Category: Gap Year Continues in the US of A

Well, it’s been a while since I updated the blog. The last blog, done while we were in New Orleans in October seems like a long time ago. Since that time, we visited with friends in Savanna Georgia (Hello to Bob and Linda) and found our way back to our son’s home in Springfield VA.

Well, it’s been a while since I updated the blog. The last blog we did was from our adventure in New Orleans in October; seems like a long time ago. Since that time, we visited with friends in Savanna, Georgia (Hello to Bob and Linda) and found our way back to our son’s home in Springfield VA.   Once we returned to Virginia, we got serious about buying a home of our own .We purchased a lovely 3 bedroom place in Williamsburg VA – we have room ,so come and visit!

Several months ago, we had agreed to join several other families and go on a Carnival  ocean cruise to the Bahamas over the Thanksgiving Weekend. This eliminated the need for anyone to actually have to cook a turkey (although it also meant there were not going to be any left overs for sandwiches).  Joining with about 20 other folks (3 different families with extended relations) we hired a party bus and headed to Baltimore to join Carnival Cruise for a weeklong trip south to the Bahamas.  It was nice to have the bus as that meant we didn’t have to drive, find parking and could  have an adult beverage along the way!

This was our first “ocean” cruise, having done a bunch of River Cruises through Europe; it was a very different experience for us.  Carnival is clearly a party boat and as such there were lots of families and entertainment (and drinks) for all to enjoy. 

While we did get off the ship in Nassau (to get a stamp in our passport!), we didn’t get off on the Carnival Island or in Freeport – it was nice to just relax on the ship and let all the “kids” go explore. 

There were comedians (not really that good) and other entertainment options.  One of the events was a “build a bear” where Katie had the opportunity to pick out something – she created a cat. 

All in all it was a nice adventure and I’m sure everyone had a great time.

After the cruise it was time to actually “visit” our new home, arrange appliances, have our furniture moved from California and do all the things needed to make it our place – plus of course get ready for Christmas.  We purchased the place prior to Thanksgiving and by the end of the year we had slept in our own bed all of 5 nights!

When we left California, we didn’t store much furniture ,basically a bedroom suite, some living room storage units and a carpet or two plus kitchen stuff and artwork.  Needless to say, we have some furniture and other things to arrange and have spent a good amount of time checking out the Salvation Army and consignment stores in both the Springfield Area and Williamsburg.  So, at this point we have several easy chairs, a dining table and 6 chairs plus some stools for the kitchen counter area.  Lots more to get, but we can now sleep in our own bed, and eat meals at a table with real plates and utensils.

Between getting the house set up we tried to squeeze in some Christmas shopping and general holiday planning. 

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We had a nice family Christmas holiday with our grandkids and closed out the year feeling good about all that happened in the past year.  Next up things happening in 2020 including a Cruise through the Panama Canal, a trip to Alaska and other adventures.

For the last 18 months, Janeen and I have been “on the road”. This road has taken us across the USA twice, around Europe for 4 months (and 9 countries) and up and down the East Coast from Savanna Georgia to Prince Edward Island Canada. During these travels we have visited lots of friends, made new friends and toured all kinds of places from Castles to Kentucky Bourbon producers. Throughout this time we have been together virtually 24/7 and I can safely say we continue to communicate with each other and have a good time.

One of the things that have been a constant is “where to next” and we keep finding new places, and old, to visit. As of the end of November, we no longer own a home in California and that prompts us to begin thinking about new places to live – or at least to call “home” when not on the road. However, a final spot won’t be critical until sometime in June or so of next year as we have lots more to do over the next 6 months.

Since the last update, about a month ago, we have stayed mostly in Virginia with some brief times visiting friends in Asheville NC.

We also did a day trip to Charlottesville VA both of these areas are places we might find a landing pad. There are a number of positive things about Asheville – we know some folks there, the community has a lot of activities including walking trails and even a wine tasting group and the place would be brand new.   The Downside is it’s 475 miles away from Springfield VA and our granddaughters – making it somewhat undesirable as a result. Charlottesville is closer, 100 miles or so and we have an agent looking at properties that might work for us that we will check out when we get back to Virginia.

