Saturday, February 16, 2008

Bakersfield Continues

Saturday: (02/09) Ernie fixed breakfast again. After that, we tweaked with his computers most of the day trying to get a couple of programs installed, all with little luck. Ernie's breakfast was still effective so dinner was nibbles from a party tray.

Sunday: (02/10 ) Breakfast at Carrow's with Ernie before he left to return to Las Vegas.

Bakersfield RV Show.JPG Bakersfield RV Show.JPG
I got the bike out and rode over to the fairgrounds to see the RV, boat, and sport show. It was interesting. There were a bunch of RV's from a couple of vendors. Motorhomes, toy haulers, fifth wheels, and travel trailers. And then there were the boats, and the ATV's. The vendors in the buildings favored hunting clubs, and fishing gear. Interesting and a good ride.

Dinner at Judy's. She prepared a wonderful tamale pie. They have a Wii game and we bowled a few games before dinner.

Monday: (02/11 ) Breakfast was some leftovers from a previous Ernie breakfast. Lunch at the Rice Bowl. Computer play most of the evening.

Tuesday: (02/12 ) Jay came over.. Helen had a doctor's appointment and Jay took her. When they returned, we chatted and tinkered all morning and into the afternoon. Then we realized we hadn't eaten anything yet. That seems hard to believe, but true.

We had a late lunch or early dinner at the Pantry restaurant. Helen had a bowl of soup, homemade vegetable soup. Jay and I had the special of the day, swiss steak. All very good. Every Tuesday is vegetable soup day and next time, I may have to have it because it is excellent.

I broke camp to go to Camping World to dump and get a few things.

Lou and Dawn arrived about 8:30pm.

Wednesday: (02/13 ) We all went over to the Ranch market for breakfast. Helen and Lou had nice omelettes with beans and tortillas for $2, and Dawn and I shared a torta Cubana (ham and pork sandwich). We all shared a nice flan as desert then did some shopping before leaving.

I worked on going through the mail that Lou brought with her. I paid a few bills and resolved a little other business.

Lou and Helen went over to friends to play Bunco.

I went by Lowe's to get a cable bushing to install in Helen's built in hutch to allow access to an outlet that became hidden inside. I also got some eye bolts to use on making a side gate locakable. I then went by Harbor Freight Tools to get some cheap deep sockets. The cheapest set of SAE deep sockets was $20, sockets only. harbor had a complete set with ratchet, screwdriver handle, extensions and swivel for $12, in a nice case, with a lifetime warranty. Good enough. I also picked up a new GFI outlet tester and a tool bag. I didn't get too carried away at the Harbor Freight Candy Store.

The wind was getting strong as I returned to Helen's.

Lou and Dawn went out thrifting again in the late afternoon.

Thursday: (02/14) Breakfast was a nice asparagus soufflé by Lou.

We went over to East Bakersfield to th Woolgrower's restaurant for lunch. It's one of the old Basque restaurants here. There are several that make this a nice destination to try Basque food. We just had the setup which is cabbage soup, beans, salsa, tomato, green salad and bread.

Lou and Dawn went thrifting. Helen cleaned house. I relaxed doing??

Friday: (02/15) Breakfast of French toast and ham.

Helen's Tree.JPG No  more tree at Helen's.JPG
We removed a good sized pine tree from Helen's back yard.

All that remains of Helen's tree..JPG
All the remains were dissected and placed into the compost bins, and the neighbors bins or cut into firewood logs. Jay and Dawn helped with the removal.

I started preparing steel for use to raise fence. Uncle Doug raised about half of the rear fence, a concrete block fence. He used old bed frame rails bolted to the block fence and attached sheet concrete reinforcing wire, 6 inch grid #6 steel wire. There are two really big honey suckle plants that grow on the wire providing a living fence.

Doug had collected enough rails to finish the rest of the fence and had some more wire as well.

Lou started cleaning the garage.

Since we were moving on our projects, we had sandwiches for lunch nd then kept going.

We did stop about 5:30pm to cleanup and prepare to go to a show. Don and Judy had four extra tickets to the Stars On Ice show at Rabo Arena downtown. We had quesadillas and rice for dinner.

The show was Ok to good but not like the old Ice Capades. Part of the problem was the new arena that isn't as good as the auditorium/arena next door. I don't know why they built the new arena? Sound wasn't too good and lighting was bad. There were some thrilling routines by some of the skaters though.

I found myself spending more time watching how the show was done as opposed to the show. In my youth I worked as a stagehand and worked on the Ice Capades when it visited town next door in the Bakersfield Auditorium. Maybe I'm prejudiced, but we did a lot better job.

It was a nice evening all in all.

Saturday: (02/16 Cold cereal for breakfast.

I went over to OSH hardware to get concrete screws and drill bits for the fence project.Helens Fence Is taller.JPG Helens Fence Is taller.JPG
I finished preparing the steel. I installed the extensions using the concrete screws.

We took a break and had a late lunch at the Pantry restaurant. Helen had a chili verde burrito, Dawn had liver and onions, Lou had meat loaf and I had chile verde with rice and beans.

I then started to install the wire on risers as it got dark.

Lou continued to cleanup the garage today, defrosting freezers and refrigerators and got rid of some LPG tanks and old batteries.

Some of Helen's friends came by and picked up the firewood from the pine tree. No trace of the tree remains, unless you trip over the stump.

Dawn prepared a nice vegetable soup for dinner.

Sunday: (02/17) Lou and I started the day wandering around various stores looking for a combination long shank bike lock. Couldn't find one. The combination bike locks had too small of a loop to fit on the fence to lock it so no to plan B, any resettable combination lock and a short chain.

We we returned, I completed the wire on the fence nd cleaned up my mess. Lou continued in the garage and also packed to leave tomorrow morning.

Dawn did some book shopping.

We finished up and went to the Roadhouse on Rosedale Highway for dinner. Helen and I shared a rack of ribs, Lou and Dawn shared a prime rib. All very good.

Monday: 02/18 Breakfast was grapefruit and raisen English muffins. After breakfast Lou and Dawn headed toward home stopping in Fresno to see Lou's sister.

I started on the project list. I finally worked on the leaky toilet. I was kind of concerned because it is a fancy air pressure actuated flush with which I have no experience. Removing the tank and reseating the washer fixed the leak.

Next, I installed a solar yard motion detection light in the rear yard. I made a trip to Lowe's to get another resettable combination padlock for a gate and a smaller desk grommet for the buffet. I didn't have a hole saw big enough for the one I bought earlier and it would have been too big anyway. I drilled holes in the top and an inside shelf to allow access to the outlet. List done.

Helen and I went over to the Pantry for lunch. I had my usual at most restaurants but something i haven't had yet at the pantry this visit. Chicken fried steak. Helen had the sirloin tips and noodles. All excellent s usual.

When we returned home, I got the bike ready for a tour of town. I rode East on Niles street looking at how things have changed over the years. I went way out to Hillcrest Memorial Park where my father mother and brother are. It's been many years since I visited.

I continued over the open fields and up hill toward Panorama Drive. Panorama Drive follows the bluffs along the North edge of Bakersfield providing some good views North of town. The Kern River flows at the base and further out are nothing but very densely located oil wells on Round Mountain.

It was getting dark as I continued through downtown back home.

We had chili verde that Helen's son Jay had brought by earlier today. We didn't have any tortillas so we added toast. Another good meal.

I'm all packed to leave tomorrow morning.

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