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Parrottrek Journal 2007
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October 12th -
A couple mornings this week I have woken up before Frank and have taken
long walks around the nature trail, which is behind our street and continues
through half the resort. The first morning I walked, I saw an enormous flock of
wild turkeys and 4 or 5 deer crossing the path. Of course I was unarmed and
without my camera so the next day I packed accordingly. The deer were fun to
preserve and walk to the river on our side for water. Today, instead of hitting
the pool, we headed to the beach. It was a perfect day. The weather was great
and the wind was just strong enough to fly Frank's kite. In the picture to the left
you can see Frank flying his kite in the background as he skips over the
waves. We built a sand castle, well actually it was more like a wall since we
were sitting in the water while we formed it and every fourth wave would take
out half the castle. It was fun to see if we could rebuild it before the next
tsunami hits, On our drive home, we stopped at a couple spots on the road
where we couldsee Kennedy Space Center and view the Space Shuttle ready
for launch on the pad. We will already be in Las Vegas when they launch it but
we did watch a rocket launch last night from our backyard shich was quite
impressive. Since the last time we were here Cody got to watch the rocket
launch with us, this time Abbey sat with us for the viewing. She was a little
nervous when the ground began to shake but once she ran to the safety of her
carrier and peeked out the side to watch the action she was happy again.
A couple mornings this week I have woken up before Frank and have taken
long walks around the nature trail, which is behind our street and continues
through half the resort. The first morning I walked, I saw an enormous flock of
wild turkeys and 4 or 5 deer crossing the path. Of course I was unarmed and
without my camera so the next day I packed accordingly. The deer were fun to
preserve and walk to the river on our side for water. Today, instead of hitting
the pool, we headed to the beach. It was a perfect day. The weather was great
and the wind was just strong enough to fly Frank's kite. In the picture to the left
you can see Frank flying his kite in the background as he skips over the
waves. We built a sand castle, well actually it was more like a wall since we
were sitting in the water while we formed it and every fourth wave would take
out half the castle. It was fun to see if we could rebuild it before the next
tsunami hits, On our drive home, we stopped at a couple spots on the road
where we couldsee Kennedy Space Center and view the Space Shuttle ready
for launch on the pad. We will already be in Las Vegas when they launch it but
we did watch a rocket launch last night from our backyard shich was quite
impressive. Since the last time we were here Cody got to watch the rocket
launch with us, this time Abbey sat with us for the viewing. She was a little
nervous when the ground began to shake but once she ran to the safety of her
carrier and peeked out the side to watch the action she was happy again.
October 10th - The Great Outdoors, Titusville, Florida -
Yaaahhooo! 10 glorious days here in beautiful Florida! Ahhhhhh feel that sunshine! I am already a very nice shade of brown, well at least as brown as I, the
palest woman in America, can get. The nice shade of brown comes from long bike rides every morning with Frank, Cody on his handlebars and Abbey safely our
backyard. After breakfast we take another bike ride to the post office, and then to the newsstand where we pick up either the USA Today or Florida Today
depending on which title story grabs us. With newspaper in hand, we head back home. Frank reads the paper and I the book of the day sitting by the lake in our
lounge chairs. I have finished three books already, all murder mysteries, which I love and have started a fourth, something I picked up from the library just up the
street from our house, still inside the resort. It's a very sad yet witty and sweet story of a young widow titled 'Good Grief'. She makes you laugh and cry at the
same time. The book makes me very thankful for a living spouse. Once the day begins to warm up, I again hop on my bike and head to th pool where most of my
reading is done. Frank stays by the lake with Cody on his knee playing the guitar or power washing the driveway. I never noticed just how dirty the cement was
until I noticed that Frank could leave sweet love notes on it. After two or three hours at the pool and lots of floating time in the sun, I head back to our lot, meet up
with the boys, who by this time are done with their chores and back to playing the guitar. It now being about 4 or 5 o'clock in the evening we usually head to the
restaurant on the premises via the bikes where they have the greatest snacks and Happy Hour from 4-6pm. We have met a ton of new neighbors and have
caught up with a few familiar faces, including the mother of Cody's sweetheart, Casey the Harlequin Macaw. It's amazing how many people remember us due to
the birds. They all see us on our multiple bike rides. After a couple hours of socializing we head home, make dinner, sit outside again for awhile watching the lake
and the animals roaming around it including Blue Herons, cranes, and a few alligators. Once the sun sets we soak in the jacuzzi and relax from our hard day.
