Maker Faire

Sunday: (05/31) Breakfast was toasted English muffins.

We went North to San Mateo fairgrounds to the Maker Faire. The fair is a show of do-it-yourself stuff, inventions, and crafts. It is much bigger and much better than the San Mateo fair. There was a big crowd which included an awful lot of people with exotic hair (orange, green, blue, etc). We're not sure why? Maybe it's the inventive nature.  It was very interesting seeing all the good and bad ideas. We had some Caribbean rice bowls for lunch at the show.

After the show we stopped at Heidi's pie for dinner. I had a breakfast omlette with pancakes. Lou and Dawn had chicken. Unfortunately, there was no room for pie which is very good there. That's why we should always start with desert.

Later in the evening Lou noticed a fire truck outside. It turns out there were several trucks and some police. A garage and fence had caught fire about a block away and thre was a lot of smoke in the air. Nothing serious but always exciting to see the lights.


This was a big faire. Lou and Dawn enjoyed learning about all sorts of things.


Chabot college nearby has a telescope making group which had a display. Not a tiny telescope lens being ground. the lens is the bottom round object. On the right is an Electrolux ray gun. There were lots of similar art pieces.


Part of a very large clock being built.


Of course, there were some RV related items as well. A very nice home made truck RV camper made from carbon fiber. Also a portable solar electric system. Easy to align to the direction of the sun.



A conpact two peron electric bike and a quartet push-me /pull-you bike.


A solar powered touring bike and a sit down home-made Segway like personal transporter.



A walnut gas generator running a hit or miss engine powering a generator. This is really providing for your own needs.


Some of the big robots were busy practicing their fighting maneuvers for future robot wars.


Part of the world's biggest mousetrap. The end result is the safe on the left of the picture falls on the mouse. It's a real safe and really shook the ground when it hit the mouse. There was also a Jules Verne inspired three story Victorian "motor home".


Even a couple of the Tesla electric sports cars were there, one complete and the other an exposed chassis.

Effectively Summer

Monday: (05/25) Memorial Day! Today is the effective beginning of summer. It nice that the cold snap of Saturday and Sunday has changed to more normal, summer like weather. We had leftover hash and eggs for breakfast.

Dawn's computer bit the dust, or at least, almost so. The power connector is broken on the laptop and it also smells like burning electonics ocassionally. That's a hint of potential problems. I like my new MSI netbook and Dawn's been using it all to often anyway so we'll try one of her own. They're cheap, light, small, and have long battery life. All things that should help Dawn. We went off looking at netbooks. First stop was the Micro Center in Santa Clara. The had several different manufactures netbooks on display and powered up. We narrowed it down to the Asus and the MSI. The ASUS had longer battery life but Dawn preferred the heyboard on the MSI so we bought it, a U120 (mine is the U100) model. They also had a cheap USB DVD drive and a very nice case as well. Most cases seem to be too big for netbooks but they had a couple that were appropriately sized.

When we got home, I spent the evening setting it up and trying to move Dawn's files over from her old laptop. It failed before they could be moved and now will not power up at all. Almost good timing. I'll now have to get an external USB disk drive case and put her old drive into it like I did for my laptop earlier this year.

Tuesday: (05/26) I was up too late last night working on Dawn's laptop so slept in as long as I could. That wasn't too long. Dawn needed to be in San Jose early and I was the driver. She needed to restock the apartment so couldn't use the train.

On the way home I checked a couple of places for a new printer for Dawn's apartment. Her laser printer is becoming a pain all too often  and having the features of a multi-function printer scanner would be helpful. I picked up a new MFC490CW printer, scanner, copier, fax. New printers are really cheap so an upgrade is never too costly but they do make up with the high cost of ink. Since I have her lapttop anyway, I can get the new printer setup at the same time. It's like Christmas in May for Dawn.

