Home Again

We left Chicago early morning today amidst the rain, mushy leaves and darkness. No hitches at the airport and had a smooth flight except for the turbulence over the Rockies. That scared me! We landed in sunny San Diego some 3 1/2 hours later to 70 degree weather.

When we turned in the rental car I check to see our trip mileage and it indicated that we had driven 1164 miles. Well, Dan drove them, I just navigated with Garmin and slept along the way. It was a great 2 weeks, but as all vacations, it is wonderful to be home.

What, A Basement?

The Midwest, unlike Southern California consists mainly of brick buildings, hardwood flooring, and tall narrow structures. They also have this hidden world called "The Basement." That could be the name of a mystery novel couldn't it? Anyway, the kids have a basement where they store the same junk we put in garages as well as the washer and dryer that their landlords kindly let them use..

FREE OF CHARGE!

However, for those of us not accustomed to such dark, damp places, it is a bit creepy. First of all it is damp and dark. Everything is cement block and brick so it is cold. The stairs are narrow and a bit steep. More creepiness. Once you get to the basement "room"

you are okay except the ceilings are low and the walls are cement block. Now there is nothing wrong with any of this, but it is just so different. Growing up in Indiana we had a basement and I remember playing in it as that was sort of our family room. But I do not remember it in the same way as this basement. I am finding that the older I get, the childhood memories are becoming less reliable!

The good news, I will be returning to California with suitcases full of CLEAN laundry just waiting to be put into drawers. That leaves some time for grocery shopping, picking up the held mail, paying bills, preparing for my consulting jobs in November, and the Shore Mgmt. staff meeting. Reality is soon to hit, but what a wonderful trip for this retired teacher.

Snowing Leaves?

When we arrived at Brian and Patience's home this morning we were greeted to a shower of leaves. Not snow, but a gusty, crisp, swirl of leaves descending upon the sidewalks and cars. It was such a cool

thing to experience! You can even see that the street is filled with leaves almost level with the sidewalk.

It is an amazing thing to be in the center of a leaf storm! I bet that within a week to 10 days everything will be red and orange instead of the yellow colors. It isn't really that cold. Patience left for work in jeans, a sweater and little rubber flip flops! Dan and Brian left for golfing in sweatshirts.

But it LOOKS cold out as it is gray and a bit windy. Very odd weather for us Southern Californians.

Chicago in Gold

Today Brian and Patience are at work and we have invaded their space yet again. They happen to have friends staying with them currently and there are no more beds at this "inn." We were planning to get a hotel for the last 3 nights of the trip, but they have us sleeping with friends of theirs (Jeremy and Bethany) who happen to live about 3 blocks away. What a beautiful apartment Jeremy and Bethany have. It is on the third floor, so there are LOTS of stairs to climb to get to their apartment. It is very typical of places here.

The house shown here is really a duplex and Brian and Patience live on the ground floor with the owners living above. From the sidewalk in front of their

house you can look north (yes, I had to ask Dan what direction that was!) and see a golden blanket of leaves that have fallen along the tree lined street. When we were here 10 days ago, there were very few leaves. My how things happen fast. Things in Chicago are more yellow-lime green-gold where as in Ohio they were the deep reds, golds, oranges, etc. Interesting how the seasonal changes from state to state vary in time.

Another great feature of all the places here are the hardwood floors. They are not the new floors made to look old-- they are the real deal! They just shine with age. The drawback is that they squeak like

crazy. We stayed up to play cards with Bri and Patience last night and arrived at at Jeremy and Bethany's

around 11:30 p.m. We tried to be quiet, but that was impossible with the floors. The house just breathes!

Another interesting thing they have in these older places are these

radiators. They are in all the rooms and people paint them all kinds of colors. Here are just a couple...and yes I know this one is sideways, but I can't

figure out how to flip it around...

The little one is in the kitchen by the fridge. They painted the bathroom ones gray to match the decor and the rest are creamy color. I can only assume that the plant will not stay there long. In the middle of the night, you hear a hissing sound coming from them. I have only the vaguest recollection of these types of heaters from my childhood.

