Adventures with the Palafox's

No words needed

2011-08-27T11:40:00.001-07:00

Really?

2011-08-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

Did you say party line? Please watch over this house that it doesn't fall. Is this handicap ramp helpful?
Remembering their 4 legged friends, I think this is a memorial to them, can you find them?

Venturing out of San Jose

2011-08-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

Cabo San Lucas, can almost be described as a little Las Vegas, crazy with high rises and people trying to sell you time shares. But if you need a place to leave your husband or dad for a few hours that is also possible.

Beauty lies at land's end, the Arch which you can only get to by boat.

Drove a dirt road for 40 minutes to find Sol de Mayo, then hiked down to this refreshing private water hole, I know it looks green but once we were down there it is clear and so very refreshing.

Took a swim in the Sea of Cortez, only had to share it with a few fishermen.

Drove to Todos Santos, saw this old

sign on a restaurant and gave it a try. Juicy burger and icy cold beer.

We found the Tropic of Cancer, represented by this large white ball, not sure the meaning.

You need to share the roads in Mexico with more than the living. Do you think that most of these memorials are people who were walking in the dark or driving drunk? I know that the majority are men.

Chicago or Cabo?

2011-08-27T10:15:00.001-07:00

We began planning a road trip to Chicago, hotel was booked, rental car reserved, Vennessa provided us with maps and tripticks from AAA.....then I kept watching the weather. Hot & hotter with stops scheduled for photos of rocks, and mountains.Hmmmm? What's a woman to do? Well of Course change her mind.

Cancelled the hotel and car, put the books

into the cabinet for another time, booked airfare and hotel for San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico. Okay so the weather is hot, hot, and humid but we will be sitting on a beach or by a pool with cold beer in less than 2 hours. We are on our way.

San Jose del Cabo is still a small quaint

town you can walk, slowing in this weather, to any number of restaurants, bars, and shops. We

stayed at Casa Natalia, a boutique hotel. Each room has a private outdoor patio with a hammock, pool in which I had a shoulder massage that totally released all my knots, tranquil walls, water features & patio dining.

One day we headed out for

a "walk" to the beach, a little secret, there are no beaches in San Jose del Cabo. We finally found beach, cooled off in the water and layed under the palm trees before hearing a bunch of commotion. A boat came in, time to clean the catch. While Fausto was snapping away with his

camera a taxi driver asked him if he was the one looking for a ride, oh yes he answered and off we

went. Sorry for the person who really called but when an opportunity knocks you take it.

Woke up one morning to the sound of a band in the plaza, what a surprise to see the Police band and all the city workers lined up, every Monday morning they repeat this.

After all our days of relaxing we rent a car and headed out exploring.

The Adventures Continue

2010-10-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

Tahoe Trip with Steve & Venessa began early Saturday morning. We headed to Death Valley, entering from Baker with it's giant temperature gauge. Stopping at Badwater, the lowest point in the u.s. just as we were setting up to take a group photo with the camera on automatic a French tourist walks in front of the camera, stops and looks at it. How funny would that photo have been, yet she walked away before it snapped. Note in the photos all the salt. Leaving the Devil's Golfcourse we drove to the Artist Pallette, a series of hills with the most beautiful soil colors. Ranges of reds, pinks, golds and lots of tectonic activity. All this salt made us hungry so we headed over to Furnace creek and enjoyed lunch with a roadrunner.

Off on a 27 mile off road trip which took us past Tea Kettle junction, where we hang a tea kettle. Our final destination at the end of the 27 miles is Race Track. Race track is known for trails which are left by moving rocks, no really concrete evidence for how they move just speculation. Vennessa discovered a petrified mushroom on her potty break while Fausto and Steve were photographing the sun setting while the moon was rising behind them. Leaving Death Valley and heading to Big Pine.

What does Steve like to tell everyone who drives? Never get below a half tank of gas. Well needless to say we went below half a tank in the dark and no other cars being seen for 3 hours. the last 40 miles getting into Big Pine is windy roads, and we coasted thru many of them arriving just as the gas station in Big Pine is closing with 2 gallons left in the tank. Question is...who was going to walk in the dark and try to find a phone, no reception on any of our cells. Luckily we didn't need to walk, the powers above coasted us to victory.

Good night's rest, breakfast in Bishop then into Mammoth.

First stop in Mammoth McDonald's, one Vennessa hadn't been to yet. These rocks are known as Devil's Postpile and are located on the back side of Mammoth. Mono Lake was our stopping point for a quick lunch which we enjoyed with the chirping of birds and rustle of leaves. Tahoe here we come.

Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe viewed it from the roads surrounding it, the different shades of blues are stunning. A real treasure. For our anniversary we rented a boat, Fausto put on his captain's hat and the 4 of us headed over to Emerald Bay to see the island up close. Cruised around for an hour then headed back to our hotel to rest up. Dinner out to celebrate with friends, Thank You guys for sharing our day with us.

Virginia City first stop was in a saloon where we quenched our thirst with bloody marys. Old town where proprietors dress in period clothing. Now we head over to Sparks where we stop into the largest sporting store ever. Fausto rode a Ferris Wheel for the first time and was spoked when Toni leaned over to look for Steve & Vennessa. In the store was as close to wildlife as we had gotten, they look pretty real don't they?

Tequilla Helps the Healing Process

2010-04-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

What is there to do when you can't work or drive? Invite your friends all together for a Tequilla Tasting. Steve & Vennessa were gracious and held the festivities at their house, ulterior motive, they needed to clean out their freezer. Everyone brought a bottle of Tequilla and without knowing who was bringing what we had no duplicates. First to be tasted was Casa Noble's white, rating was a scale of 1-5, 1 being lowest. This white was our only white and it rated a 3.

Jeff though our white tequilla affeciato gave it a higher score. Two Fingers ($13.00) brought to the group by the parents to be rated a -3, hope they pick diapers better than Tequilla. Next we moved onto Hussong's reposado, someone said it had a frosting smell, I think it was our

science teacher, overall it rated a 4.

Steve must have been feeling sorry for us, or maybe it was he had already drank too much cheap stuff because he pulled out a bottle of 1942, ($82.00) which everyone liked and rated a 5.

We began with a bottle from Casa Noble and ended with a resposado bottle from them, much smoother and had a hint of vanilla. Very Yummy, in fact I think I'll give it to Fausto to pour on his pancakes this weekend. That should help him forget his temporary disability and get him running around the hallways.

All in all a good evening, a strange meal to go with our Tequillas, from hash brown potatoes

to wontons and skewers of beef served with macaroni salad and ceasar salad. A few more friends joined us, 2 Patti(y)'s, Ira, Craig and Brandon. Everyone was smiling by the time we all left, and everyone had a designated driver so no worries. Next time we all get together we are going to be making sushi, I guess we'll have to do Sake tasting then.

Sometimes life gives you detours, Fausto is on one now and learning that slowing down isn't all that bad. And we have all learned to be a little more patient during the recovery period.

A toast to everyone, may our friendships continue to be filled with laughter.

New Cast and other equipment

2010-03-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

An adventure getting to the first doctor appointment. Fausto was greeted outside the hospital by a volunteer who gave him a ride in a wheelchair. After having the original cast removed this gnarly scar is what was hiding underneath.

Everything is looking good, and a new cast gets applied. For the end result he selects Green, I think he wants to blend in with the plants. Went out today and rented him a wheelchair that he will be able to roll on his own. This way he can go to work and again tell us all how to sell, sell, sell.

Really I've missed having him be able to fix me a Martini in the evening, so now with the wheelchair he's able to get back in the kitchen. Maybe a Martini or 2 tonight!

Cheers to continued healing.

Unstable Post + 10' Ladder = Oh F---

2010-03-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you combine the following ingredients;

10' ladder leaning against an unstable 12' post on unlevel ground

add one crazy Mexican 8' up on the ladder wearing shoes that roll when you walk

The post starts to give away, the ladder is going down so what's the crazy Mexican to do?

Jump off, good choice. Bad choice was in the shoes he was wearing that day. They rolled when they needed not to, thus his ankle rolled one way while his foot rolled the other, OUCH!

We all know my crazy Mexican loves to take photos of all kinds so once I was

assured he was alright besides having a deformed ankle I went to get his camera. About the same time the paramedics came and began working on him. Photo one shows the foot pointing south

when it should be pointing east.