Lou and I went out for for lunch at Luu Noodle House. She needed the escape. She's been good about exercising and elevating her leg. She can now look almost normal when she walks and can walk around a couple of blocks but is being good and restraining herself and relaxing between exercise.

I fixed Mexican spaghetti for dinner, one of my favorite meals. The sauce is about equal parts diced tomatoes, salsa, and spaghetti sauce.

Wednesday: (05/26) I fixed corned beef hash for breakfast with fried eggs. A couple of days ago I attempted this feat but erred by using a roast rather that the corned beef. This is one of the problems with leftovers, they often look the same and my eyes aren't as good as they once were either. the end result was a good roast beef hash but not corned beef hash, which was the result today.

Lou had a doctors appointment today. I fiddled with dawn's computer removed the hard drive and installed it in an external case but it's unrecognizable so it was likely the reason the laptop wouldn't boot any more. That with the broken power connector probably made it a door stop. unfortunately, she didn't backup recently. So be warned, always backup often.

I headed down to San jose to Dawn's place in the afternoon. i had a long list of things to do but accomplished little. i did get the windows measured to get an estimate for replacement. But most of my time was spent (wasted) do a simple task. I installed Dawn's new printer, i was also going to upgrade here wireless which has been intermittent besides, a wireless printer needs a good wireless access point. The router/access point i bought on the way here was bad. Even when I tried to just restore her system as it was and use the printer with a wire instead, I couldn't get the printer to be seen, until I repeated the same thing for the 10th time. Sometimes patience does pay off? This is one of the reasons I retired. network administration, even the small ones are such  pain.

Dinner was leftover spaghetti and a spinach salad.

Thursday: (05/28) Breakfast was leftover corned beef hash and eggs. hash is always better the second time around. Lou had a doctors appointment today to get the stitches out. Dawn went shopping and dropped off some books to recycle at Rasputin's book store. She does really well selling her old books for more than she paid usually.

It's been a week since the last attempt to get the DSL line working. Why should this be so difficult. the line was working before an administrative change of the account number. Today's attempt found two competent employees at ATT, that really boosted the average. Only one call was needed. I contacted sales and explained my problem. They seemed to be able to understand what I was saying. The result was they connected me to tech support where I found a competent technician. We established that yes, the line was bad and ended up setting up an appointment for a tech to come out. of course, i still may not be  happy camper if I end up having to pay for the service call and or a new modem to repair a previously working system that only went down because of an administrative change. i was ready to cancel immediately if there had been any problems at all this time but really didn't want to because I didn't want the hassle of having Comcast cable installed to the house.

I spent the rest of the day collecting materials and completing an application to refinance the house. Paperwork is not my favorite task.

Dinner was leftover spaghetti.

Friday: (05/29) Breakfast was French toast and bacon a good start. We got up early because ATT has an arrival window of 0800-noon today to fix the DSL line. Is that convenient, a four hour window. Another example of an inefficient organization.

Noon: The ATT technician phoned about 15 minutes before he arrived at 11am. He tested the line and there is no connection. gee, just as their remote tests indicated and as I had told them. No problem at our place so no charge, lucky them. The tech went down the street for 20 minutes and came back and the line was active. Setting up the router for the new account login was no problem with a working line and the technician departed at noon leaving the original modem working perfectly. It only took seven telephone calls and one competent technician and all is well now. After every couple of calls i had to wait a week or so before calling them again i get so frustrated with the incompetent tech support provided from offshore. But, the end result is a working system today.

Lunch was European bologna with mexican motzorella cheese topped off with fresh homemade ice cream thanks to Dawn.

Saturday: (05/30) Breakfast was pork chops and eggs.

I tinkered in the office all day. Lou was busy with the dolls. She made shoes for a very small doll using vinyl dipping plastic painted on the feet then removed and cut to look like shoes. She used a permanent marker to add stitches and designs. They fit perfectly. We also went to the market for a few things.

Lunch was diced pork chops with white beans and Parmesan cheese.