Right now we are in Paris. Yes, Paris France again for Christmas and New Years. We are in the same apartment we had last year in the 18^th arrondissement (currently well away from the protests that have been happening, which is nice). Our youngest son, Ryan and his husband Chris are completing their Masters Degrees (Ryan in International Business and Chris in Hospitality) and Ryan has signed on for an internship which will have him first in Bordeaux and then in a couple of other cities outside of Paris. So, as Ryan and Chris are in Paris, our other son Jason decided he should come here for the Holidays too. He and his family show up on the 18^th and are here until after the first of the Year.

Prior to our arrival a few days ago, Chris and Ryan had gotten the keys to the apartment and stocked it with the critical items – wine and cheese plus some other food items and they now have spent a few hours helping to get the Christmas Tree up and decorated.

 

Next up, our friend Beth will be joining us tomorrow for 2 weeks! She has never been to Europe and it will be exciting to take her around to the unprotested ($$$) wonders of this great city.  She will be here when the Lee’s of Virginia arrive and will move out of our apartment and into Ryan and Chris for a couple of days before she heads home.

More soon!

Virginia is dotted with a number of small wineries throughout the state. While we have been driving around we have noticed a number of them but have not been prompted to stop. Recently, a friend invited us to join her for a Harvest Festival at The Winery at Bull Run

and it seemed like a good time to take the plunge into the local wine world. It would not be an exaggeration that we have been to literally 100’s of wineries over the years – and have a good understanding of the process of how grapes are grown and wine is made.

Cradled in the foothills of the Bull Run Mountains, this winery is just a half hour away from our current landing pad in Springfield Virginia.  Located adjacent to a charming Stone Bridge that crosses Bull Run stream at the eastern entrance of the Manassas National Battlefield Park it is cloaked in history and drama for sure. The original stone bridge was destroyed during the first major battle at Bull Run in July 1861.

Some years later the bridge was rebuilt. Historical markers throughout the property document both the encampments and movements of both sides during the Civil War battle.

Established in 2012, the winery has had a limited release of about 2,500 cases until recently. Production is now ramping up to 10,000 or more with both estate-grown fruit and purchased fruit. The Winery has two vineyards on site totaling over 8 acres of Norton vines. The Norton grape is a true Virginia Native having been first cultivated in Richmond VA during the early 19^th century. In addition to the onsite vineyards they also have a 115-acre property in Rappahannock County. At that location they are currently growing an additional 8 different varietals – Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, Chambourchin, Traminette, Merlot, Viognier, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

We arrived at the Winery in the early evening – so it was impossible to really appreciate the beauty of the location. The winery includes several buildings – a very nice tasting room, a barrel room, tank room and general support faculties.

We started off in the tasting room – a charming room paneled in vintage barn wood with hand-hewn beams. A hand painted mural depicting the property circa 1862 backs the Stone bar, with copper counter.

There is a nice seating area with fireplace and comfy couches plus a general area for table seating. When we arrived there was a musician playing guitar and a crowd of people enjoying the music and the wine.

Finding a spot at the bar, we sampled 3 whites and 4 reds – a standard tasting menu for the day it seems.

The three whites included a 2017 Pinot Gris, a Stainless Steel Chardonnay and a 2017 Delaney (a blend of 5 different varietals) then moved to the four reds: a 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2016 Merlot, a 2016 Norton Reserve and a 2017 Chambourchin. The one common denominator of the wines was the ABV of 13% that is a sweet spot as far as I am concerned. The whites were all pleasant.  The Cabernet Sauvignon had only been in bottle 3-weeks and really was not showing at its best – but then I don’t see drinking a Cab Sav until it is at least 5 or 6 years old. The Merlot and Norton were interesting – soft and generally pleasing to the palate. After enjoying our tasting we headed out to the Production Barn for the Harvest Dinner.

