After rain off and on throughout the week, Saturday dawned bright and clear and Carolyn and I slept in and then packed the few essentials for our quick trip out to ClubIntrawest in Palm Desert.
Taking the toll road over to the 91 freeway and then the 60 to the 10, it only took us an hour and 45 minutes for the trip. We stopped for lunch just before getting to the club and then went to check in. We had a one bedroom condo on the second floor with a view of the pool and the golf course. The rooms are painted in bright colors, has tiled floors and even has an extra outside shower which we didn't use this time as it was a little too cool in the morning. The afternoon temps were around 70 and we made it down to the pool and spa for a while to read and relax.
Saturday evening we went down to the The River, a Spectrum-like (though smaller) enclave with shops, theaters and restaurants. After checking out Borders and finding that Sideways didn't start until after 10, we dined at a restaurant that fronted the "river" - a water feature separating the restaurants from the main street. After a nice meal and a glass of wine, we decided we didn't want to wait so long to see the movie so back to the condo we went.
Sunday morning we slept in again and checked out around 11, but before we left the premises, we checked with the members experience person, Karen, about changing our time planned in Zihautanejo from 12 days to 7 to avoid the overlap with a wedding and the end of Community Bible Study. Then, we began talking about other vacation alternatives and we ended up buying some additional club points which will allow us to have a two-bedroom on occasion. So over lunch at the golf clubhouse down the road, we began talking about how we might see Ashley and Bryce later in the year. Should it be in Scotland, or perhaps in western Europe, like in Holland, France, Spain or Italy? We're thinking of late summer or early fall.
On the way home, we encountered at least two accidents which slowed traffic significantly, and we even stopped at Casino Morongo to check out their new facilities. They allow smoking in the casino and it was crowded and over-priced - not likely to draw us back again! Arriving at home, Gracie was most happy to see us again after our short time away.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Left on a Jet Plane
Well, Ashley and Bryce have flown the coop on Wednesday back to Edinburgh and a return to their post-grad studies. We are feeling a little lonely after having the pleasure of their company for a month. Carolyn, especially, was feeling a little melancholy yesterday, but we were glad to receive a quick e-mail this a.m. that they had arrived in Scotland in a timely manner and their luggage had made the same trip! I think they were then settling into a time zone adjusting nap.
On Tuesday night, the Hales, Wanda, B&A and us, had a fine farewell dinner at Flemings in Newport Beach where we enjoyed great steak filets, cocktails, salads, side dishes of vegetables and/or various potatoes and a good Cabernet. It was a great time of over indulgence and conversation.
Just so we don't get into our routine too quickly, this weekend we're going out to Palm Desert to spend Saturday night at Club Intrawest (our timeshare)to just enjoy some time alone and away from chores and obligations.
I'll try to be more disciplined in my/our posts than I've been during the holidays and the 'kids' visit.
On Tuesday night, the Hales, Wanda, B&A and us, had a fine farewell dinner at Flemings in Newport Beach where we enjoyed great steak filets, cocktails, salads, side dishes of vegetables and/or various potatoes and a good Cabernet. It was a great time of over indulgence and conversation.
Just so we don't get into our routine too quickly, this weekend we're going out to Palm Desert to spend Saturday night at Club Intrawest (our timeshare)to just enjoy some time alone and away from chores and obligations.
I'll try to be more disciplined in my/our posts than I've been during the holidays and the 'kids' visit.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Wow!
As I left home this morning, the skies were brilliantly clear with views of the San Gabriels in their snow-capped glory clearly evident about 50 miles away! Now, I work in Upland at the foot of those mountains and some days you couldn't see them at two or three miles because of the haze or smog. The Santa Ana winds have cleared the skies and warmed the air so that we are in the low 80s.
Of course, in addition to the great weather, my Monday evening was nearly as spectacular as Bryce joined me and six others to play our monthly game of Texas Hold 'Em. I spotted Bryce the buy-in and he was up almost immediately after taking a few of the first hands. I was up most of the evening and had made my buy-in back about an hour into the game, but my best hands were in the last hour including the flop which contained 3 twos and while others were making full boats with the flop, I held the fourth two and the betting was heavy and no one wanted to fold. I was very happy with the result! For the evening, I walked away with $70 and Bryce collected $40.
