Gracie & Me #2: Gracie Gets Her Name

     We did a thing. In west Texas speak, we did a thang! Yep. We got a dog. For all the preliminary details about our new addition, please refer to my previous blog, Gracie & Me #1.

Gracie

     Her name is Gracie. We were inspired by Jane Fonda... seriously. Here's how we agreed Gracie would be a good name for our newly adopted four-legged friend.

     This black dog showed up. She was obviously young, but also incredibly social and well-behaved. For a day or two, we just called her 'Hey girl...' Then, we branched out to the names we thought fit her best. Like I wrote in blog #1, she responded to just about any name that ended with an 'I-E' sound like Maggie, Missy, Lady, etc. We liked 'Gracie' because we're new Netflix(ers) and we're big fans of the show "Grace and Frankie." Do you know it?


     I included the part about us being new Netflixers because where in the world have we been for the past many years? We've heard about all this streaming TV shows stuff, but just figured the technology necessary to accomplish the 21st century while living the country was beyond our pay grade. Turns out, it's not.

     We got one of those 'smart' TVs, bumped up our internet capabilities and now we're watching the shows the rest of the world's been talking about for who knows how long. We still don't stream anything to our other devices (remember when that meant your other mostly illegal stuff?) But at least for now, we're able to pick up one of our three remote controls and find something that's been water cooler talk for a very long time for the rest of the world. Seriously up until a few weeks ago, we weren't that far removed from the old days of three channels. If we didn't have our original remote, my name could easily be "Change the channel." Anybody remember those days?

Gracie

     So back to Gracie and how she got her name. Teresa and I delved into Netflix. We started with T's favorite "Grey's Anatomy." We then watched "The Highway Men" with Kevin Costner. Then, we branched out.
     Me: "Let's find something we haven't heard of, see if we like it and go from there."
     T: "Okay. You pick."
     I picked "Breaking Bad." We didn't get very far with it because at that time our internet was pretty week.

     A couple weeks later, we ramped up our internet for better streaming and tried again. This time...
     Me: "Okay, now you pick."

     T picked a show starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston called "Grace and Frankie." We had no idea what to expect. We picked the show simply on the quality of the cast. We were surprised and then we were really surprised.
     We didn't expect the premise of the show. It didn't set us off watching but it might some. The synopsis is: There are two couples (Fonda & Sheen and Tomlin & Waterston.) It turns out after many years of heterosexual marriage that Sheen and Waterston, who are law partners, are gay and in love with each other.
     The heterosexual relationships unravel, but the subsequent relationships involving a married Sheen to Waterston and a friendly relationship between Fonda and Tomlin propel the show. Suffice it to say if you use words like Fag, Queer, Lesbo, etc or judge others then this show isn't for you. But if you want rapid fire quick wit, genuine care and just a break then "Grace & Frankie" is indeed quite entertaining.
     In fact, I think Tomlin's never looked better. Waterston, who's played Academy nominated roles ("The Killing Fields,) is outstanding and Fonda and Sheen are a hoot. Plus, the supporting cast of mostly unknowns, at least to us, is very good too.

     What's this got to do with a stray black dog that showed up on our porch? Well, the black dog who answers to just about anything that ends in the "I-E" sound, answers especially well to the name "Gracie." So, we named our dog "Gracie" after Jane Fonda's character "Grace" on the Netflix show "Grace and Frankie."

     I guess we could call her "Hanoi Gracie," but I'm pretty sure that's too many syllables for a dog.😊

Bill Robertson
Next: Gracie Goes to the Vet and more...

Gracie & Me #1

     Well, we did it. We wanted to do it for a long time. We talked about it a lot. We made just about every excuse possible not to do. But in the end, we did it. Or should I say, Gracie did it to for us!

Gracie @ Home

     Yep, we got a dog! I don't think I'd write anything about Gracie if the circumstances hadn't been so uncanny and if her behavior hadn't been so remarkable. Here's what happened... starting from the beginning.

