October 16th - A Morning Walk -
As the sun rises and the park awakens, I realize there is no better time to walk the nature trail. The good thing about our travels is that when we hit the Eastern
time zone waking up early is pretty darn easy. What more could a girl ask for other than a bit of exercise and a lot of great animals to observe. Since the
clocks won't change for another week or so, the sun comes up a little later each day, which makes for great scenery around 7:30 or so. All the wild birds are
hunting for fish early in the morning on the banks of the lake and the deer, who are brave enough not to bolt into the bushes when people walk by unless they
are eating someone flowers from their yard and feel a little guilty, nibble the grass clippings that the mower has left behind from the previous day's yard work.
As the sun rises and the park awakens, I realize there is no better time to walk the nature trail. The good thing about our travels is that when we hit the Eastern
time zone waking up early is pretty darn easy. What more could a girl ask for other than a bit of exercise and a lot of great animals to observe. Since the
clocks won't change for another week or so, the sun comes up a little later each day, which makes for great scenery around 7:30 or so. All the wild birds are
hunting for fish early in the morning on the banks of the lake and the deer, who are brave enough not to bolt into the bushes when people walk by unless they
are eating someone flowers from their yard and feel a little guilty, nibble the grass clippings that the mower has left behind from the previous day's yard work.
October 17th - Fun in the Sun - Titusville Florida -
Needless to say we are thoroughly enjoying our time here at home in beautiful sunny Florida. Our days have been filled with bike rides and pool time along
with a few get togethers with friends and a little beach time as well. Yesterday our neighbors had a block party which was fun and allowed us to get back in
touch with quite a few neighbors that we haven't seen since March and meet a few new ones. After the block party we went to the movie theatre here at the
resort and watched Made of Honor. It was a sweet and sappy chick flick, but you can't beat a free movie so it was well worth it. The only downside of our time
here is that we have yet to see Charlie, the alligator that lives in the lake behind our house, or any other alligators for that matter. He usually greets us within
the first days or so of our arrival, so we are a little worried that he may have moved on, or been moved out. There is a policy that if they get to be over 6 feet
they are relocated into the swamplands just South of us and since he was a little over 5 feet last time we saw him that is definitely a possibility. Boo hoo! We
have, however, seen lots of other wildlife including a sweet little spotted fawn that hangs out with her momma and another doe each evening down the street
from us. Since all the people here are fairly passive, the deer have no fear of us which makes it nice since when the deer see people they don't run and hide.
Needless to say we are thoroughly enjoying our time here at home in beautiful sunny Florida. Our days have been filled with bike rides and pool time along
with a few get togethers with friends and a little beach time as well. Yesterday our neighbors had a block party which was fun and allowed us to get back in
touch with quite a few neighbors that we haven't seen since March and meet a few new ones. After the block party we went to the movie theatre here at the
resort and watched Made of Honor. It was a sweet and sappy chick flick, but you can't beat a free movie so it was well worth it. The only downside of our time
here is that we have yet to see Charlie, the alligator that lives in the lake behind our house, or any other alligators for that matter. He usually greets us within
the first days or so of our arrival, so we are a little worried that he may have moved on, or been moved out. There is a policy that if they get to be over 6 feet
they are relocated into the swamplands just South of us and since he was a little over 5 feet last time we saw him that is definitely a possibility. Boo hoo! We
have, however, seen lots of other wildlife including a sweet little spotted fawn that hangs out with her momma and another doe each evening down the street
from us. Since all the people here are fairly passive, the deer have no fear of us which makes it nice since when the deer see people they don't run and hide.
An Update -
The research of the new software is still in effect. iWeb seems to be an okay option, but it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of my imagination. I have 'The
New Parrottrek' image so clearly in my mind and am not quite ready to settle for the same old look it currently has and iWeb would pretty much do that. The
MacBook is awesome and has lived up to everything we have expected. The software, that we are 99% sure of using, is made with Macs in mind. I am currently
taking a few on-line classes learning all the ins and outs of this amazing new software and am enjoying every bit of it. I am learning A TON and might just turn
out to be a web designer geek after all. A dream I have always had is to learn to write in HTML code... ... I know, I need to branch out a bit, but since a couple
of my other dreams, goals and aspirations have come true I figure this one has a pretty good chance as well. Okay, so shoot me for being an optimist.
The research of the new software is still in effect. iWeb seems to be an okay option, but it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of my imagination. I have 'The
New Parrottrek' image so clearly in my mind and am not quite ready to settle for the same old look it currently has and iWeb would pretty much do that. The
MacBook is awesome and has lived up to everything we have expected. The software, that we are 99% sure of using, is made with Macs in mind. I am currently
taking a few on-line classes learning all the ins and outs of this amazing new software and am enjoying every bit of it. I am learning A TON and might just turn
out to be a web designer geek after all. A dream I have always had is to learn to write in HTML code... ... I know, I need to branch out a bit, but since a couple
of my other dreams, goals and aspirations have come true I figure this one has a pretty good chance as well. Okay, so shoot me for being an optimist.
October 16th - Breakfast in Paradise -
After my morning walk, and everyone woke up, Frank and I loaded up the bikes with the birds and a handful of their
food and headed out for a bike ride around the resort. The perimeter road is almost 4 miles and with all the streets
in between we can go about 10 miles and not have to pass many things twice. And since the roads are all fairly flat
Cody gets a lot of flying in. As we watch many animals in the fields and bushes and lakes, we try and explain to
Cody just how good he has it. How many other birds get fed breakfast as they ride around The Great Outdoors on
the handle bars of a bike, only having to flap their wings when they want to and not because they have to hunt for
their own food. Halfway through our bike ride, we stopped of at the Café and had breakfast on the back patio with
both birds. Cody was still hungry after he had his bird breakfast and helped himself to half of mine. What a pig!
After my morning walk, and everyone woke up, Frank and I loaded up the bikes with the birds and a handful of their
food and headed out for a bike ride around the resort. The perimeter road is almost 4 miles and with all the streets
in between we can go about 10 miles and not have to pass many things twice. And since the roads are all fairly flat
Cody gets a lot of flying in. As we watch many animals in the fields and bushes and lakes, we try and explain to
Cody just how good he has it. How many other birds get fed breakfast as they ride around The Great Outdoors on
the handle bars of a bike, only having to flap their wings when they want to and not because they have to hunt for
their own food. Halfway through our bike ride, we stopped of at the Café and had breakfast on the back patio with
both birds. Cody was still hungry after he had his bird breakfast and helped himself to half of mine. What a pig!
October 19th - Party at Margaritaville -
To celebrate my birthday today we headed down to Orlando to meet up with Rick, LaVerne, Maureen and John, friends that we haven't seen since our last visit
to Florida back in March. Since we knew we would be gone all day, and somehow Cody felt it as well, since he started to get extra cute as we started packing
up for the day, we took him and Abbey for a lap around the park to exert some energy and make us feel a little less guilty for leaving them behind all day. On
our bike ride we stopped for a bit in order for Cody to talk to a deer that was having breakfast in the weeds behind the golf course. Once we arrived in Orlando
we spent a couple hours at Rick and LaVerne's with appetizers and then headed to Universal Walk to one of most favorite restaurants around the country,
Margaritaville. Of course the main perk of attending the restaurant is that Frank can get a new fun parrot T-shirt, but the food is great as well as well as the
ambiance which includes an erupting volcano and singing and dancing pirates who make balloon animals and hats and costumes for the patrons. After dinner
we walked around Universal Walk, which is almost an amusement park in itself, to see the Halloween decorations and did a bit of Christmas shopping.
