THOUGHTS AND TRAVELS

Summertime??

2011-07-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

Strange weather this year. Spring sprung a leak more than is usual and now summer has been very mild except for the 4th of July which was 100+ F. My oldest grand daughter Stephanie gave birth to her second child in June and named the boy Tanner after great grand father's surname. The 4th of July was celebrated by watching the fabulous Fireworks Display put on each year by Sun City and by attending a huge Bar B Q Party presented by the Sun City Bocce Club. The picture is a 1932 Packard Convertible in which Diane and I were delighted to ride in after the Bar B Q.
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THE NEW ZEALAND QUAKE

2011-02-28T19:04:00.000-08:00

I stayed in California this time and Diane flew to NZ on the 6th of January to visit daughter Kim and her family who live 250 + plus miles away from Christchurch. Diane flew down to Christchurch two days before the quake and was in downtown Christchurch having lunch when the quake hit. She and girl friend jumped under a table as part of the ceiling collapsed. She and girlfriend were unharmed and Di (always the nurse) went and volunteered to aid the injured at the set up Triage Center. While there has been damage to some of the family's home and property we feel very fortunate that no one sustained serious personal injury. It will take time and money for things to get back to normal, but Kiwi's are a sturdy and resilient folk and will survive this disaster.

Diane will be back in California on the 8th of March and will, I am sure, look forward to our forthcoming cruise on the "Windsurf" We will leave in April for Lisbon, Portugal and spend a few days visiting friends in the Algarve District of Portugal. We will then board the "Windsurf" at Lisbon and sail to Rome via Barcelona, Tangier, Malaga, Almeria, Cartegena, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, St. Tropez, Monte Carlo, Portofino, Livorna and back to California from Rome.

LIVED IN

2011-01-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

Here it is January 2011 and our new home is finally getting that "Lived In" look. Diane will be leaving today for New Zealand with four year old grand son Jace and middle daughter Karen. Karen and Jace will return to California in three weeks and Diane will stay on until late March.

I will be staying behind and batching it for the first time in order to take care of some business. Let the party begin (just kidding). Baring any unexpected problems we are still planning on our April cruise from Lisbon, Portugal to Barcelona, Spain and then on to Rome with some great island stops en route. We will be visiting friends in the Algarve District of Portugal prior to our boarding the "Windsurf" for our 14 day cruise. Hopefully my creaky knees will hold up until I can get a knee job later in the year. All that running and racquetball that I did years ago was really good for my heart but not so good for the knees. This is the first time in 10 years that I have experienced our Northern California winter and despite the cold, rain and fog, I can't say I really mind it. One can only stand so much good weather. With water volleyball, pool, poker, table tennis and reading downloaded books on my new Kindle (love that thing), and watching Netflix----I'll have much to keep me occupied.

MAUI

2010-10-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

It was a nice easy direct flight from Sacramento to Maui and the 4 1/2 hour flight went fast. Diane and I are enjoying swimming with dolphins and turtles and our condo is right on the water which makes getting to the water a snap. We learned via email while here that my grand daughter Stephanie is pregnant and expecting her second child in June 2011. I will be a great grand dad for a second time. We also heard that our new home purchase closed escrow and we can move in when we get back to Sun City on the 3rd of November. Fortunately we are only moving one block away. The home that we sold is due to close escrow on the 9th of November. Perfect timing.

It's Halloween today and I am sitting watching the World Series as I add to the Blog. and thinking that November seems late in the year to finish a World Series game

END OF SUMMER UPDATE

2010-09-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

June, July & August zipped by with pretty mild temperatures that allowed for lots of outdoor activity that Diane and I enjoy. Here it is September and I never thought that we would be buying another home at our age but we decided that we need a bit more space. The house that we have purchased is one block away which will make the move in November fairly easy. We are excited about the move and are looking forward to getting settled in. Great grand daughter Abi will be two years old on the 19th of September and we look forward to the birthday party on the 17th. We leave for Maui, Hawaii on the 24th of October and will be there for 10 days. Alaska Airlines flies direct from Sacramento International Airport to Maui and that somehow seems funny to me. Like if Air Tahiti flew to to the South Pole.

The National AAU Senior Championships will be having events here at Sun City in early October and I will be competing in the Doubles Pickle Ball Competitions.

I would like to compete in the Bocce Ball Competition as well but unfortunately Bocce and Pickle Ball are scheduled at the same time.

Diane and I will be going back to New Zealand this winter but at different times that have not yet been booked. We will both return to California in April just in time to take off for a scheduled visit to Lisbon, Portugal where we will spend a few days visiting friends that live in the Algarve area of Portugal. Then we will board our favorite cruise ship "Windstar"in Lisbon for a 14 day sail from Lisbon to Barcelona, Spain and then on to Rome and returning home in early May. Windstar has internet access and I look forward to posting our ports of call and pics on "Thoughts an Travels"

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T19:03:00.000-07:00

Diane and I returned to California on the 2nd of May and resettled into the California life style despite the unseasonably cold and blustery weather. Diane had planned to go back to New Zealand in September for her dad's 100th birthday celebration. She received a call from her sister on the 24th that their dad was failing and she took a flight back to NZ the next day.

Bob G. passed away the other night and will not make his 100 BD. He was a WW 2 veteran of the New Zealand Air Force and a super father in law. I will miss him.

BACK TO NEW ZEALAND

2010-02-20T13:14:00.000-08:00

Diane is already there having left for NZ three weeks ago and I will be heading down on the 28th of February. Instead of Christchurch where we have spent the past number of years we will now be staying on the north part of the South Island between Nelson and Mapua. The area claims to get more sunshine days than any other part of New Zealand. I have been to this area many times and like it very much. Nelson is a fun town and the area is very artsy crafty with many good wineries, excellent beaches and great places to dine. The furniture that we had in Christchurch has been moved to a cottage behind where Kim, John and the girls recently bought a large home and property. No more Pickleball or Water Volleyball until I am back in California in May, however, I will continue with golf and replace Pickleball and Water Volleyball with Darts and Bowls.

I do wish I could sleep on a plane as the 12 1/2 hour non stop flight does not go fast enough.

ZIP LINING THE RAIN FOREST

2009-12-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

We did a number of fun things on our Barbados Cruise and Zip Lining the rain forest on Pigeon Island, Guadalupe was at the top of the list. It was raining and pouring (what else in a rain forest) and we got soaked. There were eleven stations that were quite high and offered a speedy ride that required a bit of physical dexterity.

