Fix It Day!

Posted on Saturday, April 25, 2026 by Paul

Mary was up and ready to go!

First things first, I checked the iPhone and voliá, a message from Dianne.  She picked her first set of roses despite the wrascally wabbit.

The oldest living rose is well over 1,200 years old.  It grows on the wall of the Cathedral of Hildesheim in Germany, and its presence is documented since A.D. 815. According to the legend, the rosebush symbolizes the prosperity of the city of Hildesheim; as long as it flourishes, Hildesheim will not decline. In 1945, Allied bombers destroyed the cathedral, yet the bush survived. Its roots remained intact beneath the debris, and soon the bush was growing strong again.

Beautiful!

The weather was so unpredictable that it snowed this morning. After a careful look, it turned out it had only snowed on our cars. Then it hit me: our car wash guy had been here.

Rubba-dub-dub, Precious is in the tub!

The poor Silver Fox looked like he had been plowing a field before Mr. Soap came and made him sparkle like a dime in a goat’s butt.  José checked the car for my missing wallet to no avail.

Rubba-dub-dub, the Fox is in the tub!!

While that was going on, I went to the exercise area downstairs and replaced the controller chip on the new board from the old PC board and voliá, success.  We now have a brand new machine.

It is ready to go upstairs and join the other gym equipment.

Then I realized Mary doesn’t need the equipment — she can just suit up and go terrorize the neighborhood like a one-woman fitness event.

We stayed around the house the rest of the day, watched some TV, and crashed around 10:00 pm.

 

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Today We Visit The Elks!

Posted on Thursday, April 23, 2026 by Paul

Today was delightfully uneventful as we headed off to the Elks for Girls’ Night Out and met up with the regulars.  George, as always, ordered his signature dish: a hockey puck.  Honestly, we all need to develop this level of self-control—though I’m not sure the kitchen should be studying him as a role model.  We wrapped things up with our usual and, naturally, a glass of wine.

Girls’ Night Out!

After lunch, we stopped by our new tailor to pick up some clothes.  He did a magnificent job on taking my size XXXL down to something I could wear (so it would not look like I was smuggling a puptent).

Yes indeed!

Around 4:00 pm, we got dolled up for dinner with our workout buddies—because nothing says “athletic” like immediately replacing calories.  We headed to Jeff’s in Orange, a glorious little “hole in the wall” with food so good it should be illegal and service so excellent it made us question all our past restaurant choices.

Ready to go.

Jeff’s is hidden behind what used to be Der Weinerschnitzel on Tuston Blvd.  The restaurant is small and slightly noisy but the meal makes up for that.

Reservations are always needed.

After dinner, we went home and crashed.  It’s been a slow day,y which tired us out, go figure?

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It’s Ouchday… We Started Peak Performance

Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 by Paul

What is Ouchday, you ask?  It’s the day—or days—we head to the gym for a little thing called a “workout.” I prefer to call it a sweat session, muscle mayhem, cardio catastrophe, or a full-blown pain parade.

Today, I drew the wildcard: Antony.  He’s the chief pain giver, and as the owner, he makes sure the staff distributes the suffering evenly and efficiently.  No one escapes Ouchday unbruised, unbothered, or un-sore.

At the sound of the gong, indicating it was 10:00 am,  I bolted out of Anthony’s office with three teeth loose, my toupe on backward, and both shoes on the wrong feet!  Antony did ask a final question!

Once my eyes started to focus, I pointed the Silver Fox toward home, where I resumed my ongoing feud with” The Bird.” This feathered little menace keeps building nests all around the house, and I keep playing the role of reluctant demolition crew.

He picked a corner that was nearly impossible to reach, and when I finally tried to evict him, the tiny varmint came screeching straight at me like he owned the place.  I answered with my trusty Red Ryder BB-Gun and sent his tail feathers into retirement.

He was still flying, so later this afternoon we’ll have another round and see who blinks first.

After our coffee, we walked through the garden making our list of chores.  The roses have gone completely feral.

They thrive in the 1.5 cu ft fiberglass lantern, and the wheels make them easy to move around.

We are eating our own artichokes, and they appear to have moved from the oll-around planter to the bed without any trouble.

Here are a few artichoke trivia facts:

  • An artichoke is actually the flower bud of a thistle plant.
  • The part people eat is mostly the immature flower head, especially the fleshy bases of the bracts and the heart.
  • Artichokes are rich in fiber and antioxidants.
  • The ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated them.
  • The “choke” is the fuzzy center, which becomes the flower if the bud matures.
  • California grows the majority of artichokes in the U.S.
  • There’s a town called Castroville, California, known as the “Artichoke Center of the World.”

