Our Summer and Fall of 2017

Today being June 1, Dave and I went to visit and stay at our friends home in La Mesa, California. Vittorio and Bianca are wonderful people and it is always a joy to be around them. They are Italian and Bianca is a wonderful cook. Vittorio used to race and ride bikes and swims everyday. This couple are in their 80's and have traveled all over the world. It is always interesting to hear them talk of their adventures and places they use to live. When we arrived, she had pie for us and we sat on the patio overlooking a valley. Such a beautiful view. We talked and then Dave and I took our luggage to the guest room. Then it was appetizer time and cocktails. Later a 3 course meal plus desert and alcohol then espresso. I was so full I couldn't eat another bite and I was miserable. I needed to try everything and it amounted to more than I usually eat. It made Bianca happy to cook for someone other than her and Vittorio. Around 9:30pm we retired for the night. We told her we don't eat much for breakfast, hoping she wouldn't make a lot. So Dave and I retired to our room and couldn't sleep because we were so full so we played games on our tablets. About an hour we finally said we needed to sleep. The next morning Dave was up early and went out to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. Bianca was out there cooking up a storm!!!! Yeesh!!! Dave came back to the room and warned me. She would have fixed us anything we wanted if we asked her too. I didn't want to insult her but told her I was still full from last night and I would have some fruit and oatmeal. Dave had eggs, bacon and sausage and can't remember what else. Needless to say we didn't go hungry. After breakfast we packed up and told them we had to get back to our friends house as we were helping them with their boat. So we thanked them for their wonderful hospitality and promised to see them again on our way back to Mexico. We arrived back at Phil and Creela's and the guys took the boat to the lake to make sure everything was running and I stayed and chatted with Creela. When the guys returned they said everything worked great. They are thinking of coming down to Bahia in October and bringing the boat. Phil is still a little reserved about going back to Bahia since his stroke, and there are things he isn't going to be able to do anymore and it doesn't please him. So we will have to wait and see. Today is Cameron's 2 year birthday. Cameron belongs to my youngest son, Jonathan. Happy Birthday!!!! Creela, Phil and us went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. We paid for their meal as they have done so much for us and it is the least we could do. We had a wonderful dinner and then came back to the house. We watched a little TV then we all retired for the night. We to the trailer outside and Creela and Phil to their room. If it wasn't for the trailer we would have no place to sleep as their granddaughter is living with them and sleeps in their spare room. Kathrine owns a flower shop and works late on many occasions or she goes out with her friends so we don't see that much of her. Saturday Dave and I did our own thing as Creela and Phil will be gone to their grandsons birthday party tonight. We decided to eat at Janet's Restaurant. We had breakfast there with friends the other day and knew they had good food. We came back to the house after eating and watched TV and when Creela and Phil returned they told us about the party. We are leaving in the morning so we said our goodbyes before we all went to bed, just in case we didn't see them before we left. We had some coffee then next morning and Phil and Creela were up so we were able to tell them how much we appreciated everything and we would see them when we come back in September/October. We didn't have any plans on where we were going to stay for the night. We just figured when Dave gets tired we will look for a Best Western off the highway. We are going up 5 as it is quicker. We stopped at the BW Santa Nella off the grapevine. Next morning we headed out early and went as far as Ashland, Oregon. We were looking for the BW we stayed at last year that had a cool room above the gym. We looked and drove around and couldn't find it. It was getting late so we stopped at a convenience store and asked where the BW Hotel was. They said a name and I said yes, so they gave instructions. We got to that BW, which we didn't recognize and went inside to see how much their rooms were. Well we ended up asking if there was another BW around as it was a little too expensive for one night. So they told us it was the Windsor and gave us directions. We thanked them and headed for the Windsor. That was the place we stayed last year. We got a room which was really nice, but not our favorite one over the gym. We got settled and walked over to the restaurant and had dinner. Then headed back to the room and relaxed getting ready for another long day of driving and riding in the truck. Next we traveled to the BW at Seaside. We are almost to Washington! We will be in Silverdale on the 7th. As you noticed we enjoy staying at Best Western Hotels. They are usually reasonably priced. We got their last King room with a view so that was special. We went for a walk on the beach and then back to our room to relax and chill. Later we didn't feel like driving anywhere for dinner, but did notice their was a coffee shop down across from the lobby of the hotel. So we thought we would try it out. We had a good