As dad would say.. We off.. but of course you knew that already...
To CTA's summer institute on the UCLA campus. We will be there for a week. I am taking the advanced negotiation strand.
Dad says,"I hope they have scared up a bunch of fence posts!" (You have to argue until the fence post agrees) : )
We are meeting Heather and Lindsay and Sean down in LA on Friday at big D. They are flying home Sunday to work Monday. I have some round up screening to do all day Monday. So we will need to haul the tank out of the So Cal basin too.
Sue has her power wheelchair, and it is loading on the back of the expedition. She has been running it around the block and in the stores. She had to practice in a number of environments before she could begin to feel comfortable with it.
It has the ability to pivot from the rear as it turns just like the tractor where one side gets locked and the other side turns around it,
Amy is watching the cats. Georgie is all over the suitcases the AM. He is sure that he can convince me that he has to go! Fat chance.
Love
Pat
A written expression of a 65year old plus retired Speech and Language Specialist in the Central Valley of California.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Tales of a 99 warrior
Fresno was 102 yesterday, Merced was in the middle to high 90.
Against this backdrop I hit the 99 to get the lift mounted on the back of the expedition. Sue had been gifted a power Jazzy wheel chair for people up to 400 pounds. Sue is no where near that.. but to make the gift useful we spent 2900 to buy the lift to move it around the world.
While 99 is nowhere near as exciting as 101. It is a major North South route through the valley to the Sacramento or San Francisco,
The lift company needed the lift and the chair at the same time. This means that I had to go rent a bike trailer from Uhaul and pick up the chair. Take it first to Turlock (about 30miles a way) then go back, turn the trailer back in and then take the Expedition itself back to Turlock to have it modified. The appointment was at 9 AM.
At 8:15.
Three miles north of town on 99 headed North, I had a blowout on the back left tire of the expedition. 99 is too rough a place to change it. So I used my AAA card to have the Expedition towed to Costco. I only waited 20 minutes under the bridge.The tow truck came I was towed back to the Merced Costco. They didn't open until 10. When they opened they put the spare on and said that they did not have tires to fit it.. 17 inch rims. But Turlock had 14. This meant that I was 12 o'clock before I reached Turlock. They took the chair apart and realized that I had to have the batteries replaced in the chair and they had to fabricated a new "dog bone that would fit under the seat to secure it.
They had both the chair and the car at 2 pm. They worked three hours to get it all done. Their little shop was located way out off S. Tegner near a Kozy Shak factory. These are folks that bring you that pudding and tapioca in the tub.
There was no place of entertainment around.It was a bring your own literature spot with a couple of folding chairs in a 10x10 office that had the only air in the entire area. Luckily I was listening to the new Susan Brashears (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants fame) The Last Summer of You and Me Its a very interesting listen. All about a couple of sisters of very different personalities gown up to 21 years old on an island beach community of the Hamptons. My girls have always wanted to go to the Hamptons. All they got growing up to their chagrin was the cold water beaches of California.
They got it all done at 5 and I started thinking about heading to LA on Sunday with no spare tire. I headed over to the Costco and they said that they had some 17 tires but they did not come with the mileage warrenty that the ones I had on came with. I told the to saddle me up with 4 new ones. It would take about an hour and 45. Sure.. I would wonder around Costco. I called mom and dad on the cell. We had a nice conversation. The tire man hunted me down in Costco The High Cost of Free Parking and said that he really didn't think that I needed new tires after all. Their was 50 percent of the tread still on the tire (actually 60) and that he could replace the damaged tire at that proration and I would be good to go after the others were examined and rotated. I said sure. Upon examination of another tire, he noted there were 5 nails in it and 3 had worked all the way through. He said that it wasn't worth his time to repair all of those so he prorated that tire too to a new one. Two new Michelines for $145. Sweet.
They had a little trouble putting the spare tire up under the car with the lift there so I took the chair off and lowered the lift. I thought they may need to have the swing feature enacted, I started to swing the whole lift to the side. He said he could get to it without. I forgot to snap it back in place and and it was dragging ass to the side as I pulled out... so everything had to be unloaded and and reformed and then put back in place.. no damage done.
I was home at 8:30. Pretty exhausted.
Against this backdrop I hit the 99 to get the lift mounted on the back of the expedition. Sue had been gifted a power Jazzy wheel chair for people up to 400 pounds. Sue is no where near that.. but to make the gift useful we spent 2900 to buy the lift to move it around the world.
While 99 is nowhere near as exciting as 101. It is a major North South route through the valley to the Sacramento or San Francisco,
The lift company needed the lift and the chair at the same time. This means that I had to go rent a bike trailer from Uhaul and pick up the chair. Take it first to Turlock (about 30miles a way) then go back, turn the trailer back in and then take the Expedition itself back to Turlock to have it modified. The appointment was at 9 AM.
At 8:15.
Three miles north of town on 99 headed North, I had a blowout on the back left tire of the expedition. 99 is too rough a place to change it. So I used my AAA card to have the Expedition towed to Costco. I only waited 20 minutes under the bridge.The tow truck came I was towed back to the Merced Costco. They didn't open until 10. When they opened they put the spare on and said that they did not have tires to fit it.. 17 inch rims. But Turlock had 14. This meant that I was 12 o'clock before I reached Turlock. They took the chair apart and realized that I had to have the batteries replaced in the chair and they had to fabricated a new "dog bone that would fit under the seat to secure it.
They had both the chair and the car at 2 pm. They worked three hours to get it all done. Their little shop was located way out off S. Tegner near a Kozy Shak factory. These are folks that bring you that pudding and tapioca in the tub.
There was no place of entertainment around.It was a bring your own literature spot with a couple of folding chairs in a 10x10 office that had the only air in the entire area. Luckily I was listening to the new Susan Brashears (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants fame) The Last Summer of You and Me Its a very interesting listen. All about a couple of sisters of very different personalities gown up to 21 years old on an island beach community of the Hamptons. My girls have always wanted to go to the Hamptons. All they got growing up to their chagrin was the cold water beaches of California.
They got it all done at 5 and I started thinking about heading to LA on Sunday with no spare tire. I headed over to the Costco and they said that they had some 17 tires but they did not come with the mileage warrenty that the ones I had on came with. I told the to saddle me up with 4 new ones. It would take about an hour and 45. Sure.. I would wonder around Costco. I called mom and dad on the cell. We had a nice conversation. The tire man hunted me down in Costco The High Cost of Free Parking and said that he really didn't think that I needed new tires after all. Their was 50 percent of the tread still on the tire (actually 60) and that he could replace the damaged tire at that proration and I would be good to go after the others were examined and rotated. I said sure. Upon examination of another tire, he noted there were 5 nails in it and 3 had worked all the way through. He said that it wasn't worth his time to repair all of those so he prorated that tire too to a new one. Two new Michelines for $145. Sweet.