Note the fracture kit the paramedics brought with them, oh this turned out to be more than just a fracture. As you see in picture #3 Fausto is beginning to smile, he's just been given a shot of morphine. You know he asked for Dilaudid but the paramedic told him she doesn't carry a pharmacy with her.

Let's just say it could have been a lot worse and I'm thankful it wasn't. So far the patient has been a good patient, this is now day 4 post-op and he is getting around a little more each day with his walker. I'm trying to come up with a good name for what will be his buddy for the next couple of weeks, then he can move on to crutches. No driving for 12 weeks, who is going to go crazy first him or me? Maybe we can start a pool.

Update Jef and Kristi's New Home

2010-03-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

Toni and I met Jeff and Kristi at the soon to be new Mr. and Mrs. Tague Residence. It was Wednesday about 1:00 pm, Toni and I got there early so we took a drive around the neighborhood and yes Toni approved. To describe it Jeff and Kristi will be living on a hill, but we call it Rattle Snake Mountain. The condos are the first development as you work your way into the rest of the homes, the pool and community room are the first things you see as you drive into the development. Jeff and Kristi's place are at the far north east area with views of the Lagunas and Lakeside Valley. Well Mid-May is the target move in date. I added some new pictures so you could see the progress as well as some old ones I hope you enjoy.

Tiger and Janene's new home

2010-02-06T23:02:00.001-08:00

Well here are pictures of Tiger and Janene's new home. I had not gotten a chance to photograph their new place even though they have been moved in since December, and boy have they been busy fixing up the new place, painted walls and rooms, well decorated with many art frames and lots of family pictures. Janene really has an eye, the place looked fantastic. Check out Dieters pics, he was showing us how much he loves his new home.

On the hunt for our next meal

2010-01-25T22:44:00.000-08:00

Something Toni and I like as much as traveling is food, not just fast food but really good food. So if we have to travel or drive for it, that's just the way it is. Last Sunday 1/24/10 presented that opportunity, as most of you know my San Diego Chargers are again sitting at home watching the rest of the playoffs from their homes, and this allows my Sundays to be filled with carefree activities and no more frustration, sense of betrayal, or just flat out disappointment on a team who are the NFL's equivalent to the Chicago Cubs. Some one must have put a hex on these guys.

Back to our day, we started our day with Jeff and Kristi at the 'The Pancake House' in El Cajon, I enjoyed a great California Omelet, and great company. Once finished we headed to check out Jeff and Kristi's new digs. Very, very nice we won't see them finished till May, but I could tell both Jeff and Kristi were very excited. Lets get back to our day, we were just beginning, we headed over to our friends Steve and Vennesa to see what was happening, after a few I don't knows and what do you guys want to do, we decided to head north up to Rancho Bernardo Winery. There wasn't much was going on. So, the what shall we do's started up again. Steve put a stop to it all by getting us a nice bottle of white wine, this helped us relax and really allowed us to focus on the task at hand. What shall we do today? The trek up to Mt. Laguna was a no, Wild Animal Park no, how about lunch somewhere we have never been too, yes. Leave it to Steve, Orange here we come (City of Orange South of Los Angeles). Steve and Vennessa had made the trek before, but Toni and I had not so it counted as a place we had not eaten before. That's a stretch. So the hunt was on for Shabu Shabu and we found it in the City of Orange, at a place called 'The Block' an out door mall with many shops and neat restaurants, amongst these eatery's was the place we drove up here for 'Koji's Sushi and Shabu Shabu'. Steve and Vennessa were experts already but Toni and myself got a lesson in this type of cooking, very cool, I had "The Around the World", beef, shrimp, chicken, veggies, and noddles. This meal really hit the spot. Well worth the drive, but the best part of the day was the company of friends. when you combine friends with good food, what more could you ask for. Till the next Adventure, goodbye for know.

The Kid's Got New Diggs!

2010-01-25T19:11:00.000-08:00

Well folks I am so proud of our children, in the last three months Fausto (Tiger), and Janene, Jeff and Kristi have taken a huge step in their relationships as married couples and life partners. These ambitious couples have both purchased their first homes. Both properties are beautiful and are large enough to start a family. Just a word of caution to you older visitors both homes are three stories, so put on your climbing shoes and travel light. Great Job to Fausto, Janene, Jeff, Kristi. Here are photos of the house being built for Jeff and Kristi, the development is called 'Northstar Sky Ranch', I will post Fausto and Janene's picks in the next week, by the way Dieter loves his new home.

On the Road Again

2010-01-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

Well with Jeff and Kristi's wedding over (Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Tague) and the Christmas Tree Season behind us Toni, Steve, Vennessa and myself took a drive up to Los Angeles. In search of the worlds greatest and most perfect hamburger, I was listening to the food channel the other day and they were talking about this place in Los Angeles which had great hamburgers and wonderful ribs so I quickly looked up the information on the web and started to make plans for a road trip a road trip to 'The Original Texas Barbecue King", In South Los Angeles to see if it was really true or just B.S. So we asked Steve and Vennessa if they wanted to join us and they said yes lets go, we planned the date for Tuesday, December 29, 2009.

The drive was great a typical Southern California day in late December. After a couple of hours of driving and some good conversation with our friends we arrived at 5309 South Vermont in front of the King of Barbecues place. As a side note the area sucks pretty seedy but be brave and park in the front and everything will be O.K..

Once inside the restaurant was very clean very simple and the service was very good, once we oriented ourselves on all the menu offerings we gave the gentlemen our order and he also guided us on the best values. Since we wanted to taste a little bit of everything we had him serve it family style. The first item was the Hamburger, rather a 1 pound cheese burger I couldn't wait, next a rack of Baby Back Ribs that was number two on my list, but actually my favorite when I get the chance, third the Links something I have come to really enjoy if they are prepared correctly, we also had a full complement of side orders, french fries, potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans.

Well when the food came out the first item was the Cheeseburger and monster is a fair way to describe it, we quickly split it into quarters, can you imagine we each got a quarter pound burger from one giant cheeseburger. It came with all the trimmings and guess what it was well cooked yet very moist this Cheeseburger was worth the drive in itself. The Links came out next, they served us two so we split them up and each got a half. I thought the taste was great Toni thought they were to hot you know spicy hot but the flavor was great and well cooked, I had no problem eating them. Then the ribs Baby Back Ribs a full rack came out already cut into manageable pieces. You could smell the smokiness,the meat fell off the bones so even Vennessa enjoyed them. Toni really liked the sauce and I guess so did Steve since they bought a bottle to take home. The side were excellent also Toni really liked the coleslaw, I really enjoyed the French fries all in all the trip was well worth the drive. Its always nice to find new places to have a meal and enjoys the company of friends. Till the next time.

Jeff and Kristi's 'Sand Ceremony'