Reaching for the sky!

My amazing partner in crime joined the expedition, making mental notes about what will be in the next meal from the garden.

I kept seeing spots before my eyes.

The berries are coming along nicely.   They love living in their own bed because they thrive on acidity, so we fertilize them with berry food to keep the pH low.

Just a few more weeks, and we will be walking and picking for a month!

The orange tree is getting ready to ripen.  Although I have been eating the pre-ripe oranges for almost a month, I like them sour.

The tree is loaded, and on Saturdays, our neighbor’s gardener comes.  I go next door and pick off the other side.

I am being hailed as it is time to go to the hair salon, where we both get fixed up.

At noon, we headed off to Huntington Beach for a visit to the hair salon.  We got there a little early, so we wandered next door to the Black Trumpet for a glass of wine and an appetizer—because apparently we believe in arriving for grooming well-fed and mildly buzzed   The barkeep and manager, Mary, spotted us right away and made sure everything came out quickly, which was perfect, since a thread was already holding together our patience after driving on the freeway.

We got a text from the kids, they will be at the house before 7:00 pm!

Two weeks sailing and seeing the United Kingdom, they are ready to some home.

We again walked in the garden, our favorite pastime!

The color seems magical.

The reds are so red they probably light up at night!

The vining food we started using is working.

Right on time, Bob and Robin come through the front door.  We actually walked them through the veggie garden using a flashlight.  We opened some champagne and celebrated their being back.

The resident champagne bottle opener at work.

The kids headed home in their car (which they left with us), and we headed to the TV room with our mineral water bottles in hand.  We watched a series for about two hours and headed to bed.

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We Are Off And Running!

Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 by Paul

Need I say more?

I was feeling pretty good this morning and strutted around the house, looking for things to add to my “to-do” list.  After 81 years, I am getting this “strutting” down to a science with my dark glasses, jeans jacket, and walking shorts.  Mary even gave me a “wolf whistle” from the back of the house.

We had a tiny window to work in the garden, and we grabbed it as if it owed us money.  While Mary picked the goodies, I was busy hoisting the cantaloupe runners off the ground and onto some heavy metal stands.  That should keep them out of reach of the local varmints, who apparently enjoy cantaloupe almost as much as we do.

Fixing the cantelopes.

It’s hard to see, but the cantaloupe plants are now locked up in heavy steel cages—clearly living out their melon prison era.  They’ll keep growing, vining, and churning out juicy little escape attempts all summer long.

No ground varnmits will get them now!

We did a quick walk-around and found oodles of tomatoes sprouting everywhere.  The one below is really showing off and producing nicely.   We also finished trimming the bottoms of the tomato plants so the leaves wouldn’t be kissing the ground and sending out open invitations to every pest in the neighborhood.

Tomatoes everywhere.

Here are some quick Roma tomato trivia facts:

• Roma tomatoes are also called plum tomatoes because of their oval, oblong shape.
• They’re meaty and low in water, which makes them great for sauces, pastes, and canning.
• Roma tomatoes were developed for their thick flesh and fewer seeds than many slicing tomatoes.
• They’re often used in Italian cooking, especially for tomato sauce and marinara.
• Despite the name, “Roma” doesn’t necessarily mean they originated in Rome—it’s more of a variety name.
• Roma tomatoes are usually less juicy but more flavorful when cooked.

At noon, Mary headed to her painting class, and I stayed home packing the van with cages to keep pesky rabbits from Dianne’s new rose garden.  Mary was gone about three hours, and while she was out, I worked on the garage, making it easier to get in and out of the car, plus I drilled holes in the bottom of our new 1.5 cubic foot resin planters.

Mary showed her latest work of art but expressed a desire to add a butterfly to the painting before pronouncing it finished.

I helped!

Mary went painting today.

Via magic, I gave her some ideas.  I went to PNGTREE.COM, found the transparent background butterfly, and applied it to her framed image.  This will help her decide where to put the REAL butterfly and what color it will be!

Ain’t software amazing?

After Mary got home, she packed up some goodies from our garden for Dianne, and we headed to Mount Reidy in Santa Ana.  The house is way up high overlooking Tustin/Santa Ana, with a clear view of Catalina and downtown LA.

