call it a day, and Steve and Brooke retreat to quieter corners of the manse. Daniel and Landon tear it up for an hour or so, while Laura perches on the sofa looking painfully cute with her little baby-bulge. Finally it's decided Landon may just explode if he doesn't get some sleep, so I spirit him off to Grandma-lap-time in the bedroom. The kids end up in the back yard playing guitar until well past the time Grandma has to yell "Uncle!"
Day 11 - Sunday
It's really hot here today. About 104. I'm so glad Joel's a/c got fixed. He and Landon are now packed off back to Visalia. I gave Koby a haircut,
then he and Brooke went back home. No one wants to do anything but veg in the cool house. Steve, however, is up at Dad & Margaret's, helping around their little ranchero. I hope it's not as hot in the hills.
Although the hum of the a/c in my house is lulling me to a long overdue nap, I miss my little grandson already. Oh wait - what? My next vacation starts July 2?? Hmm.....
Post Scriptum
So what's the deal? Why did I have the pleasure of such a long visit with my grandson? Well, in case you haven't heard, the Visalia Mussos have decided to split. Joel and Cindy are going their separate ways and it's not happening as amicably as one may like. I do hope that changes, and peace and courtesy can dwell once again in the valley as they go through the never-pleasant process of disentangling their lives...but I'm not holding my breath. Right now it's not pretty. That's why it was decided that Grandmimi would take the baby until, hopefully, the storm settled. The storm has not settled, but lives continue and jobs must be attended to, so Landon is back home, being shuttled between Visalia and Bakersfield for the time being.
Landon spent this day with his Grandpa Dave, Aunt Laura and Uncle Daniel. He had a great time swimming for hours.
Day 6 - Tuesday
After my morning conference call, and after breakfast and a haircut for the boy, Dave brought Landon back here. I'm doing what grandmas do best and spoiling the kid rotten. Heh heh. Grandmimi likes to hold the baby and rock him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, until he releases that baby-sigh of relaxation and his little eyes close. This is how we spend every nap time and every nightly bed time.
Grandmimi had a nice conversation with her boss, who agrees she should not be concerned with work when Mr. Priority One is here. The rest of the week will be All About Landon.
Day 7 & 8 - Wednesday & Thursday
We have a little routine now, and Landon continues to be happy and extremely well fed and hydrated. All systems are operating as they should.
 | There are walkies in the stroller every day, and, in the evening, sprinkler-play, fish-feeding time, and... |  |
a period of general hyperactivity when Steve, who started out as Faux Grandpa but has devolved to simply Faux Pa, delights the child by throwing him around like a hackysack.
He's very careful, but sometimes Grandmimi just can't bear to watch.
Day 9 - Friday
Joel arrived right on time, late Thursday night. I waited up for him and was awake when he rolled in at 12:42 AM. The three of us spent Friday catching cat-naps, then trying to get through a small to-do list involving his new vehicle and air conditioning. We didn't accomplish very much.
Day 10 - Saturday
The air conditioning in the Explorer gets fixed by Joel & Koby. Unfortunately, their efforts to chill the Jeep aren't as successful.
Ford Repair: So easy, even cavemen can do it.
I spend the afternoon rolling sarma. Brooke and Bill keep me company at the counter, uttering small noises of empathy and appreciation at appropriate intervals. Steve gets home and I have all my favorite family around me.
Life is good.
Later, after dinner, and nanoseconds before I'm getting the boy to bed, Laura and Hurricane Daniel arrive, putting a whole new spin in the evening! Daniel > (Baby Landon x 6) + (Baby Koby x 12). Bill decides to call it a day, and Steve and Brooke retreat to quieter corners of the manse. Daniel and Landon tear it up for an hour or so, while Laura perches on the sofa looking painfully cute with her little baby-bulge. Finally it's decided Landon may just explode if he doesn't get some sleep, so I spirit him off to Grandma-lap-time in the bedroom. The kids end up in the back yard playing guitar until well past the time Grandma has to yell "Uncle!"
Day 11 - Sunday
It's really hot here today. About 104. I'm so glad Joel's a/c got fixed. He and Landon are now packed off back to Visalia. I gave Koby a haircut,
then he and Brooke went back home. No one wants to do anything but veg in the cool house. Steve, however, is up at Dad & Margaret's, helping around their little ranchero. I hope it's not as hot in the hills.
Although the hum of the a/c in my house is lulling me to a long overdue nap, I miss my little grandson already. Oh wait - what? My next vacation starts July 2?? Hmm.....