Yaaahhooo! 10 glorious days here in beautiful Florida! Ahhhhhh feel that sunshine! I am already a very nice shade of brown, well at least as brown as I, the
palest woman in America, can get. The nice shade of brown comes from long bike rides every morning with Frank, Cody on his handlebars and Abbey safely our
backyard. After breakfast we take another bike ride to the post office, and then to the newsstand where we pick up either the USA Today or Florida Today
depending on which title story grabs us. With newspaper in hand, we head back home. Frank reads the paper and I the book of the day sitting by the lake in our
lounge chairs. I have finished three books already, all murder mysteries, which I love and have started a fourth, something I picked up from the library just up the
street from our house, still inside the resort. It's a very sad yet witty and sweet story of a young widow titled 'Good Grief'. She makes you laugh and cry at the
same time. The book makes me very thankful for a living spouse. Once the day begins to warm up, I again hop on my bike and head to th pool where most of my
reading is done. Frank stays by the lake with Cody on his knee playing the guitar or power washing the driveway. I never noticed just how dirty the cement was
until I noticed that Frank could leave sweet love notes on it. After two or three hours at the pool and lots of floating time in the sun, I head back to our lot, meet up
with the boys, who by this time are done with their chores and back to playing the guitar. It now being about 4 or 5 o'clock in the evening we usually head to the
restaurant on the premises via the bikes where they have the greatest snacks and Happy Hour from 4-6pm. We have met a ton of new neighbors and have
caught up with a few familiar faces, including the mother of Cody's sweetheart, Casey the Harlequin Macaw. It's amazing how many people remember us due to
the birds. They all see us on our multiple bike rides. After a couple hours of socializing we head home, make dinner, sit outside again for awhile watching the lake
and the animals roaming around it including Blue Herons, cranes, and a few alligators. Once the sun sets we soak in the jacuzzi and relax from our hard day.
Frank, such a romantic!
The view from the café where we had lunch
Pilch - does in mean A) the initial cast one makes when fly fishing B) a baby's diaper or C) a deep muddy pit? How about Latitat? Is it an A) a lawyer B) a Latin
dance where the woman leads or C) an animal that is the desended from the llama family but more resembles a rat? And then there is Camarilla? Is it A) a
secret counsel B) a lacey woman's umbrella or C) a flavorful pepper? These, and many others, are the questions we had to decipher this evening. It sounds a
little like someone studying for their SAT's doesn't it? Actually it is the ever entertaining, laugh out loud until you are in tears, rack your brain to sound like as
much like Webster as possible, game of Balderdash. Frank and I took a very nice drive to Ormond Beach this evening to visit family. Also included in the
evening was some great Chinese food and a heart tugging one-act play, about the Potato Famine in Ireland back in the 1700's, written and performed,
including the music, lyrics and all the voices, by our 16 year old cousin Cassie. Cassie just entered her play into a county wide high school competition. The
evening was wonderful. Too bad Frank didn't bring his guitar because both girls, Megan and Cassie, sang the song "Country Roads" beautifully. Next year he
will have to bring his guitar to game night when we come back to Florida for another 2 glorious weeks.
light above, without any idea they were about to become dinner. The frogs sat perfectly still and watched to see what fat bug would fly or hop by. Once the
chosen bug would come within reach, the frogs would leap in the air, grab the bug and then grab the wall. The literally stuck to the side of the wall or sign where
they landed due to their sticky toes. The baby frog was between the wall and the sign and seemed a little more wobbly when leaping for his dinner. Too cute!
dance where the woman leads or C) an animal that is the desended from the llama family but more resembles a rat? And then there is Camarilla? Is it A) a
secret counsel B) a lacey woman's umbrella or C) a flavorful pepper? These, and many others, are the questions we had to decipher this evening. It sounds a
little like someone studying for their SAT's doesn't it? Actually it is the ever entertaining, laugh out loud until you are in tears, rack your brain to sound like as
much like Webster as possible, game of Balderdash. Frank and I took a very nice drive to Ormond Beach this evening to visit family. Also included in the
evening was some great Chinese food and a heart tugging one-act play, about the Potato Famine in Ireland back in the 1700's, written and performed,
including the music, lyrics and all the voices, by our 16 year old cousin Cassie. Cassie just entered her play into a county wide high school competition. The
evening was wonderful. Too bad Frank didn't bring his guitar because both girls, Megan and Cassie, sang the song "Country Roads" beautifully. Next year he
will have to bring his guitar to game night when we come back to Florida for another 2 glorious weeks.
light above, without any idea they were about to become dinner. The frogs sat perfectly still and watched to see what fat bug would fly or hop by. Once the
chosen bug would come within reach, the frogs would leap in the air, grab the bug and then grab the wall. The literally stuck to the side of the wall or sign where
they landed due to their sticky toes. The baby frog was between the wall and the sign and seemed a little more wobbly when leaping for his dinner. Too cute!