    By saying starting from the beginning, I mean starting at least several years ago. And by several, I mean longer than six or seven years ago. I don't mean the 'several' that so many incorrectly translate as meaning three, four or even five. That's just a few.
    Anyway, T and I started talking about getting a dog not that long after we married, 10-years ago this year. The rub was, we had a list as long as our arms why NOT to get a dog. We don't have a fenced yard, we like to travel, dogs shed, puppies chew, the dogs we want are expensive (I wanted a Bassett Hound & T wanted a West Highland Terrier,) etc, etc.

Gracie on the Porch

     Absolutely none of those reasons mattered because we didn't go looking for Gracie. Gracie just showed up like she was saying, "Here I am and I'm staying with y'all."
     Seriously, that's exactly how it happened and Gracie checked off just about every 'box' (obviously, she's not a Basset or a Westie) we had when it came to why we couldn't or shouldn't have a dog at this point.

     Gracie Day 1: We came home from a normal day working at the ranch. We pulled into our drive and....
     Teresa: "Don't look now but there's a dog on our porch."
     Me: "What? Where? Uh oh. Okay, let's see if it's friendly. Be careful."
Notice how Teresa says 'she' and I say 'it.' T calls all animals from fish to elephants as 'she.' She, Teresa that is, always has.
                                                 Teresa: "She's just a puppy. She's fine."
                                                 Me: "Terrific."

     Turns out Gracie, but just called dog at this point, was just a puppy and she was just fine and she was just very thirsty and very hungry. So we watered & fed her leftovers. As I remember it, the dog really enjoyed leftover meatloaf. Who wouldn't right? 😃 We did absolutely NOTHING to encourage or discourage her from staying or leaving.
     Day 2: It's about 7:45am and I'm leaving for the ranch. I walked out the front door to walk to my truck and that's when she bounded from the back side of the house. Gracie, still called dog at this point, had spent the night with us.
     All this started about two weeks ago. So, my precise recollection is a little fuzzy. The bottom line is/was Gracie, dog, stayed a second night. We still didn't encourage or discourage her. She drank clean water and our leftovers for her supper. There's no doubt she liked our spinach stuffed chicken.😉
     Day 3: We got up and she was STILL at our house. So at that point, we began thinking that she had to belong to someone. She was absolutely the most docile, sweet young dog that I could remember. She didn't have a collar (Note: In the top picture Gracie has a collar but that's a recent photo, not from the beginning,) but it was very obvious that someone had spend a lot of time and likely money training her. But obvious too was, she had been trained in a good, kind way. Gracie, still called dog, could sit, stay, come, load up in my truck and everything else a more mature dog might do. She didn't jump. She barely chewed. She didn't go spastic-excited around people. She was obviously a very young dog but her behavior was amazing!
     Long story short is, we called neighbors, we took her to the vet to see if she had a 'chip.' We posted her picture on Facebook and just about every other animal website available to us in WTX. We got back nothing. No one knew Gracie.... until....

Gracie on the Grass

     Day 4: Teresa got a text. It turned about Gracie had belonged to a couple who separated. The woman didn't want the dog. The man took the dog, but later didn't want her either. So apparently, Gracie got dumped.😖 Well, they're loss is our gain!

     Day 5: We still haven't officially named her Gracie yet. She seems to answer to anything ending in "ie." She responds to Maggie, Sadie, Missie and others including Gracie. Let's face it, she is a dog. All she hears is the emphasis on the last syllable.😁

      I guess tomorrow (Tuesday, May 28, 2019) will be Gracie's two week birthday at Casa Robertson. I think T would agree. She's checked all our boxes. We don't care that she's black and has long legs.

Bill Robertson
Next: Gracie gets her name & more
   
   

West TX Wind, Mysterious Trucks, Rattlesnakes & Spewing Water

     I'm runnin' so hot right now I could blow flames out my eyeballs. First, I blame the unrelenting west Texas wind. Does it ever stop? Then, I'm blaming a mysterious white pickup driving through the property. Then, the rattlesnake that came way too close to Teresa. And then, the gun shot that really put a hitch in my get-along.

     I can't do anything about the never ending wind, but suffice it to say... It really chaps my fanny. It blows and blows and blows. As for the other stuff, here's what happened. By the end of it, I didn't know whether to laugh, cry or just go to bed.

