Mary and I headed to the gym for our twice-weekly workouts. After all the dancing we did yesterday, we needed some time to get readjusted. After the workout, we went to CVS, where Mary got some cold medicine. While she was inside, I asked Colleen how she had made the Father’s Day posters.
Thanks to my daughter, Clever Colleen, I learned how to make collages/posters using ChatGPT!
Same pictures, but I stated, “Make it funny!”
In Los Angeles, the 2026 summer solstice occurs on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at 1:24 am PDT, and since I began today’s Daily Diary entry at 5:30 am, it is already the longest day of the year.
Quick Quiz Questions for this special Father’s Day:
Answers: 1) Summer Solstice, 2) Stonehenge, 3) Farther, 4) Sun standing still
We worked in the garden until noon, and then it was inside to get ready for Bob & Robin, who are coming at 1:30 pm for a pre-celebration, which means champagne! The Elks are having a shindig, and we are going to be joining them!
We got two messages from Colleen: one to go to the mailbox, and the other was an amazing picture! The mailbox contained an amazing gift, a T-shirt naming the GREAT Grandchildren! You will see it in the coming days!
My New Hampshire Family! Kids, Grandkids, and GREAT grandkids… Oh My!
…and the local family with kids, grandkids, and GREAT grandkids…. I’m prolific!
Two years ago on my birthday!
I remember my father every day, but especially today! Dad was born poor,r and he always wanted to travel and see the world. Finally, in 1961, we headed for Europe. Mom didn’t like traveling. We spend three weeks seeing sights.
Robin and Bob came over around 1:30 pm, and we killed off a bottle of champagne and walked in the garden before leaving for the Elks.
The Elks are cooking up a BBQ for all!!
We all arrived right on time and had great tables off to the side of the stage, meaning we did NOT get blasted by the speakers!
Dianne and Fast Eddie are ready to rumble.
Mary always goes for the handsome guys and wouldn’t you know they would be my prodigy!!
Surrounded by family, son Joe, and grandson Zack!
Peanut is retiring this week, and we plan to get her and Gary some dance lessons. We also invited them to join us for lunch on Thursdays at the Elks.
I got Peanut on the floor despite her saying she could not dance!
Greg and Robert joined the family today, and they fit right in with this crazy group of people. Greg and I have been friends for coming up on 40 years!!
Rober and Crazy Greg joined the gang!
Love is in the air. Mary always makes Father’s Day special for me, and it is quite easy; all she has to do is be herself. I am a blessed man!
Just us!
Donna and Bob fit right into this crazy family. We finally got a chance to dance for the first time in a few weeks, and we enjoyed dancing to the Beach Boys!
Bob and Donna are sitting down. The music must have stopped!
Yolie (Vicky’s sister) joined the fray today, and we were very happy to have her participation!
Yolie is thinking about dancing!!
Mary helps the old man off the floor after two dances in a row. We are all dressed up for the beach, and we are collecting more and more his/hers outfits as we continue through life.
Mary and I terrorized the dance floor many times!
We had the whole corner of the room! It was a secret plan because it was closest to the food, and I am sure many, many trips were made. In fact, Joe is missing, so we know where he is!
The gang is all here!
Alex came along and is now the only son since Charlie is in the woods this summer working as a camp counselor.
The new “Only Child”! Alex with Mom and Dad!
Robin popped in to make sure the old man was doing ok! I assured her I was feeling no pain, no pain at all. My plan worked; Robin and Bob rode with us to the Elks, and I drove. Robin and Bob will drive home with us, and Bob will drive.
Just checking in!
Get the cameras out, notify the local TV station! Yolie is on the floor dancing to the Beach Boys!
Yolie said, “Let’s go Big Boy!!”
The magic occurs, Fast Eddie hits the timbers, demonstrating how he can boogie with the best of them!!
Even Fast Eddie was on the floor!
We stayed until closing time at 7:00 pm. We danced and danced and danced. Bob and I took some total strangers out on the floor (we looked for a table of ladies, went over, and got them up and moving).
The Beach Boys sounded great!
I was in rare form by the time I got home! We were talking about seeing The Sound Of Music last week, and I decided I would sing much to the dismay of my immediate family. As I was singing, it became necessary for me to find the gentlemen’s lounge and Mary, though it would be best if she used a means other than me walking to get there.
