Last post for 2009

Well, it's quarter to three, there's no one in the place.......The year is coming to an end. What a busy, important year for us. This will be the last post on this blog and we will open a new blog for 2010 and for our adventures in the upcoming year. The previous post, summarizes a lot of the year, but the most significant thing for both of us has been our relocation "Up North". We are very happy and content with this choice, even though it has been a lot of work, and has caused many changes. We have met fabulous people, and feel very at home and connected here. Dan

Pat--ditto to what Dan said. It seems a good time to end this blog, as we enter another "new beginning." It's exciting to think of this phase or our lives, it's rejuvenating and liberating. Who would think this could happen as we become senior citizens! I think we treasure the moments more, realize life is short, and as we see health issues become more common in our friends and ourselves, appreciate what we have now. We appreciate the times with our family members, feel overwhelmed with joy over the grandchildren, appreciate the beauty of what we have. Sadness is a part of it, this year so aptly felt by Dan's brother Jim's untimely death. We have found a sense of community upnorth, and a shared sense of experience and outlook.
Next year.............who knows?
Look for our new postings at www.patanddan2010.blogspot.com

Fwd: Happy Holidays

The One minute Haber Klimaszewski Holiday Letter 2009—

What's up with us! We have had an incredible, busy, wonderful year.

January-we got ready for our drive across the country, to stay in Novato, Ca. for 2 ½ months. We put our Ann Arbor house on the rental market, trying to get a short term furnished rental, packed up a lot of our stuff, brought it up north.

February-drove across I-80. We stopped in Chicago to see Jim and Laura, Des Moines to see Melisa, Salt Lake City to see Matt, Rachel and Isaac. Everybody loved Gus! We almost got stuck in Laramie, Wyoming, it is cold and windy on those plains!

February-March- We rented a condo in Novato, Ca. We had a wonderful time. Jim and Laura visited, we went to many wineries, found staircases, beautiful scenery. If you are interested it is on our blog http://danandpatcalifornia2009.blogspot.com

March-April-we drove down to Southern Ca. to Redlands, went to Yosemite, Death Valley. Planned to go to more National Parks in Utah (we get in free now) but our van broke down 20 miles north of Las Vegas. We had to rent a van to return home. We stopped again to see Matt and family and Melisa.

May-completely cleared out Ann Arbor house, found a long term tenant, Painted, cleaned and moved, in a 3 week period of time!

May-present –moved upnorth! We love it, we are so happy! Meeting many people, involved in so many activities: golf, Newcomers Group, Mah Jongg, Euchre, volunteering at State Theatre. (We are too busy sometimes!). Our Daughter in law Rachel says our life is "like being on a cruise!"

Adam-is still travelling a lot, living in Brooklyn, and doing well despite economy, learning to skeet shoot and loving it.

Melisa is enjoying life at Drake University in Des Moines and went to England and Italy for conferences

Matt, Rachel and Isaac-continue to thrive, enjoying parenthood and academic life in Salt Lake City.

Jay, Lindsey had an adorable baby boy, Henry and moved to Alameda.

It's been a busy event filled year.

This letter sounds like a newspaper article, I know, but you can add the adjectives, you know what they are.

We did have sadness, too. Dan's brother, Jim, who lived in Grass Vallley, Ca., died of lung cancer at age 54. He got diagnosed late, and died shortly afterwards. Yes, folks, he did not have Health Insurance!

Please stay in touch.

pathaber@msn.com, danklim1@gmail.com

1910 E. Swanson Trail, Cedar, Mi. 49621

--
Dan Klimaszewski

--
Dan Klimaszewski

Back again-Pat

Pat is back in Alameda on baby relief duty for Henry. She flew from Traverse City on Wednesday. She will post more later on the Grandkids blog

http://danandpatsgrandkids.blogspot.com/

The end of another trip

It is interesting to return to the Bay area and feel so familiar. The purpose of this trip has been to be there for Jason, Lindsey and Isaac, but it has also given us the opportunity to explore Alameda and Berkeley a little more. There are some very interesting, pleasant spots in Alameda. The walk along the bay is great, and the proximity to downtown and the South Shore shopping center is very convenient. We found some good restaurants, including a very good Viet Namese place.

Wednesday we end our stay here, say goodbye to everyone and head for home. We are ready to go home, yet we will miss everyone (especially Henry) terribly. We have one more visit planned for Thanksgiving then that will be it for California for 2009.

We have started a new blog danandpatsgrandkids@blogspot.com so that we can post things specifically about grandkids, separate from our travels.

Back in San Francisco

We took the ferry from Alameda to San Francisco today. It is a different ride than from Marin county (Larkspur). The Oakland harbor is very industrial. The ride takes about 20 minutes and it is a very efficient way to get from here to San Francisco. We walked up to Belden place and had a very good lunch at a French restaurant, Pat had her usual quiche, and I had a crepe filled with Ratatouille. It was very good. We then caught the ferry back to Alameda, did a couple of errands, and are now waiting for take out Vietnamese food. San Francisco was exciting as usual.

Wednesday we went back to Marin County. We like Alameda and actually looked at a place to rent here for the winter, but at this point we are leaning to a return to the same place we stayed last year. We drove out there yesterday to meet the people who live in the condo and we again were in love with Marin county. When we parked the car, the turkeys were there to greet Pat.

This is Pat now. A comment about Ed and Tatiana, whom live in the condo we rented. Tatiana and I discovered that we both talk to the turkeys! It was a moment of connection.

Back to California to see Henry

Well we have returned to California for a short trip. The purpose of the trip is to visit Jason, Lindsey and Henry and help out where we can. Henry is now two weeks old, and what a cute baby he is! Unfortunately he has had some acid reflux and is in some distress after he eats. Medication and interventions by Jason and Lindsey are helping a great deal and he gets better every day. We are staying with them in the downstairs bedroom and it is quite cozy and comfortable. We like Alameda and actually looked at a place to rent here for the winter, but at this point we are leaning to a return to the same place we stayed last year. We drove out there yesterday to meet the people who live in the condo and we again were in love with Marin county. When we parked the car, the turkeys were there to greet Pat!

This is Pat now.  A comment about Ed and Tatiana, whom live in the condo we rented.   Tatiana and i discovered that we both talk to the turkeys!   It was a moment of connection.

As to Henry, and Jay and Lindsey, I am so proud of them both.   They are doing such a good job of parenting, both so diligent in doing their best.    It is hard with Henry's acid reflux, though it improves daily.    Lindsey also had a C section, so she is recovering from that, and that is not easy.

But the little guy!   What a sweetie!  Today, we will bathe him, he is getting a bit gamey.   It is so good to be here, to be able to be helpful.     I never had a parent come help me after the birth of either of my kids---my mom died when I was pregnant with Matt, and Mike's mom didn't live nearby.    And yes, this has been a difficult issue for me forever, so coming here and helping them helps to heal that wound.    