Post Scriptum
So what's the deal? Why did I have the pleasure of such a long visit with my grandson? Well, in case you haven't heard, the Visalia Mussos have decided to split. Joel and Cindy are going their separate ways and it's not happening as amicably as one may like. I do hope that changes, and peace and courtesy can dwell once again in the valley as they go through the never-pleasant process of disentangling their lives...but I'm not holding my breath. Right now it's not pretty. That's why it was decided that Grandmimi would take the baby until, hopefully, the storm settled. The storm has not settled, but lives continue and jobs must be attended to, so Landon is back home, being shuttled between Visalia and Bakersfield for the time being.
Happy Martyr's Day
The weather was perfect: 78 on Saturday, 80 with a slight breeze on Sunday. Having done most of my prep work Friday afternoon, I was ready for the Martyr's Day Feast!
We had salad, too, but that was boring so I didn't take any pictures of it. I also grilled some chicken breasts for the odars.
 Lamb Shish Kebab |  Pear and Filo Torte |  Cheese Boreg & Hye coffee |
We had salad, too, but that was boring so I didn't take any pictures of it. I also grilled some chicken breasts for the odars.
 | Cory came up from Modesto. |
 | Koby and Brooke came over from Davis. |
Six Years
Today marks six years since I met Steve. If you don't know the story, buy me a glass of wine sometime and maybe I'll spill it. The story, not the wine.
Steve is great to live with. We are completely in synch when it comes to our lifestyles, which is not to say that we enjoy all the same things or are socially inseparable. In fact, that's one thing we share: independence. We have a mutual respect for each other's quiet time and personal space. When he holes up in his man cave to play World of Facebook or Doomed or wtf, I curl up with a book and escape to other lands and times.
We have the same affection for a cozy, tidy, well organized home. We love fine dining and fine wining and have not yet run out of things to talk about. I love cooking and he loves eating. We have the same sick, sarcastic, perverted, offensive sense of humor. Moods and roles are fluid; when one of us is Yin, the other is Yan. We both gag at the phrase "you complete me," and neither of us ever wants to get married again.
So, yavrum, thank you for coming into my life when you did, and for sticking around for the ride, and for making me laugh every single day. Baby, you da greatest!
Steve is great to live with. We are completely in synch when it comes to our lifestyles, which is not to say that we enjoy all the same things or are socially inseparable. In fact, that's one thing we share: independence. We have a mutual respect for each other's quiet time and personal space. When he holes up in his man cave to play World of Facebook or Doomed or wtf, I curl up with a book and escape to other lands and times.
We have the same affection for a cozy, tidy, well organized home. We love fine dining and fine wining and have not yet run out of things to talk about. I love cooking and he loves eating. We have the same sick, sarcastic, perverted, offensive sense of humor. Moods and roles are fluid; when one of us is Yin, the other is Yan. We both gag at the phrase "you complete me," and neither of us ever wants to get married again.
So, yavrum, thank you for coming into my life when you did, and for sticking around for the ride, and for making me laugh every single day. Baby, you da greatest!
Villa Toscano
Steve and I had a wonderful weekend. Saturday, he spent the day with Sara and her new beau, and I went off to pick oranges with friends at Amber's house. After a few hours of enjoying all the good company and the fire pit and munchies, Bill and I went off to relax over a cuppa at Starbucks.
Sunday morning Steve and I met a new friend for coffee, then took off from there and got happily lost driving all over hill & dale in the gold country (Hwy 49 south of Placerville). After enjoying the rolling hills, the moss-covered rocky crags, and the occasional mist in the trees (or was that just our imaginations?), we eventually found our intended destination.
We landed at Villa Toscano Winery, where we are evidently members. We needed to pick up our January selection. First, though, we did some tasting, then had some hot sannies in the bistro. We then went on to some other wineries in the area, tasted more, and bought more.
Sunset found us at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Folsom. They offer unique dishes, excellent Long Island Iced Teas, and a friendly staff. We think it's a great place to munch the hot chips and fresh chipotle salsa, and relax at the end of the day.
Welcome to Villa Toscano, as you enter through the verdigris gates.
Some of the vineyards surrounding the winery.
This is just the view of the "bistro." The main building with the tasting room is much prettier and can be see on their website.
Now leaving through those same gorgeous gates.
Corvallis
Steve and I took a small vacation. We left Thursday evening and flew to Portland, where Lainie and Paul picked us up at PDX. After a dinner in the airport that was better than standard airport food, there was the long drive back to their place. I had forgotten how long that drive was and it made me feel bad for them, and grateful for them.
