Return from San Diego (06-03-23) 06-05-23

The drive to San Diego on Friday afternoon is always slow and I expected it, so I didn't get uptight and other drivers seem to take it in stride.  There are always one or two maniacs that just jockey from lane to lane to get ahead.  All that does is slow traffic even more.  My average speed was 24mph, but, of course, that was an average between dead stop and 80mph.  It took three hours.  

I  checked into  HIE-Old Town, my usual stopping place, and Beth  picked me up to go to dinner at Jimmy's Famous American Tavern right on the water, but we sat  inside out of the wind.  The French Dip was delicious, the first  I have had in years, it came with house made chips (no sulfites), and an Arnold Palmer to drink.   Interesting  to watch the customers, I just don't get out much any more!   

Ouside in the breeze  way was  this  wonderful  fully blooming vine.  Looks like  honeysuckle, but I've never seen such huge blooms or leaves.  Not terribly fragrant. 

I was  early to bed in the firm center  of the king sized bed with my earplugs in.  Can never sleep on either side of those big beds because they are all broken down.  My other option is to sleep crosswise across the foot part of the  mattress.  My preference would be a recliner and I understand  that some motels offer rooms so equipped.  I'll have to check around. 

On Saturday morning off to pick up Andrea and Deb and drive to Jamul, which is southeast of San  Diego, for the Art Stream meeting.  There were only five of the eight members, but that gave us all more talking time!!  We do an "assignment"  at each  live meeting and this month it was trees.  I didn't ask if I could post anyone's work, so I am just showing mine.  It is obviously not finished - just the fusing is done.  It is an abstract of a forest and I am still debating how to add some foliage.  The color in this image is rather darker than  reality  and  I don't know how to fix that.  Sorry. 

There will be smooth outside edges, probably faced.  

After the meeting and lunch I headed home in medium traffic, some  fast, some  slow and picked up KoKo at Nancy's about 3pm. Then another hour home.  Of course, we both needed a nap before putting things away.  And the  discovery that I don't have my datebook/calendar.  It has disappeared and I am  completely  in the dark about any dates or appointments I have for the rest of my life!!  It  is  a horrible feeling to not know what tomorrow, or tomorrow, or tomorrow or.....   will bring!  I have started a list as I remember things (like my 3pm doctor visit tomorrow, which I called to confirm), but there are notes and phone numbers I will not be able to recall.  I have never switched to keeping a calendar on my cell phone - in case I lose it!!!  This has been very stressful and I feel unconnected to my own world. I have never been one to lose things, but guess I screwed up this time.  Woe is I!

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A busy day 12-20-22

Up and on the road at 7:50am, stopped at Starbuck's drive thru, light traffic to Dana Point due, I suppose, to some schools being on holiday schedule.  KoKo accompanied me to the Surfside Quilters Guild Board Meeting, just because I didn't want to leave him home alone.  He has grown into my lap these last three weeks while I tried to keep my ankle elevated.  At the meeting he wallowed in all the attention and petting in exchange for licks for everyone that would accept them.  When the meeting started he curled up in my lap and slept almost all the way through it.  GOOD dog.  

Lots of business, including discussion about our very successful stocking stuffing project at last week's general meeting.  Now that we have some experience struggling through the first time maybe we could do it for the December meeting every year.  More discussion needed and thoughts from the membership.  I hope we do it again because I missed it this time and it seems like it was a lot of fun.  After the meeting we drove up to La Habra to see and gift our friend Liz.  KoKo was so excited, he always loves sitting on her lap getting her pets and giving her a bath if she allows it.  He is a licker!   Then home to drop KoKo and I went to the market for milk, brown sugar, and rolled oats - can you tell what I have been eating for breakfast.

After all that I had to get my foot elevated and have a little nap.  The ankle is MUCH better, but still some swelling.  It is difficult to apply the Ace bandage although my technique has improve with regular practice!   I am going to walk KoKo in the morning, maybe just up to the corner, down the other side of the street and around the cul de sac.  Then I need to pay some bills, do a load of laundry, and finish up the bit of mending I started the other day.  Focus, I need to relearn how to focus.  I don't know if it is pandemic isolation or just old age, but making decisions and focusing on projects is really hard these days.  I knw I am not alone, so I suspect it is the isolation.  This too shall pass, huh?