Henry likes his walks, and today we will take him somewhere. 

Choo choo time and a "Birthday Bike" for Isaac

We went to Salt Lake City prior to going out to Ca.  We had a wedding, Meghan Zorn got married here.  It was a wonderful wedding, in a beautiful setting.   Much warmth and love abounded.

We also got to be here for Isaac's 2nd birthday. This was such fun!  He is at a wonderful stage, at least, wonderful for us grandparents.  He knows us now and relates to us easily.    He is so funny, we just keep chuckling.   He is gabbing up a storm and repeats everything you say to him. He sort of sounds like Bugs Bunny.   He is beginning to give his parents a hard time, he is definitely in the "terrible two's"!    But of course, he behaves for grandparents.

He got a "birthday bike" from Matt and Rachel, Rachel's folks, and Jay.   It's a great little bike that they can push, or he can pedal, once he figures out how to pedal.   He really loves it, calls it his "birthday bike."

We got him the Melissa and Doug train set---Matt had suggested this.   Oh, he loves it!   He is normally a pretty laid back kid, but he got so excited as we opened it!  We had to put it together immediately--he kept asking Dan to "fix it".   I taught him to say "choo choo", as he moved it. It is huge, with many pieces, but hey, they suggested it!   They can set it up permanently in their basement once they get it repaired, as they are having some unfortunate plumbing problems.  Matt told us later, after we left for Ca., that he insists they play the "choo choo" with him, he wont eat or sleep or move until he's had enough of it, and that we probably shouldn't even mention it when we talk to him!     A hit!

Sunday night we stayed at the Monaco, and had a very nice visit with Matt and Isaac, and had dinner at the hotel with Matt, Isaac and Rachel. When we checked into our rooms, we noticed that the bathroom counter was very high, in fact it looked like it was made for a giant. The counter was probably four feet from the floor. I found it very convenient, but Pat thought it was a bit much. When I checked out, I asked the clerk what was up with the high counter. Her reply was that the entire 3rd floor is the tall floor. I asked her if that was where the basketball teams stay when they are in Utah, and her reply was "Yes". So the entire third floor has oversized counters. Strange but true.

It was a fun time, with the wedding, the birthday and the visit. Now off to California!

If this is where we are, oh, dear!

So we need to have an addendum here. Remember how relaxed and laid back we were, oh, but a few weeks ago, so eager for new experiences, so flexible?

Well, FORGET IT! We are now back in Ann Arbor, getting the house finished as a potential rental. In the past 2 weeks, we have hired painters, movers, and thus, had the entire house painted, and the furniture moved. We have packed, we have thrown out, we have organized, made calls, did errands, took care of all the annual doctor appointments, bought a new (used) car, and gone to Knights 3 times! WE ARE STRESSED AND HAVE BARELY SLEPT! We are STRESSED!

It is almost over. The painters are now done. Today, they finished the downstairs, and we had nowhere to go, as the kitchen and the family room were bloc ked off. We ended up in our bedroom, in the only bed we have left, which is quite small, and tried to read and relax, while the ceiling fan was blaring and the windows were wide open, so the paint would dry. It being Michigan, it was chilly and damp and rainy, and we were freezing. We finally went to Costco, as we could not stay in the house. We left poor Gus, who is completely perplexed, as he has no idea where all his familiar things are, and there is noise everywhere, and he is constantly in the way. Our only other furniture is a couch, a small desk, a chair, and two stools by the island, which is filled with our leftover crap. It is not a good way to live!

Dan just re-hooked up the Dish Network the wrong way, after finding all the things the painters didn't finish. This is preferable to Monday night, when he decided to do the new 'smart card" thing to the Dish Network, whatever that means, 10 minutes before "24" was on. Dan doesnt' care about "24", but I do. And, of course, though he had the best intentions, it didn't work right, and we had snow for 45 minutes of the show.

So this is our homecoming!

But! Our house in AA looks great, new and clean and bright. We do have hopes of soon renting it so we can pay ourselves back, and save money for a relaxing winter next year. And, hopefully, we will soon be relaxed upnorth, after we sort through all our furniture up there. Pat

With Jon-Cabat Zinn in mind!

The trip is winding down, and so is the blog. Not much to report through Wyoming and Nebraska, except some snow on Sunday, not much but enough to slow down the drive. The rental van did fine, and Wyoming still is pretty desolate and empty. So is Nebraska. We had a fair amount of rain on the road but still made good time.
It has been very nice to just hang out with Melisa in Des Moines and catch up with her. Her plans for the summer are in place, and it should be a great adventure. She will be in Verona, Venice, Malta and London. What a great opportunity.
We are now back where we started, packing up the house, getting movers for the remainder of our stuff, and trying to rent the Ann Arbor house. It was a great trip, a wonderful adventure, and a real transition time, for both Pat and me. It couldn't have gone better. There are so many highlights I don't even know where to start. If you are first reading the blog, scroll through it and you will see the many things we experienced. Dan

I am transitioning now back to Michigan, back to home.   I haven't even sorted out how I feel yet, as I am just task oriented and focused on getting our Ann Arbor house packed up.     Knowing we did this, knowing we both want to make this an annual trek as long as we can, is a good feeling.  it's nice to have this sense of unity as we have both moved into retirement.    It was very hard to leave our children in their various locations , hard to say good-bye, a joy to see their daily lives and how they are all thriving.     I tend to be a person who is in the moment, sometimes too much so, probably, but past events and growing older has made me this way.  

  So, this does make me focused on the day at hand, which, as I write this, is finishing up our move from Ann Arbor to Cedar.    I am beginning to think about the good times we've had in the house we are leaving, the many memories of 20 years, the longest time either Dan or I have actually lived in one house.    So, I am rather focused on that now.   This 3 months has made me realize I am ready to move out of Ann Arbor, to move on.   It's helped me see the possibilities of change, of not having to hang on to the familiar.  I truly learned that last year when I went out to California alone, (www.sfstairways.blogspot.com) but feel so good that Dan feels the same way.   I think we have good times ahead.     

I think about aging, I see it in the mirror, I see physical problems beginning to happen to friends and to us.   It makes me feel that this time in our lives is important to take some of these risks;   it doesn't have to be the travel we did, it can be whatever, but taking the risks to find the joys in life is so fulfilling.    Laura, my sister-in-law, is finding this in her art work, continuing to stretch herself to grow as an artist.   it makes her uncomfortable sometimes, but then, she feels such satisfaction that she took the risk.     It's like a hump you have to get over, to "get out there."  I did not do this when I was younger, but I feel like I have done this now.    I know that I can do this.      So, wherever you are, there you are!    (Jon Cabat-Zinn)

Pat

p.s. one last picture--I cannot resist this---we had Tom and Ruth over for lunch a few days ago, and I used the opportunity to make these cupcakes that someone made for Jay and Lindsey's BBQ. Are they hamburgers or cupcakes?