dinner and we talked with the owner and his wife for a while. They had just renovated the place from being a dark Pub. They made it bright and colorful and had it was set up so people could watch TV or they could sit around the fireplace and talk. It was really nice. After that we went back to the room to relax. We arrived in Silverdale at the Oxford Suites Hotel and had to wait for our room to be ready. So we left and grabbed some lunch across the street. When we returned our room was ready. We got settled as we will be here for 3 nights. Then we head to my oldest son's house on Saturday the 10th. While at the Oxford Suites, we did some running around and stopping at the Brownsville Marina to see some friends. We called another one of our friends so we could meet with them to see if they would offer up their boat again this summer. When we met their was no mention about us staying on the boat so we thought we would wait and see what happens after we get back from staying with my oldest son, Ernie. There might be some other possibilities. There had been a couple ideas floating around so we will check them out later. On Saturday the 10th we picked our grandson E.J. up at the airport. He flew in for his brothers graduation. It was so good to see him and he is all grown up. He is stationed at the Air Force base in New Jersey. After we waited a long time for his golf clubs to show up-----he didn't have a case for them so they were wrapped in plastic, and came down the conveyer belt, we went to lunch. Then we headed to his Dad's house. Everyone was so excited to see him!!! He gets to stay for a week. We are staying at Ernie's until after the graduation. Then we will go back to Bremerton to figure out where we are going to spend the summer. We are so proud of Eian for graduating. He had struggled all his life in school and did not go to school for many days off and on. So I am thrilled Ernie was able to get custody of him when he did. Eian has excelled in sports, especially football and he has brought his grades up a bunch. He signed up with the Army recruiter before graduation so about a month after he graduates he will be off to boot camp. He is going to have a rough time of it as he has said many times he doesn't like rules!!!! Heheheh!! It will be good for him. E.J. tried to get him to sign with the Air Force but Eian had trouble getting a high enough score for a decent job. But since Eian was about 4 he has always said he wanted to go into the Army and be a policeman. Well he still wants to be a policeman and the only place he could is through the Army. So he is committed now. Graduation was nice and rather short. We went outside the area in Everette, Washington, the same place E.J. graduated 2 years ago, and we took pictures. Unfortunately I don't have the pictures of Eian at graduation as they were on my phone that took a swim. Hohum!!! Brooke and Ernie had a graduation party for him where family and friends were invited. He received a lot of cash and a few gift cards. He was excited to get the money he received in the bank. We stayed until Sunday the 18th and left for Bremerton. E.J. is flying out tomorrow, Monday to go back to New Jersey and then he told us he will be stationed in Kuwait for 6 months. That kind of unnerved us women for a bit until Dave and Ernie, who were both in the Air Force, mentioned that the type of job he is doing will not be dangerous. He is going there to repair electronic gear for the Marines at their base in Kuwait. He asked to go and we are very proud of him. He will do wonders!!!!!! After Eian's graduation there was a hiccup, more than normal, with his dad, and since Eian thought he could do what he wanted and didn't have to answer to anyone now he was graduated, his dad finally told him that if he didn't like the rules of the house then he should leave. That is what Eian did. He has a school buddy, he was hanging with, which is a bad influence on him, but Eian considered him his best friend, so he went to live with his friend and mom. Needless to say, he was heading down a path of no return and we were all afraid he wouldn't make his commitment to leave for boot camp on the 30th of July. Ernie and Brooke stepped in to talk with Eian's recruiter to let him know the mind set of Eian, Since it is the recruiters job to watch over those who have signed up under him, So Eian was watched like a hawk to make sure he straightened up. There is a lot to this story that goes way back to when he lived with his mom, but it is in the past and now and we are going to see a new Eian when he emerges from boot and basic training. We got back to Bremerton and talked with a friend that was trying to convince her mother to let us rent her townhouse while she was in Philadelphia. Well her mom said no as she wanted to come back to Bremerton for the summer. So that plan was blown out of the water. Ernie and Brooke had told us we could stay with them, but I told her it isn't a good idea to have family members stick around for a long time!!!!! It was so sweet of them though. We really appreciated the offer. We did eventually ask our friends if they had any plans for their boat this summer as we were wondering if we could stay on it again this summer. Well we met and talked over the situation and they said they wanted to use the boat for a couple times and it all worked out because those times we were going to be at Ernie's babysitting. So we were thrilled to have a place to stay. We felt blessed. So while we were in