Over the course of the next couple of hours and a five-course meal paired with different wines we learned more about the place and enjoyed visiting with new friends.

The first course was paired with a lovely 2017 Viognier – which was my wine of the evening. It went great with the Pumpkin Ricotta Ravioli and I was able to score a second glass that I nursed throughout the evening.

Course two was a Caramelized Onion and butternut squash tart paired with a 2017 Pinot Gris.

Next up was a Grilled port Tenderloin paired with a 2014 Meritage Reserve. This was the oldest wine served and quite nice (second favorite wine of the evening).

Course four was a Seared New York Strip paired with a 2016 Reconciliation

and we finished the evening with Mini Chocolate duo paired with a port style wine called Fort.

At one point I had the chance to talk to the wine maker, Ashton Lough.

He joined the Winery at the beginning and has been responsible for all aspects of winemaking since then. Until recently his position was part time only recently being expanded to a full time position as production has increased. I found it interesting that his educational background, and I assume employment positions, was in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. This is not the traditional pathway to becoming a winemaker but the results in the glass are quite pleasing – particularly the Viognier – so I guess he is doing OK.

 

The evening was enjoyable and could easily cause us to visit this place again to sample more of their wines.

After leaving SoCal we drove to Cupertino and spent a couple of days at my sister Georgia’s place. Our primary reason for being in the area was to celebrate the 50^th wedding anniversary of our friends Pete and Jaynese. Janeen had been in the wedding party and all members of the wedding party were represented!

It was a lovely afternoon celebrating with them.  A couple of days later, we hooked up with our Bethlehem PA friend Myrt

for an evening meal at Palo Alto Fountain and Grill that was delightful.

After leaving Cupertino, we went to Sonoma; first a quick visit with Richard de los Reyes,

winemaker at Row Eleven then lunch with Kirk and Denise, winemakers and owners of WesMar wines.

Both visits were mucho fun and it was great to see all of them even if it was for a brief time. After lunch we went to Sonoma and stayed with our friend Beth. The highlight of our visit was being able to fix all the lamps broken by her cat – turns out new light bulbs were all that was needed! It was great to visit friends prior to heading east.

Our first stop, heading east, was the Empire Mine State Historic Park. Janeen had been here some 20 plus years ago while doing a Northern Cal tour with the boys, but I had never been. This was an active gold mine from 1850 until 1956. Since 1975 it has been a California State Park keeping alive some of the history of the gold rush times. Over its history the mine produced 5.8 million ounces of gold extracted from 367 miles of underground tunnels.

In October 1850, George Roberts discovered gold in a quartz outcrop and thus started mining in the area and after several years, it changed hands being purchased by William Bowers Bourn (1869) who died in 1874 but his son, William Bourn II along with partner George Starr modernized the place and brought in skilled Cornish miners and technology to work the hard rock mining operation.

Over the years various buildings were constructed on the site including a Cottage (small cottage, only 3500 square feet) and a Club House, used to entertain visiting mine owners from around the world, plus various other mining structures.

Over the years the mine went from water powered operation to steam to electricity. What never changed was the hard work required to get the gold out of the rock. Digging deeper and deeper following veins of gold baring quartz, the mine eventually went over 11,000 feet deep. Various operations to get both the workers and the rock to the surface were required. Extracting gold from rock isn’t easy and generally isn’t a healthy operation. Superintendent Starr, however, had an impressive safety record.

Turns out that gold mines were defined as “nonessential industry for the war effort” by the US Government and operations where shut down from 8 Oct. 1942 until 30 June 1945. After the war, a shortage of skilled miners forced the suspension of operations below the 4600 level by 1951.

By the 1950s inflation costs for gold mining were leaving the operation unprofitable. In 1956 a crippling miners’ strike over falling wages ended operations. Ellsworth Bennett, a 1910 graduate of the Mackie School Of Mines in Reno was the last “Cap’n” (Superintendent) of the Empire, overseeing the closing of the Empire on May 28, 1957 when the last Cornish water pumps were shut and removed. In its final year of operation in 1956, the Empire Mine had reached an incline depth of 11,007 ft.