I attempted to open a bottle of champagne upon my return but alas, the cork would NOT cooperate! Perhaps
Time to hit the sack. It’s been a wonderful Father’s Day!!!
This morning, we celebrated a successful visit with Becky! Mary’s magic in the kitchen was on full display! Recipes from 30 years ago came to life and were recreated with flair!
When checking the messages, I got the picture of the grandsons, Jon and Sarah, after they visited New York and the Empire State Building.
Jon and Sarah sent their latest AI effort.
Mary and I worked in the office for a while, and then I decided to reward her patience — and my questionable productivity — with a steak-and-egg breakfast. So off I went on a brave expedition to the fridge, where the thin-sliced New York strips were sitting right up front, practically waving tiny meat flags and begging for a hot pan.
I patted them dry, salted them as they had personally offended me, and prepared them for their glorious destiny. I overachieved on the salting process!
This morning we are having steak and eggs!
Before the steaks made their dramatic entrance into the pan, I chopped up several mushrooms and sautéed them in a generous amount of butter until they turned golden brown and started acting like they paid rent.
The last of the mushrooms was used.
Everything is on its way. I did the steaks while Mary did the eggs. Mary also found some “steak fries” in the fridge, and she popped them into the air fryer for several minutes at 450 degrees to crisp them up!
Almost ready to go!
A breakfast fit for a king suddenly appeared. When cold cranberry juice was added, breakfast became perfection!!! This portion, like 4 oz steak + 1 egg, we each expect around 30-35 g of protein. When we add that to our coffee (we use Ensure), we both already receive 60-65 g of protein before lunch or dinner!
Yummy
The garden called—apparently it had “just a few quick things” for me to do. Two hours later, I had planted the last of the veggies, wrestled the soaker hoses into new positions, and tucked the tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, watermelon, and assorted melons into a cozy bed of straw mulch like they were checking into a vegetable spa.
By 12:30, the Sun had turned the yard into a convection oven, so I retreated indoors to spend time with Miss Sickley. Her cold had made an unwelcome comeback, so she set up headquarters in the TV/living room, where she managed the important business of folding clothes, creating artwork, and looking pitiful enough to warrant sympathy.
Around 3:00, the doorbell rang. Enter Nurse/Doctor Dianne, making a house call with her fully stocked medical kit: Italian Penicillin—also known as chicken, egg, and spinach soup—plus a generous container of angel hair pasta. Because when modern medicine fails, pasta steps in and says, “I got this.”
Dianne presented me with tomato socks! Look CAREFULLY at the picture below, and you might spot a pair of socks with tomatoes on them (underneath the tag I am holding).
I got a Father’s Day present early.
We all visited for a while, and then Dianne needed to go back home, so we went shopping in the garden first. She filled two bags with tomatoes and other goodies. Without our friends, we would be overrun with veggies.
Miss Dianne Nursee bought Italian Penicillin for Mary!
When Dianne departed, I fixed Mary and me a bowl of soup, and we settled down in the TV Room. Mary wanted to watch a documentary about a crazy woman stealing a baby, so I decided to go back outside and work in the garden/patio. I stayed out of the Sun and mostly piddled.
The first target was the rotary garden, as it was overgrown. I trimmed back almost every level and pulled on those plants that were done. We now have eight open spots for edible flowers and/or herbs.
Each of the little “compartments” eventually gets filled with roots, and I have to don a plumber’s outfit and perform a rootectamy using my power drill and auger bit. 60 seconds of the auger running loosens up everything, making the roots easy to extract,
Mary watched TV; I continued in the garden.
When it began to get dark, I returned inside and made round two of Mary’s medicine, this time including beans and the last of the jello-cake. We finally hit the sack around 10:00 pm.
Robin stayed over last night, and by the time I wandered into the family room at 6:30 a.m., she was already there—bright-eyed, alert, and apparently ready to start solving the world’s problems before my first sip of coffee.
We shared a cup of coffee and discussed the latest circus acts happening at Boeing. I honestly didn’t think things could get any stranger after I retired, but Boeing looked at that challenge and said, “Hold my wrench.”
Robin headed out around 9:00 a.m. after we talked to Colleen for a while. The Colleen phone call is one of the highlights of our day—right up there with coffee, naps, and discovering we still have cookies in the house.
