Ruby’s Baby Shower

 

Cousins, cousins everywhere – part two

Auntie Sandy came to visit a couple of weeks after Lisa was here, so there was another gathering of the cousins.

And, yes, Quincy was still sitting on Chuck’s lap.

Cousins, cousins everywhere – part one

We wandered out to Chuck & Larie’s for a cousins get-together in mid August when Lisa came to visit, and then we did it again in early September when Auntie Sandy came to visit. I haven’t seen so many cousins at one time in years. Visits include lots of photos, so I’ll just quit typing and post a bunch of them. This post will be Lisa’s visit. Auntie Sandy’s visit will be the next post.

This is Chuck’s lap dog.

Oh, yes he is! This is such a hilarous sight – Quincy sits on Chuck’s lap every chance he gets.

Jayson had Wilbur doing his famous Saying Prayers trick. Aren’t they both adorable?

And I can’t end this post without introducing you to Cousin Lizard. 🙂

Family & Friends Get-Together – August 2013

…and that was our weekend in Manhattan Beach.

2012 out ~ 2013 in

We ushered 2012 out with a spontaneous trip to the beautiful Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena on December 30.

When we arrived in Pasadena we were met with preparations for the Rose Parade.

I hadn’t even thought about the bridge being so close to the parade route, so it was an exciting bonus to see the grandstands being erected.

Media booths were ready for the big day.

And old cars were arriving to tour the area.

2012 was going out in style.

Then! 2013 began with a big shock for me. I was laid off from my job of 12 years! I didn’t see that one coming. Fortunately, I was planning on retiring in April anyway, so being unemployed isn’t a bad thing at all, just started a little sooner than I intended. I’m taking this opportunity to look for another job, though. I don’t mind starting to work on my Things To Do When I Retire list a few months earlier than planned, but new jobs can be fun – and our plan included at least three more months of income from work – so I’ll see what I can find.

The brightest spot in all this is that I got to have a great laid-off-in-lieu-of-retirement luncheon with my family (not that we need an excuse, but it makes it more special than just lunch):

first lunch in the new decade

The new decade in question is, of course, my 60s. I still can’t believe I’m 60 years old, especially since my mind keeps telling me I’m 22. Or maybe 42. But NOT 60. Doesn’t that just sound so old?

Well… anyway… Steve, Karina and the kids joined us at Tokyo Steak House for a fun lunch yesterday: sushi for me, Steven and Karina; chicken & steak for Leslie, teriyaki beef for Mike and yakisoba for Steve.

Steve was busy taking photos of all of us, so here’s one of him so he wouldn’t be left out. (That’s Karina chowing down on her tempura shrimp roll.)

Steve was quick to point out that he and I are TWO decades apart now. BUT! In just two short years he’ll once again be only one decade younger than me. When that happens, instead of thinking he got OLD, I’ll look at it that I must have gotten a wee bit younger. In the meantime, though…

Where’s my shawl? And my rocker! Would someone please bring me a hot toddy?

relay for life 2012

My niece, Leslie, was the captain of a team for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life at Eagle Rock High School this year. The event started at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 19 and continued until 9 a.m. Sunday, May 20. We dropped by for a few hours on Saturday to lend our support and, of course, take some photos.

Here’s team headquarters:

Steve hauled the trailer and necessary equipment, then he, Karina and the kids decorated it. They sold nachos, jamaica juice, horchata and cookies to raise money for the American Cancer Society and offered free samples of sunscreen. They also had spray sunscreen available for those who wanted a quick spray to protect themselves… that, too, was free. Many, many people appreciated the sunscreen.

Here’s the nacho man hard at work with his helper, Karina:

Team Captain Leslie and her cousin, Stephanie, taking a turn around the track:

Steven on one of his laps…

and a little later carrying a tray of food for a relay race (our team won):

There was even zumba for those who didn’t mind exercising in the heat:

Karina and Leslie (and Karina’s mom) love zumba… I, on the other hand, could be found in the shade by the trailer helping Steve sell the snacks.

Mike did his part by doing many laps around the track during the time we were there (we figured at least five miles):

We had fun hanging out with the family, with the bonus of it being for a good cause. If Leslie signs up again next year, we’ll be there again, too.

happy halloween – meet dracula

About 20 years ago, give or take a few, we decided to turn our son into Dracula for Halloween. Here’s the result of our efforts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty good, don’t you think?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

uncle royce

My Uncle Royce, my mom’s brother, died on September 28 after a wonderful life of helping people, throwing the best barbeques, having the greatest Halloween parties and just being an all-around good guy. He will be missed.

RIP Uncle Royce

i’m a blogger!

Well… I finally made the jump to blogging. I’ve been wanting to start a blog for a year or so, but this is the first site I’ve looked at that seemed easy enough to deal with on a regular basis.

We are a couple of senior citizens who like to wander. Everywhere. Around the house. Around the neighborhood. Around our city. Around the state. Or even around the United States. We never know where we’ll be at any given time. For now we share our wandering time with some work time, but soon enough we’ll be retired and wander even more. yay. Either way, retired or not, this blog will chronicle our wanderings, our life and our family.

Welcome to our world.