They had a little trouble putting the spare tire up under the car with the lift there so I took the chair off and lowered the lift. I thought they may need to have the swing feature enacted, I started to swing the whole lift to the side. He said he could get to it without. I forgot to snap it back in place and and it was dragging ass to the side as I pulled out... so everything had to be unloaded and and reformed and then put back in place.. no damage done.
I was home at 8:30. Pretty exhausted.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Clever Invention Buyers guide
I just bought something kind of cool. A USB powered LED table lamp for the keyboard. It was in the dollar bin (actually $2.50) at Target. With a skin over my keyboard to protect it, It is hard to see the letters.. more like the characters that we seldom use.
After extensive trial the best ear buds on the market for comfort and reliablity are the "thumps" ($39) from Griffin. They are superior to the bose ($99) more comfortable but always losing its silicon ear pieces. And the Radio Shack ($49) too clunky and the sponge rubber tips are nasty. The Xtreme earphones ($150) are great and fit well, but are pricey as are the sure ($219) and produce a little more bass lift. The Sure ($300) are wonderful and the range is something else.. but somehow I have difficulty spending more the earphones than the player. I really shouldn't because the philosophy of putting your money in the output rather than the input could be followed.
In the noise reduction category the JBL reference 510 is my choice ($99 at Costco) ($35 at Ebay package opened) These earphones are active noise reducers. A thriple A battery sends a competing wave to the low frequencies and some high ones to counter the sound wave of the bus or BART or airline sounds. The Sony ($50) ones are good but they take a passive role in sound reduction. Neither are significant in walking enviornmental noise.
Pat walked today and Sue exercised at Anberry today!
We had lunch at Jantz. The menninite bakery restaurant in Atwater. Wedneeday is free pie day. Order a lunch entree and get a free slice of pie... yum. I had Boysenberry and Sue had apple.
After extensive trial the best ear buds on the market for comfort and reliablity are the "thumps" ($39) from Griffin. They are superior to the bose ($99) more comfortable but always losing its silicon ear pieces. And the Radio Shack ($49) too clunky and the sponge rubber tips are nasty. The Xtreme earphones ($150) are great and fit well, but are pricey as are the sure ($219) and produce a little more bass lift. The Sure ($300) are wonderful and the range is something else.. but somehow I have difficulty spending more the earphones than the player. I really shouldn't because the philosophy of putting your money in the output rather than the input could be followed.
In the noise reduction category the JBL reference 510 is my choice ($99 at Costco) ($35 at Ebay package opened) These earphones are active noise reducers. A thriple A battery sends a competing wave to the low frequencies and some high ones to counter the sound wave of the bus or BART or airline sounds. The Sony ($50) ones are good but they take a passive role in sound reduction. Neither are significant in walking enviornmental noise.
Pat walked today and Sue exercised at Anberry today!
We had lunch at Jantz. The menninite bakery restaurant in Atwater. Wedneeday is free pie day. Order a lunch entree and get a free slice of pie... yum. I had Boysenberry and Sue had apple.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Male 3rd grade speak
In the optometrist office I ran into a going into third grader as he was killing time in the lobby waiting for his grandfather to get his eyes examined.
So what topics of conversation do you have with a 3rd grade boy?
School
He liked to read. He was number 2 in his class in AR. (This is a program in the schools that codifies the check out a book and an adult asks you comprehension questions regarding.) He had read 32 books on his level last year. Number one had read 84 books. He was excited about getting into chapter books. One book he read had 12 chapters in it.
He likes math.
He couldn't play talk or consider a narrative plot that would take off on its own. He could recount several and naturally remembered the gory spots.
Video Games and Card Games
He was a game player and had a deck of YuGeeOu. My work with several of my game playing students left me in good stead for this conversation. He had collected a couple of "God" cards that could beat a myrid of other cards in play. He was not at the point where he had specific decks that were themed. No water monster decks etc.
He enjoyed racing games and was quick to describe how to avoid common pitfalls with video racing games. He is always hoping that he could race with the white mustang. It shows up randomly as a race car.
Home and Leisure
He is a raider fan.
He likes to go to Pismo Beach and they haul a toy trailer that has some beds in it.
He was proud of the fact that he was very large for his age.
Overall he was very verbal for his age. Its kind of nice to relate to a student that does not have a language disabilty.
So what topics of conversation do you have with a 3rd grade boy?
School
He liked to read. He was number 2 in his class in AR. (This is a program in the schools that codifies the check out a book and an adult asks you comprehension questions regarding.) He had read 32 books on his level last year. Number one had read 84 books. He was excited about getting into chapter books. One book he read had 12 chapters in it.
He likes math.
He couldn't play talk or consider a narrative plot that would take off on its own. He could recount several and naturally remembered the gory spots.
Video Games and Card Games
He was a game player and had a deck of YuGeeOu. My work with several of my game playing students left me in good stead for this conversation. He had collected a couple of "God" cards that could beat a myrid of other cards in play. He was not at the point where he had specific decks that were themed. No water monster decks etc.
He enjoyed racing games and was quick to describe how to avoid common pitfalls with video racing games. He is always hoping that he could race with the white mustang. It shows up randomly as a race car.
Home and Leisure
He is a raider fan.
He likes to go to Pismo Beach and they haul a toy trailer that has some beds in it.
He was proud of the fact that he was very large for his age.
Overall he was very verbal for his age. Its kind of nice to relate to a student that does not have a language disabilty.
Prune for Peach tree size!
The crop is off so now is the time for the peach trees to get pruned for height. The idea is that if the trees are pruned this time of the year then you can control the size of the tree as it continues to grow though the rest of the summer and into the fall. It also means less pruning when the trees ares are dormant, and the weather is not fun. It means less spraying and perserves the function of the tree.. fruit production but not so that you end up with too much at one time. It is also essential if you have many trees in one area and you need to give light to the other trees.
My goal is to make all my front yard trees less than 8feet tall. This is a challenge in California as the climate wants them to be 20-25 feet tall. So get out those pruners and chop that peach tree now to save you some serious branch removal in the winter! Also make your crops more conducive to your appetite!
My goal is to make all my front yard trees less than 8feet tall. This is a challenge in California as the climate wants them to be 20-25 feet tall. So get out those pruners and chop that peach tree now to save you some serious branch removal in the winter! Also make your crops more conducive to your appetite!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Playoff and Sunday
Sergio Garcia, from Spain almost won the British Open from start to finish. In the end he tied with at Irishman Padraig Harrington. Harrington won in the playoff. He danced around the 18th green with an Irish flag in his hands.
For those of you that don't follow sports I thoought I would keep you up to date. The tournament was held in Scotland this week. Along with the US Open, the Master's tournament and the Player's the British Open repesents the biggest tournaments of the year,
I have covered two of the US open tournaments when we had press passes and photographic passes to the tournaments at the Olympic club and Pebble Beach. What an experience!
Heather was home this weekend to earn some money helping us clean up our house.. We made some wonderful progress.
I replaced toliet seats.. what a job. Those pesky bolts just don't want to come off. The replacement seat bolts I wound with teflon tape. Hopefully they will be easier to remove. I also recalked around the base. You have to do this periodically.