To celebrate my birthday today we headed down to Orlando to meet up with Rick, LaVerne, Maureen and John, friends that we haven't seen since our last visit
to Florida back in March. Since we knew we would be gone all day, and somehow Cody felt it as well, since he started to get extra cute as we started packing
up for the day, we took him and Abbey for a lap around the park to exert some energy and make us feel a little less guilty for leaving them behind all day. On
our bike ride we stopped for a bit in order for Cody to talk to a deer that was having breakfast in the weeds behind the golf course. Once we arrived in Orlando
we spent a couple hours at Rick and LaVerne's with appetizers and then headed to Universal Walk to one of most favorite restaurants around the country,
Margaritaville. Of course the main perk of attending the restaurant is that Frank can get a new fun parrot T-shirt, but the food is great as well as well as the
ambiance which includes an erupting volcano and singing and dancing pirates who make balloon animals and hats and costumes for the patrons. After dinner
we walked around Universal Walk, which is almost an amusement park in itself, to see the Halloween decorations and did a bit of Christmas shopping.
The deer isn't quite sure what to think of Cody
Watch out, the volcano is about to blow
Good margaritas and great friends
October 22nd - Taking in the Views -
These last few days have been great. Even though our routine might be
seen as boring to some, we have enjoyed an early morning bike ride every
day followed by brunch on the patio with the birds and a few miscellaneous
animals such as the Windsong Way twin cranes, they are getting so big, a
cute baby lizard that liked to hang out on Frank's hat and Charlie, yes we
finally found Charlie, our friendly neighborhood alligator. After brunch we
either sit by the lake and read for a few hours, or head to the pool and read
there where we always have fun visiting with other neighbors and friends.
These last few days have been great. Even though our routine might be
seen as boring to some, we have enjoyed an early morning bike ride every
day followed by brunch on the patio with the birds and a few miscellaneous
animals such as the Windsong Way twin cranes, they are getting so big, a
cute baby lizard that liked to hang out on Frank's hat and Charlie, yes we
finally found Charlie, our friendly neighborhood alligator. After brunch we
either sit by the lake and read for a few hours, or head to the pool and read
there where we always have fun visiting with other neighbors and friends.
Rick and LaVerne joined us today, since they were both off of work, for a nice relaxing bar-b-que and a leisurely day. They live and work about an hour from
us and they were in much need of a change of pace and scenery so they brought their bikes as well and joined us on our search of nature this afternoon. I still
can't get over how many animals are around us in the trees and lakes and woods. As our time here comes to an end, we are a bit sad to have to say goodbye
to The Great Outdoors, but on that same note we are excited to know that we will soon be in Vegas with friends that we haven't seen in months and then in
California for a little over two months where we again gets lots of time to spend with family and friends. It's crazy to think we only have two weeks left of work
with the racing circuit, of course those two weeks are spread over the next four weeks, which makes it nice and gives us a lot of time to get across the country.
us and they were in much need of a change of pace and scenery so they brought their bikes as well and joined us on our search of nature this afternoon. I still
can't get over how many animals are around us in the trees and lakes and woods. As our time here comes to an end, we are a bit sad to have to say goodbye
to The Great Outdoors, but on that same note we are excited to know that we will soon be in Vegas with friends that we haven't seen in months and then in
California for a little over two months where we again gets lots of time to spend with family and friends. It's crazy to think we only have two weeks left of work
with the racing circuit, of course those two weeks are spread over the next four weeks, which makes it nice and gives us a lot of time to get across the country.
A turtle sunning himself by the road
Such a wise face
Armadillos - cute? or ugly?
A very tiny lizard hangs out with Frank
| Abbey gets ready for Halloween |
Hooray! Charlie is still here!
The Sandhill Cranes are growing up
October 24th - Beginning Our Final Cross-Country Drive of the Year -
Considering it was pouring rain this morning leaving The Great Outdoors wasn't as hard as we thought. Cody was very upset since he couldn't go for a final bike
ride and even more upset that he actually had to stay in his cage for a good portion of the day due to the fact that all he wanted to do once out of his cage is
play with Frank on the steering wheel. Not a safe place to play. We made it all the way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana 760 from home. It was sad to think that we
couldn't go to the pool this afternoon, but at the same time it was nice to be back on the road to see all the views. The drive over the 10 through Alabama is
such a weird felling since all you see on all four sides of the motorhome, with opposing traffic was about 1/2 mile away. Even the clouds were fun to look at.
Considering it was pouring rain this morning leaving The Great Outdoors wasn't as hard as we thought. Cody was very upset since he couldn't go for a final bike
ride and even more upset that he actually had to stay in his cage for a good portion of the day due to the fact that all he wanted to do once out of his cage is
play with Frank on the steering wheel. Not a safe place to play. We made it all the way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana 760 from home. It was sad to think that we
couldn't go to the pool this afternoon, but at the same time it was nice to be back on the road to see all the views. The drive over the 10 through Alabama is
such a weird felling since all you see on all four sides of the motorhome, with opposing traffic was about 1/2 mile away. Even the clouds were fun to look at.
The sun sets as we enter Baton Rouge
The highways in Alabama go over miles of ocean
A bull in the clouds
October 27th - A Day on the Roof - Las Vegas, Nevada -
Yes it sounds like on odd title of our day, but it was fun. Las Vegas hotels
have discovered that they can capitalize on the sunshine at the pools by
putting them on the roof. Gary and Kathy, our dear friends from New
Hampshire, are here for a week and we spent today with them at The
Grand Château. The views from the bar were so expansive of the Las
Vegas Strip and after the sun set it was even better. After our dip in the
pool we took a walk and had dinner at The Rainforest Café and watched a
lioness tear a giant raw hide bone to shreds in the lobby of the hotel. The
night air was still warm as we left the restaurant and returned to their hotel.
Yes it sounds like on odd title of our day, but it was fun. Las Vegas hotels
have discovered that they can capitalize on the sunshine at the pools by
putting them on the roof. Gary and Kathy, our dear friends from New
Hampshire, are here for a week and we spent today with them at The
Grand Château. The views from the bar were so expansive of the Las
Vegas Strip and after the sun set it was even better. After our dip in the
pool we took a walk and had dinner at The Rainforest Café and watched a
lioness tear a giant raw hide bone to shreds in the lobby of the hotel. The
night air was still warm as we left the restaurant and returned to their hotel.
Kathy and I pose with a huge walking M&M
A beautiful lioness plays with her toy
Charlie? Is that you?
By the pool and the views
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
November 3rd - A Walk Down the Strip - Las Vegas Nevada -
Since the race is over and John and Andrea are here a couple extra days, the four of us decided the spend the day together in Las Vegas. The weather was
nice, a little on the cool side, but since we did a lot of walking the cool weather was greatly appreciated. We started out at their hotel, New York, New York
where we had lunch at a supposed New York style pizzeria. Since we were just in New York a few months back and ate at a real New York pizzeria we can
attest that the New York, New York's version is a lot fancier, however the pricing was about the same since everything in New York is very spendy. After lunch
we headed over to the Bellagio to watch the water show and then back to the Luxor where we thought we would take in a show, but changed our minds and
headed downtown to Fremont Street instead for some bargain gambling and dinner at Tony Roma's. This whole weekend was fun. We had all sorts of friends
visiting and got to spend lots of time with each of them. There is only one race left in the NHRA circuit, which is in Pomona in about two weeks and then we are
off from racing until early February. Apparently we blinked at some point this year and it all sped by. It's been a wonderful year, but the fastest one yet.