    A mysterious white pickup drove north through the property along our 'main street.' It happens all the time. Nosey Parkers drive through the ranch. We chase after them every time we see them. Sometimes, we catch 'em. Sometimes, we don't. The times when we do they usually say something like; "Just wanted to see what you had here."

    We didn't find the white truck. So, we decided to check and make sure the gates we kept locked were indeed still locked. They were. So we returned to the pavilion and this is when my anger meter due to the wind escalated from DEFCON 3(ish) to DEFCON 5+.

     We got out of the truck. Teresa headed for our kitchen. I was walking around the back of the truck. Then, "BILL!!!! OH NO!!!"
     "There he is. See him?"
     "What?"
     "By the kitchen door!!!"

     Wouldn't you know it, the absolute first time in about a year that we haven't told each other to 'watch for snakes,' there's a big rattler stretched out on the threshold into our kitchen.
     "Get the gun!!"
     "Okay, okay. Just stay there."

     I get the 20-gauge and load up two shells. The snake at this point has turned around and is headed back toward a hole in the deck. But, he's still up against the kitchen wall.
     I have a safe shot. I take it. But believe it or not.... I MISSED! How in the world do you miss a rattlesnake's head from less than 10-feet with a 20-gauge shotgun. I dunno, but I did.
     Strangely, snakes don't zoom off when being shot at with a 20-gauge. They kind of dare you to try again all the while rattling like crazy.

     This is the point of a gun safety story that would include something like... Always know what is behind your target. No, I didn't shoot Teresa.
     The snake was slithering back into its hole. It's head was already out of sight, but I had a good shot at its fat body.

     I took the shot and within seconds I knew I'd made matters not just a lot worse, but a likely very expensive a lot worse.
     I did hit the snake, but I also hit the MAIN WATER LINE into the kitchen that was behind the snake.

    Water began spewing everywhere. The snake, as you know if you've ever shot a rattler, just kept on rattling at me and moving more and more into its hole.

    So now, I have either a dead or semi-dead four foot rattler in a hole and by the looks of it, he's only a matter of inches from the shot up water line that now needs professional repair.
    I can't ask a plumber to work on the repair knowing full well there's a big dead or almost dead snake next to the work area. So now, we're called out a snake removal service to cut open the decking to get to that snake plus others that may be under the wood.

    I blame it all on the wind and the mysterious pick up truck.

Bill Robertson

Love to Love Ya & Delivery is FREE!

     Teresa and I just finished driving about 175-miles within the last 36-hours and we never left Snyder or Scurry county. In fact, we never ventured too far from College Avenue which is Snyder's main drag. You might say; We drive for LOVE!😘😘

The Blossom Bucket/Snyder, TX

     This marks our second year helping to deliver Valentine's Day flowers for our friends Theresa and Rodney Dupree, who own and operate The Blossom Bucket in Snyder America.
     Both years have been a little different, but each year has also had one thing in common and that is.... BUSY!!!! The volume of flowers going out is staggering.
     Theresa & Rodney had two teams delivering the day BEFORE Valentine's and FIVE TEAMS delivering on the big day. Keep in mind that while we, the deliverers of LOVE are pulling up, packing up and driving off with our bounty of bouquets, "The Inside Squad" is working shoulder to shoulder creating arrangement, after arrangement, after arrangement!

The Blossom Bucket/Snyder, TX

     It's not brain surgery delivering LOVE. In fact, it's usually a chance to knock on someone's door or visit them at work or wherever they are and they're actually happy to see you. I think the only few rules are: Don't wreck the van, Don't break the flowers or lose the balloons. And always, smile!
     I gotta admit that sometimes the smiling is forced but probably not why you might think.
     It's easy to smile when you're greeted with a smile. But I guess I'm surprised by how many who get flowers... just take 'em out of my hand without any emotion at all.      
     Sometimes, they look sad. So, the only thing I know to say is, "Aren't they pretty? I hope you enjoy them." Sometimes, they look at me like, "It's about time." All I can say then is, "Enjoy." And believe it or not, there have been times when the look I get is, "Is that it?"
     There are a lot of things I want to say to that reaction but usually none apply to the sender. My reaction is more about the creators who put genuine time and effort into making something pretty for someone they probably don't know. So in these cases, I generally go with a smile and hopefully a mood changer like: "I watched Theresa make 'em. She thought you'd like 'em a lot." It's a lil' lie, but if I said what I really felt like saying, I'd probably get hit and The Blossom Bucket would take a hit, too.
     The good news is that most of the times we're met with giggles and glee. The bad news is no matter how infrequent we get the other responses, it's still sad for everyone from creator to receiver.

