Grand Dog Duty

Jess & Wills are celebrating their first anniversary in San Francisco, leaving the dogs at home. As a refresher, they adopted two dogs, Edie's two least favorite breeds.....pit bull (JoJo) and chihuahua (Pancho). But we're all getting along well and Edie is learning to love the dogs. So this evening we went to the their home to tend to the cute critters. We fed them as instructed, even administering the meds to JoJo. It all went so well. Then we took them out to do their business....this was not as effortless and quick as we were led to believe.

First off, we're not too sure how those harness collars work...Pancho could have been hindered a bit with the way we put this on. It worked, but it looked odd. Then out the door we all went. The dogs seemed to know what to do and where to go...we simply followed. The potty part went quickly, but the other just wasn't happening. And Pancho, the male, could possible be dehydrated from sprinkling EVERY item he came near.

We came up with a plan, it had been 30 minutes and it was dark and cold. So off we went down the street headed towards Main Street. They were happy walking, but not doing what we wanted them to do....their business. Then we figured that maybe they were a little hyped up because it was us and not Jess & Wills. So we headed back home so they might be a little more comfortable. When we got to the front of the complex, it was like magic. We should have brought flashlights because it was a little tough to actually see where we needed to clean up. But all worked out and then we tucked them back in to their home.

Dave gave them a bit of snack bone....I hope this doesn't make them go more....since the housesitter doesn't arrive for hours.

Celebrating Kwanzaa

I do not have the Christmas cards done...or even started....I have no idea where the cards we purchased may be located. So while driving to church this morning the perfect answer came to me.....forget Christmas cards and newsletter and just send Kwanzaa cards and newsletter! It's a fake holiday that is celebrated between Christmas and New Years. This is something started in the US, mostly celebrated by people of African descent. This is not anything that came from Africa. But the timing works for me.

Another Military Homecoming

Patriot Guard....these are the bikers that escort the military person to the Welcoming...often times the parent (generally the Mom) has arranged the whole thing as a surprise. The Mom is happy and excited...the child, not so much..they always look overwhelmed and a bit embarrassed...the Mom doesn't mind at all.

One of the attendees of the homecoming has an appropriate license plate.

Military Homecoming

We went to another Homecoming last week for Chris, the eldest son of Matt & Cindy. The arrival was all set for 8 pm. I was at home, all warm and comfy, and did not want to venture out. I was feeling really guilty for even considering missing the event. After all, Chris is a Marine and was getting back from months in extreme conditions...and here I was not wanting to leave my warm cozy home. I mentioned this to Dave and the look he gave me....

So off we went. Along Main Street (if you haven't seen the decorations you're missing a spectacular scene) there were a handful of somber looking people in front of the Museum. They were holding a very large sign.....Pleasantons 4 Peace. Where do you suppose the opposition to that could be?

As we neared the home of Chris' parents, the streets were lined with cars and Welcome Home & Thank You signs. The court had been closed off and there were tons of people milling about. It was very cheerful....neighbors, friends, strangers were talking and greeting one another. We ran in to several people we hadn't seen in months. Everyone was having a good time.

We had to stop our visit when the Patriot Guard motorcycle escort arrived with Chris and family right behind them. It was 44 degrees and I was cold just standing still...I can't imagine what it would be like on a motorcycle riding in from the Oakland Airport.

Cindy was beaming..so happy to have her #1 child home at last...safe and sound and all grown up. But then I realized that as elated as Cindy is.....my dear friend Jan is churning because her only son is about to go to Afghanistan at the end of the month. It was rather poignant....and very real. This is the reality of any conflict...many faces...and not many are pretty.

Open House

It was so nice to attend someone else's Open House. We drove down to Almaden to see Robert & Teri's home. It is so beautiful. Very nice to see people making changes to their home that fit their lifestyle, and not some formula. Their home looks so nice and comfortable...very upscale too.

Plus we were able to visit with people we enjoy so much. Good time was had by all...plus we got to see everyone's babies.

France is complete!

The France 2007 album is complete...mostly photos of food!

Birthday Celebration

The Magic Couple made dinner for us...we would love to tell you what it was, but we're really not sure. They told us several times, but it just was too exotic for us to know what it was, much less spell it for you. All we know is that it was fish and prepared in parchment paper. It smelled so good when we split the paper open.

Then there was a very tasty ice cream cake. Thank goodness they did not put all those candles on it, that would have set off the fire alarm. Edie is not too impressed with another birthday because they are just coming around way too fast.

We then taught Wills how to play Hearts. Thankfully he was a total newbie and did not whip us like he did with Rubikube. Edie spanked all of us and was particularly pleased when she "shot the moon" and stuck everyone with points.

The granddogs were entertaining and well behaved. Pancho sat on Edie's lap....Edie was closest to the food, don't be fooled that Pancho has a favorite.

Dogs eat Whipped Cream?

Scarlett does....she comes running when she hears the noise from the can of whipped cream....silly dog.

