Nothing New

Fine, Caleb. Here's a post. I didn't wanta do it. This is gonna be as bad as Jay's HOT posting.

The countertops are on order. I'll let you see them when we get through installing them.

Well, Lyndsay put up the next photo I wanted of Bella - namely, her sleeping with Eeyore. It is my fault, though, because I did not have my camera that night, so she took a picture for me. So, I've got nothin' new. Here's a photo from San Antonio last summer while we were there for Alison and James' wedding. I saw this looking backwards on a trip on the Riverwalk. So, enjoy.

Nana and Bella

Well, Isabella has graduated to solid food. So, when we over there this past Friday, Nana fed some banana-rice cereal to her. Mm-mm, it must have been tasty. Isabella ate most of her bowl. Well, she didn't really eat the bowl, but you know what I mean.









After eating, certain individuals were a bit messy. So, bath time. Bella still fits in the kitchen sink, and that makes it even easier since we don't have to bend down over the tub.

Bella Wrestling an Angel

Well, OK, so Isabella is not really wrestling with an angel, but an Eeyore doll. And probably, the doll will not give her a new name even if she wrestles it all night. I have not seen it yet, but Kathie tells me it is great. I hope to see her do it tonight when we go over for dinner. Kyle, you HAVE video taped her doing it, right? After all, that's why you got the camera, and you only have a short time during which she might be doing it.

We Were Trippin'

Another jaunt completed. We went back to the San Jose/Salinas/Monterey area. Their high temperature was still lower than the lowest temp in PHX. We rented a Chevrolet HHR and enjoyed it. It was a fun little car.

We did not get on the first flight Friday night. Luckily, we made the last one (First Class...Yee Haw) and got to San Jose at 11:15. By the time we got to Salinas, went to the store to replace all the things you cannot bring on a plane, and got back to the room, it was 2am. Monterey Aquarium was the order of the day. It was really cool. We loved the sea otters. Dinner was there in Cannery Row. Then, a drive down the coast a bit towards a lighthouse and near 17-mile Drive.

Oh wait. I almost forgot seeing Forrest Gump at Bubba Gump's. He talked a bit to my beloved and congratulated us on our anniversary. He looked A LOT like Tom Hanks. He said things like "When you married him, I bet he was a young man, and now, he's an old codger, huh?" "I'm sure you have stayed married because Randy learned to keep his mouth shut and his wallet open." "You spell Kathie with a K or a C? My Momma told me that Kathies with a K are smarter."

Today, we ended up sleeping in until almost 9am. No wonder, since I got up at 4am to check us in. And in order not to miss our flight, we didn't do any sightseeing.

The big stinkeroo about the weekend was my camera, or rather my lack of camera. I forgot it. So, I bought a little disposable, but I couldn't adjust distance or time exposure on it. I think we need to go back at least one more time.


Plus, we need to eat at Isabella's in Fisherman's Wharf.

And then, maybe, Fresno and Yosemite.

Anniversary Trip

Well, we are scheduled to travel to San Jose tomorrow for our 30th anniversary weekend. The arrests overnight make it a little more inconvenient. No makeup, shampoo, deodorant. Plus security will take longer. We will be heading over to the Monterey Aquarium on Sat and maybe driving down into Big Sur on Sun. It could make for some new pictures, though. That's always nice.

Patience Is A Virtue

Can you believe Kathie has put up with me for 30 years as of today? Would you have been that patient? I know that I wouldn't. Thanks, hon. God truly blessed me all those years ago when He brought you to me.

Seeing Isabella Like Her Grandparents Do

Well, it's time that we let you see our granddaughter the way we do. Everything around seems to fade away when Bella is around. Here. Take a look.

Filter Out of Kilter...or The Not Cool Pool

My pool filter blew up last week. Dad helped fix it. Then, the pool company fixed what Dad fixed. What??

OK, full story. The filter was over 15 years old, and the pool company had warned me it needed to be replaced. Still, I didn't expect it to physically split all the way across the top. K and I went to breakfast and when we returned, the pool was 3/4 empty. So, we had to race against time since Dad was heading to the mountains soon and the pool can get yucky really quickly in this heat. . So, we chose a filter with guidance from the internet and Dad had to rebuild the PVC stuff to fit the new size. He got it set up and we got it running. Yeah, although a bit of algae had built up.

Well, it wasn't clearing and we couldn't figure out why. I added extra chlorine and an algaecide. Well, last Friday night, I noticed the pool level looked low. THE NEW FILTER HAD A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM. Dad was leaving the next morning. Not good. So, I dug all the sand out and planned to return it the next day after Dad left. The store was very nice and replaced it with no questions. I ran it for the next 3 days and still, no clearing.

Amazingly, I had already scheduled a visit from the pool company because the popups were not rotating for some months. When they came out, they said (a) the filter is a little undersized because we did not know that popup pools require a larger size due to the additional pressure to drive them, and (b) the backwash filter was upside down. No way! Dad wouldn't make that mistake. OK, he did. Why? Well,the instructions WERE unclear. Also, it was plumbed correctly for a DE filter like he has, but reverse what a sand filter needed. So, they fixed it and it is clear now.

However, the stupid popups still are not working. I'll worry about that another day. Fiddle-dee-dee.