Polar Express

This is the second year in a row that my niece's family have done the "Polar Express". The Polar Express leaves out of Williams and the trip is just like the movie! The kids have a blast dressed in their p.j.'s, they love the hot chocolate and cookies and, of course, Santa makes an appearance and even hands out bells! This has become a great tradition that the boys look forward to. I love these faces!

Better Late Than Never

These just in, Halloween pictures of my grandsons.

This is Keenan who was a Green Zombie! Ooooooo so scary!

Rylan: A Transformer Bumblebee

It's Great Being a Girl!

I think most women would agree that there are alot of great things about being a woman, there's the being spoiled (if you like that kind of thing), the shopping (if you like that kind of thing), the decorating (if you like that kind of thing), there's all the great clothes (if you like that kind of thing) and there are those great friendships that we accumulate along the way.

One thing I particularly love are "girl lunches"! There is something really special about spending two hours eating and talking and contemplating dessert that make these lunches so great! Today Trisha, Sarah and I met in Berkeley for a delicious assortment of food and conversation. Today was a "10"!

Christmas Baking

Well, Christmas is just about upon us and I wanted to share this wonderful link! Have fun looking for the perfect cookie, cake, pie, candy and bread recipes! http://www.northpole.com/Kitchen/Cookbook/

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Make a Smilebox greeting

A Great Memory

Note: I try not to mention big names in my blog because I don't want the "whole world" knowing our personal business. My sister Victoria sent me this picture recently and it brought to mind a wonderful memory I would like to share. Several years ago while in Seattle we went to an absolutely wonderful restaurant in Tacoma with Victoria and Dan and their friends Gary and Donna and JoAnn and Craig. As one does when they hang out with these folks we drank and dined and drank some more. As dinners go, it was a "10". I might add that our 1/4th of the tab was over $200.00! Anyway, back to the memory! After dinner we went to a glass blowing studio, as I recall, within walking distance of the restaurant. The setting is like an amphitheater and we were lucky enough to see some glass blowing action. The picture above is that of many hand blown glass flowers that are just laying in a glass overpass near the studio! I wanted to lay down on the dirty sidewalk to view it overhead but Victoria had the brilliant idea to grab my two feet, Steve grabbed me under the arms so that I was laying down, thus making it possible to take all this beauty in without the neck strain or the dirty clothes.  This experience was like being a human kaleidoscope and it was the icing on my evening's cake!

Marc in Thailand

As some of you may know, Marc is in Thailand. From the look on his face, in all the pictures we've seen so far, he is having a wonderful time! It would be great to go and see what he is seeing first hand but for now we will have to live vicariously thru him. Stay safe Marc and keep those pictures coming!

Bonus Visit!

What a lovely surprise! Victoria came for a visit this last week and we had a grand time! The waitress snapped this picture just before we started our usual "crying fest"! Nothing to be concerned about, we cry about anything!

This is the Asian Museum in San Francisco. Victoria is the one on the far left.

Halloween is about.........

ghosts, goblins and scary costumes but it is also Ann's birthday! Happy Birthday Ann Please follow the link to see a glimpse of what Ann has been up to these last few years: Turn up your volume for the video, the music is great!

Introducing.............

the Cockscomb. Michael a few boats down has been bringing me flowers (he has an in with a flower person) and this week this particular flower was in the bunch. It looks like something you would see while snorkeling, it really is beautiful!

This is the top of the flower, not very wide at all.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!

Wine, Chocolates and Cards

Life is good when you can do all the things you love with people you love and all in one evening! There's always a down side, though, Steve won. Again! What do we play you ask? OH SHIT! What have we been playing with Kim and Mike for over thirty years and have the score books to prove it? You guessed it, OH SHIT! And what goes best with this particular card game? Chocolates and wine or chocolates and beer or chocolates and gin and tonic or chocolates and mai tai's or chocolates and margaritas! Are you all seeing a trend here? We never had dinner last night but who needs it!

Question:

I know, I know, you are all thinking "poor Steve" what the hell is that on his plate? PAPER PLATE, at that! It was one of those days when we had a late lunch, I wasn't hungry (neither was he, but he doesn't like going to bed without dinner). It's 7:30 p.m., what would you do? So, I went to the pantry pulled out an Indian "minute meal in a box" (foil pouch, actually). I realize the presentation would have been better on a real plate, but that wasn't my mood! As I was dishing his dinner out onto the plate I started to cackle and couldn't stop, it's lucky I had an empty bladder. His meal, the one that took exactly one minute to heat up just like the package promised, looked like something a burro with a bad case of the runs had left behind! Now, you all know Steve and know that he will eat anything put in front of him! This was the ultimate challenge and he passed! He ate it and even said he would have it again!