Lou fixed BBQ ribs for dinner.

San Francisco Carnival 2009

Sunday: (05/24) I was off early to San Francisco's Mission District for the Carnival Parade. I drove up to San Bruno to catch Bart (Bay Area Rapid Transit) the rest of the way. Parking is always a problem in San Francisco and worse during events and parking at BART is free on the weekends. There is a station right at the parade site. I arrived about 20 minutes early and stopped in the Sun Rise Restaurant on 24th Street for a breakfast burrito and a horchata, all very good.


The weather was quite cool and a little drippy due to low clouds or high fog but not too bad. isn't this the unofficial start of summer?  The crowds were much smaller so the sidewalks were easier to navigate. For some reason the parade contingents seemed fewer but the parade lasted just as long (4 hours).

My favorite group was the Nueva Carnival Circus. They had a large (about 30 member) steel drum band. I like steel drums. In years past, there has been a large steel drum band from Chabot College called the Panhandlers but this year the group looked quite different. this year is the Nueva School, a private k-8 school in Hillsbourough. the group leader teaches/taught at Chabot, hence the reason for the sam look and sound. I was even more pleased when I heard there soloist singer. The old panhandlers were well known nationwide and recorded several CD's. I hope this group does some recordings as well.
See a short video of the steel drummers

While I was gone having fun, Lou wasn't. She thought her leg was too cool so our neighbor Eric took her to the emergency room for a check. Evidently her leg swelled a little and caused the coolness. She was scolded for sitting for too long of periods and not elevating her leg often enough. She's been having too much fun till now. She finished up there as I got home so I went to pick her up.

Dawn got to spend some time at home, alone, without either of use bugging her.

Dinner was leftover hash and fresh asparagus. i spent the evening working on labeling photes from the past month so there is hope I'll get some posted here on the blog soon.

Rosie The Riviter NHP

We were up early, and off to Richmond to the Rosie the Riviter/Workld War II Home Front National Historic Park for a tour. We knew about the ship building in the bay area but haven't been to Richmond before.


This was one ofthe Henry Kaiser Shipyards and home of the original Kaiser Hospital and PPO medical plan. there is a lot about women workers during the war. There isn't a lot there and it's scattered all over town and the waterfront but it is interesting and will be nice when they get it organized. You have to call to arrange the tours. Ranger Elizabeth Tucker was assisted by student ranger Miguel Dimas. There were also three other docents on the tour Marion Wynn, a lady who was a welder building  the ships here, another ranger and a volunter. Then there were about nine of us visitors.


There was also a Ford plant there that built jeeps and outfitted tanks. Quite  a busy place considering there were just mud flats there before the war.

One thing they are trying to do is to get people to see their connection to the site. In our case no known direct connection. My dad served before WWI but a couple of uncles on my mothers side served on ships during WWII so maybe one of these was theirs?

After the tour, we went over to Point Richmond, a village near the old shipyard for lunch at Annie's mexican Grill. Very good.

We returned home and rested up from our early start. Lou and Dawn went down to San Jose to see a play. They have season tickets to a San Jose theater group. I remained home and baked another rhubarb pie and more tarts and created more leftovers by making a big batch of hash.

Summer-Like Days

Saturday: (05/16) We all had breakfast in the yard. English muffins with PB&J served with a side of sliced roast beef. Lou's moving pretty good but does have some pain. All the beasts (birds and squirrels) had breakfast with us. It's another nice day though it is warming and will get hot later today.

It was was a relaxing day at home since we're all recovering with Lou.

I fixed more roast beef for dinner, butter beans topped with pepperjack cheese, and a green salad with salsa as the dressing. It was very good though it was a little awkward eating it in front of so many guests. Lou collected many visitors in the RV while I was fixing dinner in the house. Four guests plus the three of us filled our little RV.

Sunday: (05/17) Breakfast was leftover sausage gravy on toast topped with, of course, cheese. Lou's moving around and feels much better but is somewhat restrained an mostly resting an letting things knit for a couple of day as directed.