SAILING, SAILING, SAILING

2009-11-19T18:56:00.000-08:00

We do love it, particularly the smaller, intimate and yacht like atmosphere of a ship like the Windsurf. We have sailed twice before on one of the sister ships that are a bit smaller. Tahiti and Panama Canal. We will meet the Windsurf pictured above in Barbados on December 6th, 2009 after flying from Sacramento to Miami and then a three hour flight to Barbados the eastern most island in the Caribbean. Despite the sails which gives the appearance of an antique sailing vessel, the Windsurf is equipped with flat screen TV's and Wi Fi access in it's suites. http://www.windstarcruises.com/ We plan to do some diving as well as visiting some of the islands that the Windsurf will visit. We are looking forward to this cruise and will take many pictures to post on our next Blog entry.

MEMORIES OF TONGA

2009-10-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

I did not have a BLOG in 1991 or I would have posted this marvelous trip earlier. No problem though, Diane and I still look the same----hmm.

This 12 day trip on the “R. Tucker Thompson” was the fulfillment of a young boys dream for me. Despite not knowing anything about sailing I had always wanted to get on a sailing ship of some kind, just wear a bathing suit, visit small, tropical islands, eat fish, drink coconut milk and visit with the natives. Diane and I did that and much more.
We met the R. Tucker captain and crew at the dock in Vava'u after spending several days at Tonga's capital city of Nuku'alofa, where Tonga's king has his palace. Yes, Tonga had and still has a king, and a big one at that. Our time is Nuku'alofa was spent scuba diving and getting checked out by the local Padi Dive Master. He happened to be from San Jose, California, was divorced and now married to a young Tongan woman. He trained the entire 60 man Tongan Navy in scuba diving.

Our crew on the R. Tucker consisted of four people and nine international passengers.
We all became quite friendly and understanding of one another and modesty was tossed aside due to the fact that the ship had one head (toilet/shower) for crew and guests. The captain had his own head but did not share. Toileting and showering could be done simultaneously. Our cook did a fantastic job with the meals which were usually served up on deck weather permitting and it usually permitted. Although it was not required to crew, most of the passengers took a four hour turn at the wheel after a bit of instruction of how to keep the ship on course. We sailed from one end of the Tonga Chain to the other stopping off to dive, explore, swim and barter with the natives. We traded T shirts and cans of beef for woven baskets and carvings. Diane, as a RN-Certified Nurse Midwife enjoyed spending time with the mothers and babies and inquiring about birthing.
Diane and I were not married when we made this trip, but it was this trip that inspired me to ask her to marry me, and we were married the following year 1992.
I have made many wonderful trips with great memories, but this Tonga Trip tops them all.

SPORTS GALORE

2009-08-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

Wow----------I have been remiss in keeping this blog updated and much has happened since March. First our health----despite bouts of ongoing insomnia for both Diane and I, we continue to enjoy good heath and have been quite active with our various sporting activities. Diane became an official senior citizen in June (Medicare) and we celebrated her birthday and our wedding anniversary by going to Las Vegas for a few days and taking in a show and visiting with some old friends. I have made a few trips to Fresno to visit with family and see great grand daughter Abi. She will be having her first birthday on the 18th of September and Diane and I are looking forward to participating.

Diane will be going to New Zealand by herself on the 27th of September for her fathers 99th, yes that's right, 99th birthday and returning three weeks later. Our plan is to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year in the U.S. this year and go to New Zealand in February for two to three months.

IT'S MARCH ALREADY?

2009-03-26T14:41:00.000-07:00

We arrived back in California on the 3rd of March after four months in New Zealand. It's been a busy month with pre-scheduled doctors appointments, a visit to Fresno to see family and especially Abby, the first great-grandchild. What a gorgeous little lady she is.

And how about Jace? Diane's first grandson. The picture was taken in October 2008 and he is even more handsome now. April looks like it will be a busy month what with Fed and State taxes, weddings, family visits, university graduations, parties, golf, pickleball and you name it.

Spring has sprung and it's great to see the blossoms and trees sprouting aplenty, as we usually come back to California in May and miss this lovely happening.

BACK IN NEW ZEALAND

2008-11-15T22:12:00.000-08:00

It was a long flight and a round about way to get here (via Sydney), but arrive I did with 15 1/2 hours of actual flight time. Diane arrived three days earlier. Two days after arriving and still a bit jet lagged I played 18 holes of golf with 11 of the NZ mates that I usually play with. I haven't walked 18 holes since the last time I played in NZ which was over a year ago. I felt like I was walking on stumps when I finished 18. It's all golf carts when I play in California as that is what most of the old geezers do. My stamina is just great, but surgery on the right and left knees has left them a bit wonky. It is good to be back and see our NZ families again. The weather has been great as spring is now here and summer in waiting. It's funny, but as soon as I get in the car and get behind the drivers right side, a light goes off in my brain and I adjust right away to driving on the left side of the road. I even breeze through the roundabouts like I know what I'm doing. I turned on the TV this AM to hear Fox News of all things, a recent addition to NZ TV. Listening to the voices one feels like they are back in the US.

The Great Grand Daughter

2008-09-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

My grand daughter Stephanie and her husband had their first child and my first great grand child on September 19th. Her name is Abigail Lauren and she weighed in at 9 lbs. 3 oz. and 21 inches long. The thought occurred to me that if I make it into my 90's, there is a chance I could be a great great grand father.

SEPTUAGENARIAN BUNGEE JUMPER?

2008-08-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

I was celebrating my 60th birthday when the above jump was made over the Kawara River near Queensland, South Island, New Zealand. I was not going to jump, in fact, I thought that any one doing it was crazy. I plead nuts then, because after watching people for almost two hours and listening to some rocking tunes from a Boom Box, I was pumped up and would have jumped off the Empire State Building. My main concern was not fainting on the jump platform and wanting to look good when I dove off. I was measured and weighed so that I entered the water up to my waist and then recoiled out and up to almost where I had jumped from. The adrenaline rush from this jump lasted almost a year. I am older and wiser now, but still a little nutty and may just celebrate my 75th next year with another jump.

GREAT GRANDFATHER-------------ME???

2008-06-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

The winsome lass in the picture is my grand daughter Steph and within her womb is my yet to be born great grand child. How can this possibly be? Seems like it was only yesterday that her mother was the same age (26). With two other adult grandchildren, the middle one, Denise, recently married, I would say I have a pretty good chance of even more great grandchildren.