Friday we lounged around, rested some, read some, and generally just took it easy until about 5:00. After a light, early supper of fabulous salad concocted by Miss Lainie, we headed over to the OSU campus. Turns out waiting was a very good idea. Silly us, we thought we'd escape the summer heat by flying north, but it was 95 up there on Friday!
By that late in the afternoon, though, we skipped over the hottest part of the day. We wandered through "Green Town" to see all the displays of "green" innovations. We learned about making cob, saw a people-sized camera obscura (that was closed for the day, but we made a note of it), watched the tail end of the kinetic sculpture introductions, and enjoyed looking at all the electric vehicles on display. I discovered I want to make a greenwall.
There were also community art projects happening outside the entry gates. The theme of this year's festival was water, or rather, "H2 Oh!" Folks had created freestanding art accordingly. Lainie covered a flat, fish-shaped piece of wood with paper printed in a sushi graphic, attached a depiction of an Elvis movie to the front of it, and added the Darkside logo. She called it "Dinner And a Movie." Even if people couldn't guess her title for the piece, we could tell they loved it, as we spied many, many visitors shooting pictures of it!Friday night we saw the Jacob Merlin band open for Cherry Poppin' Daddies. Jacob Merlin was really pretty great; CPD was great at the beginning and end but, I have to admit, kinda boring in the middle of their show.
It was a late night for these two who are used to nodding off by about 9:00. By the time we got home and relaxed, it was about 1:00. Some of us slept delightfully late Saturday morning. After breakfast and showers, we got a bit of an earlier start, though. The weather was cooler than Friday and we got out to the campus by about 11:00 to discover the sidewalk chalk art. It was a lot of fun wandering around checking it out and, thankfully, we remembered our camera that day!
Unfortunately, Paul had to work most of the day. While Lainie went off on her own to see the Wave Exhibit, Steve and I checked out the Art Village. The carousel animal restorations were amazingly gorgeous.
We sat awhile, listening to Common Pulse and Bon Ton Roulet at the Shady Stage. After pigging out on festival food Friday and half of Saturday, I discovered an amazing salad at one of the stands. It was spinach and mixed greens with strawberries, dried cranberries, candied pecans and a balsamic vinaigrette. Oh, man! It was absolutely delightful to eat such a cool, fresh, healthy meal in the shade while listening to those bands!
Behind us, on the Main Stage, a sound check for that night's headliner had begun. After hearing the usual, "One, two check. Ooonneee, twwwooooo, CHK!" for about five minutes, I glanced over my shoulder and saw in the distance several bodies standing at several microphones. Without waiting to figure out if what I was seeing was what I thought I was seeing, I jumped up (as much as my old bones can jump up from sitting on the ground) and raced across the grass. I was right! It was them! Out of their usual costume, dressed in kakhis and polo shirts, there were my boys! No one at the festival seemed to be paying attention, except for about ten of us who settled to the ground on the only patch of shade available, about 10 feet from where they stood.Those of you who know me and my past must know that I am not easily starstruck. In fact, 99% of musicians kind of piss me off. Not these guys. I worship them. I've been wanting to see them live since the mid-80's. Now, not only was I seeing them live, but I was almost in their personal bubbles! It was like they were doing a pre-concert concert just for ME!
Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a group of guys from South Africa, an a capella group, spreading peace, love and joy as they tour the world. Whenever I talk about them to people, I generally get the same response: "I've never heard of them." Yes you have, but you don't know it. Think back to Paul Simon's big hit, Diamonds on The Souls of Her Shoes. Remember the smooth harmonies and African beat in the background? That was Ladysmith.
Their less commercial music stirs something very deep inside me. I sat there on the grass, completely rapt in their presence. They did three numbers. At the end of it, I wept.
After a bit, we three went off to meet up with Paul at a Mexican restaurant in town. Giggles, really good food, blessed hydration - it was a good dinner break for all of us. Paul then had to go back to the theater to work until closing; Lainie, Steve and I headed back to the festival.While Steve was great about schlepping the lawn chairs and picking a spot with a view right up the aisle for that night's musical events, Lainie and I wandered the chalk pictures some more. There were so many really great ones! We found Steve and settled in to wait.
A band from Zimbabwe called Bongo Love was opening that night. They weren't bad, but we all agreed they just didn't have "the groove." Maybe that was why we didn't notice - or care - that because of the aisle all we could see was people's butts as they wandered up and down, looking for a spare piece of grass on which to sit. When Ladysmith started their portion of the show, it only took a few minutes for me to know this
Just Wasn't Going To Work For Me. Lainie and I both popped up and wandered forward, eventually finding some friends who allowed us to sit at their feet. This put us about 75 feet from center stage - a pretty good vantage point.I don't know if I can describe the show without gushing too much. They were energized. They were funny. They were glorious, golden gods. (See?)