Learning Something New

Miss Donna has kindly been teaching me how to make baby quilts....or little blankets. I have been spending a small fortune on baby gifts, and am surrounded by fertile couples. Dave says it is so much better than store bought because you can personalize them. It's been ages since I've used my sewing machine....which Donna can attest to, I couldn't remember how to thread the machine, did it incorrectly, and spent a long time ripping out my first pass at binding.

To make matters a bit more challenging, my right thumb went numb and my forearm and wrist were feeling numb and pain...carpel? lazy surfing? pinched whatever? Or could it be my age? So many possibilities. And the fabric that I selected is really tough to get the needle through along with the double yarn. I had to get Dave's pliers to pull the needle through. They are now complete (we made 2) and really cute...as long as you don't look to closely at my horrible sewing. But I plan on practicing until I can be as good as Miss Donna and her sister, Annette, at making the blankets.

Tasty Beginnings

We tried something a little different this year. To copy Margaret, we went with dried fruit and nuts. We used a lovely plate from Donna & Bret with plate liners that look just like leaves.

Black Friday

BARTed in to the city with the Magic Couple to walk around, look at the window decorations, perhaps shop.  The kids helped us with the ticket machines.  They're just quicker and have better eye sight....age is a slippery slope that we're skidding down.

We never found great store windows at Union Square...we looked, but there was nothing special about them.  We also did not see one single Santa.  Everything has been sanitized of Christmas.  The only thing left is the buying.  And there really didn't appear to be a whole lot of that going on.  It just wasn't as busy as it has been in the past.

If you haven't been to the Westfield center (new name) at the Powell Street station, you really should go by.  The food court is amazing.  We didn't eat there because it was way to busy.  We did go up to the dome and eat at the high end Mexican restaurant.  Very tasty.

Terrific Turkey Day

It was wonderful and everyone had a great time.  The new recipes turned out fabulous.

The only downside was Wills, aka son-in-law, skunked us all in Rummikube (sp?).  And I mean he spanked us all.  He's either super lucky, or just much better than the three of us.

I am so glad to have a daughter

Jessica put all the finishing touches on the table.  She had some patching to do since we do not have enough of anything to set a table for 10.  She's taking notes on what to possibly buy us for Christmas.  She went from thinking we had everything, to figuring out we barely had anything.  It's sad that she must bring things to complete her parents kitchen and entertaining.  But then again, she had several wedding showers and a wedding, and her parents had none.

Happy Pre-Thanksgiving!

Son-in-Law (aka Wills) preparing the turkey

Not too sure why this is side-ways...I thought I fixed it up before I up loaded, obviously I have missed a step. But I'm sure Wills can tell me what went went wrong.

We put our new kitchen through the paces today. And can I say that there is nothing quite like having adult children to carry the load.Jessica and Wills came over just after three and we cooked until 6:30. We're trying a few new recipe, plus it's tough when you only do this every once in a while. Since we've been in exile for so long, it's been at least three years since we cooked. Everything smells so good!

Dinner in the City

I'm feeling so cosmopolitan.....I BARTed in to San Francisco with Heather to meet up with her twin sister, Dawn, and eat dinner and then do a little shopping....in the middle of the week...on the spur of the moment....on a school, er work night! How fun is that?

Dawn picked the place, Tres Agaves, near the Ball Park. The whole place looks really cool at night...we went down this street that looked so quaint and Eastern...Dawn said it is called South Park...way cool.

So I am the oldest person in this place...it's really dark, so I just picked out something in large letters. The waitress comes by for the drink orders and starts telling us about the Tequila...describing it like wine. Everything was very tasty...yes, even the tequila...although I can not tell you what it was..other than it was the tequila of the month.

We wandered through the Westfield Mall...it looks nothing like I remember...and went in to a few stores, including Furla (which has nothing like the Italy stores) and Bristol Farms (a bit like Draeger's). I don't know why we don't do this more often, it was fun.

And it was really nice to spend some time catching up with Heather.....the only PhD Chemist I could possibly ever know. I'm so proud of her and how grown up she has become. And Dawn is wonderful too (a pharmacist for Genentech). Bet nobody thought I knew such intelligent people.

Lovely Day of Riding

Today is one of those days that make you glad to live in California.  The sun is shining, warm, no wind, and plenty of roads.  Although the state could have taken better care of the roads.

We met up with our buddies, Donna and Bret, at the Shell station.  We gassed up the bikes and took off to meet up with two more couples in Modesto.  The hour ride was great....hot air balloons up in the clear windless sky, it was so warm riding over the Altamont Pass....one of the few times we weren't blown all over the place when we headed south on 5 to 132...that area is generally so windy it makes it a bit of a challenge to keep the bike going straight.

All 5 bikes went along on the ride to the Sierra Foothills.  We stopped in Coulterville to remove the chaps and jacket liners, and switch to lighter gloves.  Then we headed on the Little Dragon, Highway 49 to Mariposa.  We had a delicious lunch at the Happy Burger Diner, one of our favorite stops.