BOCCE BALL WINNERS

2008-06-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

My Bocce Ball partner and I were happy to win the Men's Doubles Championship this May. We even won some $$$ which I guess now makes us Professionals. I believe I even spied some Pro Scouts lurking about. Now if my Golf Game would just come about as well.
The weather could not be better for all kinds of outdoor activity and we have been taking full advantage. It will not be too long before temps reach the 100 F mark, but then, it is dry.
Diane has made a quick trip to New Zealand and will be back on the 19th of June.
We have made a couple of changes in our travel plans for next year. Rather than a two week cruise we have booked a one week cruise on the Windstar, from Lisbon to Barcelona and decided to spend more time before the cruise visiting Portugal and Spain by car. We will still be going to New Zealand this coming November and will take the trip to Europe after we return to California in March.

HEALTH UPDATE

2008-03-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

I finished up my Chemo Treatments which started on the 21st of December and ended on the 22 of February. No nausea, no hair loss, no negative effects from any of the drugs or infusions that I received, in fact, I continued to be quite active through the whole process, swimming three times weekly as well as tennis and golf. My blood count numbers are heading in the right direction and hopefully I will have a long lasting period of remission. I will be receiving a CAT SCAN in a couple of weeks to see if my affected lymph glands have shrunk. In anticipation of positve readings, Diane and I are planning our next trip. A cruise on the WINDSURF from Lisbon, Portugal to Barbados in November, and then on to New Zealand for a few months. Diane is recovering nicely from her knee surgery on the 24th of March. They did the Keyhole Procedure to repair the torn miniscus. Despite these medical inconveniences, we have continued our active life style here in this "AGE RESTRICTED, ACTIVE ADULT RETIREMENT COMMUNITY" Whew!!!

A FEW MORE HICCUPS

2007-12-20T18:26:00.000-08:00

What can I say other than we are both a couple of aging seniors and susceptible to the multitude of ailments than can befall one. We returned from the Mexico wedding wherein Diane discovered she had played host to a nasty parasite that had decided to make a home in her intestine. Here it is almost Christmas and she is just now killed off the little bugger. For me, a routine blood test showed up abnormal on my yearly physical and further tests, biopsies, CAT scans etc. diagnosed me with a rare blood disease called Waldenstrom's, more specifically, Non Hodgkins B Cell Lymphoma. There is no real cure for this disease, but it is treatable. I feel quite well and have been physically active. A ten week cycle of chemotherapy was begun this week and I am tolerating the treatments very well. Finally, it appears that Diane may have torn cartilage in her right knee from a twisted leg while playing golf. For these reasons we will not be going to New Zealand before Christmas as usual and have canceled our May European Cruise. Diane may go to New Zealand for a few weeks sometime early in 2008 to see her 97 year old father, daughter, son in law and grandchildren. As Diane has said "These are just a few hiccups in life". We both look at our present medical situation as merely delaying for a short while our otherwise very active life style.

THE WEDDING AT CABO SAN LUCAS

2007-09-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

We are back from a wedding of an old friend that was held on a beautiful beach in Cabo San Lucas.
Cabo is at the very tip of Baja California. Bob and Carol, the bride and groom, had both been widowed and it was great to see that the two of them found each other. The wedding took place in the early evening as the sun was setting and was attended by 24 friends and relatives from Chicago, Las Vegas and California. The very next day hurricane Henrietta hit Cabo, and though it was only a Force 1 Hurricane, was sufficient to knock out the power and disrupt the plumbing for two days. Without fans or air conditioning the humidity made sleeping near impossible. Despite the rotten weather we all managed to have a good time and make the best of it.

PARTYTIME

2007-04-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

After several months of doing the usual things that we do in New Zealand, golf, swimming, babysitting & elder care, we hit two parties back to back. Friday night it was a Spit Bar B Q with two of Christchurch's premier bands. Great music, good food and a fantastic view of the lights of the city from our hillside location. We danced until our legs went numb.
The very next night it was a Costume Party with uniforms required to celebrate two birthdays.
This event was held at the Mt. Pleasant Yacht Club, overlooking the Estuary. I went as the Mad Surgeon and Di as a New Zealand cop. More good food, great music and dancing. And now, we head back to California in 10 days, looking forward as we always do, to seeing family and friends once again.

THE MAD SURGEON & NEW ZEALAND COP

2007-04-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

I WOULD RATHER DANCE THAN EAT

2007-01-06T23:14:00.000-08:00

And so we did on New Year's Eve. A great dinner, good wines, great band, great fun. It's been a while that Diane and I celebrated the New Year by going out, but this year we had much to celebrate. Damn we look good on the dance floor. Two days later we left for New Zealand flying on one of the new 747's with screens on the back of each seat and a variety of movies, TV Shows, music and games that can be selected individually. It does make that 12 hour non stop flight more bearable. However, the coach class seats are so close that when the person directly in front of you puts his seat all the way back, they are practically in your lap and then you too must put your seat all the way back. It is now Sunday evening the 7th and we are pretty well settled into our New Zealand style of living until May. Tomorrow morning I will play 18 holes of golf with my NZ mates
and in the evening go to a Bar-B- Q. It's really good to be back and we are looking forward to enjoying our NZ summer.

SOME HOLIDAY THOUGHTS

2006-12-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

Another 20 days and we will be heading back to New Zealand until May. The weather in New Zealand at present is identical to that here in Roseville, 50's F during the day and rainy. Do we really need a 12 1/2 hour non stop flight to enjoy the same weather? New Zealand is supposed to be starting their summer. No doubt that when we get there the weather will be wonderful. Perhaps!! At any rate, we are looking forward to seeing our NZ family and friends once again. Many folks think that NZ is tropical because it's in the South Pacific. Well, it's south enough to be fairly close to Antartica and the weather is affected by that close proximity. The South Island weather is somewhat like that of Seattle and the northern part of the North Island of NZ is warmer and somewhat like San Diego. Some folks also think that Australia is very close to New Zealand. It's a good three hour flight via jet. I have actually had some folks ask me if we have ever taken the bridge over to Australia. Hmm!! We will be visiting Perth, Australia in April, a place I have always wished to visit. It's not only geographicaly isolated from much of the world, but from other settled part of Australia as well. It will involve a three hour flight from NZ to Sydney (one of my favorite cities) and another three hour flight from Sydney to Perth. I am looking forward to playing golf with good friends in Perth as well as seeing the sights.
We are looking forward to spending Christmas with family and friends in Fresno this year and New Years Eve will be spent at a Dinner Dance event here in "Sun City".

