Tuesday: (12/02) My recently typical relaxing morning. Lou recently busy morning. I dabbled with the computer, she was busy cleaning up after the doggie visit.

We both stepped out about 1:30 and caught a bus toward San Jose. We hopped on and off vising various stores and thrift shops along El Camino Real. We walked through the new village along the Alameda near downtown San Jose and then walked along Race street. Several years ago I had eaten at a good Cuban restaurant there and thought that might be good for our diner. We arrived about 4:30 but they didn’t open until 5pm so we continued on to a big sporting goods store, Mel Cotton’s on San Carlos. We brosed through it in no time and returned for an excellent dinner at the Habana Cuba restaurant. We then caught a bus to the Valley Fair shopping center, looked around a while then caught a bus to downtown San Jose.

We walked over to San Jose State to meet Dawn at a showing of the documentary film “The Warning” shown by its writer/producer/director Joseph P. Sottile. Per the announcement: “The film is based on extensive interviews with five authors who have warned of authoritarian trends in America: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Crimes Against Nature, Naomi Wolf, The End of America, Chris Hedges, American Fascists, Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine, and Joe Conason, It Can Happen Here.” Hopefully more people see it and heed the warning. Dawn went and since we were nearby, we met her there not knowing what it was. I’m glad we met her.

We all then caught the bus back home to Palo Alto.

Wednesday: (12/03) Lou headed off to volunteer at the Stanford University rummage sale. She prepared the childrens section for the Saturday Sale. Me, I played with the computer all day. the most exciting thing today was watching the garbage pickup. I like to watch big machines. Exciting!

Thursday: (12/04) Lou took Dawn to a doctors appointment. They did their thrift shopping before getting home. Me, the usual, at the keyboard.

Friday: (12/05) The day began much like normally, each doing the usual. Lou doll making and spring cleaning, Dawn job search and me not much. A little after noon, we all headed out. We dropped Dawn off at the trolley station in Mountain View. She attended an Anthropology club meeting.
I had a doctors appointment for a biopsy. It didn’t take long at all. We then had lunch at the Home Town Buffet then went home. I then relaxed the rest of the day.

Lou has been busy working on her dolls sewing micro clothes and making micro shoes. Dawn started making entries to her own blog, dawnwood.info. Her writing talents far exceed mine. She has posted many of her short stories as well, some works in progress.

Saturday: (12/06) Lou, Dawn and our neighbor Meilie are off to the Stanford rummage sale. Lou is working there today so I’ll pickup the others when they’re done looking. I enjoyed working at the computer doing a little programming all day. Not much change there. And of course, Lou worked with the dolls. She, unfortunately broke a doll’s foot while dressing it. Back to the begining for that foot. Dawn continued the job search and writing.

It’s more like winter now, cooler and occasional fog.

Sunday: (12/07) Lou and Dawn are off to Fresno for a few days to Lou’s sister’s place. I get to be on vacation again. I’ll start preparing the RV to go. I’ve ignored it long enough. Looks like we may get out on the 17th toward Pismo beach then out to the desert through Bakersfield, Las Vegas and Quartzsite. We didn’t get everything accomplished on this visit but we did get a lot done. Un-done things will be here when we return.

Since we’ll be heading out, it’s great that the fuel prices are MUCH lower. Less pump shock. I read a thought on Nick Russel’s blog about the real reason for the drop in gas prices and it seems more realistic than a reported reduction in use of our cars. That reduction isn’t always apparent. He suggests that the real reason for lower prices is less speculation in oil. No one has any money to speculate. Sounds logical.

Lou got the living room back in order today rehanging pictures, etc. When I finally got home, I decided to install the security door on the front. It got deferred but I had a few moments today and it went up easily. Then time to finish the dreaded gutter cleaning.

Brother Ernie arrives tomorrow evening. For dinner we went out to Chili’s Restaurant.

Tuesday: (11/25) We were all up early today. Lou and Dawn enjoyed breakfast, I was fasting. We dropped Dawn off in Mountain View to catch the trolley. Lou and I passed a little time browsing a Rite Aide store. We arrived at the Kaiser hospital for my 930 appointment a bit early but they took me right in.

The surgery on my ring finger was schedule for 1030 and started about 1025. They sliced my ring finger open and removed a cyst (a bone spur under a tenon) from my finger just behind the nail. It took about 25 minutes. Fortunately, there was no pain involved. I’m such a sissy.