Bremerton we made good use of the time and had doctor appointments and did some shopping as we both had a list of things to bring back. We met with friends and enjoyed being back in the Brownsville Marina. I had my blood drawn for cholesterol check so I could find out what it is before going to see the doctor. On the 2nd of July we took off for Marysville where Ernie lives. While we were in Marysville we took an offer from Brooke's sister, Lindsey to house sit and care for their old dog. They didn't want to have to board the dog for 9 days while they went to Hawaii for vacation. We met with them a couple days before they left to get the lowdown on feeding their dog and where food was and all that. They took off for Hawaii and we moved in on the 6th. Rocky, the dog is a sweetheart and loved the attention we gave him. Lindsey has 2 boys and they are a busy family coming and going so Rocky doesn't get a lot of attention. He sleeps most of the time, but we were able to play with him and he loved it. I had brought a sewing project with me so I turned their mother-in-law room into a sewing and exercise room. Lindsey and family came back on Friday the 14th late, and after cleaning up the house, we left that afternoon and went back to Ernie and Brookes. Brooke is leaving for Cheer Camp on the 17th so we figured we might as well just stay there. Brooke is a high school English teacher and also is a Cheer Coach. So she is always busy. Since I hadn't seen our other two grandsons, Cameron and Jonathan Jr, Jon's boys, I thought it would be a great idea to have them come to Ernie's house and play with Conor. Let's just say it didn't go too smoothly at first. Ernie and Brooke have a new Husky puppy and she is wild and doesn't behave very well. We had her in her kennel when we brought the boys back to the house. But when we let her out she went wild. Cameron is afraid of dogs and it took a while to get everyone and the dog settled down. Cameron was able to pet Denali (that is the dogs name) and relax a little. But it was hectic and I didn't want to admit that maybe it was too much to handle with the 3 boys (toddlers) and a hyper puppy and Diego, their old dog. He is pretty mellow though. Well needless to say it all worked out and the boys did have fun together. We fed the boys and then strapped them into their car seats and off we went to meet Jon and Susannah to give them back their boys. We waited for a while and found out that they were having dinner at the restaurant where we met and picked the boys up that morning. We got Cameron and Jonathan Jr. transferred to Jon's car, and then his car wouldn't start. Come to find out he had been having trouble with it all day. So Susannah took the boys home in a cab and Jon stayed with the car to wait for the toe truck. All this time Conor was just happy as a clam in his car seat babbling away and interacting with the boys and Susannah. After everyone was taken care of, we headed back to Ernie's house with Conor in the back seat. He was laughing and babbling all the way home. I tried to talk to him like a minnion and it was so funny as I would say something using gibberish language and he would answer back. We did that for a few minutes and just split a gut laughing. Conor is a hoot!!!! When we got to the house, we already had Conor ready for bed so when it was his bed time we put him to bed. Whew!!!! What a day!! But I loved seeing the boys play together. Ernie and Brooke were gone on a fishing trip to Hoodsport, Oregon, where her grandfather always books this trip every year for the family to get some fish. This was Brooke's first fishing trip. She wasn't sure if she would like it. Sunday the 16th Ernie and Brooke got home in the afternoon. Brooke had to unpack from the 2 day fishing trip and then pack for the week at cheer camp. Wow!!! Monday morning Brooke left for camp and Ernie was working. So we had Conor and Brody watch!!! Wednesday Ernie got 2 extra tickets for a Sounders Soccer game in Seattle and he invited us to go. So it was Brody, Conor, Ernie and us. What a night of fun!!!!! We got home late and the boys went right to bed and Ernie and us stayed up a little to unwind, then went to bed. Brooke was due to get home in the afternoon on Friday, and Ernie was going to be home with the boys so we went back to Brownsville as Dave had an 11:00 doctor appointment. Today is my sweet niece, Kathy's birthday!!!!! Happy Birthday!!!! Tuesday I had my doctor appointment and I had already found out the results of my cholesterol check. It went up. Not good. So the doc and I talked about what to do. I have been on a statin for quite a while and it seemed to be working pretty well and since last year it went up from 250 to 256. So I asked what we could do and he said he didn't want to raise the miligrams on the one I was taking as I was already taking 40, because the side effects would be more present, so he said he would like to start me on Lipitor. Well I wasn't too happy about that because I had heard so many bad side effects from people who were taking it. But my doctor said he had to prescribe that first before any other. So he started me off on 20 miligrams and gave me 6 weeks to see if it was going to work. I figured since the other people that had complained about it had been on a higher dose I would give it a try. Sure hope it does the trick. Everything else checked out fine and I got my pneumonia shot for older people and when the flu shot comes out I will get that. After we arrived in Bremerton