BACK IN CHARLESTON

2006-11-13T13:14:00.000-08:00

We arrived back in Charleston Sunday afternoon and at 8 AM Monday, Diane underwent the final procedure of her breast re-construction, a truly amazing procedure. By 1 PM she was back in our hotel room and sound asleep. She will be pretty much out of it until Tuesday and on Wednesday we fly back to California. Not much time to visit the sights of Charleston, we'll do that another time. The website that Dr. Allen has is worth a look see for all the ladies that happen to read this entry. It is such a better option for any female that must undergo a mastectomy.
http://www.diepflap.com

SOUTH CAROLINA FOLLOW UP

2006-10-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

Tempus Fugit (time flies) Here it is October already. Where did September go? Diane is doing just great with the surgery that she had done in August and during the month of Sepember did all the things she shouldn't be doing, like lifting boxes & moving furniture. The results of her surgery and breast re-construction are truly amazing and she has been educating any number of women about this new procedure. I have been referring to her as the FLASHER since she has no qualms about showing off the results of her surgery. We will go back to Charleston on the 11th of November for a few days where Dr. Allen will finish up the procedure with Diane as an out patient. Our Thanksgiving and Christmas will be spent here in California this year and we both look forward to our grandaughter Stephanie's graduating from university. We now have two girls living in New Zealand, Kim with John and her two girls, Wendy and new baby Jace. Two girls in California, Debbie with Fred and two young adults at home, Karen (Super Nurse) & her cats.
I have been busy with my sports activities and have managed to play on an almost daily basis volleyball, pickle ball, golf, table tennis or swimming.
Diane and I will head back to New Zealand on January 4th and will return to California early May.

STORMS A COMING!!!

2006-08-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

While Charleston is not anticipating anything near the likes of last years Hurricane Katrina, they are bracing for the remnants of Hurricane Ernesto. Diane is out of the hospital and is doing fine and we are hunkered down at the Marriott Residence Inn until Sunday. Hail, lightening, high winds (60 mph)and torrents of rain are forecast for tonight and tomorrow. People are buying bottled water and stocking up on food. I don't mean to make light of a storm, but I have just looked at the National Weather Service report online and unless there is something the locals know that I don't, it just appears to be a big Thunder Storm. We shall see.
Meanwhile---------The surgey that Diane had is truly amazing and for any readers that would like to know more about the prodedure, just click on http://www.diepflap.com/

THE RENTAL CAR

2006-08-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

Never rent a vehicle that takes more than 5 minutes to learn how to operate. After landing in Charleston in the Mother of All Rainstorms, with lightening and thunder, tired and hungry and then picking up luggage, it was off to Hetz to pick up the rental that was reserved. Nice people at Hertz. They gave me a upgrade to a Ford SUV with all the bells and whistles including a new state of the art GPS system to get me around in unfamiliar territory. Give me a break. This SUV was not my Toyota Camry, which would have been just fine for my purposes. Merely turning on the windshield wipers (very necessary considering the weather conditions) required some manual dexterity and thought that my body and brain were not up to at the moment. The head lights were no simple matter either as I searched all over the dashboard and steering column for some kind of control. We made it to the hotel OK and after a good nights sleeep I took 35 minutes or so to look at the SUV manual. This vehicle would have been just perfect if we had arrived in good weather, in daylight, rested and took 30 minutes to get familiar with all the many features. I guess part of my problem is that I really don't like these big gas gusslin suckers that block my view when I am in a parking lot and want to back out in my old fashioned four door vehicle. I also hate geting behind one on the freeway and not being able to see in front of them down the highway, or when I want to make a right hand turn and I have one of these jumbos on my left, blocking my view of traffic. I must say however, that after a few days now of
driving this rental I can see the appeal. There is a certain sense of authority and power in sitting up higher than standard autos and controlling all that steel. I am sure this feeling of power will fade the first time I go to refill the tank.

OFF TO CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

2006-08-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

After much study, research and questions Diane has decided to have a Mastectomy instead of a Lumpectomy + Radiation. At the same time that the Mastectomy is done she will have a new breast reconstruction performed. It is called the DIEP Procedure and involves using one's own stomach or buttocks tissue to reconstruct the breast. The prodedure was pioneered by Dr. Robert Allen (who will perform the surgery). It involves micro - surgery due to replacement of blood vessels in the newly created breast. Dr. Allen and his team have successfully performed over 1,500 such procedures and have patients coming from all over the U.S. and abroad for the surgery. We are fortunate that our PPO plan of health insurance will cover most all the costs. We leave for Charleston on the 22nd of August and will return on the 3 rd of September. We will be staying at the Marriott Residence Inn at Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina pre and post operation with the surgery taking place on the 25th of August. This isn't the kind of summer trip we had planned and Diane will not be doing any of the touristy things, but the Mt. Pleasant area is a beautiful place to start her re-cuperation. She is looking forward to scuba diving and golf again. Being notified that you have breast cancer was initially frightnening to both Diane and I and now, armed with a complete diagnosis we are both confident that this operation will effect a cure. I will be taking my laptop with us to South Carolina and Diane would love to hear from friends and family as she begins her healing.

THE HICCUPS OF LIFE

2006-08-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

That's what Diane calls those times in our lives when the normal flow of living is interrupted by health or family problems. My little hiccup was eleven years ago with Prostate Cancer that was successfully defeated. Now it's Diane's hiccup with Breast Cancer that was diagnosed two weeks ago. Because the initial diagnosis indicated a highly agressive cancer, we were prepared for the worst case scenario. It now appears that though the cancer is agressive, it was caught early enough so that a Lumpectomy followed by Radiation should facilitate a cure. This momentary hiccup will curtail the summertime and fall travel plans that we were in the process of making, but will not interrupt our plans to return to New Zealand on January 3, 2007 for five months. Diane and I are indeed fortunate in being able to live and enjoy a wonderful retirement lifestyle despite a few hiccups along the way.