Since the race is over and John and Andrea are here a couple extra days, the four of us decided the spend the day together in Las Vegas. The weather was
nice, a little on the cool side, but since we did a lot of walking the cool weather was greatly appreciated. We started out at their hotel, New York, New York
where we had lunch at a supposed New York style pizzeria. Since we were just in New York a few months back and ate at a real New York pizzeria we can
attest that the New York, New York's version is a lot fancier, however the pricing was about the same since everything in New York is very spendy. After lunch
we headed over to the Bellagio to watch the water show and then back to the Luxor where we thought we would take in a show, but changed our minds and
headed downtown to Fremont Street instead for some bargain gambling and dinner at Tony Roma's. This whole weekend was fun. We had all sorts of friends
visiting and got to spend lots of time with each of them. There is only one race left in the NHRA circuit, which is in Pomona in about two weeks and then we are
off from racing until early February. Apparently we blinked at some point this year and it all sped by. It's been a wonderful year, but the fastest one yet.
| The water was about as high as the hotel |
| Outside the Luxor pyramid |
| John and Andrea at the Bellagio water show |
| The view from New York, New York |
November 9th - Who Says California Doesn't Have Tornadoes? -
News bulletin just in "A tornado hit the Santa Ynez Valley today as Frank and Suzy Whitmore entered Highway 246 from
the 101."... ... Okay, so our arrival wasn't quite newsworthy, but we did feel as though we were in a tornado as we were
delightfully swept all around town visiting as much family as possible with a few friends thrown in as well. It started with a
little down time at the RV park and laundry Wednesday night after a long drive from the Vegas race, followed by
Thursday afternoon with my parents and an evening attending a dear friend's musical at Santa Barbara City College's
Garvin Theatre. While we were on campus, Frank and I grabbed dinner at the old café where we re-met, after being
friends in high school, and fell in love (this is where the oohs and aahs are supposed to be heard) The World Goes
'Round was a fabulous musical revue and Kristi was amazing. I was so glad we were able to be in town during one of her
final performances. Friday we relocated to a friends house in Santa Ynez and had a little dinner party. Saturday we were
able to see most of our family and would have loved to visit more but ran out of time. Sunday we caught up with a few of
News bulletin just in "A tornado hit the Santa Ynez Valley today as Frank and Suzy Whitmore entered Highway 246 from
the 101."... ... Okay, so our arrival wasn't quite newsworthy, but we did feel as though we were in a tornado as we were
delightfully swept all around town visiting as much family as possible with a few friends thrown in as well. It started with a
little down time at the RV park and laundry Wednesday night after a long drive from the Vegas race, followed by
Thursday afternoon with my parents and an evening attending a dear friend's musical at Santa Barbara City College's
Garvin Theatre. While we were on campus, Frank and I grabbed dinner at the old café where we re-met, after being
friends in high school, and fell in love (this is where the oohs and aahs are supposed to be heard) The World Goes
'Round was a fabulous musical revue and Kristi was amazing. I was so glad we were able to be in town during one of her
final performances. Friday we relocated to a friends house in Santa Ynez and had a little dinner party. Saturday we were
able to see most of our family and would have loved to visit more but ran out of time. Sunday we caught up with a few of
them and also a dinner with friends that ended in a fun surprise belated birthday party for me. Thanks guys, we all had a great night! We left the Valley bright and
early Monday morning for our final race and are now in Pomona, just a few hours south. After this week we will have another break and be able to visit the rest of
the family, including our nieces Hayley and Torrie that we unfortunately weren't able to squeeze in. Boo hoo hoo! But we'll be back soon! :-)
early Monday morning for our final race and are now in Pomona, just a few hours south. After this week we will have another break and be able to visit the rest of
the family, including our nieces Hayley and Torrie that we unfortunately weren't able to squeeze in. Boo hoo hoo! But we'll be back soon! :-)
The scene of early love and happiness
| One last breakfast with friends |
A fun cake for a belated birthday
The weekend was full of parties
November 12th - Our Last Monster Set-up - Pomona, California -
Today marks the final set up of the final race of the year and the final setup to the final race of our Monster
sponsorship. We received news a couple races back that Monster has decided not to renew Kenny's contract and so
we say good bye to a car, a driver and a great team of guys. Frank and I are fortunate enough to be able to stay on
with Camp Bernstein, however we will be outfitted in Budweiser next year since that sponsorship is staying, for the time
in the pits as a spectator. It feels so odd to be back here in Pomona since it feels like just a few months ago we were
here for the first race of the year. However this weekend promises to be full of excitement since the Funny Car
Champion has not yet been crowned and the top 5 drivers in points all have a shot at it at this moment. The Top Fuel
Dragster Champion was crowed at the last race since the Army team and Tony Schumacher mathematically clinched it.
Today marks the final set up of the final race of the year and the final setup to the final race of our Monster
sponsorship. We received news a couple races back that Monster has decided not to renew Kenny's contract and so
we say good bye to a car, a driver and a great team of guys. Frank and I are fortunate enough to be able to stay on
with Camp Bernstein, however we will be outfitted in Budweiser next year since that sponsorship is staying, for the time
in the pits as a spectator. It feels so odd to be back here in Pomona since it feels like just a few months ago we were
here for the first race of the year. However this weekend promises to be full of excitement since the Funny Car
Champion has not yet been crowned and the top 5 drivers in points all have a shot at it at this moment. The Top Fuel
Dragster Champion was crowed at the last race since the Army team and Tony Schumacher mathematically clinched it.
November 14th - Happy Retirement Tim and Kim - The Final Race -
After 8 years with Kenny Bernstein Racing, tuning the Budweiser, Lucas Oil Dragster, and many many other years of tuning for other car owners, the husband
and wife team of Tim and Kim Richards are retiring as the Crew Chiefs. This evening we had a fun goodbye party for them along with the ESPN camera crew
to record the festive occasion. Included in the festivities was a toast where we used the sponsored product instead of champagne. I tried to get a shot of the
actual toast, as you can see above but the darn ESPN camera bumped me out of the way so it's a little blurred but, you get the idea.
After 8 years with Kenny Bernstein Racing, tuning the Budweiser, Lucas Oil Dragster, and many many other years of tuning for other car owners, the husband
and wife team of Tim and Kim Richards are retiring as the Crew Chiefs. This evening we had a fun goodbye party for them along with the ESPN camera crew
to record the festive occasion. Included in the festivities was a toast where we used the sponsored product instead of champagne. I tried to get a shot of the
actual toast, as you can see above but the darn ESPN camera bumped me out of the way so it's a little blurred but, you get the idea.
| Up goes the sign |
| Then the awning and a few fans |
| The Bud boys are ready for the toast |
| Add a few tables and ... ... |
| Cheers to a happy retirement! |
| Kenny gave a tearful goodbye |
November 16th - Fire Watch -
Usually the flames and smoke of our weekends come from the cars on the track and the warm-ups in the Pits. Todays smoke and fire unfortunately came from the
many towns all around us that are on fire. As we all pray for the safety of the inhabitants of the homes that have been lost, we realize that loosing your home and
it's contents is heart breaking. I lost an apartment in college due to a fire so I know first hand just how horrible it is to return home to what is no longer a home, but
evening as we walked home we could see the hillside above us aglow with flames. Please God, keep everyone safe and help the fires get under control.
Usually the flames and smoke of our weekends come from the cars on the track and the warm-ups in the Pits. Todays smoke and fire unfortunately came from the
many towns all around us that are on fire. As we all pray for the safety of the inhabitants of the homes that have been lost, we realize that loosing your home and
it's contents is heart breaking. I lost an apartment in college due to a fire so I know first hand just how horrible it is to return home to what is no longer a home, but
evening as we walked home we could see the hillside above us aglow with flames. Please God, keep everyone safe and help the fires get under control.