 

For the last 40 years, we have owned a home in Alhambra California. While we have completely vacated the place and put it on the market, it has yet to sell. Recently we spent the better part of a month in our old town – staying with some friends – and doing the final bits to close out the property. As of today, (9-28) we have had several offers but have yet to get through the entire escrow and final sale process. Hopefully soon this will happen. This got me to thinking about the history of the City and what has happened over the years.

The original inhabitants of the land where Alhambra now sits are the Tongva and the San Gabriel Mission was founded nearby on September 8, 1771 as part of the Spanish conquest and occupation of Alta California. The land that would later become Alhambra was part of a 300,000-acre land grant given to Manuel Nieto, a soldier from the Los Angeles Presidio. In 1820 Mexico won its independence from the Spanish crown and lands once ruled by them became part of the Mexican Republic. These lands then transferred into the hands of the United States following the defeat in the Mexican–American War. A wealthy developer, Benjamin Davis Wilson, married Ramona Yorba, daughter of Bernardo Yorba, who owned the land that would become Alhambra. With the persuasion of his daughter, Ruth, Yorba named the land after a book she was reading, Washington Irving’s Tales of the Alhambra, which he was inspired to write by his extended visit to the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain (we visited the room where Irving wrote the book during our trip to Spain in 2015).

Alhambra was founded as a suburb of Los Angeles that remained an unincorporated area during the mid-19th century.

The first school in Alhambra was Ramona Convent Secondary School, built on hillside property donated by the prominent James de Barth Shorb family. Thirteen years before the city was incorporated, several prominent San Gabriel Valley families interested in the Catholic education of their daughters established the school in 1890. The city’s first public high school, Alhambra High School, was established in 1898, five years before the city’s incorporation – both of our sons graduated from this school along with other legendary folk including Clive Cussler – author, Cheryl Tiegs – fashion model, Dorothy Howell Rodham – mother of Hillary Clinton, Mickey Thompson – race car driver to name a few.

Incorporated in 1903, the city was originally promoted as a “city of homes” and many have historical significance. There are various styles; craftsman, bungalow, Spanish Mediterranean, Spanish colonial, Italian Beaux-arts and others. Twenty-six single-family residential areas have been designated as historical neighborhoods.

The downtown area at the intersection of Main and Garfield has been the center of the business district since 1895. Having undergone a number of construction changes over the years it is still the main point to start shopping. Along Main Street, there are a number of car dealerships making it very much a destination for anyone looking to buy a new car.

Alhambra has experienced waves of new immigrants, beginning with Italians in the 1950s, Mexicans in the 1960s, and Chinese in the 1980s. As a result, a very active Chinese business district has developed on Valley Boulevard, including Chinese supermarkets, restaurants, shops, banks, realtors, and medical offices. Just around the corner from our home was an old Bob’s Big Boy Restaurant that was turned into a popular Asian restaurant, Noodle World – our go-to fast food spot for years.

Alhambra has also been in the movies!  NCIS, NCIS-Los Angeles, Father of the Bride and other TV and movies have used parts of Alhambra over the years.

Phil Spector,

a legendary record producer who did a number of records for the Beatles and others, lived in Alhambra for many years in what was called the Pyrenees Castle built in 1926.

In 2003, actress Lana Clarkson was shot to death in his Alhambra home and in 2009, Spector was convicted of second-degree murder in connection with Clarkson’s death. This was national news for several months.

The Hat, a local icon, was opened in Alhambra in 1951. It was the original, family-owned outdoor restaurant, and is now a well-known small Southern California chain. The company has kept to its roots by keeping its retro neon signs featuring a chef’s toque and the words “World Famous Pastrami”. It was a prototype of today’s fast-food restaurants. Its customers consume 13–15 tons of pastrami per week – we have had our share over the years but NOTHING close to the amount they sell on a regular basis. Another favorite over the years has been Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant.