HOLY SMOKES IT'S HOT

2006-07-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

111 F at 2 PM (44. C). This is the first entry since coming back from New Zealand and the only thing really new to write about is the weather.
This whole week of July has set some records not only here, but elsewhere in the U.S. and abroad. Even early AM golf has been a bit unpleasant. It was good to have Di back from NZ despite her arriving with bronchitis which later turned into pneumonia. Ongoing doses of antibiotics are getting here back to good health.
I have been regularly playing Pickle Ball three times weekly and really enjoy the game. It's much easier on these aging knees than tennis and still gives the bod a good workout. In addition, I have been playing table tennis with some pretty serious players and playing doubles is entirely new to me. So, between golf, volleyball, swimming, pickle ball and table tennis I have daily been able to keep the ole body active.
Di and I have accumulated so many Air Miles with Frequent Flyer that we are once again trying to think of a new domestic trip that we would enjoy. Neither of us has been to Montana and that may be on the drawing board for later this year. We will be staying in California for Xmas and New Years this year and will return to New Zealand after the first of January.

BACK IN CALIFORNIA

2006-04-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

What gives with the weather? I was tracking it from NZ and knew there had been lots of rain, but this is nuts. There is so much snow in the Sierras it looks like they will be skiing into August. Anyway, it's good to be back and I am looking forward to the golf and volleyball games. Diane is still in New Zealand and will return with Wendy in late May. I would like to visit St. George, Utah sometime in July or August just to see what's there and maybe on to Durango, Colo. The four corners (Utah, Colo., Ariz., New Mexico) have some interesting National Parks as well as mountains and it would be fun to take a drive through that area. The flight back from New Zealand was long and tiresome as usual, and the security at the airports, though necessary, is adding to the tedium of flying. Too bad they can't have hammocks on the 747's instead of seats. Give everyone a sleeping pill when they board and they will be out for 8 hrs or so. No meals, movies or snacks.

OFF TO MELBOURNE

2006-03-04T22:15:00.000-08:00

We leave at 6 AM tomorrow morning for Melbourne, Australia/ The Ausies pronounce it Melbin.
Although we have made a number of trips to Australia, this will be the first to Melbourne. Pacific Blue had some great rates flying from Christchurch, NZ to OZ which we booked months ago before leaving California. In addition to seeing the sights in the city we will drive through a good part of the state of Victoria. This world is getting so much smaller. We will visit some friends from Fresno, California that live part of the year in Somers, Australia (about 1 1/2 hours from Melbourne. Diane and I are looking forward to doing some scuba diving in this area. He's a Yank and she is Aussie born. We will leave Australia and go back to NZ just as the "Commonwealth Games" begin. Two days after we get back to Christchurch, Diane's youngest daughter Wendy will be coming down to have her first child. Diane as a retired RN, Certified Midwife will assist in the delivery. I will be going back to Roseville on the 2nd of April and Diane, Wendy and the new Baby Boy will return the first week of June.

THE MEMORIAL GOLF COURSE

2006-02-26T19:49:00.000-08:00

Why not combine Golf Courses & Cemeteries? The advantages are numerous. It would increase needed golf course revenue, provide additional member benefits, please enviromentalists and be esthetically pleasing to the eye.
You could have all flat makers and charge for the space based on location. Tee Markers for example would be prime, whereas off the fairway space, less so. You could replace the sand in the bunkers with cremated remains. Most courses close for one day a week for golf course maintainence and that would be the day set aside for burials. Soft organ music wafting across the course from speakers, to soothe the jangled nerves of the golfers. Ah yes, I can see it now. No more hit the ball and drag Harry, just leave him there. Age restricted, Active Adult Retirement Communities like where I live would be ideally suited for such a concept given the average age of the residents. Unfortunatley it will never come to pass because it's too practical an idea.

End of the Canal --On to Costa Rica

2006-02-18T19:24:00.000-08:00

Panama Canal

2006-02-18T19:19:00.000-08:00

Panama Canal

2006-02-18T19:18:00.000-08:00

Panama Canal

2006-02-18T19:16:00.000-08:00

Panama Canal

2006-02-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

Panama Canal

2006-02-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

Panama Canal

2006-02-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

LON & DIANE ON WINDSTAR CRUISE

2005-12-04T14:01:00.000-08:00

WINDSTAR CRUISE - LON AND DIANE - BARBADOS TO COSTA RICA

2005-12-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

The WINDSTAR, is a luxury sailing yacht. Passenger decks 4
Guest Capacity 148 Masts 4
Crew 88 Sails 6
Speed 8.5 -14 knots (Under Sail)
8.5 -10 knots (Engine powered) Length 360 feet
Ship’s Registry Bahamas 5,350 tons

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS Friday and Saturday, 11/18 and 11/19

After checking in at a pretty hotel, - Rosetrevor, at Christ Church - St. Lawrence Gap, on the southwest side of the island, we relaxed with a swim at their private beach, and pool. That evening we strolled down the main road, and located a small restaurant, where we enjoyed a meal of red snapper, the local beer, (Banks beer), and the world famous rum punch. After the three consecutive flights, SMF to LAX, LAX to Miami, and Miami to Barbados, we were glad to crash for needed sleep.
Late morning next day, we were shown around the island, by a local taxi driver, who was eager to tell us every small detail about the locations. The 2 hour tour included plantations, the restored signal station at Gun Hill, built by the British in 1818, with a carved lion and cannon ball, and a beautiful gothic stone church, St. John’s, 850 feet on a cliff, above the Atlantic, on the east side of the island, that had a unique hand-carved pulpit, and an interesting cemetery. The concrete family crypts were really different. The sugar plantation owner families were represented. (One owner was buried standing up, by his request)
The Spanish landed on Barbados in 1518. The Portuguese followed in 1536. The British arrived in 1627 and George Washington visited his brother there in 1751.
After our tour we were dropped off at the ship terminal, and embarked on the Windstar, with a warm reception, and the beginning of absolute pampering.

BEQUIA, THE GRENADINES Sunday, 11/20

This small island has a beautiful sheltered harbor and we saw people repairing nets, and many colorful boats that are built on the beach. Hand crafted yachts are a specialty here.
We visited Mauvin’s Model Boat shop, where finely crafted miniatures are sold.
We toured an area with a local lady schoolteacher, where an eccentric man had built cave-like homes, built into the rocks, overlooking the sea in unusual contours. This estate is called “Moonhole”
Bequia was once an active whaling station, and these houses had counters made with whale jaw bones, and bar stools made from vertebrae, and handrails, benches and chairs made from whale ribs.

TOBAGO, LESSER ANTILLES Monday 11/21

Tobago is a classic West Indian haven, the subdued sister of flashy Trinidad nearby. We did not go ashore here, instead Diane visited our very handsome ship’s doctor, and got some antiviral meds, to help clear up a flu type bronchitis. Lon hung out in our library, and concentrated on his informative book, Thomas Friedman’s, “The World is Flat”, and watched DVD’s on our flat screen T.V. in our cabin

Tuesday, 11/22

At Sea, sunbathing up on the deck. Dipping in the small pool. Eating food all day, and visiting with Canadians, English, and American passengers. Played CD’s from the ample collection.