Bubbles and Gus

We are now here in Salt Lake City, will try to keep the myriad number of pictures of Isaac to a minimum, though it's hard. We got in wednesday, in the rented van, which is working out very well. Gus enjoys the back seat more as he can see out of it.

We got to Matt's house, and he was making fresh trout on the grill, with grilled veggies. We put Gus in the back yard, letting Isaac slowly get used to him. Isaac is talking up a storm now, what a change in the 2 1/2 months since we've seen him. He seems to remember us, as he took right to us, showing us his books, showing off the words he knows, dancing, reading, etc. He was sceptical, yet fascinated by Gus, whom we kept outside. Isaac kept going to the back door to see him, wave to him, and just check on him, though he was tentative about petting him or getting too close.

Matt and I gave him a bath, then put him to bed. This may seem so routine to many of you, if you live near your grandkids, so you see them often. If you don't have grandkids yet, it may be boring, but for us, we treasure it all, as we don't see him often.

Thursday, Matt went to work, Isaac to Daycare, and Dan and I had the day. We took a fun bike ride, went downtown, relaxed. Later, Matt picked me up to get Isaac from the Daycare center, and we went home. We didn't bring Gus with us, but when Isaac saw us, he asked for Gus, ran and looked out the back door for him. Isaac's regular Thursday night babysitter, Ashley, came, and we went out to dinner at a nearby restaurant. We met Meghan and Eric there, and we took them all out to dinner. It was a nice evening, and a very nice dinner, great to see them.

Today, Dan and I are babysitting, having so much fun. We took Isaac and Gus to the park, where we brought bubbles. Isaac loves bubbles! He had so much fun, and so did we. Isaac talks about Gus all the time.

Eulogy for a Dead Van

It seems like cars take on a life of their own. They can be temperamental, reliable, fun, old, etc. We depend on them to carry us around in our daily lives. They become our own personal entertainment pod, with CD's, radios and these days even DVD players. We take care of them, feed them, water them, take them to the "doctor" buy them new "shoes" and give them a place to live in our homes. I have had the Venture now for eight years. She was a reliable, car that got me back and forth to Swartz Creek 120 miles a day for seven years. We also made hundreds of trips back and forth from Ann Arbor to our soon to be new home in Cedar. The AWD never failed, and there was not one moment that I felt unsafe in any road conditions with her. I was pretty confident in her ability to get back and forth to California, even though she had 185000 miles on her when we left Michigan. After the 3000 mile trip to California, we put another 7000 miles on her in California. So when we hit Death Valley and the heat, it was too much. It overheated several times, and though we limped up and down the hills to get in and out of Death Valley, a hundred miles later, she just stopped. That was it, sitting by the side of the freeway 30 miles north of Las Vegas. Dead, no movement, no last sigh, just dead.

Dan

The ordeal afterwards, getting the tow truck, waiting for the tow truck, finding a hotel, finding a repair shop, getting a rental to complete the trip home, took the better part of two days, and was exhausting. We're now through that part, and are headed home after a couple of stops in Salt Lake, and Des Moines. Stuff happens, plans change, and it has just become part of this great adventure we have been on since January.

Pictures of Death Valley are posted at http://picasaweb.google.com/danklim1/DeathValley#

Your Car is Telling you something!

o.k., our car is dead.  The trip to Death Valley did it in, , though it didn't sputter it's final breathe til Las Vegas.  (and we are thankful for that!)

So what are your car stories?  What places have cursed your cars?

I remember as a kid, we took a family vacation out west.   As we didn't get to take many vacations, we were so excited and happy about this, treasuring mostly every moment, good and bad, in family lore.    There was the time we took a chair lift ride in South Dakota, my brother and I sitting in the car behind my mother and father.   My mother had motion sickness, and on the way back down, my brother and I saw her vomiting off the side of the chair lift, with my father sitting helplessly next to her!!!!!   Oh no, she never lived that one down and my brother and I still find it hilarious.

I remember our car breaking down in Murdo, South Dakota.    Of course, I have no idea what the problem was, but we had to wait there and get it fixed.   Murdo, South Dakota is not an exciting town!     We finally got it fixed, but the car never ran the same after that, and my father swore about it until the day he died.   We'd just say "remember Murdo" to each other, and shake our heads.

When Matt was in college, he went to Grinnell, which is in Iowa and about a 10 hour drive home to Ann Arbor.  Dan and I were driving home from there once, and our car broke down about 2 hours away from Grinnell, in Princeton, Ill.   Another one horse town.   it turned out to be an alterator, and we luckily found another one to replace it with right away.   Off we go, we thought. Oh no, that didn't happen.......it was a faulty alternator!   So we did manage to find another one, a good one.   But of course this took all day.   Then, when Matt drove home once from school, HE broke down in Princeton!    He ended up having to stay there for 3 days while they repaired the car, and in the process of all this, he inadvertently injured a mechanic who got in the way.    So now, when we say "Princeton, Ill.", we just shake our heads.

I also have to add Adam's car troubles this last Xmas vacation, though his car trouble had more to do with car rentals, than a particular place.    He rented a car from Hertz, which turned out to have a problem.  He rented another one, which turned out to have a problem.   I think he ended up turning in 3 or 4 cars before he finally got home safely.   But he got to try out different models, so he now has quite a bit of helpful knowledge!

What places do your cars hate?

More Death Valley and More Car Trouble

Want to include more pictures of Death Valley. But meanwhile, Dan called. Car is dead---new engine, $5000, not done til saturday! Oh, bad news. We will let you all know what we do. meanwhile, i am downloading pictures and will add some beauties. This may bore you, but really, I
have anything else to do!

Neither a 20 Mule Team, nor a Jazzercize Class!

We went to Death Valley on sunday, spent the night there, and left on monday.  Death Valley is fascinating, a very unique place.  Not warm or welcoming, very desolute, majestic, and quiet!    One comment Dan had was how far away you could see.    We thought about our favorite Larry McMutry books, the "Lonesome Dove" series and the Berrybender books, how they all took place in the 19th century west, how the characters could always see others coming from miles away.  We now see how that is possible.   

It was very hot and very dry!   102 degrees, and this was at 7 P.M.!     We did see some bloom, and some green, but not much.   It's beauty is it's vastness and the way the shade and light play off the mountains, the sand dunes, the rocks.  We stayed at a lodge on the grounds, but were limited to one area because of the dog.    I did not really like the room, it was pretty plain and not very clean, but we were captive there.  I think it was also sort of weird to stay there, it is so isolated!  It was interesting.  I kept wondering about the people who worked there, not the forest rangers, but the people in the restaurants, or the ones who run the two resorts there.   I asked our waiter where he lived, and he said he lived in the trailer behind the restaurant, which is where many of them live.    I thought i'd like to write a book about the people who do live here, what are their stories?