November 15th - Going Out With a Bang -
I broke a cardinal rule today, I took pictures at a funeral... a Funny Car funeral
to top it off. Our very sad little car went ka-bloowy today half way down the track
on the final qualifying round. The upper left photo shows you what a regular run
run. Rods are very solid and quite heavy. Every so often a rod or two might get
lodged or forced into the engine block, or torn up a bit and not be able to be
separated from the piston, but all eight of todays pistons turned to confetti as
the engine block blew up. The rods are sitting in the oil pan that also broke
apart and the far right shot is the engine block that still has 7 of the pistons
lodged in with a broken bottom end. Needless to say the run wasn't successful.
I broke a cardinal rule today, I took pictures at a funeral... a Funny Car funeral
to top it off. Our very sad little car went ka-bloowy today half way down the track
on the final qualifying round. The upper left photo shows you what a regular run
run. Rods are very solid and quite heavy. Every so often a rod or two might get
lodged or forced into the engine block, or torn up a bit and not be able to be
separated from the piston, but all eight of todays pistons turned to confetti as
the engine block blew up. The rods are sitting in the oil pan that also broke
apart and the far right shot is the engine block that still has 7 of the pistons
lodged in with a broken bottom end. Needless to say the run wasn't successful.
| What a rod usually looks like after a run |
| A final shot of the Monster Men |
| Hayley and Ashley, MVPs |
November 23rd - Torrie's Soccer Game - Robb Stadium, Santa Barbara -
Today's sporting event was watching our other niece, Torrie. Her game of choice is soccer, and she plays with a county wide team. Today they were matched up
against the Moorepark team, and were victorious! Hooray! The game ended 1 to 0, but the suspense was just as great as the volleyball tournament, since most
of the game time was spent outside each of the teams goals. They played at the UCSB field, and considering they are all 11 years old, or there abouts, that's an
the Thanksgiving weekend is over Torrie's soccer schedule will start back up at some point, including a tournament down in Irvine. We aren't quite sure what our
schedule will be that week, but it would fun to attend another game. It's fun to be able to scream and cheer like a little kid again,and feel so proud when they win!
Today's sporting event was watching our other niece, Torrie. Her game of choice is soccer, and she plays with a county wide team. Today they were matched up
against the Moorepark team, and were victorious! Hooray! The game ended 1 to 0, but the suspense was just as great as the volleyball tournament, since most
of the game time was spent outside each of the teams goals. They played at the UCSB field, and considering they are all 11 years old, or there abouts, that's an
the Thanksgiving weekend is over Torrie's soccer schedule will start back up at some point, including a tournament down in Irvine. We aren't quite sure what our
schedule will be that week, but it would fun to attend another game. It's fun to be able to scream and cheer like a little kid again,and feel so proud when they win!
| Past the point of no return |
November 22nd - Tracey and Brandon Tie the Knot - Huntington Beach, California -
Since working closely with Tracey for the past two years and listening to all the fun wedding plans come together, this evening was even that much more special.
Brandon and Tracey have been planning this event between two years of crazy racing circuit schedules, a new shop going in and relocating their home to
Indianapolis, Indiana to help run the new shop of Kenny Bernstein Racing. Needless to say, the newly-weds are greatly looking forward to a week long
honeymoon of basking on a private beach as they relax and tune out the world. The ceremony was held at the most beautiful church down in Yorba Linda with the
reception overlooking the calm Pacific Ocean at sunset. Once the sun did go down we all went inside to watch the happy couple dance the night away. Frank and
I enjoyed catching up with all the girls from the California office, since we only get to see them a couple times a year and always have a great time together. I do
have a few incriminating pictures of John Force dancing, but as I told him... ... I'm keeping those for later blackmail material! :-)
Since working closely with Tracey for the past two years and listening to all the fun wedding plans come together, this evening was even that much more special.
Brandon and Tracey have been planning this event between two years of crazy racing circuit schedules, a new shop going in and relocating their home to
Indianapolis, Indiana to help run the new shop of Kenny Bernstein Racing. Needless to say, the newly-weds are greatly looking forward to a week long
honeymoon of basking on a private beach as they relax and tune out the world. The ceremony was held at the most beautiful church down in Yorba Linda with the
reception overlooking the calm Pacific Ocean at sunset. Once the sun did go down we all went inside to watch the happy couple dance the night away. Frank and
I enjoyed catching up with all the girls from the California office, since we only get to see them a couple times a year and always have a great time together. I do
have a few incriminating pictures of John Force dancing, but as I told him... ... I'm keeping those for later blackmail material! :-)
November 18th - Championship Volleyball Game - Solvang, California -
We arrived in town today around noon and hit the ground with our feet running. I have to admit this entry is being written about a week later than it happened, but
the night is still fresh in our minds. Our darling niece, Hayley, and her school volleyball team played tonight for the championship trophy. It was so exciting. When
the game first began I teased her mom, my sister-in-law, about being so nervous throughout the first half of the first game, after all coming in second place would
be an honor for the girls as well. By the end of the first half Frank and I were jumping up and down cheering and screaming for the Solvang team just as loud, if
not louder, than proud mother Renee and all the other moms around us. They had to win three out of five games and Dunn, the opposing team, was ranked
number 1 in the points so the Warriors had their work cut out for them. The Solvang Warriors won the first two games, by quite a bit, but lost game number three
by only two. Once game four started and Dunn was ahead, we all thought it would come down to the wire of game five. Lucky for all of us, and our blood pressure,
Solvang came back, got ahead of Dunn in points and finally took victory in game 4! The crowd went wild, since it was a home game and the noise of 15 screaming
happy teenagers, although a little ear piercing, was a wonderful sound to hear. To top it all off, Hayley was named MVP of the game and her friend and fellow
player Ashley, was named MVP of the tournament. It was a great night. We were so glad to have been able to make it. However the game didn't end till around
11, so we weren't able to go out and celebrate since it was a school night, however I think the adults were far more tired than the girls and looking forward to bed.
We arrived in town today around noon and hit the ground with our feet running. I have to admit this entry is being written about a week later than it happened, but
the night is still fresh in our minds. Our darling niece, Hayley, and her school volleyball team played tonight for the championship trophy. It was so exciting. When
the game first began I teased her mom, my sister-in-law, about being so nervous throughout the first half of the first game, after all coming in second place would
be an honor for the girls as well. By the end of the first half Frank and I were jumping up and down cheering and screaming for the Solvang team just as loud, if
not louder, than proud mother Renee and all the other moms around us. They had to win three out of five games and Dunn, the opposing team, was ranked
number 1 in the points so the Warriors had their work cut out for them. The Solvang Warriors won the first two games, by quite a bit, but lost game number three
by only two. Once game four started and Dunn was ahead, we all thought it would come down to the wire of game five. Lucky for all of us, and our blood pressure,
Solvang came back, got ahead of Dunn in points and finally took victory in game 4! The crowd went wild, since it was a home game and the noise of 15 screaming
happy teenagers, although a little ear piercing, was a wonderful sound to hear. To top it all off, Hayley was named MVP of the game and her friend and fellow
player Ashley, was named MVP of the tournament. It was a great night. We were so glad to have been able to make it. However the game didn't end till around
11, so we weren't able to go out and celebrate since it was a school night, however I think the adults were far more tired than the girls and looking forward to bed.