October 16th - Lazy Days RV World - Tampa Bay, Florida -
Today was such a gorgeous day and since the Jeep's top has been down all week and we haven't left our surroundings here much, we decided to take a road
trip. We were originally going to try and make it to St. Petersburg which is a very nice beach on the Gulf of Mexico, the West coast of Florida, but didn't make it
quite that far. We stopped in Tampa for lunch and then walked through Lazy Days, which is the world's largest RV dealership. No, we aren't looking for a different
motorhome, as ours is perfect and we love, love, love it, but we did want to see what new things they put in this year's models. We looked at all sorts of sizes of
RVs from van conversions all the way up to 45 foot Class A's. It's crazy the things that they but in motorhomes these days. They had a chassis on display that a
majority of motorhomes are built on. Wouldn't Frank look a bit funny driving this down the road without the rest of the house? Besides, it might be a little cold and
we might just loose a few things along the way. Late today we spent some time at the pool, where Frank made friends with a very brave little lizard.
Today was such a gorgeous day and since the Jeep's top has been down all week and we haven't left our surroundings here much, we decided to take a road
trip. We were originally going to try and make it to St. Petersburg which is a very nice beach on the Gulf of Mexico, the West coast of Florida, but didn't make it
quite that far. We stopped in Tampa for lunch and then walked through Lazy Days, which is the world's largest RV dealership. No, we aren't looking for a different
motorhome, as ours is perfect and we love, love, love it, but we did want to see what new things they put in this year's models. We looked at all sorts of sizes of
RVs from van conversions all the way up to 45 foot Class A's. It's crazy the things that they but in motorhomes these days. They had a chassis on display that a
majority of motorhomes are built on. Wouldn't Frank look a bit funny driving this down the road without the rest of the house? Besides, it might be a little cold and
we might just loose a few things along the way. Late today we spent some time at the pool, where Frank made friends with a very brave little lizard.
114 Windsong Way -
Just to give a bit of a visual we have included a couple pictures of what our lot looks like now, and what we will build on it someday when we decide to settle
down here. A 'Florida Room' is essentially an 800 sq ft house with a kitchen area, living room/spare bedroom and bathroom, but it also has a large screen room
built on the back so you can still enjoy the beautiful views of our backyard, the animals and surrounding trees along with the soaring rockets and Space Shuttle
launches from over the ocean, while keeping the area cool in summer and bug free in the early evenings when the bugs do come out and we don't want to go in.
Just to give a bit of a visual we have included a couple pictures of what our lot looks like now, and what we will build on it someday when we decide to settle
down here. A 'Florida Room' is essentially an 800 sq ft house with a kitchen area, living room/spare bedroom and bathroom, but it also has a large screen room
built on the back so you can still enjoy the beautiful views of our backyard, the animals and surrounding trees along with the soaring rockets and Space Shuttle
launches from over the ocean, while keeping the area cool in summer and bug free in the early evenings when the bugs do come out and we don't want to go in.
| Frank with Ron, Marie, Cassie, Megan and Preston our Balderdash opponents |
The birds listen to Frank play the guitar
October 20th - Sandia, New Mexico -
We met up with friends today, at the Sandia
Golf Resort and Casino, that we haven't seen in
months. I'm sure I have said this before, but I
can't get over how fun it is to be in a different
state, call up friends out of the blue to see
where they are in the country, and have them
only a few miles ahead of us on the road.
Granted most of them are beginning to head
West for warmer climates, but since we all start
out in different states to get there you never
know where they may be. None of us are big
golfers nor big gamblers, but the nice thing
about casinos is that most of them have huge
parking lots, and they don't mind if 5 RVs
come along and park for free in those lots
since they figure they will make some money
off of us in one way or another. We girls spent
a little time on the slots, I won about 6 dollars,
but then I'm a very frugal gambler, and take 5
dollars in with me and play whatever penny
machine has a parrot on the pay lines. The
guys spent their time trying to figure out how to
get a stripped bolt out of John and Maureen's
step that was causing it to collapse. Once they
We met up with friends today, at the Sandia
Golf Resort and Casino, that we haven't seen in
months. I'm sure I have said this before, but I
can't get over how fun it is to be in a different
state, call up friends out of the blue to see
where they are in the country, and have them
only a few miles ahead of us on the road.