Started in Alhambra they now have locations in many local cities but the original is always the best.

During our visit we discovered that one of our favorite chefs has purchased a neighborhood pizza place and is beginning to change it into something different. Genovese’s Pizza (2900 Main Street, Alhambra – stop by!)  has been around for a long time and now Hugo Molino and his wife Aricia are hosting Pop Up presentations for some of the creations Hugo has done over the years. Recently we were there for Tuscan Night that was wonderful.

Over the years the City has changed, but it has always been able to maintain a certain character – clean, relatively safe, a bedroom community with generally good schools and an active City Council moving in conservative fashion to improve the place.

Once we sell the house, which will happen eventually we know, we will still return as we have great friends to visit, places to eat we love and a climate that is really hard to beat.

Having shared nuptials and celebrated the wedding over the weekend, we gathered our belongings and headed to Morro Bay to stay a few days and enjoy the cool weather of the area. Over the last 30 years or so we have stayed at a B&B in Morro Bay – Marina Street Inn.

Over the years we have gotten to know the Owners and they became friends not just owners of the B&B.

If you have been following our Blog for a while you will remember that Claudia joined us in Paris for Christmas and New Years last year.

Having been here as many times as we have we do have a preference for the first floor and that’s where we are – the Dockside Room.

However, over the years we have stayed in all four rooms of the Inn.

We hadn’t been here very long before we got into Claudia’s car and headed out to dinner at the Galley. This is a great fish place right along the water in Morro Bay and a spot we have been to virtually every time we have been here. Great food, nice people and they don’t seem to mind if I bring my own wine (which is always a plus!).

The next day, after a lovely breakfast,

we piled into our car and headed out for a picnic at Justin winery. Justin has been around since 1981 with the mission of making world-class Bordeaux style blends. Since then they have expanded both their knowledge of viniculture in the unique region as well as the acreage.

After a new owner came in about 10 years ago a new tasting room and facilities were built to expand the customer experience. Located a good 10 miles off Hwy 46, the main route along the wine areas of Paso Robles, it’s a destination for sure and not something you just stumble across. We planned a picnic lunch on their patio along with a wonderful bottle of Rose and had a fantastic time.

Not being finished with wine tasting the next day we packed up and went out again – this time to Niner Winery. Niners consist of about 223 acres and are best know for estate grown cabernet sauvignon, Pinot noir and Chardonnay.

The entire place started about 2001 and has been doing OK. They have a restaurant with a limited menu and a very nice tasting room. We arrived for our lunch reservation a little early so or course had to sample a few things in the tasting room. We settled on a bottle of Chardonnay to go with our lunch.

Sitting out on the patio overlooking some olive trees, the “heart” shaped grove of trees and the lavender plantings was a lovely way to spend the afternoon.

Back to the Marina Street Inn for the evening ending this wonderful day we just hung out in the living room, read some books and enjoyed the end of the day together.

If you are ever in the area drop in and say hello to Claudia and if you need a place to stay be sure to mention us and I’m sure she will give you a discount!

Several months ago, our friend John Carnesale from Las Vegas called and invited us to his wedding to be held in Santa Barbara on September 8^th. While it was at least 6 months ago when the call came in we have been working our way here ever since. I did mention to him that he was getting married on my birthday so I would remember the date.

We arrived in Santa Barbara the day before and settled into a nice room close to downtown and not far from the wedding site – Our Lady of Mount Carmel

and the reception site at the Four Seasons – Biltmore

both in Montecito just a wee bit south of town.  We started the day with a late breakfast at the Four Seasons including a lovely adult beverage overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Popularly known as “the Little Church of the Fathers,” this 160-year old parish is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Montecito.