We all returned home safely with sore butts and smiles on our face...a successful day!

Homecoming

If you have never witnessed one of our community homecomings for a returning military member, you are missing a great deal. Our local newspaper, The Pleasanton Weekly, does a fabulous job of writing articles about the homecomings and the people involved.

Friday night we attended a homecoming in the Morgan Territory, at the home of Sgt. Meylan, for her 29th birthday.  Even though the Morgan Territory is only miles from downtown, it feels as if you're way out in the country.  We drove to the house with our friend, Jan Miller, and she couldn't figure out where she was....and I think she had been there before.  The wind does swirl and howl out there too, so you might want to wear a hat or scarf if you end up there!

There were about 40 motorcycles that escorted the Sgt.'s car home.  This is quite a sight...to see the Patriot Guard wind through the hills for a long stretch.

We may never had attended the homecomings if it were not for our friend's, Jan and Doug Miller, being so involved.  We're glad we know them.  It gives you a grateful and patriotic feeling to attend.  Plus, we reconnect with many people that we met through our children as we were involved in sports, school, church, etc.

Don't pass up the opportunity to attend one of these homecomings.

Mission Accomplished Party

The Ladies add a few finishing touches before the party begins



Granny gives the Magic Couple their Wedding Quilt



A few of our friends and family enjoying the new patio

Pressure to Blog

We're feeling pressure to write something interesting....trouble is, our daily life is boring. Not that we're complaining, boring is a pleasant change from our year in exile. Today Dave figured out that we moved three times in less than one year's time.

Our construction punch list is dwindling down to a few annoying items. Our gas fireplace sometimes fails to light. And we're really loving our gas fireplace. At the flip of the remote (when it works) the logs are lit and the room gets toasty in nothing flat. It looks real too.

Not really why, but after a couple of hours in a 5th grade classroom, Edie is exhausted. She's pretty much just filing papers for Jessica, but she comes home spent. It could be the level of activity in the room, not anything like what she's used to. She did learn a little about clouds from Jessica working with the class on their 5 paragraph non-fiction stories. Today she brought In-n-Out burgers, fries, and soda for lunch...always an adventure.

We picked up the Mercedes from the dealer. Please explain how you go from the service rep saying that we really are not due for service, to an $1,800 bill. Is it time for something new?

The weather has been spectacular....we're planning on riding this weekend....hope Edie's bike starts, it's been so long since she's taken it out for a ride.

Back to Scrapping

Today was my first day back at Diane's for scrapping...all is well with the world. I'm feeling overwhelmed and very behind. This is not good for my limited creative juices. To add more pressure, Creative Memories is discontinuing the albums that I have been using, and have plenty of stockpiled supplies to use. So I must complete all my projects or else I may not be able to get the necessary supplies to complete them at a later date. Stress, stress, stress...it's so tough being me.

I did complete Paris, so now I'm off to the Louire Valley....I can barely remember the trip!

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

Unless you're voting for the other guy....then just stay home.

We're Back Home

We were on the road for over 24 hours. Edie began copping a totally bad attitude at the airport when she was told their seats were in the middle of the middle aisle. But the bad energy started before that when the United Airlines computer system went down and there was only one agent to check everyone in. We did meet a lovely young couple from San Francisco and heard great UPS stories delivering in SF.

But upon boarding the plane, Edie discovered the middle aisle was only three seats and hers was in the fron row with plenty of leg room and easy access to get up and around. This was an important lesson for her and she apoligized to the her travelling companions.

The next trial was landing in Dulles....on a prior visit it was complete bedlam, but this time was so easy...and all four team red bags arrived. The only drama was when Sabrina and Michael checked voice mail and work. There was an escape by Cooper (he's safe), a marriage split (they've reconsidered and are entering counseling) and a key personnel quitting (a replacement is working out wonderfully). So all in all, the world continued on quite well in our absence. Oh, and all four team red bags arrived and the limos were waiting to take us home.

We're back in our homes....our own beds, our own toilets, our own pets (kitty witty was ecstatic upon our return)...and the suitcases are upacked, laundry is in process, photos are uploaded and ready to print.

Now we begin planning for next year!

Rome...the last day

Checking our location...do we look as dog tired as we were feeling?



Our walk through historical sites.


We ate our last vacation dinner at a place next to the Trevi Fountain. The table next to us ended up with two couples....from Almaden! And the one guy is a commercial broker who worked with CoAmerica bank on a lease on Main Street Pleasanton...small world.

The good weather lasted all day...until we were eating....then the skies opened up. The good thing is the streets were deserted and we were the only people at Trevi Fountain.

The Flood

Last night, along with the thunder and lightening, there was plenty of water. Our hotel got flooded! The rooms on the first floor are soaked. Good thing we're on the second floor. The drains must not have worked very well and the water came in over the door sills. The computers in the public area were damaged, along with the rugs, etc. We're using our laptop again...along with the WiFi. We have no access to Sabrina's email and it's making her crazy. We were able to check the Sharks game results too.