we took our Toyota Tacoma truck into get it's mileage check-up and while we were waiting for it one of the sales person was talking with Dave as Toyota had a special trade in deal going on. So we figured we would hear what they had to say and Dave told the guy what he was looking for and they said they had a Toyota Tundra the color we wanted and the certain features in it. So we took a look and went for a test drive and liked it. But we really didn't think it was possible for us to get it. But we told them to run the numbers anyway. Well they did and we walked out owning a new 2017 Toyota Tundra truck. We wanted to get a bigger truck so we could haul a travel trailer but didn't think it would be this soon. Well there again---God provides. They won't have any trouble selling the Tacoma as it is only 2 years old and in really good shape and you see a lot of them on the road. Plus we had put a canopy on it which is a selling point. So we are happy. The only thing I have had to adjust too are the wider seats but with the lumbar support it isn't too bad. So now we have to crunch numbers in our bank account to see if we can afford to get a canopy for it. We can do it so we went to the canopy place and placed an order which will come in about 3 weeks or so. Now we will have more room to store things heading back south. We also made an appointment to get the protective coating on the truck and windshield so after my doctor appointment we took the truck back to Toyota and left it and got a rental so they could put the coating on. We picked the truck up the next day. After getting it, Dave noticed that the outside of the truck didn't have the smooth coating on it like the show room one did and so Dave called the Toyota guys and said he didn't think it had been done. So they said to bring it back and sure enough it hadn't been. They just did the windshield. They tried to tell us that it wasn't supposed to be done and we showed them the paperwork where we had paid for it so we better get it done. So we took it in early the next day and got it back late afternoon and this time it had been done. It looks so nice. We can't wash it for a few days to let everything dry. I got my eye exam done to see how far the cataracts have grown and my doctor said they were ready and I could be scheduled for a consultation with the surgeon. Well I told her I would have to wait as we will be heading back to Mexico in September. I know it is a process through the whole thing since Dave had it done so there wasn't enough time right now. The doctor said to notify her in the spring and she will set me up with a referral to have my eyes evaluated and then see when I can get the surgery done. So next year. I will be so happy after it is done as I am really having a hard time seeing small print and small needlework stuff. I have had to give up on the cross stitch dragon I was working on for Dave. I messed it up pretty bad and it didn't help that the background was black and there were a lot of dark colors in it. So after I get my sight back I will do a different one. I don't drive long distances either as it is hard for me to read the road signs far enough in advance. I really do appreciate those who have trouble with their sight and sympathy for those who have none. I am thankful for what I have and glad it can get better. Today, July 30th,. Eian was supposed to leave for boot camp but got delayed a day. He called us and we had a wonderful talk with him. He is looking forward to getting the boot camp done and becoming an Military Policeman. We wished him well and told him that even though it is going to be rough for him in boot camp, to just put his head down and charge through it. I am so glad we got a chance to talk to him. The next day he was on a plane to Missouri. It is going to be hot there. We've been staying on our friends 38 foot sailboat, a Hunter, and taking care of things like filling the water tank. Dave went somewhere so I went ahead and hooked the hose and water filter up and connected the other end of the hose to the dock water spigot. Then got back on board the boat and grabbed the other end of the hose to bring it along the deck to the water fill hole. I let go of it for a minute to open up the hatch, secure it so I could unscrew the water fill cap to start filling. As I headed to grab the hose to position it so it wouldn't go anywhere when I went back to the dock to turn the water on, the hose moved and my phone that was in my shallow shorts pocket fell overboard into the water. That was a revolting situation. All my pictures on my phone, which I hadn't transferred to my computer yet, were on it and all my contacts. That sucks!!! Well there wasn't anything I could do about it as once it hits bottom it gets buried into the silt so I was without a phone. Our budget was getting tight with buying the new truck and canopy that I didn't need to have to pay for another phone. I continued to fill the water tank and put everything away and when Dave got home I told him what happened. Well he wasn't happy about that either but we went down to AT&T and told them what happened and I was due for an upgrade. So I got another phone and this time I got a waterproof case to put it in. I vowed I would not put the phone in my pocket again when I am outside the boat. I had to set up my contacts and all which is a pain in the butt, but I am all set now. I will be able to take more pictures of family so I will at least have some pictures of our summer. It's