Bruce's Journal

[thistlebloom]

It's a good place to be from.
Dad moved us down to San Diego for work and it took me 40 years to escape and come back home.
Glad you are getting to see family though.

 

[Bruce]

There was NO congested traffic on the way home! The 100 miles that took 3 hours 15 minutes yesterday took only 1 hour 45 minutes today

 

[babsbag]

Traffic in CA stinks most everywhere. Up in my neck of the woods it isn't bad unless there is an accident or SNOW. Tuesday we got snow and the major pass into OR was closed in both directions and people and big rigs were stuck ALL NIGHT and most of the next day. What a major mess. We all had warning that this was coming but people thought that they could outrun Mother Nature and it didn't work. The two major highways east and west of Redding were closed too and there were accidents everywhere. Good way to start the holiday week.

 

[Bruce]

And according to my Uncle my 2 female cousins (the ER doctor from Redding and the other who lives in Upland) were camping with their kids (2 High schoolers, 2 in college) in Sequoia NP Tuesday when the predictions were for lows around 8°F and anywhere from 1-3' of snow the following days! Will see them (at least the local cousin, don't know about the Redding residents) today (going to Upland where aunt, uncle & 2 cousins live) and find out if they were really out in all that.

Had lunch in San Clemente with Dad, older sister, younger sister, her husband and older daughter yesterday.

 

[Ridgetop]

Bruce - if you are still in California, come see us! We are outside L.A. in the San Fernando Valley.

 

[Bruce]

Sorry Ridge, not in the schedule but thanks very much for the invitation.

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Mr. @Bruce,

I hope you made it home safely!

 

[Bruce]

I did! Since I don't have much to post very often, here is the "short" version of my entire trip:

• Drove to in-law's Wed 2 weeks ago, MIL took me to the airport, I flew to So. Cal. arriving about 9 PM.
• Spent Thursday in Fullerton (South of LA) hanging with Dad.
• Went to the Grand Canyon Fri - Sun (2 of those days were pure driving) with older sister, niece and her dog. Bought dinner for niece and sister (66th Bday) Saturday night. Nice restaurant at the park.
• Rested up on Monday with Dad, did laundry.
• Went to Dad's office manager's in Oxnard (north of L.A.) on Tuesday with Dad and older sister. She worked for him for about 35 years, both retired when he sold the business 20+ years ago. 88 miles took 2+ hours going up, 3+ coming home.
• Found a florist in St. Albans (love the Google!) and sent flowers to DW, 29th anniversary the following Sunday. Flowers mostly still look pretty good 2 weeks later.
• Drove to San Diego Wednesday with Dad; older sister, niece and nephew drove down from Huntington Beach. 100 miles, took over 3 hours. Went to older sister and her DH's 10th anniversary party that night (dinner on a tour boat in the harbor, they have money).
• Had T-Day at step sister's. Got to see younger (of the 2, still 3 weeks older than me) step sister, her DH, son his wife and the 5 month old baby both days
  
  Thankfully no real traffic on the way back north, only 1H 45M.
• Went down to San Clemente on Friday with Dad and older sister to have lunch with younger sister, her DH and the older niece. The younger one now lives up in the Bay area. Got a massage from nephew in the afternoon, paid him this time since my free one was last year when he was just finishing up his education/training.
• Went out to Upland to Aunt and Uncle's on Saturday then to dinner at Centro Basco in Chino. It has been there since 16 years before I was born. Got to see 3 of the 4 cousins, their spouses and kids
  
  . Found out the youngest cousin got married, he lives in Hawaii now. Always has been sort of a loose footed guy, never seems to have any direction. I didn't think to ask what he was doing for work now. He's 47, wife apparently about 20 years younger. I gather her parents weren't overjoyed.
• Hung with Dad and did laundry Sunday then went to a restaurant near older sister's to celebrate her birthday with Dad and nephew present since they weren't at the GC the prior weekend.
• Hung with Dad on Monday, we needed the rest!
• Hung out in the morning Tuesday, Sister, niece and nephew came over mid afternoon. We played card games then went to a local Mexican restaurant. Dad took me to the airport from there. Plane 1H 10M delayed, left at 10:10 PM. Got to JFK, gate 4, next plane delayed but at gate 1 so no distance to walk ... until they changed it to gate 29. Meaning hiking all the way down one arm, past the food "court" and all the way down the other arm. Plenty of time though.
• MIL picked me up at the airport and took me back to their place. Drove to Lowes and picked up two 10 year, no battery to replace, smoke/CO detectors to replace the hardwired ones in the downstairs bedroom and "hall". Janet had told me the one in the bedroom kept beeping it needed a new battery but that didn't fix it so she had turned off the breaker the hardwired alarms are on ... which also happens to control ALL the lights in the kitchen, the stove hood, the "hall" light and the lights by the mirror in the bathroom.
• Stopped at 2 grocery stores (picked up dinner at the health food store), then Costco to get a new pair of gloves as I managed to lose one in CA somehow, then a 3rd grocery store.
• Got home, pulled out the hardwired alarms, replaced them with the new battery ones. That leaves only the one in the crawl space near the propane furnace since I previously replaced the 2 upstairs ones some months ago. Couldn't reach those to change the batteries even standing on a chair. What a STUPID REQUIREMENT the electricians have to follow!! They must have batteries in case the power goes out but drain the batteries when testing to see if they still have "juice" so you have to change the batteries. And WHY do they need to have batteries? In case the power goes off they will still work. Which is how the battery only ones work anyway. Plus if one alarms they ALL alarm so you don't even know which way to run. STUPID STUPID STUPID! Started the wood stove back up since DD2 hadn't kept it running. She did take care of feeding the chickens and alpacas. Her lift attendant job at the mountain started today.
• Ate dinner, went to bed 33.5 real hours after I woke up on Tuesday, I don't sleep on planes because if I do I feel like crap for many hours.
• Didn't do much Thursday, nor Friday. Did take the car Friday for its 10K service and put the final few cedar boards in the little closet in our bedroom. Still need to put a bit of moulding on the floor and put up shelves. Door casing and door will be done later but DW will be able to fill the shelves. The interior is only 22" wide and 17" deep. There is a similar (drywalled) closet on the back side of this one in the bathroom.

 

[Baymule]

Your dance card sure was filled up! I'm glad you had a good time and was able to spend time with your Dad and family.

 

[farmerjan]

Sounds like it was a full, but good trip. I'll bet you finally collapsed when you got home and got those other chores done.