The generosity of these young kids is wonderful. Their parents raised some great kids. Aren't we all lucky to have kids that fall into this same "Wonderful" category? There seems to be so many outside influences that pull at kids and yet all of ours have seemed to avoid trouble and flourish. Praise God.

On the Road Yet Again

Yesterday we woke up bright and early...that would be 7 a.m. vacation mode time and packed up for the LONG drive to Chicago, IL. So we said our good-byes, we plugged in our book on CD, and headed for the nearest Starbucks. We never found a Starbucks if you can believe that, so we just got on the highway. After an hour and a half we found a McDonalds and got an quick Egg McMuffin and headed out. Since I am writing this the day after we arrived in CHicago, I can tell you it was an 8 hour trip and if I ever see a McDonalds again it will be much to soon. I think I am cured of junk food for awhile. GAG ME!

Here is our cute little car that has been so dependable and economical. Doesn't it look cute in the fast food lot?

Dan Helps Out

Dan's brother Dave is currently working in Washington DC and commutes back and forth from there to Ohio each week. He has a great new job with the ONE very major drawback that it is NOT in Ohio where the children go to school and his wife works. But they seem to be making it work. Guess in this economic climate, you work were the work is.

So, while Dave drained the sprinkler system in anticipation of the winter freeze, Dan mowed the lawn. This is funny because Dan said he hasn't run a lawn mower in at least 20 years! You all know how big our lawn is! 10 x 75 feet!!! We even have a gardener do that! Patty, my sister-in-law, said that in the summer months, she sometimes mows the lawn 2x a week -- GET OUT! I could not do that. Guess it is a good thing I am in San Diego...a sort of desert.

But look at the colors of those trees and how open everything is. No tall, solid privacy fences, no 6' between homes, and no noise from your neighbors. It is very tranquil.

The homes are so charming and very different from our Southern California living.

In the backyard you will see more trees and open spaces. Just below their home is a running creek with geese floating about. I thought they were supposed to fly south... Anyway, just take in the beauty of the Midwestern landscape :)

On the Road to Ohio

Bright and early on Monday morning we set Garmin for Mentor, Ohio to see Dan's brother, his wife and our niece and nephew. It was a pleasant drive of 6+ hours. Of course we listened to more of our Book on CD. The weather was better than expected with not a drop of rain the entire time. It was overcast, but that made the colors that much more vibrant.

The highway was full of color-ranging from yellow to red and every possible color in between. Scattered amongst the deciduous trees were a variety of pines which, of course, are keeping their deep green hugh. The contrast is fantastic and my little 3.2 mega pixel camera -through the windshield-does no justice to what we were seeing. The mapel trees are just so gorgeous. Once we arrived it did start to sprinkle a bit, but by then we didn't really care. Patty had a teriffic meal ready and the "catch-up" chatter began!

The Perfect Fall Tree

Fall leaves are just beginning to touch this tree located across the street from Uncle John's house. Just look at the shape of this tree! It is a maple tree and the outside edges of the tree are tinged in orange.
Down the street at few houses I spotted this tree with yellow, gold and red emerging. It is just amazing the colors we are seeing here.

But all the color is not reserved for the outdoors. Upon entering my Aunt and Uncle's home, I was bombarded by the welcome sites of fall decorations! It was so awesome. From little pumpkins, to scarecrows, and wall decorations, their home his radiates the homey feeling of "family." It reminded me so much of my childhood and the way I would decorate my classroom each year. We have enjoyed soups, grilled Brats and burgers, homemade Upside down Pineapple Cake, potatoes and veggies. We've even kept up with the World Series. Now ya just can't beat this kind of vacation!

Heading for Indiana

We left Chicago around 10 a.m. and headed for Indiana. We went through several toll booth areas like the one shown here leaving Chicago. Our trusty Garmin took us on an uneventful trip through some beautiful country. We packed sandwiches for the trip, so we only made a quick pit stop and ate in the car as we drove. We made it to Greenfield in about 4 hours of easy driving.