Then Mary and I got down to business. Mary’s daughter is coming for dinner on her way to Newport Beach to spend time with friends, which of course means the house must look like a magazine photo shoot, the food must be perfect, and Mary and I must work like unpaid seasonal employees at a five-star resort. We worked our tushies off getting everything ready. If there were Olympic medals for last-minute tidying, we’d be on the podium.
We also did some early picking in the garden and sent Robin home with two bags of veggies, because nothing says “thanks for visiting” like making someone leave with produce homework.
The tomatoes are doing well, and we just planted seven more tomato plants where the corn used to be. Apparently, the garden has decided it’s going full Italian restaurant this year.
We have given away boxes and bags of tomatoes everywhere we go!
We have several Mortgage Lifter tomato plants which are large, heirloom beefsteak tomatos known for its big size, meaty texture, and rich, sweet flavor.
It’s famous for producing huge pinkish-red tomatoes, often around 1–2 pounds each, and sometimes even larger. They’re great for:
• Slicing for sandwiches
• Burgers
• Caprese-style plates
• Fresh eating
• Tomato salads
The name comes from a man often credited with popularizing it, M.C. “Radiator Charlie” Byles of West Virginia, who supposedly sold the plants in the 1930s and used the proceeds to pay off his mortgage—hence “Mortgage Lifter.”
It’s an indeterminate tomato, meaning the plant keeps growing and producing until frost, so it usually needs strong staking or caging.
I see more tomato pie in the near future.
Robin’s husband Bob and I traded AI images all morning long. Bob is quite a talented photographer in his own right, and with AI, he is working magic!
Move over, Bonnie and Clyde, there are new bosses in town!
After working all morning, I felt like a hard-working cowboy who needed a drink. So, I dressed up and came to visit the Miss Kitty Côté who ranthe Short Branch Saloon. I ordered a bottle of the finest Sass-Pa-Rilla!
Sarsaparilla is a sweet, old-time soft drink originally flavored with the root of the sarsaparilla plant. It’s similar to root beer, often with a slightly herbal, vanilla-like, or licorice-like taste.
Would you like a Sass-Pa-Rilla little girl?
Becky arrived right on time, which was perfect because we had almost everything ready for a lovely dinner at home—and by “almost,” I mean we were only mildly panicking.
The menu featured several of Becky’s favorites, all made gluten-free, because nothing says “celebration” like carefully interrogating every ingredient. We started with a small tomato salad, followed by a baked potato and Mary’s famous spinach-cottage cheese delight—a dish so fancy it sounds like it should have its own theme music. Mary, as usual, proved she is quite an accomplished chef, and the rest of us proved we are quite accomplished eaters.
After dinner, we exchanged cards with Becky and got to open some birthday cards and presents a little early, which is always the best kind of early. I received a wonderful Father’s Day card with a very nice note inside—just sentimental enough to make me smile, but thankfully not enough to make me cry into the baked potato.
Laugh and giggle time.
The greeting card industry did well tonight.
In the U.S., greeting card companies generate roughly $6–8 billion per year in retail sales of physical greeting cards, depending on which categories are included.
A few useful benchmarks:
• Annual U.S. greeting card sales: about $6–8 billion
• Number of cards sold each year: roughly 5–6.5 billion cards
• Average card price: often around $4–6, with premium cards higher
• Largest card-buying occasions: birthdays, Christmas/holiday, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, sympathy, weddings, and graduations
• Major companies: Hallmark, American Greetings, Papyrus-style premium brands, plus many independent and online card companies
The industry has been under pressure from texting, social media, and e-cards. However, physical cards remain a multi-billion-dollar business in the U.S., especially for birthdays, holidays, sympathy, and emotionally important occasions.
Happy Birthday, Becky!
The phrase pièce de résistance (pronounced pee-ES-duh-ruh-ZEE-stahn(t)s) is a French loan expression used to describe the most outstanding, important, or impressive feature of an event, collection, or meal. Lime Jello cake!
Another smashing success brought to you from the kitchen of Chef Côté!
After dinner, we again walked the garden and bagged some goodies for Becky to take to her friends this weekend. We added a mess of table grapes from the vineyard.
It was a wonderful time for a photo-op!