ISLA MARGERITA, VENEZUELA Wednesday, 11/23

Took a 4.5 hour tour on an air conditioned bus, and learned the history, customs, and modern areas of the island. Visited the small town of El Valle, the birthplace of independence hero, Santiago Marino, then a shrine, where the Virgin of the Fishermen is revered. Strange to see the elaborate vestments, rings etc. in the church museums, yet be aware of the poverty of the people, buying the statues and relics.
A stop at the traditional fishing harbor of Playa Valdez, showed us interesting boats, and flocks of pelicans. The fort of Santa Rosa, displayed reverence to the heroine Luisa Caceres de Arismendi, and her resistance against the Spanish.

Thursday, 11/24

At sea. Goofed off.

BONAIRE, DUTCH ANTILLES Friday, 11/25

Today we spent a luxurious day at Bonaire’s most exclusive seaside resort, the Harbour Village Beach Club, where we swam and snorkeled on their private white sandy beach, and admired the boats in their 64 slip marina.
We arranged for an independent boat ride over to an island “Klein Bonaire”, where we were dropped off for two hours of snorkeling, and sun, by the coral reefs. Diane chased a moray eel, at a respectful distance, and saw corals and reef fish.
Later, we lunched at the resort, and finished the day with a swim in the pool there.
That evening, Lon and I walked the forefront of the town, and ate at the Zeezicht restaurant, with a seafood mix meal. The evening was spirited, and the music from Karel’s Beach Bar across the street filled our ears.
Walking back to the ship we passed a public area, where Caribbean kettle drums were being played enthusiastically, and songs were sung in the curious dialogue mixture of Spanish, Dutch, and Portuguese.

CURACAO, DUTCH ANTILLES, Saturday, 11/26

This morning we enjoyed watching a flotilla of decorated boats, celebrating the beginning of a Festival period, honoring St. Nick, the Dutch Santa. He and his helpers were all dressed up, and there was a lot of singing, drumming, and boat horn noise.
The Dutch colonial buildings were curious and charming. Diane joined her diving group, coordinated by Michelle and Crispin, from New Zealand, who were great sports organizers. The group was taken on two dives, - one a reef dive, and the other on a wall. Both were great, and the dive boat operators were nice. The only drawback was a unexplained delay of our bus back to the ship, and the fact that we had to lug all our gear back ourselves, rather than ride the dive boat back to the Windstar.

ARUBA , DUTCH ANTILLES, Sunday. 11/27

Lon did an independent tour today of Oranjestad. The town was virtually deserted, as it was Sunday. He did however, received and send e-mails, from a hotel, that had business facilities.
Diane did two tank dives, this time centered on wrecks. Red Sails Sports had a great dive boat, and the scuba crew were super. The wreck of the Antilles was huge. This ship was blown up by her Dutch captain in WW2, to prevent the Germans using it, and it was exciting to enter it. It is well covered with marine life, and provided great photographic shots
The next wreck was the Pedernales, and was an oil tanker torpedoed by the Germans in WW2. Lots of fun with these dives, and good visibility.

Monday and Tuesday, 11/28 and 11/29

We were at sea these days, under sail and motor, heading Westward towards Panama.
Chilling out, - watching slide shows, listening to good music. Our great cabin steward, Agus, is attentive and our every need, or desire, is catered to.

BACK TO NEW ZEALAND VIA BARBADOS

2005-10-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

Our itinerary is complete. Diane and I leave California on the 17th of November for Barbados where we will board the "Windstar" (http://www.windstarcruises.com) for a 14 day cruise, visiting Bonaire, Tobago, Trinidad, Aruba, through the Panama Canal and finishing the cruise at Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica. We have sailed before on the Windstar in Tahiti and like the intimacy of this smaller, yet luxurious ship. It's more akin to having your own private yaht. It's also geared for the more active passenger. We will travel inland from Puerto Caldera to San Jose, Costa Rica where we will catch a flight to Los Angeles, spend the night and then catch the 11 hour non-stop flight to New Zealand. In March, we will make a 12 day visit to Melbourne, Australia to visit friends and explore that part of OZ. We will return to California on the 2nd of April. We usually do not return until May, but this year we are expecting the birth of another grandchild in April and will return for that big event. Thanks to a laptop, wireless and high speed internet connections we will be able to post digital pictures along the way.

U. S. FOREIGN POLICY

2005-10-06T03:46:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one that gets a bit confused over my country's foreign policy?
It's OK that France, England, the Soviet Union and Israel have atomic weapons. but we get in a huff over the possibility that Iran and North Korea may develop them. Is that because we deem France, England, the Soviet Union and Israel to be friendly towards us, and the others unfriendly and perhaps unstable. I think that we shouldn't object to their developing atomic weapons or energy of any kind. We have a huge amount of weaponry stockpiled. If they use atomic weapons against a neighbor or us, then nuke em out of existence, but don't get into a land war, try to change regimes and use military force before hand.
We abhor military dictatorships as long as there is nothing that we need or want from the regime, but we tolerate others where we benefit by the relationship. We tolerate or ignore genocidal killings in Cambodia and Rwanda and have the Kurdish massacres at the hands of Saddam a newsworthy item. Let's see now, were the Serbs our friends, or was it the Croats? Lot's of atrocities going on back then.
And still, I am pro American and support my country and have no problem with them doing what is in the best interest of the country. I just find that BEST INTEREST a bit confusing at times.

WHAT'S NEXT------THE FECAL DIARIES

2005-09-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

First it was CSI, a forensic lab team based in Las Vegas, using all the state of the art forensic lab equipment known to man in an attempt to solve crime. Not to be outdone, along comes CSI Miami, different lab investigators but still the same story line. And then, CSI New York. We can't let a hick town like Las Vegas or Miami show up the Big Apple. Hell, they are just as able and willing to disect tissue, smear and dilute blood and urine to find and put away the bad guys. People are fascinated with stuff like this. Autopsies, weighing and disecting organs. It's no doubt the same folks that watch NASCAR Racing for the accidents. AND TONIGHT????? I watched the new show "BONES". Yep, you guessed it. Now we have a anthropologist investigator picking over bones to solve crime. The crimes are so bad of course that the only thing left is bones.
In another attempt at one-upsmanship, I propose a new show. Let's call it "The Fecal Diaries" Crimes so bad that there are no bones, blood or tissue to be found. Just some feces. We could make a MICROBIOLOGIST the hero of the show. See him now as he picks his way though a pile of feces of unknown origin in attempt to solve an unknown crime.