Lou and I then went to breakfast at the Country Inn in Cupertino, my first, here second. We shared a really nice omlette.

I took a nice nap when we got home. Now, I get to sit or lay around with my hand held high for a few days. Oh gee, I can’t do dishes! Brother Ernie is a great cook/chef but he is a real dirty dish generator. I usually spend most of my time trying to keep up. Not this year, poor Lou.

Speaking of Ernie, he just left Bakersfield, 5pm, on his way here from Las Vegas. Not only am I using the tiny keyboard on my little eeePC laptop but I’m also using just onr hand.Ernie arrived about 9:30.

Wednesday: (11/26) Ernie did his laundry all morning. He and I then went grocery shopping for his tenure as chef.

For dinner Ernie fixed some very nice chicken fried steak with smashed potatoes and sour cream green beans.

Thursday: (11/27) Thanksgiving day or Turkey Day or whatever, it’’s what those who work call a holiday. We, on the other hand call it “today.”

Ernie has been very busy baking pies this morning. Lou’s been busy trying to keep up with his dirty dish and messy kitchen efforts. They’re both doing good work.

Today, the sun actually came out. Yesterday, the rain allowed the fellosw to collect mud and decorate the house with some of it. Much better today.

Wonder of wonders. Dawn actually made a post to the blog I setup for her over two yeears ago, http:\\dawnwood.info.

Dinner was topical. Roast turkey breast, smashed potatoes, creamed peas with pearl onions, non stuffed stuffing, and fruit salad. Everything of the usual Ernie quality. This is the first time we did a turkey breast. It was cooked on the rotisserie.

And then there was desert. Ernie baked three pies; mince, cranberry pear, and apple. Thee cranberry pear pie is very good and holiday appropriate.

We didn’t have a stuffed bird but everyone ended up stuffed after dinner.

Friday: (11/28) Omletes ala Ernie for breakfast. He and I went off to Wally World where he did a little shopping for items such as doggie food and I visited Trader Joe’s for more eggs and some green peppers. Lou and Dawn headed over to the OSH hardware store and collected a sales tax rebate on the washer we bought a while back. This weekend OSH pays the sales tax.

Lou and Dawn continued thrift shopping. Ernie and i remained home with the dogs and computers

Saturday: (11/29) Lou and I sudoku-ed lot today. Ernie fixed biscuits and gravy for breakfast. He wanted to go over to Sunset gardens but they were closed today. For dinner Ernie fixed potato cheese soup.

We got our first look at my finger without a bandage today. Doesn’t look bad, if a dark ugly finger isn’t bad.

The weather was nice again today.

Sunday: (11/30) Ernie was up early preparing to leave. he did a some final laundry and prepared breakfast for us all. He is very handy to have around! We distracted his doggies in the back yard while he packed up. He was off sometime around 11 am. We then all cleaned up and headed out to do a little shopping and generally waste the rest of the day.

My finger has been very nice. The minor pain both during and since the surgery has been much less than the occasional feeling it had been hit by a hammer that has been common for these past many months.
I’ve got a couple of doctors appointments over the next two weeks and Lou and Dawn plan another visit to Lou’s sister in Fresno. I’ll also take a few hikes if all goes well. Then, hopefully, we’ll be on the road again in mid December.

I finished the non permanent floor, the portion that will be used for the garden in summer. I threw down a bunch of leftover bricks and pavers. I then installed some wire shelves, then started moving in the plants.

Dawn headed off to San Jose about 1pm. Lou was busy working on finishing the wall.

Tuesday: (11/18) Lou worked on finishing the wall. I cleaned up around the yard and the mess made building the green house. Dawn returned from San Jose and we all went to Carrow’s for dinner. Lou and Dawn shared a big prime rib dinner. I had a mile high roast beef sandwich. All very good.

Wednesday: (11/19) Lou finished textured the wall. Now it just needs sealing, painting and some cleanup and the living room will be back in full service. I lazed around working on the computer and other business.