Upon our return to mainland Rome....

We happened upon a student demonstration when we detoured to the Piazza Navona. The high school students are not happy because the new conservative government has axed 18,000 teachers that were added under the former liberal government (that ramped up spending and government services over a short period). Now there's not too much money. Sound familiar? It's all the same.

There was tear gas, Polizia in riot gear, Carbiniera, paddy wagons, bull horns...and students running every where....rampaging through the streets. Actually they looked like hormonal teens. Oh, and they are totally in to saggy pants here too.

We also met James, a scout for the Royal Canadien army on leave from Khandahar, Afghanistan....and an Obama supporter. He spent a great deal of time and effort explaining American politics to us. Why is everyone explaining American politics to Americans?

Our Audience with the Pope

We walked to the Vatican to see the Pieta again, unbeknownst to us, our petition for an audience with the Pope was granted. Unfortunately the Pope invited thousands of others! We entered St. Peter's Square on a Wednesday around 11, and the Pope arrives in his G Series MBZ..not the Pope mobile. He was about 20 feet away from us and looked right at us. Then we heard Paul's letter to the church at Corinth in about 7 different languages. We didn't hang around for the whole thing....we exited to the souvenier shops. The guys tired after one, so they sat on a bench and smoked Cubanitos. Everyone was happy.

Italians and Politics

They all ask us about the election and they all like McCain...go figure. In fact in all three countries we have visited, they like McCain. They are in to it more than we are....our cab driver, who could barely speak English, starting telling us how Bush is a cowboy stupido...but that when they say that McCain is like Bush they are wrong...and that Obama is a socialist which is not good for America...because however America goes, Europe is affected (or is it effected?)

We were so looking forward to missing the election stuff and then here it is.

We got mini-hustled

Left Sorrento just as the weather turned windy and rainy. Took a private driver and van to the train station in Naples. This station is where you actually experience all those crime stories you hear about travelling in big cities. We were warned by Patricia, our travel agent, to be careful...and Rick Steves too. We were just fine...except for this one little old man. He was wearing a °Goodwill° hand me down jacket from the train officials...the patch had been ripped off, just like we were about to be. Our first clue should have been his missing teeth....his English was good and he acted very official. Edie figured it out right away....Sabrina was looking out for the wild gypsy guy. The guys were watching over us, and being WAY too nice. The old guy did help us out...by getting us to the right train (which we could have done on our own) and reminding us to stamp our tickets (which Rick Steves told us about) and carrying our bags on the train (which we could also do)...Michael Neu was going to give him a 2 euro tip...Dave offered him 5 euro...and he would not leave until we gave him 10 euro. But at least he gave us a story to blog about.

Train ride was uneventful....got to Rome and it was sunny until we went out walking around the town. Dave and Edie were not as prepared as Michael and Sabrina....they left their rain coats and umbrellas at the hotel. Edie paid 5 euro for an umbrella from an illegal immigrant near the Trevi Fountain that fell apart before we got back to the hotel.

We had gelato, toured the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and some random church....plenty of shopping and a good dinner. Funny thing is that it was a place we had eaten at when we were here before.

It is a little different here from 4 years ago...definite Asian influence and they are out on the street trying to get us to eat at places that made us wait until 7 when they opened last time...now they are open all the time.

Just as we were walking back to the hotel....the thunder and lightening began in earnest....it is pouring now.

Tomorrow we visit the Pope.

Ciao!

Santorini, Greece photos

It really is this beautiful in real life.




Some perspective on our hike up the donkey trail

Rhodes photos

Istanbul photos

Our rug demonstration....set up at the uncle's rug shop



Learning ablution in front of the mosque from our guide



Learning how to stand on the prayer rug in the mosque

Get the Message?

Athens

Blogging in Europe

this is what it looks like when we make up the blog....

Bad Hair Day

Since breakfast, Sabrina must have mentioned...oh at least 20 times...that she hated the hotel hair dryer. It's a flex tube that looks like a vacuum hose...has cool air and no power. She was really not liking her hair. So we arrive in Capri and this women stops Sabrina and asked her, in Italian, where she got her hair cut. Sabrina tells her California, and she said told her it was fabulous.

So Michael begins telling her she doesn't need a $200 hair dryer with 7,000 watts of power...he'll just blow on it for free. Dave jumps in to say that "When you think you're having a bad hair day...it really looks good. So...those days when you look you're having a good hair day.....not so good". That stopped her in her tracks.

Our New Best Friends in Capri

Carlos and Nina waving from their villa with the panorama...

Today we took a ferry from Sorrento to Capri (Kap-ree...not Ka-pree like the pants) and we walked all over...up and down. Michael has set a 5 mile per day minimum. So we trudge up the side of the hill....Michael takes the lead...pretending to be a race car drive....pointing out "land minds" left by those cute dogs....calling out the grade...telling us when to down shift in to granny. But then when the younguns passed us up, he picked up the pace and told us to take the inside lane. Edie was at the back drafting off the others.