IT'S AUGUST--IT'S HOT & I LOVE IT

2005-08-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

It's early August here in the land of the retirees. 102 & 103 F (40 C) daily temps have been the norm. I seem to have a tolerance for very hot as well as very cold weather and playing golf in this weather doesn't bother me at all. Lather up with sunblock and sweat like crazy. Humidity on the other hand, just about does me in. It can be 75 F with 85% humidity and I suffer. It's been a good summer for us and we have been swimming a lot as well as playing golf. This area is growing by leaps and bounds and Roseville is now over 100,000 in population, with the county of Placer still leading the state in growth. More huge reitrement developments are being built with the new homes starting at $500,000. Seems like a lot of big bucks for a retiree to put out for housing, but most of the seniors buying them are coming from the San Francisco Bay area where they have sold their old homes for huge amounts when retiring. They will pay cash for the new homes and still have money left over. Incredible!!!!The medical community is having a hard time keeping up with all the aging bodies, as trying to get a doctor if you are new to the area is almost impossible.
We have almost reached the halfway point of our 6 months in the U.S. before returning to New Zealand. Tempus fugit they say. We will be leaving on the 18 th of November for Barbados where we will board the WINDSTAR for a 14 day cruise to Aruba, Bonaire, Venezuela, through the Panama Canal to Costa Rica, and then fly from San Jose, Costa Rica to Los Angeles, spend the night and leave for New Zealand the next day. We have sailed with the Windstar Cruises in Tahiti and like the smaller, more intimate ships. It's more like having your own yaht as opposed to a floating hotel.

STATE OF MY BIRTH----NEW JERSEY

2005-06-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

Diane and I arrived in New Jersey on the 19th of June and will be here for 12 days visiting relatives and attending my older sister's 80th birthday party at a New Jersey Race Track (horses). I was born in this state and left with my mother when I was 11 years old, for California. In the many trips that I have made back to this part of the U.S. I have always been thankfull for my mother taking me to California. With all due respect to my relatives and the natives of this state, I am damn glad I don't live here. Congestion, traffic, gazillion people, $7.00 to park your car at the beach for the day, $5.50 to swim or just sit on the sand. They say people are people, but there is a huge difference between east coast folk and west coast folk. There are big differences in food, attitudes, manners. It's a different culture entirely. Just as different as between the Yankee and the Southerner. New Jersey property taxes are outa sight. That is one of the reasons my nephew moved to Pennslyvania, even though he works in New Jersey. The $18,000 per year difference in property taxes will help pay the college costs for one of his youngsters. We are enjoying our visit, but it will be good to get back to California, with it's congestion, traffic and gazillion people.

AGE RESTRICTED ACTIVE ADULT RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

2005-05-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

Now ain't that a mouthfull? Well, that is what we have returned to. We have only been back four days and have gone through the mail, purchased 200 bucks worth of groceries, got all the power, cable, high speed broadband, telephone, gas, water turned on, played outdoor volleyball, a round of golf, water volleyball, scheduled golf for this Friday and Saturday AM and made plans to see a new movie tonight after going out to dinner. Whew!!! And some folks ask "what do you do now that you are retired?" We are happy to be back and enjoy the different life style of this community

CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME

2005-04-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

Seven more days, and it can't come soon enough. The weather has turned nasty here in Christchurch and it's time for these two snowbirds to fly off to warmer climes. All in all, it's been a fun six months despite the unseasonalby cold summer. Two years in a row of colder summers, isn't exactly what Diane and I had in mind. We may just cut down to 4 months in New Zealand, two months in Thailand and six in California. Who knows? There's lots we want to see and do while still physically able to do so. While we will miss our New Zealand families, we look forward to connecting once again with our U.S. families.

Phuket Island Trip

2005-04-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Post Tsunami Phuket was fantastic and we found that the best way to help the Thais recover from the disaster is bring in $$$$ through tourism. It goes directly into their pockets instead of through multiple agencies. Although Diane and I stayed at the very upscale Sheraton at Laguna Phuket where there was very little damage, we saw the remnants of Patong Beach and Phi Phi Island where waves as high as two stories came thundering in. It seems as though every Thai that we met had a relative or family member that died in the tsunami. It struck me as odd that so many (mostly women) Thais do not swim. With all the debris carried by the huge waves, being able to swim probably made very little difference in surviving. Patong Beach was packed with tourists this past Sunday, April 17th. The beach looked great and is all cleaned up of debris, but off the beach and inland for 600 to 700 yds, all the greenery is dead due to salt. We met no Americans on this trip, mostly Germans, Swedes, Indians, Britts & Aussies. We visited many of the picturesque smaller islands 40 to 100 miles off Phuket, in the Andaman Sea. The water is warm all the year in this area, almost too warm for me as the temperature is very humid and cooler water would be more to my liking. Food is cheap and plentiful in Thailand, in fact, most Thais don't cook dinner most evenings, but eat out at the many sidewalk eateries and kiosks. I am quite fond of fruits, and ate fruit aplenty on this trip, some that I have never seen before. Although we slept at the Sheraton, we ate elsewhere, other than the huge buffet breakfast that came with the suite. Thai dinners averaged the equivilent of 3 to 5 U.S. dollars each. Personally, I like Thailand better than Fiji, just wish it wasn't so far away. Di and I are looking forward to going back.

2005-04-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

Lon with Post Tsunami Phi Phi Island in backround

2005-04-20T16:41:00.000-07:00

DIANE ON "JAMES BOND ISLAND"

OFF TO PHUKET ISLAND ON APRIL 6TH

2005-04-02T14:32:00.000-08:00

Diane and I are looking forward to our Phuket Island, Thailand trip on the 6th of April. Little or no damage was sustained from the December tsunami that wreaked so much damage in Southeast Asia. Tourisim however, has been suffering, and as a result, their are great bargains available at the first class resorts. We will be staying at the Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket. New Zealand is starting to chill up a bit and we are looking forward to doing some scuba in warm waters and bask in the sunshine. We leave from Christchurch for Singapore on Singapore Airlines (10.5 hr. flight) where we will spend a couple of days and then fly on to Phuket Island. I received an email from the Sheraton this morning letting me know that the rooms are equipped with high speed internet connection, so I will take my laptop. We will be coming back to Christchurch after our Thailand trip, be here for about a week and then back to California on the 1st of May. Really looking forward to getting back to California and seeing the rest of the family and friends.