Thursday: (11/20) Lou and I started the day with breakfast at Brian’s in Los Altos. We shared a chicken fried steak and eggs breakfast. We then headed over to Kaiser for an appointment. It only took a couple of minutes to setup the surgery for my poor little finger next week. They’re going to remove a cyst on my ring finger. It’s been fun working with it because any bump or touch feels like I hit it with a hammer but I wanted to get some work done that required the use of my hands so I differed the fix for a couple on months. I didn’t get everything done that I wanted to get done but there is always next spring. The house is fixed up much better than before, the green house is finished and some work was done on rebuilding the shop. That’s the big project for next spring.

While we were out we did some shopping on the way home as well as stopping for lunch at the Crazy Buffet in Sunnyvale.

I’ve been enjoying the recent more relaxed days, messing with the computer and such.

Our current tentative schedule for the rest of this year is Thanksgiving at home with brother Ernie whenever that actually occurs somewhere near the real thanksgiving day. Hopefully medical and dental appointments will be completed by mid December and we then can hit the road for a while including Christmas in Las Vegas.

Friday: (11/21) I made a list of things to be completed before I end up with a big bandage on my finger next Tuesday. It’s not a long list but I needed to go off to the hardware store to get a few things for it. I got and fitted a new baseboard for Lou’s wall repair. I also worked on the sprinklers for the plants in the green house and repaired a light fixture. Those are the kind of little projects that I hope to get done quickly.

I’ve been hearing the squeal of a hawk the past couple of days but hadn’t seen it. It scared off the squirrels and birds quite often though. Today, I heard it again. This time I saw it, being chased by a flock of crows. It’s twice as big as the crows but they kept it busy bumping it and chasing it. Interesting.

Lou did all the final prime painting of her wall and she and Dawn visited a rummage sale. Lou made tortellini soup for lunch.

To top off our day, we did some grocery shopping. I’d say we enjoyed dinner at Costco but we didn’t, enjoy it, that is. The crowd was terrific. Note to self, never go to Costco, or anywhere else on Friday evening.

Saturday: (11/22) Busy day today. After trying to relax and then realizing there was much to do before I’m forced to really take it easier. I started by cutting a bezel for Lou’s new sewing cabinet to fit her old sewing machine. Next, I installed a pipe through the wall in the sun room to accept a drain hose from the dehumidifier. It’s been going out the doggie door for a while. it’s now going direct to the storm drain system. I then finished off the sprinklers in the green house by cutting a hose to just fit to the sprinkler pipe on the shelf. I then tested the sprinklers and they work great. the list is getting shorter.

I then started to change the lock on the sun room door. It’s always been sloppy and was never keyed to the house lock. I have to get a deepset latch for the lockset. So, on to the next project. i had to cut off the kitchen to garage door. It’s been sticky so a little more clearance will help. Next, a trip to the dump to get rid of the old washer then a vist to a hardware store for the deep set latch. Another project complete.

Lou put a final coat of paint on the wall then removed the plastic wall that’s divided the house these past few days. In the evening she and Dawn went to a story telling meeting in Los Altos.

Sunday: (11/23) Lou’s birthday! She’s taking a raincheck on it. She’s busy cleaning up after the wall project and getting ready for holiday guests. I had installed the baseboard and she then primed and painted it.

I needed to finish my list which included cleaning the rain gutters on Dawn’s house and ours. While at Dawn’s, the other tenant caught me and had me fix their toilet actuator lever and a door knob. Always something with an old house. On our house, I only needed to clean the gutter on our sun room but that’s no simple job It’s not a standard, easy to clean gutter. I got the bulk out but it got dark so I finished it Monday.

The washer failed so we looked for a new washer. The existing one is over 20 years old. We found a model we liked and ten found the cheapest place to get it. It turned out to be at Orchard Supply Hardware which is actually owned by Sears but it was cheaper at OSH than at sears?We’ll pick it up and save the delivery/installation. They don’t know how to install stuff and why pay $65 for bad work? Plus, I’m cheap. We supposedly will be able to return to the store during the thanksgiving sale and get our sales tax back? Might work.

We also stopped by Home depot for some plywood and sheet rock for Lou’s living room wall job and some stuff for relocating some pipes in the green house that were in the flower bed that went to the sprinklers.

Tuesday: (11/11) I tinkered a little this morning. I installed the plywood to stiffen the house. I also cut a bunch of wood strips to shim up the wallboard. Our walls are one inch thick, half inch drywall lath and 1/2 plaster. To simplify replacement we shim the wall and use 1/2 inch wallboard. Lou’s been busy working on the wall and working pouring doll parts.