Today i mowed and trimmed the lawn. It was only 97 today.
We are gearing up for our week in So Cal. Hopefully the chair lift will come in soon so that it can be installed.
We are hoping to meet Heather and Sean and Lindsay for a couple of days of big D before we head back home to screening and the start of school.. August 13 with kids.. August 9th report.
The last white peach was picked today. July 22,2007. We still have a dozen pluots left on the little tree. the last of the fruit this year.
For those of you that don't follow sports I thoought I would keep you up to date. The tournament was held in Scotland this week. Along with the US Open, the Master's tournament and the Player's the British Open repesents the biggest tournaments of the year,
I have covered two of the US open tournaments when we had press passes and photographic passes to the tournaments at the Olympic club and Pebble Beach. What an experience!
Heather was home this weekend to earn some money helping us clean up our house.. We made some wonderful progress.
I replaced toliet seats.. what a job. Those pesky bolts just don't want to come off. The replacement seat bolts I wound with teflon tape. Hopefully they will be easier to remove. I also recalked around the base. You have to do this periodically.
Today i mowed and trimmed the lawn. It was only 97 today.
We are gearing up for our week in So Cal. Hopefully the chair lift will come in soon so that it can be installed.
We are hoping to meet Heather and Sean and Lindsay for a couple of days of big D before we head back home to screening and the start of school.. August 13 with kids.. August 9th report.
The last white peach was picked today. July 22,2007. We still have a dozen pluots left on the little tree. the last of the fruit this year.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
2nd Gen Shuffle
Boy Boy arrived last night. He is a 2nd generation shuffle refurb. (blue) Looks in perfect condition.
35 dollars +17 shipping from Texas ebay auction IVEX is the company.. have to have a paypal account
Holds 250 songs.
Forget playlists however you can play in order and scoot by the songs you dont want
Ditch the earphones.. get some Griffin Thumps. They fit your ear better and are sturdy unlike the bose.
Get some exercise music on it and get going!
I found some music that is rated by the beat.. not by the original group and it is dyno.. mite on this little device.. also had to put on 120 Neil Diamond songs... will edit later.
Of course Apple wanted me to register on line.. did it. And there is an option to have it pick randomly form your ITunes library... mine is up to 45 gigs.. so who knows what it would pick.. too risky.
Enjoying Heather home today. She is a Iron and Wine fan too. She says he may be a bit too folksy for her however.
Got to mix up some spray and get the weeds under the trees this AM. Round up.
Have a great Saturday.
Pat
35 dollars +17 shipping from Texas ebay auction IVEX is the company.. have to have a paypal account
Holds 250 songs.
Forget playlists however you can play in order and scoot by the songs you dont want
Ditch the earphones.. get some Griffin Thumps. They fit your ear better and are sturdy unlike the bose.
Get some exercise music on it and get going!
I found some music that is rated by the beat.. not by the original group and it is dyno.. mite on this little device.. also had to put on 120 Neil Diamond songs... will edit later.
Of course Apple wanted me to register on line.. did it. And there is an option to have it pick randomly form your ITunes library... mine is up to 45 gigs.. so who knows what it would pick.. too risky.
Enjoying Heather home today. She is a Iron and Wine fan too. She says he may be a bit too folksy for her however.
Got to mix up some spray and get the weeds under the trees this AM. Round up.
Have a great Saturday.
Pat
Friday, July 20, 2007
FFFFFriday
Morning.. Walked the Walk to Starbucks
8:15 -11:30 two appointments at the optomitrist.. they were not happy that we didn't get glasses from them.. will have them filled at a dispensor.. CnJ optical.. more selection.. can keep our glasses.
Dr. late due to an emergency.. for an optomitrist? He was yawning through my exam.. not sign of long term medical issues. Sue is having some iritiis issues.. she will see a opthamologist on Monday.
98 store to get some little boxes and 42 dollars worth of other junk.
Lunch at Mikky D's Mick Tasties.. and a Hugo.
Heather is off early.. we ran to pick her up at the Easterly Bart entrance at Dublin.
Dinner at Nations in Tracy. Ronne was happy to get to Merced to use his potty box.
He may be getting of the injections soon.
Our Money man in Colorado did not connect with us today.. he won't be back untill August 1st a trip he has to make.
Found out tonight that Heather likes Iron and Wine too.
Take care
Love Pat
8:15 -11:30 two appointments at the optomitrist.. they were not happy that we didn't get glasses from them.. will have them filled at a dispensor.. CnJ optical.. more selection.. can keep our glasses.
Dr. late due to an emergency.. for an optomitrist? He was yawning through my exam.. not sign of long term medical issues. Sue is having some iritiis issues.. she will see a opthamologist on Monday.
98 store to get some little boxes and 42 dollars worth of other junk.
Lunch at Mikky D's Mick Tasties.. and a Hugo.
Heather is off early.. we ran to pick her up at the Easterly Bart entrance at Dublin.
Dinner at Nations in Tracy. Ronne was happy to get to Merced to use his potty box.
He may be getting of the injections soon.
Our Money man in Colorado did not connect with us today.. he won't be back untill August 1st a trip he has to make.
Found out tonight that Heather likes Iron and Wine too.
Take care
Love Pat
Thursday, July 19, 2007
A Fair Night
Last night Sue and I went to the Merced County Fair. It was a good night to see the exhibits. The entertainment was a group called bowling for soup. It started off with a song they stopped a quarter of the way through and wondered if it was too early to have a break. They are supposed to be funny. The crowd, much smaller than for most big names stood on top of their chairs and effectively blocked out any wheelchair view of the concert. it was mostly screaming as many words as they could say at a time.
We had a good time and didn't let the concert fiasco get in the way. The weather (from 7-10) was cool and breezy.
We had a great time running into a former student and his father. He is on the special olympic golf team and just completed a trip to Nashville to meet and great other team members. He was so excited he could hardly contain himself. He was selected to go in the fall to China to represent the USA.
We also connected with a county speech and language specialist, and a secretary at district office and her grandchildren.
In the floral exhibit I ran into an ex council member of the CTA board. We ate barbeque sandwiches. Sue had the tri tip and I had the pork. Both were a very lean and tender and a little dry. Sue bought some udder hand cream in the the exhibit hall.
Had to eat a Cinnamon roll.
Sue bought some princess crowns for the girls and herself for the upcoming Disneyland trip.. WOW!
We were able to use the shuttle cart to get to and from the parking lot. That saved a lot of pushing with the wheel chair.
Earlier in the day we drove to Atwater and signed Sue up for her exercise gym. She started her exercise while I filled out the paperwork. I took mom's ring over to the Goldsmith and Nick said that he would swap out the old stone in one ring and put it in the other for the price of the melted down gold in the first one (10 carat).
My sister Kelly MovingRightAlongWithKellyhas a great blog going as does my neice Acacia Acacia Give them a look too. Acacia is works as a barista for Pete's coffee this summer. She is headed to San Diego in the fall to continue her education.