Today is a scorcher, over 100 degrees, rather hot for us bayside folk. I ventured out to the market for a few things. I returned with Lou's favorite lunch, #21 Chow Fun Noodles from Luu Noodles in Mountain View.

Dawn was off to Spangenberg Theater with her friend to see the Capitol Steps, a political comedy group.   

Monday: (05/18) Don McMuffins for breakfast. I did a little weeding, little being the operative word, just the essentials in the rear lawn. I also fixed the blinker switch on the toad. It wouldn't cancel anymore. It had a loose screw and a missing screw which when fixed now worked perfectly.

Lou was itching to get out of the house so we went out to The Olive Garden for lunch of the endless soup and salad. We then went up to Hillsdale Mall. in San Mateo. That was far enough out of the house and good exercise for me pushing her around much of the time in the wheelchair.

Dinner was spaghetti squash and my famous spaghetti sauce.

Tuesday: (05/19) Egg Muffins ala Don for breakfast, enjoyed in the yard. Dawn headed home to San Jose for work. Lou and I dropped her off then did a little grocery shopping. At Knob Hill Market. We normally do major shopping at Safeway but decided to try something new. Lou does enjoy shopping now that she can use the electric carts. While she can move around on her own, there’s no need for here to wear herself out on one task like shopping. Other shoppers are in grave danger when she’s moving though.

I prepared little pork chops, rice, and artichokes for dinner as well as prepared a bunch of sausage for the freezer.

Wednesday: (05/20) We enjoyed more of my egg muffins for breakfast in the backyard.


Lou enjoyed getting out into the yard. I did a little work in the flower beds pulling weeds and  such to fill the compost bin enough to make it worth putting out to be picked up later today.


When I was cleaning out the flower bed in the back yard to plant the shrubs i found a new newt, almost legless when found. Now the thing has legs.


A little after 11am, I went over to Pleasanton to an RV show to look around. I do like to look. Not too much there. A dozen or so dealers, mostly trailers. I did like the Leisure Travel  Free Spirit, a small RV built on a big Sprinter chassis. It would make a nice toad. It’s the only RV of the type (Roadtrek, Pleasure Van) that has a big enough bathroom to take a shower. Too expensive at $89k. I also saw a very nice 2 year old Alpine motorhome, a mid door diesel in excellent shape. Fortunately, there were no salesman to be seen and I didn’t learn the price.

While I was out I looked around nearby venturing out to Livermore for a look around before heading back home. A very nice town though it’s a bunch hotter than home. One thing that is really enjoyable is that there are no freeways in town, just I580 on the other side of the hills from town, in the city limits but nowhere near the quaint town.

Lou enjoyed the day relaxing at home without any of use to bother her.

Dinner was leftovers (rice, artichokes) with some corned beef Lou had made.

Thursday: (05/21) We all went to Subway for breakfast. Lou likes their chipolte wraps. Unfortunately, evidently they were not a success. They were no longer on the menu so we settled on the chipolte breakfast sandwich instead.   It’s been a while since we visited the place. After breakfast we continued on to Walmart for Lou. To enjoy some exercise and to pick up a few things. I also had to return an inverter I had bought there a couple of days ago. No workie, no tickie.

We returned home and each did out own things. Dawn making more saurkraught, low making dolls and me at the computer. I made another attempt at trying to make the DSL work. It’s been off for a week and 1 half. I really don’t miss it but Lou and Dawn do so before I cancel ATT service and order Comcast DSL I’m trying once more. This time I tried using their live chat feature since using the phone for support hasn’t worked. I did get the new account registered, something neither the previous contacts or email messages had mentioned. Of course that’s part of the problem. When the account changed, the old account which has a username and password associated with it was no longer god for service. It’s programmed in the modem so needs to be updated with the new username and password generated today. However, there is still the problem of reprogramming the 10 year old modem.  I am really not interested in buying a new modem but haven’t yet been able to get in to the modem to update it. Finding the manual was difficult enough but it doesn’t help. Maybe the modem is dead if so, bye bye ATT. Cable is faster and cheaper anyway. No success yet.