Sabrina stopped to look at a little well in the front court yard, and this 84 year old guy, Carlos, steps out on his porch and asked us where we were from...then his wife, Nina, came out too. They were so funny, and they invited us in to their home to show us around. They showed us their "panorama", view...which was totally awesome. Nina took Edie and Sabrina in to her bedroom to show them a certificate from the Pope commemorating their 50 years of marriage in 2005. Anyway, Carlos was very enfatuated with Sabrina...he had her turn around for her panorama. I mean, you cannot make this stuff up. Michael was a little jealous, but mostly annoyed because he wanted to eat lunch. But then Carlos told us it was time to go because he had to eat his lunch.

Photos!

Nancy and Marty (aka El Tigre) dancing in their matching outfits



The Cigar smoking guys....Michael, El Tigre, and Dave

Today we see the Gypsies

We're on the commuter train (Dave called it the circumcision train...the Italian name looks like that word) and about 4 stops in, two couples with strollers and children got on. We realized they were gypies when they walked up and asked for money. One of the young women, holding a large toddler.....her bare breast dripping mother's milk...no hooter hider for her. That's what Dave saw as he turned to respond to her question in a foreign dialect. Then they had their 6 yr. old daughter work the train. It is just so sad and odd. The entire families just looked like mongrels.

It was sunny and about 80 today as be strolled through Pompeii. We are so smart now that we can identify columns and building styles. At least Dave can....the rest of us are lucky guessers. We didn't hire a guide, we used Rick Steve's.

We had pizza and salad in Piazza Tasso, then walked all over Sorrento. We made a few purchases..Sabrina this time...plus Cuban cigars for the guys. This town is known for lemons...limoncello, a very high alcohol content, is available all over....Sabrina had a sample and we thought she was going to spit it out all over the poor sales lady.

The other funny thing is when we went in to this wonderful cathedral, it's famous for the inlaid wood design on the doors. Inside, there was an American priest performing a service in English. Then, the lighting of candles is actually flipping a switch to light the light on the candle...no flame, actually a light bulb.

When we returned to our hotel, they apologized and have us in junior suites....large for Europe, but normal for US. Michael and Sabrina's have a terrace and stairs up to their bathroom. Dave and Edie have floor to ceiling windows on two walls and a Cleopatra couch. There's hygiene wash by the bidet and a high tech shower which shows the temperature and a mirror to shave.

This connection is better, so we're going to possibly put some photos up. But now, we go to dinner.

Ciao!

Saturday events..end of the cruise

We said our fond farewells to Nancy & Marty...they said they're in mourning and will no longer dress alike! It was an event landing in Athens....along with 6 other ships and 50,000 people (may be a little overstating the number...but not much). We found our ride, we had a bus for 20+ all to ourselves...then we met Yolanda, our guide. She's highly educated chimney smoking hippie. We learned WAY more than we ever wanted to about the Acropolis, ancient Greek history and architecture. We met up with the 50,000 people atop the Acropolis.

Then Yolanda left us and the driver gave us an extra hour tour...which we enjoyed more than Yolanda. We're seeing a trend here...we like the help...we hang better with them.

Then we were off on our flight from Athens to Milan, in northern Italy....then from Milan to Naples...check a map...it's like flying to Seattle from Vegas to get to Los Angeles. Then the fun begins....well, there was the plane full of Italian business men all talking loudly at the same time and the guy in front of Michael and Sabrina coughing and sneezing. Back to our arrival in Naples....our four bags were the first on the belt and then the driver was waiting was waiting for us. He was a little ADHD who we couldn't understand what he was saying. A normal one hour drive took almost 2....he said all the young people were driving to the Disco....we would see about 50 young people hanging out on the side of the road and then a food wagon (or roach coach or taco truck) was there selling food. Dave's theory is they go to the dark side of the road for privacy, work up a hunger, and then the food truck arrives.

Then the real fun started....Edie & Sabrina walk in to the hotel at 10:30 and the guy behind the desk begins a controlled panic when we hand him the voucher. He ran to his "assoicate" and then he got a third person. It seems there were no rooms. Dave and Michael came in,....with the ADHD driver still hanging around....all 4 begin speaking excitedly in Italian (is there any other way they speak?).....Sabrina and Edie sat on the bench laughing at the whole thing. We ended up next door in this modern style hotel for the night.

But now we're back in the groove...had a spectacularly fresh breakfast (Sabrina and Dave have decided that Michael and Edie have an enabling food bond) and we're headed out on a train to Pompeii. We can't wreck that...it's already destroyed!

Ciao!

Leaving the ship

We loved our last stop...we walked 2+ miles to town, up the hills and through the town, then back to the tender another 2+ miles. Very low key town.

