It left at 1:00, crammed to the gunwails with a lot of people who appeared to have attended Comic-Con. They were at least a little strange, but harmless. I had a long talk with a 22 year-old girl whose main ambition was to find a graduate school to attend---someday. In the meantime, she generally hung around or traveled with her mother and her stepfather---a psychiatrist who had speaking engagements around the world.
I had a two-hour layover in LA before boarding the Southwest Chief at 6:15, heading for Flagstaff. We have been on that train often. It's a nice, restful ride. I decided to eat dinner in the dining car, as sort of a tribute to the past. I was not allowed to sit by myself. I was joined by a mother and her 30-ish daughter from Oregon and an octagenarian (Irene) from New Mexico. The daughter was a third grade teacher with an interesting speech impediment. It did not inhibit her, however. The mother spoke only intermittently. Irene was a total mute until the dessert arrived after which we couldn't shut her up. She turned out to be quite nice. I had a surprisingly good dinner of Linguini Arrabiatta coupled with a vegetable medley that was cooked quite al dente. In all, dinner was a nice respite.
As usual, the train was late in arriving. We hit Flagstaff at 6:00 AM, an hour-and-a-half late. That was OK with me. What is one supposed to do in Flagstaff at 4:30 AM? I found a coffee shop that(fortunately) opened at 6:00, and killed a couple of hours over yogurt and coffee, and a few crossword puzzles, waiting for Enterprise Rent-A-Car to open at 8:00. The car arrived at 8:15 and I called my Flagstaff dentist (Dr. Benjamin Stark) to see if he could take me on short notice to diddle with the crown he had recently installed and which needed a little reshaping. He told me to come immediately, which I did.
I was out of there by 9:15, and I headed to Dr. Nathan Benson's office. I arrived there a half-hour before my appointment, but he saw me almost immediately. I was out of there by 10:15, and had to face the following question: What was I going to do until 9:00 PM, when the train was scheduled to take me back to California? I answered that question by going to Barnes & Noble to buy a book. By alternating between reading for a half-hour then doing crossword puzzles for a half-hour, stopping for a delicious Chicken Caesar Salad lunch at Oregano's,
dropping off the car at 4:00 PM, and having an equally delicious Cashew Chicken dinner at Pato Thai, I was able to get to 6:30 PM. At that point I headed for the train station, to wait for the train for what turned out to be 5 1/2 hours---which was three hours late. There were a number of passengers waiting at the station. We felt like stranded souls. During that wait, I returned to the book/puzzle rotation. The trip from Flagstaff to LA felt mercifully short because sleep came immediately. I was awakened at 6:00 AM by the ringing of a nearby passenger's cell phone. That woke everybody up and we all began our days---perhaps a little earlier than anticipated.
The train was going to reach LA about noon (having lost another hour). On a whim, just before we reached Fullerton (the last stop before LA heading North and the first stop between LA and San Diego heading South) I asked the conductor if it would make sense for me to get off at Fullerton. She said it would probably save me time, because the next train from LA was due in Fullerton shortly. I did what she suggested, and saved about two hours. Yea!
Becky picked me up at the Old Town station (rather than fight the parking problem at the downtown San Diego station, which was the next stop) and we headed for lunch at the Islands Restaurant in Chula Vista.
I had a Cobb Salad that was very tasty. We then went to a Firestone store in National City where we bought a new spare tire for our trailer (the new wheel had arrived from the Coachmen factory that morning) and finally headed home, where I crashed. Whew. It was great to be home.
The project for Thursday was to mount the new spare tire in its proper place under the trailer. Since the old one had been stolen, we decided to try to deter a repeat---by attaching a cable to the tire so someone would at least have to cut something to get at the spare. We went to the Lowe’s in Chula Vista to have a cable made in the appropriate length, then I crawled under the rig and installed it---using a combination lock in our inventory. We’ll see if that works.
On Friday, we tracked down Tom Chance, the new Wilson guy, and bought a signal booster to go with the new antenna we bought last week. Finally, we can make and receive cell phone calls here in the RV park. Thank you, Tom.
We also extended our stay here for a week. Thanks to our membership level, that cost only $29.00.
On Friday, we tracked down Tom Chance, the new Wilson guy, and bought a signal booster to go with the new antenna we bought last week. Finally, we can make and receive cell phone calls here in the RV park. Thank you, Tom.
We also extended our stay here for a week. Thanks to our membership level, that cost only $29.00.
Saturday, we piled Ramsey in the truck and headed for Mission Bay and the La Quinta Inn. Becky took Ramsey for a walk while I got the truck washed.
We then drove to Point Loma to join Randy and Sheri Roonan at a party for her 61st birthday. The party was at her brother’s house. Sheri is a friend Becky traveled with in Europe in 1975. She and Randy (a New York lawyer) have lived in Fairfield, Connecticut for many years. We last saw them there in 1995. It was fun seeing them again, even if only briefly.