amazing how we can learn something without even trying. Ha! It is the first weekend in August where my best girlfriend and I are going away. We decided to head north to some quilt shops and goodwill stores and work our way south. Judy booked us a 2 night stay in a hotel so we didn't have to worry about having to find a place to stay each night. We were only going to be gone from Friday to Sunday. We had a great time as we always do and she took me to the Cheese Factory restaurant one night for dinner. I thought we could share a dessert but she said no!!!! They were too good to share. So I got a slice of lemon meringue cheesecake and it was to die for!!!!! I ate the whole thing!!!! I thought I wouldn't be able to finish it and I would take the rest home. Well for one, we still had a couple days left and it wouldn't stay fresh and the other is it was too good to not eat it all!!!! We put a lot of miles on us and the car but had a ball doing it. Sunday she dropped me back at the marina and said goodbye. We are back in Marysville again at my son Ernie's house. He and Brooke are taking an anniversary trip to Windsor, California for some wine tasting and seeing some of our family. They had a great trip and we had fun with the grandsons, Brody and Conor. Saturday Dave and I were scheduled to go back to Bremerton for the wine festival so Brooke made arrangements with one of her cheerleader gals to watch Conor for the day. We left and had to wait 2 hours to get on the Edmond/Kingston ferry, and traffic to the ferry was a bear!!! The wine festival started at 2:00pm and we were an hour late but we made it. It was difficult to find a place to park close, but Dave did find a spot within walking distance. It was a warm afternoon but not as hot as it was last year at this time. We tasted a number of wines and picked out our favorites. When we were finished we went to a room to pick up the ones we liked and paid for them. We were lucky our favorites were still available. We walked back to the car and headed back to the ferry. We finally got to my son's house around 9:00pm. Conor was in bed already and it seemed everything went well. We paid and thanked her and she left. I don't think we will plan next years wine festival for us to be in Marysville! Ernie and Brooke came home on Monday and said they had a great time and they were able to see my sister and her husband which was nice. We left the next day to go back to the Marina in Brownsvile. Today, the 16th of August is Brooke and Ernie's wedding anniversary. They are celebrating 3 years! I brought with me some of my craft and art items to sell so I invited the Brownville Marina and friends to come take a look. Well it was a bust as only about a handful of my friends came. Wrong weekend to be doing it as most people are going away to get ready to see the Solar Eclipse in Oregon. Well I will just have to have another one later. Our grandson Conor turns 2 years old today!!!! Yahoo!!!! He enjoyed all the hubbub for him on his day. Lots of family and some friends came to wish him a happy birthday. Oh and he has already started the terrible 2's!!!!! Ha!! I got a really nice surprise today. Ernie asked if we wanted to be on the Sounders soccer field for opening day ceremonies and I asked what we would be doing. He said he didn't care. So I said yes!!! How exciting. Then I found out that Brooke and Dave will be watching from the stands and drinking. It would be just Ernie and I on the field. Opening day was the 27th of August and when we got to the stadium in Seattle, Ernie jumped out of the car and yelled for me to follow him while Brooke got behind the wheel to find a parking place. Yeesh!!!!! My body doesn't do well with sitting for a while and then having to run to get in line for the ceremony. But I made it and someone came around and took out names and we were put in the group to carry flags. Ernie and I were side by side. We were escorted inside the stadium floor and told to stand in line according to how we would be going onto the field. So we did that and for about an hour. Some people had flags to carry, others had the huge American Flag to open and some others had the Sounders logo banner. There were 2 people in front of Ernie so we just followed each other onto the field. After standing there, we got instructions on what we were going to do. We were to come onto the field from under the stadium follow the person in front of us and stand in a row. We would then turn and face the field then when a certain note was played we turned to our right and walked out to the edge of the red carpet where the players would enter the field on. We then turned to our left to face where the Sounder banner was to be unfolded and held. When that was unfolded and stretched out we had another cue to turn to our right looking down the other side of the field toward where the huge American Flag was to be unfolded and held while the the national anthem was played. Then everyone turned toward where we came from and exited the field. It was really fun and quite exciting to be able to be part of the ceremony. There was a break of an hour from practice until game time so Ernie and I went across the street from the stadium and joined Brooke and Dave at a pub and had a quick meal. Then Ernie and I dashed back to the stadium to get free shirts to wear and keep. Quite a night!!! Well since my birthday was a couple days away, Ernie and Brooke got a baby sitter and took Dave and I to dinner at the Tulalip Casino. The