There were startingly beautiful areas--the Artists Palette, the volcano, Zabrinski's Point, but also, lots and lots of desert!  When we woke up on monday, our travel day, we made our way out of the park, viewing the sights along the way.  We both felt the same way--"we gotta get outta the desert!"    We felt like we were in a movie.    What made it even more dramatic, was that the car kept overheating, so we had to pull over, put on the heater full blast, and wait for it to lower.  There are tanks with water for car radiators all along the park, and we used a few of them.    it felt, and ultimately was, foreboding.

We finally did get out of the park, and made our way for St. George, Utah, and more parks.   well, after navigating out of Las Vegas, in AWFUL  stop and go traffic, we filled up the car, changed drivers, and headed out.   I was driving, and about 20 miles north of Las Vegas, the car literally broke down.   I was able to manuever it over to the shoulder, though it was scary because there was no power--no gas pedal working, no brakes working.    Yikes!

So-----we called AAA, waited 3 hours for them to come tow us, found a Comfort Inn in North Las Vegas near car dealerships and garages, and towed the car to the motel.   

I wait as i write this for Dan to talk to the mechanic, see if the car can be fixed, what is wrong, how long it will take, etc.    Do we scrape it?  Do we fix it?  Do we rent a car, buy a car, lease a car?   We don't know.     An interesting development .    We think that Death Valley was the death of our car!   Matt said we would not be the first for that to happen, thinks we are in a great location to get a good, used car, not to even bother fixing old blue!   Melisa thinks that Gus should pull us out of here, ala Chevy Chase in "Vacation", Adam thinks we should hit the casinos to win a new car, and Jay thinks the good news is that we really don't have any schedule.

so, it's time for a few interactive activities, we hope you make your comments known.

First of all,  we were below sea level in parts of Death Valley, so the obvious question Dan had was, does that mean that we can boil an egg faster?

Secondly, you can't help but think of all the pioneers and 49ers who crossed Death Valley, some of them not surviving.    We wondered if it would have been better for them to battle the extreme heat, or would it have been better to deal with the extreme cold?  Death Valley doesn't get deathly cold, but one of the things I read was that several groups of pioneers chose to cross over Death Valley because they had heard of the Donner Pass incident over the Sierras and wanted to avoid the cold.   They didn't necessarily survive any better.   So, your comments and thoughts--heat--little water, sweltering hot, incredible thirst, limited food supply.  Cold--freezing temperatures, impassable trails, predators.    What do you think?   What would Larry McMurtry think?

Wherever I go, there it is.

We took our usual walk with Gus this morning, went a little different way. On the way back, I suddenly saw a jazzercize studio! I excitedly went over to it, to see the schedule, only to find a class in session. The sign in person ran out after me, telling me I could come to a free class. Well, I just joined right in! They quickly saw I was an experienced jazzercizer, as I knew the routines, and just fit right in! I only was there for about 1/2 a class, which was too bad, but I was so happy I found it. Unfortunately, we are leaving Redlands soon, so I probably won't go again. I thought, as I was dancing away in happy oblivion, that I should be an ad for the organization, as I pick up classes wherever I am ! Except upnorth, there is no jazzercize there. I will be lost and sad!

In the afternoon, we went to Palm Springs to play golf. Oh, it was lovely we do like this area, it's green, full of palm trees and beautiful foliage, really nice. It was about 90 degrees out, but you really couldn't tell in the dry heat, and I like that too. The golf course was very beautiful, just what you would think it would be, and we both played well, which is remarkable for us, as usually only one of us plays fairly well. Went out for dinner after that at a place called Billy something, I can't remember the name. Obviously a Palm Springs institution, very casual, many older people, huge menu. On the way out, we saw a dance class going on in their dancing hall, and couples, mostly old, practicing their dance moves. Very cool, and retro. Pat

I really liked Palm Springs, golf course was very nice. There are over a hundred courses in that area, so golf is big. This was a municipal course and was quite tough.

No teabagging allowed

We had a laid back day and played golf this afternoon. It was a nice course, but very busy today. While waiting at a tee box we were talking to a Korean couple. The man explained to me that he was not a Native Born American, and he sometimes doesn't understand political things. He said that in the newspaper today there was an article about people having a tea party. He couldn't quite get it.  I explained to him it was taking the idea of the original  Boston Tea Party,  to  protest tax hikes on tax day, and he then understood.   Pat then added that it was a Republican party thing, and that we liked Obama.  I did not explain to him what teabagging is, I thought that might really confuse him!

Too many pictures, too little time!

Today we went to the Huntington Gardens, in Pasadena. Melisa had told us about this from when she was there doing research several summers ago. What a gem this was! Have you heard of it? Huntington was a wealthy railroad baron who built an estate, with gardens, a library, and art museum, and left it to the public after his death. It is magnificent! The gardens are huge, we could not see all of them. We focused on the "desert gardens" and the "Japanese gardens", could have spent many more hours there. All the cacti were in bloom, in the garden, which is one reason why I took so many pictures. (you will have to follow the link to see all the many pictures) The Japanese gardens were wonderful. Melisa said she'd just come there and sit, just taking it all in. I can see how wonderful that would be, very spiritual and "mindful."

A beautiful place. A beautiful place in what we are coming to feel is somewhat of a vast wasteland! Pat



The L.A. area is not appealing to us. It is the very worst in planning and development in the country if not the world. Not only does it screw up their own ecosystem, but it also impacts the whole west because of the amount of water that they use. The Eastern part of the greater LA area is desert that is irrigated by water from the Colorado river. Believe it or not, there have been actual suggestions that we send Great Lakes water here as well. Well I for one think it is weird to see corn and wheat growing in the desert. Pat and I both agree that what the Bay area may lack in sun it gains in class and for me practical sense sustainability. We laugh because everything in that area is "local and sustainable". But I now have a new respect for that concept. Keep the desert a desert.

Another issue for me is even if it is a nice day, we are still in the desert.
We did like Pasadena, and there are pockets of habitability and some really nice things here. Redlands is a very nice, liveable area.