After a short visit with the Roonans, we then went to the home of Frank and Victoria Hobbs in La Jolla. Shortly, Marshall Rutter and his wife, Terry Knowles, arrived.
Frank and Marshall were partners of mine when I practiced in Century City. (Marshall and I started the firm in 1973.) After a few adult beverages, the six of us headed for Enoteca Adriano, an Italian restaurant in La Jolla that is Frank’s favorite. We had a delicious dinner (which Frank and Victoria paid for, thank you) and a wonderful time.
We then drove to Point Loma to join Randy and Sheri Roonan at a party for her 61st birthday. The party was at her brother’s house. Sheri is a friend Becky traveled with in Europe in 1975. She and Randy (a New York lawyer) have lived in Fairfield, Connecticut for many years. We last saw them there in 1995. It was fun seeing them again, even if only briefly.
After a short visit with the Roonans, we then went to the home of Frank and Victoria Hobbs in La Jolla. Shortly, Marshall Rutter and his wife, Terry Knowles, arrived.
Frank and Marshall were partners of mine when I practiced in Century City. (Marshall and I started the firm in 1973.) After a few adult beverages, the six of us headed for Enoteca Adriano, an Italian restaurant in La Jolla that is Frank’s favorite. We had a delicious dinner (which Frank and Victoria paid for, thank you) and a wonderful time.
After breakfast on Sunday (Becky met Sheri for a long breakfast while I ate the Continental breakfast in the hotel) we returned to Jamul. Just a few miles from “home” we noticed smoke coming from the hill behind our RV park. It turned out to be nearly out by the time we got to the park, but there were still tankers and helicopters dropping water and retardant for about another half hour. Once it was out, we relaxed for the rest of the day.
Monday was an easy day. I got a haircut and we then headed to Rancho San Diego (about 10 miles away) to Yi Sushi for some delicious food during “Happy Hour.” Yum.
Tuesday was an even easier day. I accomplished three things: Going to the hardware store
to get a power strip to deal with the six things we plug in under our computer desk, phoning a former client who just got home after spending two months in the hospital and six weeks in rehab after a nasty bout with viral pneumonia, and finishing the book I bought in Flagstaff last Tuesday (and which I haven't looked at since I got off the train).
Wednesday morning, Becky dropped Ramsey off at Camp Schultz, a dog resort in Benito, just North of Chula Vista.
Ramsey was going to spend three nights there while we partied with the “Smith Sisters” gang in Point Loma. The relatives of the now-deceased Smith Sisters (Becky’s mother, Nancy, was one of the three sisters) get together every two or three years. This year the center of the party was the Villa Magnifica, a very large ’60s-built home on Sunset Cliffs boulevard, right across the street from the ocean.
The group aggregated more than 30 people, not all of whom could stay at the party house, so five of us took rooms at the nearby Ocean Beach Hotel in Ocean Beach---10 minutes from the party house.
Becky and Kathy Boggs (the wife of Steve Boggs, Becky’s cousin) were charged with the job of stopping at Costco to buy a ton of supplies. After that shopping spree, which seemed to last forever, we dropped everything off at the party house---and stayed for the first evening of craziness. Most everyone showed up by 5:00, and the delicious Vodka Slushies, provided by Becky’s sister Carrie Carroll, started flowing.
That evening, Carrie and Becky were responsible for providing the dinner. Carrie did most of the work; Becky provided three desserts---cookies, a delicious combination cararmel/tres-leches cake, and an apple pie. It turned out that I was the only one to have a piece of either the cake or the pie that evening. After dinner, the group broke into small groups playing board games, cooking in the Jacuzzi,
or just sitting around---in each case laughing our heads off.
Rich, the owner of the Ocean Beach Hotel, has a beautifully restored 1949 De Soto “woody” that he parks in front of the hotel. My folks had a 1950 De Soto and the two vehicles were very similar. Early Thursday morning, it was fun talking to Rich about his.
Monday was an easy day. I got a haircut and we then headed to Rancho San Diego (about 10 miles away) to Yi Sushi for some delicious food during “Happy Hour.” Yum.
Tuesday was an even easier day. I accomplished three things: Going to the hardware store
to get a power strip to deal with the six things we plug in under our computer desk, phoning a former client who just got home after spending two months in the hospital and six weeks in rehab after a nasty bout with viral pneumonia, and finishing the book I bought in Flagstaff last Tuesday (and which I haven't looked at since I got off the train).
Wednesday morning, Becky dropped Ramsey off at Camp Schultz, a dog resort in Benito, just North of Chula Vista.