As usual for our car trips we had a book on CD playing in the car. We are listening to the new Dan Brown book. The miles just fly by when listening to a book.

Mars Cheese Castle

There is this hole in the wall off of the expressway called Mars Cheese Castle in Wisconsin. It is so ugly from the outside, that you would just keep on driving if you didn't know the history of this place. Brian and Patience thought we should stop in on our way back from apple picking. So we did.

They sell cheese curds! All flavors and colors of cheese curds. Now I have no idea what a cheese curd is, but I can only imagine the cholesterol content in a thing called a cheese curd. I did taste a free sample and thought it rated up there with most disgusting things ever eaten. The rest of the family thought they was wonderful. When I get home I will have to ask Christa what a cheese curd is.

Today we are hitting the road for Indiana. We have backed a cooler of food for the trip and of course, Dan is taking along the last of the cheese curds!

Apple Picking Day

What a wonderful morning to wake up to with the sun trying to come out and a crisp 37 degrees. We are on our way to Starbucks for a tea and scone and then head for the state line and into Wisconsin for some apple picking!

When you arrive it is like a little village where you can eat and can pick apples and pumpkins. Today there was a school group there on some sort of field trip... glad I wasn't in charge! Remember, this is a vacation. I don't teach anymore. Anyway, you pay a fee to get in

and they give you a plastic bag and off you go with a map that indicates which rows of trees are of what variety...Gala, Fuji, Rome, Golden etc. Many kinds I had never heard of. You just walk through the

rows sampling as you go. That's right, you find a tree that looks good, pick an apple, shine it up on your pants or sweater and then take a bite. If you like it, well then -- pick some more. If not, just chuck it on the ground with all the other discarded "samples."

It was a great day and tomorrow night Patience is making us an apple pie!

It's Vacation Time

We are off on my first "Retired Teacher Vacation!" It is October 15th and we are leaving for the Midwest while all my teacher friends are busy with class projects, parent conferences, and the awful "yard duty." In this picture we have just arrived in Chicago to a wonderful 43 degrees and clouds. Notice the Gate gourmet truck outside the plane? Trust me, there was nothing gourmet being added to that plane. Dan and I brought our own pretzels.

After disembarking the 3.5 hour plane ride we retrieved the suitcases...22 inches for a two week trip! Pretty darn good for the princess wouldn't you say? We exited O'Hare and headed for the car rental van and in no time had a little Pontiac Vibe to scoot around town in. Off we headed to see Patience and Brian...out first stop on the two week journey.

60th Annniversary

Last night I had the pleasure to attend a 60th wedding anniversary party for my sister's in-laws. The event was complete with cousins, aunts and uncles, close family friends, and of course the honored couple. There must have been 70+ people in the house all enjoying catching up and eating the delicious catered food. Showing on one big television was a slide show of the family beginning from the couple's wedding day through to today with the celebration of 3 children, 8 grandchildren and two great-grand children! The photo montage was a trip down fashion memory lane, as well as those great family vacations and holiday events. The lesson here: Don't throw away those old photos...people with cherish them in years to come :) Who knows what your children and grandchildren will do with them!

What a great celebration to be a part of! Retirement has been good for them and I hope that Dan and I will be alive and healthy another 27 years so that we can celebrate our 60th anniversary! Congratulations, Pete and Rose!

Baby Gate vs. Dachshund

Danny, who is almost 2 years old is very trustworthy while you are home with him. Not so once you leave. So to be safe I put him in the kitchen, secured behind a baby gate, and left for a short while. Upon my return, the baby gate had fallen over (guess I didn't put it up so well, did I?). To my amazement, there sat Danny, in the kitchen, terrified to step onto the fallen gate to "freedom!" LOL

Apparently he just stayed in the kitchen and waited for my return. At least there was no evidence of mischief while I was gone. Silly puppy~

Fast, Freeze, Poke, and Draw

I woke up at 7:00 this morning prepared to continue to fast before my annual physical. No big deal right? True, except the appointment wasn't until 11:30 a.m. As my stomach growled, I sat in the Doctor's office preparing to have the painful plantar's wart on my heel frozen...yet again. Dang that hurts. The up side could be that I won't have to run tomorrow!

