Month: October 2021

We are back in Mesquite, enjoying the wonderful Fall weather and our friends.

Unfortunately, our good neighbors, the Applebys (Jim and Barb) are moving back to Colorado to spend more time with their kids and grandkids. They were only here for a couple of years and, with 2020 pretty much shot due to Covid-19, we hardly got to spend any time with them.

Barb is “downsizing” as they pack their possessions and gave Charlie some yard art that I put alongside our house.

We hosted a cocktail party on Friday for 14 friends. Hamburgers, hot dogs, snacks, and cookies were consumed in mass quantities. Neighborhood parties like this were very common prior to the pandemic, usually once a month, but not so much lately. So, we jump-started the old routine, and everyone had a nice time.

On Saturday afternoon, some neighbors on Spirit Point (a cul de sac adjacent to our property) put on a mini-concert with three guitarists and a drummer. Probably 40 people showed up, enjoyed adult beverages and snacks, and basked in the 80-degree afternoon sunshine.

My ex-hiking/golf/card-playing buddy Lloyd Chartrand has established some roots in the Yucatan Penninsula with his gal pal Juanita (from South Africa). He recently bought a house near Progreso and also a car. He and Juanita seem to be doing okay down there; we are thinking of visiting him in February or March.

Before Lloyd packed up and left for Mexico, he gave me some stuff from his patio, including a timber saw, an animal trap, and a cow’s skull, all of which were salvaged on desert hikes. I put the saw above the TV in my outdoor “Man Cave”.

Our son Jonathan and his wife Misty will be arriving here tomorrow from Kentucky. Misty will stay a few days while Jonathan will remain here for another week or so to catch up on business with Charlie and maybe do some golfing with me.

My sister Kellie modified my Crazy Horse Monument photo (from South Dakota) to take out the ugly chain link fence that I was standing next to. Looks great, huh?

Our plans for the next couple of months include a visit by our “adopted” 5^th son Jason and his girlfriend around Thanksgiving, and a short RV trip with neighbors Al and Cindy Howa to Boulder Dam in early December. Hopefully, there will be some water in Lake Mead!

At Christmastime, we will visit our friends, Dan and Peggy Quinn, at Yuma resort. Dan Quinn is recuperating from knee replacement surgery and seems to be doing okay.

My knees and artificial hips are doing well, except that I am lugging around the 12-15 pounds that I had lost before we went on our 3-month RV trip. Dammit…but the food was good!

I’m going to have to increase my physical activity by walking, hiking, and riding my bike…or I will look like that guy!

Today I read an article in Business Insider that demonstrates, in a nutshell, what is wrong with this country.

A school in Florida is requiring students who get vaccinated against Covid-19 to quarantine at home for 30 days after each dose.

Question: Why would any school enact a deterrent against school attendance, particularly if it is unnecessary?

Officials at the school previously encouraged its teachers not to get vaccinated against Covid-19, saying that those who did should “maintain physical distance from students”. The school administration appears to endorse a debunked theory that vaccinated individuals pose a viral danger to others.

“Hogwash!” reply epidemiologists. Vaccinated individuals pose no danger to non-vaccinated folks because none of the authorized Covid-19 vaccines contain the virus that causes Covid-19.

This stupid school policy is what happens when politics overrides facts and common sense: people who are vaccinated are actually more resistant to the harmful effects of Covid-19 and less likely to transmit same to others.

Why do we make it so easy for stupid people to hold positions of authority?

Answer: Because there are a lot of stupid people in this country who don’t recognize similarly stupid people…or power-hungry demagogues who take advantage of stupid people.

Accordingly, a devastating pandemic continues to plague America even though safe and proven vaccines are available to minimize the threat.

Evidently, it is a badge of honor for many “patriots” to pretend that 700,000 Americans have not died from Covid-19, that scientists cannot be trusted, and that vaccines are the Devil’s work.

This is what we’ve come to.

I was surfing the Web the other day and was interrupted by a pop-up about epic tattoo fails.

One wonders what these folks were thinking when they decided that they couldn’t live without this distinctive ink…that will be with them for the rest of their lives!!

I shouldn’t talk, I guess, as I have tats of my four Boston Terriers on my left upper arm.

Seemed like a good idea at the time.

We resumed our 2021 Road Trip after a 8-day stay at our home in Mesquite, Nevada to prepare our house for some cabinet work by son Jonathan.

On the way to So Cal, we stopped for the night at the Calico/Barstow KOA in Yermo, California. It was hot and miserable there, but it cut the long drive to the West Coast in half. And I got a chance to eat at Peggy Sue’s Diner, one of my favorites. Unfortunately, my “go-to” meal, Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs was…UNAVAILABLE. That is totally unacceptable; I think I’ll sue.

A four-hour jaunt down I-15 the following day brought us to Paradise by the Sea in Oceanside, California. It’s familiar territory: we’ve stayed here many times in the past, going back to our trailering days. Like we normally do (except in 2020, for Covid-19), we stay at Paradise for one month. This gives us the opportunity to savor the ocean breezes, get some tan on our lily-white bods, visit some local eating establishments, see friends and relatives, and allow the dogs to play at Buccaneer Park.