Too bad they were all dressed up, I was going to put them to work!
It was getting to be 8:00 pm, and Becky had to head for Newport to stay with an old friend, so we departed the garden and headed to the car. She was off and running and we returned to the empty nest. MAry scurried off to get her jammies while the cleanup crew (me) did the heavy lifting. The dishwasher is full, the food is put away, and the last wine glass was carefully refilled so we could watch TV.
See you again soon!
Mary and I watched some TV before calling it a day!.
Today, we stayed busy from the moment the coffee kicked in. We decided to tackle the front yard first. Somewhere along the way, I apparently confused Mary when I said we should do the gardening before getting ready for a dance later that day.
A little while later, I looked up and found Mary enthusiastically trimming away in her dance clothes. At that point, I had to call a timeout and send her back inside for a wardrobe change. The flowers may have been impressed, but I wasn’t taking any chances with dirt stains on the dance outfit!
Oh dear!!!
Now that she has changed into her official yard-work uniform, the real work can begin!
We filled an entire trash can with trimmings, which means the plants either got a haircut or we committed a leafy crime scene. We also had to replace the flowers in the pots because last week’s heat fried them like botanical French fries.
Mary marched into the outside flower garden like a woman on a mission, pulled a mountain of weeds, and cut off the flowers that had already had their big moment in the spotlight.
The front yard looks super now — neat, fresh, and no longer like it gave up on life!
Looking good!
Mary noticed our Mother-In-Law’s tongue was in bloom. We are keeping our eye on the plant.
A few fun facts about Mother-in-Law’s Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata, now classified as Dracaena trifasciata) :
It has many names: Besides “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue,” it’s commonly called the Snake Plant, thanks to its tall, patterned leaves.
It’s a champion survivor: This plant tolerates drought, low light, neglect, and irregular watering better than most houseplants. It’s practically the camel of the plant world.
NASA made it famous: The Snake Plant was included in NASA’s Clean Air Study, which found it can help remove certain indoor air pollutants under controlled conditions.
It produces oxygen at night: Unlike many plants, it uses a process called CAM photosynthesis, allowing it to take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen during nighttime. This makes it a popular bedroom plant.
It’s native to West Africa: Its natural range includes regions from Nigeria eastward through tropical Africa.
Its fibers were once used like hemp: the leaves contain strong fibers used to make rope, bowstrings, and baskets. One nickname is Bowstring Hemp.
It can live for decades: With minimal care, a Snake Plant can become a long-term household companion, often passed from one generation to the next.
In the backyard, the melons are doing well. We picked one of the melons that was inside a pair of pantyhose, and we will give it to Susie at the gym on Monday!
Just another few weeks!
We went to the Elks for the weekly Girls Night Out celebration. All had fun! Iris and Will will be with u
Bill, George, and Bob!
After lunch, we headed to Ralph’s Market to stock up for Becky’s visit tomorrow. Mary is determined to recreate Becky’s childhood favorite meals, which turned our shopping trip into a gluten-free treasure hunt. We spent the afternoon reading ingredient labels like detectives working a major case. By the time we finished, we felt qualified to earn honorary degrees in Gluten Studies. Hopefully, Becky will enjoy the meals—and appreciate the effort it took to find ingredients that don’t secretly contain wheat, barley, or a chemistry experiment.
Robin popped over around 4:30 pm, and we sat and talked until 6:00 pm, after which we went to Rodrigo’s for dinner.
I would not let Robin share my 48-oz margarita, and she was sad! I was trying to protect her!
Too bad, the drink is mine!!!
All of a sudden, she ran for the phone booth and re-emerged as…
Obviously, I have given her some of my margarita.
Once she got her drink, she ran back to the phone booth and returned to the table as her normal self!!
Back to normal
So what was all the fuss about? The 46-ounce rum margarita. This is a special drink! Take a close look at the glass, towards the bottom.
The three of us returned home and watched “Evan Almighty”. We wanted to watch a cowboy movie, so we got dressed up and everything, but we settled for “Evan Almighty”
Care for a sip of Sass-pa-rilly???
We were all crashed by 11:00 pm!
We are getting ready to do battle at the gym!
Another day of bone-crunching and muscle-stretching at Peak Performance!
