O.K., o.k. I know it has been a month since the last update, but since we are parked in Santa Paula for three months, we are not REALLY on the road. However, we have been busy and this should bring you up to date.
First of all, we have spent a lot of time with the family. Jeanne especially enjoys spending time with Erika, who is now walking and trying to form her first words. It seems she changes every few days. Although Andy is very busy with work, he makes time for us when he can. We really enjoy visiting with his family and look forward to spending as much time with them as we can.
There has been several shooting outings. On one particular day, a few of the club members drove to Oaktree to shoot some sporting clays. The weather kept us off the sporting clays course, but we were able to shoot several rounds of skeet and trap. A good time was had by all and a picture commemorating the event is associated with this log entry. On separate days, I shot some trap with my good friends Ed and Lee. Although many months passed without pulling the trigger, my scores were respectable. Finally, on one clear, sunny day, we went to Triple B to shoot trap with the club. It was good to see all our trap shooting buddies again. Strange how you can be gone for almost two years and pick up as if it were yesterday. We were especially happy to see Walt and Lee doing well.
Shortly after New Year, our friends Mike and Gwen used some discount tickets to lure us to the L.A. Auto Show. We hadn’t been to the Auto Show in years, so this was a special treat. Attending on a weekday avoided the crowds and we were able to linger around the cars as long as we wanted. Afterwards, we went to a restaurant specializing in pastrami sandwiches. Not having one in about three years, this belly-busting cholesterol bomb was a special treat. Served with a generous portion of pickles, I’m sure we were good on our sodium intake for the next three months. How can something so bad for you taste so good? Anyway, we very much enjoyed spending the day with our good friends.
Word is out in the local dental community that we are covered by a good plan. Not wanting any of our coverage to go unused, the dentists got busy repairing a chipped tooth and pulling one of my wisdom teeth. The repair was easy, but the extraction was a memorable event. The next step is two follow-up visits to have the root canal tooth capped, which should complete the process.
One evening we had dinner with Gloria, who is a long-time friend of the family. Gloria is a fun loving woman who had a long career on stage. By teaching voice and supporting the local theater, she remains involved with the performing arts. Anyway, spending the evening with Gloria is an event unto itself and usually begins with her famous martinis, stirred, not shaken. After the alcohol-induced paralysis abated, we had dinner at one of the local restaurants and a good time was had by all. We very much enjoyed seeing her again and wish her well.
Today, Jeanne had her first day of jury duty and was selected as a prospective juror on a kidnap/rape trial. She will know more in a few days, but the prospect of sitting on the jury is upsetting and is very much an unwanted intrusion into our lives.
For the most part, the weather has been very pleasant. In fact, it has been one warm, clear day after day. What a change from last year when record rainfall almost trapped us in one of the local canyons!