Sunday - Working on shelves

Steps upon steps to finish this project.  All the shelves have to be primed and painted which means there is drying time between each step.  I hope I can get it all done before everyone gets here.

We talked about painting the back wall of the shelves with an accent color, so I painted the first one sage green to see if we like it.  The jury is still out on that one.

The folding table in the foreground has a bunch of stuff that was on the old shelves.  The sideboard in the dining room is also full as are two 18-gallon totes.  Needless to say, all those things are not going back onto the shelves when the time comes.

I have set up a temporary table in the garage using totes full of pottery (handy things to have around, eh?).  That's where I'm painting the shelves.  Once I get the shelves finished and back in the bookcase, I can put the bookcase dwellers back and use the folding table to paint the doors.

As you can see in the picture, I have the drapes looped up around the rod since I painted the bow window and haven't taken the tape off yet.

Anyone need anything painted?  I'm thinking of going pro.

Even more disheveled than usual.

Impromptu painting table.

It's so sad when a tripod fails.
This one cost me about $10 in the 80's
so it doesn't really owe me anything.

Binkley inspects the work for edibility.
Luckily it failed.

My good friend Becky gave this bowl of hostas to us
and here's proof for her that they're doing well.

Our decade-old day lily blooms once again.

The elderberry is going crazy.

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Thursday - Stephanie's graduation

Since Stephanie is graduating, we are having family in for a visit.  It seemed like a good time to update our built-in cabinets in the living room.  Keith Davis of Wood Waze made and installed new uprights, capitals, crown molding, shelves and doors.  Keith does an outstanding job and we highly recommend him.

It looks great, but it all needs to be primed and painted now and that's on me.  Now, to get it all done before people get here on Thursday.  Wish me luck.

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Thursday - Proud of Stephanie

We are so proud of Stephanie, our oldest daughter.  She worked hard to get all B's or above so she could skip her final exams.  She is graduating from high school this Saturday and attending Western Carolina University in the Fall.  You go girl!

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Sunday - Matt Jones helps me eat healthy

After eating at restaurants all week, I opted for a simple salad on my first day home.  Eating it from my recently acquired Matt Jones bowl made it taste even better.

Nice.

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Saturday - Home again, home again, jiggety jog

Saturday found us in airplanes and airports making our way back to our own coast.  We left San Jose at 9:00 am and arrived in NC at 9:00 pm.  During the trip we had a 3 hour layover in George (H.W.) Bush Intercontinental Airport near Houston.  Since it was lunchtime we found a Chili's and had a bite (along with a Shiner Bock).

The second leg was a long flight and Karen and I were not seated together.  Even in the tight, uncomfortable seats, I got some napping in.

When we got home we were surprised to see the kids had made a welcome home banner for us and everyone (including Binkley!) was glad to see us.  Traveling is fun, but it's nice to be home again, too.

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Friday - San Francisco

Friday we drove to San Francisco and ended up at Fisherman's Wharf.  Once again it was (very) windy and chilly but we had some great views and a lot of fun with an old friend.

After we walked, snacked, and laughed, we went back to San Jose to pick up Tom for dinner.  We went to the Britannia Arms and had another fine meal.  After eating, we went back to the house and spent some time talking.

All too soon it was time for bed and off to the airport in the morning to head home.

That's a big boy.

Another big boy.

Fisherman's Wharf.

Crab sculpture.

City behind the wharf.

Alcatraz.
Look at those flags straight out.

A closer look at the island.

Hardy souls out on a day like this.

Pretzel break.

Leo.

An actual VW bus as a takeout window.

All these people getting into one cab?

Harry Potter's pier?

Apparently you shouldn't enter the diner.

Karen and Tom

Leo.

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Thursday - On to San Jose

On Thursday we had to get up at 3:00 am to catch the 4:20 am shuttle to the airport for our 6:20 am flight.  When we got there we found out our suitcase was 8 pounds over the 50 pound limit which would have cost us another $100 penalty (on top of the $25 we already paid to fly it).  We quickly opened it at the check-in counter and pulled out newly purchased t-shirts, candy and other items.  We felt like the Beverly Hillbillies carrying armfuls of t-shirts under our jackets.

We couldn't actually take off until 6:30 am since the planes have to fly over the city.  No flights are allowed after 11:30 pm or before 6:30 am and there is only one runway.

We arrived in San Jose and immediately went to by high school friend Leo's house.  After catching up with him and meeting Tom, one of his two other roommates, we went to get some breakfast.

After fueling up, we went to Santa Cruz and drove out on the pier to watch the sea lions and get some fish and chips.  Next we hit the Santa Cruz boardwalk and Leo and I rode the Giant Dipper, a wooden roller coaster built in 1924.  Riding the Giant Dipper is a tradition since the time I visited him when he lived in Santa Cruz.

After that, we went back to San Jose to pick up Tom and go out to dinner at --The Fish Market.  We found out it's a chain with a handful of locations.  We had another good meal and back to the house to relax and hit the sack.

Breakfast with Leo.

Sea lions under the Santa Cruz pier.

Another one.

One swimming in to the pier.

I spotted this sea otter having a snack
about 200 feet off the pier.
The seagull stuck close, hoping for leftovers.

Seagull sitting on a Mercedes.

Karen and Leo on the pier.

Ordering fish and chips.

And here it is.

The seagulls stayed close, hoping for snacks.

Pretty eyes.

Another diner fed one.

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