The Ninja outfits have been washed, refreshed, and redeployed after Monday’s mission.
We’re suited up, ready to strike, and plotting our next sneak attack on aches, pains, and unsuspecting tight muscles!
With a snap of Dr. Mary’s finger, we were zapped into our Ninja attire.
We returned home this morning to clean the house because our house cleaners are coming today. Yes, you read that correctly. We pay professionals to clean, then frantically clean before they arrive. It’s one of life’s great mysteries, right up there with missing socks and airline boarding procedures.
By noon, our pre-cleaning duties were complete, and we headed to CVS first, then for gas, and then off to lunch with the girls from Mary’s painting class. While the ladies gather, I will assume my sacred responsibilities: tending the bar, guarding the flock, and maintaining order among the hens.
Red Robin, prepare yourself. The caravan is on its way!
Wow, did I man the bar or what? Buffalo wings, a large jalapeño burger topped off with a chocolate pretzel shake! BURP!! I ordered all my favorites because my guardian angel, Mary, could not see me!
Yummy (I hope my cardiologist does not see this!)
Then came the burger! Decisions, decisions, the Red Robin menu is to die for, literally. I selected the Jalapeño Heatwave Burder served with your choice of side. In case Mary showed up, I ordered coleslaw and skipped the fries.
If you’ve checked the weather report today, you’ll see a heatwave is expected in your region – a Jalapeño Heatwave. A very creative, inventive creation at Red Robin was a delicious combination of spicy and savory flavors.
The Jalapeño Heatwave Burger starts with a hot, juicy beef patty, piled high with melty pepper-jack cheese, fresh-grilled jalapeños, and caramelized onions. Next, they slather on freshly smashed avocado and zesty green chili aioli before topping off this fiery creation with crispy fried jalapeño. This is one heatwave I didn’t mind being in the middle of!
Oh my! It comes with two quarts of ice cream; one to eat and one to sit on!
I could NOT resist the shake. I ate the pretzels first!
Double yummy!!
This needs a close-up!!
Over the teeth and through the gums, lookout tonsils here it comes!
Yeah, yeah, the gang’s all here! This group is part of Mary’s watercolor class, and we are celebrating the instructor’s birthday. Lorry is 94 years old.
Everyone headed for the Reb Robin restaurant in The District at Tustin Legacy in Orange County. Here’s some trivia:
Rubba Dub Dub, where is the grub???
Mary, neighbor Geri, and Lorry are ready to celebrate!!
Did I hear the words, “Clothes Optional”?
There are a ton of presents to open!
Bring on the balloons!
Then came the cake, which was loaded with ooey-gooey frosting! Due to Fire Department regulations, the number of candles was limited!
The fire starter went to work under careful supervision.
Do not play with fire, especially after drinking three glasses of ice water!
The cake was a masterpiece, and it tasted like heaven!
We hardly wait until 95!!
But first, the candles must be blown out!
The tradition of blowing out birthday candles most likely comes from a mix of ancient customs, especially from ancient Greece and later German birthday traditions.
• Ancient Greece: People offered round cakes to Artemis, the goddess of the moon. They placed candles on the cakes so they glowed like the moon, and the smoke was believed to carry prayers or wishes up to the gods.
• Germany, 1700s: A more recognizable birthday-candle tradition appears in Kinderfeste, birthday celebrations for children. Candles were placed on a cake, often one for each year of life, sometimes with an extra candle for good luck or the “light of life.”
• Making a wish: The idea of silently making a wish before blowing out the candles likely comes from older beliefs that candle smoke could carry wishes, prayers, or intentions into the spiritual realm.
So, blowing out birthday candles probably evolved from religious offerings, symbolic light, and wish-making customs over time.
She is going to huff and puff!
Go girl!
She did it so hard that two candles fell off the cake and landed on a table nearby.
We departed around 2:45 pm and headed home for Mary’s necessary post-lunch nap and my entrance into the world of vegetable gardening!
Mary is ready for a nap!!
Mary took her nap when we got home, and I marched out to the garden like a man with a plan and absolutely no regard for his lower back.
I yanked out the remaining corn stalks, cleaned up the melon patch, evicted the old mulch, and started planting like I was on a reality show called So You Think You Can Farm?