Edie got a little sea sick and missed dinner...not alarming to miss a meal. We're all packed up and ready for a critical day....pick up for private tour of Athens (Acropolis, etc.), two flights to Naples, private driver to Sorrento. We're looking forward to Italy and fresh food. We should have better internet connections and possibly load up some photos...there's plenty of evidence of a good time.

it's sad to leave Nancy & Tiger, but we're ready for the next part of the adventure.

Miss you all...Love the four of us.

Santorini, Greece

This is what you think of when you think of Greece....this is the town with with buildings and blue roofs. We loved this stop. We tendered in and then climbed 580+ steps up the side of the cliff...switch backs....among the donkey doo. There are two other ways up the cliff...by the cable car tram or riding a donkey...very few people climb...not sure if it's the physical demand or the stench..perhaps both.

There were several purchases for the Arterburn home...Dave did not receive support from Michael to stop the cash flow.

Last night was a Bar-B-Que dinner...in gale force winds. Then the staff put on a little show. We were on the back deck with our friends, Nancy and Marty (aka El Tigre). The guys were unable to secure cigars for the evening (they refused to pay 45 euro per) so Marty gave the guys a couple of his to smoke. We did add an attorney from Seattle to the group, just for the cigar.

Because of the weather, we are headed to Monemvasia, Greece instead of Mykonos. This is a much smaller place, but we think we'll enjoy it more since it isn't a huge tourist shopping place. Plus we have water sports today! we can kayak, ski, swim, etc.

It should be around 70 degrees and sunny. We're having good weather, but the sea is a bit rough. We're all handling it okay.

Edie has the laundry thing going....every night she's washing stuff out and hanging it in the shower...makes her feel at home.

The only bad part of the trip is CNN Europe....if you think CNN USA is bad....this is way worse.

Afternoon Update

We took a long walk today all along the water, at least 5 miles....at 80 degrees and tons of sun. We did a little shopping too. And let's just say that the shopkeepers were happy to see us leave. They had this team approach to shoppers, but they were no match for the four of us....we have our act down. They have rarely worked so hard for a sale. Michael felt so sorry for the last guys that he tipped them a Euro! It seems that Turkey is missing the large US presence of military at the air bases.

We did more reading and visiting with others. Oh, and those friendly dogs....a puppy bit one of the passengers and the doctor is now beginning rabie (sp?) shots on her.

We went for a raucous ride on the little Zodiac boat too.

And then there's the Greek dancers that gave a show.

Got to go and get cleaned up for dinner!

It's all Greek to me

We were able to simply walk off the ship in Rhodes, Greece but will be "tendering" in from the ship in Bodrum, Turkey. We'll ride a smaller boat fromt he ship to the dock. Today's weather will be 79 and sunny. Dave is the only one who thought to check the weather before we left and packed shorts and flip flops. The rest of us are wearing jeans....can't imagine this place in the summer.

We walked for miles yesterday in the old part of town. It's all walled off, as most of the old towns are.....cute little streets. And tons of laundry on clotheslines...right in the front doors! I know of a few people that would be having hissy fits. Oh, and we stopped at a Starbucks to get a water and use the WC.

Today we'll be walking the streets of Bodrum...our last stop in Turkey. Michael already told Sabrina she can't even slow down at a rug shop...he refuses to sit through another demonstration. No one wants a rug, but if you slow down they get you in to the shop.

Last night we played "Name that tune" in the lounge with the rest of the guests. And Tiger and Nancy were cutting the rug on the dance floor...the first ones on the dance floor were 87 and 74...oh to be like them....but they could really dance.

Well..we're off to breakfast...more food.

Greece is the word....

Today we're docking in Rhodes, Greece. The weather is 75 and sunny. We have plenty of good photos, but we're using a satellite internet access which is painfully slow and we're paying by the minute. We're all doing great, except the food intake does not equal the food output. We're having the same trouble as our new friends, and the guys smokin' buddy, Tiger. He's 87 and his wife, Nancy, is 74. We run with a fast crowd.

We really don't have much to report because we're eating, sleeping, reading our books, and spending time with each other.

We're excited to see what Greece looks like, from the ship the shore looks like Nevada, a desert.

Oh, one really interesting thing is that the Turks really love animals. The cats and dogs run wild. No one really brings them to their own homes. They tag the ear of a dog to show that it has all it's shots and has been spayed/neutered. They're well fed, have good coats, and friendly. Sabrina talks to all the animals and they come to her, except they bolt when they figure out she doesn't have food!

We've adjusted our attitude about Turkey

We spent the day in Ephesus and believe our original idea about Turkey, based upon Istanbul, may have been in error. We pulled in to port at Kusadsi and it's a Mediterranean resort, more our speed. Great weather, 75 and sunny. The water is beautiful. We went to the ruins in Ephesus....very interesting history and wonderful guide..he didn't pimp us to a rug shop....and we could understand him.

We are well fed on this ship...girls are having spa treatments and the guys are buying Cuban cigars to smoke with their new friend Tiger....he's 87 years old and chasing his lovely wife around.....oh to be like them.

