Hated the Purple

For any of you that saw the blog background in purple/pink, I apologize! What was I thinking? It was so awful and hard to read. I like this new one better. Actually, I am just proud of myself that I can figure out how to change the backgrounds.

Hope you like this better :)

Sick Doggie

Auggie has been very sick again. On the 19th of this month he will turn 15 and I fear he is getting old. He has been out the emergency room with pancreatitis and liver imbalances. This on top of being deaf and his cataracts are getting worse. He was pretty dehydrated and his back legs were going all spastic.

Today he is better and wags his tail a wee bit. He is eating some baby food stuff and taking pain meds and antibiotics. We think he will be okay, but will know next week. This has been a real wake-up call for our family. We will enjoy Auggie for now, knowing that the next time he may not bounce back.

We will have to have a party again this year, only he won't be able to eat any of the treats!

A New Look

I decided that a year has come and gone since my official retirement (July 1, 2009) and it was time to change the blog a bit. OK, I don't know how to do much, but hopefully, I will get more help and you will see some other changes. For today, you get a color change :)

I would like to say I will take time to edit better, but those of you who know me well, understand that that will simply not happen. I am an idea gal, not a detail gal. You can get the gist of things I think.

New on the horizon? Well I start my consulting work in another week- you know where I actually show up at a school site and get paid a meager wage. In the meantime I am busy writing curriculum, learning how to use Keynote on my Mac, making cards, preparing to be a bible study leader in the fall, and helping to spruce up things at our home church, Clairemont Covenant. Then there are the twice weekly work outs with my trainer "Brandon" at the YMCA (Dan goes to him too!), learning how to use iphoto more effectively (thank heavens Apple offers those 1 on 1 classes), babysitting Danny Boy~ Wiener Dog and Auggie, going on field trips around the community with my retired friends from church, and of course be thinking about the Big Wedding for next summer. Dan and I are also planning a trip to Israel in February and then off to the Mediterranean in June. Hopefully all of this leaves little time for food-feasting and I don't put on another 2 pounds in year two of retirement.

Cheers!

Mt. Whitney~ "They Made It In One Day!"

Monday August 2, 2010 will be a day our family remembers for quite some time. Jay and Dan, along with two friends Dave and Jennifer hiked Mt. Whitney. It took them 15 hours! They were up at 1 a.m. preparing to leave the motel and be ready to begin the hike no later than 3 a.m. I can't imagine being up at that hour! Anyway, it has been reported that they saw a great sunrise and that the weather was most agreeable. Those are the "good" facts.

They said it was like no other experience. It was desolate and just went on and on and on. Fortunately they took altitude sickness pills and that became a non-issue. Near the top the air was thin and they could hardly walk. I think the downhill was quicker, but Dan was pretty wobbly once they got to the bottom. He said he would not have made it

without the poles. I really have nothing else to say, but if you go to http://www.ultrajay.com you can get a better sense of the day. I am including a few of the pictures here.

A Field Trip

Today the Motley Monday retirees went on a local field trip. Right here in Point Loma at Liberty Station (you know the old naval barracks) is a non-denominational church. It is no longer used by the US Navy, but is rented out to the community. Lots of history and a neat place. Thought of Jay and Heidi. It has beautiful stained glass windows, a pipe organ, choir loft, wooden pews and kneelers, a raised pulpit and alter. There is a smaller room off to the side that is for Catholic mass because it has confessionals and a different alter. It is very plain on the inside, but just lovely. After the tour we headed down the walkway to a new restaurant called Tender Greens. If you want a GREAT salad, this is the place to go. It was packed, so obviously Point Loma residents know the place. The steak sandwich and grilled veggies I had was amazing! Not a bad field trip for us retired folks.

Night Before the Hike

Dan, Jay, and friends Dave and Jennifer are hiking Mr. Whitney tomorrow. They have been training for a month or so making weekend trips to San Jacinto Mountains to train at higher elevations. The hike begins at around 8,000 feet and goes up to 14,500 feet. Their plan is to begin the hike around 3 a.m. on August 2nd. They hope to then reach the summit by noon and begin the decent. The downhill should be about 2 hours shorter although I think it is harder on the knees and legs.

They are hoping for good weather and for the heat to break a bit. Yesterday and today the temperatures were in the 100s. It should be in the 50s at the top. Their packs have water and an assortment of clothes, first aide items, a GPS watch, and food snacks.

I'll keep you posted...