This last weekend was focused on finishing moving all Ashley and Bryce's gear out of the back room which is wet from the rains. Numerous trips to Home Depot for plastic containers and lifting and stacking a 7x7 area in the garage occupied most of Saturday before we all called it a day and headed off to see Finding Neverland followed by a late dinner. Johnny Depp did another fine job of acting and we enjoyed the film. Sunday morning I had so much work to do to help Carolyn get ready for the baby shower for Katie Varela that we didn't make it to church. But we plan to make it to our Application group tomorrow.
Hope you had a good weekend.
Of course, in addition to the great weather, my Monday evening was nearly as spectacular as Bryce joined me and six others to play our monthly game of Texas Hold 'Em. I spotted Bryce the buy-in and he was up almost immediately after taking a few of the first hands. I was up most of the evening and had made my buy-in back about an hour into the game, but my best hands were in the last hour including the flop which contained 3 twos and while others were making full boats with the flop, I held the fourth two and the betting was heavy and no one wanted to fold. I was very happy with the result! For the evening, I walked away with $70 and Bryce collected $40.
This last weekend was focused on finishing moving all Ashley and Bryce's gear out of the back room which is wet from the rains. Numerous trips to Home Depot for plastic containers and lifting and stacking a 7x7 area in the garage occupied most of Saturday before we all called it a day and headed off to see Finding Neverland followed by a late dinner. Johnny Depp did another fine job of acting and we enjoyed the film. Sunday morning I had so much work to do to help Carolyn get ready for the baby shower for Katie Varela that we didn't make it to church. But we plan to make it to our Application group tomorrow.
Hope you had a good weekend.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Blue Skies
The past fortnight all was wet and grey
How happy to finally see blue sky today
White clouds around mountains still float
At least now, we can put away the boat
Again we welcome the sun, at last
Perhaps, we hope, the worst has passed
How happy to finally see blue sky today
White clouds around mountains still float
At least now, we can put away the boat
Again we welcome the sun, at last
Perhaps, we hope, the worst has passed
Monday, January 10, 2005
Get Out the Waders!
It seems that it has been raining without stopping for weeks although there have been slight breaks. But when it's wet inside, that's not good!
We discovered a few days ago that our back room's carpet was wet (its happened before but we thought that had been solved with our new landscaping area drains) and, of course, that is the room where all Bryce and Ashley's belongings are stored. We've made a beginning effort to move out some of the wettest boxes and soak up the excess water by de-humidifier or shop-vac with limited success. Bryce is currently concentrated on his impending licensure exam tomorrow and playing moving man or storm water remover is not high on his priority. So likely on Wednesday, we will hit the salvage effort in force.
The only saving grace in this whole disaster is that it got Bryce and me talking about how we could convert the room into a men's poker/game room with linoleum tile (easy to soak up any water), a British dart board, an elevated TV for sporting events, and a bar! I didn't know he had such a design interest.
This weekend we hit two church services, going to PCC on Saturday night so Bryce and Ashley could experience our worship service and then Sunday to a PCA church in Newport which is held in a Jewish synagogue. The senior Hales joined us there and then we enjoyed pizza back at their home in Three Arch and wished Blake a safe trip back to college.
Ashley hosted a number of her friends from elementary and junior high on Sunday evening for wine and appetizers (Natalie, Nicole, Sara, Melissa, Lori). While the estrogen levels where high, Bryce and I headed to the Spectrum for beer and munchies with Jon Varela at Champs (the Yard House was closed because of a power failure), and then Bryce and I went to see Ocean's Twelve. In the open-aired Spectrum, I laughed out loud at the signs which abounded that declared "Caution - Wet Surface" as the rain poured down!
When we got back home, four of the young ladies were still there, and we listened as they reviewed the various crushes they had on their seventh grade male counterparts or how a few of the chubby, short ones actually turned out 'hot'. It was actually quite funny to hear how well-behaved, Christian kids in Orange County viewed the 'difficulties' in their lives.
We discovered a few days ago that our back room's carpet was wet (its happened before but we thought that had been solved with our new landscaping area drains) and, of course, that is the room where all Bryce and Ashley's belongings are stored. We've made a beginning effort to move out some of the wettest boxes and soak up the excess water by de-humidifier or shop-vac with limited success. Bryce is currently concentrated on his impending licensure exam tomorrow and playing moving man or storm water remover is not high on his priority. So likely on Wednesday, we will hit the salvage effort in force.
