Month: September 2018

I got up this morning at 6:15 a.m.

Charlie was still asleep. The dogs and I went for a walk to the “Pee/Poop Zone”, which is around the corner from our RV site #70.

Mission accomplished.

I came back to the rig and made breakfast for the dogs and my girlfriend, who just got up.

We watched some morning TV and I checked all of my Internet news sites. Multitasking like a professional, I also found the time to put five different eye drop medicines into JayJay’s eyes, one every five minutes.

Then, I washed the dishes, emptied the trash, made the bed, cleaned up the house, and put down fresh water for the dogs.

After that, I dressed, shaved, brushed my teeth, took my pills, and combed my hair. My God, I’m handsome!

Then it was time to take out the dogs for their morning walk. I do it individually, about ten minutes apiece, so that each dog can “do their thing”. JayJay likes to sniff and mark territory, Baby likes to play fetch at the park or at the beach…

… and Booger likes to stalk the squirrels in the rock rip-rap along the lagoon.

Usually, JayJay takes a crap at this time, because he likes to do it privately, away from the prying eyes of Booger and Baby. He’s weird, what can you say?

Today was washing day. I took a bunch of dog blankets down to the office to wash/dry in the park’s  commercial machines. Meanwhile,  I put a bunch of our dark clothes and undies into the RV washing machine.

All the washing and drying and hanging up of clothes blew about 1-1/2 hours.

I cleaned Baby’s ears and put some medicine in them.

Then, I put a roast into the crock pot with some slow cook marinade. I also took some chicken breasts out of the freezer to defrost.

After the wash/dry ordeal, I got in the Jeep and headed twenty minutes up Hwy 78 to San Marcos to some furniture stores that Charlie and I had reconnoitered earlier in the week . I paid for a fancy mirror at Lazy Boy (and got a $300 discount!!)…

… then paid for a fancy under-couch/laptop accessory table at Arizona Leather.

On the way back to Oceanside, I went to the grocery store for some essentials and a couple of lottery tickets (which were losers!).

When I returned to the park, Charlie and the dogs were ready for some relaxation time. So, the humans made alcoholic drinks, and the dogs joined us outside in our patio area. They played ball chase and grab ass, and jumped into their wading pool when they got hot. They love patio time!

While we were out there, I barbequed some chicken breasts for later use.

At 3:30 p.m., I made dinner for the dogs and brought it to them out on the patio. They gobbled it up in about 30 seconds.

At 4:30 p.m., Charlie and I and the pups retired to the rig, and I made dinner for the humans.

We then watched TV while eating. After the meal was done, I repeated the JayJay eye drop routine.

Again, multitasking expertly while watching TV, I washed the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. It’s easy if you know how.

More TV, then, at about 8 p.m., I took the roast out of the slow cooker, and shredded it (and the barbequed chicken) into pieces. I then made 8 small chicken & cheese burrito and 12 beef & cheese burrito appetizers, put them in Zip Lock bags, and stored them in the refrigerator. We have guests tomorrow…

At 9 p.m., I took the dogs out to the Pee/Poop Zone for “last call”. They fully emptied bladders and colons, guaranteeing all of us a good night’s sleep.

Charlie and I watched more TV until 10 p.m.

Then, all five of us hit the sack.

IF ALL OF THIS SOUNDS INTERESTING, THEN YOU WILL LIKE RETIREMENT.

 

You meet the the most interesting people “on the road”.

Yesterday, we spent some time talking and drinking Margaritas with one of our neighbors here at Paradise by the Sea. Her name is “Pamela”, and she’s a regular here in the Fall, like us.

Pamela shares her RV with her long-time girlfriend and her Chihuahua dog, Slinky.

Pamela’s partner is a screenwriter and is not here now, as she is working on a Netflix series in Pennsylvania.  Slinky, on the other hand, is “in the house”. Here is the little rascal with her BFF:

You might notice that the tiny dog has vestigial stubs instead of front legs. The poor thing was born that way. Pamela has raised Slinky since she was 8 weeks old; the dog is now 10 years old. Pamela has a Kangaroo-type sling that Slinky curls up in, and they go everywhere together.

Pamela is a Hollywood make-up artist. She works when she has to, or when some of her “regulars” are doing movies. Two of her actor clients might look familiar to you:

She’s worked with Sandra Bullock for twenty-two years on most of her movies during that time. Pamela said that she is the godmother to Bullock’s adopted son Luis.

I asked her how she got into “the business” and she said that her family, going back many generations, worked in the Hollywood movie industry. Her great grandparents were wig makers in England, and came to California in the early years of Hollywood. They were contemporaries of Max Factor, who invented movie make-up, which later transitioned to the cosmetics that women purchase today.