The Blossom Bucket/Snyder, TX

     Flower sales are big business at Valentine's Day, duh! I 'googled' it. Each year, about 110-millions roses are sold in the U.S. on February 14th. And, that's just February 14th!
      We started delivering roses on February 13th and it's a very safe bet that Theresa and Rodney began arranging roses and more long before the anniversary of LOVE.
     In fact, I pinned Rodney between the roses, the tulips and the chrysanthemums and asked, "What percentage of your business is Valentine's Day?"

Me: "Just a ballpark. How big is this day?"
Rod: "Umm, big. But we stay busy all year with lots of other events."
Me: "Okay. Can you give me a percentage? Is Valentine's Day the biggest day for y'all?"
Rod: "That and Mother's day. But this is big. Probably 8-10% of our business. Maybe a half months worth of business."

Hot Rod Dupree/The Blossom Bucket

     That's Rodney is the picture to the right. I thought I'd snap a quick pic while he was on the phone, but before I knew it he was off and moving.
     I know the expression is; Off and running. But, Rodney doesn't run. Instead, he's continually moving. If he doesn't have a phone in his ear taking orders, he's writing down orders, or he's counting inventory, or for his deliverers' he's organizing our next outing.
     Watching him reminds me of a traffic jam on the interstate. Of course, we want to go the speed limit of 70-or so. But if we keep moving at 25-40 mph we really feel like we're getting somewhere.
     Rodney's not a drive the speed limit type of guy on these days we help deliver for them. He's more of a 'steady' kind of guy. The funny thing is.. He's not called 'Hot Rod Dupree' for nothin'. His passion is drag racing. You know, the big long snouted cars that go from 0-to-300 in less time than it takes to blink. Still on Valentine's Day and later on Mother's Day, Rodney's the pickup driver who had enough sense to get off the interstate and take the frontage road. Sure, he's not making great time but he's moving and moving ALWAYS means progress.

Theresa Dupree/The Blossom Bucket

 
     That's Theresa Dupree in the picture to the left. I don't know where to begin with Theresa.
     The picture will tell the story if you take a good look. She's on the phone taking an order. Meantime, I count at least four arrangements that she's working on simultaneously.
      Theresa's long time Snyder. She knows absolutely everyone. It's a blessing of a small town. Theresa has an uncanny ability to know who's ordering and for whom and to know what that recipient would like. It's really a tremendous peace of mind knowing  that when you're handing off something as important as love to grief that Theresa knows what would make the recipient joyful.
     Our conversations usually begins with Rodney and usually by text message...

      Us: "Hey Rod. Would y'all put together or send something to so-in-so.?"
      Rod: "Sure"
     Us: "Our price range is ____. Please just ask Theresa to work her magic."
     Rod: "👍"

     Every time, Theresa puts together something that without fail ends with us receiving a phone call from the recipient saying a big thank you.
   
     As usual, we had a great time delivering for The Blossom Bucket. It's a nice feeling delivering smiles. Thanks y'all.
    If you'd like to see more of The Blossom Bucket please check out the following link.. https://www.facebook.com/Blossom-Bucket-1686775421545326/

Bill Robertson
(Great working with Dedra Driggers, Susan Scott, David & Denise Brown, Mrs. Ann Everett's team and Dana Munkres' team)
Dedra: Hold onto the BALLOONS!!!
   

Herding Jackasses with Cat Food & Calling Hulk Hogan

     Donkeys, Jackasses or Mules... We're not sure, but we had two unexpected long-eared equine visitors at the ranch.

Bonnie or Clyde?/Windmill Ranch

     The duo dubbed "Bonnie & Clyde" showed up while we were on our west coast adventure. Our neighbor, who happens to be the area's Game Warden, texted me. I've included the actual text.