Then the good Doc asked when I last had a tetanus shot? Well, how could I possible remember that...after all, I'm 55 and the memory isn't what it use to be! So in comes the chipper nurse to give me the shot. "Oh by the way, your arm may hurt for a few days, so I'll put it in your left arm!" she says sweetly. Oh swell!

"...and by the way, I think you should have a flu shot while we are at it" the Doc says. Well, I guess I have another arm to stab at, so why not? I can just imagine how my arms will feel in the morning.

Since this was an annual physical, I was able to donate 4 vials of blood to the cause. The tech assures me that I will get the results in two weeks and as I leave she tells me to have a great afternoon. It is now evening and I limp, have stiff arms and a big bruise where I donated blood. Good thing I got to go have a frozen yogurt to make it feel better. :)

I am making light of all this because it really is silly stuff. I am so grateful that our good Doctors and Nurses work hard to keep all of us healthy and when we are afflicted with something, they are right there to diagnose, treat, and support us. I am grateful for the health care coverage and the wonderful family doctor I have. I hope that if the day comes when a test comes back indicating a problem, that I can keep a sense of humor and know that I am in good hands with my medical team and most importantly the good Lord above.

I Miss Them!

Yesterday and today I had the pleasure of substituting at my old school site with my newly promoted 3rd graders. Now as big 4th graders, they rule the campus. It was such a treat to see how they had grown over the summer and the experience their excitement for all the new things they were learning. They were oh, so polite and helpful. I know I was not afforded typical "how to treat the substitute" behavior and I truly appreciated it. There is a reason I am not too keen on substituting at other locations! At least at my own site I know where the restrooms are and where recess duty is!

I get to return on Friday for a group of 1st graders. I have never taught or aspired to teach 1st graders, but I am looking forward to it. I know that the teacher that will be out runs a pretty "tight ship" just like I do, so there shouldn't be any problems...except for the short attention span thing. We'll see how it goes. They are into a series of books entitled Fancy Nancy, so I may think of an activity to do that incorporates those book characters.

Trail of Torment 5K

YES! It is now over! I have been tormented, joggled, and twisted all in the name of being healthy? Oh, that was supposed to be all in the name of FUN! Well, I have to admit it was an enjoyable morning even if it was really early. The San Diego Running Institute offered a run at 7:30 this morning that consisted of a 5K, 10K, and 20K. Since Jay was working the race, we decided to support the run and I sign up for the 5K along with Jay's friend, Heidi. So we left home while it was still dark to drive out to Mission Trails. It was a crisp 57 degrees with a threat of showers. Sounds just like my kind of activity doesn't it?

It was cold at the start of the race, but by the time we finished (no time will be posted :( ), it was sunny and beautiful. The trails were wonderful, but the race write-up indicated that the 5K would be flat and fast. NOT!!! It was full of rocks, boulders, snake holes, brush, and general out door stuff. Again, does this sound like my kind of activity? Thank heavens no snakes crawled out of those holes! So, the run for me was more of a walk-trot affair. Of course, I stopped to talk to people at the aide station as well as random strangers on the trail. This too will hinder your time! Heidi was so kind as to stay back with "the mom" and we became unofficial sweepers for the 5K because there was ABSOLUTELY no one behind us.

Every time there was a camera we did run...or trot. Everyone who finished the event got a medal which is so cool because it can be inspiring. Now Dan did this race last year and this year he beat his time in over a minute! The scary part is that from the date of the last race until today he has not run, jogged, or trotted at all. I work with a trainer and a little running group and struggle.

All this running works up an appetite. The big breakfast burrito I wanted wasn't going to happen because I did not burn nearly enough calories for that. So, IHOP gratefully offered a 350 calorie breakfast of fruit, juice, and an egg-substitute spinach and mushroom omelet. It was great!

