California 2022!

I believe this is my 4th summer coming to California for more than just a few days. Thanks to Kristen and Doug for being excellent and welcoming hosts. Each year we head south together. We've visited Mike's house with Carolyn, we see Sarah and Cameron, and we visit with Derek, Rachel, and kiddos. It's a wonderful trip each time. As I write this, I'm sitting on the front porch, listening to the youth soundtrack for the year, and drinking some Diet Dr. Pepper. 

I do struggle with my full-time responsibilities. When I was adjunct, I could just travel and do nothing work-related. Now I have more responsibilities and I can't just ignore work. I actually have work. In fact, I had very full days the week between Florida and coming here. I had training each morning, then interviews for an adjunct position each afternoon. This week I've been working on planning our annual UAFCS conference and have been answering emails, grading assignments, and reading a textbook for 110. Again, this is no adjunct life. I like it, though, and I'm very grateful for it. I am blessed. 

Saturday, July 23, I flew on the same flight as Maria Trump's daughter Sierra. Sierra was kind enough to pick me up at Kamiko and Bekki's house and Maria picked both of us up in Oakland and dropped me off at Kristen's house. It was an EARLY flight. I got to Kristen's around 9:00 am. There was a stake Pioneer Day dinner that night. We made brownies to take. The Livermore and Pleasanton Stakes combined a while back, so I saw some familiar faces. Saw Sister Mano and Sister Bird. Also saw Lisa Hodges and some couples that I know from Kristen's ward. They had the most delicious smoked pulled pork and smoked or baked beans. It was all so delicious. 

Sunday was church, then Maggie, Jeff, and their son Nick came for dinner. They are selling their house and had an open house, so they had to vacate. Nick is a BYU student. He's a great conversationalist. He served his mission in Virginia and served in 2 of the areas where Kristen served. 

Monday we headed to Derek's after taking Covid tests. Not gonna make the mistake to take Covid to Derek's house again. This situation is so tricky. Every tickle in the throat makes one nervous. Every cough makes one feel like a pariah. I don't like it and I wonder if things will ever get back to normal. It's always fun to get to Derek and Rachel's house and be greeted with "hi grandma!" from Charlie. He quickly acknowledges me then gets back to watching his show or playing with toys. It's the cutest thing. Rose is getting so tall and Milo is so fun. Rose is 11, Charlie is 8, and Milo is 5. All very fun ages. Rachel fixed yummy sausage and broccoli pasta and we had fun playing games. We played Sorry, Candy Land, and Guess Who. We talked and just relaxed. Tuesday morning, we walked to the store to get candy. It costs me about $10 to make the kids smile and to hopefully make them look forward to my visits. There is a method to my madness. Milo heard that we were leaving after lunch and he was so somber as Derek fixed sandwiches. He came and told me he didn't want me to leave. I reassured him that I wasn't leaving right after lunch, that we had time to play a game. He perked up at that news. 

Negative tests...here we come. They were grateful we tested

Charlie with mini Oreos, Rose with chocolate covered pretzels, and Milo with Mike and Ikes

Milo and I had fun playing with these magnetic tiles

Charlie still loves silky nightgowns

Rose is such a sweetheart

Got this quick picture with Derek before we left

We drove 2 hours to Sarah and Cam's house. Sarah is a great cook. She fixed a curry that was loaded with vegetables. She and Cam are great hosts, too. We watched some TV. I introduced them to "Only Murders in the Building" and they introduced me to "The Mindy Project." Cameron has promised to take me to Disneyland if I'll watch "Stranger Things." I'll do it. Wednesday was a slow start with a walk and showers and getting ready for a beach day. We grabbed a delicious lunch then went to T Street Beach for a couple of hours. Then we went to Dana Point to go on a whale watching trip. It was a small boat that seated 20 and the waters were rough. No whales, but we saw a pod of dolphins and it was sooooo cool. We even saw Patches, a dolphin that has unique white patches on his pigment. I get a bit motion sick, so I was happy to have dramamine. I also didn't talk much on the ride. I mostly focused on the horizon. After watching dolphins, I abruptly asked Kristen to get me a barf bag. I went to the back of the boat where the ride was "smoother." I got over the urge to throw up and closed my eyes. I soaked in the breeze and fresh air. I've never been so happy to see Dana Point. I knew the trip was almost over, then they continued to head south to find more dolphins. Just as we turned north again and began to ride in smoother water, I couldn't hold it any longer and I threw up in my bag. Nobody saw. It wasn't a big spectacle. I'm still so glad I went. It was great. Even knowing I would throw up, I would do it again. Will I go again? No. We had a delicious dinner of Korean BBQ beef bowls. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to eat, but my stomach quickly settled down. More TV, talking and hanging out. 

Before the choppy started I was all smiles

4 people under an umbrella for shade

Thursday we drove home. Stopped at McDonald's and got the new Caramel Chocolate Pretzel McFlurry. It's delicious. Watched more TV. We love to stream new shows when we get together. "Only Murders in the Building." Finished season 1. 

Kristen and I went to visit Maria on Friday. We went to a place with food trucks and got the same hot dog I got last year. Kristen and I shared the hot dog and some fries. We washed cars and basically took it easy Friday and Saturday. Got pizza for dinner on Friday and In and Out on Saturday. I tried to read a textbook for 110, but it had way too much food science and organic chemistry. It would not work for 110. I have had a challenge finding a textbook. We made a bunch of banana bread to take to neighbors. 

Kristen and me with Abby Trump

We were happy to oblige when Abby gave us instructions on how to color

It's been a lazy Sunday. I woke up to news that Kris and Doug were heading to Fresno to see his mom. She's in the hospital and is in pain with a urinary tract infection. She's 90 and just wants to go be with her husband Ray. I've been listening to church music, watching videos for gospel study, and napping. I figured I'd writing in my journal so I don't feel like today was a total waste. I'm glad I'm doing this because it's too hard to catch up after a trip. Happy Sunday!

I'll be making a baked pasta dish once I hear that Kristen and Doug are on their way back.