(It’s a small world: One of Charlie’s bookkeeping clients is Scott Hoag. He grew up in Beverly Hills, the son of the Chief Operating Officer of Max Factor. Scott used to get driven to school by a chauffeur piloting a limousine! He says he hated it.)

Anyway, like our friend Scott, Pamela grew up around the business and, in her case, gravitated to it. She lives in Taos, New Mexico, has a vacation home in Lake Tahoe (I believe), and spends a bunch of time traveling in her Monaco motor home…because her parents, in their 80’s, like to join her in their own RV. So, it’s good quality time for the bunch of them, including little Slinky.

We are staying in Oceanside, California at Paradise by the Sea RV Resort.

I believe this is our 6th year consecutive year here. Our first year or so involved our 26′ travel trailer; now, the five of us are living in style with the 40′ Class A motor home.

Although Paradise is expensive, we like it here because it’s a block from the ocean, there’s a neighborhood park next door that the dogs love, and the place has that coastal laid-back vibe.

We’re staying here for two months, as usual, taking advantage of “Winter Rates” which begin the day after Labor Day.

Weather this week: Sunny, high 70’s, low temp about 65. Ocean water temp about 70. Surf: 3-5 foot swell. Life is good.

There’s a small food stand across the street from the beach at Buccaneer Park. Local surfer guys have egg burritos and coffee and then critique the guys out in the surf…lots of oohs, ahs, and stuff. Surf was good this morning; lots of great short rides…and wipeouts.

Oceanside is a working-class town, home to the Camp Pendleton U.S.M.C. base, where West Coast recruits get trained. There are lots of barber shops here to fashion those “high and tight” Marine haircuts…

There are also rowdy bars, used car lots, and dry cleaning establishments who specialize in starched creases and sewing doo-dads onto those sharp-looking Marine dress uniforms…

Oceanside also has wonderful beaches and a big pier jutting into the ocean.

And, a cool, weekly Thursday night street fair. We’re going tonight!

The hustle-and-bustle of the Los Angeles-Orange County megalopolis is an hour’s drive north. Nice and close if you’re an out-of-stater and haven’t yet been to Disneyland (the original one!!)…

… or Hollywood…

This was Donald Trump’s “star” on Hollywood Boulevard’s “Walk of Fame”…

…before vandals destroyed it…

Back to the good stuff:

One of the things we like about Paradise by the Sea is Primo’s neighborhood market. It’s a small Mom and Pop operation which includes a “take out” Mexican food component that puts out very good food, including BBQ several days a week and Taco Tuesday (tacos = 69 cents). The food is great; everyone goes there.

The city is located about 35 miles north of San Diego, “America’s Finest City” (according to locals). It truly is a great city, with wonderful year-round weather, a plethora of things to see and do, a booming economy, etc.

Lots of conventions are held in San Diego, like political party confabs and ComicCon.

It’s also the home port on the West Coast for the U.S. Navy. There are often a couple of the Nation’s largest aircraft carriers parked in the bay, and there are several shipyards which are constantly repairing our combat fleet.

One of the finest zoos in America is located there, as well as the Sea World animal theme park.

The Gaslamp Quarter is a fun place to eat, drink and party.

Never a dull moment in San Diego…and only a half-hour drive from “Paradise” south on I-5.

The coastal area between Oceanside and San Diego is something special, even for California. It is a mecca for West Coast surfers and surfer-watchers.

About twenty miles south of Oceanside on Pacific Coast Highway is Del Mar, home to the famous thoroughbred race track.

It is also the location of a nice leash-free dog beach, one of only a few in Southern California.

I’ve seen some Boston Terriers there…that look a lot like JayJay and Booger…

…including the smallest, full-grown Boston (in the world?!)…about 8 pounds!…

They had the annual Surf Dog Surf-a-Thon there last week. It was too early for us; we missed it. Next year, maybe.

My son Tim and I took Booger and Baby down to Dog Beach the other day to frolic on the strand with a bunch of larger ball chasers. As usual, the dogs loved it, particularly when they splashed in the surf. Water temperature was about 70 degrees, which is excellent for this time of year, considering that the air temp was around 75 degrees.

We didn’t take JayJay. The guy isn’t that interested in beach play; he’s more focused on sniffing and peeing. It’s too hard to keep track of the two dogs playing near the surf while JayJay is wandering hundreds of yards away in the other direction, looking for a place to deposit urine. He will sometimes pee on folks sunbathing on their towels. The guy has no shame. So, we left him home with Charlie.