2009-10-10T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well Toni and I just accomplished a tremendous milestone in our life. The marriage of our beautiful daughter, not that we had a hard time marrying her but rather that both of our children have found life mates. Kristi met Jeff about five years ago and Jeff asked for her hand in marriage about a year ago. You really have to hand it to Jeff because before he asked her, he asked my permission first, which really blew me away and endeared me to him even more (Good job Jeff asking the dad first).
Over the past year it has been a year of planning and organizing for Jeff and Kristi, for those of you who attended what you enjoyed was all done by Jeff and Kristi. Well done you two, it all went off without a hitch. Great food, Great surroundings and the beach idea fantastic.
So to the best part, the event, yes the wedding of the year took place in Coronado on October 9, 2009 and two of the most wonderful people joined sand bottles for eternity ( I'll explain later).
The day started about noon with bridesmaids and groomsmen preparing for that evenings ceremony. I visited Kristi at her hotel the 'Omni Hotel' downtown. Kristi and her bridesmaids Melissa Armstrong (Maid of Honor), Bobbie Bottroff, Janene Palafox, and Kristina Fox, were getting ready. I practiced my portrait photography on these poor girls, all while they were trying to get ready, they were good sports. Thanks Guys. The Limo arrived about 3:30 pm and they all left for Coronado where a photo shoot would take place at a park near the ferry landing. Toni and I followed in our truck. We were there just for back up in case the photographer needed me to help him (he didn't). Upon arriving the groom and his groomsmen were just getting done with their photo shoot. The guys were Jonathon Tague (Best Man), Dave Hensley, and Tiger Palafox. Jeff's family was also there David and Shelia Tague (Dad and Mom) along with his sister Julie and her two children.
The photo shoot was a blast with the girls posing for some beautiful shots as well as clowning for the camera o and by the way Toni and I also got our pictures taken. Toni couldn't contain herself she also made it known the she could model with the best of them, great job Toni.
The actual ceremony and wedding reception took place on the Naval Base in Coronado thanks to some good friends who helped Jeff and Kristi obtain the venue. Their wedding ceremony took place on the beach, guest were welcomed with sandals to walk on the beach the turn out was fantastic relatives from all over showed up and made the event memorable for Jeff and Kristi. The highlite of the ceremony was the choice by Jeff and Kristi as to who would conduct the ceremony, rather than any clergyman they chose Lou Diaz, a close family member. What a great choice, Lou did a fantastic job and made it very memorable for Jeff and Kristi, the ceremony was called the 'Sand Ceremony' as Lou read the vows Jeff and Kristi would repeat all while pouring sand into a bottle from each of their own bottles. Kristi's was white sand poured out of a Grey Goose Vodka bottle (you know Kristi) and Jeff poured red colored sand from a Heinz Ketchup bottle (Jeff's favorite). The date and their names are engraved on their sand vessel signifying their eternal love (Very Cool). Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Tague.
After the ceremony it was up to the reception area for a terrific dinner and an evening of dancing and enjoying each others company. Like most receptions it was wonderful the DJ really kept things lively and moving along. I think it truly was the wedding of the year.

Bats in your Bell Tree

2009-10-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Embarcadero August 26, 2009, I met Mr. Jim Trask artist, he was setting up and putting the finishing touches on his Urban Tree at the Embarcadero on Harbor drive, chosen from over 100 artist to set up his urban tree (Bats in your Bell Tree) and share it with the world for the next 12 months, this urban forest gets renewed each year with new entry's from various artist from all over the country. How cool is that, well to him its becoming old hat this is his fifth urban tree. Jim comes to us from Arroyo Grande near San Luis Obispo just up the coast. Jim Trask is a retired Fire Captain who know devotes his time to water feature landscaping and art. A painter and Sculpture for most of his adult life.

I asked Jim why the bats, how did you come up with the concept. He said it all began with the purchase of nine softball bats at a garage sale near his home. The next thing he asked himself was what do I do with them, well he let his artistic nature take over and soon came the play on words instead of 'Bats in the Belfry' he came up with 'Bats in your Bell Tree' and as they say the rest is history. The construction process takes about three months from start to finish. Typically the first month involves the creation and development of the concept. Month two brings materials list, cutting, and fitting of all the components. The third month is the construction and installation.

I also met Mr. Allan Tait from the Port District lending support for the various artist who would be setting up that day. I asked Mr. Tait the selection process and he was very accommodating. Artist from all over the country submit a concept and a 1/12th scale model of there urban tree. The Port District get approximately 120 entries, out of which only 30 are chosen. The contest is open to both amateurs and professionals. Once chosen each artist is give three months to make his or her concept come alive and agree to the 12 month exhibition at the Embarcadero. A very interesting fact Mr. Tait said was that he did not know of any other city in the country doing such a project. I would think most cities would try something like this.

The Port District pays each artist a small stipend to help with the materials for their urban tree after the 12 months each artist can sell there tree to the public.

Hamburger Finds

2009-10-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

Lately Tiger, Myself and Toni have been on the look out for the best hamburger in town. We decide to look out of the area, Toni and I headed up the coast and inland to Fullerton, California about an hour to an hour and a half away. The idea was to find the next best burger so I went on the Internet an searched for the Best hamburgers in and around Orange County, and I found 'Hero's Bar and Grill'. We hit the road about noon taking Toni's T-Bird you know the whole topless thing driving up the freeway it was great along the coast but once we started heading inland the temperature started climbing when we finally got to Hero's it was 104 degrees, a bit warm.Lucky for us we were greeted with a huge glass of ice water and a bag of peanuts to munch on while we made up our mind on the meal choice. Our first decision was to choose a beer out of the 100 choices they had on tap, Toni got a pear cider beer very refreshing, but not quite a beer, I got a local beer from bootleggers brewery a German Hefferwiesen.

Imagine all that way for a hamburger and we decided on a pulled pork sandwich which our server Chad talked us into over there burgers. Hero's was a very casual restaurant looked like a place for locals to watch ball games and just hang-out and have a good meal great atmosphere. although we did not achieve our hamburger goal the pulled pork sandwich was great but our favorite was the Artichoke Dip with its two sauces a cool ranch type and a great smokey one with just enough bite to make interesting.

Matthew Perry Christening Ceremony

2009-10-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

I had a fun outing the other afternoon, Toni ran across an ad for a ship christening. Living in San Diego I had never been to a ships christening, I decided to make the time and attend something new for me. I took the trolley south and headed to Nassco General Dynamics ship yard on Harbor Drive. The ship designed and built by General Dynamics was the USNS Matthew Perry (T-AKE 9), the mission of this ship is to deliver ammunition, provisions, stores, spare parts, potable water and petroleum products to various strike groups and other naval forces, by serving as a shuttle ship.

A little history about Commodore Matthew Perry, he was born into a naval family on April 10, 1794, a son of Captian Christopher R. Perry a naval officer who served during the revolutionary war. His four brothers were all naval officers and two sisters also married naval men.

Matthew Perry is credited as the 'Father of the Steam Navy' a strong proponent of modernizing the navy with steam power.

Commodore Matthew C. Perry died on March 4, 1858, in New York City, the ship which bears his name is the ninth ship of the Lewis and Clark class.

Bridal Shower

2009-08-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

With the wedding plans progressing along it was time for Kristi to relax a bit with her maid of honor, bride's maids, family and friends. A shower was held in our community room where the ladies enjoyed a lunch of salads, veggies, and croissants, followed by a beautifully decorated cake. Gifts were opened, laughs exchanged, and well wishes for Kristi and Jeffrey.

Just 2 more months before the big day. Be there or be square!

Runners are you ready?

2009-08-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

American's Finest City Half Marathon went off without a hitch again on Sunday August 16, 2009. This run begins at Cabrillo National Monument, runners follow beautiful San Diego Bay thru Harbor Island, around the Embarcadero, winding through downtown and in front of our home, then up to Balboa Park.

Toni and I went out as we have in the past to cheer the runners on, and I get to practice taking action pictures. Some of the runners are so intense they don't even see me standing in the middle of the street, while others are enjoying themselves and actually pose for the camera.

The training and dedication that goes into preparing for this event, some run so effortlessly while others look as if each step is a struggle. Yet they each do it for themselves and I give them much kudos for being out there.

Cityfest in Hillcrest

2009-08-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

One thing about staying close to home this year is we have been attending many more local events in our fair city.

On Sunday, August 9th we took a cab up to Hillcrest for their annual Cityfest. Again an event we've heard much about yet never had attended. Well worth the cab ride. Streets are lined with vendors selling Art, Food, chotskies, and almost anything else you can imagine. I wanted to buy Kristi a pair of Charger fairy wings, but Toni said "No, Jeff has put an end to Chargers and frogs in their house". We dined on BBQ and beer while people watching and listening to a few different bands, our favorite being The Tighten Ups.

As the sun set the area around the historical Hillcrest sign begin to fill up with people waiting for the re-lighting of the sign which had been refurbished. Mr. Todd Gloria, SD City Councilman did the honors and flipped the switch. The sign is again shining brightly in Hillcrest.

Life is good here in San Diego......till next time.

Comic Con 2009

2009-08-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Comic Con? I've been hearing about it for years but had never been so this year Toni, Kristi, Jeff and I walked down to see what all the talk is about. We weren't going to be able to get inside as it sells out quickly but we were able to see the swarms and I mean swarms of people exiting it one evening. As we stood near the corner on 5th across the railroad tracks from the San Diego Convention Center we watched as literally thousands of people, some dressed as characters, came pouring out. Very interesting....what makes a person put on the make up and clothing just to walk thru a convention hall?

I'm Back

2009-08-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

I'm Back! We have not fallen off the face of the earth, it's just been a "work" year. Amazing how that four letter word gets in the way of travel. Yet it hasn't stopped Toni & myself from creating small adventures. And really without "work" we wouldn't have the resources to travel and make new adventures.