I had a dentist appointment after noon. I bought gas on the way home. Wow! Only $2.39 what a difference a few weeks makes. We really need to get out on the road and enjoy these low prices.

For dinner, Lou made a tomato blue cheese and onion salad that was based on something we saw on the Rachael Ray show this morning. That went along with some BBQ ribs from Safeway.

Wednesday: (11/12) I ripped some strips of wood and shimmed up the wall studs to make the 1/2″ wall board become 1″ thick. I tacked them up so Lou can hang her drywall.

I went out to Hidden Villa and hiked up toward Black Mountain and Duveneck Windmill area, then back down the mountain.

It’s a pretty hike and also gives some nice views of the town below. You can see our house in the right picture above, top right of picture (if you have really good eyes).
On the way home, I stopped at OSH and picked up the new washer.

Dawn returned home this evening.

Thursday: (11/13) I started the day by installing the new washer. I then worked a little on the green house rerouting the sprinkler pipes. Lou and Dawn assembled a new worm composter that Dawn got through Palo Alto Freecycle. It was never used. Lou also cut the drywall for the living room wall and tacked it up. I’ll screw it down later.

We all went downtown to Dawn’s birthday dinner. Her birthday was Monday but the celebration was delayed until she came back home. We went the the Palo Alto Creamery for dinner and then she went to the Bell’s Books for an author talk, “War Is Beautiful”. Actually, the author died many years ago the manuscript was misplaced for years, found in a library and then published. It’s not about President Bush as the title might imply but about the experiences of a soldier during the Spanish American War. Actually this is what I got from Dawn, Lou and I did a little shopping while Dawn attended the talk.

Friday: (11/14) We’re in for a warm day today. 80 degrees in mid November? The ants know this means nothing and we’re in for a really cold winter soon. That or they are wasting a lot of effort.

I screwed down the drywall for Lou and installed a plastic wall for dust containment. Lou and Dawn went grocery shopping and came back with a case of bananas Dawn will dry them, hopefully.

Saturday: (11/15) I started the day sanding Lou’s wall. She had filled the large gaps and screw holes. Unfortunately, she used some joint compound that was left over from previous jobs. What she used was waterproof compound. It’s more like caulk and was difficult to sand. Lou then taped and textured the wall.
I finished the sprinkler piping and started the floor in the green house.

Dawn dried bananas and other cooking all day.

Sunday: (11/16) I laid bricks to complete the permanent portion of the floor in the green house. I also installed some wood on the exposed edges and grouted the big gaps.

Dawn dried bananas.

Lou worked on the wall.

Since the rain wasn’t letting up, it seemed a very good time to go by the garage and have the car smog check done. This older  car has had problems passing the past two times, both times requiring the replacement of the catalytic converter. kind of odd. Today, it passed, barely though it was excellent after the last repairs. 785 for NOX when it would have failed at 786. Next time I can assume it won’t pass and will require the converter again. I really wonder what the results of the test would be if the tester were not connected directly to the Department of Motor Vehicles and or if they didn’t reference the age of the vehicle as part of the test? I really believe they want me to get rid of this car since it’s 22 years old. At least it passed for now!

I had a nice conversation with the office technician at the shop. He is from Hungary and this will be the first election in which he can vote. He bacame a citizen this past summer.

Tuesday: (11/04) A nice clear sky today though it did get chilly in the afternoon. I finished hanging the doors on the green house and did a little prep to hang the plastic. I also nibbled away at the tree branches that I pruned putting them in the compost bin. Tomorrow is garbage day and I didn’t want the pile to remain with room in the bins. Since the time changed, it gets dark so much earlier. Seems like more than one hour earlier?

I then settled in to watch the election results. Since we usually are traveling at election time we’re permanent absentee voters so the voting part was done days ago. Congratulation to our new President Elect Barak Obama. Hopefully he steers the country back on the right course.

Wednesday: (11/05) Another nice day. More of the same working on the green house. The skin on the roof was installed. Lou and Dawn left Fresno at Lou’s sister’s place and went down to Bakersfield to visit Aunt Helen. They’ve been making a haul at the thrift stores on the way.I would have liked to go but wanted to get the green house ready before it’s needed. The temperatures have been getting down into the 30’s at night. it won’t be long before a freeze warning and the mad rush to protect the plants.