The critters do not seem to care about the view, only the feast in the back yard!

Critters eat rose stems mostly because they’re:

• Tender and easy to chew: New rose canes are soft, especially in spring.
• A source of food or moisture: Some animals eat the juicy inner tissues for nutrients and water.
• A good way to wear down teeth: Rabbits, rodents, and similar animals need to gnaw to keep their teeth from overgrowing.
• Accessible when other food is scarce: In winter or dry periods, rose stems may become an easy target.
• Attractive to browsing animals: Deer and rabbits often sample whatever is available and palatable.

But we came to the rescue, as they will not get through the steel mesh!  If they break through this, I have an ELECTRIC FENCE, and that will a) keep them away, and b) provide for rabbit dinner!  Shocking!!

Dianne had varmints.

Try eating the rose now, you wasticating wabbit!  One more bite and we will call Elmer Fudd!

Mr. Fudd to the rescue!!

We hope the cages work.

After protecting the roses, Dianne took us to dinner at Ruby’s in Tustin.  We hadn’t done Ruby’s in years, and it was, to say the least, overwhelming.  I’d forgotten how massive the burgers were — and the amount of fries could’ve sunk a battleship!

Ruby’s Diner is an American restaurant chain that began in California in the late 1980s.  It was founded in 1982 by Doug Cavanaugh, who opened the first location in Newport Beach as a tribute to the classic diners of the 1940s and 1950s. The restaurant became known for its retro style, burgers, milkshakes, and family-friendly atmosphere. Over time, Ruby’s expanded to multiple locations, especially in California and other parts of the U.S.

Oh my, we should have invited the neighbors!

They had wine at Ruby’s, which was a lifesaver!  Needless to say, Dianne took a lot of this fine meal home and will chow down on it tomorrow.

Chomp slurp, chomp slurp, repeat!

During dinner, we got a text from Robin saying she and Bob were visiting the Finches at their house in London.  Jan and Brian still look the same, so we put Robin and Bob on an important mission: make sure they know they absolutely have to come to the States for a visit and stay with — no pressure — just a friendly, completely non-negotiable invitation from across the pond.

Bob and Robin finally met up with our dear British friends, Brian and Jan.

At the local country club!

Brian is still actively painting!

We got home and knocked out a few errands around the house, basically prepping like we were starring in a dramatic weather documentary—so if the rains came, we’d be ready for action!  By 10:00 pm we realied Mother Nature was just toying with us (and the weatherman).

It was supposed to rain, but it was only blustery.

We got a text, and the kids will be home tomorrow around 7:00 pm!

We watched some TV and finally hit the sack around 10:30 pm.

Good night, all!

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Oh No! This Is My 4,206th Monday On This Planet!

Posted on Monday, April 20, 2026 by Paul

Oh No!  It’s that dreaded Monday, meaning we must head to the gym for our bi-weekly bout with almost certain death.  The workout!  After a shower, I suited up in my Ninji black workout uniform and headed to the car.  My trusty sidekick, Mary The Magnificent, is also clad in her workout uniform, ready to face severe punishment.

On our way out the door, I glanced at Mary’s coffee cup collection and remembered why I am so pleased with her controlling her urges to procure coffee cups.  Our house could have looked like this if she had lost her self-discipline.

Did You Know?  At the very end of an unpaved country road stands a cozy home, completely covered in coffee mugs.  The owners, Avery and Doris Sisk, created their quirky attraction almost by accident.  It started over 15 years ago with a box-lot of 15 mugs picked up at a flea market.  It seemed like a good décor decision at the time, so they hung them up.More and more have been added over the years, and now, at least 20,000 mugs later, Avery and Doris have created a destination.  Their cabin in the woods is dripping in cups and mugs of all kinds, the gates and fencing too.  The Sisks are both artists and collectors, and they are welcoming and happy to show off their home.

If you catch them on the porch, you’ll likely be invited inside to see their other collections of dolls and police memorabilia, too, but it’s the cups and mugs that draw people in.  Most have been collected by the Sisks themselves, but some have been added by the tourists who stop, something the Sisks encouraged.  If you can find an empty nail, you’re welcome to leave one too.

We departed for the gym, a 1.1-mile trip down terror lane.  I drove slowly to the stall, but alas, we arrived right on time.  The trainers’ glistening teeth were at the front door, mouths dripping with anticipation of seeing our painful looks and blood-curdling screams.