While not officially a part of the California Mission system, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church does have a connection to it. The humble beginnings of the church can be traced to the earliest rural settlers in Montecito, the soldiers of the Santa Barbara Presidio and their descendants. In lieu of a salary or pension payments, Presidio guards who watched over the Mission in Santa Barbara were given small tracts of land in Montecito and other nearby areas. Having grown tired of traveling to Sunday church services in Santa Barbara, these landholders eventually decided they wanted a church of their own. On July 16th, 1856, a priest traveled from the Mission to Montecito to celebrate Mass in a meadow and to announce that a chapel would be erected around the location of that first Mass.

The simple rectangular adobe church with a wooden porch was completed in 1859, the same year that the land on which it stood was officially deeded to the Church.

We parked at the Four Seasons and took a Lyft ride to the Church where we joined a throng of people getting ready for the ceremony.

After the wedding there was a couple of hours before the start of the reception and we took that as a sign for an adult beverage in the bar.

The wedding included a fantastic band that played great tunes throughout the night and a sit down dinner with open bar!

All in all a great way to celebrate my birthday, in a beautiful spot where we met a bunch of new friends and celebrated the joining of John and Stacy.

The 29^th of August was a big day for us. We moved everything we owned out of our home in Alhambra and into storage for the next 8 to 9 months. Thus culminates a two week long packing adventure where we tried to put everything into protective boxes and made decisions on what to keep and what toss. Having lived in the house for 40 years, we had accumulated a lot of treasures. Fortunately, before we started this adventure, we had a major “estate sale” to reduce the amount of stuff but even still there was a lot to go through. Originally we had thought about getting a couple of the “Pods” and filling them up but the more I thought about it the more discouraged I got with that idea and just called Nationwide Moving for a quote to pick everything up and move it. Turns out the quote, based on the “volume” we would have had with two pods was less expensive! This also meant we were released from the heavy lifting of loading the damn things and making sure it all fit!

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your perspective, the quote for the “volume was for 500 Cubic feet. After all was said and done, and loaded on the truck, the volume of all our worldly positions was closer to 800 Cubic feet – and 2 pods wouldn’t have been enough.

Sure, maybe we saved to much stuff but there are some treasures we just couldn’t part with. We have sent additional 7 or 8 boxes of things to our son’s home in Virginia (thank you very much Terri and Jason for allow us to share your place when we are on the east coast). Now all of our stuff is stored waiting for us to find a “landing pad” sometime next year.

The following day, VietnamVets came and carted away a lot of things we were not going to keep and might be helpful to others. When it comes down to it, the emotional tie you have to things can be broken if you just try. YEARS ago I took a million pictures, had a darkroom to develop and print my own pictures and some really nice camera equipment (Nikon with 3 or 4 lens). This camera equipment has been in a carry case for the last 15 years and not opened. I put it on the AmVets truck and away it went. Yes, the stuff in the case had cost a pretty penny but had little value to me now and was certainly not digital so of little interest to todays camera totting folks.

With our house on the market, and thus no home to sleep in, we continued to stay with friends in Alhambra while they were on their road trip. When they returned we moved to other friends (Phil and Jessie)

in Pasadena until leaving (today) for Santa Barbara.

Since the movers took everything away we have had a couple of offers on the house and one that looked like it might actually result in its sale. Unfortunately they got cold feet and backed out so the realtor is out drumming up more interest in the house with the hope we can get in and out of Escrow before we have to leave for Northern California at the end of September (not likely but we can hope).

As many of you know, we have a bunch of wine (thus the loverofwine.com website) and I was able to sell of 28 cases of the juice during the last 2 weeks. That still leaves another 80 cases to worry about still in storage!

All of it is safely protected in a LOCKED (don’t get any ideas) locker in a temperature-controlled building. Along with the wine are several boxes of photos, photo books and other things that will be much safer in the wine locker then in a hot storage facility.

During the years we have spent in the Area, we have gotten to know a number of really interesting people – particularly in the wine and food business. I can specifically point at Tom Anderson who was the GM at the Parkway Grill in Pasadena as the person who got me started in collecting wine (damn you Tom! [just kidding]) and to Hugo Molino as the first chef who introduced me to the joys of gracious dining and interesting meals. During our last few weeks we have been able to have dinner with Tom and his wife Nikki

and to catch up with Hugo!