Before I get to the adventures I want to let everyone who doesn't already know that our daughter Kristi is busy planning her wedding to Jeffrey. They are getting married in October and have pretty much everything under control. Jeffrey is a bright man and very good at finding deals. Toni & I so far just offer moral support, and write a few checks.

Earlier this year with hundreds of other tennis shoes we headed for a 'walk' across the Coronado Bay Bridge. This annual event takes you from downtown near the convention center, into Barrio Logan, and across the bridge stopping in Tidelands Park. What a view from the center.

Coronado Bridge Walk/Run

We've driven across numerous times, especially when Tiger was swimming, I've sailed under it, but this was the first time I've walked it.Wow! The 3 mile walk was completed just in time before the hot sun came out.

It had been years since Toni & I went to Disneyland, what changes there are in the Magic Kingdom. We went this year with Kristi and Jeff to celebrate Kristi's birthday. What a surprise for the 3 of us as we were getting ready to leave a limo pulled up. Jeff arranged for us to ride up and back in a limo, what a treat. First time Toni & I had been in one and we were pleased to share the ride with 2 special people. We got up to Anaheim, checked into a hotel had a quick bite of dinner then off to sleep and dream of Disneyland. Woke up early the next morning, Kristi's actual birthday and spent the day exploring the new rides while reflecting back on the old ones. Fun place to people watch, if you can, but Kristi had us running all day. We did get to sit down for a few hours in California Adventure where we did wine tasting. Jeff and I rode the 'scary' rides while the girls watched and laughed at us.

Just last month we were able to get away from the four letter word and relax in Palm Springs, again thanks to Jeff & Kristi. Kristi and her bridemaids stayed 2 nights in Palm Springs yet the condo was available for the whole week, so Toni & I didn't want it to just sit empty. If you've ever been to Palm Springs you know that summer time is HOT HOT HOT, and this year is no different. We spent most of the time reading, taking naps, watching movies, eating, drinking, and all of the above over and over again.

One day we headed out early and took in the sights of Joshua Tree National Park. We hiked a very short hike due to the intense heat but plan to revisit in the cooler months.

On an earlier trip to Palm Springs Toni & I had stayed at what was then a new hotel called Zosa, we visited it this time for a fun evening of Cabaret done in drag. Check out the slide show. Thursday evenings the main street is closed down for a farmer's market/craft show and even with the heat people came out.

We have done day trips with our traveling buddies Steve & Vennessa and almost every one of them involves wine, food, or some other adult beverage. We are doing our part to stimulate the economy, one drink at a time.

I promise to post in a more timely manner from this time forward, too many pictures to choose from when describing our adventures.

To whatever new adventures await us!

Catching up after Africa

2009-03-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Good day everyone, I must apologize I have been very negligent on my blog an hope to catch up today. Just because I stopped writing does not mean the world stopped creating adventures for my to enjoy. So let me begin with February 22, Toni and I woe up real early to do a walk, Jeff, and Kristi drove Toni and I out to Mission Trails Regional Park to take part in 'Max and Jake's Big Race', it was actually more of a walk than a race. Hundreds of people too time out of there day to participate this morning, it started out with a warm up routine to get everybody blood flowing and then we were off for a self paced walk around Mission Trails, great way to start the morning. Max and Jake's Big Race was started by Jerilyn Hammerstrom and Paula Cook, Max and Jake's' Moms. Both Max and Jake have had heart issues and the mothers have used this event as a way to give back to 'Rady Children's Hospital Heart Institute'. Well done ladies!, I hope you continue to have great success in this endeavor and Thank You.

That same day right after Max and Jakes event we went to Rancho Bernado to se the Final stage of the 'Tour of California'. This nine day event race covered more than 750 miles of scenic California roads, visiting 16 cities and watched by thousands of cycling fans. The race began at noon in Rancho Bernado and ended in Escondido. Levi Leipheimer took the overall title for the third straght year, with an overall time of 31 hours, 28 minutes and 21 seconds.

This was a great oppurtunity for me to acually see a bike race with real pros, being a fan of the 'Tour de France' each year I sit down to see these biking greats. I was amazed to see how fast they move on these bikes and how close together they are from each other as they ride down the road, with crowds cheering them on.
I did get glimpses of some of the well known riders like Levi Leipeimer (USA), Lance Armstrong (USA) on his first come back race, David Zabriskie (USA), and many other European rides who I did not know or recognise. All in all it was a great day to spend with friends and relatives, Steve, and Vennessa did the walk with us earlier and Jeff and Kristi did the walk and watched the biking event. I look forward to the tour next year, so I can plan my observation points better.

Just a few day later we enjoyed a new experince, yes another first for Toni and myself we actually rode on a Mardi Gras foat and got to throw beeds to the crowds. The Historic Gaslamp Quarter in Downtown San Diego was the backdrop for the cities largest adults only party 'Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Celebration' we had the good fortune of riding in one of the more popular floats 'Dick's Last Resort' what a party crowd all having a great time drinking and throwing beeds at the adoring crowds, this is one post that you should look at the slide show the pics speak for themselves. I just hope we get an invite next year maybe have become a n annual event. Thanks Tiger, Janene, and Perry from Dicks we had a great time.

March 1st 2009, another first in our life a 'Gran Fondo' just down the street from our house near Little Italy, San Diego. The Little Italy bussiness association puts on many wonderful events on this day the put on the 'Gran Fondo Colnago' its italian for the 'Big Bike Ride' a long distance mass participation cycling event, not a race. This type of event is an Italian tradition, where hundreds of riders of all abilities participate. Gran Fondo's, are typically named after famous cyclist from the past of companies with a long hertiage in cycling. This years inagural event was named after of of cyclings great inovaters 'Ernesto Conalgo', Ernesto was present at the event aswell as a major sponsor of the event.
This years event had a 45 mile ride and a 100 mile ride which took riders all the way up to Alpine in the east county.
I got up early to watch the festivities and watch the rider begin the ride, after a while I left to go to work and I came back in the afternoon to watch the 100 mle riders come in to the finish. Ther were lots of people hanging out watching there friends come in and many booths with products being sold. This was a great event for down here I hope they continue this tradition maybe on year I will do the ride.

Thanks for waiting Till Next Time, Remember Life is an Adventure

Sunday in New York

2009-02-09T17:49:00.000-08:00

Woke up early and went for a walk, ended up down by the Hudson River. It is very cold but quiet as it is Sunday morning. Get back to the hotel in time for our last New York breakfast, this time bagels and cream cheese with bacon and tomatoes. Toni and I go out to be tourist for the last time. The Empire State Building, wow it is tall and what views from there. Crisp and cold are 2 words that come to mind, but we are still high from our adventure and the cold is invigorating.
Off to the airport where we watch football while waiting for our flight home. We'll miss the Charger game, yes they made it into the playoffs, but the final score will be there when we land back in San Diego.

See you next time New York, you are truly a city that never sleeps.

New York snowfall 1/10/09

2009-02-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

Showered and took off for a walk around New York this morning about 10:00am, the snow was just beginning to fall. We ate a Hot Dog from a street vendor for breakfast since our bodies were still on Africa time. Found a restaurant which the review said was as close to Tijuana as you were going to get in New York. Well it was okay but none of the waiters or cooks had ever been to Mexico so go figure.
Went to an afternoon performance of Wicked, it was magnificent. When we got out everything was covered in snow. The four of us were like little kids, laughing and playing, was it the snow or lack of sleep?
Good night we are heading home tomorrow

Back in the states 1/10/09

2009-02-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

What a great time we had. It's about 5:30 am and we are just about to land at JFK airport in New York. We watched a beautiful sunrise as we came over New York.
I'm so glad Steve & Vennessa didn't give up on us and convinced us to accompany them on this trip. Having them as experienced travel partners made it nice for us novices. The areas we visited all had their individual beauty and uniqueness to them.
I think all of us came away with a strong sense of Awe. Africa is a large and beautiful continent. South Africa has so much to offer, from it's coast line to it's mountains and best of all it's animals in the wild.

Thank you Steve & Vennessa!

Could it be an elephant?

2009-02-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

What was that sound? What did we see?
We saw a peaceful watering hole being enjoyed by a few warthogs and birds, we heard more birds singing good morning. The elephant? No not there, did we imagine it? Maybe it was off in the distance saying Good bye, come back and see us again soon. We like to think it was the exclamation point to our adventure.

