Thursday, December 23, 2010

Home For The Holidays

Wednesday: (12/22) Lou was busy moving back into the house. I hope she doesn't move too much so we can get back out easily after new years. I relaxed most of the day. I did get out to visit Ernie's dogs. They missed us. I also took a walk around the neighborhood to see what changed. Lou and Dawn visited San Jose's Christmas In The Park downtown and also a lot of thrift stores. They never get tired of thrift stores. Breakfast was leftover French toast and sausage. Lunch was leftover white beans and a half a leftover sandwich. Dinner was a black eyed bean and leek soup from the crock pot. There was a little rain this afternoon but it was mostly a nice day.

Thursday: (12/23) I fixed a Don McMuffin for breakfast. Lou and Dawn had been up longer and handled their own. We made a run the redwood city. Dawn visited the library and a thrift store while Lou and I visited the Grocery Outlet store. They have the best deal on our Italian sausage and other items. I baked a couple of batches for use when we hit the road. I fixed spaghetti for dinner.

Friday: (12/24) Lou fixed a vegetable omelet for breakfast. Lou was busy baking apple cake and pies. I cleaned some rain gutters since it was nice out. For dinner I fixed sauerkraut potatoes and pork chops.

Today is a notable day. 100 years ago today, and every Christmas eve since has been the birthday of both Lou's and my mothers. Both are gone now, Lou's 45 years ago and mine  20 years ago. Both had the misfortune of never having a real birthday party because the day was overshadowed by someone who had a birthday the day after. Happy birthday mom!

Christmas lights on Palo Alto Street Christmas lights on Palo Alto Street
We took a drive over to look at some Christmas lights in Palo Alto.

Saturday: (12/25) Christmas day. Leftover vegetable omelet for breakfast. We had a nice morning. The sun was even out for a while. Lou, Dawn and I went out to find a couple of geocaches. It was Lou's first search. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem too interested. It's a technical thing.

Ernie fixed a nice orange glazed ham,orange and maple sugar carrots, potatoes au gratin,  and a fruit salad. There was also a green salad and some of Dawn's bread. For desert there was an apple pie, a buttermilk pie, and an apple cake.

The rain returned in the afternoon and evening but we were cozy inside with a fire.

Sunday: (12/26) Leftovers for breakfast and dinner. Lunch was at LUU Noodle house, our usual combination chow fun. Pretty much did away with the holiday leftovers. Now to attack the regular leftovers.

Monday: (12/27) I started with a visit to Kaiser to leave some blood. That meant I was in Mountain View close to our Hong Kong Bakery so breakfast was from there. The sun is supposed to be out today before it disappears for a few more days of rain. I washed the RV, jeep and car. Probably a wasted effort because rain will return tomorrow but they really needed it and there may not be another dry day before we head out again. Spaghetti for lunch. Dinner was leftover black eyed bean soup and dawn's bread.

Tuesday: (12/28) Lou fixed French toast for breakfast. We headed off to Gilroy for the day. I needed to visit Camping World for some caulk for the RV. We then hit the Gilroy Discount malls. I concentrated on Home Depot. Lowe's and Best Buy. The other stores only get a glace from me while many are examined well by Lou. We had lunch at King Eggroll. they make great sandwiches. Dawn and I had BBQ pork sandwiches and I also had a couple of their excellent eggrolls. Lou had a combination with chowmein. They used to had a place near where I worked in San Jose which I enjoyed visiting for lunch. We managed to stay long enough that the evening commute traffic wasn't a problem for our return home. Our late dinner was leftover pork, sauerkraut and potatoes. Not much of anything accomplished but a nice day. It stprinkled all day and as we arrived home it started to rain heavily and continued until late that night. Our back yard had an inch of water everywhere. Definitely a good soak.

Wednesday:
(12/29) We woke to a sunny morning and the water had drained off the backyard but it was still very wet. However some sprinkles returned occasionally. Dawn's friend Andrea dropped by for a visit. Lunch was from the Hong Kong bakery. Baked pork buns and assorted other delicacies. Dinner was navy bean soup and some bread from San Luis obispo's House Of Bread. I was busy tinkering with the computer much of the day.

Thursday: (12/30) Oatmeal fro breakfast. Leftover spaghetti for lunch. Cabbage with wieners for dinner. I tinkered at the computer most of the day except for some plumbing work. i replaced the filler valve and flapper valve in the toilet. The flapper didn't need to be replaced but the new one is a two level flush valve with a cable actuator. The old lever for the old flapper would hang up occasionally. Not now. Also should save a bunch of water now.

Friday: (12/31) New Years Eve Day. It was cold outside with some sprinkles otherwise usually known as an inside day. Computer tinkering and doll making with a couple of walks. Lou and Dawn slipped in a thrift store visit as well on one walk, a problem of having one withing a few blocks. They came home with a little porch seat/shoebox that looks great on the front porch and eliminates the pile of shoes there. Relly nice day until the kitchen sink got clogged.

Leftover soup for breakfast. Horderves for dinner. We managed to minimize Ernies Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners menu efforts mostly by not having no horderves. For New Years Eve, that was all we had and Ernie really outdid himself.

Saturday: (01/01) New Years Day. More leftover soup for breakfast. The project of the day is to try to unclog the kitchen sink, always a real difficult and messy effort. Maybe next year's project will be to re-plumb it to eliminate the kinks.

Well, that was easy. Unlike every other clog for our sink that always takes all day to coax from the depths of the drain line as it wanders along the wall under the windows toward where it finally goes to the main drain pipe, this clog was where it was supposed to be, in the trap. Egg shells and plastic, a nice solid waterproof clog. Maybe deviled eggs wont be on the menu next year? Now what to do for the rest of the day?

Dinner was home made tamales and enchiladas with rice and beans.

Sunday: (01/02) A day at the races. Breakfast was soft boiled eggs and cinnamon toast. None of us have ever been to the race track before so today was the day to solve that. Today was dollar day at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley. It's the last remaining race track in the bay area. Tanforan became a shopping center many years ago and Bay Meadows became condos more recently. Before Golden Gate fields closes we thought we'd better get out for our day at the races. Dollar day made it more acceptable with $1 parking, hotdogs, beer and soft drinks. We watched 3-4 races before calling it a day due to the cold and drippy weather. I managed to pick the winner of one of the races. Lunch was hotdogs and beer, of course. We eventually made it home and enjoyed super nachos ala Lou for dinner.

Monday: (01/03) Leftover enchiladas for breakfast. I started the day with a hike at Shoreline Park in Mountain View. I tried to meet up with the Monday Hikers group but was late and missed them. I had a nice walk by the baylands with all the geese and other fowl. Next, I went to where I used to work for a visit. They're doing so well now that I don't work there? Lunch was a chili relleno from the nearby El Rincon restaurant near work. Dinner was more enchiladas. Lou and Dawn were busy packing the RV to leave again, possibly on Thursday?

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