Thursday: (11/06) Left, Green house all finished. It doesn’t look like much. It’s kind of invisible with the clear Lexan skin but it should protect the plants. I’ll probably use it for the garden space during the summer with the doors removed. There was some light left so I continued with more pruning of the trees next to the green house. The tree is in the neighbors yard but all the growth is in our yard. The limbs are large and low and my head is always locating them so I’m raising the roof some.

Friday: (11/07) Today was a day of rest, mostly. I installed a peep hole in the front door and worked on a leaky toilet. How exciting!

Saturday: (11/08) More rest for me. This is kind of nice!

Lou and Dawn returned from Bakersfield via highway 101 with a long stop in Salinas. Dawn wanted to check some books that were at the local library.

Sunday: (11/09) I fixed breakfast home fried potatoes, fried bologna (European style, more like ham), and fried eggs. We enjoyed it in the back yard. The weather was nice. I then started digging out the floor of the green house. I built it over a raised flower bed and removed the retaining wall Thursday. Those concrete blocks weigh 200-300 pounds each and I think that may be why my back was bothering me recently? Anyway, today i dug out the dirt and leveled the floor.

Lou worked on moving her treasures into her shop. She found a load of doll molds at one of the thrift stores and received a lot of doll making tools and materials from a friend of Aunt Helen’s in Bakersfield.

I took it easy and read all the election material and prepared my sample ballot. Since we’re often on the road we’re absentee voters.

In the afternoon we all took a trip. We tried to drop off Dawn’s recycle cans and bottles but the dropoff is closed Mondays. Now we know. Lou is also looking for a sweater she lost and her favorite Luu’s Noodle Restaurant is next to the recycle stop so she checked it, it wasn’t there. We then went to lunch at one of my favorite Chinese buffets, the Sunny Buffet in Sunnyvale. We also stopped at Smart and Final looking for 55 gallon heavy gauge bags. Their bags are only 1.3 mil. Dawn wanted to browse at the used bookstore in Mountain view so Lou and I did a little grocery shopping picking up our favorite yogurt from an Middle Eastern market there and then stopped by Minton Lumber where I picked up a door sweep for the hotwater heater cabinet. I don’t want any critters finding a warm home. From there we went by Costco and this time they had our family pack Italian sausage. Lou’s in the smoking mood.

And another day is wasted.

Tuesday: (10/28) Lou and Dawn went South, to San Jose as usual.

I installed the door sweep for the water heater. Wow, a completed project!  I also went to the bank and laundromat.  The  pad we use in Lou’s car got oil on it when I rented the jackhammer. Lou sprayed it with simple green and I washed it in someone else’s machine. It came out fully clean to our surprise. Of course, this is the problem with using laundromats for the regular clothes.

Wednesday: (10/29) I cleaned up the shop in the tent so I can use it. It’s collected a lot of junk recently so everything was putaway or whatever as appropriate.

I moved the wood piles in the backyard. One ws under the oak tree where I stacked it when I pruned it last year. The other was our longtime location for the pile which is where the new green house will go. I moved it further back in the yard. It wont be too long before we wont be able to ever have a real fire here due to air quality concerns but we still can so far.

Thursday: (10/30) It was overcast this morning with light showers and started raining in the afternoon. I tinkered inside much of the day. Later in the afternoon the rain letup to minor sprinkles so I went out and did a little work on the new green house. Most of the old green house framing will be used on the new one.

Lou and Dawn returned home from San Jose. Dinner was leftovers. Spaghetti goes a long way.

Friday: (10/31) More rain. Should last through the weekend. I worked some more on the green house.

Saturday: (11/01) Lou and Dawn are off to Fresno to visit Lou’s sister Kathy. I went out in the drizzle and worked on the greenhouse framing. The roof is from the old green house and since the old one was really a roof from the house eves to the fence top, there were only two end walls and no side walls. the new location will use the fence for one wall but now needs a front wall. Also the doors will be on that front wall rather than on the ends so the end walls will be modified some. It will actually be as much work as a completely new building but will get most of the old one recycled. I got a couple of hours in before the rain picked up so I’m doing a little web surfing while I wait for it to let up.It didn’t let up. How nice!