As we get ready to go back to the states we are not looking forward to our 17 hour flight but we are taking with us many memories, new acquaintances, and about 6000 pictures.

Awaken by an elephant?

2009-02-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

Awaken by the sound of a tropical rain, steady and forceful not like our San Diego rains which usually come accompanied by wind. I quickly jump out of bed and open the shutters to let in the morning smells and sounds. As I stand on our veranda I gaze upon the view, reflecting on our adventure. Who would have thought a couple of kids from National City would ever in their wildest dreams be sitting in the middle of Africa, a world away. Yet when you look under the covers sort of speak, you notice the people are all the same, culturally different, but the same. All we want is food, shelter, clothing, to raise our families and have a degree of ambition.
My thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the sound of what I think to be an elephant. I yell "Elephant", Toni jumps out of bed, I'm looking for our binoculars as the sound becomes louder. We dress quickly and rush out to the top of the hotel bar where we have a bird's eye view of the watering hole. What do we see?

Road back to Victoria Falls

2009-02-09T17:19:00.000-08:00

Another stamp as we had to cross out of Botswana back into Zimbabwe, another chance to pick up condoms if we needed as they have them at all the border crossings, public bathrooms, and even some restaurants.
Our trip back to the hotel was longer as we had Ernest stopping along the road to take pictures every few minutes, we knew our trip was coming to an end and we wanted more memories.

Chobe Game Reserve afternoon safari 1/8/09

2009-02-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

Headed out in jeeps for our afternoon safari, had to keep our cameras inside when the rains came, and boy did they come. Nothing as dramatic as our elephant crossing earlier today. The highlight wasn't an animal but a large grouping of gloriosa lilies growing along the trails. Toni spotted the Wild Kingdom highlight and had our whole group laughing and clicking away. Two leopard turtles mating alongside the road. We hung out watching then they scurried off into the bushes, both smiling!

Botswana Chobe Game Reserve 1/8/09 morning safari

2009-02-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

I'm writing this from our balcony at 6:00 am overlooking a natural game park. Everything is so green and lush, quiet except for the birds and other animals saying good morning to each other. I would stay longer but Ernest is waiting to take us over to the Chobe National Park, Botswana about 60 minutes away.
We get a few more stamps in our passports as we cross into Botswana.
Our 4th safari was split into 2 parts, the morning we spent cruising up and around the Zambezi River. Relaxing and laid back, nice day great scenery. Lots more crocodiles up close and they were moving. Pod of hippos, noisy and scary. Birds and antelopes. Highlight had to be the elephant bathing in the river then crossing over to the other side. He swam next to our boat within 10 feet of us, an amazing animal, Toni thinks they look like they are smiling. Lunch then off for an afternoon jeep safari.

Dinner at Boma 1/7/09

2009-02-09T16:50:00.000-08:00

Tonight's meal would be entertaining, with us being a part of the entertainment. We are eating at Boma, a place to go when you are hungry. Meats from many different animals, eland, warthog (very tender and good flavor), impala, pork, beef and chicken. Toni, Steve and myself discovered our inner animals. After dinner we head back to our hotel's bar where Steve claims "leadership". I hope the paints aren't permanent.

More thoughts on the people

2009-02-09T16:47:00.000-08:00

Thinking more about the people of Zimbabwe, they are very friendly and very enterprising. Many artists who work with their hands, others who sing and perform. The ones serving us in the hotel and restaurants are superior to any others we've had dealings with on the trip. They all seem to want to get ahead despite the political landscape. Many do not agree with the present situation. They are not waiting for a hand out, they are not giving up on themselves.

Victoria Falls 1/7/09

2009-02-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

Today is the day we've been talking about since leaving Johannesburg, we are heading off to Victoria Falls. David Livingstone a missionary and physician became the first European to witness the magnificence of Victoria Falls, a statue of this explorer is found at the beginning of the falls. As we proceed down our views get more and more magnificent. The volume of water at this time of year is spectacular. We are able to get the full experience, the sight, sound, and feel of the mist.
I'm not one to buy dust collectors yet I bought 2 hand carved stone pieces from 2 of the local artists. My largest piece is a kudu, very elegant. The 2nd piece is a stone with one half of a face carved into it. The artist calls it Eye Witness as it sees what is happening to their country. Everyone on the tour was buying and bartering, pens, shirts, even socks things the people need more than money.
Walking across from the falls wasn't enough for Steve & I so we head off for a 15 minute helicopter ride. Who knew my camera could take that many pictures so quickly? 400 in the 15 minute flight, what a thrill.

People of Zimbabwe

2009-02-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

Ernest our guide wouldn't say much at first about how the government is treating it's people, but over time we would get little bits of information out of him. For the last 30 years it has been mismanaged by the government. Can you imagine our money having expiration dates? Here in Zimbabwe it did, and 12/31/08 was the expiration date.
Zimbabwe was Africa's food basket 30 years ago, today it is Africa's empty basket. How sad for the people, yet how typical for their leaders in this part of the world.
10 years ago the hotel we are staying at was built, so let's hope that 10 years from now everything will have turned around and it will be a thriving spot where visitors will once again want to come and feel safe coming to.
We never felt uneasy but we did feel for the people.

Sunset River trip

2009-02-09T16:17:00.000-08:00

After a refreshing Zambezi beer and a shower, our guide, Ernest takes us down to the Zambezi River for a sunset riverboat ride. Okay for those who have been to Disneyland that is how this boat ride began. We saw hippos and crocodile, but were they alive or mechanical? I've seen larger lizards back in Lakeside.
Wow what a sunset the pictures don't do it justice. Back at the hotel Steve & Vennessa head off to bed while Toni & I grab a late night dinner of Ostrich Gaspacho and salmon salad.
Retreating to our room we find our bed drapped in mosquito netting, it really is romantic. Good night sweet dreams.

I became a Billionaire!

2009-02-09T16:05:00.000-08:00

Flew over to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe where just about everyone is a billionaire. Picked up over 100 billion Zimbabwe dollar bills for less than $5.00 US dollars, only problem being they are all expired. At the airport you begin to see the economic struggles they are having, shops with little or no inventory, restaurants closed down. The people are just living, there is nothing to motivate them. Our hotel for the next 2 nights is Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, we arrive just in time to see the daily feeding frenzy. Every day around 1:00 pm one of the employees takes about 20 pounds of raw meat down to a clearing where within minutes voltures, storks, and other birds descend down and scarf it all up. I shot about 150 pictures of birds, feathers, and raw meat all flying around me. Didn't smell so good. Our main waitress was named Natallia which translates to Peace, she was very sweet.

JoBurg

2009-02-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

Well we finally arrived in JoBurg after a long day of sitting on the bus. Some interesting facts we learned from our local guide.
Soweto translates to South West Township. There are 3.5 million people with only 60 being white. 9 different tribes live here and electricity came to the whole area in 1985.
Mandela and Tutu both lived in the area. The family home of Mandela is being turned into a museum. Do you know what BMW stands for in Soweto? Black Man's Wheels.
In Sandton were we stayed there were some interesting art pieces during the day turn into illuminated art at night, can you tell what Fausto and Steve are doing?

Slide show of the entire trip

2009-02-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

Hello to everyone who has been following our African Adventure. First I must apologize to not finishing the African blog no excuse just to much fun on the road. So, let me bring you up to date on the last portion of our trip. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did in real life. As you recall we were on the road to Joburg, Johannesburg the largest city in South Africa, we arrived in Joburg in the late afternoon in time for a dinner at a local Chinese Restaurant and a quick walk around the the community of Sandton. The next day, our usual breakfast and off we were to Soweto which mean "Southwest Township" for a tour of the township its unique culture and colorful history. Tom our guide, picked up our Soweto guide, he took over for the rest of that morning, and gave us the run down.
Enjoy the rest of the blog I believe we should be cought up, I have also inserted a slide show of the entire adventure at this point so you can get a feel of what we have been up to and totally amazed by. I would like to Thank Toni for helping me up date the blog on the road and at home she can type so fast and makes less spelling mistakes.