Friday: (05/22) Egg Muffins with pork strips for breakfast. After breakfast we dropped by Walmart's to return a defective inverter. Lou picked up a bunch of flower seeds. She must be feeling better.

I tinkered at the computer much of the day.

About 7:15pm we headed over to Gunn High School for a One Act Play Festival. They were all very good. One was a collection of Abbot and Costello vaudeville skits including the baseball skit. There was also a one act musical, the Udder Boy. They do very good musicals.

Lou's Knee Fix

Friday: (5/15) We were all early. We got Lou checked in at the hospital in Santa Clara by 9am. Lou's fun began while Dawn and i went to Brian's Cafe in Los Altos for breakfast. Dawn ordered an egg white omelet with Canadian bacon, avocado, and pepperjack cheese. I ordered a couple of pancakes. Of course we shared and had plenty. Dawn went across the street to a rummage sale, the real reason we're here. We made a couple more stops on the way back toward the hospital before Lou was ready to be picked up a little after noon.

We returned home and she moved in to the RV to recover. Everything is close and there's little chance of falling. Too little room to fall over. Actually she's ambulatory and feels good, She just has to control herself and let things heal some before getting wild again.

Lou enjoyed luscious chicken broth for dinner. Dawn and I had leftovers.

Weird Weather

Wednesday: (05/06) Lou had a pre-op doctor visit this morning so she was off early. Dawn was busy preparing a job application. I was "busy" working at the computer. Some day I'll learn how it works and accomplish something.

We went over to the Whole Food market for dinner sharing a Santa Rosa sandwich and some chili.

It was overcast and cool to cold all day. This cold snap is because I changed to my shorts from long pants as we left this past weekend. That assured cool weather. I may have to give up trying. As soon as it does warm up, it will then be too hot. Can't we just have perfect weather?

Thursday: (05/07) Burritos for breakfast. Lou used some leftover roast, some soy meal that Dawn used to make soy milk, and added eggs and onions. Leftovers are so good. My complaining seemed to work. it's a nice day today. We enjoyed our breakfast outside.

We played in the yard much of the morning. I moved the berry plants that Lou and Dawn potted in February out of the area where the new shop will be built. It's amazing how if you clear a space, stuff collects in it.

Dawn made sun choke soup for dinner.

Friday: (05/08) Strawberry short cake for breakfast. Dawn baked some nice short cakes. We all worked in the garden in the morning. We finally got the avocado tree planted. It's been in a pot of planter for more than 10 years and finally got a home. dawn planted it from a seed. I also planted a couple of camellia bushes that have been in pots since we moved here almost 20 years ago. Dawn potted her asparagus plans.

Lunch was leftover sauerkraut potatoes and sausage. Dinner was broiled ribs, baked potatoes and corn.

Saturday: (05/09) Breakfast was pastries. Lou and i went over to Home Depot for planter mix this morning. I stole all that we had for the planting of the two camellias and the avocado tree yesterday. Dawn needs more to plant her crab apple tree and I have more plants to get in the ground as well.

Dawn went to the PowWow at Stanford University this morning. She alos was busy backing some bread.

After the Pow-Wow, We all went to Mountain View for the City garage sale at Rengstrorff Park. Lou found a nice leather catalog case for her doll crafts for a $1.


When we got home, had lunch, and I had a nice long nap, I finished planting a couple of more camellia bushes and a lemon tree. Now all the plants that have been in planters in the rear flower beds for years are finally in the ground. Dawn got her crab apple tree planed as well.

Lou fixed wieners with steamed cabbage and onions for dinner.