We had a good time and didn't let the concert fiasco get in the way. The weather (from 7-10) was cool and breezy.
We had a great time running into a former student and his father. He is on the special olympic golf team and just completed a trip to Nashville to meet and great other team members. He was so excited he could hardly contain himself. He was selected to go in the fall to China to represent the USA.
We also connected with a county speech and language specialist, and a secretary at district office and her grandchildren.
In the floral exhibit I ran into an ex council member of the CTA board. We ate barbeque sandwiches. Sue had the tri tip and I had the pork. Both were a very lean and tender and a little dry. Sue bought some udder hand cream in the the exhibit hall.
Had to eat a Cinnamon roll.
Sue bought some princess crowns for the girls and herself for the upcoming Disneyland trip.. WOW!
We were able to use the shuttle cart to get to and from the parking lot. That saved a lot of pushing with the wheel chair.
Earlier in the day we drove to Atwater and signed Sue up for her exercise gym. She started her exercise while I filled out the paperwork. I took mom's ring over to the Goldsmith and Nick said that he would swap out the old stone in one ring and put it in the other for the price of the melted down gold in the first one (10 carat).
My sister Kelly MovingRightAlongWithKellyhas a great blog going as does my neice Acacia Acacia Give them a look too. Acacia is works as a barista for Pete's coffee this summer. She is headed to San Diego in the fall to continue her education.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Walking to Neil and A Lift
This morning I walked again to Starbucks to have the double cap dry. Going I was listening to Duet for Guitars and Album by M. Ward. I enjoyed the track Beautiful Car. Its a little noisey on Yosemite Ave. Walking home I was listening to Neil Diamond.
Lindsay hates one song of his. Crackin Rosie..reason.. it was her wake up song on her sony dream machine for a long time.
Yesterday Sue and I went to Turlock to investigate a lift for the expedition for Sue's Jazzy. ($2900)We are hoping that it wiill all come together so that when we go to LA for the CTA summer institute (I am taking some training in advanced negotioations) that she will be able to motor around UCLA campus and find the library on her own.
She is also looking forward to Wednesday down there which will be a day on our own. Big D here we come!
Its too late in the summer to plant petunias in pots here.. or maybe ever..(they need to go into the ground for insulation ) so today the petunias came out of the front graden pots and were replaced by portulaca (moss rose). Last night Sue potted some catus and a large cosmos plant for the patio. We got the 5 foot deck box in place and repositioned our new potato patio tree with the sweet alysum around it into its place. Everything is wired up to the drip system and was watered appropriately this morning.
Tonight is the 2nd night of the County Fair. The Temptations are in the free plaza.
We may go. If it isn't too hot.
I hope all is okay with you.
Pat
Lindsay hates one song of his. Crackin Rosie..reason.. it was her wake up song on her sony dream machine for a long time.
Yesterday Sue and I went to Turlock to investigate a lift for the expedition for Sue's Jazzy. ($2900)We are hoping that it wiill all come together so that when we go to LA for the CTA summer institute (I am taking some training in advanced negotioations) that she will be able to motor around UCLA campus and find the library on her own.
She is also looking forward to Wednesday down there which will be a day on our own. Big D here we come!
Its too late in the summer to plant petunias in pots here.. or maybe ever..(they need to go into the ground for insulation ) so today the petunias came out of the front graden pots and were replaced by portulaca (moss rose). Last night Sue potted some catus and a large cosmos plant for the patio. We got the 5 foot deck box in place and repositioned our new potato patio tree with the sweet alysum around it into its place. Everything is wired up to the drip system and was watered appropriately this morning.
Tonight is the 2nd night of the County Fair. The Temptations are in the free plaza.
We may go. If it isn't too hot.
I hope all is okay with you.
Pat
Monday, July 16, 2007
I have to Crow
While we were in Khols on Saturday a couple of male employees were talking at the cash registers. One of them had a great southern accent. I pointed that out to lInzi and she said she noticed.
I asked her where do you think he is from. She said.. Oklahoma.. maybe Arkansas? I said.. nope he is from Tennessee.
Linzi said how can you tell? I asked her.. want to bet? She said sure. I said you got 5 bucks.. she said no.. but I have a twenty. I said.. thats good.. you go ask. She did and of course her old man (me) was right.. I earned some fist pumping ala Tiger Woods.. and she was amazed and the clerk was left with a strange look on his face. I am sure that he thought that he fit right into the Livermore valley accent set.
Heather's only comment to me was did you ask him already? Nope.
Lindsay claimed that she thought it was a safe bet since any place but Tennessee would have won.
Love Ya All
Pat
I asked her where do you think he is from. She said.. Oklahoma.. maybe Arkansas? I said.. nope he is from Tennessee.
Linzi said how can you tell? I asked her.. want to bet? She said sure. I said you got 5 bucks.. she said no.. but I have a twenty. I said.. thats good.. you go ask. She did and of course her old man (me) was right.. I earned some fist pumping ala Tiger Woods.. and she was amazed and the clerk was left with a strange look on his face. I am sure that he thought that he fit right into the Livermore valley accent set.
Heather's only comment to me was did you ask him already? Nope.
Lindsay claimed that she thought it was a safe bet since any place but Tennessee would have won.
Love Ya All
Pat
White Peaches Nectar of the Gods
Spending our summers on a 40 acre peach orchard in Western Colorado that my Grandparents owned has made us very picky about the peaches that we like.
Most of us peel our peaches before we eat them.
Most of us will not appreciate a peach that is too firm since tree rippened peaches are the best.
We prefer pies thickened with tapioca instead of flour or other thickeners.
In my immediate family the controversy rages over cake cobbler (Heather) or biscuit cobbler (Linzi). Unfortunately no cobblers will be hurt this summer.. We have no sink or oven.. we are waiting for 700 square feet of kitchen. bedroom and art room to be added.
In recent years Dad and I have been farming in our backyards these wonderful white peaches. They are very sweet. I don't know why but I think there is a virus that prevents Colorado orchards from raising white peaches.. Dad would probably know.
His variety is called Babcock. It is older (at least 30years) and mine is called Sugar Lady (about 15 years old). This is the first year that I have had a mature crop. I planted the tree four years ago. We have a bushel this year and the neighbors and I have been enjoying them. White peaches are very sweet and have less acid in them. There is a significant drop in acid from his peaches to mine. Mine when tree ripe, almost loose their peachiness. There is a temptation to eat these early as they acquire average sugar when green.
Walked today and put together a deck chest to hold the fertilizers and provide some more seating on the front patio area.
Most of us peel our peaches before we eat them.
Most of us will not appreciate a peach that is too firm since tree rippened peaches are the best.
We prefer pies thickened with tapioca instead of flour or other thickeners.
In my immediate family the controversy rages over cake cobbler (Heather) or biscuit cobbler (Linzi). Unfortunately no cobblers will be hurt this summer.. We have no sink or oven.. we are waiting for 700 square feet of kitchen. bedroom and art room to be added.