Just adjacent to “Dog Beach” is the Del Mar Fairgrounds, home of the famous racetrack. It is a huge facility, the second-largest fairgrounds on the West Coast, and is home to the annual KAABOO music festival, which kicks off tomorrow.

It is a huge, three-day event, featuring the Foo Fighters, Katy Perry, Robert Plant, Imagine Dragons, and fifty other groups. Attendance last year was around 150,000 millenials and wannabes. Uber drivers were getting $150 when the show closed to drive KAABOOers a couple of miles to their cars.

Charlie and I are going to pass on the KAABOO, and save our money for our new house.

Speaking of that, construction is moving ahead nicely. We should be taking possession in another six weeks.

 

The only problem on the horizon is the fact that our Murrieta home has yet to be sold. We dropped the price a couple of times, but still no takers. I think the H.O.A. fees ($600 per month!) are chasing away buyers who like the property.

Like the realtor says, we only need to find one buyer: he’s out there, somewhere.

Pray for us.

 

 

 

 

Some “gutless coward” spilled the beans on President Trump this week, submitting an anonymous letter to the Editor of the New York Times, who, of course, published it. At the White House, the hunt is on to find the whistleblower.

The letter, ostensibly by some high-ranking Administration official, tells us what we already knew, that Donald Trump is immature, unstable, has a 6th grader’s understanding of the Constitution, cares more about himself than his country, and has to be restrained by steady hands within the Administration (like the author, himself, ostensibly).

This “expose” comes on the heels of a major book release by Bob Woodward (i.e. one of the guys who dropped the dime on Nixon’s “Watergate” fiasco) called Fear: The Trump White House. Woodward’s credentials as a legitimate news reporter are above reproach: no fake news from him. His book, according to reviewers, basically portrays the situation in the White House in the same manner as did the New York Times’ whistleblower: things are out of control.

Of course, two previous exposes by Administration insiders, one by Omarosa Manigault-Newman and James Comey, have said the same thing: the President is unhinged from reality.

As I’ve said, anyone with a brain already knew this. All one has to do is follow the President’s incessant tweets to realize that the guy isn’t playing with a full deck, he’s a narcissist, he’s a racist, and his bad temper basically controls him. He is too full of his own ego to manage the country, which the “steady hands/adults in the room” understand. Or, so they say.

I think the anonymous letter writer is a dyed-in-the-wool Republican appointee who realizes the damage that Trump is doing to our cherished democracy and our standing among nations, but is gutless to do the right thing (i.e. publicly call Trump out for the asshole he is… like G.O.P leaders should have done innumerable times).

Mr. Anonymous is trying to reassure voters…just ahead of the critical mid-term elections…that there are Republican “adults in the room” within the Administration who are making sure that everything will be OK.

I’m calling B.S.

Yes, G.O.P leaders in the Senate and the House are fully aware that the President is totally-miscast in his position, and is a horrible “leader” of the Nation, but they’re not about to do a GODDAMNED thing that will upset Trump’s political base of evangelical/racist/Tea Party hypocrites…before the Supreme Court can get fully packed with Republican toadies.

This very week, another G.O.P. rubber stamp, Brett Kavanaugh, will be confirmed to the supposedly non-partisan group of jurists.

This, of course, has been the main agenda of the Republican Party ever since it realized, many years ago, that the demographics of the country were changing from the traditional G.O.P. demographic.

In addition to racial changes, the Nation is getting less old, less religious and, accordingly, more tolerant of others. This is exactly the “nightmare scenario” that scared millions of voters into voting for Donald Trump. I’ve got a brother and sister who think this way.

The desperate G.O.P. is playing the long game. Senators and Congressmen have limited terms, and will eventually be replaced by individuals representing the changing electorate. Supreme Court Justices, on the other hand, have lifetime appointments. If the Court can be packed with ultra-conservatives, the law will be interpreted conservatively… even when the country has evolved to a more liberal nature.

Question: If/when this happens, do we still have a “democracy”?

This goes hand-in-hand with the deliberate diminution of the role of our legislative bodies (i.e our Congress and Senate), which, in recent years have ceded most of their powers to the Executive Branch and the Courts. Instead of enacting or modifying laws…which is what they get elected and paid to do… they’ve become absorbed with conducting “investigative hearings” aimed at the opposition party.

And, instead of controlling the purse strings of the Nation, and declaring or not declaring wars, they’ve ceded that responsibility to the White House.

In a nutshell, there is no need for the legislative branch…when you have the Supreme Court making law and the White House playing footsie with the Federal budget and committing America to undeclared wars all over the globe.

This is what we’ve come to…a very limited separation of powers: not a good thing for our country.

Particularly, when an unhinged idiot is running the show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have an uninvited guest in the rig. He surreptitiously boarded in Chula Vista, and has made a pest out of himself for the past several days.