Sunday: (05/10) Mothers Day. Breakfast was biscuits and gravy. About 11am, we headed South toward Gilroy. We visited a couple of thrift stores and looked around the "Discount" Mall stores. About 7pm we met Ernie at the Garlic Farm Truck Stop and went over to the Long House Restaurant for dinner. It was a short visit, only a couple of licks from Ernie's doggies. We made it home around 10pm.

Ernie brought a load to Gilroy from Oregon

I'd better get a card prepared! We'll be headed down to Gilroy to meet my brother Ernie for dinner and do a little shopping at the "discount" mall and Camping World.

Monday: (05/11) We enjoyed morning tea in the yard. I tinkered on a few of the ever growing todo list items.  Lou and I went grocery shopping this afternoon. Dawn checked the main library.

I stayed up late to bake a pie. I bought fresh rhubarb the other day and it's getting older so has to be baked into the pie I've been deferring for a while. About 10pm I started and finished baking the pie and a bunch of tarts by midnight. Should make a good breakfast.

Tuesday: (05/12) I got up earlier to prepare for an 11am dentist appointment. Fortunately, I did because they called about 8:45 to ask me to come in right away. I was finished with the Dentist by 9:45. Of course, I had to defer breakfast due to the rush but I made up for it for lunch. When I got home I acted the chauffeur and took Dawn to the train and Lou to Tap Plastics in Mountain View. When we got home it was time for lunch which was actually a late breakfast of home fires with red peppers, onions and garlic with Italian sausage and eggs. Worth the wait.

Today, the move of our home phone number to Vonage was completed. No more wired home phone, just DSL remaining. Simultaneously, our DSL line went down. We have a good network connection but can't connect to anything which also brings our Vonage connection down. Just ATT messing with us. Looks like their DNS server is down. Odd. I'll give it a chance to self heal then start complaining.

Wednesday: (05/13) We had leftovers for breakfast. Variety is the spice of life as are our leftovers. Lou went on an errand to deliver surplus books to the book seller for Dawn and to see Kaiser. I tried to get our now nonfunctioniong Internet DSL line working. I only tried, three calls the first two got dropped I hung up on the third. The second call was going well with a competent service rep who took more than 10 minutes to look up the information on my 10 year old DSl model that has worked fine until this recent change to a DSL only line at home dropping the voice phone line. When that became effextive yeaterday morning our Intwrnet connection disappeared. that wasn't the intent. The reason i hung up on the third service rep is that he was a total boob, sayin i needed to replace my model because the flashing red light meant it was bad. This was determined without even checking the modem type and error code indicators, for which a flashing red light simly means no DSL connection. Of course there's no connection. they messed it up. It's worked perfectly for 10 years until rattled and broken by ATT. Now they want me to replace a perfectly good modem, at my cost, because they don't know how it works. That's their problem as far as I'm concerned. I may try again tomorrow and I may just cancel the service and join the cable DSL service. I dislike ATT anyway, that's why the cancellation of the voice line. This doesn't even begin to make me happier. Am I too picky? i reconfigured the home internet to use the HughesNet from the RV for now but the Vonage phone won't work with that and there seems to be a problem there as well. I hope that fix goes better.

Lou came home and saved me from ripping out the phone line by inviting me out to lunch. We went to IKEA to look around and had their $7.99 Wednesday babyback rib special. Didn't know they had ribs. They were very good, and the view from their cafeteria is nice as well overlooking Santa Clara Valley from tree top level on the third floor.



Thursday: (05/14) Dawn fixed some sauteed veggies for breakfast. Lou and Dawn took a trip to San Jose for an appointment and some thrift store visiting.