Sunday: (11/02) The weather was very nice today. No rain. I completed the green house framing. The framing is welded tubing. I still need to hang the doors then all the welding is complete. About 3pm I headed off to a late lunch and stopped by Lowe’s to get some material including the new plastic panels for the green house.

On the way, I stopped to fill the gas tank. I couldn’t resist the low price, $2.85. Our local station is $3.19. I have really enjoyed this time approaching the election when the price of gas dropped quite a bit as it always does. While the collapse of the economy caused an equal drop for which I’m not as happy about. The price has dropped a total of more than $2.00 from just a few months ago. When we do get back on the road after Thanksgiving, it would be nice if the price were still down.

Monday: (10/20) Lou and I went to Ann’s Restaurant in Menlo Park for breakfast. We shared pancakes and a Denver omlette. After a walk around town we stopped in at Trader Joe’s for a couple of items, then home. When we got home there was a big FedEx package at the door. What had we ordered? Lou commented how whatever it was it was delivered to the correct address. They evidently hired people who can read, unlike the Post Office. Turns out, not so. The package was for our street number but for a street 4 blocks away. Unlike the consistent errors the postperson makes, this was at least to the correct street number. We walked the package over to the correct address.

I worked more on the shed project. Not too much accomplished. Lou worked on her crafts. Lou fixed steaks served with an avocado half, sliced red peppers and carrot and Raisin salad. Exciting, isn’t it.

Tuesday: (10/21) One of the problems with staying home is that there isn’t always anything memorable to post. This blog is actually a diary and so reflects at least some of what happened to us but since I make the posts, mostly to me. Perhaps someday Lou will add something.

So, today I had my usual easy morning. While Lou gets up with or before the sun, I wakeup about 8-9 am. Of course, I’m the night person staying awake until 1 or 2 am while Lou’s through for the day by 10pm. I usually watch Rachael Ray or Regis and Kelly then the View while enjoying tea and breakfast. Then, some times, I get to work. By the way, this is the typical day when we’re home. When we’re on the road everything is different.

Today we started with a trip to downtown Mountain View to the Tap Plastic store. Tap Plastic sells sheet plastic, fiberglas materials and foams. I was interested in foams. I want to add some foam under the bathtub while the wall is open to help eliminate squeaks and creaks when taking a shower. Turns out that the latex foams at the hardware store may work as well and be much cheaper. We then went by Minton Lumber nearby. Lou was looking for a good mildew sealer.

We continued on to Lowe’s in Sunnyvale and Lou found her sealer for half the price. I was just looking around. We stopped by the Sunny Chinese Buffet again for lunch.

When we finally returned home, I started sawing the concrete slab so I can remove the old driveway that is cracked and tilted about 3 inches. The crack was actually 2 inches wide before I filled it many years ago. Once the concrete is out, I get to pour a new floor for the storage sheds to be. I sawed about half way today. The saw only saws about 2.5 inches through the 6 inch slab but it usually breaks with a clean edge. I’m leaving about a six foot wide section as a sidewalk. In between while the saw blade cooled off, I tinkered with other projects.

Lou sealed (painted) the framing in the wall that she is replacing in the living room.

Wednesday: (10/22) Typical morning, see above. I made corned beef hash for breakfast. I continued sawing the slab. Lou went down to San Jose for her doll class. I made a hardware store run to get another blade. They don’t last too long. Some of the rock in the concrete seems to be harder than steel. I finished the cut as it was starting to get dark. I also trimmed up the blackberries by the fence where the sheds will go. They will be removed and relocated to pots for the winter hopefully surviving to be relocated in the spring. Lou stayed in San Jose with Dawn.

Thursday: (10/23)  Typical morning. The project of today is to breakup the concrete. Lou wants me to rent a jackhammer rather than break it out with my trusty 75 lb breaker bar as I usually do. Sounds like  a good idea.

The jackhammer did the job quickly but it started out weighing 60 lbs and seemed to weigh 200 lbs before I finished? I’ll be busy hauling the debris away for the next few days. I think the garbage man would notice if I threw it in the garbage can. It’s about 3.5 cu yds or 5-6 tons of debris.

For my late lunch (about 4:30) I had Chinese from our local fast food Chinese restaurant. It’s only a block away and quite good.

Lou and Dawn were riding the rails around San Jose and Campbell this afternoon and evening. Dawn will be able to get to many places very easily on the light rail system so they are practicing travel.