Great joy in reconnecting with these people – hopefully not loosing them as we move away but visiting with them when we are in the area.

We are now in Santa Barbara for a couple of days to attend a friends wedding (tomorrow on my birthday) and then off to Morro Bay to visit with our friend Claudia (you will remember her as she came to Paris last December and stayed for Christmas and New Years with us….) before returning to Alhambra for a round of medical appointments and other happenings before heading to the Bay Area (Northern California for those not in the know) to celebrate our friends 50^th Wedding Anniversary. Until later, as Rick Steve’s always says, Keep on Traveling.

One last note, before I go, we have learned that our darling Little Miss (our granddaughter) will become an “Big Sister” in April! One more reason to be on the east coast for sure.

Man does time fly! It seems like just yesterday we were having BBQ in Amarillo and now we are already in Southern California. A lot has happened in the last 10 or so days and it’s time for a minor update.

Driving along Route 66 (well really Interstate 40) is a treat. There are certainly a lot of interesting sites to see – although the old Route 66 structures are really not in the best of shape.

After staying the night in Gallup New Mexico, we turned south away from Route 66 and headed towards Phoenix – well actually Chandler, Arizona where we were connecting with friends. However, before getting to their place, we stopped in Pleasant Valley.

In the late 1980’s I was active in a SCUBA club called the California Wreck Divers and every year we had a major speaker for our banquet. One year, one of our members was able to arrange for a shipwreck hunter and national author to be our speaker – Clive Custer

and I was the person who took care of him during his visit. Over the years Clive had found a number of historically significant shipwrecks around the US, last count more than 60 shipwreck sites – some of them have been recovered and put on display. He was able to do all of this because he writes adventure novels and people bought them – making him a bunch of money. Clive has been on the New York Times fiction best-seller list more than 20 times and written more than 70 books. Well, it turns out that Clive Cussler grew up in Alhambra – where we were living and he stayed at our home for a night and we showed him around the area. All of this ‘getting to know’ Clive was in the late ‘80’s but for some reason I have had his home address in Pleasant Valley Arizona ever since. It seemed like a good idea to drop in so I did.

After a brief visit with Clive we continued on to our friends Robin and Eric and their children Aria and Dorian (our adopted grand children). It was a wonderful visit including a lot of time to catch up on events. Of course it did include an evening out with adult beverages, always a good thing.

 

The following morning, Sunday, we learned that Janeen’s dad had passed during the night. While it is always sad to loose a loved one, Harold was 101 and in failing health. We had spent a week with him prior to heading to SoCal and we knew his time was short. The passing of the meteor shower overhead about the time he released his spirit comforted Janeen.

We arrived in Alhambra later that day to stay with our friends Sally and Jim, well actually to house sit while they do a 3-week motor tour along Route 66. We were able to settle in and reflect on all that had happened and the full live lived by Harold.

Now it’s time to move forward – and that includes the sale of our home of 40 years. The house was listed on August 2^nd and on Sunday the 12th, the day we arrived; there was an open house. As of today, August 21^st, we have accepted an offer with a 30-day escrow. Between now and the 29^th, when movers show up, we have to finish packing everything we intend to keep.

This “stuff” will be put into storage until we figure out where our next “Landing Pad” will be. That means lots of packing to be done and decisions to be made about what to keep and what needs to find a new home.

During our down time from packing the house, we will be visiting friends, going to the Huntington Library and Gardens (Janeen will go several times while we are here) and generally trying to enjoy our time in CA. Once the movers take everything away there will still be stuff that needs to find a new home – Am Vets will make a visit, as will others to haul the debris away.

We are in Southern Cal for the next several weeks packing, visiting friends and generally trying to deal with all that is happening in our lives. After escrow closes, which should be mid to late September, we head to the Bay Area to celebrate with friends their 50^th wedding anniversary and on or about October 1^st we drive back to Macomb to hold a memorial service for Harold check on Trust business there.