restaurant, Black Fish, was their favorite restaurant. We walked into the casino and into the restaurant. Really a nice place. The food was wonderful and after dinner they asked if we wanted desert and Dave and I said no, but Brooke and Ernie said something to the waitress and she brought out a small round cake with a candle in it. How sweet and very special. After dinner we walked around the casino and Dave and I looked for the game we liked playing in Reno. We finally found it but unfortunately we didn't win anything. But we only lost $20.00. Brooke and Ern didn't have any luck either. It was a great birthday dinner celebration and I was touched!!!! Next day was my birthday and there was a lot going on at the house. Ernie and Brooke were setting up a fantasy football team and they had Brooke's mother and grandfather there. It was a little crazy, but with all that Ernie and Brooke still made it a special time for me. They gave me a couple lockets from Orgami Owl which I love very much, and Dave made his wonderful carbonara dinner for Brooke and Ernie. We had left over cake from Conor's birthday so Brooke cut a piece and put a candle in the middle of it and Conor helped me blow out the candle. Very special. It was time for us to go back to Bremerton so we left the next day. We didn't know if we would see them all again before we left for Mexico so we said our farewells and gave big hugs and kisses to the boys!!!! What a great summer we have had. Ron and Noreen were taking their boat on a Brownsville Yacht cruise and invited us to go with them. Well I rode on the boat going to Tacoma while Dave had a doctor appointment at 2:00. It was a beautiful clear day and the sky line of Seattle and Mount Rainer was gorgeous. Dave made plans to drive to Noreen's sister's house and park the truck there then Jan took Dave down to the marina where they joined us for cocktails. So everything worked out great. The weather was beautiful and warm. I called and left a message with Jon letting him know we were in Tacoma at the marina and if we could get together that would be great. The next day Noreen had made arrangements with the LeMay Car Museum not far from the marina. We walked to the main street and on the way saw some beautiful and amazing glass art. We passed the Glass Museum. We took the trolley and walked up the street to the museum. What a great museum. I took lots of pictures. Here are some favorites. After all of us went through we walked to a restaurant close by and had lunch. Then we all walked to the Almond Roca factory. Dave and I bought a couple things and when everyone had bought their goodies to take home, we walked to the trolley and went back to the marina. It was a fun day. Then we had happy hour with margaritas on the dock and enjoyed visiting with everyone. That evening all of the people who were on the cruise walked to a restaurant down the street from the marina for dinner. It was a a nice little pub diner. We had a great dinner and needed the walk back to the marina!!! We had breakfast on the dock and Jon had called yesterday to say he and the boys would be at the marina Saturday afternoon. Michael, Dave's son and David our grandson were to come down on Sunday morning. After we had gotten back from the car museum Jon showed up and Dave and I met them at the entrance to the marina. Dave said hi and gave the boys hugs and kisses then had to go back down and help a lady that had a problem with water on her boat. So Jon and I had the boys, Cameron and Jonathan Jr., run around and play the musical instruments they had there which were pipes of different lengths, and walked to a park not far away then walked back a little past the marina where there was a big sand box and lots of things to climb on. The boys had fun and after awhile you could tell they were getting tired and hungry. So Jon told the boys they were going to go home. I called Dave and had him come up to say goodbye. We don't see Jon and the boys very often so I try every chance I get to spend some time with them. We all hugged and said goodbye. Jon told me later that Cameron, he's 2, fell asleep in the car right away. They don't live far from the Marina. Jonathan Jr. was able to have a snooze too. He is 3 but doesn't take naps. Ha!! There was a Mexican theme for dinner so everyone brought what they had made and we all ate heartily. Some went to bed early, some of us, not mentioning any names, went to a friends boat and had drinks and a fun time. Sunday morning Michael, my stepson and his son David, came to visit. We were just finishing up breakfast and having fun teasing David and having a good time with him and Michael. Everyone was getting ready to head back to Brownsville, so we helped Ron and Noreen pack and clean up. I told them I would ride back with Dave. We left out bags on board and said we would meet them back at the marina to get them. Michael was on his way to take David back to his moms, so he took us to our truck and then we said goodbye. Dave and I got back to Brownsville and meet Ron and Noreen. We off loaded our stuff and thanked them for inviting us as we had a wonderful time. Time to have another blood draw to check cholesterol. Since we are leaving to head back south, I needed to get a flue shot too. I got my results from the blood draw and the Lipitor is working. My cholesterol was down 6 points!!!!! That is the lowest it has been like forever!!!!! So no side effects and I am good to go. Got my 6 month supply of meds and Dave did too. Then