Friday: (10/24) A day at the Zoo. We headed up to the San Francisco Zoo this morning. On the way we stopped in San Bruno at Neil’s Restaurant for breakfast.

It must have been a while since we were last there. i drove to where I thought the main gate was on Sloat and it was now closed. They’ve spent a lot of money on a new entrance. We liked the old one. The African Safari near the main gate was quite nice, and natural looking not just a pen. Above right, we found they are keeping their ducks in a row, and a turtle.

The kangaroos looked happy. Don’t they always? The picture on the right looks like one of our family pictures. We’re all sitting at the beach. Actually a colony of merkats.

There was a nice looking pair of grisly bears sisters.

In all we found many of the displays closed for construction. No elephants, no tigers, lions nor any big cats. It seemed smaller than on previous visits. Still a good zoo though.

Saturday: (10/25) I spent the day taking five loads of concrete rubble to the dump. Each load was estimated at from 1200-1500 pounds. That’s a pretty good load for a little volvo station wagon. It’s actually more than the neighbors little Toyota pickup can carry. Several years ago we moved a bunch of 300 pound concrete blocks using both our Toyota longbed pickup and the neighbors shortbed Toyota pickup. We could carry 9 blocks in pours and 3 in theirs. Looks like our wagon cound have carried the three as easily. Our pickup could carry a full load od dirt filled to the top of the sidewalls and mounded up, over a yard of material. Moving debris with the car is a little different. The concrete rubble was in two forms. block pieces of various sizes fron 30 to 100 pounds and rubble. Today was spent moving most of the blocks.

Lou and Dawn also started the day as usual with a garage and rummage sale run. Lou found a really nice new sewing cabinet for her sewing machine. She was busy rearranging her room to accept the cabinet and get ride of her older cabinet as well as a love seat.

Sunday: (10/26) Lou and Dawn went to the Bridge Concert at mountain View’s Shoreline Amphitheater today. It was about a 10 hour concert. They go with a bunch of friends and had a good time. The weather was even pretty good.

I spent the morning taking a couple of loads to the dump. That eliminated the concrete rubble pile and some other junk. The last load was about half concrete blocks and half concrete rubble in bags and a third half was the love seat that Lou is getting rid of. It isn’t worh anything to the thrift shops. That gives you an idea of our furniture quality.

When I was starting to get rid of the concrete debris i really considered calling a hauling service or getting a dumpster. Either would have cost a lot more and I do have lots of time and labor available and not that much cash. Then there was the fact it was Saturday and I didn’t think i would be too successful finding either someone to haul the debris over the weekend nor in getting a debris box delivered. Even though I originally estimated 10 trips would be needed with the car it only took 7 trips, total cost $70. Not too bad. I also thought it would take longer but it only took about one hour for each load and dump trip. It’s now all cleared and ready for whatever is next.

I spent the evening relaxing!

Next stop, the Solar Living Center in Hopland. Always an interesting place to visit.

Back on the road. We ran into stop and barely go between Santa Rosa and Petaluma then again through San Francisco. Certainly reduced our fuel mileage.

We stopped in Redwood City to fuel up then went by Harry’s Hofbrau for dinner. It’s October fest time so we all shared Weinershcnitzel dinners. Finally home about 8pm.

Monday: (10/13)Lou and Dawn went down to San Jose. When I did get up, I emptied the car and washed it. I also washed the RV then completed washing the sheets and making the beds for the next trip. I delivered the toad to the shop for a scheduled service visit tomorrow. I stopped by our local China Mei restaurant for dinner.

Tuesday: (10/14) Since I’m without car today, I mainly goofed off today until Lou returned home late in the afternoon. We had left overs for dinner.

Wednesday: (10/15) I spent the morning designing my storage sheds and making material lists. I decided not to put a shed back up where the old shop was against the house. We really are enjoying the light that comes in the windows that were coverd all these years. I’ll build two sheds against the side fence about 15 feet from the house.

I started to work on moving the junk from where I’ll be building our new yard sheds, two 10′x10′ sheds. One will serve as a shop, the other for storage.

Lou attacked the living room wall. She removed the damaged drywall from the living room side of the shared bathroom wall. The shower leaked and damaged much of the wall previously. The bathroom was repaired years ago but the living room side repair was deferred. No need to have the whole house unlivable all at once. Why not a little unlivable all the time? Lou removed the drywall and cleaned up the debris placing it in the car.