His name is Lestat, and he’s a dead man as soon as I can catch the blood-sucking sonofabitch.

I’m surprised that we haven’t nailed him yet, as he’s drawn enough blood from Charlie and I to supply a Red Cross donation center. The sucker must be as large as a blowfly…the Dom DeLuise of mosquitoes.

The fact that he’s tapping my veins is a testament to this criminal. Normally, Charlie can attract mosquitoes from miles away, and any bites turn into large welts.

I, on the other hand, can be in the same room, practically naked, and the tiny vampires will avoid me like the plague.

Lestat, on the other hand, is an equal-opportunity blood-sucker: he must hold his nose when he sticks it to me…the little bastard. And, take it from me, you know when this little guy scores, because ground zero immediately itches like Hell. Damn him!

Charlie and I are cooperating in a hard target search. We’re going to find this criminal and terminate him with extreme prejudice…before he drains us.

The hunt is on for the mo-fo.

UPDATE: Mission Accomplished.

We’re finishing up our stay here at the Chula Vista RV Resort. Today’s Labor Day; we’ll hit the road on Wednesday.

It’s been very nice here in Chula Vista: mid’70’s to low 80’s, sunny, nice light breeze, beautifully manicured resort, a nice linear park outside the back gate which allows strolls along San Diego Bay and the marina, and a decent bar/restaurant on the property. They even have a nice dog washing facility.

The sites are decent-sized. I was able to utilize all of my artificial grass (9′ x 27′) to make a nice patio area. It’s great on the feet, and the dogs love it.

This park is expensive, but it’s a one-of-a-kind. We’re going to come back here next September for thirty-seven days; can hardly wait.

(Note: We’ve heard that this park is going to be demolished in two years, to make way for condos and commercial adjacent to the huge marina. Damn…”progress” sucks!)

While here, we took day trips to Coronado Island, La Jolla, and Old Town San Diego, which are only about ten minutes’ drive.

Next year, I’d like to take in a Padres’ baseball game at Petco Park. It is one of the coolest MLB stadiums in America, located in the Gaslamp district (downtown San Diego), about fifteen minutes drive from our RV site.

We had our Bear Creek neighbors, the Pace’s, visit for a couple of days.

Clark and I replaced the headlights in the rig…

…and, then, took his Golden Retriever “Duke” and Booger and Baby to the nice leash-free dog beach on Coronado Island. The dogs had a ball, chasing balls into the ocean. It was a first for Baby, who just followed the other dogs into the waves like it was routine.

(She’s funny…won’t voluntarily get into our wading pool, which is one inch deep, but will sprint headlong into the ocean waves, where the water is up to her shoulders. I threw a stick into San Diego Bay yesterday morning, and she went in, up to her neck, and retrieved it. Go figure.)

Baby and Duke became smitten with each other. If Duke, a 6 year-old who still has his intact “junk”, could have cornered Baby, we might be expecting some truly ugly Boston Terrier mixed breed pups down the road. But, our little Princess kept just out of reach, teasing the poor boy. The love birds spent a couple of days snuggling like love-struck teenagers.

This past weekend, we hosted our son Jeff and wife Carol for some well-needed rest and relaxation.

Jeff is going through some stressful times at his work, and really needed Mom and Dad, some sunshine, adult beverages, and the opportunity to blow off some steam.

I think the couple of days with us helped a bit. Jeff’s going back to work tomorrow, hopeful that his bosses will rejigger his assignments, which appear to be his job plus parts of other people’s jobs. Jeff needs one 8-hour job, not a 14-hour one that doesn’t even end when he makes the 90 minute drive home. He got 71 e-mails from fellow workers on the first day of his 2-day “vacation” with us!

The poor guy is about to have a stroke. Jeff’s employer of 23-years will either have to adapt to my son’s stress-reduction demands, or he will quit…it’s gotten that bad.

This morning, before Jeff and Carol left, we took them out to breakfast at The Galley, which is just out the park gate adjacent to the marina. While we were waiting for our breakfast, we noticed a baby opossum, about the size of a large rat, under our table at the outdoor veranda. What a cute little critter he was!

One of the wait staff broomed him up and deposited him in the nearby hedges…before the little feller had a chance to vacuum up a few french fries. Bummer.

Our next stop is Paradise By The Sea RV Resort in Oceanside, about thirty-five miles up the road, where we will enjoy the sun and surf for two months.

Hopefully, during that time, our Murrieta home will sell before we close on the Mesquite, Nevada house that we are having built. The Pulte builders in Nevada are moving right along on our home construction…

…with completion due in about six weeks!