JoBurg

2009-01-05T12:58:00.000-08:00

Driving over to JoBurg we go through some beautiful countryside. First stop was at the top of a mountain where we hiked down to a group of pot holes. These were made by the conversion of two rivers, the area is named after a man named Burke. I should have known the hike back up was going to be hot, the locals would stop and rest under each shade tree, I was drenched when I reached the top, but well worth it.
We then stopped by God's Window, funny thing as we entered we saw that God's Window has opening and closing times. Looking out to the east towards Kruger Park, where we had begun that morning, even with the clouds it was a tremendous view.
Vennessa and Toni bought themselves a small wooded carved leopard to commemorate our viewing from the day before.
Lunch was in a town called Graskrop where we feasted on the local pancakes. These were suppose to be crepes but were as thick as pancakes from IHop.
Beautiful and clean countryside with many European names on the towns. Farms with corn, watermelon and who knows what else. Trout fishing and weekend retreats. Everything is green now as this is the beginning of summer but in the winter it gets dry and brown, sound familiar? Eucalyptus trees are planted as wind breakers. NEWS FLASH - just passed a farm of cactus 'mamalaria', what do you think they would use them for? Maybe cactus apples or the flesh for beans, but doubtful as we have yet to find any Mexican restaurants.
Finally arrive at our hotel Protea Balalaika in Sandton. Tomorrow another new day and another new adventure.

Kruger Game Park day 2

2009-01-05T12:50:00.001-08:00

Up at 5:00 am, well that was the plan but we didn't get our wake up call so everyone was on the bus waiting for Toni & myself. Turned out okay though because the gates to the park didn't open until later.
Guide for today was John, a quite happy chap with a thick South African accent. Very knowledgable of the flora & fauna. Just as we were setting up to get some photos of hippos John takes off and we speed away to a large pride of Lions, I would guess about 8-10 of them just 100' from our vehicle. Being early in the morning the youngsters were playfull while mom and dad just laid around watching, I'm glad they had already eaten. As we began to leave the lions we came across a whole group of Impalas so John turned back to see if the lions were going to be interested, no they were still too full from their earlier meal.
Spotted more giraffes, elephants, buffalo, monkeys, baboons and of course feeder fish impala. Overall a great safari.
Evening accomodations were next door to the park, fantastic viewing deck and lobby. I even taught the bartender how to make a martini.
Good night off to JoBurg, as us locals call Johannesburg tomorrow.

Kruger Game Park - Safari time again

2009-01-05T12:36:00.000-08:00

Said good bye to Swaziland and added another 2 stamps to our passport. Headed to Kruger Game Park, back in South Africa for our big Safari. You've heard of the big 5? We began today with having seen 3 of the big 5 so on the look out for Lion and Leopard, the most elusive. Our guide for today Sinky showed us rather quickly that Impalas are like feeder fish, everywhere. After just a short time we stopped to photograph them. Sinky scored points when he got us close to a herd of elephants as the pictures will show. Vennessa told Sinky we still needed the last 2 to complete our viewing of the big 5. Oh we did see a pair of lion resting under a tree, but too far away to really please us, we wanted a closer encounter. The morning ended with seeing the 'leopard', but it turned out to be the leopard turtle. Lunch was under a palapa full of fruit bats, Toni never looked up, and hippos swimming by.

After lunch Vennessa put a $50.00 bounty on a leopard sighting, Sinky wasn't confident he could produce. Just off the main road by myself and Vennessa yelled "leopard stop" yet Sinky said no we were mistaken. We insisted he stop and go back, as he was reversing we looked forward and there meandering just in front of our jeep was the ever elusive leopard. He stopped to lick his paw then continued his walk to the other side. Were we excited or what? Cameras clicking and we thought video running. Turned out in the excitment Toni only hit one of the 2 buttons on the video camera, but we do have photos. Highlight of the day, high 5's by everyone in our group. Now we could say we viewed all 5 of the Big 5. Tomorrow would be another safari and anything we see will be a bonus.

Safari Time & Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T20:02:00.000-08:00

Haven't written for a few days as there was no computer access. We spent the last couple of days at the Protea Hotel Hluhluwe & Safari where we also celebrated New Year's Eve. Partying and dancing with old friends and newly acquired friends. Watch for the pictures to show the evidence later.
With an early wake up we head out to Durban, took a tour of the area which has a population of about 3.2 million people, just like San Diego.
Shopped at a road side market to buy a few dust collectors & some handmade jewelry. Arriving late in the evening to our hotel we ate dinner at Wimpy's, their local hamburger joint. Next morning we left early for our first Safari adventure to Hluhluwe Game Park. We were able to observe buffalo, rhino, elephants who are very destructive, antelope type animals, ugly warthogs, and the 6th of the big 6, the ever elusive DUNG bettle. The video will show you some National Geographic Moments, hold your breath.
The afternoon we experienced the living and working of a Zulu Village where we sampled the local Beer, yes it was a bitter drink and we only took a sip, except for Vennessa she opted out. The show ended with a vigorous Zulu Dance, looked like wanna be Chip N Dale dancers.
January 1, 2009 took us across the border into Swaziland a small Kingdom in the heart of South Africa. This little kingdom is a country onto itself. Spent the night at the Orion Piggs Peak Hotel & Casino which is located on the northern border of Swaziland.
Now on to our next Safari where we hope to find more of the Big 5. Pictures to come later as this computer is slow.
Until next time.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

2008-12-29T06:35:00.000-08:00

If you know me you probably guessed we would visit some kind of nursery or garden. How correct, we visited one of the most beautiful gardens I have seen. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Very well laid out and kept up. The diversity of flora is fantastic. Like most of Cape Town the backside of Table Mountain is the icing on the cake.
We walked around enjoying the gardens, taking photos then found their retail nursery, so we stopped in and did some comparison shopping.
Just as we stepped inside a restaurant for some lunch it began raining. We enjoyed a lunch of Ostrich burger and cheeses with local white wine, what a Life we are having.
Till Next Time.

Cape Point

2008-12-28T21:08:00.000-08:00

Day two of our travels, got up early this morning, like 2:30 am I guess my body clock is a little wacky. We left the hotel on our tour bus early this morning we had a full day of touring, the destination today is Cape Point and The Cape of Good Hope once on the road we traveled through some scenic country, mountains sculptured by time provided the backdrop for the tour. It has rained or sprinkled since we left the hotel lucky for us every time we stop the rain has stopped and has not been a real problem, a little rain water won't hurt us. We got our fist peak at the wild life here in South Africa we saw a family of Baboon, very entertaining to watch, but as we were told can be very dangerous. We arrive at Cape Point and experienced the view, Photo-op and learned what a 'Funicular' was. Made a stop at "The Cape of Good Hope" Photo-op, Toni had a great idea and got the entire tour group to pose for a photo by the Cape sign, very fun. Our next stop was lunch at Seaforth Beach Restaurant, we had a great fish lunch and walked it off by visiting the South African Penguin Colony up the street, Vennessa was very excited, I think it made her trip so far. For me our final destination made my day "Kirstenbosch" I won't say more I am going back tomorrow, you'll just have to wait till the next time

Cape Town South Africa

2008-12-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

Finally we arrive in Cape Town, after 17 hours of flight time, 2 stops one in Dakar to refuel airplane and one in Jo-burg as the port of entry into South Africa, and do the customs routine. The final leg was a two an a half hour flight, we arrive at our final destination Cape Town. I would like to say more, but the bus took us to the hotel were we just crashed, lucky for us we had a wake-up call or we would have missed the next days tour.
Our first excursion this day is to "Table Mountain" a flat top mountain over 3000' above sea level, providing a magnificent back drop to the city of Cape Town. We were in luck this day it turned out to be a very clear and warm day, as we found out many a day the top of the mountain is obscured with clouds or very cool and windy. We finished our tour by stopping at "Victoria and Alfred Waterfront" a combination mall, working harbor and tourist trap. Once in the mall we exchanged some money sat down for a much needed lunch and just people watched. This began our quest for the elusive Elephant Ear