Salisbury Cathedral

Salisbury Cathedral was our next stop. It is famous for having the tallest spire at 404 ft. It also houses the finest of only four surviving originals of the Magna Carta (1250). This ataructure is larger than Winchester Cathedral which is just amazing! It also houses Europe's oldest working clock (1386)

Since it was late when we were there, we stayed for the Eveningsong. Eveningsong is an Anglican service similar to a Catholic mass. We heard the girl's choir during the service. They sang in the original choir stalls that are the oldest in Britain. What was amazing,

besides their voices, was the acoustics. In early times, attendees were never up with the clergy. They sat in another area and could only "hear" what was going on. The sound was amazing! How could they have possibly designed that all those years ago.

Both Salisbury and Winchester cathedrals survived WWI and II because the spires were used as landmarks for planes.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge was a place I had always wanted to go and see, but never dreamed it would become a reality. We were pressed for time and the lines to go into the interior part of the monument were quite long and expensive, so we opted to walk along the perimeter. I had to hold the camera up above the chain link fence to get the shots. I wish we could have stayed longer, but England in 36 hours was a challenge! And you can be sure we didn't do it, but it was fun to see all that we had time for.

Winchester Cathedral

The historic Winchester Cathedral was absolutely spectacular! I do not have words to
describe the enormity of the building. How in the world did these ancient craftsmen create such mammoth structures out of marble and granite and maintain such detail?

The cathedral was built hundreds of years ago and tells the tale of life we can only imagine. Winchester Cathedral was begun by the Normans in 1075 and completed in the 1500s. In the early 1900 part of the cathedral was starting to sink and a diver was brought in to rebuild the underpinnings. Not only is the stone work amazing, but the interior woodwork and stained glass is spectacular. We spent about two hours here before dashing off to the next stop. Guess where?

Load 'Em Up

Once we got off the ship Carol headed for Hertz and rented us a car for our quick tour of Winchester Cathedral, Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, Bath and Windsor Castle. We piled into the great little KIA with the 4 of us and 10 pieces of luggage! Carol drove like a champ on the "wrong" side of the road. We really looked like tourists especially with the suitcase bungied to the roof. LOL!

A Last Look at the QM2

Here are just a few last pictures of the QM2. We did love this trip and we have booked another adventure for next year.

We hope to sail on Cunard's Queen Elizabeth. She is not in the water yet, so she will be very new. I think her maiden voyage is in October. Our plan is to head for the Mediterranean Sea for a 17 day cruise and we would go with these same friends.

One thing I noticed on this ship that I don't remember on the other lines I've been on is that along the hallway windows are tables for games and cards. We took advantage of that a few times. There were great bars (during the World Cup, no less), a casino, computer centers, library, and theaters. AND of course, High Tea. Thanks, but I will stick to the Chai Tea Latte from

Starbucks!

Guess those kids will have to book their wedding around us! If you're available for a June in the Med, let us know...the more the merrier.

Bergen "The Gateway to the Fjords"

Bergan was our last stop and what a beautiful city, full of rich history and tradition! We had a full day here and didn't even scratch the surface. Much of the city located along the water's edge was lost to fire in the 1702 because of all the wooden structures so close together. At that time in Norway's history, this area was occupied by the Hanseatc League whereby they dominated the Northern European trade routes. Many of the original old buildings have been restored and converted to little shops. There is a Hanseatisk Museum that gave lots of history and displayed many artifacts. Life was quite harsh in those early years. You can see the existing old buildings and style of architecture here.

We did take an inexpensive museum tour that was recommended in the Steve Ricks Tour book that was indeed stellar and worth 3 times what we paid. Our docent showed how the drying of cod and shipping of cod was big business in Norway hundreds of years ago. I believe this gal said she spoke 5 or 6 languages! I can't even speak Spanish!

We did not take any tours the cruise line offered because Bergen is such a modern city that it was easy to find a "hop-on, hop-off bus" for a few Norwegian Krone. We did take the funicular up to the top of Mount Floien to view the city of Bergen below. The fog would blow in an out, but it was an amazing spot to look out over. Bergan has universities, hospital, and many large businesses. It is second in size next to Oslo.

Getting Dressed Up

On cruises you have to pack a few nice things. For us beach folks, that requires a trip to the mall! The Queen Mary 2 was not exactly the same as the Carnival Line in that you even looked nice on "sea days." Poor Dan had to buy a lot of new things as his usual jeans and Shore Management polo shirt uniform was just not going to cut it. He is now the proud owner of a tux, a black suit and a navy sport coat. Now if we had bought that tux 5 cruises ago, we really would have gotten our money's worth! I told him we just have to go out more! He really looked great :)

It was kind of fun to get dressed up each night. Here are the rules if you want to eat in the dining room (which we did because we had already paid for it):

Elegant casual~ Jacket for men and dress, skirt, or trousers for ladies.