2005-03-07T22:20:00.000-08:00

AN EASY PAR THREE

2005-03-07T22:15:00.000-08:00

OUTTA SIGHT SHE SAYS

2005-01-07T19:20:00.000-08:00

Diane enjoying the fine meal prepared by "Chef Extraordinaire Alonzo"

2005-01-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

A fine meal of Blue Cod with multicolored capsicum strips & coconut cream sauce on a bed or long grain white rice, tomato and cucumber salad, washed down with a fine Savignon Blanc.

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEARS

2005-01-07T18:43:00.000-08:00

It seems as if it rained everywhere, and it certainly did at Kaiteriteri, in fact, December was the coldest and wettest weather since 1905 in New Zealand. Despite the rain, I managed three days of golf for the two weeks that we were there and enjoyed spending Xmas Dinner and New Years Eve with the family. Diane & I purchased a used Caravan that we put on a section of the Kaiteriteri property. We plan to leave it on the propety until her brother builds a two unit townhouse on it. That would make a total of three homes on the property. We will go back to Kaiteriteri in late February or early March and see if we can't have some better weather. We are now back in Christchurch and enjoying the rain here. Time to start building an ark?

OFF TO KAITERITERI BEACH FOR XMAS

2004-12-13T11:54:00.000-08:00

Diane and I leave this morning for Kaiteriteri Beach which is at the north end of the South Island, near Nelson. It is a good 5 to 6 hour drive through some beautiful countryside and mountains. Dianes's dad, brother, sister, their children and grandchildren will all congregate at batches and tents for the Holiday Season, as the New Zealand kids are out of school for six weeks at this time of year. It would be nice if the weather were to get a wee bit warmer as it has been unseasonably cold for this time of year. I was thinking that maybe New Zealand's two main islands are drifting towards Antartica. Ha!!

2004-12-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

Our Townhouse Courtyard

2004-11-29T18:08:00.000-08:00

Avon River--Downtown Christchurch

2004-11-22T13:02:00.000-08:00

DIANE

2004-11-22T13:01:00.000-08:00

TOO MANY PEOPLE?

2004-11-22T12:57:00.000-08:00

WAIKUKU BEACH

2004-11-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

Windsor G.C., Christchurch N.Z.

BACK IN NEW ZEALAND

2004-11-06T07:08:00.000-08:00

I'ts good to be back. After a couple days of resting up from the long flight, Diane and I are ready to roll. Last night we watched a fantastic fireworks display offf the New Brighton Pier in celebration of "Guy Fawkes Day". Guy Fawkes (1520-1605) was an Englishman during the Reformation of Henry Vlll . Do a Google search on him if you like English history. I will be doing a BIG grocery shop this AM to replenish the larder and then off to play some golf. Hopefully our Sky TV (Cable) will get hooked up while I play golf . The weather has been typiclly New Zealandish, with beautiful warm morning followed by windy cool early afternoon and then a calm balmy late afternoon and finally a bit windy evening.

HALOWEEN & DRACULA

2004-10-31T20:09:00.000-08:00

Today is October 31 st and it's Haloween. Diane and I went to see the Sacramento Ballet's World Premiere of "Dracula". It was OUTSTANDING and was preceded by ballet performances of "Bolero" and "Rubies". Dracula was able, despite his red and black full length cape, to leap and bound and look as threatening as could be. Ah, to have the agility and flexibility of these young performers.

ALMOST OUTTA HERE

2004-10-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

As Diane would say "three more sleeps" and we are off. The preparation for leaving for six months is just about completed and is easier each year that we head for NZ. I surprised Diane yesterday with a 1 oz. Digital Music Player that will hold 17 hours of music. I downloaded from the computer several of her favorite albums and she is in heaven. It should make the 13 1/2 hr. flight more enjoyable for her. It's truly amazing how todays technology can make this possible with such miniturized hardware. No CD's, no records, no tapes. Just a device, half the size of a cigarette pack.
It's a good thing that we keep clothes and extra golf equipment in NZ, because our suitcases are filled with Xmas gifts. We buy the goodies that cost and arm and leg in NZ or that are just not available.

CHOICES

2004-10-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

It drives me nuts when I hear some people pass off so much blame to others and circumstances for certain problems they are having, when the real problem is more than likely choices they have made. We choose our spouses & friends. We choose how much we will pay for a car and what kind. Smoking, drinking, taking drugs are all choices that we make. Don't give me that crap about the enviormental reasons for making certain choices. Most personal bankruptcies are due to a whole series of bad choices (and selfish ones at that). Crime? Sure, the bleeding hearts will bring in the enviormental aspects, but it's still a choice that the criminal makes.
I have made some really bad choices and some good ones and am willing to accept full responsibility for both.

Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away

2004-10-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

It started raining while we were in Fresno and continued a bit on Sunday, of and on. Sunday night back in Roseville it started to rain off and on. Now I know this is not a big deal for you folks back east or abroad, but our area only gets 9 to 12 inches of rain a year and this was the first rain that I have seen since we were in New Zealand, last April. The trees, plants and schrubs appreciate having all the accumulated dust washed away. Monday AM played outdoor volleyball and this afternoon, a wee bit of bocce ball. Diane is off to Yoga. It's good to be back in Roseville.
Oh----I am making my world famous meatloaf for dinner.

Fresno for Three Days

2004-10-15T16:34:00.000-07:00

This is our last trip to Fresno to visit family and friends before we head off to New Zealand again.
Fortunately, this trip, we will be able to fly non-stop direct to Christchurch from LA. What the heck----it's only 13 1/2 hrs. With all due respect to the folks living in Fresno, we miss ya'll, but not Fresno. Roseville has been a good move for Diane and I and we are having a ball. Spending six months here and there however, makes the year go by too fast. Or, could it just be age that is making the time fly so?

Lon & Karen in Fiji--Are we havin fun -- or what?

2004-10-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

Are we havin fun --- or what?

2004-10-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

Fiji------40ft

2004-10-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

Fijian Sunset-------August 2004

2004-10-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

Lon

2004-10-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

Taken in Fiji --- August 2004

2004-10-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

Taken in Fiji ----August 2004

2004-10-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

Diane --- Fiji ---- August 2004

2004-10-10T17:27:00.000-07:00

Lon --- Fiji---August 2004