In recent years Dad and I have been farming in our backyards these wonderful white peaches. They are very sweet. I don't know why but I think there is a virus that prevents Colorado orchards from raising white peaches.. Dad would probably know.
His variety is called Babcock. It is older (at least 30years) and mine is called Sugar Lady (about 15 years old). This is the first year that I have had a mature crop. I planted the tree four years ago. We have a bushel this year and the neighbors and I have been enjoying them. White peaches are very sweet and have less acid in them. There is a significant drop in acid from his peaches to mine. Mine when tree ripe, almost loose their peachiness. There is a temptation to eat these early as they acquire average sugar when green.
Walked today and put together a deck chest to hold the fertilizers and provide some more seating on the front patio area.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Saturday reunion
How lucky I am to have daughters that want to meet with us on a regular basis.
We drove to dublin to meet the girls. They arm and arm walked into Kohls together.
How lucky I am that they get along so well with each other.. and us.
We met in Mimmies, I had a very srange sandwich called the American Ruben. Ham and turkey on a bed of cole slaw. Sue shared a Tuscan chicken thing with Lindsay and Heather had a greek sandwich.. of some sort.. or maybe she started out with a greek salad and swithched... I don't know.
Two young professional women.. deciding which rather than if. Which new job to look for not if they could look for a job in a field. They are in control of their destiny.
I talked to mom in the Tracy backup on the way home and Dad had made it home. He was asleep.. probablly enjoying not being awakened every 30 minutes for a blood check or a weigh in. He seemed to be doing well.
Today was the first day the the front yard was watered under automatics. Everything is a little much right now.. so I have to back down the times a little. Still have beautiful sweet sweet ripe peaches.
We drove to dublin to meet the girls. They arm and arm walked into Kohls together.
How lucky I am that they get along so well with each other.. and us.
We met in Mimmies, I had a very srange sandwich called the American Ruben. Ham and turkey on a bed of cole slaw. Sue shared a Tuscan chicken thing with Lindsay and Heather had a greek sandwich.. of some sort.. or maybe she started out with a greek salad and swithched... I don't know.
Two young professional women.. deciding which rather than if. Which new job to look for not if they could look for a job in a field. They are in control of their destiny.
I talked to mom in the Tracy backup on the way home and Dad had made it home. He was asleep.. probablly enjoying not being awakened every 30 minutes for a blood check or a weigh in. He seemed to be doing well.
Today was the first day the the front yard was watered under automatics. Everything is a little much right now.. so I have to back down the times a little. Still have beautiful sweet sweet ripe peaches.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Report on SF
The 7:45 Amtrak left Merced roughly on time.. 7:59. Three cars long, I sat down in a seat on a car that was older. The ride was fairly bumpy and it seemed that we were going faster than the track should allow with its bumpiness. We tore up the San Joaquin like there was no tomorrow. Things swaying this way and that. Things slowed down considerably when we got to the delta and the bay towns with their refineries.
Heather texted me on how to get from Amtrak to the 38 Geary bus to get me through the town. I forgot about the fact that Geary doesn't become major sreet it becomes until it almost reaches Union square.. So a walked some extra miles along Kearny.
Finally I found my way up to Geary and got on the 38 limited and we literaly stopped at every block until we got up the hilil to where the hospital is.. Geary and Divisidaro. 12:30. I had a very pleasant chat with Dad and he seemed to get better in front of my eyes. He is really doing better. Todays growth seemed in founding and cognition. With this came a few conspiracy theories. regarding hospital staff. I think this happens whenever non confined people get confined and are managed. Not a big thing. Heather stopped by at 2. Mom and Mikie were in at 2:30. Kelly had spent the night there suervising Dad. She was home getting some needed Rn R. She is working on her doctoral classses. DAD IS DOING BETTER
At 4:30 Heather and I took the bus backdown the hill together. We had a bite at Chipoltes in the financial district. Great food for 6 bucks apiece. She had carnitas tacos and I had a chicken burrito, fajaita style (no beans but with onions and peppers. You could choose your sauce however there seemed to be no cheese in sight.. really not needed.
I made the 6 oclock Amtrak in Richmond and experience the sun going down in the delta..
I also got to test drive the JBL earphones with noise cancellation. More on that later.
Heather texted me on how to get from Amtrak to the 38 Geary bus to get me through the town. I forgot about the fact that Geary doesn't become major sreet it becomes until it almost reaches Union square.. So a walked some extra miles along Kearny.
Finally I found my way up to Geary and got on the 38 limited and we literaly stopped at every block until we got up the hilil to where the hospital is.. Geary and Divisidaro. 12:30. I had a very pleasant chat with Dad and he seemed to get better in front of my eyes. He is really doing better. Todays growth seemed in founding and cognition. With this came a few conspiracy theories. regarding hospital staff. I think this happens whenever non confined people get confined and are managed. Not a big thing. Heather stopped by at 2. Mom and Mikie were in at 2:30. Kelly had spent the night there suervising Dad. She was home getting some needed Rn R. She is working on her doctoral classses. DAD IS DOING BETTER
At 4:30 Heather and I took the bus backdown the hill together. We had a bite at Chipoltes in the financial district. Great food for 6 bucks apiece. She had carnitas tacos and I had a chicken burrito, fajaita style (no beans but with onions and peppers. You could choose your sauce however there seemed to be no cheese in sight.. really not needed.
I made the 6 oclock Amtrak in Richmond and experience the sun going down in the delta..
I also got to test drive the JBL earphones with noise cancellation. More on that later.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Amtrak to SF
Today (Thursday) I am off to see my dad in SF who recently had a bypass surgery. From all accounts his surgery was a success. He is geting weary of the hospital stay however..predictable.
Yesterday had my teeth cleaned... joy.
Yesterday had my teeth cleaned... joy.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Professionalism
Walking back from Starbucks this morning I got to thinking about professionalism. At the table the district wants to remind us as teachers that some of the best teaching occurs when we are professional and work with students on academic problems after class and at times we are not paid.
I think that I have to agree with the district on this accord. We are professionals and we do provide help to the community without hope of district reimbursement. My biggest complaint is the district wants to use us in a professional capacity to do non professsional tasks, such as taking tickets or guardding at athletic competitions.
An example of professionalism that was positive is reflected in this email I received yesterday.
Hi Pat,
I hope this e-mail finds you and Sue having a wonderful summer. I am actually e-mailing you in hopes that you can help us out. Our 3 year-old son has been stuttering for almost a year now. I was first attributing it to the fact that he is constantly talking and relaying ideas. I just figured that he is an active 3 year old with an imaginative mind. However, he has been going through some pretty bad stuttering episodes where he is almost in tears because he cannot get the words out. I know that the kids at daycare have caught on and have recently started mimicking him. I don't know if this has caused him to realize his stuttering and make it worse, or if it is just getting more difficult for him to talk without stuttering. Do you have any insight on young kids and stuttering? I have read conflicting articles and would just like some suggestions and thoughts from someone I know is knowledgeable and is a credible and reliable resource. I would appreciate any suggestions and thoughts you can give.