Semi-formal~ Jacket and tie for men and cocktail dress for women

Formal~ tux or black tie/suit for men and evening dress or formal attire for women.

Did you notice the word jeans was not on the list? Actually, it specifically says in the literature no jeans. Well, we wore them every time we got off the boat for our day cruises. It is hard to let those things go!

We had 5 elegant casual, 5 formal, and 1 semi-formal. Girls, that is a lot of make-up which I rarely put on since I retired!!!

There are photographers taking pictures all the time. We bought one to put in a scrapbook, but I bet we "threw-out" 3 dozen. Pictures are $25 each! My camera does just fine thanks!

I just had a thought! Now that Dan has a tux AND a black suit, he has something to wear to the upcoming wedding! Of course, I will have to BUY something in the "wedding colors!"

Honningsvaag-The Top of the World

This small city was by far my favorite! The population is 2,575. It is located at 71 N and is the northernmost city in Norway. You might think it would be very cold and desolate, but you would be wrong. The day we were there it was rainy and about 46F but comfortable. Again we had no sunrise or sunset. Because the ocean is ice free, it is rich with fisheries. This is a great spot to see the Aurora Borealis. The phenomenon is typically seen between September and May when the darkness enhances the lights. Obviously, being there when there was not dark, we were going to miss this great site.

A few of the homes had cod-drying racks on the outside walls. I cannot imagine living like this. I am too much of a princess! I wanted you to have one last chance to see the dry cod! Should I send Dan over to install a drying rack?

One little boy,who I think was Sami, was showing us the crab tanks where they kept fresh catch. He put on these huge gloves and would hold out the crabs for the tourists. We gave him some of our Kroners~we have no idea the worth of these coins, but it seems like a good cause. He was so cute! Reminded me of my 3rd graders.

They're Engaged!

We interrupt the tour of Norway to announce the engagement of Jay Timothy to Heidi Kirsten. They have been dating for about a year and Jay popped the question after asking for her parents blessing. I guess he got it, because he has given her a ring! He had the ring designed just for her, so it is a good thing she said "yes". I hear Heidi was not expecting the big question. He proposed up in the mountains of Big Bear while they were hiking, thus the scruffy, sporty look in the picture. The proposal was while we were on the cruise, so he let us know via email/text message, "She said yes!"

We have since gone out to dinner to celebrate the upcoming event which should be sometime next summer here in San Diego. Tomorrow night Dan and I are meeting her parents for the first time and we look forward to that. We are having them over for BBQ chicken~real beach food. Dan and I are both excited for Jay and we really like Heidi. Having two daughter-in-laws will be wonderful. We just wish Brian and Patience lived a bit closer, but Chicago is a fantastic city to visit.

Casino Night!

Oh what fun! I learned how to play Texas Hold'em and I actually won! I have never really played poker before and sure don't know what beats what. But, the tables are run electronically and each opening bid is $2. So, I put a big $50 on my electronic Gambling Card (enough to last the entire 11 days) and guarded it with my life.

You could raise or check or basically choose from the menu on your little

electronic computer in front of you. This was good because I don't know how to check and raise.

On days when we were at sea all day, they would hold tournaments that lasted about and hour. Dan actually came in second place and won $75.

Tournament people play kinda tough, but our little after dinner regulars played very fun. No cut-throats or bullies. Lots of laughs and jokes. The Englishman I am seated next to lost his wife several years ago and now he spends what seems like 3/4 of the year on cruises going around the world. He meets people as he goes and tells the most entertaining of stories. He was leaving our ship at the end of the trip and the re-boarding for another excursion to someplace new. They all know him well. He was such a delightful old guy. See all that daylight coming though the window? Well actually it is past midnight! In the end I won $37 above my $50 investment and had many hours of after dinner entertainment.

Tromso-The Arctic Ocean

At noon we officially crossed into the Arctic Ocean. It was quite windy and rainy, but the QM2 was stable and you would never know how nasty the weather was. For those of you who are geography nuts, Tromso is as far north as Barrow, Alaska. It was a drizzly 47F when we headed out for the Arctic Cathedral.