One of those spots is Huntington Gardens. I am so glad we got to see this place. Melisa was here a few summers ago on a grant to do some research. What a wonderful setting to work in. We were quite surprised at how grand it is.
Check it out at http://www.huntington.org/
Pictures for today are posted at http://picasaweb.google.com/danklim1/HuntingtonGardens#

Pat Can Cross this one off the Bucket List Now

Oh, you will all never guess what has been on my bucket list.   It all started with Sue Grafton's "G is for Gumshoe."   This book takes place near the Salton Sea, and the towns surrounding it.   I decided I had to see this before I  "kicked the bucket".    Don't ask me why, I get these obsessions that are illogical completely, and my family has been teasing me about this one for a long time!  (although Adam actually visited it too)    

It was everything I thought it would be--completely desolate!   The "sea" is quite large, similar to the Great Salt Lake, with no real shore where we were.  We only saw a small part of it, that was all I needed to feed my fix.    The area surrounding it was really not nice,  quite poverty stricken with old, run down trailer parks, dilapidated buildings, unkempt green areas, dirt roads.    This was what I had expected, though.   We met a couple in their 80's also taking in the view, and had an interesting talk with them.    The man told us some information about the area.    They were a cool couple, having been married a mere 2 years.   He was on his 5th wife, the other 4 having died!    

   A pleasant surprise was the drive there, through Box Canyon.   We had gone to the Joshua Tree National Park first, but only saw a little bit of it, so we didn't stay there long.   It was disappointing to learn that all the Joshua Trees were at the north end of the park, and too long a drove to do that, but we did see some interesting cacti.

 We then drove on a surface road from there to the Salton Sea, via a town called "Mecca", going through the Box Canyon.  It was very interesting, looked like a place where Hollywood filmed many Westerns.   At one point, we got out to take a picture, and I was calling Gus to come over to me, and my voice echoed all through the canyon!  I have never heard an echo like that, it was really cool.  On our way back, we drove on a surface road through Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, and finally, Palm Springs.    Palm Desert seems to consist of one gated community after another, and we really couldn't see any of them.   The foliage was beautiful, though it's weird to see all this greenery in the midst of a desert.   We quickly grew tired of one development after another, and all the hidden golf courses.    Palm Springs, however, is different.   We didn't see much of it, but found the downtown, which is very charming.    It has cute stores and lively restaurants, casual and outdoorsy.    There are some really beautiful buildings built in the 50's style, that probably do date back to the 50's when Sinatra ruled the place.  It's not glitzy or as hoi polloi as the other nearby communities.

On our way back home, we hit some very good outlet malls and a casino, so we spent a little time at these.    We aren't doing much shopping, however---we need nothing, and we are saving our money for travel, not for clothing.    Plus, we had Gus in the car and it is warm out.   

Oh, the weather is very different here.  It was windy today, but that does not describe it!   It is "WINDY"!     The clouds are dark from sand, and as you walk in the wind, you get all this grit on you that is sand.    The palm trees are swaying from the wind, and Dan had to do the driving as it was very strong.

So here is my question for the day---why is the Great Salt Lake called a "lake", and the Salton Sea called a "sea"?     

Another question----do you know how the Salton Sea was formed?   

Yosemite--Looking for Sam

We hit the road on Saturday for the start of our return to Michigan. Packing and leaving was hard on many levels. First the physical part of finding, packing, and loading all of our stuff after two and a half months was quite taxing. Second, leaving and moving back from California was difficult.

We headed to Yosemite later than we anticipated. When we got to Mariposa we decided to spend the night there, because by the time we would have gotten to the park, it would have been dark. We found a delightful little motel called the Little Rock Inn. Vicki was the owner. We found out that she had spent four months in Lucca, near where we had stayed in Italy. The motel is a small place built in 1941 that has been completely redone.   We found it from our Frommers book, but she is also in Lonely Planet.  When we awoke on Sunday she had a home made breakfast ready. 
She loved Gus, and loved us too, giving us a friendly hug.   I think I will add her to Yelp!

We then went to the park, where the waterfalls were flowing profusely. It was very busy, as it was Easter Sunday, and the water is seasonal. We were surprised at the diversity of terrain, and the overall beauty of this place. Once more I was impressed at the foresight of those who protected such places with the National Park system. As we were hiking to Yosemite falls, we saw a crowd gathering, and there was a Bobcat hunting a squirrel. It was pretty cool and I was able to get a good picture of it.  Some of the park is still closed for winter.   We could have spent days in this park, but didn't really have the time to do that.    I think when you go to National Parks, you either have to decide to spend your whole time there to take advantage of some of the activities, or you just visit and get an overview.

Here is a link to our pictures.   http://picasaweb.google.com/danklim1/Yosemite#









After we left the park, we headed for Redlands via the Harris Ranch, as per a suggestion from our Novato neighbor Phillip. It was an interesting place and the lunch was very good. We then headed for Redlands, trying to avoid freeway traffic. It was a long trip, but we made it to the house. This is part of a house trade and we are quite happy with this place. It is large, has a nice yard, and Redlands is a nice quite community.

Monday we hung out in the area and took a bike ride.  We were very tired from our travels and just wanted to have a relaxing day.  The weather here is glorious, we had a glass of wine out on the patio.

On the Road again

Jim and Dan at the Oakland game


Well, looks like it's time to hit the road again. This segment of the trip is nearing it's end. We met my brother Jim, his wife Lee Ann, and Jim's daughter Aura and her husband John at the A's home opener. It has good to be able to spend time with them and to get to know Lee Ann. Oakland Coliseum is not made for baseball, it is a football stadium, where they play baseball.



It was packed and for some strange reason they were not ready for such a big crowd. I stood in line for a hot dog for two innings and the line moved about 4 people. I did not get my hot dog at that time. But we did have a great time, and it was fun to be at Opening Day. It was Aura's 29th birthday.

Earlier in the day, we packed and sent a box of clothes back to Michigan. We will probably head out today for Yosemite. The stay here has been as good as it could be. The first three or four weeks, were rain soaked, but we still managed to take advantage of the area and take advantage of every break in the weather that we could. The best part was that we really missed the worst of Michigan winter. The condo worked out good, and we found that this location is very convenient and that everything in the Bay area is very accessible from here. We hope we can return next year, either here or to the East Bay.

Here is what she does in Retirement

Some of you may wonder what we do during our time out here in California. Here is an example.

More thoughts

I feel I have been opened up to new experiences by living here for several months, I have been influenced in ways I didn't realize. This sounds sort of petty, but I feel like I have learned and taken a new interest in wine.  I never thought I'd know much about wine. I now understand why Northern Californians sound sort of snobby about it, but the influence is all over. The media has articles on the vineyards, the owners, the types of wine, and the ratings all the time, everyone talks about it, and it's fun to go visit the wineries in the valleys that are beautiful. So you almost can't help but learn about it. It's similar with food--rather than just talk about menus, the media talks about the chefs as if they are famous, and many of them are, actually, so now I know more about who they are, what restaurants they've owned, etc. If you ask someone if such and such is a good restaurant, no matter who it is, you get a history of the chef, and a review, not just a yes or no. It's the curiosity and the focus that I find influential.