Do You Have Donkeys?

     The text is dated January 20th around 7:44pm. I think at that time we were doing anything, absolutely anything, but thinking about a conversation that would include animals, much less donkeys.

     What do you do when your 1,444.6 miles from home and your neighbor texts you to ask if you have donkeys? Of course, you begin to wonder... what?!!!!!!!!!

     I'll spare you another text stream, but suffice it to say our electronic conversation continued with our Game Warden neighbor. Ultimately, we found out that Bonnie & Clyde belong to another neighbor, who it so happens is a younger, less hulkier Hulk Hogan look-a-like. Business in front---Party in the back.

Here Donkey, Donkey/Windmill Ranch

     Wondering animals aren't that strange out here in west Texas. Bonnie and Clyde's appearance wouldn't be that unusual if they were cows or dogs, but they're donkeys. Who has stray donkeys?!
     Apparently, Bonnie & Clyde went on a 'walk-a-bout.' First, they wondered onto our busy highway. Then, the Game Warden herded them to a third neighbor's property. Then, the donkeys either jumped our fence or squeezed through the wire to our property.
     After that, it became a search for their owner and an effort to get them back home. The problem at the time was, everybody from the Game Warden to the donkeys' owner to our deer hunters said, "We can't find them."

They're They Are!/Near Josie's Tank, WRP

     Guess they weren't looking too hard because Teresa and I found Bonnie & Clyde. We drove to 'Josie's Tank.' A tank is a pond in west Texas. They came to us like puppies at dinner time.
     T & I weren't prepared for such success, so quickly. We didn't know what to do. We drove off, but the Long-Eared couple followed. I had to speed up to out run them. It's not everyday that you come face to face with a couple friendly, curious donkeys.
     It took us about 24-hours to re-group and re-plan our 'donkey removal plan.'

     Here's what happened the next day. First, we addressed the 'cute issue.'

Teresa: "They're cute. I don't mind them. What harm are they doing if "Hulk" doesn't want them?"
Me: "I like 'em too. But let's see how they affect cows, deer, and other stuff"

     If you know nothing else about Teresa you should know that she makes Colombo, Kojak and Castle look like amateurs. Within minutes, T googled... "Donkeys affect on ranch/farm livestock & wildlife."
     Teresa found out that the bottom line is/was: Donkeys run off hogs and predators but don't really have a harmful affect on cows, horses or deer. The rub is, our deer lease friend, who pays a pretty penny, debated donkeys potential harmful affects on a property's deer population.

Me: "We don't need any donkeys. They could affect our deer population. We don't want to upset that relationship. Let's clean out the stock trailer, put 'em in it and haul 'em back to "Hulk. I'll tie 'em  up to his front porch with a note that says... Hello human! We're home! We missed you."
Teresa: "No you won't! I bet they'll just follow us to the corrals. Really, get some cat food in a bag. Shake it. Drive slow and they'll follow us."
Me: "Uh... okay, but I'd rather leave 'em on Hulk's front porch."

C'mon Lil' Fella/WRP

     I'll be danged if she wasn't right. We found Bonnie & Clyde. We clicked and cooed to get their attention. They immediately came to us.

     I slowly drove west on the ranch. Teresa dangled the cat food out her passenger side window. Every now and again, she'd shake it to make that sound every animals knows as supper.... Shish, shish, shish.

    Bonnie & Clyde walked, trotted and even lopped behind us. At one point, Bonnie or maybe it was Clyde, stopped. He or she put their nose in the dirt, dipped down and took a good hearty roll in the dust. Then, he or she got up and caught up with us.

     I don't know how far it was that they followed us. But when we drove into our west corrals, all the while rattling cat food into the pen, Bonnie & Clyde followed. A stray heifer inside the pens gave us fits for a bit, but eventually Bonnie & Clyde were safely pinned with water and feed at their snouts.

     Hulk the neighbor came for them and he even bladed our roads. So, we're down two donkeys but our roads are a lot smoother. Gotta love the country!