November 24th - A New Fun and Fabulous Faucet!!!! - The Bus -
For the past year and a half, I have wanted to get a new faucet for our kitchen in the motorhome. It's always been on the
back burner of my mind, until this past month or so. Recently the old sink has been leaky after we turn it off, and
considering some times water is a precious commodity in our house on wheels, we decided to hit Home Depot to see
what options we had for a new one, besides, listening to the water pump come on at 2am was a bit annoying at times. It
felt like Christmas. We walked through the aisles of all the shiny, pretty, new faucets. We measured a few of them to see
which one would fit. Keep in mind we do have a sweet bird that likes to perch on the faucet, so we had to make sure
there was enough room for him to sit and not bump his head on the light fixtures or cupboards above. Once we found
the perfect one, we headed home and handy Frank installed it, with a little help from our feathered friends of course. I
can't tell you just how happy I am that my hubby can do anything he sets his mind to, and very well I might add... ... but
don't tell him I said that! Once the old one was out, and the new one in, it looked like a brand new kitchen and best of all,
not only did Bradley approve, but the sprayer works, AND I have a soap dispenser. Okay, so I'm easily amused. : - )
For the past year and a half, I have wanted to get a new faucet for our kitchen in the motorhome. It's always been on the
back burner of my mind, until this past month or so. Recently the old sink has been leaky after we turn it off, and
considering some times water is a precious commodity in our house on wheels, we decided to hit Home Depot to see
what options we had for a new one, besides, listening to the water pump come on at 2am was a bit annoying at times. It
felt like Christmas. We walked through the aisles of all the shiny, pretty, new faucets. We measured a few of them to see
which one would fit. Keep in mind we do have a sweet bird that likes to perch on the faucet, so we had to make sure
there was enough room for him to sit and not bump his head on the light fixtures or cupboards above. Once we found
the perfect one, we headed home and handy Frank installed it, with a little help from our feathered friends of course. I
can't tell you just how happy I am that my hubby can do anything he sets his mind to, and very well I might add... ... but
don't tell him I said that! Once the old one was out, and the new one in, it looked like a brand new kitchen and best of all,
not only did Bradley approve, but the sprayer works, AND I have a soap dispenser. Okay, so I'm easily amused. : - )
| Suzy, Christine, Chelsea, Diane |
| Watch out, these 3 can cause trouble |
| Mr and Mrs. Bernstein |
| The very happy couple |
| Three cheers for the winning team! |
| Torrie takes a break from playing |
| The fabulous new and modern faucet |
| The old icky 80's faucet |
| Bradley gives his final approval |
| A cracked engine block = OUCH! |
| A very sad pile of broken engine parts sitting in a broken oil pan |
December 7th - A Fun Night at the Rodeo -
This evening we were lucky enough to get some tickets to the actual rodeo
and had Sean, our cousin, and his fiancée Shira join us. It was awesome!!
The National Anthem was sung by Kristy Lee Cook, from American Idol, and
Brooks and Dunn was the opening band and had everyone cheering. It was
fun to see such a well known band live. Okay, so I have to admit I do enjoy a
bit of country music now and then. Besides, we were surrounded by
cowboys, so it was the perfect ambiance. Since it is December 7th, they had
a great memorial for those who fought in World War II along with Lee Green
Wood singing 'Proud to be an American' with a member of each and every
United States Armed Service represented. It brought tears to many eyes and
This evening we were lucky enough to get some tickets to the actual rodeo
and had Sean, our cousin, and his fiancée Shira join us. It was awesome!!
The National Anthem was sung by Kristy Lee Cook, from American Idol, and
Brooks and Dunn was the opening band and had everyone cheering. It was
fun to see such a well known band live. Okay, so I have to admit I do enjoy a
bit of country music now and then. Besides, we were surrounded by
cowboys, so it was the perfect ambiance. Since it is December 7th, they had
a great memorial for those who fought in World War II along with Lee Green
Wood singing 'Proud to be an American' with a member of each and every
United States Armed Service represented. It brought tears to many eyes and
December 6th - National Finals Rodeo - Las Vegas, Nevada -
Where oh where did this whole year go? I guess it went by as we were having
far too much to notice that it passed. We are back at the most fun event of the
year. The National Finals Rodeo here in Vegas never lets us down as being a
great 2 weeks, and still hasn't! This year is the 50th Anniversary year, so the
crowds are big and the days fly by as we sell all the souvenirs people need for
themselves and for those who weren't lucky enough to be able to make it out
here. Since we have been so busy, we have had to enlist even more help in
our fun little kiosk, which translates to lots of days with Chris and Karolyn. This
morning, before we opened, Chris and Frank had a little fun with seeing who
could shoot each other first in a good old western gun fight! However, the
batteries in the scanners were dead, so thankfully there were no casualties
and everyone was able to work all day. Good thing since it was quite busy.
Where oh where did this whole year go? I guess it went by as we were having
far too much to notice that it passed. We are back at the most fun event of the
year. The National Finals Rodeo here in Vegas never lets us down as being a
great 2 weeks, and still hasn't! This year is the 50th Anniversary year, so the
crowds are big and the days fly by as we sell all the souvenirs people need for
themselves and for those who weren't lucky enough to be able to make it out
here. Since we have been so busy, we have had to enlist even more help in
our fun little kiosk, which translates to lots of days with Chris and Karolyn. This
morning, before we opened, Chris and Frank had a little fun with seeing who
could shoot each other first in a good old western gun fight! However, the
batteries in the scanners were dead, so thankfully there were no casualties
and everyone was able to work all day. Good thing since it was quite busy.
made for an amazing evening. Thank you Jesus that we have the freedom that allows us to have so much fun out here, and can be reminded every so often
why! During the rodeo, as most of you know from my journals of the last few years here, I do cheer for the animals. I truly enjoy all the sports, except for the
tie-down roping. This is where I conveniently take a potty brake. This evening however, due to our centrally located seats, I was unable to escape this event so
we had a leg injury, just as they would do with an injured human contestant. One of the Steer Wrestlers, which after sitting directly behind the steer chute
brings a new respect for these men, was a man who lives just one little town up from our home town, Los Alamos. We didn't win the event, but came in third.
There's nothing quite like a night at the rodeo, and since this year, again, is the 50th, and the seats are sold out, it made for an even more festive night.
why! During the rodeo, as most of you know from my journals of the last few years here, I do cheer for the animals. I truly enjoy all the sports, except for the
tie-down roping. This is where I conveniently take a potty brake. This evening however, due to our centrally located seats, I was unable to escape this event so
we had a leg injury, just as they would do with an injured human contestant. One of the Steer Wrestlers, which after sitting directly behind the steer chute
brings a new respect for these men, was a man who lives just one little town up from our home town, Los Alamos. We didn't win the event, but came in third.
There's nothing quite like a night at the rodeo, and since this year, again, is the 50th, and the seats are sold out, it made for an even more festive night.
| Shira and Sean enjoying the rodeo |
| Kristy Lee Cook sing the National Anthem |
| Lee Green Wood with a few of the defenders of our country |
| Brooks and Dunn |
| A Steer Wrestler from Los Alamos |
| "Take three paces and turn" |
| Shoot boys, shoot! I guess there's too much love here to kill anyone! Suckers!! |
December 14th -The Day After (The Rodeo)- ... ... and a Double Shot of Nighttime Robitussin -
Please forgive my lack of updating, but I must blame powers beyond my control. Day 7 of the rodeo I began to get a sore throat so I went to bed early .. ... day
8 I began to get body aches and a gnarly headache that wouldn't go away no matter how many Advil I took so I went bed even earlier. Day 9, the busiest day
of the rodeo mind you, I awoke to feeling like udder @#&%! Thank God for darling Karolyn, who came in on her day off to cover for me while I lay dead in bed.