Merry Christmas from New York

2008-12-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone Toni, Steve, Vennessa and Myself have spent the last couple of days exploring The Big Apple, you know New York City. The first night we walked to Times Square, and Rockefeller Plaza, that Times Square is like Las Vegas the way it's lit up and so many people doing their thing it was fantastic, Rockefeller Plaza was amazing too with this huge Christmas Tree next to the skating ring and more people, very, very cool and very, very cold here, you ought to listen to all the different languages spoken in this city, English is very rarely heard. The next day we took a subway ride down to Battery Park, were we walked down to the edge of the park and looked across the bay to the Statue of Liberty, our next stop was Wall Street, checked out the Brass Bull, you know photo op, continued our walk to Trinity Church and the site of the 9-11 attack, very busy around here, as we continued our walk we saw the Brooklyn Bridge, China Town, Little Italy where we enjoyed a bottle of Vino and some cheese bread, what fun it has been visiting with the O'lears and enjoying Toni's company. By this time of the day the temperature began to drop and made walking and carrying our back-pack very uncomfortable with over 40 blocks still to go we had to take a pub break and drink a couple of Stella's to get our energy up. Other highlights were SOHO, Greenwich Village, The Empire State Building, we decided not the go to the top since the line went down the block and we were to cold to wait around. We enjoyed the windows at Macy's Department store but lots of people at every turn and visited the gift shop of The Sex Meausem. Our third day was a rainy walk up to Central Park to check it out, as we walked we stopped and had our first New York Bagel, even in the rain and cold this city never rest, the small part of Central Park we enjoyed was nice with all the tall buildings surrounding it and a beautiful frozen pond with ducks trying to stay warm. We found out that the store that our Godson Paul works at was across from Central Park, 'Bergdorf Goodman' fancy, so we dropped in on him on a chance he would be working said hello and Merry Christmas. We worked our way back towards the hotel stopping a various department stores and stopped at Trump Plaza, the best part was our first New York Pizza at Ray's it was excellent and very cozy. Now we are just killing a little time to see what we are going to do tonite, Christmas Eve maybe go have a nice dinner somewhere drink a little Vino walk around some more who knows. I have taken a bunch of pictures of the city as soon as I can load them onto Picasa I will do so, so all of you can enjoy the sites along with us. We are having a great time the only problem is this cold weather you have to bundle up to go anywhere and unbundled when you get there what a hassle and then re bundle when you leave where ever you are visiting, I do miss our San Diego weather we sure are spoiled how lucky we are.

Look for Erik the Duck on our Travels

2008-12-20T18:32:00.000-08:00

Toni and I have added a new travel companion to our traveling group along with our friends Steve and Vennessa, Erik the traveling duck has joined us, he did not even ask he just said I am going so make room in your travel bags for me. So keep eye out for him on our travels he will probably be popping up here and there.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

Hi folks Toni and I just want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. As you can read from our previuos entry, Toni and I leave for New York and then South Africa on Monday at about 6:00 AM but we have to be at the airport by 4:30 AM I hope I do not over sleep, we are really looking forward to this trip across the Atlantic Ocean and visiting a country we have never been to before. I am also looking forward to celebrating Christmas on an airplane, maybe we will get a cool present on the airplane.

South Africa 2009

2008-12-11T22:09:00.000-08:00

Hi guys Toni and I decided to post our itinerary of our trip to South Africa, our hope is to find an internet cafe and keep you up to date on our adventure with the O'lears.

Click on the Picasa logo then click on the Album South Africa 2009 line for a larger slide show presentation

Father Joe's Thanksgiving Day Run

2008-11-27T16:55:00.000-08:00

Kristi, Toni, and Vennessa,braved the rain this Thanksgiving Day to help Father Joe's Villages. They did a 5k walk on this cool cloudy morning with about 7000 of Father Joe's closest friends to help his cause with the homeless. As the walk continued at about the 2 mile marker it really began to pour dogs and cats, as the girls made there way to the finish line the rain came down harder and harder. I met them at the finish line all three were eager to to go home and take a warm bath. They all had a great time and enjoyed each others company. Toni, who has always asked me to take a walk in the rain with her was quick to say she was fine for a life time and would not make the request again.

Cool Globes

2008-10-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

Cool Pictures

2008-10-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of family, friends and plants that I have taken around town I hope you enjoy them

Festa in Little Italy

2008-10-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

Today is Festa in Little Italy we are starting out with breakfast at our house we have family and friends coming over. After breakfast some of us will walk up to Little Italy and check out the Festa. I am looking forward to seeing the artist which draw the most beautiful pavement drawings on the streets.

For breakfast we had a feast of eggs, country potato's, french toast, bagels and of course menudo. Janene made an "amazing" batch of french toast. what a great gathering of friends and relatives we enjoyed each others company. Jeff and Kristi's wedding was the topic of conversation and how great it was to see everyone. Trey and Jenna our nephew & wife from Arizona, arrived a little late, they had driven from Orange County on their way home to Flagstaff after attending a friends wedding. They visited with us enjoyed some great eats then we said our good byes to them and we walked over to the Festa, where we viewed the Pavement Drawings and the works they had created, we visited the various booths selling food, and lots of merchandise with " I am Italian" slogans. Dreamed a little with Janene as she was trying out a new Vespa to cruise around on. The weather was perfect and the sights were spectacular. Cio!

Cruise for the Cause 2008

2008-10-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

Thusday October 9th Kristi, Jeff, Toni and I went on a Cruise around San Diego Bay on the Inspiration Hornblower Yacht, to benefit the American Cancer Society. It was a fund raiser for Breast Cancer awareness they set up the ship with various venders and wine tasting areas. It was fun just going from booth to booth checking out all the venders, I bought Toni a cool necklace and we found a purse Kristi really liked maybe for Christmas or in her dreams, we had a good time visiting with Kristi and Jeff and of course we enjoyed seeing the city lights from the bay. We truly are lucky to live in San Diego, so many great things to do and see. Till the next time

A Day At The Trolley Dances

2008-10-10T20:44:00.000-07:00

On Sunday October 5 the Olear's and the Palafox's attended a unique dance performance called the Trolley Dances by Jean Isaacs' San Diego Dance Theater. There was a total of six dance performances at various trolley stops starting at the Fashion Valley Mall stop and all the way to the Santa Fe Depot stop for the final performance. The first dance was on the walking bridge between the trolley stop and the Town and Country Resort. The dancers were dressed like homeless people actually when we first arrived they did look like homeless people until the music started and was a great number. The second stop was the Morena Blvd. stop we walked up to the Morena Village swimming pool where the performance took place. This was different the dancers were all dressed in black and most of the dance took place in the pool, very unusual yet very cool. The third dance was across the street in the San Diego River walking path, The performers danced on the various paths using the bridges and benches as their props, they had a violinist playing some of the music while the speakers were hidden in the native vegetation which made the sounds and dances more Erie. The next stop was Old Town San Diego we gathered around one of the display adobes, this group was dressed like gun slingers and brothel girls, the dance consisted of a gun fight some great dancing. As we headed to the Santa Fe Station we made a stop at the Little Italy stop for a performance on the stair well of an abandoned building the theatrics of this group showed lots of energy. After this performance we took a break and went up to the Little Italy Spaghetteria for a pizza and a beer, this was a very well deserved break. From there we walked down to the last performance spot at the Santa Fe Depot where the group dressed like travelers each had long trench coats and a rolling suit case bag, the dance consisted of a well choreographed travelers dance very fun to watch.

It was a fun day seeing these young dancer and their performances plus we learned about areas in our city like the San Diego River that we had never been to before. The best part was the company of our friends to share this with and a great lunch we had made the day. What a cool day.

Filming The Ex-List at Mission Hills Nursery

2008-10-10T13:58:00.000-07:00

This next blog has nothing to do with travel, but it was a unique event for us not only personally but for the business. We were asked to provide our business Mission Hills Nursery for a couple of scenes for a new television show called the "Ex List" which is being shot in San Diego mostly around the beach areas. We had a great time while they were filming, watching the way they set up the scenes and all the equipment used in doing it, our store was completely surrounded by equipment truck supporting the shoot. The staff was great they took great pride in not disrupting more than they had to and were very polite to all the employees. I learned that the shoot would only be a few minutes in the final cut and that it takes a week to shoot a total of 42 minutes for a hour long show, and they had about one hundred people working for the day. It is incredible I hope the show does well. The crew finally wrapped it up about 7:00 PM. Toni and I closed up and said thank you and good bye.