We first mounted the stationary bicycles and peddled for dear life, thinking maybe, just maybe, if the trainers saw we did five miles in 30 minutes, they would go easy on us.   Our plan did NOT succeed as we were snapped off the bikes properly at 9:00 am and thrown to the floor with a resounding “SPLAT”!  For the next hour, our skeletons were stress tested and held together only by some connecting tissue.

The clock struck 10:00 am, and the trainers returned to their cages until the next victims arrived.

Mary and I stumbled into the market.  After filling the cart with stuff, Mary began walking to the bagel house while I checked out and loaded the car trunk.  I drove over to the bagel store known as the Coffee Grove!  We had to put on the calories we just lost!

We love supporting small businesses.

Now, we had to get down to serious business.  We admired our work in the front flower bed, and the new soil additive is obvious to the casual eye.  With this new soil and the fertilizer we added, we should see magnificent growth in the next month!

Thank you, Bumper Crop!!

Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) are cherished ornamental trees native to Japan, Korea, and China, featuring over 1,000 cultivars developed since the 1700s.  Known for their delicate, palmate leaves and stunning, year-round color changes, these small, slow-growing trees typically reach 6 to 30 feet, making them perfect for containers, gardens, and bonsai.

The maple trees are coming along slowly.

We adjusted the drip lines to ensure everyone had sufficient water.

Mary loves her sign.

On to the back yard, where Mr. Zucchini greeted us.  Zucchini is a nutrient-dense, low-calorie summer squash (technically a fruit) that is 95% water, contains more potassium than a banana, and can grow to over 8 feet long.  Originating in Italy, this fast-growing, versatile veggie is highly adaptable in the kitchen, with edible flowers and a high fiber content.

Our first zucchini will be in a meal, so, on and yes, I am really a fruit, botanically speaking!!

The melon patch is doing well, but we have to get them off the ground and into metal cages to keep any pests from enjoying them before we do!  We will carefully trim them back and support the fruit on a wire trellis until they ripen.

Cantaloupe is a nutrient-packed, 90% water-filled, trailing vine fruit, technically related to cucumbers and pumpkins.  Primarily grown in California, Arizona, and Texas, they are popular for their high vitamin A and C content, which supports eye and skin health.

See the baby cantaloupe?

The peas are almost ready to be picked.  As you can see, thanks to the Sun,  some of the insides have yet to mature.

The peas will also be in a salad soon, or perhaps in an astir-fry.

Yes, we do have flowers, especially around the backyard patio.

Springtime makes Mother Nature show off.

The glads are beginning to bloom, and within a few weeks, we will have purple all over the property.

We have gladiolas planted all over the property.

It’s 1:00 pm, and time for our daily pilgrimage to the doctor.  We hardly ever miss an appointment anymore —I’m pretty sure we’re personally keeping at least 50% of the medical profession employed.

Today, my toes were the main event, since both big toenails had decided to go rogue and grow inward.  Dr. Bill was ready for action with his trusty toolkit, and between poking, prodding, slicing, and dicing, he managed to restore peace, order, and comfort to the kingdom of my feet.

Since we were in Newport Beach and it was mid-afternoon, we headed to the American Legion for a sensible turkey sandwich and a glass of wine.  Naturally, we both abandoned all discipline, went completely off the reservation, and ordered burgers instead.

We used to take time to synchronize our activities for the next few days, meaning Mary brought out the book of knowledge.

“Where is my burger?”

It was a beautiful day!

The American Legion is just three miles from Dr. Bill.

We saw a strange boat just north of the Legion; it was a dredge.  It was removing sand and dirt from the bottom of the bay and placing them on a barge that would be taken to various locations for dumping.  We looked up the dredging website and found out that the USACE began dredging the Federal Channels in early December 2025.

USACE conducts annual bathymetric (depth) surveys to determine the amount of sediment that has accumulated in the Federal Channels and to assess the overall need for maintenance dredging.  The goal of the project is to dredge the channels to their federally authorized depths.  Approximately 900,000 cubic yards of material will be dredged over about 10 months.

The City has been an active partner with USACE and has contributed to planning and design efforts, as well as funding a significant portion of the project through a cost-sharing agreement with the federal government.  The County will also be contributing funds for the portion of the project within County tidelands.

Recent sediment sampling conducted between 2018 and 2024 was used to define sediment characteristics, enabling evaluation of disposal options.  This sampling effort determined that most of the material was suitable for disposal at the federally permitted open-ocean location referred to as “LA-3”.