Lou and I went to a new Chinese buffet in Sunnyvale, the Sunny Buffet on Matilda Avenue at Ross. The food was very good and Lou didn’t have a reaction so I may get to visit the place again. If a restaurant uses cottonseed oil or MSG then Lou breaks out and we don’t return. All went well!

Thursday: (10/16) Lou and I moved the canopy that was by the old shop to it’s new home under the oak tree. I lowered it back down to the normal height and installed the walls. Previously I had raised it up 3 feet to just provide shade for the shop and to provide lots of headroom when moving around plywood sheets and the like. It will provide a home for the rest of the “stuff” from the old shop, the stuff that has collected under it and a home for all the bicycles. While I’m building the new permanent storage sheds where the old canopy was, the temp shelter will protect the “stuff” form the rain and winter weather, hopefully.

Lou washed down the framing to kill any mold and treated the carpet an padding as well. One reason for replacing the wall is her concern for a moldy smell she notices when we return home after having been away. I don’t notice it but she does and she’s dong the repair so I’m quite agreeable.

Lou and I went to dinner at her favorite Chinese restaurant, the New Tung Kee in San Antonio Square in Mountain View. We then did some grocery shopping before returning home.

Friday: (10/17) Began with a run to the dump. Then we stopped by the IKEA store for breakfast. It’s next door to the dump.

I then took some time to get the pictures uploaded and onto the blog. Lou replaced the rollup plastic door material for her pottery shed. I finally got outside late in the afternoon. Those darn pictures took quite a while to get posted. Enjoy! I started moving stuff into the relocated tent shed. The wood pile will have to wait until Sunday.

Lou fixed some a stir fry meal of tomatoes, onions peppers and spam. Quite good.

Saturday: (10/18) We had breakfast from Jack-in-the-box this morning. I had one of their new bowl breakfasts. Lou ordered a crosaunt but got a burrito. Breakfast was adequate and fast. We had to get going early.

Lou and our neighbor Meilie went to a rummage sale. I went to the doctor again. Seems like a habit recently. I called yesterday afternoon, at Lou’s insistence, to have them check on my chest pain which I’ve pretty much determined is a recurrence of shingles. Fortunately, no rash yet but the same pain and sensitivity as was experienced 23 years ago when I first had an outbreak. Since the pain is over the heart, Kaiser is interested enough to see me again. A couple of weeks ago, in Eureka, when I went to the hospital, they cleared my heart with an EKG. The doctor did another EKG today and compared it to one I had in August for my pre-op then. No change or problem with the heart. So now, the determination by Kaiser here is the same as at St Josephs Hospital in Eureka. The heart is OK and I have a pain in the chest. So,  find a way to enjoy it? There’s not much they can do for shingles. I’m starting to feel like a hypochondriac with all these doctor visits over the past few months. It’s a good thing we’ve been hanging around home so much.

About 0930 Lou and I drove up to San Bruno and caught the BART train to San Francisco. Red Bull was having a soapbox race today at Delores Park in the Mission District. It was an interesting event. We sat on the grass in the park and watched the race on a Jumbotron TV. I forgot to bring my camera so I took some pictures with my phone. Someday they may end up here on the blog. Until then look at the Red Bull website for pictures. We could also look over at the end of the track but it was easier to see it on the big screen. The big screen died just before the end of the race so we headed down to Mission Street for a late lunch at El Herradero Restaurant 2224 Mission St. The place was crowded but we got right in before the big rush and our order was taken right away. Unfortunately, everyone in the restaurant was having a long wait for their orders to come out of the kitchen. Obviously prepared to order. Our order took about 50 minutes. Fortunately they had really good salsa and fresh chips. We then looked around a few shops then headed toward home.

Sunday: (10/19) I baked up a batch of Italian sausage and some pork rids and then fried some home fried potatoes for breakfast. Lou fixed the eggs and we had our breakfast. Most of the meat was then frozen for later use.

I went outside after updating the blog. I moved the wood pile into the relocated tent and also moved almost everything else from the patio so that the concrete can be broken out.

Lou was busy with crafts, her wall replacement project and ? Lou cooked a corned beef brisket and made sandwiches for dinner.