About an hour later, Mary emerged from her nap refreshed and ready to help, while I was already covered in dirt, sweat, and regret. The two of us worked until sundown, at which point the garden looked much better, and we looked like we had lost a wrestling match with Mother Nature.
The remaining cantaloupes and watermelons can now be seen and are off the ground, so those nasty little bugs can’t get to them.
We harvested several melons and placed the spaghetti squash in the He Shed.
We decided to plant some more corn, and this time we may have to fertilize them manually, since it is a 5-by-3 row, which may not be enough to ensure pollination!
An ear of corn gets fertilized through wind pollination.
Here’s how it works:
So, one silk = one kernel. If some silks don’t receive pollen, the ear will have missing or undeveloped kernels.
We entered the house just as the sun set in the west! We passed on dinner since we had a large lunch at the birthday party.
Papa got help today!
We got up, checked the weather, and decided 8:00 am was the right time to return to the garden, continue planting the new veggies, and remove the ones past their prime.
We enjoyed our coffee and fought the battle of the computers until 8:00 am, and then we were like the seven dwarfs, “Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s Off To Work We Go…”
We tore into the garden like a pair of heavy machines, sending old plants into the trash and talking to the newbies to make sure they were welcome.
What a mess!!!
We planted:
At 10:30 am, Mary ceased work and headed indoors to get ready for today’s painting class. On her orders, I continued working for two more hours. I assisted Mary, who was bringing a large pile of small tomatoes and several branches of basil, which go wild in our yard.
When Mary departed for class, I came inside and began some of my “Honey-Do” list items, such as replacing the light bulbs (LED) in her bathroom, putting her works of art on the wall leading to The Loft, and other such stuff.
Mary returned smiling, so I wondered what was up. She told me that she brought me a watermelon, which sounded perfect for such a warm day. She showed me her watermelon, oh dear. My taste buds went into overdrive!
I almost put the painting into the refrigerator; it looked so real!
I ventured back into the garden around 4:00 pm for what I thought would be a brave 30-minute expedition. Mary stayed on the patio and shucked about twenty ears of corn. Mary, however, quickly assessed the situation—”too hot, too humid, and this one is clearly overestimating himself”—and promptly herded me back into the house like a wayward goat.
Speaking of goat, she also directed me to the shower and laid out this evening’s jammies! She took my T-shirt and jeans and threatened to burn them!
She takes care of me… and apparently also manages my outdoor privileges.
While Mary was making dinner, I un-cobbed the corn, creating over twelve cups of ready-to-freeze kernels, which will become our all-time favorite corn chowder in the coming weeks!
A wonderful meal was ready, including beans, a cucumber salad, and the red Jello with Polish cherries.
We watched TV until bedtime around 10:00 pm. Mary was pooped out and decided to test for light leaks in her eyes. While she was testing, I went to the office and piddled with the computer.
Screenshot
I should have listened to my body.
Yes, today is Monday, and after a heroic weekend of working hard, playing harder, and making questionable snack-based decisions, we realized our bodies had officially filed a complaint.
So we did what any responsible adults would do: we suited up in our finest black ninja costumes and attempted to infiltrate the gym like two highly trained fitness assassins.
The mission was simple: sneak into the fitness center, create a diversion to distract the trainers, and get ourselves twisted, stretched, and reassembled back into human shape before anyone noticed we were walking like folding chairs.
Unfortunately, our stealth mode lasted about eight seconds—mostly because one of us made knee-cracking sounds loud enough to trigger the motion sensors. Still, we pressed on.
While the trainers looked the other way, we slipped inside with the grace of panthers… very tired panthers… possibly panthers with lower back issues.
Operation: Monday Recovery was officially underway.
A ninja’s worst enemy? Squeaky floors.
It worked; we were on the stationary bikes before they knew what was happening. We are merrily peddling away, and then comes the long arm of the trainers! We were found, probably because we forgot to take off the ninja costumes. Better luck next time.
By 10:00 am, we were done, well done! We went to the Post Office and mailed the IRS some information they needed, as it turns out, they LOST our 2024 returns. According to our accountant, the IRS lost a load of information recently we happened to be in that group!
We went to Ralph’s next door to get large quantities of goodies according to Alexa’s shopping list.