Dredging in the Main Channel and channel offshoots will expose sediment that has been determined to be unsuitable for open-ocean disposal and therefore requires an alternate disposal location.

To that end, the Lower Newport Bay dredging project will repurpose the unsuitable dredged sediment for the Port of Long Beach’s Pier G Slip Fill project, providing a unique and regionally beneficial solution.  The material will be encapsulated within an existing slip to create additional storage for shipping containers.

We had to stop and see the dredge in action.

That’s one big mouthful!!

One bite takes a lot of sand out of the bay!

Returning home, we watched a “bang bang shoort ’em up” action movie and managed to stay up until past 11:00 pm!

I thought about the day and how much I enjoy being with Dr. Mary, and I ran across an interesting list!

It’s the truth!

Good night everyone, tomorrow is another day!!

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We Be Recovered!

Posted on Sunday, April 19, 2026 by Paul

We were up at 8:00 am, fueled by coffee and questionable optimism, and headed back out to the front yard.  Mary battled her roses with the precision of a seasoned horticulturalist.  At the same time, I heroically buried about half a bag of soil conditioner in the bed under the living room window—proof that nothing says “productive morning” like dirt, coffee, and moderate back strain.

After the great dig, we cleaned up, and I used Miracle-Grow on all the beds plus the in-yard elm trees.

In a few days, we expect a burst of Spring color as the gladiolas are about to bloom!

Miracle-Gro is a popular brand of plant food and gardening products.  It was originally developed in the 1940s and became widely marketed for home gardening.  The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company owns the brand.

After a short rest, Mary went back to conquering the indoor chores like a domestic ninja.  At the same time,e I returned outside to begin the cactus garden refurb—because apparently one of us chose dusting, and the other chose to be slowly scratched to death by cactus spines.

The garden is about 80 feet long and quite narrow, located between our house and the fence.

Many of the cactus plants are growing unruly, and some are tall enough to have fallen over on the sidewalk, making transit difficult.  I plan that in the late afternoon, when the house provides the necessary shade, we will dig in some acid-based compost, dig up and separate the individual plants, and provide supports to those vertical fellows who like to lie down on the job.

This task requires our heavy-duty gloves!

I got a good start, but then I had to go inside and rest, for the old ticker began to act up.

We had a super dinner with an assortment of goodies.  Mary warmed up the dolmas our trainer gave us at the gym.  Dolma is a family of stuffed dishes from Ottoman cuisine, featuring vegetables or leaves (such as grapes or cabbage) filled with a mixture of rice, minced meat, herbs, and spices, then simmered or braised.  Variations are found across the Middle East, the Balkans, and Central Asia, with fillings and wrappers differing by region.  Still, the core concept of stuffing ingredients like peppers, zucchini, or grape leaves remains consistent.

Yummy!!  We need the recipe!

We finished off some home-made coleslaw, and Mary whipped up one of her favorites, tzatziki.  Tzatziki is a cool, creamy Greek yogurt-based sauce or dip made with grated cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and herbs like dill or mint, often with lemon juice or vinegar.  It’s a staple of Mediterranean cuisine, served as a meze (appetizer) with pita bread and vegetables, or as a refreshing topping for grilled meats like souvlaki and gyros, falafel, and fish.  The key to a good tzatziki is draining the cucumber well to prevent a watery sauce.

So good!!!

I found myself feeling so fortunate to have a partner who can create meals worthy of a five-star kitchen and still happily get her hands dirty in the garden, all while wearing that warm, constant smile of hers—except, of course, during tax season or when she’s at war with the computer.

We watched the 2026 action thriller Shelter, starring Jason Statham, which features a former British government assassin hiding in a lighthouse off the Scottish coast.  The plot centers on him protecting a young girl from his former agency when he is discovered, forcing him back into action.

By 9:30 pm, we were heading for bed, hoping for a good night’s sleep that would return us to normal and ready us to continue the cactus garden.

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Recovery Day!

Posted on Saturday, April 18, 2026 by Paul

Have you ever run out of gas?  I mean, you get up to do something and can’t seem to get anything done?  Today was one of those days.

Our house painter finally finished after three weeks of hard work, but he did a magnificent job!  The house is the same color, save for the front, which is a bright white to make the under-the-eave lighting show up better.  He even painted the garage doors, which look a lot better now (I thought they were fine as-is!).

We did have a failure: the new controller for the elliptical arrived, I installed it, and got an error-30, a communication error!  I will call them on Monday and see what to do.  It’s looking like we will be getting a new elliptical machine unless they have a solution.