Thanks, Pat
I sent her some suggestions and some disclaimers.. and I hope that it will work.
Many teachers are asked everyday by their communities to help in educational problems. This is our professional comittment. This is what we are trained to do.
Are we supposed to browbeat our fellow department members to comply with the district curriculum objectives. No not with out some economic support and some buy in from others in the department. This district by and large is willing to put money into this. How much? Up to now its been up to the principal.
Should they make our volunteer work "professional" and shame us if we do not do it.. I don't think so.
Just a little light to the negotiation table
Pat
I think that I have to agree with the district on this accord. We are professionals and we do provide help to the community without hope of district reimbursement. My biggest complaint is the district wants to use us in a professional capacity to do non professsional tasks, such as taking tickets or guardding at athletic competitions.
An example of professionalism that was positive is reflected in this email I received yesterday.
Hi Pat,
I hope this e-mail finds you and Sue having a wonderful summer. I am actually e-mailing you in hopes that you can help us out. Our 3 year-old son has been stuttering for almost a year now. I was first attributing it to the fact that he is constantly talking and relaying ideas. I just figured that he is an active 3 year old with an imaginative mind. However, he has been going through some pretty bad stuttering episodes where he is almost in tears because he cannot get the words out. I know that the kids at daycare have caught on and have recently started mimicking him. I don't know if this has caused him to realize his stuttering and make it worse, or if it is just getting more difficult for him to talk without stuttering. Do you have any insight on young kids and stuttering? I have read conflicting articles and would just like some suggestions and thoughts from someone I know is knowledgeable and is a credible and reliable resource. I would appreciate any suggestions and thoughts you can give.
Thanks, Pat
I sent her some suggestions and some disclaimers.. and I hope that it will work.
Many teachers are asked everyday by their communities to help in educational problems. This is our professional comittment. This is what we are trained to do.
Are we supposed to browbeat our fellow department members to comply with the district curriculum objectives. No not with out some economic support and some buy in from others in the department. This district by and large is willing to put money into this. How much? Up to now its been up to the principal.
Should they make our volunteer work "professional" and shame us if we do not do it.. I don't think so.
Just a little light to the negotiation table
Pat
Monday, July 9, 2007
Potting the Patio, An Audiobook
Sue and I have been working on our front patio to get new plants potted and watered. The drip irrigation was partially set up last year and worked well.
Some things learned:
1. If you plant perienals in our climate they will survive in the ground but won't on pots.. too hot too dry.
2. There is more satisfaction in annuals, like petunias and other sunlovers..
3. Using a system where the irrigation system is contained outside of the pot instead of up through the center of the pot is perferable. It is easier to change the plant.
4. Pick cool times to work on your drip system not hot times.
I am currently listening to an audiobook by Dominic Smith called The Beautiful Miscellaneous. its a very interesting listen. Its about a high school boy whose father wanted desperately for him to be gifted. He did not become gifted until he was in a car accident. He gets sent to a gifted foundation school and befriends a blind piano student and a girl that can read the sickness of people by their telephone voices. If you have an extra book credit on audible.com you may consider it. The narrator has a convincing range of voices. That was the intial appeal.
Two new music groups I have picked up off of emusic.com that I like.
Céu who sings in portuguese.. reggae She was featured in a recent SF Gate datebook article.
Iron and Wine and alternative group that has some interesting folk elements. Happened to be a group in the 2006 Lollapolluza. A nice soft spoken alternative group.
I walked the walk this AM.. 20 min. to starbucks to a tall double capp dry in a Here cup with a spoon. 30 minutes home
Some things learned:
1. If you plant perienals in our climate they will survive in the ground but won't on pots.. too hot too dry.
2. There is more satisfaction in annuals, like petunias and other sunlovers..
3. Using a system where the irrigation system is contained outside of the pot instead of up through the center of the pot is perferable. It is easier to change the plant.
4. Pick cool times to work on your drip system not hot times.
I am currently listening to an audiobook by Dominic Smith called The Beautiful Miscellaneous. its a very interesting listen. Its about a high school boy whose father wanted desperately for him to be gifted. He did not become gifted until he was in a car accident. He gets sent to a gifted foundation school and befriends a blind piano student and a girl that can read the sickness of people by their telephone voices. If you have an extra book credit on audible.com you may consider it. The narrator has a convincing range of voices. That was the intial appeal.
Two new music groups I have picked up off of emusic.com that I like.
Céu who sings in portuguese.. reggae She was featured in a recent SF Gate datebook article.
Iron and Wine and alternative group that has some interesting folk elements. Happened to be a group in the 2006 Lollapolluza. A nice soft spoken alternative group.
I walked the walk this AM.. 20 min. to starbucks to a tall double capp dry in a Here cup with a spoon. 30 minutes home
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Sunday 8th of July Agendas and Planting
This evening we replanted many of the plants on the front patio. We went to Loews and selected some petunias, lobelilas, portulaca, and alysum. I have some fine tuning with the watering system and they will all be on the automatics. We tried some periennals last year but the pots were not large enough to carry them over the frost. So we are annual planting this year. Sue really enjoys potting. I do the run around support work.
Dad is ready for his big day tomorrow. We are all sure that he will do well. Mom said it was really cold and foggy yesterday up on the Geary hill.
Lots of agenda items for tomorrow for us. I will try to get the papers to the tax ladies. We need to get Sue and myself signed up for Anberry fitness, which is connected to the physical therapy lab in Atwater. We need to continue with the yardwork during the cool (or relatively cool times of the day). The persimon tree that Sean's parents have given us needs to find a home in the dirt.. (We also need to get a thank you note off for such a wonderful gift)
Big days are headed this week in SF with the allstar game and the homerun derby. Latest news is that home town home run star Barry Bonds will not be in the running as he is appearing with his rap friend at a nearby establishment instead. Go figure.
Dad is ready for his big day tomorrow. We are all sure that he will do well. Mom said it was really cold and foggy yesterday up on the Geary hill.
Lots of agenda items for tomorrow for us. I will try to get the papers to the tax ladies. We need to get Sue and myself signed up for Anberry fitness, which is connected to the physical therapy lab in Atwater. We need to continue with the yardwork during the cool (or relatively cool times of the day). The persimon tree that Sean's parents have given us needs to find a home in the dirt.. (We also need to get a thank you note off for such a wonderful gift)
Big days are headed this week in SF with the allstar game and the homerun derby. Latest news is that home town home run star Barry Bonds will not be in the running as he is appearing with his rap friend at a nearby establishment instead. Go figure.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
The old time fishing story
When Dad and I had a conversation in the hospital I reminded him that I caught my first fish on the Dolores River in Colorado. It was a small catfish.
Dad told me of the story of how Darrell and he went bumming up the Dolores river when they were young. They hitch hiked up the river and crossed it following a tributary. They caught a nice batch of trout and but them in a can. They had a skillet and fried them up. As they put their sleeping bags out under the stars and huge storm came up.