After viewing this very modern cathedral, we boarded our motor coach headed for Mt. Storsteien. To reach the top, we took a cable car. You could view the city below in between the fog that would glide by. After leaving this part of Tromso (Pronounced Trom-su), we continued driving around the city with an

excellent tour guide!! Norway has a zero unemployment rate! The other side, well everything is taxed at 25%! Lots of people need psychiatric assistance due to the limited light caused by the short days/long nights.

The native people are called the Sami and today they still herd reindeer. As a matter of fact, 10 families own all the reindeer in Norway. These animals are protected and each one has a chip that identifies its owner. If you should accidentally hit one of these animals as they cross the road, you will need to pay the family as much as $10,000. Hefty fine! We are here during the time when it is always daylight~it is weird having no sunrise or sunset.

Geirangerfjord and Stryne

Have you discovered that you can't pronounce the names of these cities yet? It was definitely a challenge. Sunrise was at 3:49 a.m. and it was a good thing that each of the cabins has blackout curtains. We left the ship at 8:45 a.m. for a full day up the Geirangerfjord. A fjord is an extension of the ocean so it has the same tide table. We learned so many little facts on the motor coach that took us first to the Stryne Valley. Too bad I will forget the majority of them. Retirement of the brain I guess. At the top of Stryne Valley we stopped for this amazing picture. The lake below is known as Deep Lake. We had a chance to eat, take pictures, and walk around before heading down to Geirangerfjord Park and then hop on a boat and motor up the fjord.

There are waterfalls everywhere! They come in all sizes and

shapes. This one is called the "Seven Sisters" because of the 7 falls running so close together. Some waterfalls seemed to come out of nowhere and yet they were pounding the ground. Sunset was at 11:18.

Stravanger, Norway

Norway is a land full of fjords. The Lysefjord was formed after the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago. We disembarked the QM2 and got on a small tour boat called Ronde Fjorde Cruise that took us up the Lysefjord along side sheer granite rock. We came up under the famous "Pulpit Rock". It was given that popular name because at the top there is a section of rock that sticks up like a pastor's pulpit. Apparently it is a "hiker's destination." No thanks! The scattered homes along the fjord edge have been handed down for generations. Those you see above would run about 700K in USD.

In the actual town of Stavanger, homes are narrow and built vertically. The streets are a kind of cobblestone and very narrow. Most things are built on hills. Along the dock we saw a replica of a Viking ship seen to your left.

One of the main exports in Norway is fish and they had a lot of dried cod in the local fish markets. The fish is just stacked in bins and people re-hydrate it to make soups etc. It reminded me of salt coated cardboard and smelled. Looked yucky to us, but so did a lot of the local fish.

It was a fantastic first day. The weather was a mild 50F and we had lots of sunshine. Sunrise was at 5:54 a.m. and sunset was at 10:35 p.m.

Norway , "The Land of the Midnight Sun"

As many of you know, Dan and I went to Norway this past June. I still don't have all the pictures edited, labeled, filed in iphoto, let alone have the scrapbook started. A friend mentioned just today of being tired of seeing "the fence" pictures in the last posting, so I thought I had better get to it. So, I guess I will begin a series on Norway.

Our trip began June 13 when we flew with our friends Pat and Carol from SD to Philly and from there to Heathrow, UK. Carol is a travel agent and she and her husband have asked us to go on trips for years, but alas as a teacher, my window of opportunity was limited. So finally this year we could say, " yes." After 13 hours in an economy class seat our tushes were sore and with all the excitement, we slept very little. Once in England we took a nice motor coach to Southhampton~ about 2 hours away with traffic to the Queen Mary 2 Cruise Terminal. I remember thinking, "Oh, goody, more time to sit," but the lull of the coach put me right to sleep. Boarding the QM2 was smooth and efficient, unlike other experience we have had when boarding ships.

This picture is actually at our first stop in Stavanger, Norway. You see Dan dwarfed by the QM2. This is a HUGE ship and very elegant. VERY British, from the service, food, decor, shows, etc. Next in the series will be more on Stavanger.

Fence Demolition

In 1977 when we bought our house there was an existing brick fence around the little 8 x 30 strip of lawn. In 1982, Dan tore out the crumbling brick fence and put up a wooden fence. We have a photo of Jay helping his dad "build" the fence all those years ago. He was 2 at the time.

So, 28 years have passed and we felt that we could no longer ignore that fact that we needed a new fence. We were a lawsuit just waiting to happen! If you leaned on the fence it would fall. Over the years, Dan has reinforced it with stakes, 2 x 4s and other clever means of support. The reason we did it now was because of the recent winter storms that finally blew down part of the fence that

was attached with our neighbors. Is this just awful or what?