Bill Robertson
   
   
     



   
         

Those Cali Missions are Gnarly Dude

     A lot has happened in the last few days here in SoCal leaving little time to reflect and write about it. So with time to spare before the next train to who knows where, here are some opinions and observations from the last 72-96 hours.

San Luis Rey Mission/Oceanside, CA

     I know as I've gotten older that I've taken more of shine to history stuff. Frankly, I didn't have anywhere to go but up considering I slept through most my high school history classes. But now as a 50+ guy, my interest in the past, in this case the way past, even surprises me.
     Teresa and I first visited San Luis Rey Francia Mission in Oceanside. It's considered "The King of the Missions." By the way, there are 20-California missions.
     Founded in 1798, did I say founded in 1798, what a walk and adventure back in time. The day we walked through the grounds we practically had San Luis Rey all to ourselves. Long story short: a Franciscan Monk named Padre Fermin Lasuen founded in the mission. Like the others, the Padre and other monks served and ministered to the native people.

San Juan Capistrano Mission/San Juan Capistrano, CA

          Next, we caught the 2:59 Metrolink to San Juan Capistrano. San Luis Rey was founded in 1798. It's a child compared to San Juan founded in 1776 by Padre Junipero Serra.
     Like the other missions, San Juan served and ministered to the native people. In this case, they were the Acjachemen tribe later called the Juanenos because of their life at San Juan.

Serra Church @ San Juan

     That Padre Serra who founded the San Juan mission... The picture to the left is the chapel on the mission grounds named after the Padre, where he actually celebrated Mass. The giant, gold altar was brought over from Spain and added to the Serra Chapel after the 1812 earthquake that destroyed the original 1776(ish) Stone Church in the above photo.

     Padre Serra established nine missions and converted about five thousand Native Americans. His personal motto was "Always Forward. Never Back." Padre Serra died in 1784.

     The California Missions returned to the Mexican government in the 1800s. They sold the properties for practically a pittance. It was President Lincoln who signed a proclamation, only weeks before his death, returning all the missions back to the Catholic church.

Encinitas, CA

      Now to the things I'm pretty sure we wouldn't see anywhere else but SoCal.
     The photo on the right is looking south in Encinitas. We found a pedestrian walk-way to the edge of the cliff and then down to the water. The coastline, at least what we've seen of it, ranges from mildly steep to severe drop-offs like in Encinitas and so many other places. One thing we found out, almost the hard way is, cars don't necessarily have the right-of-way.

High Tide/Carlsbad, CA

     Surfers and bikers are everywhere. We saw surfboards crammed into trucks, sticking out the back of SUVs, on top of cars even strapped to bicycles.
     Another thing, surfers come in all shapes and sizes and surfers are riding the waves pretty much from sun up to "last light" as they call sunset out here.
     By the way, a female surfer is called "Betty" and when a surfer's paddling out they do a "duck dive" when a big wave's about to crash down on them.

Winter Flora & Fauna/Oceanside

     If you're reading this, I'd bet good money that there's not a lot of color outside your front door. But not here! Somebody didn't tell all the trees and flowers out here that January's not exactly a big player in any region's growing season.

     The cactus flower to the right is everywhere here in SoCal. Before they wilt, they remind me of what a peacock looks like with all its feathers standing at attention.

     Something else that's everywhere are the succulents. Homeowners have created vertical succulent gardens growing up their outside walls. One day on TV, the meteorologist gave a "succulent advisory" because so much rain was in the forecast. We bring in our pets and tender vegetation for extreme heat and cold. Out here, they bring in their succulents to avoid too much moisture.😊😏

Only in Cali

     Now to the stuff you'll see only in Cali...We'd heard about the drinking straw issues, but they're really not kidding out here.
     You won't get a straw if you don't ask and in some cases people have personal straws they take with them from place to place.
     The sign on the left is from a little French breakfast/lunch spot we found in Oceanside. If you're a coffee drinker who likes maybe a little cream, milk or sweetner, don't expect the usual, little plastic stirrer. This place offers dried pasta to stir your java.

Watch Out Below

     Here's a good example of the many signs we didn't expect to see. "Park at Your Own Risk." The picture doesn't do it justice but that's a steep cliff.