Final thoughts: Running on a trail is so pretty and if you don't care about your time, give it a try. Wow! I wish I had taken the camera to share some of it with you. However, your race time suffers...greatly. Besides, if I carried a camera with me, there would be NO DOUBT that I am not a serious runner! If you run on a street or track, you just move forward with the flow of the folks and so your time will be better. All in all..what a great way to start out the day :)

Bye Padres!

Last night was the final evening game for the 2009 San Diego Padres. They lost the night before to the Giants, so we weren't really sure what to expect. But since it was the last season game, we decide to eat out first...you know make it a real "date night." We like to eat at the Omni...not because the food or drinks are so great, but because we can get our tickets stamped and use their sky bridge over to the stadium and right to our seats.

By getting there early, we enjoyed the Happy Hour menu of 3$ burgers. Yum. The cranberry juice was good-but who can make that wrong. Dan's beer was good, as always. It is so great to sit outside and watch the folks get off the trolley and make their way to the stadium. Even on the last night of a very long losing season, excitement was abound. But then, maybe it was the full moon???

Once in the stadium we sat down ready to watch. Our young pitcher, LeBlanc, did a good job of keeping the game moving. Their VERY young pitcher slowed things down considerably...he had almost 100 pitches by the top of the 6th inning. The game finally ended with a Padre win and we headed for home.

The Padres will be a different team next year with a new GM and all of the new players recently acquired. The new players are fun to watch and I hope we get our season tickets again next year, although I hope to move right over third base as opposed to just off third. Not to be greedy or anything!

Sleeping In...NOT

As a working woman, I was up and out of the house while it was still dark through most of the school year. I always longed to sleep in. That does not include when you stay home because you are sick...I am talking about the decadence of sleeping in just because you can.

Now that I have had a few months off, the ole' time clock is adjusting and I am trying to sleep in an extra hour. Well, the other day I thought I would just lounge around until 8:30. NOT! Do you have any idea what goes on in a neighborhood while you have left for the day? YIKES

First there are the beloved "trash-pickers." These are the homeless and not so homeless folk that root through the trash cans beginning about 6:30. They are NOT QUIET or SUBTLE about what they are doing. Some even leave trash all over the street after sorting through trash bags. Now, I am all for recycling, and I am glad they are helping out in their own way, but they leave a mess and are very LOUD while many of us are trying to sleep. The banging of a trash can lid can scare you right out of a deep sleep.

Once the trash-pickers have come through, the house begins to shake and rattle as the trash collector truck rambles across our antiquated, pot-holed street. That wakes you for sure if you were able to drift off for a few extra minutes. Stop-go-stop-go. Geez those trucks are loud. You may be thinking, "Get over it-it's just once a week!" A big NOT to that!! Our alley must have no less than 4 different service companies sending trucks rattling down it. That is a trash truck almost every day of the week.

OK, so now I am up and I plan some quiet time to read. NOT! The gardener comes with his truck. He has a mower, a blower, and a weed-wacker. HE wears industrial ear protection like those worn by airport groundsmen. What do I get? NOISE. He is a popular gardener because he does several homes in a row...that means several HOURS of noise. I do live on a pretty street though.

So, pretty much until noon, there is no such thing as quiet. Who needs to sleep in anyway when there is laundry to do, dusting, mopping, cooking, toilet cleaning, ironing, cleaning out drawers, sorting files, updating computer data, writing this blog, checking on the dogs, calling other retired friends, card making, cleaning out the car, and so much more. Doesn't retirement sound appealing? I always wondered how Auggie could sleep all morning...he's deaf!

Actually I am excited that next week I get to substitute teach for 3 days back at my old school. I wonder what that will be like? I'll keep you posted. But first I have to get through the Trail of Terror 5K coming up this weekend. I will definitely share my thoughts on that and maybe a picture or two. It is supposed to be cold out on the trail at 7 a.m. (that works well for us "hot-flash" mamas)!