Granted most of them are beginning to head
West for warmer climates, but since we all start
out in different states to get there you never
know where they may be. None of us are big
golfers nor big gamblers, but the nice thing
about casinos is that most of them have huge
parking lots, and they don't mind if 5 RVs
come along and park for free in those lots
since they figure they will make some money
off of us in one way or another. We girls spent
a little time on the slots, I won about 6 dollars,
but then I'm a very frugal gambler, and take 5
dollars in with me and play whatever penny
machine has a parrot on the pay lines. The
guys spent their time trying to figure out how to
get a stripped bolt out of John and Maureen's
step that was causing it to collapse. Once they
ruled it an impossible feat, they gave up and we all went to dinner inside the casino. The lay out of the restaurant was quite unique. We had our own room with a
TV so we could all watch the football game and some very comfy couches that were huge and circular that enabled us all to lounge and still see and talk to
everyone. Since they don't allow you to take any pictures inside a casino we have none to show you. I did however think you might appreciate seeing just where
this year's adventures have taken us, and what those routes look like on the map. If you follow the green lines and the numbers above, each number represents
either a race location or a fun detour that took us a little out of the way, you can see just how many times we crossed this great country. It's crazy to visualize.
We have literally been to all four corners of the country. Yes #6 is on the map, but for some reason it's tucked below #25. Before we left on our trek, the country
seemed so enormous. Now that we drive across it on quite a regular basis, it is all beginning to feel like home to us with many familiar areas. However we do
already miss Florida, since the days here in New Mexico are about 50 degrees and nights get down to somewhere between 28-35. No more sleeping with all the
to get the shivers when the sun goes down. Cody climbs under the covers of the bed at night and snuggles up against us to warm up even more. It's quite cute.
TV so we could all watch the football game and some very comfy couches that were huge and circular that enabled us all to lounge and still see and talk to
everyone. Since they don't allow you to take any pictures inside a casino we have none to show you. I did however think you might appreciate seeing just where
this year's adventures have taken us, and what those routes look like on the map. If you follow the green lines and the numbers above, each number represents
either a race location or a fun detour that took us a little out of the way, you can see just how many times we crossed this great country. It's crazy to visualize.
We have literally been to all four corners of the country. Yes #6 is on the map, but for some reason it's tucked below #25. Before we left on our trek, the country
seemed so enormous. Now that we drive across it on quite a regular basis, it is all beginning to feel like home to us with many familiar areas. However we do
already miss Florida, since the days here in New Mexico are about 50 degrees and nights get down to somewhere between 28-35. No more sleeping with all the
to get the shivers when the sun goes down. Cody climbs under the covers of the bed at night and snuggles up against us to warm up even more. It's quite cute.
October 22nd - Flagstaff Arizona to Las Vegas -
Our 5 motorhome caravan left New Mexico and stopped last night at Black Bart's
Steakhouse and Musical Revue. Bart also had a campground out back where all
of us spent the night. The waiters and waitresses would sing and dance while they
served us dinner, and the piano played all night either with a man sitting in front of
Our 5 motorhome caravan left New Mexico and stopped last night at Black Bart's
the Hoover Dam. While we were there, they were filming a Marine commercial so
the entire roadway was lined with young Marines in their dress uniforms. Every so
often they would stop traffic, so we all at one point pulled off to the side of the
road to have lunch and watch for a clearing in the traffic. That's just one more
advantage to driving around in your house. You always have a stocked fridge and
most importantly, a potty just in case the line of traffic lasts longer than you do.
Our 5 motorhome caravan left New Mexico and stopped last night at Black Bart's
Steakhouse and Musical Revue. Bart also had a campground out back where all
of us spent the night. The waiters and waitresses would sing and dance while they
served us dinner, and the piano played all night either with a man sitting in front of
Our 5 motorhome caravan left New Mexico and stopped last night at Black Bart's
the Hoover Dam. While we were there, they were filming a Marine commercial so
the entire roadway was lined with young Marines in their dress uniforms. Every so
often they would stop traffic, so we all at one point pulled off to the side of the
road to have lunch and watch for a clearing in the traffic. That's just one more
advantage to driving around in your house. You always have a stocked fridge and
most importantly, a potty just in case the line of traffic lasts longer than you do.