I get sick so rarely and each time I do I try and talk myself out of it best I can and tell whatever is ailing my body that it isn't going to win. Usually this works and I
defeat it! However today, finally having to admit defeat, I crawled back into bed after attempting to dress myself Friday morning and slept until Saturday
morning, where I was half way between the land of the living and the land of the overly medicated. Cold medicine does work wonders, but sure does suck when
it wears off. So my plan on Saturday was to take enough of the stuff in order to keep it from wearing off! I happily report that my plan worked with only 1 glitch.
Once I got home I realized that the daytime Robitussin was gone, due to a loosened cap in my bag. YUCK! I did contemplate pouring it from the bag into my
body, but reconsidered that thought pretty darn quick. No fears, I still had a full bottle of the nighttime Robutussin, since it was a duel pack, so I turned to that
and have been there ever since. I am, however, very happy to report that Saturday flew by and for the overall event we ended up selling out of pretty much
everything we had in our kiosk, which makes the 'Whitmore's Building our Dream House Fund' very happy! So I sign off now, with my pillow in one hand and a
sweet sleeping bird in the other, as we listen to our favorite guitar player play is collection of songs! Good night all!
Please forgive my lack of updating, but I must blame powers beyond my control. Day 7 of the rodeo I began to get a sore throat so I went to bed early .. ... day
8 I began to get body aches and a gnarly headache that wouldn't go away no matter how many Advil I took so I went bed even earlier. Day 9, the busiest day
of the rodeo mind you, I awoke to feeling like udder @#&%! Thank God for darling Karolyn, who came in on her day off to cover for me while I lay dead in bed.
I get sick so rarely and each time I do I try and talk myself out of it best I can and tell whatever is ailing my body that it isn't going to win. Usually this works and I
defeat it! However today, finally having to admit defeat, I crawled back into bed after attempting to dress myself Friday morning and slept until Saturday
morning, where I was half way between the land of the living and the land of the overly medicated. Cold medicine does work wonders, but sure does suck when
it wears off. So my plan on Saturday was to take enough of the stuff in order to keep it from wearing off! I happily report that my plan worked with only 1 glitch.
Once I got home I realized that the daytime Robitussin was gone, due to a loosened cap in my bag. YUCK! I did contemplate pouring it from the bag into my
body, but reconsidered that thought pretty darn quick. No fears, I still had a full bottle of the nighttime Robutussin, since it was a duel pack, so I turned to that
and have been there ever since. I am, however, very happy to report that Saturday flew by and for the overall event we ended up selling out of pretty much
everything we had in our kiosk, which makes the 'Whitmore's Building our Dream House Fund' very happy! So I sign off now, with my pillow in one hand and a
sweet sleeping bird in the other, as we listen to our favorite guitar player play is collection of songs! Good night all!
December 14th - A Picturesque Drive to Lake Cachuma -
Since it has literally been years since we camped at Lake Cachuma, the lake above the hills of our home town, we decided we were long overdue for a visit.
The drive up here was quite amazing. Once we were settled in to our campsite above the lake, we headed out to Santa Maria for some shopping to put the
finishing touches on our Christmas gifts. AS we drove to Santa Maria, in the rain, we saw two complete rainbows. Unfortunately from the car, the camera
couldn't quite get the whole arch of the double rainbow, but at least you get some idea of it's grandeur. We will stay here at Lake Cachuma through the
holiday season and into the New Year, or until we desire for a change of scenery. It's supposed to rain here for the next three days straight and perhaps
even snow a bit! How fun, to have a white Christmas Eve's eve's eve's eve? How many eve's would that be??
Since it has literally been years since we camped at Lake Cachuma, the lake above the hills of our home town, we decided we were long overdue for a visit.
The drive up here was quite amazing. Once we were settled in to our campsite above the lake, we headed out to Santa Maria for some shopping to put the
finishing touches on our Christmas gifts. AS we drove to Santa Maria, in the rain, we saw two complete rainbows. Unfortunately from the car, the camera
couldn't quite get the whole arch of the double rainbow, but at least you get some idea of it's grandeur. We will stay here at Lake Cachuma through the
holiday season and into the New Year, or until we desire for a change of scenery. It's supposed to rain here for the next three days straight and perhaps
even snow a bit! How fun, to have a white Christmas Eve's eve's eve's eve? How many eve's would that be??
December 16th - Santa Comes Early -
the tree, still wrapped, and open them early anyways, we decided to bring out the completely edible tiki hut that we found for him at the pet store. It took him a
day or so to get close to it, and then another day to actually crawl inside, but once he overcame his fear of being eaten by it, he began to tear it to pieces. He
can't quite make it in the door, so he has figured out that if he removes the roof, he can get in that way. The cutest part of this, is the fact that he removes the
roof from the inside out. He is far too cute and too smart for his own good sometimes and, of course, always very entertaining to watch!
the tree, still wrapped, and open them early anyways, we decided to bring out the completely edible tiki hut that we found for him at the pet store. It took him a
day or so to get close to it, and then another day to actually crawl inside, but once he overcame his fear of being eaten by it, he began to tear it to pieces. He
can't quite make it in the door, so he has figured out that if he removes the roof, he can get in that way. The cutest part of this, is the fact that he removes the
roof from the inside out. He is far too cute and too smart for his own good sometimes and, of course, always very entertaining to watch!
| "Hmmm, how can I get all the way in?" |
| "Aha! Through the roof, and it's tasty too!" |
| "Not sure about this!" |
| "I guess it looks safe enough" |
| The lake from Highway 154 |
| Hopefully the brown mountains will turn green with the rain |
| While the adults caught up... ... |
| ... ... the boys played Christmas carols... |
| ... ... and admired her work in the mirror |
| ... ...Kylie put makeup on all the kids... ... |
December 15th - The White's Annual Christmas Party -
As another year comes to a close, we find ourselves at another fun and festive party at the White's House. Tony was the chef of the evening and made some
delicious Manicotti, from scratch. After dinner Tony and Frank played Silent Night on their guitars as the kids had a "makeover party" which consisted of Kylie
putting make-up on herself and the other 7 children attending the festivities. Once everyone had been made over, we all enjoyed desert, which consisted of
every imaginable sweet from peppermint ice cream to frosted Christmas trees that the kids made with sugar cones, green frosting and M and M's as the
ornaments hung on the trees. There is nothing quite like an evening with life long friends.
As another year comes to a close, we find ourselves at another fun and festive party at the White's House. Tony was the chef of the evening and made some
delicious Manicotti, from scratch. After dinner Tony and Frank played Silent Night on their guitars as the kids had a "makeover party" which consisted of Kylie
putting make-up on herself and the other 7 children attending the festivities. Once everyone had been made over, we all enjoyed desert, which consisted of
every imaginable sweet from peppermint ice cream to frosted Christmas trees that the kids made with sugar cones, green frosting and M and M's as the
ornaments hung on the trees. There is nothing quite like an evening with life long friends.
December 18th - A Day in the Snow -
While it has been raining for the last three days, pretty much straight, we
have noticed that the layer of snow on the top of Figueroa has gotten more
visible as each day passes. This morning, waking up to sunshine, we
decided to trek up the mountain to see just how much snow there was
along with our good friends Jenn and Amy. The road was closed about a
mile from the top due to so much snow, so we parked the Jeep and hiked
the rest of the way up. There was about 2 feet of snow at the top and a
nice layer of fresh powder, which made for perfect makings of snowballs to
throw and snowmen to build. We also found a great slide in the snow.
