Birthday at the Lake !

after getting home from Dulles airport on Friday at midnight, and buzzing around for another hour, I got abut 4 hours sleep, got up and we went to the Lake. Tim drove and Thrash and I slept. As you can see, Mr Thrash can always find a comfy spot to snooze, no matter what he is wearing or where he is!



That night, over to Toni's house to celebrate birthdays as we always do in the summer and traditionally at the lake - Nick and I. This year Nick became a teenager, 13!. And I just got a bit older. Cake , Ice Cream, presents and a movie. Don't get no better...celebrating with friends and family.


Toni got me one of the coolest b-day gifts yet....Raider Croc's! How did she know I was looking at Crocs to buy? And these Oakland Raider ones are the best yet! I didn't even have the tag off them before i slipped 'em on. Thanks toni!

on the road to Sacramento...and then sme

On our way to Santa Barbara airport, I took advantage of a vista point off hwy 101 to catch a closer look at what was obviously the old hwy next to the railroad tracks and of course th ocean. What isn't visible, but was a surprise to me , were the oil rig platforms off in the distance in the ocean off the coast of santa barbar.



getting gas before turning in the rental car....I guess I shouldn't complain about our gas prices..


the off to Sacramento, and about a 45 min drive up to Marysville/Yuba City, near Beale AFB. Considerably inland, and much hotter than along the coast, we started driving around to find somewhere to eat. Kinda dispressing with alot of bldgs that were empty, boarded and many houses that kinda looked run down, sometime amidst well kept houses. Places that looked like businesses, empty. One could only imagine many many years ago, possibly in the '60's , when this was a thriving town and what it would have been like.



we settled for a place right next to the hotel, that was a typical mom and pop place, serving simple fare that you might have gotten in a diner along some hwy.

wine cottage bistro in Orcutt, CA

So after a crazy day of driving around Vandenberg AFB, taking notes,trying to coordinate things and place and people we needed to see, we called it a day. Bill B, my colleague from Huntsville, had see a little place called Wine Cottage Bistro advertised in one of the little local papers. It advertised great local wines, gourmet food, vegetables from their local organic garden and much more. So after meeting up, we set off for the bistro, 19 miles away. The fog was hanging over the california hills, and then it disappeared. I saw California cows and the typical rolling terrain on our way to eat.


Here is the Wine Cottage Bistro, and us beginning our haute cuisine repast! I had a wonderful soufle for an appestister and then the seared Ahi Tuna, that just melted in your mouth, veggies and a purple mashed potatoes, thad had a hint of horseradish. What a dinner and topped off by Pecan icecream sandwhich, that was anything but pedestrian. We passed the dessert plate around till it was gone and then headed back to the hotel, getting ready for the next day of another visit and a flight to Sacramento.

travel - hotel, food, and chopsticks

staying at the Embassey suites north of Santa Barbara, in the town of Lompoc [locals pronounce it Lummm--puk]. we found the only sushi place in town and it was fabulous!
me and bill chilled out in the front of the hotel..wondering when we were going to use our chopsticks again..

You fill in the words....

so i decided my new bent with Ruby will be perhaps situations in life....so i call it "Morning coffee with Ruby" [actually someone suggested the title for me]

so we are going to try something new.....you fill in the word balloons...let your imagination run wild!!!!!

WE're on the road to Port Charlotte! Thanks Kay and Phil!

So after a grueling trip to Orlando, and driving to Melbourne, a grueling 3 1/2 days of meetings and working nites, I treated myself. Since I had to stay and fly out on Sat I decided to stay in florida and visit Kay and Phil, Toni's mom and dad. But first , Friday night I went to see the new Harry Potter movie. Excellant. Then the next morning I packed, talked a little bizness at breakfast, and hit the road to Port Charoltte.


I 95 south from Melbourne, thru the windshield of life.


After a great stay, a little sightseeing, lots of coffee and great conversation and company, I bid adieu to Kay, Phil and Mr Max! and headed to the Sarasota Airport and back to NOVA...

Lots of love and thanks to Kay and Phil for their great hospitality, letting me sleep till 8:45 AM on Sunday morning and generally just letting me unwind .

please, just one more pix....

can you tell i think my doggie is the cutest and bestest? and since i am on travel and stuck at Dulles airport waiting on the plane to get here so i can get on to my destination, i am missing my doggie....

more vacation at LKG

yes, the outlaws did get into the water, although I do believe that Chris, Tim's bro, liked it a bit better than Robin my sister in law


coolest kid around
.


Thrash leads the way in power napping with Tim a close second.

Fourth of July and Vacation

vacation and the 4th of July came and went. The weather was great, outlaws made it down to spend some time with us and friends visited and jetski'd and played! Hard to get back into work groove, esp with the weather still so warm.

So here he is again, basking this time in the warm sun on my dock...don't worry, he uses sun screen



Thrash also likes to chill out with me and swim and jetski. After his dip in the lake, here he is chillin' on his own towel, a Snoopy one, a present from his Granma




Ain't this the life? Catchin' the rays with my favorite little boyz!