The only saving grace in this whole disaster is that it got Bryce and me talking about how we could convert the room into a men's poker/game room with linoleum tile (easy to soak up any water), a British dart board, an elevated TV for sporting events, and a bar! I didn't know he had such a design interest.
This weekend we hit two church services, going to PCC on Saturday night so Bryce and Ashley could experience our worship service and then Sunday to a PCA church in Newport which is held in a Jewish synagogue. The senior Hales joined us there and then we enjoyed pizza back at their home in Three Arch and wished Blake a safe trip back to college.
Ashley hosted a number of her friends from elementary and junior high on Sunday evening for wine and appetizers (Natalie, Nicole, Sara, Melissa, Lori). While the estrogen levels where high, Bryce and I headed to the Spectrum for beer and munchies with Jon Varela at Champs (the Yard House was closed because of a power failure), and then Bryce and I went to see Ocean's Twelve. In the open-aired Spectrum, I laughed out loud at the signs which abounded that declared "Caution - Wet Surface" as the rain poured down!
When we got back home, four of the young ladies were still there, and we listened as they reviewed the various crushes they had on their seventh grade male counterparts or how a few of the chubby, short ones actually turned out 'hot'. It was actually quite funny to hear how well-behaved, Christian kids in Orange County viewed the 'difficulties' in their lives.
Monday, January 03, 2005
Pastor Bryce
Sunday the 2nd found Carolyn, Wanda and me driving up the 57 freeway about 30 minutes behind Bryce and Ashley to Christ Church in Pasadena to hear and support Bryce as he preached in their old church. Sally and John, Bryce's parents, drove up from a short holiday in the Palm Springs area and we spoke once or twice by cell phone on corrected directions to the church. Lisa joined us from Montrose.
We all were warmly welcomed by the pastor, Mark, and others in the church we had visited a few times before when Bryce and Ashley lived in Pasadena. Held in a community center at the base of the mountains, the view from the meeting area was of a fairly full detention basin - full of the rain waters that we've been getting fairly frequently in the last two weeks (New Year's day and the Rose Parade having been sandwiched between two storms).
After praise songs, responsive readings, and a welcome from Mark along with an explanation of who Bryce and Ashley were for those who were new to the church, Bryce led us in prayer before beginning his exegesis of Psalm 139.
Bryce went through David's song thoroughly and made clear our total depravity in the presence of an awesome, omniscient, omnipresent, and totally holy God. David used concepts and words that tried to explain how far from God we actually are and how we can neither hide physically or spiritually from God. So our only hope is to appropriate Christ's perfection through our dependence and faith in him.
For a complete sermon, you'll have to request that Bryce post it on his blog, but we all were proud of how well he taught from God's word and the call to those who had not yet accepted Christ which was integral to his message. He spoke with authority and at ease which is good because he wants to do this the rest of his life!
We all were warmly welcomed by the pastor, Mark, and others in the church we had visited a few times before when Bryce and Ashley lived in Pasadena. Held in a community center at the base of the mountains, the view from the meeting area was of a fairly full detention basin - full of the rain waters that we've been getting fairly frequently in the last two weeks (New Year's day and the Rose Parade having been sandwiched between two storms).
After praise songs, responsive readings, and a welcome from Mark along with an explanation of who Bryce and Ashley were for those who were new to the church, Bryce led us in prayer before beginning his exegesis of Psalm 139.
Bryce went through David's song thoroughly and made clear our total depravity in the presence of an awesome, omniscient, omnipresent, and totally holy God. David used concepts and words that tried to explain how far from God we actually are and how we can neither hide physically or spiritually from God. So our only hope is to appropriate Christ's perfection through our dependence and faith in him.
For a complete sermon, you'll have to request that Bryce post it on his blog, but we all were proud of how well he taught from God's word and the call to those who had not yet accepted Christ which was integral to his message. He spoke with authority and at ease which is good because he wants to do this the rest of his life!
Saturday, January 01, 2005
New Years Day
Welcome to a new year!! Time seems to fly faster and faster and now I must remember to write 2005, 2005, 2005 - repetition helps!
The 31st was spent without work - at Lewis anyway - with a a little longer sleep and lazying about in the morning before attempting to make "some" order out of the chaos that was my garage. The cleanliness that existed before the remodel was totally absent and both OSHA and our insurance carrier were about to forbid any human activity in there without my Friday effort. I spent about four hours trying to find the floor, my workbench, and to eliminate at least some extraneous 'stuff'. But after that amount time and the lack of any further trash can room, I put the rest aside for another day or week or new years!