We're headed to the bazaar to buy junk this afternoon. Great textiles here, Carol K. would go nuts.

Oh, and we learned what a Narthex is! We'll tell Diane all about it.

Been There, Done That

We're really glad we went to istanbul, but we're not coming back. it's just not us. And now we know what it would be like to vacation in iraq! The people were very nice, and like Americans...or American money..who knows? There's just something wrong with women running around in Burquas (sp?)....no eye candy for the guys...well except for their wives.

Bad food, watery wine, dark and drab landscape...now let's move on to a positive....We love the ship, Windstar....not too many people, great accomodations, great food (and plenty of it...Spencer and Jon have their work cut out). We're at sea today...lounging around and reading our books....tomorrow we start our sightseeing on a tour in Ephesus.

Breakfast Buffet

GREAT buffet and coffee.

Exotic or Annoying?

Waking up at 6 with prayers.....it sounds a bit like melodious moaning. Dave thought it annoying. Not quite the same intensity as evening prayers.

Istanbul was Once Constantinople

Why it changes is nobody's business but the Turks....that's the song Wes & Diane Wolford sang to us as they drove us to BART. So now we're singing it...and those are the only words we know!

Here's a link to take a tour of our hotel

After 22 hours of travel we have arrived. As we flew in, the scene was rows and rows of high density housing. Oh, and the prayer towers next to all the mosques. A little different than the Bay Area.

We ate at the hotel on the terrace...soup and salad all around. The guys shared wine and the girls shared water. Until Sabrina got the waiter going and he was working on his tip....he brought the girls fresh orange juice and told Sabrina it was wine...which got her amped up a bit. Then later he brought desserts to share....a molten chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream with berry sauce. And we were serenaded with Andre Bocelli on the overhead speakers and the night prayers/chants from the nearby Mosques. They meet at the mosque each night for the fifth (not to drink a fifth) round of prayer. Not a chance any of us will be converting to that faith.

Oh, and there are MANY websites that are blocked by the Turkish government. Odd ones, makes you wonder.

Our day is planned for tomorrow.....meet for breakfast at 7:30, private tour at 9 until 3, then we get picked up and taken to the dock to board the ship which departs at 5. So much to do....

We're Packed and Ready to Go

We're all packed, passports copied, paperwork in order, and ready to go. We're beginning our adventure at 9 am when we are picked up by the Wolford Express (aka Diane) and dropped off at BART. The limo was $140 and BART is $20 and we didn't want to make anyone drive to SFO.

We have an 11 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany then about 3 hours to Istanbul, Turkey. For your reference, Turkey is in the Eastern European time zone, or 10 hours ahead of California.

It's sad to leave our lovely home. We can see why Jesse & Lucille never wanted to wander afar. This is like a resort!

That Was Fun, I Think....

The big shindig was last night, our "Mission Accomplished" party. We're novices at entertaining, much less large groups, fortunately we have friends and family that love us and pitch in to bail us out. Dave and I never had the time to eat! We had people arriving 40 minutes EARLY!

I didn't even get to tell my lovely niece, Michelle, that she looked absolutely beautiful...or to check out her shoes because she was having a very tall day. And I didn't get to talk to her boyfriend, Rob, (other than to harass him about a possible wedding) about the house in Boulder Creek... I may have a client that has a son who has been looking for a place to rent or buy there.

We think everyone had a good time, we barely had time to talk to anyone because we were docents...leading tours. We weren't even taking photos..imagine that.

Jessica and Wills received their wedding quilt from Granny...it is beautiful.

The house is officially our home and no longer a construction zone (and yeah, we still love our contractors...Millennium Enterprises). Now we can go on vacation!

I Wish I Took a Photo...

The classroom looks so fun...not bad at all for our first try. I've been buying stuff (my first foray deep into the craft world....Tuesday Mornings and Boswells and Richards) for Jessica's classroom. At the suggestion of my good friend and crafty person extraordinaire, Margaret, I went to Richards all the way out in Livermore. I love that store and the people are so helpful. All the Halloween stuff is 50% off! I found the most wonderful vulture. I wish I could be there when the children walk in tomorrow.

I am not very fond of the white spider web stuff. It is just way too messy for me. You have to be very unstructed and that's not me. It's good to get outside of the lines.

I think Jessica was very pleased with the outcome. We're talking about what to do in the next few months. She is giving me more and more guidelines and restrictions, but I can work with that.

Oh, I almost forgot......I bought a fog machine!

Monday, Monday

Today was my first day in 5th Grade. I worked in my sweet daughter's classroom. I filed away paperwork for a couple of hours while the classroom hummed along in controlled chaos. The kids are really calm and quiet and Jessica does a marvelous job. But she just instructs them on their task and in comes someone to take the entire classroom out to test their hearing. This is the perfect place to do screening, but it does disrupt the teaching. Then they were off to lunch, only to return to the D.A.R.E. instruction. The statistics on this program are not good, but everyone feels good about it. But again, it takes away from teaching time. In order to cover the material, there's homework....then people talk about all the homework their child has. It is a vicious cycle.

i was horrified that the bulletin boards had not been updated for the fall season, but that will be changing soon. After my daughter took me to lunch, she even paid for it, I went off to Boswell's and bought plenty of stuff for the boards. They will be updated shortly.