I moved the Vonage phone adapter to the RV. It connected up through HughesNet and that fixed the problem of receiving calls via the house number to the cell phones. I'm not sure why though, I guess the two methods of forwarding are different enough for the connection problem or the simul-ring that simul-ring workes better? As part of the setup, i used the vonage phone through Huighsnet to setup the new line and record a message. i also tested using it for a call and all went well, nice clear calls. I've haven't used Vonage in the RV for several years, couldn't use it with the old modems for the past few years because of the slow down of the modems and possibly because Hughes blocked the ports they use? In either case, it worked pretty well today. I haven't tried a real call to a landline yet but since it worked to record the message it should work for a call as well. Guess they unblocked the ports or some of the reports I've seen were in error.

Dinner was late at Carrow's restaurant. Lou couldn't eat after mignight due to her knee surgery in the morning so she's shortened the gap by eating late. Unfortunately, the reason she wanted to go to Carrow's was for her favorite dinner, prime rid. They were out by the time we ordered so plan "B" a steak for Lou. I like their pot roast sandwich and Dawn had a hamburger.

Hoping To See Little Snakes

Sunday: (05/03) After watching a couple of Sunday morning shows I finally got up and finalized trip preparation.

Last time I used the macerator before our trip to Turlock last weekend I broke the water hose fitting off of trying to get the coupler off of the macerator. Fortunately it broke off nicely enough that I was able to plug the hole. I was then able to use it by attaching another hose adapter before the macertor. It worked well and dootie duty was accomplished. It is much easier to use a regular dump station but they are becoming very scarce especially around here.

We hit the road into light traffic. Lou and Dawn had cereal for breakfast as i was hooking up. I had some of Dawn's fresh oatmeal chocolate mint cookies. She used her home grown chocolate mint in the cookies. Very good.

It started drizzling as we approached the mountains near Los Gatos on highway 17. That turned into a steady light rain all the way to our campground. The trip over was uneventful except to note that that hill over to Santa Cruz is pretty steep.


We arrived at our campsite about 1:30pm. We're in the same campsite we were in on our last visit a couple of weeks ago. We want to see if we can see any baby snakes from the hole the mom snake dug out on our last visit. It is quite foggy here. Setting up the camp is easy since it only involves disconnecting the toad. Lou and Dawn enjoyed a walk in the rain.


We drove down to the day use beach area and took a walk on the beach. The rain had stopped. Since it had rained, the sand was easy to walk on being quite firm. Unfortunately, the fog is likely to put a crimp in our solar power generation and our generator is still in bad shape. I do hope the sun returns.

No snakes to be seen. It is a bit wet and foggy for snakes though.

We had Dawn's baked macaroni and pepperjack and cheddar cheeses withe some fresh spinach that Lou fixed for dinner. The spinach was interesting because it was steamed with some olive oil that had been in a bottle with beau cheese.

We watched several episodes of CSI:Crime Scene Investigators from the DVD set Dawn found for me.

Monday: (05/04) It may be sunny or much less overcast today. Oh boy!

Lou returned to Santa Clara for a doctor's appointment in the morning. Dawn and I worked in the RV with a great view while Lou was away. When Lou returned, we all went to Watsonville for lunch and a look around. We then went on up to Santa Cruz and Dawn checked the book stores, Lou the thrift shop and I checked the streets.

We returned home to Sunset Beach for dinner of my sauerkraut potatoes and Italian sausage.

Tuesday: (05/05) It hasn't been good snake viewing weather. It rained all night and will likely continue today. It's still a nice place to be just a little more wet and cool than planned. We're headed home today, an hour away.

I fixed my usual breakfast muffins (eggs, European bologna , and cheese). About 11am Lou and Dawn headed off on Highway 129 to San Jose.


I hung around a while and departed about noon. I headed North toward Capitola to the New Brighten State Beach. This is the only State park in these parts with a dump station. a nice one. I then stopped in the Day Use Area and looked all around the park. We've never stayed here before primarily because of the need to make reservations. We'll have to make some reservations and try the park out. It looks quite nice. I had a chicken pot pie for lunch before heading home sometime after 2:30pm.

We're home again for a little while. Lou has her knee surgery on the 15 and we'll probably hang around home until the 25th or so. Our plans are indefinite.