Paradise by the Sea is the only RV resort north of San Diego and south of Los Angeles that is, basically, right near the shore. From our “usual” Space 69, we simply go out of a gate, mosey under the RR trestle, walk through the park, cross the street, and arrive the beach. And it is a real beach, with surfable waves (today 3 to 4’), not the tidal bays and calm shorebreak that is common in Washington and Oregon.

There was so much strong surf in south Oceanside (“South O'”) this past Winter that all the sand on the beach was washed away, exposing the dark, smooth beach stones that are typically found in Baja California. No so good for beachgoers, but…heck…this is what sunworshippers in Europe see all the time.

Paradise by the Sea is a family-owned RV resort that is well-managed by “Cole” Sampson, the son of the founding family. There are only about 100 spaces, and the park is immaculate: paved streets, concrete pads, trees, swimming pool, a clubhouse, an outdoor gathering picnic place, nice dog runs, and even a surfing academy for the kids. It is located just off Coast Highway in Oceanside, a couple of miles from the pier and about a mile south of the Amtrak station. San Diego is about 45 minutes to the south on I-5 and Los Angeles is about 90 miles north.

It is very expensive to camp at Paradise by the Sea: $2,400 per month plus electricity…and that is the rate in the “slow” season! One night stays during the Summer can run $120 to $150 per night.

There’s lots to do around in Oceanside including beach fun, bicycling along Pacific Coast Highway down to Torrey Pines, a Thursday night street fair, interesting shops, a variety of good restaurants, bars, and microbreweries. As Oceanside is the gateway to Camp Pendleton (USMC), there are also plenty of bars, tattoo joints, and young guys wandering the streets with “high and tight” buzzcuts.

Importantly, Oceanside is only a 50-minute drive up I-15 to our old stomping grounds, Murrieta and Temecula, where we have friends, Charlie’s business clients, children and grandchildren.

September 10^th was a nasty day for us in Oceanside.  We discovered a high-pressure water leak in the kitchen of the RV and, to put whip cream on the turd, we also discovered that BonBon was suffering from an impacted and abscessed anal gland.

When it rains, it pours.

Local veterinary offices were booked solid, so we had to drive about 15 miles south to Encinitis to an “emergency veterinary hospital”. Our emergency was not deemed as critical as others, so Charlie, Baby, BonBon and I had to wait about 2-1/2 hours before giving up the idea of actually seeing a vet. We returned to Oceanside to wait by the phone. Finally, about six hours later, we were summoned back to the emergency hospital where, after another hour or so, poor BonBon was finally tended to. Evidently, one of BonBon’s anal glands had burst (that was the redness and ooze that we’d encountered) and the other gland was chock full of anal gland marbles. The poor girl: she must have been in terrible pain!

The other problem, the water line leak, was…also…a pain in the ass. The water line under the sink was a custom piece, designed sixteen years ago and placed in a spot which is hard to get at. I had to run all over the region, to RV repair shops, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Ace Hardware until I found the ingredients for the repair. Amazingly, after some experimentation, I rejiggered the line with a new crimped PEX connection and…Voila!…the leak was stanched.

As I mentioned before, this RV park is well-located, it has all the amenities, and the weather is great. The only problem is that there are a lot of little kids here, particularly on the weekends, riding their bikes and scooters all about, oblivious to automobiles inching down the lanes. One must keep his head on a swivel to avoid catastrophe. However, it is heart-warming to see youngsters having fun: we don’t get to see any of that up in Mesquite, Nevada.

One day, I rode my bike about 15 miles along the coast, down to the south end of Carlsbad and back. It was a beautiful day, perfect for cruising along. The bike riding is doing some good for my left quadriceps area where I have some adhesions from the hip surgery. I need to work on that leg, as I may be doing a Grand Canyon “rim to rim” hike in the Spring with some friends.

We had some visitors early in our stay: Mike and Brenda Yates, long-time tax clients of Charlie. Mike, who is a retired Riverside County Sheriff’s Lieutenant and went through the Sheriff’s Academy with our son Ron (also a retired Lieutenant), battled cancerous colon polyps earlier this year. He seems to be okay now. Both Mike and Brenda are enjoying second careers now as criminal justice investigators. They are very nice people. Charlie needs to complete their 2020 taxes when we get home.

Part of our So Cal itinerary is the annual reunion tour where we get to see relatives, friends, and clients who live in So Cal. Eldest son Tim and his wife Shanon help us by dog-sitting while we travel about for five days. They like our dogs and enjoy the beach and our RV, and the dogs are comfortable with them.

Before hitting the So Cal reunion trail, I discovered a minor water leak in the bedroom near the washer-dryer: another item for the off-season repair list. Dang it.

Up in Murrieta, we visited with my sister Claudia and her boy-toy Ted. They’ve totally remodeled the house they bought two years ago, and it is BEAUTIFUL. They are living the good life, doing fun stuff like going to estate sales, rehabbing motorcycles and scooters, and enjoying each other. It is so wonderful that Claudia has found a great guy…after suffering through two crappy marriages. I love her.