After our painter left, we walked through the house and were surprised to find everything cleaned up, washed down, and returned to its original position.

Then it happened, we both crashed.  Mary took a nap, and I went to the TV room and tried to watch the new “Lost In Space,” but my eyes shut and I was off to La La Land!

We had plans to take Precious out for the first time in three weeks and fill her tank with gas.  This little car costs $118 in gas, since she needs premium!

We woke up just in time to jump in the shower, get cleaned up, and head to Vittorios in Huntington Beach for dinner with the Capps.

We got home around 9:30 pm and crashed, no TV and no hot tub, sleep!

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The Week Is Almost Gone!

Posted on Friday, April 17, 2026 by Paul

We wake up happy and ready to enjoy whatever the Good Lord brings us today!

Today is a mixed bag.  We are going to meet with Mary’s financial advisor and then go to lunch with them!  After lunch, it’s back to the grind.

Our landscape gardener will be asked to install fiberglass borders around the flower beds we just finished working on to keep dirt off the walkway and help keep the mulch where it belongs.  To take a photo of the borders, we already have to remind him.

The borders are a thick fiberglass and will last forever and a day!

We are off to see Paula and Dan, but I had to tell Mary that they would not need her cash reserves (i.e., mad money), they only care about investments.

It stayed home, hidden in secret locations only known to Mary.

On our way there, I told Mary, “A financial advisor is just a therapist who specializes in your spending habits.”  She was worried since she hadn’t “worked for 4 Years, 4 Months, and 28 Days (a phrase taken from our website’s front page, thanks to JavaScript).  

Our financial advisors both have one thing in common: they keep saying ‘ long term’ when things get ugly.  For me, long-term doesn’t compute since I am in my 80s.  However, my 20-year contract with Mary is for another 16 Years, 10 Months, and 21 Days.

We jumped in the car and headed to Huntington Beach.  I took the wheel because Mary was so nervous.  The Silver Fox has two settings: careful and even more careful.  There are only two issues with my driving: 1)  The accelerator and I are in a very committed relationship,p and 2) my speedometer and I are not on speaking terms.”

“Hang on, sweetie, we should arrive on one piece if all goes well!”

Paula and Mary have been friends for a quarter of a century.  After the news and some tears about taxes, we went to the Black Trumpet for a wonderful meal.

It doesn’t look like Mary has been crying, does it!  Under her breath, she kept saying, “Mandatory Disbursement?”

While the girls were chatting, Dan and I were being highly politically incorrect.   We laughed and giggled and solved the problems of this world.

Good times, good meal, good day!

After lunch, we told the Silver Fox to take us home, and 21 minutes later, we arrived at the driveway to the sound of screeching tires and the smell of burnt rubber!  We had to turn on self-driving mode!  It might need some work!

Of course, and returning home means we must visit the garden, and while all looks well, our lettuce garden had a visitor, so I will need to bring out the stell netting to keep the varmint away, OR I will finish installing the electric fence and have roast rabbit for dinner!

Mary has been practicing for WNGD (Worldwide Naked Gardening Day) since her sweet peas aren’ting enough yet!

We may be in Phoenix on  Worldwide Naked Gardening Day—a celebration of the human body and the complete collapse of gardening etiquette.

Just a few more weeks and ZOOT, tomato pie!

Mary came to inspect the front porch after I waterproofed it, only to be surprised by an avalanche of boxes from FedEx.  I spent too much time on Amazon!

We were tired, so we tried to watch TV, but the Star Wars movie we expected to be good turned out to be junk, so I decided to check my eyelids for light leaks.

We were in the sack before 9:00 pm!  I put on the whole-house fan to cool things down, and when I got up in the middle of the night, the house was 58 degrees!

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Off To The Elks We Go!

Posted on Thursday, April 16, 2026 by Paul

Every morning we hug and sometimes dance!

I was up with the rest of the roosters this morning, leaving her nibs sleeping soundly.  I fished the daily diary from yesterday out just before Mary appeared in the office.  We hugged and drew straws as to who would make the coffee; I always win and make the coffee (some of the time!).

Around 9:00 am, I headed to the front yard and began sealing the bricks and mortar at our front door.  I also finished by cleaning and washing down the left-hand flower bed.  It looks pretty good now.

The bricks are now waterproof and darker than before.

The new white wall color makes the lighting look much better at night.