I have also really enjoyed the author talks at Book Passages. This is such a unique store, we love it. They are an independent bookstore first of all, and very successful. They run all these programs, writing groups, reading groups, different kinds of talks, a mystery writers workshop in the summer, etc. They get wonderful authors there, and their events are very well attended. It's just around the corner from us almost, so we've tried to take advantage of this treasure. I love to hear the talks because they always inspire me in some ways.

The other influence has been going to Spirit Rock, and experiencing meditation. I really enjoyed that, felt it opened up some curiosity in me and a desire to explore this more. It is exciting to think about what there is to learn, no matter our age. Always room for more!

I feel I have learned about living in a new climate. I never really got it before, when I'd visit here. It was always hard to pack, as it is so different. It's so hard to explain, and I don't think I can really. Rain is different here, it has a different significance, because there has been a drought, but also the way it rains and what it does to the land.

These are just a few of the ways I feel I have changed or been opened up. This is a wonderful part of travel, be it a short time or longer time. But for me, it's the longest I've ever been away from the midwest, probably the longest time I've been on a "trip" in one place. I think part of what I will now miss is feeling so comfortable here, like I belong, like family is just a short ride away, and we help them move, or bring a piece of furniture home, and the wonderful familiarity of that rather than "visiting. Feeling homesick is the right word. Of course there are challenges. I miss many people a lot, my friends, and the rest of our families. I feel distanced from them, try to keep in touch with email, phone calls, and yes, this blog. But that is hard. We also don't feel connected so much here, we have nothing we really belong to. We have a little, my Jazzercize class has provided me with that, and there is potential there for friendship and activities. But that is hard to establish for short time periods. I think that is a possibility though, and a goal for next year.

We will be going to our upnorth house when we return. I have found some of the same joys up there, the interests are actually similar, and the joy and interest people have in their lives there are similar . They are a similar interest in their wineries, their restaurants, their environment, their independence and their uniqueness, as well as the beauty of the area. Again, there are many things in Ann Arbor that I will miss, but I like to look forward, not behind. My favorite traits that I try to live up to are : curiosity and resilience. I have satisfied both on this trip. Thank you for reading our blog thus far, if you have, our goal was to journal our journey, mostly for our own memories, but also for anyone who was curious. We have tried not to sound "braggy" or self-absorbed, but wanted to share and record our lives.

We have more travels ahead of us on this trip, but this really ends the "Novato" part for now.

To borrow a phrase, "next year, California."

Beginning the Finale

We are now beginning to get ready to leave, saying goodbye to Novato and doing last minute things.

Tuesday, late afternoon and early evening, we went to Corte Madera. I had an Apple One-to-One class, and Dan got a hair-cut. We then went to Book Passages to hear another author speak, David Hewson. He was quite enjoyable---he is British, and his latest mystery book takes place in Rome and in San Francisco, so we are both eager to read it at some point. He used the Apple application "Pages" for his delightful talk, with pictures of the locations that influenced his story. The influences are Dante and his "Divine Comedy" to Hitchcock's "Vertigo". What I enjoyed about him was how he talked about writing, the way the process works for him and how he gets inspiration. I regularly go to a Book and Author's Luncheon in Detroit, where a number of authors are doing their latest tours. The most interesting ones are rarely the ones I go for, it's the ones I don't know. But what I like the best is when their talk makes me want to go home and write my own fiction. The best authors are so inspiring and so articulate about the writing process. He was like that, very articulate, bright and enjoyable to listen to.

On Wednesday, I cooked dinner for Jay and Lindsey and Paula and Ken. I cooked it mostly in Novato and then brought it over to Jay and Lindsey's house. We first met Lindsey at Ikea because we helped them buy a futon, and half the baby's crib, and helped them bring it home. I then finished preparing the dinner. It's Passover today, but having a full Seder was too much to do, and would be bad for all of them to do on a weekday night, so they preferred we didn't do it.

I made both Jewish and Passover foods, as well as Easter, deciding we should celebrate 'em all, at least with the meal if not the ritual. I made deviled eggs which were supposed to look like bunnies (they didn't!) , blue cheese blogs which I knew Lindsey would love, cheese and matzos; noodle kugel, choroses, artichokes with lemon aioli, London broil; Paula brought rolls and butter, Dan made his Polish cucumber salad, Lindsey made a regular salad. Dessert was a lemon buttermilk cake with two different frostings, one side decorated with marshmallow bunnies, green coconut "grass" and jelly beans, and the other side was a Jewish star made out of jelly beans. I also made Jay his favorite cookies, vanilla chocolate cloverleafs.

It was fun to do, and fun to be together!

We stayed to clean up, then said our goodbyes! Oh, dear, it is so hard to do that. Lindsey and Jay are going to Portland for a long weekend, it'll be their last trip before the baby comes, and the best time for them to travel. I am glad, it's easier to leave knowing they are on a trip. But man, it is really hard to go, I feel homesick! I really love it here, because of being near family, but I also love the area, it resonates with

I drive on the highway (something I will not miss) and see the expanse of sky and distant hills and mountains, catching glimpses of the Bay at some turns. It is so inviting, so calming. Even when it is raining, the sky is fascinating, as you can see the clouds over Mt. Tam and other mountains in the background, moving towards the valley areas. When you walk anywhere at this time of year, you see all kinds of wildflowers. There are wild iris in our backyard, along with yellow, orange and other blue flowers. The wisteria is blooming everywhere---I never knew what it was before, and I love it, almost as much as lilacs. It smells like lilacs also, but grows on vines.

Oh yes, we can't forget the wildlife. We do enjoy the deer, though I can understand why people curse them, we just ran them out of our yard for the 4th time today. The turkeys are so funny, and so arrogant, just walk anywhere they please, loudly gobbling. Dan finds them annoying, though I know he will miss them.

Our Schedule

Here is our tentative schedule for the rest of the trip. We will still be blogging and checking our emails and cell phones.


Sunday April 12, Leave Novato for Yosemite
Monday April 13, Yosemite to Redlands
Tuesday April 14-Sunday April 19 Redlands
Monday April 20 to Wednesday April 22 On the road to Salt Lake City Utah
Wednesday April 22 to Sunday April 26 in Salt Lake City
Monday April 27 to Tuesday April 28 on the road to Des Moines
Tuesday April 28 and Wednesday April 29 in Des Moines
Thursday April 30 Arrive in Traverse City

Dan

A little Renoir, a little shopping find, a fun meal, and the best burger ever.

We are including a link to some pictures of our condo.

http://picasaweb.google.com/danklim1/March292009California#

We've been here a while now, and have not done this, or described it. it is quite spacious, clean and warm and enjoyable. We do get a kick out of the chaise lounge in one of the bedrooms, however, and wanted to give Matisse some competition.