So, while our Blog hasn’t got the usual tid-bits of historical interest, I wanted to keep you up to date with what’s going on.

 

 

 

Wow, it’s been a while since I posted – so here’s a little update on what’s been happening.

After we got to Springfield, we had two things scheduled – tickets to see Hamilton at the Kennedy Center and an appointment for a long-term visa at the French consulate. Hamilton first opened on Broadway in February 2015. Since that time, it has continued on Broadway and also gone on the road. Broadway tickets are still VERY EXPENSIVE and the Bus and Truck crew also costs a pretty penny. Well, I figured I wasn’t going to see it if I didn’t just dip into the wallet and get tickets. Prior to doing our Northern Loop (Canada, etc.…) I had gotten a couple of tickets for the Sunday performance on July 22^nd.   During our Northern Loop we had listened to the sound track a couple of times to be at least familiar with the music; that was a really good thing.

The songs and dialogue really go quickly and having some idea of what is being said was a real benefit. The play is well over 2 ½ hours and has lots of action and historical references (we have also been reading the biography of Hamilton written by Ron Chernow which is what inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda to write the play and a good deal of the dialogue comes from the book. We were NOT disappointed and would love to see the play another time.

The second major thing to get done was a visit to the French Consulate to see about getting a long-term visa. Due to an existing treaty, US Citizens can stay in Europe for 90 days in a 180-day period without a visa. Most times this isn’t a problem. However with Ryan and Chris living in Paris, two different April river cruises booked and a desire to tour more parts of the European part of the world,getting a long term resident visa would make it a lot easier to just wander around without having to worry about the time limit. The appointment required a whole lot of documentation to be put together and all of that was ready to go. When we finally got to the “desk” it seemed as if everything was going to be OK until we realized you cannot formally apply for the extended visa more than 3 months prior to going. So, as we were just a little over 4 months prior to our initial departure date ,we gathered everything and left with the understanding we would need to make another appointment sometime late October. The good thing about going when we did it confirmed we had all the information together and also gave us some pointers on what additional materials we might need to make sure we were successful next time.

OK, with all of that out of the way, we packed up to start our trip across country. First stop was Macomb,Illinois to visit with Harold (Janeen’s dad) and make sure he was getting all the care necessary to be comfortable. He is now under hospice care in the long-term care facility, Wesley Village, and doing as well as can be expected for someone who is 101 years old. We stayed a little over a week visiting daily and talking with his caregivers and others. One of the goals was to make sure all of those visiting him understand his condition and that, while it will be a sad day when it happens, he is slipping away to the other side. We were able to make sure he understands we were leaving for California as we have a time -frame to resolve some issues for the sale of our home and a wedding we have committed to attending in September plus a 50^th wedding anniversary for friends in the Bay Area.

Now we are on the road. The first day was long – about 500 plus miles to get to Tulsa OK.

Next day (today) we drove to Amarillo,Texas. Most of today has been spent driving along Route 66! After getting checked into our Hotel, it seemed like it was time for BBQ.

So, first thing I did was check at the front desk to see if they had any recommendations – nothing really jumped out. Next was to check on Trip Advisor and see what was around. Not surprising there area bunch of places, but the one that caught our eye was a small place called Tyler’s Barbecue.

All of the reviews were 5-star (at least the dozen or so posted) and it was a small place serving ribs, brisket, pulled pork, sausage and all the other stuff you think about when thinking BBQ.

This place did not disappoint. We ordered the three-meat dinner with three ribs, some sliced brisket and a mound of pulled pork.

Along with this were potato salad and a peach cobbler for dessert. The place doesn’t serve “adult beverages” which helped to reduce the cost impact for sure and wasn’t missed actually.

Tomorrow we head further west stopping in Gallop NM and then to Chandler, Arizona to visit with some friends and then to Alhambra where we will work on getting all the remaining stuff out of the house and selling it. More updates as something interesting happens.