We travel and travel and travel!  Off we go to the Elks via the dry cleaners; we killed two stones with one bird.   The Elks was a good visit, and I tried their special, called a Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, which turned out to be an excellent choice.

After having a bite, Mary gave it her seal of approval.

Did You Know?  The Philly cheesesteak was invented in Philadelphia in the 1930s.  It’s usually credited to Pat Olivieri, a hot-dog vendor who grilled beef and put it on a roll.  The sandwich became famous enough that Pat later opened Pat’s King of Steaks, one of the city’s best-known cheesesteak spots.

A traditional cheesesteak is made with thinly sliced ribeye beef, a long hoagie/Italian roll, and often fried onions, with either Cheez Whiz, provolone, or American cheese.  The cheesesteak is considered one of the most iconic regional sandwiches in the United States.

The regulars were there sans Bill Capps, who stayed home while workers changed out FOUR heating and air conditioning systems in his mansion.  Our 90-year-olds (Iris, Bill, and George) were all in great spirits!  Bob Z, Mary, and I all hope we are that fit when we become nonagenarians, which are people aged 90–99.

We’ll probably all go to the next event together.

After the Elks, we returned to Orange and went to a men’s wear store that offered tailoring services.  It was the first time we used them, and upon entering the store, we saw some nice tuxedos, so I plan to revisit them!

After that errand, we are back on the 55, heading to Newport Beach (about a 20-mile drive) to have Mary’s hearing aids fixed at the hearing aid facility.  While there, we picked up an Oticon TV adaptor.

The Oticon TV Adapter 3.0 ConnectLine is a compact device that wirelessly streams audio from your TV directly to your Oticon hearing aids.  With an easy plug-and-play setup and 15m range, users can enjoy clear, high-quality stereo sound without disturbing others in the room.

The Oticon TV Adapter 3.0 streams audio directly to our hearing aids without interfering with the TV’s Speakers, allowing friends and family to watch the TV at the same time at a volume comfortable for everyone.  We are anxious to try it!

Departing Newport Beach, we headed home, stopping at CVS for medical supplies.  No dinner was needed as lunch was quite enough.  We went to bed early.

Our security camera was on when a gust of wind moved some branches, and it caught me in the office at 4:00 am working on the daily diary.

Good night, all!  Tomorrow is Friday, another amazing day for us to enjoy each other.

 

Posted in Elks, Friends, Gardening, Working Around House | Leave a comment

Mid Week And We Are Weak!

Posted on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 by Paul

Ice Cream, breakfast of champions!

We needed all the energy we could muster because it’s that dreaded Wednesday, which means we must go to the workout and be torn to shreds by the evil trainer.  I shudder at the thought of having to hear 90 minutes of screams, bleats, gasps, shouts, shrieks, shrills, and other terrifying noises made by those already under the lash!

I have a love-hate relationship with the gym.  Mostly hate.  The trainer started yelling at me early today.   Exercise?  I thought you said extra fries.  I told him, “I’m not out of shape, I’m just in energy-saving mode.”

After peddling the stationary bike for 5.05 miles, I was ready to proceed to the real exercise.   Suddenly, I was on the floor staring at the electric fans, hoping they would not dislodge from their mounts and land on me.    My trainer decided to teach me the twist from the 1960s, and, with untold violence, his massive hands moved over my defenseless little body to the left and then to the right while he sang, “Come on everybody, let’s do the Twist………and it goes like this!”

My body is a temple.  An ancient, slightly crumbling temple that was enduring a terrible 9.0 Earthquake!  I do have a fitness goal: to survive the floor exercises.  Finally, at 9:00 am, I was released under my own recognizance. 

The statue at the check-in/check-out desk was modeled after me AFTER today’s activities.

Oh my!  This selfie really proves that the gymn cracks me up!

After the exercise class ended, I got to a standing position and had my oxygen fix, then we went to Ralph’s Market, which is next door.  We needed a few post-exercise essentials like Acetaminophen (Tylenol), Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), Naproxen (Aleve), Aspirin, Tramadol, Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, and Morphine.    OK, I am exaggerating a tiny bit!

We needed coffee, milk, and a watermelon!  We escaped the market with ONE bag, a new best effort for us!.

From there, we went to Home Depot.  While Mary rested in the car, I picked up six tubs on sale, some plumbing parts, and a few flowers for the front flower bed.  These tubs are made of resin and will not rot.  I have some that are almost 15 years old and still in fine shape!

Two for $19.95, such a deal!!