O.K., after our picture taking, we went to an outlet mall in San Leandro. It was small, but I loved it, as they had a Talbot's outlet, and more importantly, an Eileen Fisher outlet. I did buy some things, I got really good bargains, so that was fun. (for me!) Dan then dropped me off at Jay and Lindsey's, he played golf, and Lindsey and I bought her some maternity clothes, and got some oilcloth material for her to use for their housewarming party coming up. We then just hung out and talked. I really enjoyed this, we haven't had much opportunity with just the two of us.

Dan then picked us up, and we met Jason at dinner in Berekley, at an enjoyable little restaurant named "Sea Salt." We met David, Mya and baby Elias there as well. It was great! They really seemed to all hit it off, which was great. David is really Matt's friend from high school who has lived out here a while, so he and Jay know each other, but only as little brother. I hope they get together on their own. We also really enjoy seeing David and Mya too, so it was fun.

Today, we began the day by taking a bike ride. or, rather, planning to. Ruth had mentioned this ride around Tiburon and Belvedere that we thought we took, but hadn't, so we tried today. Well, we decided to drive it instead! Ruth, you and Tom are more adventurous than us! It was very hilly, steep, narrow, with cars and bicyclists all over the place! But! it was beautiful in the hills of Belvedere, beautiful, beautiful homes. We then tried to ride our bikes to Mill Valley from Tiburon, got a few miles, but it was crazy------the cyclists pay little heed to the cars, dart in and out of traffic, and there were many cars, and arrow bike paths. So, we turned around, and looked at each other---Dan said, "it's time for lunch, should we?" And, of course, I knew what he meant, I had the same thought--------Phatburger! It was why we wanted to bike ride to Mill Valley, though we hadn't said a word to each other. This IS the best burger we had eaten last year, and by golly, it is still the best! Pat
The day was not done, though. We came back and then headed to Alameda where Jason and Lindsey were having a housewarming party, so we saw a lot of his friends, it was great as we know them and really like them. I also must say, Jason makes a better hamburger than Phatburger, it was delice!

still not the end of the day! we then went with Lindsey's parents, to their friends Fred and Mary Ann. Getting there should have been a simple trip, but Ken and I were stuck on the San Mateo bridge for 45 minutes at the toll booth. The traffic here is not enjoyable. The meal was great, asparagus soup, short ribs and panna cottta for dessert. We had a nice evening with them and then drove back to Novato. It was a very busy day.

Dan

I will add a note on Sunday, to catch up. Another Cinema Club sunday. Today's movie was "Every Little Step". It was great, the best movie we've seen in this series. It's a documentary of entertainers trying out for the revival of "Chorus Line", which is a story about the people in the Chorus Line. Very well done, very uplifting and enjoyable. I actually wrote Deb Lake, who is one of the people in charge of the Traverse City Film Festival, about it, and she wrote me back, saying she'd order a "screener" for Michael Moore to check out.

And Oh Yes----GO STATE!!!!!!!!!!!

Pat
Dan

The Devil's Bike Ride and The Angel of a Wine

We started the morning with a good bike ride around the area, biking to an old Naval Base, Hamilton Field, which has been converted into condos, office space and recreational facilities like the YMCA and a branch of the library. When we got back home, we realized we'd gone 6.66 miles, so we called it the devils ride. I think we should go for this same mileage on future bike trips, it's a good distance!

Yesterday, we returned to Sonoma to pick up a wine at Rochioli Vineyards. Matt and Rachel had gifted a lovely Sauvignon Blanc to me for my birthday, so i went to pick it up. It is indeed a lovely wine, and a beautiful winery, on a beautiful road in Sonoma. I have no idea how anybody ever finds all these wonderful wineries, it is a fun challenge and often a beautiful ride to find them.

We were to meet Kathleen in Healdsburg for dinner, but since we were early, we drove north from Healdsburg, past Geyersville and Cloverdale. We drove up into the hills a bit, found them quite rough and challenging. One road, that went up to "geysers", was gravel and one lane, and very steep. We decided we weren't quite that adventurous in our trusty Chevy Venture van, so we turned around. Found a few other roads, also going up steep inclines. It would be intriguing to go up there, but we didn't really have the time. (or the right vehicle) It's interesting how incredibly rural it is out there in the hills. Again, we saw vineyards and livestock farms. Very different from rural parts of Michigan, where the farms are in the middle of the towns, along the roads, everywhere.

We then drove to Lake Sonoma, which is also quite beautiful, and we had never seen before. It isn't Lake Michigan, however, or even Lake Leelanau!

We then drove to Healdburg, and met Kathleen at Zin, where we had eaten before. We really like this restaurant, and think it will be a regular annual stop. It was great to see Kathleen, she had been off on her own trip to Manhattan, so we hadn't seen much of her.

Another nice day.

Goldilocks would have loved this stairway walk!

We went into the city today, first of all to go to this store called Favor, which Jay wanted me to go to--he had bought my birthday present from there, a very cool bracelet, but wanted me to exchange it for another of my own choosing. So I did, and found it to be a very cool store. I tried taking a picture of it, but cannot. But, you can look for it at www.hotcakesdesign.com. I chose the dancing couples.

We then did the Upper Market walk, taken from the book on stairways of San Francisco, previously noted. This was a delight! It was near Twin Peaks and Noe Valley, not too long a walk or too strenuous, but "just right."

It consisted of about 3 or 4 stairways, walking up and down the neighborhood, as they all do. The best one was the Vulcan Stairway, which was beautiful! Hidden down a small street, the first thing to hit it was the wonderful smell of jasmine. The smells were wonderful all the way down the path, as the residents all keep up their gardens, as well as a community garden at the end of it. There are colorful, delightful cottages that open up on the path, which has many tiers. Many of the stairways are like this, with homes all along the way, though this one was very beautiful with the foliage.

We also saw typically interesting San Francisco homes on the walk, one had a very colorful garage. I will miss these! We are beginning to plan our return home, and are getting sad about this.

I Talk to the Turkeys and They Do Listen to Me

On monday, we played golf at Indian Valley, a beautiful golf course in Novato, in the hills, and by the reservoir. It was a very nice golf course, and we both actually played fairly well. (for us!) We saw hills, horses, geese and turkeys as we were playing. No, they were not all on the golf course, but in the surrounding hills. I have learned to communicate with the turkeys, I am proud to say; when they gobble and I gobble back, they answer me! What a skill.

That night, we went to nearby Dominican University to hear Germaine Greer speak on her book, "Shakespeare's Wife." She was speaking to the students of the University as well as the general public, so her talk was a bit more academic than it normally would be. Here are my thoughts about it---Her whole premise was based on her "anger" at her male colleagues, and the Shakespeare "experts" of the 19th century who all assumed that Ann Hathaway was a sort of "hairy, illiterate older woman who seduced young Will". She is disputing that, but I thought she was motivated by her anger at men, and that she took a position and made assumptions to fit into this. Her saving grace, for me, was that she readily admitted this by the end of her talk, and hopes that we read her book to get curious about Shakespeare's wife and do our own research. Of course, she was talking to the students at Dominican U.