On the way home, Mary suggested we go to H&H after unloading the car since this week is “doctor-free”. We quickly put away the groceries and off we went, calling Vicky to ask her to join us for lunch at the Fish House.
They did not last long
The Fat Bastards are known for:
Large size — much bigger than a typical oyster.
Deep, cup-shaped shells that hold lots of flavorful liquor.
A strong, briny (salty, like the ocean) taste with a slightly sweet finish.
Plump, meaty texture, making them popular with oyster enthusiasts.
The name “Fat Bastard” is simply a playful reference to their impressive size. They are essentially an oversized version of the farm’s popular Shigoku oysters.
We departed the First House for H&H Nursery, where we filled up our card and headed home.
The cart was filled to overflowing!!
We made it back to the house by 3:00 pm, but it was too hot to unload our goodies, so they stayed in the car for a while. During that time, Chef Mary went to town making beans with meat. She also made Jello for me using sour Polish cherries.
These beans are NOT just ordinary beans, no no no! The beans came from our garden and were dried by the Sun. We then shelled them a week later, placing them into glass Ball jars where they would normally last for years.
Beans, beans, the musical fruit!
After an evening of soaking in water, Mary plopped them into a pot, added water, and two hours later, under medium heat, we had beans. Mary added the browned ground round, and we had a meal fit for royalty!
Around 6:00, pm I moved the newly acquired veggies to the veggie garden. It took two loads with the large wheelbarrow! I place the plants in their new homes. Before going inside, I pulled out the pole beans, clearing the area for their replacements.
We didn’t have dinner since we had lunch! We were watching The Green Berets with John Wayne while working in the kitchen. Later on, we found ourselves in the TV/Living Room, enjoying a movie about a girl who joins the Secret Service and saves the President. It was called Air Force One Down.
We were rooting for the young Secret Service agent the entire time!
The movie follows a young, rookie Secret Service agent who gets assigned to her very first mission aboard Air Force One. When terrorists hijack the aircraft to derail a global energy deal, she must use her training to protect the President, survive a crash, and stop the hijackers.
It was soon 11:00 pm, and time to crash!
A Rose for a Rose!
At 5:00 am, the old peepers went into overdrive, and I had to get up! Mary followed suit in about an hour, and we talked about last night’s amazing adventure to Jojo’s!
We found fun right around the corner!
After our coffee, I jumped in the Silver Fox and went to Home Depot to get some tomatoes and peppers to replace the ones that are all used up. Two bags of planter mix also jumped into the cart. We are ready to rock and roll in the garden!
Mary met me in the garage as I pulled in, and the expression on her face meant we were going to go to breakfast! She suggested the Bagel Store, and I totally agreed with that; their cheese and jalapeño bagels are super! After munching on the bagels and sipping on our lattes, we headed home!
Dining Al fresco at the local bagel store before we go to work!
Mary thought she would do some easy work in the garden, but I fooled her. I pointed to the corn and said, “Let’s get busy!” It was then I learned what “Let’s” means! It means you do your thing, and I will do mine!
SO Mary picked and trimmed, looking in my direction only to see if I had fallen over yet!
I had 64 corn stalks to dig up and turn the soil underneath. Then, I had to plant six new tomato plants along the sides of the large garden.
Mary, the smart one, went inside after about an hour, as it was approaching 11:00 am and getting hot. Besides, she still needs to get rid of that pesky cold!
I worked from 10:00 am until 2:45 pm, almost five hours. Mary came out again around 2:00 pm and ordered me to stop! With the help of Dr. Mary, we filled one 100-gallon trash can to overflowing.
We tore out 64 corn stalks!
Even though it was very warm, I kept feeling a draft, and only the next morning, when I looked at today’s pictures, did I discover the reason why.
I was feeling a breeze coming from somewhere!
At 3 pm, we were cooked, and it was time to clean up and wait for our guest, who would drop by around 4:00 pm.
WHO said old??
We spent the rest of the day watching TV, and on occasion, I would return to the office to work on a section of the website called Paul’s Memory Book… It’s a work in progress! It is just me attempting to remember growing up and going through life. No one will care about it, but perhaps some of the kids might find it interesting, unless they have something more interesting to do, like removing the cuticles from their fingernails.
We finally crashed around 10:00 pm.
It’s going to be a good day!!!