Paul and Marcia came over with their grandson on New Years eve and we enjoined good conversation, a white chili dinner with cornbread, and games until the new year was rung in. We played Cranium at first but Paul and I weren't particularly clicking on all cylinders as the girls took a lead and even though we nipped at their heels a few times, they won. All I can say is I hate Humdingers! We followed that with Catch Phrase and here Paul and I did better winning 2 of 3 and 3 of 5 with our excellent deft exchanges as the timer was finishing its last few beep-beeps. A safe and sane celebration of the new year.
Today, I awoke at 7:55 just late enough to wake Carolyn for our annual watching of the Rose Parade in pajamas. In typical Southern California fashion, the rain storms of the last few days had stopped and the parade route was clear, bright and backdropped by the snow capped San Gabriel mountains. I expect a few more thousand mid-Westerners are packing up to move as I finish this entry.
After watching a little of the morning football games, Bryce joined me on trip up to Home Depot (a good diversion from writing one's sermon) to purchase a few items and observe me completing the special order of a new pair of bi-fold closer doors for the guest room. Our associate was friendly and helpful, even if he was not particularly adept at entering info in the computer. Then a quick stop to pick up lunch at Baja Fresh and home to watch the Rose Bowl with Texas and Michigan. Right now, Texas has just scored with 4:56 left and leads 35 to 34 and the Texas quarterback, Vince Young, has run in for three TDs! A really good game.
Tonight, if Carolyn is feeling OK after her headache, we're going to stop in at an open house to welcome in the new year. On Sunday, we'll be heading up to Pasadena to attend Christ Church as Bryce preaches and then rush back to OC for a birthday bash that afternoon including a jazz pianist.
Michigan just made a field goal to go ahead 37 to 35!
Have a Happy New Year you all and feel free to leave your comments.
UPDATE: Texas wins on a field goal with no time remaining 38 to 37!!
The 31st was spent without work - at Lewis anyway - with a a little longer sleep and lazying about in the morning before attempting to make "some" order out of the chaos that was my garage. The cleanliness that existed before the remodel was totally absent and both OSHA and our insurance carrier were about to forbid any human activity in there without my Friday effort. I spent about four hours trying to find the floor, my workbench, and to eliminate at least some extraneous 'stuff'. But after that amount time and the lack of any further trash can room, I put the rest aside for another day or week or new years!
Paul and Marcia came over with their grandson on New Years eve and we enjoined good conversation, a white chili dinner with cornbread, and games until the new year was rung in. We played Cranium at first but Paul and I weren't particularly clicking on all cylinders as the girls took a lead and even though we nipped at their heels a few times, they won. All I can say is I hate Humdingers! We followed that with Catch Phrase and here Paul and I did better winning 2 of 3 and 3 of 5 with our excellent deft exchanges as the timer was finishing its last few beep-beeps. A safe and sane celebration of the new year.
Today, I awoke at 7:55 just late enough to wake Carolyn for our annual watching of the Rose Parade in pajamas. In typical Southern California fashion, the rain storms of the last few days had stopped and the parade route was clear, bright and backdropped by the snow capped San Gabriel mountains. I expect a few more thousand mid-Westerners are packing up to move as I finish this entry.
After watching a little of the morning football games, Bryce joined me on trip up to Home Depot (a good diversion from writing one's sermon) to purchase a few items and observe me completing the special order of a new pair of bi-fold closer doors for the guest room. Our associate was friendly and helpful, even if he was not particularly adept at entering info in the computer. Then a quick stop to pick up lunch at Baja Fresh and home to watch the Rose Bowl with Texas and Michigan. Right now, Texas has just scored with 4:56 left and leads 35 to 34 and the Texas quarterback, Vince Young, has run in for three TDs! A really good game.
Tonight, if Carolyn is feeling OK after her headache, we're going to stop in at an open house to welcome in the new year. On Sunday, we'll be heading up to Pasadena to attend Christ Church as Bryce preaches and then rush back to OC for a birthday bash that afternoon including a jazz pianist.
Michigan just made a field goal to go ahead 37 to 35!
Have a Happy New Year you all and feel free to leave your comments.
UPDATE: Texas wins on a field goal with no time remaining 38 to 37!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)