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Those boys in the cul de sac 11-04-21

Since the pandemic started I haven't seem much of those two nice brothers who live across the street in the cul de sac.  They have been at home trying to learn on ZOOM and their father has been working from home all this time, so he is always there and can drive them wherever.  But yesterday he had to drive into his office in Los Angeles for the first time.  I had to ask if he remembered how to get there!  In the past he took the train from Fullerton and then a bus to his office place.  So, yesterday the boys needed a driver.  They go to different schools now - Immanuel is in middle school and Julian still goes to grade school.  I drove Immanuel to school after his dad had delivered Julian to his school.  Then in the afternoon I picked up Julian and we went out for ice cream.   Of course, he had Cookie Monster. However the blue color really turns me off so I had my favorite Razzmania - raspberries and chocolate chunks in a vanilla base.  We came back to my house, but I don't know how he could access my Internet, so we walked over to his house where he played computer games and I read stuff on my cell phone.  They have been renovating their house and have the loveliest pale cedar "siding" in the living/dining room and it is laid diagonally.  Looks so clean and "modern".  The work is not quite finished and the refrigerator is still in the middle of the room, but they are almost ready to get back to normal.  We have three houses in the neighborhood being remodeled and it is taking forever for all of them.  Delays in appliances, shortage of lumber and wall board, slow delivery of materials all around.  I don't know how they all manage with the disorganization.  I live in great disorder with piles of everything, but I don't have to put up with the dust and tools and noise and just always having others in my house.  However does Mr. John get any work done?   Mrs. John is a nurse and has worked through it all.  Anyway, I loved seeing the boys, they are so polite and well behaved.  And so TALL now.  Kids grow up very fast.  

Julian ate almost all of it and then went to the restroom and washed up!

Julian and Immanuel - 1st day of school Sep 2021

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Last day in Pacific Grove, CA 10-16-21

And it was a busy day.  

 

Had this hearty breakfast at Toastie's - 2 eggs over easy, five enormous strips of excellent bacon, six 3" pancakes with syrup, 3 cups of coffee and lots of people watching.  Something I have certainly missed during the pandemic.  I do love to observe people and make up stories about them.

I saved half the bacon and ate it for dinner tonight with my left over broccoli and a hard boiled egg from home.  Tasty!

Then another browse at Back Porch.  It is the BEST quilt shop ever.  And the ladies are so friendly and helpful.  I was specifically looking for a background for the Canyon Quilters Challenge and bought a piece of greenish-greyish Scrunge.  Thought I might get going on that 14" quilt today, but ran out of time. 

As you see, a fabulous day and there were people all along the road that follows Monterey Bay to the end of Hwy 68 at the entrance to Asilomar.  There were people setting up their spots to relax.

 

And people watching the birds, like this long line of brown pelicans flying along. 

And people running.  This one gave me a pang as he resembles my late husband was a daily runner, a habit he formed in college and he ran wherever we were in the world. 

 

And some people hauled their home in and parked, apparently for the day since they have their bump-out set up.  I thought there was a limit to how large a vehicle one could park and how long one could stay.  

There were also walkers, dog walkers, baby strollers, electric bikes, non-electric bikes,couples, families, singles, hand-holders.   It seemed that everyone was out and about in the sunshine.  I just drove along at 15-20 mph enjoying the sights.  Wonder when I will be back here again.  Hopefully before Empty Spools in the spring.  

Back in my motel room I set up for the ZOOM workshop with Brenda Gael Smith in Australia.  It was her three hour circles/curves and was an excellent little class.  I had all the materials and equipment with me and found her to be a good teacher.  It would be better to have her in person, but under the circumstances it was great.  The last time I saw Brenda was at PIQF  few years ago.  Hope she will be able to come to the States again one day.  

And here is a little quiz for you.  Which side is up?  The very light color is actually a pale yellow on yellow print, not quite as pale as in the images.  I'll try for better color when I decide which is the top and which is the bottom. 

Back to PIQF in the morning to look at the quilts until they close and I can pick up our six quilts and head home.  I'll stay some place along I-5 and finish the drive on Monday.  Don't expect I will get very far tomorrow evening.  

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Nice day with Book Group 06-16-21

It was a nice day, only 85F and a slight breeze.  The Book Group carpooled up to Clairemont to meet at Ann's townhouse.  It is only 30 - 40 minutes depending on traffic and depending on the driver to keep track of where she is going.  I listened to GPS instead of my instincts, so it took us a little longer.  There were four in my car and three in Carol's and one member could not go.  We missed her.  We did discuss the book  "Miss Benson's Beetle" and generally enjoyed it.  It is a very different story with funny parts and tragic parts. The hostess selects the next book and Ann has chosen Elizabeth Gilbert's "The Signature of All Things" Published in 2013 for discussion at our July meeting.  

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About the drive 05-02-21

Other than just the thrill of being on the road, the drive to San Diego is basically just boring!  The drive down today was under lowering clouds and with light traffic.  It seemed like everyone got off on Leucadia to make a run through Starbuck's right off the freeway.  It took me 20 minutes in the drive thru to pick up a latte and a box lunch.  And it was raining!  The drizzle started just south of Oceanside and came down pretty hard in places.  Fortunately most drivers slowed down so didn't see any skid outs.  