Mary stayed in bed for a while after I got up at 6:00 am. I fixed coffee and worked on my website for a while before offering to fix her breakfast, steak, and eggs!
My website is getting a facelift in some places, like my memory book. I had a picture of Culver City Main Street circa 1952, and I asked AI to fix it up. The Desilu Studios are at the end of the street.
Here’s some trivia about Culver City, California:
• The Heart of Screenland: Culver City has long been associated with movie and TV production, earning this nickname.
• MGM history: The old MGM Studios lot was in Culver City. Many classics were filmed there, including parts of The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind.
Main Street in Culver City was only two blocks long, and it was closed for some shopping days!
The use of AI is quite amazing! Can you spot the error it made? I didn’t, but Dr. Mary spotted it immediately!
W. T. Grant, the American variety-store chain, went out of business in 1976.
While wandering the internet unsupervised, I discovered multiple ways to add cream to eggs — and this morning, in a bold act of breakfast rebellion, I even invited mushrooms to the party.
Yummy!
The table is set, and food will arrive in 10 seconds or less.
The table was initially set inside, but then we moved to the patio!
We needed fluids, and what better to have than champagne? Champagne doesn’t ask silly questions. Champagne understands.
Mr. Champagne went along with us.
After breakfast, I was asked to “deadhead” the roses, so I galloped out to the backyard dressed in my gardening outfit and, using the pruners, I lopped off the heads of the wilted roses.
The neighbor looked over the fence and asked me, ” Why doesn’t Mary ever iron your gardening outfit?” I, for the first time in a long time, was at a loss for words! After seeing the picture, the outfit does need some serious ironing!! I quickly hid behind some roses when I saw Mary with the camera!
I was sent to the flowers again as Mary was not up to trimming them today! She caught me!
After a short nap, we got ready to go to Jojo’s Hideaway in Tustin to meet Vicky and Jim and see a show featuring Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley! Jojo’s is in the back of the 17th Street Grille.
We were greeted with southern hospitality! Snappy the Alligator got the first victim!
A hungry alligator greeted us.
Vicky, being the always helpful person, helped feed the Alligator!
Vicky was NOT afraid.
Again, attempting to be helpful, Vicky checked his teeth for decay, hoping the Alligator would NOT snap!
The Alligator was scared to death.
We were seated right in front of the band and immediately assumed we’d need sign language by dessert. Vicky marched over to the manager, who assured us we had PRIME SEATS because the speakers were on the ceiling, aimed back at the audience and away from us.
And amazingly, he was right—the sound level was perfect. So instead of losing our hearing, we just sat there feeling smug and acoustically superior.
Mary was feeling better.
We had dinner before things got underway, and I was very pleasantly surprised. My shrimp pasta was absolutely amazing. Mary marveled at the salmon. Jim and Vicky also enjoyed their food. Mary and I killed off a bottle of their finest Chardonnay, which significantly improved our singing skills!
Johnny came out first, bringing along Sue and Sue. We all knew his songs and enjoyed every word. His band consisted of three guitars, a drummer, and a piano man! The entire performance was just fantastic!
Johnny came first!
At the break, we managed to eat a few scoops of ice cream before Elvis entered the building
Elvis joined the fun!
Elvis moved through the audience with ease, stopped at our table, looked at the ladies, and whipped out two scarves, which they put on instantly.
We were all bee-bopping to the music.
Having good friends makes all the little bumps along life’s road tolerable! I have known these two ladies for almost seventy years!
Sometimes we sang along.
Someone is never going to take this scarf off. I volunteered to make it into a swimsuit, but my idea was turned down!
Elvis came by and flirted with Mary, giving her a scarf!
The entire building was shaking as people sang along and waved their hands. I took off my shirt and threw it onto the stage, but management returned it almost immediately.
I knew he was flirting!!
We all had a wonderful time bringing back memories of when music was music!
The gang of four!
The clock was about to strike 10:00 pm when we departed, but alas, NO GIRLS. Silly me! Vicky is here, meaning she is accompanying the performers to a photoshoot and is with Mary.
Oh dear!
After half an hour, Vicky let go of Elvis, and they came outside to join us for the trip home. Both Vicky and Mary had stars in their eyes, and they were clutching their scarves.
We departed just before 10:00 pm and headed home which was an eight minute trip!