While it has been raining for the last three days, pretty much straight, we
have noticed that the layer of snow on the top of Figueroa has gotten more
visible as each day passes. This morning, waking up to sunshine, we
decided to trek up the mountain to see just how much snow there was
along with our good friends Jenn and Amy. The road was closed about a
mile from the top due to so much snow, so we parked the Jeep and hiked
the rest of the way up. There was about 2 feet of snow at the top and a
nice layer of fresh powder, which made for perfect makings of snowballs to
throw and snowmen to build. We also found a great slide in the snow.
Since we didn't bring any sleds or cardboard, we improvised and used our feet and fannies. It was a little cold sliding straight on the snow, but we were having
far too much fun to care. Next event? Making snow angels!! Since we were already pretty snowy, we decided to try our hand at, or should I say our bodies at,
making snow angels. The last time Frank and I made snow angels was about 6 years ago at Tahoe, where I jumped backyards into what looked like a layer of
fresh powder only to find that it was actually more like 2 feet of powder. After bailing out of the snowstorm I jumped into, I was far too frozen to have much
desire of attempting it again. After about 3 hours of winter fun today, being soaked to the skin and having no more feeling in our hands and feet, we headed
back to the car to thaw out and head down the mountain to warmer ground. The best part was that we had the mountain to ourselves since school was still in.
far too much fun to care. Next event? Making snow angels!! Since we were already pretty snowy, we decided to try our hand at, or should I say our bodies at,
making snow angels. The last time Frank and I made snow angels was about 6 years ago at Tahoe, where I jumped backyards into what looked like a layer of
fresh powder only to find that it was actually more like 2 feet of powder. After bailing out of the snowstorm I jumped into, I was far too frozen to have much
desire of attempting it again. After about 3 hours of winter fun today, being soaked to the skin and having no more feeling in our hands and feet, we headed
back to the car to thaw out and head down the mountain to warmer ground. The best part was that we had the mountain to ourselves since school was still in.
| Our very own Frosty |
| Jenn and Suzy race down the hill |
| Can you see our 4 Snow Angels? |
| A view of the mountains from Santa Ynez |
| Frank tests out the hill first |
Our Secret Christmas Project is a Success!! -
What was just a dream and what seemed to be an impossible feat, is now in the hands of friends and family all over the country. Frank's guitar playing has
gotten, well in my humble opinion, amazing! We ordered a book of Christmas carols back in October in hopes of having Frank be able to accompany our
traditional after Christmas dinner caroling. Once he had mastered half the songs, I mentioned "Wouldn't it be great to create a CD of your songs for your
family for Christmas?" Not realizing that with all the modern technology, my savvy computer literate husband, and our new fabulous MacBook, we could do just
that! The Mac has Garage Band software on it and Firewire in order to turn any music you can play into an album. After hitting Guitar Center for the rest of the
necessary attachments, ie a microphone and Firebox, we now have our very own traveling recording studio, as seen in the pictures above. It was a very
rewarding experience, and a little more time consuming than we thought, but well worth it. After practicing for 100's of hours and recording for about 50,
Frank's portion was done, and beautifully I might add... ... and after 30 hours of setting up the pictures in a CD cover layout, printing, swearing at the printer
that kept mis-aligning the paper, printing more, cutting, sticking, wrapping, reprinting more CD's due to the success of the first release, wrapping and shipping,
Suzy's portion was done and we are happy to present "Songs from the Road - An Acoustic Collection" by Frank Whitmore.
What was just a dream and what seemed to be an impossible feat, is now in the hands of friends and family all over the country. Frank's guitar playing has
gotten, well in my humble opinion, amazing! We ordered a book of Christmas carols back in October in hopes of having Frank be able to accompany our
traditional after Christmas dinner caroling. Once he had mastered half the songs, I mentioned "Wouldn't it be great to create a CD of your songs for your
family for Christmas?" Not realizing that with all the modern technology, my savvy computer literate husband, and our new fabulous MacBook, we could do just
that! The Mac has Garage Band software on it and Firewire in order to turn any music you can play into an album. After hitting Guitar Center for the rest of the
necessary attachments, ie a microphone and Firebox, we now have our very own traveling recording studio, as seen in the pictures above. It was a very
rewarding experience, and a little more time consuming than we thought, but well worth it. After practicing for 100's of hours and recording for about 50,
Frank's portion was done, and beautifully I might add... ... and after 30 hours of setting up the pictures in a CD cover layout, printing, swearing at the printer
that kept mis-aligning the paper, printing more, cutting, sticking, wrapping, reprinting more CD's due to the success of the first release, wrapping and shipping,
Suzy's portion was done and we are happy to present "Songs from the Road - An Acoustic Collection" by Frank Whitmore.
December 24th - Christmas Eve -
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Frank would play Christmas carols all night! We had a great Christmas Eve with family and
pets. Frank's parents have a sweet little kitten, Sammy, who throughly enjoyed his 'mystery triangle' from Santa as we adults sang Christmas carols as Frank
accompanied us on his new guitar that Santa delivered a few days before Christmas. Since he had to lighten his sleigh in order to get the rest of the gifts
around the world in one trip, Frank was quick to volunteer to get his gift, with all the other eager kids around the country, early. When we got home from
Christmas dinner, we found another eager soul. Bradley had found his gift under the tree and was doing his darndest to see what was inside. We ended the
evening with a fun bottle of festive Electric Reindeer wine and finished wrapping gifts for tomorrow.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Frank would play Christmas carols all night! We had a great Christmas Eve with family and
pets. Frank's parents have a sweet little kitten, Sammy, who throughly enjoyed his 'mystery triangle' from Santa as we adults sang Christmas carols as Frank
accompanied us on his new guitar that Santa delivered a few days before Christmas. Since he had to lighten his sleigh in order to get the rest of the gifts
around the world in one trip, Frank was quick to volunteer to get his gift, with all the other eager kids around the country, early. When we got home from
Christmas dinner, we found another eager soul. Bradley had found his gift under the tree and was doing his darndest to see what was inside. We ended the
evening with a fun bottle of festive Electric Reindeer wine and finished wrapping gifts for tomorrow.
December 21 - Breakfast With Santa - Buellton, California -
What's better than breakfast with Santa for a sweet four year old? Hmmm, can't think of much. Rochelle, Shelby and I had a very fun morning. Telling Santa
what we wanted for Christmas, assuring him we had all been good all year long and enjoying some very delicious made to order omelets along with every
other breakfast delight imaginable. AFter breakfast we searched the rooftops for Rudolf and the gang, but they stayed hidden from sight.
What's better than breakfast with Santa for a sweet four year old? Hmmm, can't think of much. Rochelle, Shelby and I had a very fun morning. Telling Santa
what we wanted for Christmas, assuring him we had all been good all year long and enjoying some very delicious made to order omelets along with every
other breakfast delight imaginable. AFter breakfast we searched the rooftops for Rudolf and the gang, but they stayed hidden from sight.
December 16th - A Bike Ride Around Lake Cachuma - Santa Barbara, California -
Hooray, the sun finally came out so we took full advantage of it and took the birds for a bike ride around the lake, which was calm and peaceful. On our ride
we saw some very large Red-tailed Hawk's. We wondered why these birds were more than twice as fat as most hawk's we have seen around the country and
then realized that all the fat, sunning squirrels around the lake might have something to do with it. After Cody was well worn out from flying from one side of the
lake to the other, we slowly made our way home. As we came around a large group of bushes, near our campsite a Peregrine Falcon came flying out of a
bush, which scared Cody half to death thinking he might be lunch, and flew up into a tall tree. We looked into the bush we came out of to find that he was
already enjoying lunch, which consisted of a small half eaten bird. Apparently we scared him as much as he scared Cody.