Ramsey was going to spend three nights there while we partied with the “Smith Sisters” gang in Point Loma. The relatives of the now-deceased Smith Sisters (Becky’s mother, Nancy, was one of the three sisters) get together every two or three years. This year the center of the party was the Villa Magnifica, a very large ’60s-built home on Sunset Cliffs boulevard, right across the street from the ocean.
The group aggregated more than 30 people, not all of whom could stay at the party house, so five of us took rooms at the nearby Ocean Beach Hotel in Ocean Beach---10 minutes from the party house.
Becky and Kathy Boggs (the wife of Steve Boggs, Becky’s cousin) were charged with the job of stopping at Costco to buy a ton of supplies. After that shopping spree, which seemed to last forever, we dropped everything off at the party house---and stayed for the first evening of craziness. Most everyone showed up by 5:00, and the delicious Vodka Slushies, provided by Becky’s sister Carrie Carroll, started flowing.
That evening, Carrie and Becky were responsible for providing the dinner. Carrie did most of the work; Becky provided three desserts---cookies, a delicious combination cararmel/tres-leches cake, and an apple pie. It turned out that I was the only one to have a piece of either the cake or the pie that evening. After dinner, the group broke into small groups playing board games, cooking in the Jacuzzi,
or just sitting around---in each case laughing our heads off.
Rich, the owner of the Ocean Beach Hotel, has a beautifully restored 1949 De Soto “woody” that he parks in front of the hotel. My folks had a 1950 De Soto and the two vehicles were very similar. Early Thursday morning, it was fun talking to Rich about his.
Later Thursday morning, the group slowly re-assembled for a staggered breakfast, then all pursued whatever tickled their fancy/ Some of us took a little field trip to Cabrillo National Monument---15 minutes away---and the tide pools. Very dramatic scenery.
To get there, you drive through the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, which turns out to be the second-most popular tourist attraction in San Diego. Like all military cemeteries, it’s very sobering. Across the street from the party house is a stairway to the ocean, at the bottom of which is a rope for rappelling to the beach. Becky did that; I did not. Some went swimming in the ocean. Others went who knows where.
Thursday, the rest of the group, including Becky’s father, Bill, arrived. Dinner was pizza. Yum!!! The post-dinner partying was a repeat of Wednesday night.
Friday, a bunch of the men held a golf tournament. I don’t play golf, so I stayed back with the (mostly) squaws. Becky’s brother John surfed for three hours. Five of the women went shopping in Ocean Beach.
Bill, his caregiver, Romeo, and I went (via wheelchair for Bill) to the top of the bluff and watched John surf for a while.
Friday night called for barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs.
Friday night called for barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs.
After dinner, it was another repeat of the previous two evenings. We all had a great time, again. One of the games was Telestration, sort-of “Telephone” with pictures. What a riot.
We all returned to the party house Saturday morning, to say goodbye and clear out everything we had brought. It was a little chaotic.
We all returned to the party house Saturday morning, to say goodbye and clear out everything we had brought. It was a little chaotic.
Becky and I drove Rick and Donna Haste (Donna is Becky’s cousin from Woodstock, Georgia) to the airport so they could pick up a rental car. They were going to stay in San Diego for a few more days. Because we had to have the luggage for all four of us in the truck we had to leave the bed cover open with everything stacked up. We looked like Okies.
Becky and I then drove to Rancho Bernardo, to the home of Richard Petrie. We met Honoria Vivell and Richard there, and went with them to the beautiful Rancho Bernardo Country Club for lunch.
Becky and I then drove to Rancho Bernardo, to the home of Richard Petrie. We met Honoria Vivell and Richard there, and went with them to the beautiful Rancho Bernardo Country Club for lunch.
I had a Cobb Salad, of course. We had seen Richard and Honoria just a few weeks ago, so we didn’t spend a lot of time catching up. The visit was mostly to see Richard’s new house. He just moved there from El Cajon a couple of months ago. He has a nice place on a bluff with a great canyon view.
After lunch, we picked up Ramsey and headed home. It had been a very busy three days and we basically just crashed when we got back. While Becky was dozing on the couch, I took Ramsey on his last walk o the day---to the off-leash, fenced dog run. Shortly after arriving, someone, somewhere nearby, started firing a rifle. It spooked Ramsey a lot, and, while I was focused on locating the shooter (who was up in the hills outside the park) Ramsey moved a trash can that was blocking a hole in the fence---and took off.
I went looking for him immediately, with no success whatsoever. I even joined up with a park ranger in a golf cart to aid in the search. After about 15 minutes, Becky approached in our truck to tell me that Ramsey had come home. A neighbor saw him trying to get into our truck, and redirected him to the rig door, where a surprised Becky saw him and wondered what had happened to me. I was greatly relieved to know that he was not only safe but had caused no trouble during his flight to freedom.
Sunday was a combination of more relaxation and preparing the rig to leave on Monday. After spending a month at Pio Pico, we were ready to hit the road again.
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