We also visited with our old friends the Woods, Randy and Denise. Randy owns Wood Mtn Christmas Trees (he’s a tree broker: I’ve worked with him in Oregon several times shipping trees to So Calif in December), and Denise owns a custom jewelry company. They live at Redhawk Golf Course community in Temecula. Randy is an ex-pro golfer and has also been a general contractor. He is currently helping the golf course ownership build a 3,200 s.f. event building and is also helping the S. Korean owners rehabilitate the course as unofficial General Manager. He likes to be busy.

The next day we drove up to Monterey Park (near L.A.) to visit my brother Terry and his wife of 53 years, Kay. My poor bro’ has serious back issues and can hardly get around. Other than that, he seems healthy and engaged. We took them out to dinner at Northwoods Inn and spent the night. The next morning, Terry shot a raccoon that was allegedly vandalizing his backyard and got me to bag the poor bastard and put him out with the trash. It was sad.

While in Monterey Park, Charlie and I drove by my old childhood home on Riggin Street. My parents bought the small home (maybe 900 square feet) in the late 1940’s for under $10,000. It is now worth more than $500,000, probably because it is located only 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles.

We also visited our old Bear Creek friends the Paces, Clark and Karin. They’ve moved into a townhouse in Murrieta, Clark works for Amazon, and his wife does in-home supportive care for a 90-year-old gentleman. We had a great visit, played cards, and Karin made us a great meal.

After leaving them, we visited the Bosankos, Ivor and Jeannette, who still live in Bear Creek. They are in their mid-80’s and are doing fine. They are now becoming official U.S. citizens after emigrating (legally) to America about 40 years ago from Great Britain. It’s about time: now they can put down illegal immigrants! Jeannette made us a fancy brunch, including an Enchilada Egg Cassarole: muy bueno!

We spent a very nice day in San Diego with Charlie’s clients Terry DeArmond and Barb Jarvis and tax collaborator C.P.A. Jim Houle and his wife Nicole. Terry captained his 53′ Carver yacht around San Diego Bay, we had a nice dinner in Coronado at Mr. P’s, and stayed overnight at Loew’s Coronado Hotel.

We then returned to the rig in Oceanside to relieve son Tim and wife Shanon, our dog sitters. Later in the day, grandson Craig and granddaughter Jessica and their significant others came by for an afternoon of drinking, ball-busting and playing with the dogs (Baby, BonBon and Jessica’s pug “Biscuit”). Lots of fun. Jessica is a Registered Nurse working at a hospital in Upland and Craig is about to go into the Navy, hoping to get into the medical field. What a nice day!

On 9/22, I got my left arm tattoos (of Booger, JayJay and Baby) modified to add BonBon and to put well-deserved halos on the deceased members of the Manning pack. My tattooist was “Chris”, he was a nice guy, and we talked for 2-1/2 hours while he did his magic.

His shop, Arcade Tattoo, has been in business (at two locations) in downtown Oceanside for 90 years. In the early years, they specialized in tats for young jarheads undergoing training at nearby Camp Pendleton.

Nowadays, Chris said, tastes have changed, and most of the young recruits are eschewing traditional USMC/testosterone-fueled tats for more exotic ones. Also, Marine rules for allowable tats have changed: now, they are not supposed to be visible when the soldier is in uniform.

Oceanside has changed a lot over the past decade. It was once the redheaded stepchild of the swank So Cal coast, probably because it is the domicile of the United States Marines on the west coast (Camp Pendleton), a train depot, many blue-collar workers, and a host of homeless beach bums. In the past few years, most of the downtown property in the vicinity of the pier has been renovated with upscale restaurants, bars, townhouses and apartments. It is starting to look very respectable…more like Carlsbad, its neighboring city to the south.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that, with all this upscaling going on, the RV park owner will probably raise the rents…because he can. Damn.

Our son Jonathan did a great job installing our walk-in wardrobe closet cabinetry back in Mesquite, Nevada. The job took him several days, all by himself: he must have a sore back!

While in So Cal, we took the opportunity to get annual physicals for our dogs by Dr. Rebecca Black, who is one of Charlie’s oldest clients. On that day, we also visited our son Jeff and wife Carol (who is recovering from foot surgery) in Murrieta.

That weekend, I watched the final matches of the 2021 Ryder Cup on TV: the American  golfers kicked European ass. One of the bright spots was the play of Bryson DeChambeau, the Arnold Schwartzeneggar of the P.G.A. The muscleman drove the 354-yard first hole and then sank an eagle putt. Impressive.

After the Ryder Cup, DeChambeau flew to Mesquite, Nevada (our hometown!) to compete in the World Long Driving Championship. The competition is held at our nearby soccer fields, about 1/4 mile from my house. Bryson made it to the Final Eight.

During our last week in So Calif we visited with my sister Kellie, old friends Bernie and Arlean Truax, and had a nice dinner at 333 Pacific Steakhouse with clients George and Helen Tsimiklis.

What a great stop in Oceanside!

Update: We evidently had too much fun this vacation season. Both Charlie and I ballooned up to our pre-Nutrisystem diet weights during the 3 months on the road. Too much entertaining, dining out, and munching on chips and dip.

Back to the drawing board for us.