on the 7th of September I got my flu shot. Today is my niece Sheila's birthday and my 12 year old grandson Dominick. Happy Birthday!!! I had made plans with Jon to meet up with him and the boys at a park in Tacoma by the Tacoma Narrows bridge on Saturday the 9th. Ernie and Brooke were wanting to come too. But unfortunately Brody had a game and after it was over it would be too late. Plus it rained that morning so we had to change plans. Jon suggested the Children's museum right by the marina where we were but they were closed. I was bummed as I haven't been there and wanted to see it. Well Jon had another good idea and that was a bounce house in Tacoma near his house. So we met them there. It is free if you don't have a party there, but time is limited to an hour. Hey-----I'll take what I can get!!! The boys had been playing on the bounce equipment and when they saw us, they came over for a hug and then wanted us to follow them and watch. I wanted to go down a slide with Cameron, but when I got to the top, he didn't wait so I had to go by myself!!!! Oh well. It was fun. I wanted to go with Jonathan Jr. but he was too busy playing with other kids in another bounce house. When 30 minutes went by a whistle blew and it was time to leave the room we were in and go to an adjacent one. There was a birthday party booked and they were coming into the room we were leaving. The next room had things for bigger kids but we were able to get Cameron and Jonathan Jr to go down the big slide. It took a little coaxing for both of them but they did it and then there was no stopping them. After 30 minutes it was time to go. We were being ousted!!! The birthday party was moving into that room. So we walked out side and said goodbye to the boys and Susannah and Jon. It was nice to see Susannah as we didn't get to see her last time. We told the boys this was the last time they would see us until next year. Jonathan Jr. was a little sad and Cameron just said o.k. and he was gone. Ha!!! What a fun time with everyone. I am glad we were able to get together. Our time is getting short and as usual we get invited to go to dinner. We attended the installation of the outgoing and incoming Commodore of the Yacht Club. It was a nice dinner which was pot luck and a short installation. Saturday the 16th we met Laurie and Gary, the people who own the sailboat we were living on, for dinner. We went to HopJack's Pub in Silverdale. Had a nice visit and dinner and then said our goodbye and thanks. We met good friends at a Mexican restaurant in Poulsbo and had some good food, laughs and fun. Ron and Noreen organized a little go away party for us up in the marina part. It was a fun night and we really enjoyed having everyone there. I wore my minion shirt with my minion necklace. Even though we have been packing all along, today is the load up the truck packing. It was threatening to rain but we managed to get done just in time. The bed of the truck is full!!!! We are now ready to leave in the morning. It is time to go as the weather is changing and rain is here. Ugh!!! The rain doesn't bother us it is the cooler temperatures. Noreen and Ron had a gathering for us in the club house to wish us farewell. That was so sweet!!! We have such a loving marina family. A lot of people showed up and we had a great time. Morning is here and we are hitting the road. Noreen had to work this morning but we said goodbye to her last night and Ron we hugged and thanked them both for everything. We are headed to McMinnville, Oregon to meet up with my niece Sandi. We couldn't stay overnight but we were able to have a nice lunch. She looks great and we had a few laughs. After lunch we said goodbye and we were off heading for California. We stayed in Crescent City for the night. We called and talked to our friends Robert and Kristi that live in Brookings, Oregon, and they were there. Since we hadn't seen them for a long time we decided to head back to Oregon. They live just over the border. They had sold their house so we couldn't stay with them but they met us for lunch at one of their favorite spots. We had a nice catching up visit and then we said goodbye. We were trying to find a Best Western hotel in Fort Bragg and we drove all through the town looking and ended up back tracking and finally found it. It was on a hill up from the main road tucked back above an estuary. We got a room on the top floor and we made it just in time as we got the last room they had. It really was a nice quiet place and we liked it a lot. It was within walking distance of the glass beach, but I didn't fell like walking the distance to and from so we drove down there. I got some really nice pieces and some interesting extras. I also got caught unexpectedly by a wave and got my shoes and pant legs wet. The water was warm though so it wasn't too bad. Back at the room I put my wet shoes and pants out to dry and washed my treasures and put them on a table to dry. I stood outside on our deck and looked out onto the estuary and was enjoying the warm sunshine. Then I took a walk across the street to a small cemetery. A lot of the tombstones were of veterans who fought in the 2nd world war and Vietnam. I always find it interesting perusing old cemeteries. After walking around the whole thing, I went back to our room and sat outside for a little while just enjoying the sun. Dave and I were a little hungry but not enough to go out to eat so we got some jerky from the vending machine and we had some cheese with us