So i thought that was interesting, and i also remembered my feelings of ambivalence during the heydays of the feminist movement---i thought the outcome of their fervent writing, etc. was great, but it was hard for me to go along with them 100% because I can't ever take one side 100%, there is always another side.

I was surprised that Dan enjoyed her, and when i asked him why, he said it was because he found her thoughtful and challenging of what is assumed to be an accepted truth of Shakespeare's wife.

Thither and Yon

On Thursday, went back into the city because Laura really wanted to see the Yves St Laurent exhibit. She really enjoyed it and Pat also was happy to see it again. Dan and Jim took a walk around Golden Gate Park. We all ate hot dogs from the vendor and returned to the condo for a spaghetti dinner, which we all enjoyed.

Friday, we drove out to Armstrong Woods. These are beautiful woods---filled with huge Redwoods, stately and beautiful, yet fragile. It is a feast for the senses to visit these giants---the smell is distinctively woodsy, the earth feels damp on the path, it sounds still and quiet, and you look up to see the sun shining between the high branches. A real moment of presence.

On the way back, we made plans to visit an intriguing vineyard, the Old Hill Ranch. It is in Glen Ellen, and doesn't even have a "tasting room". We had gotten the name from a restaurant list serving wines with their meal, an expensive restaurant in the suburbs of Chicago, near Jim and Laura. I got intrigued by it, and made arrangements for a tasting with the owner, Will Bucklin.


We knew we'd have to buy a bottle or two, so we were hoping we liked it. This turned out to be not only an adventure, but a gem. He and his family own the oldest vineyard in Sonoma County. It's quite small by Sonoma standards. Will is a total iconoclast--he doesn't want his wines "rated" because he just wants to enjoy the growing and making of it, doesn't want to be corporate or competitive. He is his own person, and we really admired that. He sells some of his grapes to Ravenswood, for their most expensive reserve Zinfandel, other than that, he produces his own. His grapes are a mixture of Zin and other grapes, it is called a "field blend", though he calls the wine a Zin because it is 75% Zin grapes.

We then did the tasting, and it did not disappoint! It was really good. We bought a few bottles which were fairly well priced, by Sonoma standards---$34 a bottle. He will ship to Michigan and Illinois, so we can get his wines later, since bringing a case back home cross country seems like a bad idea, and Laura couldn't bring a bottle back either on the plane. So this was really fun to do, more so because we liked the guy and we loved his wine.

We came back home and Jim and Laura took us, and Jay and Lindsey out to dinner. We returned to The Lark Creek Inn, where we had gone previously with Kathleen. We were disappointed this time, however. Service was incredibly slow, items advertised on the on-line menu weren't being served, and the food wasn't nearly as good. The waitress spent most of her time changing our silverware, and passing out rolls!

Saturday we took Jim and Laura to the airport, came home, and vegged out. We had a great time with them. We asked them what their favorite activities were--Laura liked Armstrong Woods and the YSL exhibit, and Jim liked the stairway walks. (well, we ARE related!) They both also loved the ferry ride. It was a fun filled action packed week.

In the evening, we went to Yoshi's in San Francisco, meeting Jay and Lindsey there to see "Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks." This is one of Dan' favorites for years. It was very enjoyable. He had David Grisman with him, described as one of the "best" mandolin players in the world. He was very good, I actually enjoyed him the most. It turns out we share a birthday! (remember that, Jim!) o.k., now we're caught up with our blog! Today, we watch the NCAA, hope Michigan State gets to the Final Four!

The Hills of Berkeley

Wednesday was a low key day. We did things around the condo, and then later went to Berkeley, where we explored the hills of Berkeley a little more. Tilden Park is a very large area on the other side of the hills. Check out the website for more details if you're interested, but it is quite an elaborate park. 

The views from the hills are spectacular, as are some of the houses. The problem is that the houses block the views, so there are few areas that you can actually see the bay unless you are fortunate enough to live in one of the houses. It is still a nice ride and was a good thing to do.

We then went to Alameda for dinner at Paula and Ken's (Lindsey's parents). She made a very tasty meal--Butternut Squash Soup, Rosemary Chicken, Swiss Chard with aioli sauce, Angel food cake with fresh strawberries for dessert.  It was delicious, and the recipes are all in the cookbook Jay and Linds assembled for their wedding!   We then went to Jason and Lindsey's so that Jim and Laura could see their house, then back to Novato.    They loved their house, it is so cute.     Oh, yes, they also met the animals, the dog Matilda, at the Frimans, and of course, Jay and Lindsey's kitties, Ivan and Jack.     Mishpocha!    

The "Best of" Day

We are keeping very busy with Jim and Laura.  Today, we took the ferry from Larkspur into the Ferry Building.  Jim had been wanting to do this since he found out about it in the fall, during Jay and Lindsey's wedding.  it was a beautiful day, just gorgeous.   The sun shone off the water, the sky was blue, you could see clearly, just beautiful.  We love the ferry, it's one of the BEST things we've done.

We then took 2 stairway walks.  These are very well known, and I've done them before, but 2 of the BEST stairways in SF.  We walked up the Greenwich steps---there was a movie made a few years ago called "The Parrots of Telegraph Hill", and this is where it took place.   The parrots are gone, but the stairway is beautiful.  It was quite high, 492 steps.  Laura was unsure of it, but made it like a trooper, and was so happy that she did!   Jim thoroughly enjoyed it, and of course, I was happy that they liked it.   We then walked around a bit, and then walked down the Filbert Steps.   These are quite well known.  They are both near Coit Tower, and Armistad Maupin based his Tale of the City on the Filbert Steps locale.   It was a bit congested, actually, with people walking up and down them.   The first time i did these, I was the only soul on the steps, how that has changed.

Anyway, the Filbert Steps are wonderful, with charming homes along the way, beautiful gardens, little alley ways, and different kinds of staircases on different tiers.

Jim, (in tribute to Alfred Hitchock) had an encounter with a pigeon. For some reason the pigeon decided to drop his load directly on Jim at the precise moment that Jim's mouth was open. Yes, he took a direct hit to the mouth of pigeon shit. Not really a very good appetizer before lunch. 

 We came home after eating lunch at The Fog City Diner, where we first met Lindsey's parents.   Took the ferry back, got some sun, came home.   Went to Boca for their Tuesday night special, which is a bottle of wine at half price, and a bar menu half price.

We came home and watched "Rachel's Wedding."  We had all seen it but Dan, and we all gave it about 2 stars.   Nice, nice day!