Because Lainie was a VIP (on the Board of Directors for the festival), she managed to do some schmoozing and get us backstage after the show. I bought a DVD and most of the boys sicned it for me (some were still cooling their heels in the RVs). We all shook hands, took a couple of pics, and there were huge smiles all around. When it became clear I'd have to let go and wouldn't be able to bring them all home with me, we made our exit and floated home.
Wow - it's been a while!
I've been incredibly busy with work over the last couple of months and have not found the time to keep up on my blogging. My apologies to you who are avid followers. Both of you.
In addition to work-work, I've been struggling to (pardon the pun) keep my head above water with the pond. We've had disaster after disaster. As of this writing, I really should be outside repairing the filter. I'll get to it.
Steve and I just returned from a mini-vacation. We left a little later than we'd planned Friday morning so had to cancel plans to have brunch with Cory & Url in Modesto. We made our way down to Fresno by about 11:00. I drove to Roeding Park hoping to show Steve the gutted airplane I clambered all over as a kid, but it's not there anymore. Next to Belmont Memorial Park where Steve screwed his patience up a notch and accomapnied me in locating my grandparents' graved. I photo'd them and we left. Short and sweet. (I miss Grandma.)
When in Fresno, one must dine Armenian, right? I'd had a curiously difficult time locating Armenian restaurants via Google before our trip. Not because they don't exist on every freakin street corner in Fresno, but because the folks who run them are about as tech-savvy as my ex-boss. Maybe less so. So I followed the map to one of the two places I'd found that had few but glowing reviews. It was so crappy we didn't even order food. Used their bathrooms, then went to the next one. That turned out to be a good call, even though it was clear the hell across town. No lamb at the first place (wha-wha-whaaatt???) and yummy lamb at the second place (thank you Goddess!!!).
After lunch we toured the Forestiere Gardens. I'd done so a few years ago and have been anxious to get Steve down in those caves, sure he would enjoy it. He did. Go, if you're ever nearby.
From there we drove another almost-an-hour south to Visalia and got checked into the Holiday Inn just in time to connect with the kids. Joel wanted a little time to feed Landon and get him to nap, so we had a cocktail before heading over to their house. Cindy was at work but we got to hang out and play Peek-A-Boo, Suck The Toes and Bang The Table with Landon until we were all exhausted.
Next morning Joel's phone call woke us up. We got cleaned up and met Joel, Cindy and Landon downstairs for breakfast. Cindy hadn't slept all night, and had a job interview at noon, so after a hearty breakfast she took the baby and headed home to get them both a little shut-eye. Joel stayed with us. We chatted and had coffee downtown before having to get him back home.
Then we found that Cindy didn't have to go to the interview after all, so while she slept we again just hung out with Joel and that perfect little brown bean of a child that is Landon.
Steve works Sundays, so we had to leave fairly early in the afternoon to allow time to drive back home and get him to bed at a decent hour. In his job, there is no room for error. He must be well-rested and able to focus and remain safe! On the way back we stopped in Sacramento for dinner, then just came home and crashed.
A quick Central Valley vacation, but a good time nonetheless.
In addition to work-work, I've been struggling to (pardon the pun) keep my head above water with the pond. We've had disaster after disaster. As of this writing, I really should be outside repairing the filter. I'll get to it.
Steve and I just returned from a mini-vacation. We left a little later than we'd planned Friday morning so had to cancel plans to have brunch with Cory & Url in Modesto. We made our way down to Fresno by about 11:00. I drove to Roeding Park hoping to show Steve the gutted airplane I clambered all over as a kid, but it's not there anymore. Next to Belmont Memorial Park where Steve screwed his patience up a notch and accomapnied me in locating my grandparents' graved. I photo'd them and we left. Short and sweet. (I miss Grandma.)
When in Fresno, one must dine Armenian, right? I'd had a curiously difficult time locating Armenian restaurants via Google before our trip. Not because they don't exist on every freakin street corner in Fresno, but because the folks who run them are about as tech-savvy as my ex-boss. Maybe less so. So I followed the map to one of the two places I'd found that had few but glowing reviews. It was so crappy we didn't even order food. Used their bathrooms, then went to the next one. That turned out to be a good call, even though it was clear the hell across town. No lamb at the first place (wha-wha-whaaatt???) and yummy lamb at the second place (thank you Goddess!!!).