Now we have a beautiful new fence that is sure to last another 28 years~long after Dan and I are dead or don't care anymore. I doubt if we would even own the property then. Guess you could say we have gotten our money's worth so far!

The Toothless Biker

At 8:30 a.m. on Friday, soon to be 15 year old Auggie, went to the Vet for his annual teeth cleaning. He does not brush his teeth with bones and isn't big on letting me dig around and brush his teeth, so alas, he has tartar build up, stinky breath, and general poor dental health.

Because he is so old, they had to do a Senior Blood Panel before the procedure. That is $135. On the day of the teeth cleaning he was whisked off to a kennel to wait (you can just bet how well that went over)!

I was to pick him up at 3:30, but they called to say, his temperature was low, so they had to warm him for awhile~ come at 5:30? So I did.

Upon arrival, I got the bill:

Anesthesia-minor 0 - 40 lbs (yes he is 12 lbs) cost: $76

Teeth cleaning cost: $95

Ward care cost: $17 - right, he was in a kennel!

Injection cost $28

IV Catheter/Fluids cost $67

Amoxidrops (antibiotic) cost $22.50

Extraction teeth minor cost: $16

Total cost for service was $321.50 plus the blood panel for a grand total of $456.50. Now, when

was the last time you had a "regular teeth cleaning appointment" and it cost you almost $500? And this for a DOG! They did send me home with his tooth in a baggie. What, I'm going to save this? I didn't even save my kids teeth!

He was brave though. Because of the tube down his throat, he has a rather raspy sounding bark. Due to the anesthesia, he wobbles and shakes when he walks, his lower eyelids droop, and basically he is confused, but that should subside soon. He has now lost a total of 6 teeth over the years. Four on top, and two on the bottom. He is a toothless wonder and if they suggest doggie dentures I will scream!

His tough boy leather jacket says Biker Dude and our neighbor gave it to him so he would be brave for his surgery. Note the little bandage on the paw where the IV was removed. OKAY...enough of this, today he ran down the street to visit the neighbor. So much for the "poor little wobbly me" syndrome.

Dan Goes Shopping

Dan will be 61 in December and since he was 18 he has worn either cords, jeans, flannels, or polo shirts to work. It is just who he is. Well, let me tell you we had quite a shopping experience today. Typically I do not shop with him because it takes forever to make a decision and we have to go to 4 different stores to "check everything out" and then we go back to the first store. I see what I need, get it and get out. Done deal, not so with Dan.

Our big cruise to Norway on the Queen Mary 2 is coming up and he has not 1 outfit suitable to wear to dinner! I kid you not...except for the jeans for the off shore excursions he doesn't have much to put in a suitcase. Eleven days is a LONG time with nothing appropriate to wear.

So we bought a tux--I had no idea that if you wear a tux twice it is about the same cost of renting it, but then you own it. Man, we should have done this a LONG time ago. Anyway, he looks SO good in that cumber bun and bow tie :). Then we bought a black suit with an assortment of shirts and ties. We have 2 formal and 4 dressy (elegant) dinners where coats and ties are mandatory. He is set! Then there are 5 elegant casual and that means open collar shirt with coat. So we got more shirts and a navy coat to go with Dockers. I'm telling you the man looks GOOD! Everything will be tailored to fit and all I need to do is wash the shirts.

About the shirts~ you won't believe this: one is a blue, yellow and white plaid button down collar, one is a gray button down and the third is a peach color with light blue lines running though it. They sound weird I know, but they are great look on him. So when I start posting pictures from the cruise, just be prepared! He says his closet will rival his son Brian's now! Dan in a suit coat for dinner!!

So after we got the stuff I reminded him that these items cannot go in the surfing duffle bag he takes everywhere. That means a piece of luggage to buy! Aya!!! Well, tomorrow he leaves on his annual golf trip/tournament to Mesquite, NV with the his "12 men friends." When he gets back at the end of the week, he will have to think about the suitcase issue.

One Final Hike

Hidden away in Princeville is a hike that winds its way down to rocky cliffs known as the Queen's Bath. It is just beautiful! There is a pool of clear water surrounded by the lava rock and very secluded. We hiked down on our last day for a sunset view. It was spectacular and one last opportunity to get bitten by mosquitoes. Heidi won the prize for the most bites with Patience and Brian right behind. I was lucky enough to only have 3 if you can believe that! This picture was taken just after the sun set. Brian and Patience hiked down to it. By the time they made it back to

the top it was pitch black. Don't they look relaxed?