     The ocean's in the background. Teresa and I got out, read the sign and quickly got back into the car. We parked down the street all the while dodging surfers either skipping work or surfing during their lunch hour.

     That's the thing about this area... There's little city after little city lined all up and down the coast. All of them are right on the water with houses built to the very edge. Sometimes, it's a shack. Sometimes, it's a mansion and cliff or no cliff life on the beach is apparently worth the risk and/or insurance.

     And one more thing, we probably wouldn't see or in this case hear back in west Texas or probably anywhere else outside of Cali. I actually heard a waitress use the word 'gnarly' in a sentence. I've heard referenced many times but mostly as a joke. Not in this case. I think she said, "Dude, it was a gnarly somethingortheother."

Bill Robertson

   

   

Bill and Teresa's Excellent Adventure: 5) San Diego to The Top Gun House

     The thing about writing a blog while traveling is; The good stuff happens so fast that many times my camera phone gets left in my pocket. I wish I could show a video of what happened today at Camp Pendleton.
     We made a wrong turn and ended up at the camp's Del Mar gate. No biggie, I thought.

     Me: "Hey marines! We'll ask for directions and be on our way."
     Marine: "Sir?"
     Me: "Hi. We're lost. How do we get on the 101 to get the San Juan Capistrano?"
     Marine: "Sir. Give me your driver's license and turn around after the cones."
     Me: "Oh, okay."

     I got my license from another marine who was armed to the teeth and sped off. About that time, Teresa's added... "That just shows you how authentically stupid we are." My words don't do it justice. These guys weren't kidding. Scary!

Jack's Place/Pacific Beach, CA

     All the above happened before I could even reach for my phone... probably a good thing considering the marine's arsenal. But the speed also applies to finally meeting up with Jack and Allison in San Diego, more specifically Pacific Beach.
     We drove down instead of taking the train (almost a big mistake.) We went by their place which is perfect. It's just what it should be for a young couple beginning their adventure. I suppose at times, maybe many, they argue that bigger would be better. But if I could see the future, I'd bet a lot of money that they'll look back on their time in Pacific Beach as practically perfect in every way.
     We spent our time with the young Robertsons visiting, eating and visiting. We ate street tacos at El Prez and listened to the surf off the patio. But before too long, T & I returned up "the 5" to Oceanside but not before the beach walk to end all beach walks.

Pacific Beach, CA

     We walked a long way on the beach. Then when it was time to get up to the main drag, the only option was the giant hill in the picture to the right.
      If you can enlarge it, there's a fire hydrant. We walked to that first. Then, there's that big truck. We walked to that next. Then out of picture, on the left, is a stop sign. We called it quits at that point. It was a very big hill.


     Our visit with Jack & Allison in San Diego included a lot more but nothing too extraordinary.. just fun. The real good stuff began when we all got back to Oceanside. T & I came home after the big hill and a late supper. Jack and Allison came up Saturday and stayed the night to watch the SAINTS defeat those pesky Eagles Sunday.

The Graves House a.k.a. The Top Gun House/Oceanside, CA

     We had a great visit with the kids, as we call 'em even though they're in their mid-20s.
      Anytime a parent gets time to eat, visit, walk and visit some more with their children is considered a good time. We did all the above in spades plus we watched the SAINTS dismantle the Eagles.
      The pic on the left is the Graves House a.k.a. The Top Gun House. Graves was a doctor in the 1800s. Top Gun of course was a big movie. This is the house where Tom Cruise goes to dinner with Kelly McGinnis after his volleyball game with Val Kilmer. Remember? "5:00pm SHARP!!!"

Swami's Café/Oceanside, CA

     The house is rundown and sits on a hotel renovation site. It was Jack and Allison's idea that the hotel should renovate it and maintain it as "The Top Gun Suite" for it's future guests. And why not? Renovate it... Charge a bundle! Folks around here pay $3.09 for gas, $11.95 for a ham omelet and $16 for half a dozen oysters. Why wouldn't they pay $500-$750 a night for a private bungalow? 😊

     Coming up, sea lions, In n' Out, pasta for straws, the Japanese library & Junior Seau's house.

Bill Robertson