After lunch we toured the Forestiere Gardens. I'd done so a few years ago and have been anxious to get Steve down in those caves, sure he would enjoy it. He did. Go, if you're ever nearby.
From there we drove another almost-an-hour south to Visalia and got checked into the Holiday Inn just in time to connect with the kids. Joel wanted a little time to feed Landon and get him to nap, so we had a cocktail before heading over to their house. Cindy was at work but we got to hang out and play Peek-A-Boo, Suck The Toes and Bang The Table with Landon until we were all exhausted.
Next morning Joel's phone call woke us up. We got cleaned up and met Joel, Cindy and Landon downstairs for breakfast. Cindy hadn't slept all night, and had a job interview at noon, so after a hearty breakfast she took the baby and headed home to get them both a little shut-eye. Joel stayed with us. We chatted and had coffee downtown before having to get him back home.
Then we found that Cindy didn't have to go to the interview after all, so while she slept we again just hung out with Joel and that perfect little brown bean of a child that is Landon.Steve works Sundays, so we had to leave fairly early in the afternoon to allow time to drive back home and get him to bed at a decent hour. In his job, there is no room for error. He must be well-rested and able to focus and remain safe! On the way back we stopped in Sacramento for dinner, then just came home and crashed.
A quick Central Valley vacation, but a good time nonetheless.
Sara has arrived!
Heehee! Steve was clueless again! For the past two months or so, Sara and I have been in cahoots - heck, everybody but Steve was in on this - about her moving out here. She and her bf, Gary, arrived tonight. Koby was their (secret) ride from the airport. Steve was just as surprised as you would imagine just to see her. When I told him she's moved out here, he nearly fell over!
I love surprising him and I'm happy he's so happy.
Work!
After a month of unemployment, Koby started his new job at a rubber supply company last week. It sounds mind-numbingly boring to me, measuring and cutting rubber hoses for custom orders, but whatever - it's a paycheck! He comes home tired and with dirty hands, but he says he's enjoying the people and the productivity of the job.
Steve started his first California job today. He's working at Mather AFB for Atlantic Aviation, refueling airplanes and doing various other airplane-related stuff. He's so excited, he could bust! He loves working around airplanes and airports, and he says the people are cool and there's a ton of information to learn. This job is just what the doctor ordered for him!
What I Did On My Summer Vacation
Steve and I had a rather hectic, but fun, vacation to Oregon and Washington. We drove the whole way, not only to save a few bucks, but so that he could survey the sites around Northern California, Oregon and Washington.
Without giving a complete blow-by-blow, we spent one night with Mom in Sutherlin, Oregon. The next couple of nights were spent in Corvallis, Oregon, with Lainie and Paul. We got to see two films at Paul's theater: The Fall (omg, this film is So Great!) and Man On Wire.
Then we took Lainie with us and went up to Washington. After wandering a most-cool bookstore, we left her in the hands of friends in Seattle, then we took the car on the ferry to Bremerton where we had a faboo Italian dinner with Peter & Amber, Leslie & Jeff and Pat, as well as Amber's two sons. After one night in Bremerton, and breakfast with Leslie at the bakery where she works in Silverdale, it was back to Seattle for a couple of days playing tourist.
Finally, on Saturday, we got to Linda's house. This was actually the impetus for our trip - to meet Roberto and his kids, Ricardo and Noemi; to finally meet in person Greg (my evil twin); and to have that time with Linda before she moves to Italy. She made hummus and patlijan and tabbouleh; I made luleh kebabs. I only mention this because it is, of course, all about the food. We were so happy that Dale and Zoie were able to come, too, and we got to meet Linda's friends, Fawn and Nancy, and their twin babies. Unfortunately, Laurie and Beth weren't able to join us that evening (but we got to see Beth the following weekend here in Sacramento).
On Sunday, before picking Lainie up for the trip back to Corvallis, Steve and I had some time to kill so we went to Kubota Garden. It was perfectly lovely! We had a doggie bag of the previous night's leftovers, and enjoyed a peaceful brunch in the park.
The drive home turned adventurous when a rather sudden cloudburst eliminated all visibility for what was probably 10 seconds but felt like 10 minutes while we were hurtling down I-5. Paul, who was next to us on his Harley, had to pull off and sit at a rest stop with a gaggle of other travelers until the storm passed. Eventually, we all made it back to Corvallis safely.
The last evening of our visit we chose to forgo the rushing around and just spend the evening relaxing and chatting. It was quiet and very nice.
Steve and I drove all the next day to get home. *whew*
Complete photo album for Seattle trip is here.
Our Kubota Garden visit is documented here.
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