They headed for cover in the farmers supply shed. They spent the night and when they morning came, they were awaken by the farmer/s dog.
The farmer knew Darrell's father and gave him a call to come pick the boys up. As for the "watch dog" the farmer said " I knew he was good for nothing." When they got home they were covered with soot and were as about as dirty as two guys could be.
Dad told me of the story of how Darrell and he went bumming up the Dolores river when they were young. They hitch hiked up the river and crossed it following a tributary. They caught a nice batch of trout and but them in a can. They had a skillet and fried them up. As they put their sleeping bags out under the stars and huge storm came up.
They headed for cover in the farmers supply shed. They spent the night and when they morning came, they were awaken by the farmer/s dog.
The farmer knew Darrell's father and gave him a call to come pick the boys up. As for the "watch dog" the farmer said " I knew he was good for nothing." When they got home they were covered with soot and were as about as dirty as two guys could be.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Back Home again- into the oven
We spent the evening of the 5th in SF visiting Dad and taking the girls out to diim sum at Tong Kiang's. As always the dinner was wonderful.
Dad was talkitive and had the best color in his face that we have seen for months. We found out the he will not have surgery until Monday.According to uncle Al the dr. in Pittsburgh this is common since after the angiogram (not the plasty as earilier reported) the vessels stay dialated and are not as good for the bypass. Therefore it is a good idea to wait some time before the bypass surgery. We found this out in a cell phone conversation this evening on the way home.
We helped Heather take her Rome cat in to the vet while we were there. He was under the weather after going to the cat sitters while she and Micheal attended the wedding of her sister down in Los Gatos.
As it turns out, she discovered that her diabetic cat is possibly going into remission for the insuliin. He had too much in his system. Tonight he is working his way off of it. Maybe down the road he won't need it.
We all got to see grandpa again this morning (Friday) and Bob and Acacia were heading in when we were heading out.
We had a nice stay last night at the opal hotel on Van Ness. We got a 59 dollar room that was classic, clean and had a very nice king sized bed. Parking as usual was problematic, but our nice daughter found a spot on the street near their home and provided us with taxi service. We had breakfast at Mels. It has an door connecting to the hotel. We were on the 5th floor above the noise and clatter on the street. The also offered a continental breakfast included in the price.
We stopped at Ikea on the way home. Its always a zoo. We also stopped in Tracy at the Marshalls to pick up a companioin blouse of the one that Sue got in Lost Gatos last weekend. We are pooped.
Dad was talkitive and had the best color in his face that we have seen for months. We found out the he will not have surgery until Monday.According to uncle Al the dr. in Pittsburgh this is common since after the angiogram (not the plasty as earilier reported) the vessels stay dialated and are not as good for the bypass. Therefore it is a good idea to wait some time before the bypass surgery. We found this out in a cell phone conversation this evening on the way home.
We helped Heather take her Rome cat in to the vet while we were there. He was under the weather after going to the cat sitters while she and Micheal attended the wedding of her sister down in Los Gatos.
As it turns out, she discovered that her diabetic cat is possibly going into remission for the insuliin. He had too much in his system. Tonight he is working his way off of it. Maybe down the road he won't need it.
We all got to see grandpa again this morning (Friday) and Bob and Acacia were heading in when we were heading out.
We had a nice stay last night at the opal hotel on Van Ness. We got a 59 dollar room that was classic, clean and had a very nice king sized bed. Parking as usual was problematic, but our nice daughter found a spot on the street near their home and provided us with taxi service. We had breakfast at Mels. It has an door connecting to the hotel. We were on the 5th floor above the noise and clatter on the street. The also offered a continental breakfast included in the price.
We stopped at Ikea on the way home. Its always a zoo. We also stopped in Tracy at the Marshalls to pick up a companioin blouse of the one that Sue got in Lost Gatos last weekend. We are pooped.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
104 heading today to 107 Post Fourth
While we have had a reasonable summer, it is getting hotter this week. Most of the summer we have had 92 to 96 degree highs.. always no humidity. Yestereday, just for the 4th, we cracked the 100 degree mark. It was 104 on the fourth of July. Its best to find some air conditioning in the late morning and into the evening and chill.. or rather cool. I have been doing some watercolor sketching with my caran d'Ache watercolor pencils. I try to get some play in everyday with them.
From all reports dad is doing ok in the hospital. He awaits bypass surgery on Friday. I bought him shinny orange shuffe and some sound isolating earphones yesterday. I busy filling up at least half of it with songs I think that he would like. I also have a nice collection of "This American Life" shows that I hope will fit in to it too. Its amazing these little postage stamp ipods can delliver quality sound in such a little space.
We are headed over there to see him (three hours of driving away) and hope that the traffic will not be too horrific. Linzi is taking the train and should meet us there with her sister that lives in SF.
The honeymooning couple is home in Sacramento after a wonderful stay in a rented duplex on the coast near Fort Bragg. Linzi said they had a wonderful time and enjoyed using the hot tub on the deck.
I ate my first sugar lady peach yesterday. It was still a little firm for my liking.. but oh so sweet. The little peezee peach peaches are just right now.
I am off to get my starbucks walk in.
Have a great day.. Pat
From all reports dad is doing ok in the hospital. He awaits bypass surgery on Friday. I bought him shinny orange shuffe and some sound isolating earphones yesterday. I busy filling up at least half of it with songs I think that he would like. I also have a nice collection of "This American Life" shows that I hope will fit in to it too. Its amazing these little postage stamp ipods can delliver quality sound in such a little space.
We are headed over there to see him (three hours of driving away) and hope that the traffic will not be too horrific. Linzi is taking the train and should meet us there with her sister that lives in SF.
The honeymooning couple is home in Sacramento after a wonderful stay in a rented duplex on the coast near Fort Bragg. Linzi said they had a wonderful time and enjoyed using the hot tub on the deck.
I ate my first sugar lady peach yesterday. It was still a little firm for my liking.. but oh so sweet. The little peezee peach peaches are just right now.
I am off to get my starbucks walk in.
Have a great day.. Pat
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
July 4th
Dad, Ken Brown, had an angioplasty (they insert a tube up the blood vessel to unclog and examine the heart blood )yesterday.Upon consultations with the cardio specialists it was determined that the blood flow in the upper left area of the heart was not functioning well enough to be helped with a stint. A stint is a mess tube inserted into the internal part of the clogged vessel similar to a reinforcement of a water hose from the inside. Instead they have planned to do a heart bypass on Friday (this is Wednesday). He is currently in the Kaiser unit on Geary in San Francisco. Please keep him in your prayers.
Pat
Pat
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Wild Man Blues and Other Delights
I happened to watch Wild Man Blues this morning. It chronicles Woody Allen and his New Orleans Dixieland band as it hits the major cities of Europe around 1996.
He can pull out of a clarinet some incredible sound. I downloaded the soundtrack from Itunes and sent Cammie my clarinet playing neice a copy too.
This morning I did my usual walk to starbucks 20 there and 20 back. Starbucks was playing Willie Nelson, and advertising xm network.