This image is while driving through Camp Pendleton with the high security fence down the center strip.  Ocean off to the right.

VERY light traffic heading south.  Still wild mustard and other wild flowers blooming.  That funny little "flag" over the sign is a chip in my windshield.  A new windshield soon. 

This is a view of the Pacific Ocean off to the right side of the car.  It is out there, but everything was so grey the horizon line disappears as everything blends together. 

Right through the middle of this enlarged picture you can see the surf.  So near and yet so far away.  

Closer into north San Diego the rain stopped, but the clouds persisted and our group actually met inside of Judy's house.  It was so good to be together with the art quilt ladies and most everyone had something to share.  

I was the least productive and shared another background made of scraps cut to even up yardage for strips.  They vary in width, length, evenness, and sometimes I need to use a little fabric marker to fill in the thin spaces.  This background will have some shore birds appliqued where appropriate. 

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Traveling tomorrow! 05-01-21

I'll be driving to San Diego tomorrow for the second in person meeting with the art quilters.  I have wondered if I could do it because the darn sciatica has come back.  But I have been taking it easy, taking pills, and doing specific exercises and it isn't quite as painful as it was earlier in the week.   KoKo will visit Nancy and Bud in San Clemente and I will pick him up on the way home.  Can't leave him home alone for the six plus hours I will be gone.  

I've always wanted a yellow car!  But this is definitely not mine!  I probably couldn't even get the clutch engaged!   But I do see this sort of vehicle while driving I-5 to San Diego.  Along with LOTS of Teslas.  Don't know why they are so popular with people who drive LA to SDiego.  I guess if one has a good charge one can drive down and back without stopping.  

Anyway, it promises to be nice weather and not too hot.  

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Ten years ago in the desert 01-04-21

Ten years ago I was in Lake Havasu City with Corky, the poodle I took care of.  His "parents" had a lovely home with a view over the lake and always went out for the holidays.  This time of year the sunsets are amazing, so I have a vast collection of pictures.  How can I decide which to delete?  The moon is just a tiny crescent high in the image.  The lights on the other shore are in California, not much of a settlement over there.  .  

Corky went over the Rainbow Bridge just before Thanksgiving in 2013 and soon after everyone's life changed and eventually the desert house was sold.  Partially because it is a very long five to six hour drive out there from Long Beach where the family lives.  

Most of the drive is on I-40.  Sometimes there are other cars and trains (the light streak across the middle of the image) and, of course, big rigs.  There is a line of five big trucks going around the left curve ahead.

But usually there is not a lot of traffic and the barren desert stretches out on all sides.  Not a route to take without A/C in your vehicle.  I remember driving it in a VW Beetle with all the windows rolled down, gallons of water to drink, and wet towels to drape over our heads and necks.  That must have been about 1965.  Such a trip would surely kill me now!  I luxuriate in A/C, Cruise Control, and recorded books.  But now with Covid I am not going anywhere.  There is a huge surge of the virus in SCalifornia so I am really sticking close to home.  Wish I knew when I could be on the road again!  

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Time off 12-14-20

I didn't mean to take a week off and I am sorry I caused some of you to worry, but  I have been struggling with keeping on my feet and trying to get back to "normal".   Couldn't do PTherapy because I was running a temp.  Seems to have been the UTI that has been haunting me off and on for the last few months.  Just generally feeling rotten on top of my sciatica problems.  I did see the orthopedist again last Friday and he thinks I should have another epidural.  I doubt that will happen until after the first of the new year.  I am waiting for a call back from the injection doc.  If I continue to feel better each day I will probably pass on that.    KoKo and I continue to walk twice a day and sometimes, like today, we do the loop both times.  I do think it makes an improvement in my aches and pains, but sometimes I don't have the energy.  I continue to do the exercises at home.  

I have been driving locally, to the market, the drugstore, takeout food, Starbuck's, but last Thursday I drove to Oceanside to have lunch with my friend Beth.  Oceanside is about halfway between us, an hour from San Diego and an hour from Placentia.  We each take our own lunch, park next to each other in the OMA lot,  roll down our windows and have a lovely visit while we eat.  Not the same as sitting in a restaurant and hugging on arrival/departure, but better than not seeing each other at all.  The traffic was mostly light, but I was whipped when I got home.  KoKo had stayed with Cherie and Jim overnight and I picked him up on the way home.  Needless to say I needed a nap and he joined me, as usual.  

Two special cards in the mail today.  I have always been fascinated by the 3-D folding cards and this is a very nice Snowman.  Also a quilled bluebird (of happiness) which was accompanied by a nice long letter HANDWRITTEN!  Haven't had one of those in years.  I will respond, but it will have to be typed as I can not even read my own cursive anymore.  

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