Chargers vs. Jets

2008-10-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well it was Father and Daughter day for me and Kristi, we went to see the Monday Night Footbal Game, between the San Diego Chargers and the New York Jets with Brett Farve as their new quarterback. As you can imagine Kristi and i were a bit apprehensive about the Chargers who had lost two games in the last few seconds of each of the previous two games, so we were hoping to see a motivated team with a strong desire to win and win big. I learned that New York fans are rowdy they sure make a lot noise over nothing, but I had to hear it from the moment I got on the trolley in Old Town all the way to Qualcom Stadium I am sure glad the Chargers won other wise you would have to listen to them on the way home. Then again I have to say many of the Charger fans were not feeling left out, you can see the picture of a couple Charger fans also. Any way Kristi and I had a great time, good company with my daughter and the game came out in our favor which made the drive home nice. No arm chair quarterbacking and picking the team apart, I hope they continue to do well, good luck to them and we the fans and their biggest fan of all Kristi.

Toni and I enjoying a morning in Balboa Park

2008-10-10T12:45:00.000-07:00

Toni and I spent the morning enjoying the sites at Balboa Park, it was great all the kids are now back in school and the many tourist who visit San Diegos' have gone home, it is so nice to have the park to ourselves and a few other locals. We started at the reflecting pond in front of the Botanical Building, the water lilies were in full bloom and the giant lily pads looked as if you could walk on them, I of course had to take a bunch of photographs, as you fan see from the first photo I caught Toni looking away and her reflection in the pond, she sure has lost lots of weight on her new diet. She looks great. We ran into Ruben from Channel 6 he was doing a shoot for his news segment. He remembered our son Tiger from the morning garden segments Tiger has done every once in a while, Ruben also mentioned he and Tiger have a mutual friend. That's him on the cell phone in between segments.

We also discovered this cool Butterfly garden that we didn't know existed, so we spent some time there looking at the flowers and the various insects that hang out amongst them. I don't know who sponsors it, but keep up the good work over time it could become a great attraction for visitors especially children. Its located to the right as you walk towards the large fountain by the Ruben F. Fleet Space Theater right after the museum of Photography, you have to walk a few steps into a grotto. Later I found out the name of this garden and its called the Zoro Garden and it was a nudist colony during the 1935 California-Pacific Exposition, can you believe this after all this time the birds and the bees are still happening in this garden.

Our treat for the morning was a bowl of Endamames we ate them at Japanese Friendship Garden restaurant sitting on there patio under the shady umbrellas watching the leaves on the trees enjoying good conversation with Toni and drinking a good cup of tea. I really enjoyed this quiet morning, maybe I felt so unrushed as if I had all the time in the world, I look forward to doing this more often it really puts you in a good mood.

Opening day of the Chargers Season

2008-09-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

Toni, Kristi, Syd, and Jeff went to opening day, the start of the Chargers football season. Syd (Mom) and Jeff (Son) have been good friends from Lakeside where we lived, our kids grew up on the same block. Jeff and our son Fausto (Tiger) went to elementary school together and played little league (Rios Canyon Baseball). Rick(Syds husband, Syd, Clay (Brother) and Jeff moved from the area years ago but Syd and Toni have kept in touch through out the years. They made arrangements to meet for the opening game of the San Diego Chargers 2008 season. Syd and Jeff flew in from Las Vegas, Me and Jeff (Kristi our daughters fiance stayed home and made dinner for the victors, however it did not turn out that way. The Chargers lost in the last two seconds, what a heart breaker. Well it was a good day the two families got reacquainted enjoyed a good contest and ended the day with a great meal. 'what a good day'

Summer In Balboa Park 2008

2008-09-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

This year Toni and I have spent many a day strolling through Balboa Park and The San Diego Zoo. We purchased Zoo Passes earlier in the year and living so close it really allowed us to reacquaint ourselves with the park. It was fun to take timeout on our Wednesday off from work and rediscover parts of the park that we had not visited in some time

Visiting the Botanical Building has always been so educational for me, what a magnificent Landmark.

Sunflowers in the gardens make you feel like you are not in downtown San Diego, but some gardens out in the country

The San Diego Zoo has its characters which give you a laugh at every turn

I had not been to the Japanese Friendship Garden in years I never realized they had this beautiful Koi Pond.

First Annual Grape Stomp

2008-09-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we went to the 'First Annual Grape Stomp' at The Plaza del Pasado in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park with our friends Steve and Vennessa. What a great time we had eating, drinking wine and stomping a few grapes in front of people we do not know. As you can see from the pictures Toni made a few new friends when the communal grape stomp occurred. She just such a social butterfly.

A Day tasting some great wine, Temecula

2008-08-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we had the great pleasure of doing our bi-monthly trek to the Temecula Winerys to pick up our club wines with us this time were Steve and Vennessa's son Shaun and his wife Tiffany. We started our day with lunch at a cool BBQ joint Sweet Lumpy's BBQ , Steve got us a dish of garlic and butter flavored potato chips what a find. The rest of the day we picked up our wine selections and enjoyed each others company, as you can see on the photos Toni and Steve were having a good time, the other photo was everyone looking at a UFO up in the sky? and they had not had their first drink of the day yet

Afternoon at the Sea Port Village Car Show

2008-08-29T14:42:00.000-07:00

On July 20th Toni and I walked to Seaport Village and discovered a car show in the grassy area. There were what seemed like hundreds of cars lots of Corvettes, Thunderbirds, and many unique custom cars, as we were walking throughout the many cars we heard a voice calling my nickname Junior! Junior! finally I looked up to see were the shouting was coming from and it turns out it's my uncle Mike Ochoa and his son who I had not seen in ages. They were showing their latest project show car. It is a bright green metalic hearst, with lots of chrome, lots of TVs, and a lot of charm. They go around from city to city showing their beautiful work. This was a real treat to see these guys and the wonderful work they do. What a great hobby or labor of love. Great Job Guys!

Festa Siciliana Little Italy May 18, 2008

2008-06-21T22:59:00.000-07:00

Toni and I spent a few hours at the Festa Siciliana in Little Italy we enjoyed street vendors and Sicilian Pride, The musicians were great and they had a wonderful parade with various matrons, priest and community dignitaries, it was a great outing.

The Gator by The Bay Event

2008-06-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

The Gator by the Bay event was a nice walk from our house and I got to taste crayfish for the first time, lots of work for little reward, but they were very good. The music was very Zydeco very nice change of pace from our regular jazz and techno music we hear around sometimes. The event was great Toni, Vennessa, Steve and myself had a great time listening to music enjoying Cajun food and as you can see from the pictures cool hats and nice lips.

A Visit to the Temecula Wine Country

2008-06-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

In May we took a ride up to the Wine Country in Temecula, Southern California. We rode up with our friends Steve and Vennessa who had to pick up some wines from various wineries since they are winery club members. The day consisted of a lunch before we started visiting the wineries, and then we had the laborious job of tasting the the different wines each winery produced, what a job! as you can see in the picture I was not enjoying myself at all. It would be nice to do this for a living. One of the highlights of the day was visiting 'La Cereza Winery' one of Toni's favorite wines was one called 'Girlfriends' a blend of various white wines, everyone's favorite was a wonderful Raspberry Champange. What a great time with great friends and a beautiful day, I can't wait for the next wine pickup day.

A Day at the San Diego Wild Animal Park

2008-06-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

Visiting the San Diego Wild Animal Park back in April was a real treat. We enjoyed the company of good friends Steve and Vennessa. Toni and Vennessa posing on a wild elephant, we had not visited the park in years, so seeing the many changes the park has undergone since my last visit was quite a surprise for the most part the changes were positive, however I did not like the way the Tram was shorten and changed to the new system. I guess that's progress

A Cruise around San Diego Bay

2008-06-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Welcome to my blog, this my first blog entry, I plan on keeping a diary of my various travels, adventures and outings. My usual partner is my beautiful wife Toni and of course friends and relatives. All to often we put our adventures to memory and slowly forget them especially as you become older like myself.

My first adventure for 2008 was sailing in a sail boat around San Diego Bay back in March. Toni and I won a silent auction the prize was a sailing trip around San Diego Bay with a great couple who were kind enough to donate there time and sail boat to cruise around San Diego Bay, this was my first time in a sail boat. It was a total blast starting up around Point Loma and headed down towards the 'moth ball' fleet in National City. We received a great history lesson on some of the sites around the bay, enjoyed a glass of wine or two or three, good food, great conversation and of course our beautiful San Diego weather.