Hooray, the sun finally came out so we took full advantage of it and took the birds for a bike ride around the lake, which was calm and peaceful. On our ride
we saw some very large Red-tailed Hawk's. We wondered why these birds were more than twice as fat as most hawk's we have seen around the country and
then realized that all the fat, sunning squirrels around the lake might have something to do with it. After Cody was well worn out from flying from one side of the
lake to the other, we slowly made our way home. As we came around a large group of bushes, near our campsite a Peregrine Falcon came flying out of a
bush, which scared Cody half to death thinking he might be lunch, and flew up into a tall tree. We looked into the bush we came out of to find that he was
already enjoying lunch, which consisted of a small half eaten bird. Apparently we scared him as much as he scared Cody.
December 20th - A Poker Christmas Party - Santa Maria, California -
We had our annual Christmas party this evening with Joe, Brandie, John,
Andrea, myself and Frank. Each year we get together for an early Christmas
dinner with turkey, all the trimmings and a game of Texas Hold'em where, I
am proud to say, I was this years victor. It has been a loooong time since I
was the final player, especially the final player with a straight in the final hand
with an all in bet. After dinner we went to see Yes Man, which was hilarious
and a fun way to end the night. Along with our poker players was Roxie, who
at only two years old lost the bet since she didn't realize having all red cards
was a winning hand. Also in the group are two very playful labs who waiting
patiently for their candy cane shaped bones from the birds.
We had our annual Christmas party this evening with Joe, Brandie, John,
Andrea, myself and Frank. Each year we get together for an early Christmas
dinner with turkey, all the trimmings and a game of Texas Hold'em where, I
am proud to say, I was this years victor. It has been a loooong time since I
was the final player, especially the final player with a straight in the final hand
with an all in bet. After dinner we went to see Yes Man, which was hilarious
and a fun way to end the night. Along with our poker players was Roxie, who
at only two years old lost the bet since she didn't realize having all red cards
was a winning hand. Also in the group are two very playful labs who waiting
patiently for their candy cane shaped bones from the birds.
| Beautiful, peaceful Lake Cachuma |
| Two very oblivious squirrels |
| A very fat hawk looks for his next meal |
| Cody is so happy to be out in the sun |
| Poor Roxy lost her money early |
| We're sitting, we're sitting, where's our treat? |
| Who could question if she's been good? |
| Sammy tests out his new toy |
| Frank shows off his new guitar |
| Merry Christmas everyone! |
Celebrating Christmas - All Weekend Long -
You know that feeling you get when you know someone is staring at you? Even though you might not see them, or in this case you are half asleep at 6 in the
morning, enjoying your warm and cozy bed? As I opened my eyes I found not one pair of eyes looking down at me, but three. Two sets of bird eyes and one
set of their even antsier dad. Of course they already had the pile of presents with them and once I sat up, they all began to tear into theirs. Bradley loved his
Andy the android that walked and beeped and chased him all over the counter. Bradley would chase Andy for a couple minutes and then Andy would turn his
wheels and chase Bradley. It was quite entertaining to watch. Once all the present were opened and breakfast was finished we drove over to Kevin and
Renee's to open presents with the rest of the family, followed by our annual tradition of going to see a movie. Today's movie of choice was 'Bedtime Stories'
and it was a very fun one. After the movie we headed back to the Smith's for lunch and lounging. It was a great way to celebrate the holiday, with family.
To carry on the Christmas celebration we spent Friday with the King family in Santa Barbara. We hadn't seen Goldie, who just turned two, since she was about
6 months old, and today was the first time we met Rosemary in person. Kari, Janet, Kristi and I spent the afternoon eating Christmas cookies and watching
Goldie and Rosie play with all their new Christmas toys as Frank, Jim and Toby helped program Jim's new Harmony remote.
You know that feeling you get when you know someone is staring at you? Even though you might not see them, or in this case you are half asleep at 6 in the
morning, enjoying your warm and cozy bed? As I opened my eyes I found not one pair of eyes looking down at me, but three. Two sets of bird eyes and one
set of their even antsier dad. Of course they already had the pile of presents with them and once I sat up, they all began to tear into theirs. Bradley loved his
Andy the android that walked and beeped and chased him all over the counter. Bradley would chase Andy for a couple minutes and then Andy would turn his
wheels and chase Bradley. It was quite entertaining to watch. Once all the present were opened and breakfast was finished we drove over to Kevin and
Renee's to open presents with the rest of the family, followed by our annual tradition of going to see a movie. Today's movie of choice was 'Bedtime Stories'
and it was a very fun one. After the movie we headed back to the Smith's for lunch and lounging. It was a great way to celebrate the holiday, with family.
To carry on the Christmas celebration we spent Friday with the King family in Santa Barbara. We hadn't seen Goldie, who just turned two, since she was about
6 months old, and today was the first time we met Rosemary in person. Kari, Janet, Kristi and I spent the afternoon eating Christmas cookies and watching
Goldie and Rosie play with all their new Christmas toys as Frank, Jim and Toby helped program Jim's new Harmony remote.
| Torrie and Hayley |
| Rosie and Goldie. I remember when Hayley and Torrie were these ages. |
| Bradley and Andy |
| Cody opening his gifts |
December 29th - A Warm and Sunny Day - Cachuma Lake -
However beautiful Cachuma Lake might be, we draw the line at sitting outside in 50 degree weather. The last couple weeks we have had more rainy days than
sunny days and the birds are becoming more and more anxious to be outside. Today, we were delightfully surprised to find the outdoor temperature a wonderful
62 degrees, which if one wears sweats and a jacket, the direct sunlight feels pretty warm. The birds, covered in a wonderful layer of down feathers, don't notice
the cool breeze at all and are happy as clams to be in the trees out back. While we were having lunch today, outside of course, we noticed a small flock of
beautiful blue jays begin to gather in the trees above, so we started throwing them a few crusts of bread and watched them as they got braver and braver in
coming down from the tree to collect their treasures. With each piece, we tossed the bread closer and closer to us. About 20 minutes into their feeding time,
they were coming right up on the concrete, however they weren't quite sure what to make of Cody, especially when we climbed the tree that they were in.
However beautiful Cachuma Lake might be, we draw the line at sitting outside in 50 degree weather. The last couple weeks we have had more rainy days than
sunny days and the birds are becoming more and more anxious to be outside. Today, we were delightfully surprised to find the outdoor temperature a wonderful
62 degrees, which if one wears sweats and a jacket, the direct sunlight feels pretty warm. The birds, covered in a wonderful layer of down feathers, don't notice
the cool breeze at all and are happy as clams to be in the trees out back. While we were having lunch today, outside of course, we noticed a small flock of
beautiful blue jays begin to gather in the trees above, so we started throwing them a few crusts of bread and watched them as they got braver and braver in
coming down from the tree to collect their treasures. With each piece, we tossed the bread closer and closer to us. About 20 minutes into their feeding time,
they were coming right up on the concrete, however they weren't quite sure what to make of Cody, especially when we climbed the tree that they were in.
| "Quick, back to the tree before that red thing gets us" |
| "All the little birdies flew away when I tried to play with them!" |
| "Yum, pizza crust!" |
| "Hmmm, I think I see some lunch" |
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Parrottrek Journal 2008
| ... or read about our adventures from a different year |