Oh, and I'm to wear a hideous neon orange sticky tag....that won't be happening without serious modifications.

Then the evening is tutoring the Wills, Jessica taking control of the remote (During the MLB playoff where the Angels choke and the Bosox live for the next level) and her dad isn't even making her go to Monday Night Football! I truly may be in bizarro world.

And I picked up the travel documents for our adventure. This should be a really different trip. Have I mentioned how much I need a vacation?

Saturday Fun?

We're still getting used to the sounds of our home. We wake up at odd hours and then can't get back to sleep. Sometimes it's our crazy cat, Kitty Witty. She runs up and down the hallway, sliding and slamming in to the walls. At around 3 a.m.! Or the Wild Turkeys being "natural", or the deer in the leaves, or the greens maintenance workers. Last night it was the torrential down pour that made a puddle on our floor, since we left the windows open.

We had a lazy morning and didn't get over to Jessica's until 10ish. We walked to the Farmers' Market and then took off for our chores. Wills works on Saturday, so we keep Jessica company and drag her on our errands. Something we never did when she lived at home. Not that she wasn't invited, but she wasn't interested. We ended our day lunching at Baja Fresh. That's where we're getting the food for the Mission Accomplished party.

We spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up the driveway from the DG (decompossed granite) parking pad erosion. Lovely idea, just doesn't work in the real world. We'll be adding rock this week. We've finished up with the boxes and as soon as the contractor gets their stuff out of the third bay, we'll have all vehicles parked in the garage. Not too bad for 5 weeks in the house.

We LOVE our house, and still love our contractors. It's good to be us.

T.G.I.F.

This has been one long week...or maybe a culmination of the last two years. We are so ready for our vacation. We're putting in the hours, working hard at getting our desks cleared off so we can get out of here for two weeks.

It was so nice around 5, when Dave walked in with a glass of wine for each of us. We forwarded the calls to the answering service and then sat down in front of the TV to watch the baseball playoffs. When your team isn't in the game, it's a whole new thing. Right now Ozzie's team is getting beat and it fells really good. Dotel, former A, just gave up the insurance run. We can't wait for the Angels v Sox. Since I HATE the sox and loathe the Angels, it's no love fest. It feels so odd wishing the Angels beat the Sox.

The rug for the office arrived today and it makes a huge difference. We're loving it.

The forecast for tomorrow is rain, which doesn't bode well for a bike ride. All I know is that it clouded up shortly after I had the whites on the line. It looked beautiful, all the white towels flapping in the slight breeze. How can you possibly think that sight isn't gorgeous?

Oh, and Landscape Pest Control came by today to kill that plant eating gopher.

Protecting the Homestead

Wills has provided an arsenal for defending our home. The bottom drawer in the kitchen has been turned in to our weapons drawer. What do we use the weapons for? The control of wildlife ....turkeys and deer are cute....unless they're digging in your new landscaping. Gopher mounds in the yard aren't amusing either.

Wills is working the sling shot.
Dave is using the gun....which is missing the butt, Wills calls it the butt-less BB gun. Dave calls it sawed off. He likes the size because he can lay it on the counter without it hanging over and getting bumped...a feature one does not think about....how it will fit on your kitchen counter.

No harm is done to the wildlife, they just jump and leave....for a little bit.

A Group Effort

Today we spent putting up window treatments (see how design savy we are) on the four front windows. This is not nearly as easy as it sounds. Dave kept asking for simple panels hung on rings on a wrought iron rod. That sounded simple enough, yet it was not to be. After much research, looking and touching stuff, perusing magazines and books, visiting stores, we stomped our feet and got close to what he wanted. First let us say that there are no perfect solutions to our question.....how can you provide privacy yet not cover up the beautiful window?

The Ladies found ready made panels at Bed, Bath, & Beyond (what a terrific store, they have everything...almost) in exactly the right colors. Yvonne, Dave, & Edie ironed (we set up two boards and had ironing in stereo...ask someone over 50 what that is) the panels first. We even had Matt involved in this (he had the power tools and levels in every length) so it was a big production. Even with all the help and expertise, it still took at least 30 minutes per room.

But it looks FANTASTIC!

My new Screensaver

Here's another view of my glorius vintage outdoor drying device.

Good for my soul

Here it is...in all it's glory...line drying sheets and towels!

When I was young I dreamed I would fight a good fight for a just cause....I had no idea it would be for my Right to Dry. I felt like Rosa Parks the first time I used my vintage outdoor drying device. As though someone had asked me to move to the back of the bus (take down my CL) and I refused.

May Private Property Rights live!