Back home again, I went VFR to the flower bed and removed the last of the spider plants, I hope!  The flower bed is beginning to look pretty good, and now I am going to ask my gardener to install a fiberglass border around the edges to keep dirt from the flower bed from getting onto the patio.

The soil is now 1/2 clay and 1/2 compost, making the ground soft and easy to dig in and grow new flowers.

At 1:30 pm, Mary comes out the front door, looking as fresh as a daisy, and informs me that our monthly massage is scheduled for 2:00 pm.  I get more warning if we are under nuclear attack by the Russians.  I ran into the shower, washed off all the dirt, and awaited his arrival.  He worked on my lower back for an hour, and I was feeling pretty good.

Sometimes he gets carried away!

Massage therapists really know how to rub people the right way.  When I was done, Mary took to the table, and then our cleaning people came in, wondering what was going on!  I had to make several sarcastic remarks; it’s what I do!

After the therapist departed, I offered to take Mary out to dinner at Roberto’s so Domi and her crew could finish cleaning the house.

While Mary was getting ready, a family came by and visited me.  They were admiring all of our gardening activity and the decorations we keep rotating on the house.  I mentioned our little garden, and they were curious, so I took them into the backyard, where their eyes bugged out upon seeing the veggie garden.  I guess it is impressive.   Mary joined us on the tour!

We are about a month from our first tomato, and the corn is already beginning to tassel!

We drove to Roberto’s, which is two blocks west of the 55 freeway on Katella.  It’s where I get my 43-ounce margarita.  When it was delivered, by two servers, Mary had to make sure it was NOT poisoned and sipped a tiny bit!  I got the “it’s OK” sign!

Mary indicates that it was safe for me to drink!!

We decided to get out of our box and ordered fajitas to share, and I ordered a side of chili verde.

Fajitas Trivia Facts
• The word “ajita” comes from the Spanish word faja, meaning “strip” or “belt,” referring to the cut of meat.
• Original fajitas were made with skirt steak.
• Fajitas are strongly associated with Tex-Mex cuisine, not traditional interior Mexican cuisine.
• The dish became popular in the 1930s among Mexican ranch workers in Texas.
• Ranch workers were often paid partly with less desirable cuts of meat, like skirt steak, which they grilled and sliced.
• The sizzling platter became a restaurant signature much later, helping make fajitas famous.
• Chicken and shrimp fajitas came after the original beef version.

I needed a little more than half of the fajitas, so I also ordered the Chili Verde.  Chili verde is a dish made with meat simmered in a green chile sauce.  “Chile” refers to peppers, and “Verd” means green in Spanish.

It’s commonly made with: Pork, Tomatillos, Green chiles like Anaheim, poblano, or jalapeño, and Onion, garlic, and cilantro.  The sauce gets its green color from the green chiles and tomatillos.

BTW, I checked in this morning, and I was 188 pounds of ripped muscle!  This meal will certainly do damage to that number.

We finished off the entire plate!  The cast-iron pan was making the fajitas steam!

Mary got her camera out to capture the event.  She may have been texting Dianne, as I am about to demonstrate the art of tortilla biting.

I think she texted Dianne.

For years, I taught my kids and grandkids how to bite into flour tortillas artistically.  For years, I taught my kids and grandkids how to eat flour tortillas properly.  The placement of the teeth and the pressure applied while folding the tortilla into quarters create interesting designs and conversation pieces.  They also make doilies, should you need them.

One of my creations still resides in the Louver in Paris!

No, Mary did NOT drink the whole thing, but she did have the last sip again to make sure it was OK for me.

Note:  Most of that liquid is juice; it is probably the equivalent of two margaritas, not four, as it appears.  I was sotially tober when I departed.  I checked, and I was NOT blind, bombed, boozed, boozy, crocked, high, lit (up), loaded, looped, pickled, pixilated, plastered, potted, sloshed, smashed, soused, stinking, stinko, stoned, tight, zonked.  Hic!  Hic!

What can I say??

When we got home, I walked through the garden, making mental notes about what to do tomorrow.  The flowers are coming on strong.

When I returned, Mary was in her jammies and the TV was on.  I changed into my jammies and joined her.  I had my favorite drink in hand, Perrier Water in a wine glass.

We tried to watch TV, but by 8:35 pm, we were both asleep on the recliners!  We headed for bed to get a good night’s sleep!

Posted in Food and Wine, Gardening, Gym | Leave a comment