Yesterday we got away from household tasks and saw the latest in the Die Hard series. We agree with the critics that it holds up its Die Hard premise. If you see it you will recognize the elevator shaft as a launching silo. I really enjoyed the performance of Justin Long the "apple guy" in the commericials.Timothy Olyphant plays a dispicable villian. This movie is very short on female roles and some of the scenes are just too unbelievable. Overall this is great summer entertainment.
Today I drove Sue down to see her counselor. It is always nice to have a walk around downtown Merced. It will certainly get hotter as the week progressses.
I always feel sorry for Heather who has a problem with all the rockets in the sky on the fourth.
The six foot tall Bonnaza peach that Bob and Mikie gave us 20 years ago is through with its Peach harvest. The peezee nectarine in the front is also through with its harvest. The little (4.5 foot) Peezee Peach I planted 3 years ago is just starting to provide us with fresh peaches. We have one more week before the full sized Sugar Queen white peach tree will start producing. This year I planted three semi full sized trees peach trees in the same hole in the front yard. One is redhaven, another is a Babcock and the third is a standard Elberta. It should take off when it is ready to produce a crop of peaches when the others are through.
Sean's mom and dad gave us a beautiful Japannese persimon for our yard ad a post wedding gesture.. wow!
He can pull out of a clarinet some incredible sound. I downloaded the soundtrack from Itunes and sent Cammie my clarinet playing neice a copy too.
This morning I did my usual walk to starbucks 20 there and 20 back. Starbucks was playing Willie Nelson, and advertising xm network.
Yesterday we got away from household tasks and saw the latest in the Die Hard series. We agree with the critics that it holds up its Die Hard premise. If you see it you will recognize the elevator shaft as a launching silo. I really enjoyed the performance of Justin Long the "apple guy" in the commericials.Timothy Olyphant plays a dispicable villian. This movie is very short on female roles and some of the scenes are just too unbelievable. Overall this is great summer entertainment.
Today I drove Sue down to see her counselor. It is always nice to have a walk around downtown Merced. It will certainly get hotter as the week progressses.
I always feel sorry for Heather who has a problem with all the rockets in the sky on the fourth.
The six foot tall Bonnaza peach that Bob and Mikie gave us 20 years ago is through with its Peach harvest. The peezee nectarine in the front is also through with its harvest. The little (4.5 foot) Peezee Peach I planted 3 years ago is just starting to provide us with fresh peaches. We have one more week before the full sized Sugar Queen white peach tree will start producing. This year I planted three semi full sized trees peach trees in the same hole in the front yard. One is redhaven, another is a Babcock and the third is a standard Elberta. It should take off when it is ready to produce a crop of peaches when the others are through.
Sean's mom and dad gave us a beautiful Japannese persimon for our yard ad a post wedding gesture.. wow!
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Wedding Over Everyone had a Great Time!
We more than survived it! Linzi got married in Los Gatos this weekend to Sean. We (Sue and I ) hosted a rehearsal dinner with 40 people at the Campo di Bocci in Los Gatos on Friday night. We played after dinner and had a lot of fun.
What was really fun was the chance to reconnect with most of our families and to have a really fine time.
On Saturday evening the wedding went down with great aplumb. Everything looked wonderful. The caterer was great. The photographers took a great many photos and had many subjects to shoot. The guitar player was perfect. The presiding ministers were spot on perfect. Sean and Linzi wrote their ceremony. it was highly meaningful and great. We used our Expedition truck for the shuttle and that worked out great. The volunteer ushers turned enthusiastic wine stewards when the Vuve was ready. The cake and flowers were wonderful. The hostess with the mostess Tori put together the art of the tables and seemed to have an answer for every need that arose. Dancing on the carport was wonderful and all the girls and guys got out and as Lindsay would say "cut the rug." My nieces Cammie and Acacia were there taking photos but also enjoying the party. Bob and Mikie (my brother and sister-in-law) did a very professional job in organizing the shots for the formal wedding and the videograpy of the event.
Cherri the friend of Chris the best man, was there to party organize and sequence the event. Nothing seemed to bog down so we were very happy. About 85 people attended the ceremony.
Hats off the our out of state guests, Ben, Kerston, and Alan from Pittsburgh, Woody and Donna from Colorado.
Many of us stayed at the Pruneyard Inn in Campbell.. We had a great time and the rooms were wonderful. See Kelly Ann's blog for more of this. She is at movingwithKellyAnn.blogspot.com
I can't leave without a tip of my hat to our resident 3rd grader Hanna who set the tone and created the space with rosepetals from Wanda Brown's rose grarden.
Also a nod goes out to Barry for his fine presence throughout the wedding. and Greg who recited a selection fro Kahil Graban.. Wow Also to Sean who had the best toast.. Sean C the king of the gamers.. and Chris who had a magnificent best man toast.
The Grandmas were great, my mom Wanda Brown and Sean's Val. How exciting to see so many lively people enjoy themselves.
Wow we had a great time!
Sorry if I mispelled anyone's (I am sure I did) name
Love
Pat
What was really fun was the chance to reconnect with most of our families and to have a really fine time.
On Saturday evening the wedding went down with great aplumb. Everything looked wonderful. The caterer was great. The photographers took a great many photos and had many subjects to shoot. The guitar player was perfect. The presiding ministers were spot on perfect. Sean and Linzi wrote their ceremony. it was highly meaningful and great. We used our Expedition truck for the shuttle and that worked out great. The volunteer ushers turned enthusiastic wine stewards when the Vuve was ready. The cake and flowers were wonderful. The hostess with the mostess Tori put together the art of the tables and seemed to have an answer for every need that arose. Dancing on the carport was wonderful and all the girls and guys got out and as Lindsay would say "cut the rug." My nieces Cammie and Acacia were there taking photos but also enjoying the party. Bob and Mikie (my brother and sister-in-law) did a very professional job in organizing the shots for the formal wedding and the videograpy of the event.
Cherri the friend of Chris the best man, was there to party organize and sequence the event. Nothing seemed to bog down so we were very happy. About 85 people attended the ceremony.
Hats off the our out of state guests, Ben, Kerston, and Alan from Pittsburgh, Woody and Donna from Colorado.
Many of us stayed at the Pruneyard Inn in Campbell.. We had a great time and the rooms were wonderful. See Kelly Ann's blog for more of this. She is at movingwithKellyAnn.blogspot.com
I can't leave without a tip of my hat to our resident 3rd grader Hanna who set the tone and created the space with rosepetals from Wanda Brown's rose grarden.
Also a nod goes out to Barry for his fine presence throughout the wedding. and Greg who recited a selection fro Kahil Graban.. Wow Also to Sean who had the best toast.. Sean C the king of the gamers.. and Chris who had a magnificent best man toast.
The Grandmas were great, my mom Wanda Brown and Sean's Val. How exciting to see so many lively people enjoy themselves.
Wow we had a great time!
Sorry if I mispelled anyone's (I am sure I did) name
Love
Pat