and that was our dinner. The next morning we went to breakfast at a local restaurant and afterward drove down to the glass beach again so I could get more goodies before heading south to my sisters. There were fires not long ago in northern California and we saw evidence of where it burned trees along the redwood highway. The camps still had some items there but everyone was dispersing. What a horrible year for fires. There was a huge one in Canada where smoke and ash reached us in Washington, then Oregon and eastern Washington had fires and then California and Montana. Yikes!!! Even with all the rain Washington, Oregon and California had, it didn't do any good for the dry hot conditions this summer. We arrived at my sisters house in Ukiah, California on the 21st. Originally we were going to see my niece Kathy and her husband Bruce and my nephew Sterling and his wife, but Kathy had to have surgery so that was a big bummer. It has been so long since we have seen each other and we thought this was the year. Well we will keep trying. Had a nice visit with my sister, and family and then Sunday we left for Santa Cruz to visit friends. Happy Birthday to my sweet and dear friend of 30 some years!!!!! Enjoy many more!! We stayed a couple days with our friends and then headed for San Diego. We stayed with our friends Creela and Phil and also got to visit with more of our friends, Lynn and Tom. Creela and Phil and us had dinner over at Tom and Lynn house. What a great visit we had. Then another night we met with our friends Bianca and Vittorio and went to dinner in Le Mesa and afterward walked around the street fair. Tried on some crazy but cool sunglasses. Didn't by them though. We enjoyed our time them and then it was time to say goodbye. They will be coming to Bahia in November so that will be something to look forward to. We headed back to Phil and Creela's place. We left their place on the 3rd of October and will be home that night. We crossed the border at Mexicali and had a smooth and quick crossing. We got to the house late afternoon. We unpacked just what we needed for the night and did the rest the next day. The weather is hot and beautiful. We are all unpacked and the weather is so nice at night we have been sitting on the deck after dinner to watch the stars and enjoy the coolness. We can't watch TV yet as our receiver needs to be reset by out friend. So we emailed her and we should be all set in a couple days. In the meantime we are getting things ready for our gate guard to start pouring cement for the garage floor. There was a slab already there, but it wasn't big enough so Tito is adding another slab. We have ordered the supplies and he will start early in the morning on the 9th. At 7:00 we heard Tito outside getting everything ready and Dave went down and pulled the generator over to where the pad is so Tito could use it to get water from the pila we have out there for cement. So the project has started!!! We found the new truck doesn't fit in the house garage. Dave has been talking about a new garage for a while and it is going to happen. It will be nice to have the truck and boat in there. Tito did a wonderful job on the cement floor and now we just have to let it dry and set. We are waiting for cement blocks to come in. They have been ordered but the supplies come from Ensenada. So for now the project is on hold. I have been reading and working on the angels I am making for a nursing home in Poulsbo, Washington for delivery next summer. I am donating these angels. Every week they play bingo and hand out prizes so these angels will be the prizes. I hope it makes them smile. I need a total of 200. Our friends, Dennis and Rainy, the ones we visited in Santa Cruz, threw a big party for a friend of their who was turning 80 and also from Santa Cruz. Dave and I were invited and they always have a great party. They got a girl pinata, had tequila and shot glasses that lit up when filled with liquid. There were a lot of people, a band, and a local taco lady and family making fish and beef tacos with all the trimmings. It was fun and there was a lot of food. People brought appetizers and there were several cakes and desserts. People danced and had a great time. Rainy and Dennis know how to put on a great party. They are in their 70's and are a lot of fun to be around. It was about 8:00pm when people started leaving so we headed back home. This morning, the 24th, we headed for Guerrero Negro to get some money. We are running short with having to pay for Tito and his work, water and of course groceries. We went their, got our money, stopped at the hardware store to see if they had what Dave was looking for, but they didn't and then came back home. Quick trip. We are still waiting for cement to get here from Ensenada. Tito has had a few jobs away which is good so he can continue to get money. Today, the 27th is my youngest son and his wife's 5th Wedding Anniversary!!!! Congrats!! Guess who turned 70 today!!!!! Dave!!! Wow he just doesn't seem to be that old!!!! Heheheheheh!! I'm 5 years behind him. I hope he lives a long and healthy life so we can enjoy traveling together and the rest of our lives!!!! He is a wonderful man and I am so thankful and blessed to have him. We attended a Halloween party this evening and Dave was dressed nicely with his fedora hat and I was a Christmas Elf. Not scary to say???? Well you bet I am as people aren't ready to have anything to do with Christmas!!! It was fun and the costumes were great!!!