Company Comes a Calling

It's been so great this summer to be able to continue to see our "Amigos Mexicanos" on U.S. turf! Take Alex and Judy up here for the summer. They have cooked for us, we have cooked for them and we have gone out to eat! I think we have a few more visits in us before we all start heading back down for the winter where we will start having fun all over again!

Tried to talk Judy and Alex into buying a boat, but that didn't work out. Good thing, too, not sure Judy looks ahead while steering and that could prove to be problematic!

It was a great finish to the evening when Pam and Rick dropped by to chat before heading home for the week.

This past weekend Doug and Carla and Alex and Judy were in town so we decided to all meet at the Harvest Festival in Pleasanton. You may think that these are "real" comedians on stage, but they actually are Doug and Steve! What a crack up!!!

I'm Warning You!

Keep yer eyes open cause Steve has a new camera! If you thought things were bad before, look out! Steve's new camera is bigger, fancier and can catch you from afar!

We're Still Here!

Is This scary or what? I will call this storm "Miss J" because if I call her by her real name, our blog will be there for the world to see! I posted this picture to put "Miss J" in perspective as everyone keeps asking about our properties. Luckily Mike and Jeanette were in Asuncion going right into action getting windows boarded up and things tied down. As it turned out, it was all for naught as we hardly got a drop of rain there! Mike and Jeanette reported temps of 102 degrees with hummidity, at times, of 100%!

La Paz on the other hand did get plenty of wind and rain (one estimate of 12" in one day) but nothing devastating. Power was lost in places and trees were downed. Now starts the clean-up!

Gate 11 Party

Oh my gosh! We did say 4:00 O'clock, right?

Nothing worse than throwing together a party and not one soul showing up, especially our newly retired CAROL on Evergreen!

4:30 and still only Steve! Oh My!

Ah, Sarah and Darrell and Sparky show up. It's gonna be okay after all.

Ah, a respectable finish! This is the great thing about Gate 11, you put a notice up on the bulletin board and next thing you know it's a party! Thanks everyone, it was great!

What A Beauty!!

To quote Judy, "heeeeeeeeeere's Zoom"! Don't they just look gorgeous together? We've been promised a ride, one at a time of course! Can't wait, hurry back!

Who Said it Wouldn't Last?!!!

August 16, 1975

What a run it's been! We look grayer, shorter, fatter, and have less hair where we want hair. We are drinking better wine, have learned alot about each other and have cared for each other's aches and pains just like we said we would. We have rafted rivers, sailed the South Pacific Seas and now live in Mexico! Not bad for 34 years!

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Halloween Party 1978. What a Chicken!!!!

Christmas 1987

Mexico 1999

During our cruising years 1990 on Kauai.

One of many Gate 11 Parties at the Marina.

La Paz 2008.

In Asuncion at "Casa Amigos" 2009.

Happy Birthday Carla

May the world never run out of "Cold Beer" and may you continue to enjoy life to the fullest!

Happy Birthday Jeanette

Happy Birthday Jeanette! Hope you are having a wonderful time at Casa Amigos!

Mike and Jeanette

Our partners in Asuncion and friends Mike and Jeanette stopped in Alameda for a visit and boy did we have fun showing them our "boat" life. Here we are imbibing at O'Reilly's.

Here's Jeanette with the "No Worries".

Mike and Jeanette didn't have any problem at all adjusting to boat life.

Shelby Comes To Visit

Shelby Mireya came to visit us on the Boat and we had a grand time! We did everything from Farmer's Market to.......................... Santa Cruz Pier. Shelby and I shopped til I dropped and we also had a chance to tour UCSC. We miss you Shelby!!!

Happy Birthday Victoria

I can remember Mom and Dad bringing Victoria home like it was yesterday! Happy Birthday, Sis!

Follow this link to see a small part of our visit in Port Townsend last week: http://neatitems.com/personal/Videos/Victoria_2009.wmv

Company Comes To The Boat!

Well, Brian and Fern arrived at the boat safe and sound after their trek from La Paz en route to Canada! We sure packed alot in during their visit!

There was a 4th of July parade with Fern performing her "Zoomba" for the crowd!

Nothing like a boat happy hour!

Great Friends!

Fire in the washtub compliments of Doug.