The busboy and waiter break into a song
October 28th - Las Vegas, Nevada -
22 races down and one to go. Wow! This exciting year has flown by so quickly we can hardly believe it. The Budweiser Team had a great weekend, and the
Championship is still within reach which will make Pomona very exciting. Along with the views of the drag races we also enjoyed watching all the jets fly over
head from Nellis Air Force Base just over the hill. Some would fly in formation, and others on their own. In order to get a picture you had to have the camera
about 700 mph and would be out of sight by the time you blinked. Gary and Kathy came out to the race from New Hampshire to cheer us all on, and to get out
of the cold weather for a brief time. They even helped us tear down the Monster hospitality tent this evening. With the extra help we were done in record time
and were able to have dinner with them and visit for a few hours after work, which is always nice. With them, they brought some fun pictures of their property,
which if you remember we visited earlier this year along with some photos of the NASCAR race at the track where Gary manages the concessions.
22 races down and one to go. Wow! This exciting year has flown by so quickly we can hardly believe it. The Budweiser Team had a great weekend, and the
Championship is still within reach which will make Pomona very exciting. Along with the views of the drag races we also enjoyed watching all the jets fly over
head from Nellis Air Force Base just over the hill. Some would fly in formation, and others on their own. In order to get a picture you had to have the camera
about 700 mph and would be out of sight by the time you blinked. Gary and Kathy came out to the race from New Hampshire to cheer us all on, and to get out
of the cold weather for a brief time. They even helped us tear down the Monster hospitality tent this evening. With the extra help we were done in record time
and were able to have dinner with them and visit for a few hours after work, which is always nice. With them, they brought some fun pictures of their property,
which if you remember we visited earlier this year along with some photos of the NASCAR race at the track where Gary manages the concessions.
Gary and Kathy help us tear down
A jet flies over our pit
The neighboring NASCAR track in Vegas
A sweet family of deer dining
A race team takes a break
The enormous NASCAR souvenir trailers
October 13th -
Cody talked to all the neighbors passing by and all of a sudden Bradley started making his "something in the sky is
Vulture soaring above, which won't eat anything unless it is already dead so I thought all was okay. Frank looked up and
saw the enormous Bald Eagle soaring right above us, which I apparently blinked and missed even though he took up
half the sky. He moved around the air so quickly, and since Frank walking around convinced him not to dive for Bradley
and eat him in front of all of us, he flew on in hope of finding one of the chubby bunnies that hop around the lakes here.
Cody talked to all the neighbors passing by and all of a sudden Bradley started making his "something in the sky is
Vulture soaring above, which won't eat anything unless it is already dead so I thought all was okay. Frank looked up and
saw the enormous Bald Eagle soaring right above us, which I apparently blinked and missed even though he took up
half the sky. He moved around the air so quickly, and since Frank walking around convinced him not to dive for Bradley
and eat him in front of all of us, he flew on in hope of finding one of the chubby bunnies that hop around the lakes here.
October 31st - Happy Halloween!! -
Fall is officially here, or at least in feels like it is being back in California. The
days are warm with a cool breeze, and the nights are chilly yet not cold. Since
we are all a bit too old to dress up, I have put a picture of the cutest little
Halloween costume ever. This is sweet Marigold, who we visited earlier this year
in Boise along with her parents Kari and Toby. Unfortunately we didn't get to
see this cute little chicken in person, but thanks to modern technology I have
swiped it from her mommy's blog and added it to our web page. Halloween
always makes me think of Kari, since the two of us went trick-or-treating almost
every year from kindergarten to about 8th grade. We always came up with
great costumes. One year we were mimes, which came in quite handy when we
didn't want to talk to anyone other than to say trick-or-treat.
Fall is officially here, or at least in feels like it is being back in California. The
days are warm with a cool breeze, and the nights are chilly yet not cold. Since
we are all a bit too old to dress up, I have put a picture of the cutest little
Halloween costume ever. This is sweet Marigold, who we visited earlier this year
in Boise along with her parents Kari and Toby. Unfortunately we didn't get to
see this cute little chicken in person, but thanks to modern technology I have
swiped it from her mommy's blog and added it to our web page. Halloween
always makes me think of Kari, since the two of us went trick-or-treating almost
every year from kindergarten to about 8th grade. We always came up with
great costumes. One year we were mimes, which came in quite handy when we
didn't want to talk to anyone other than to say trick-or-treat.
favorite costume of all time. Another year I went as a ballerina which wasn't quite as warm as I as comfortable as I expected considering i am not the most
graceful of people and at one point ended up one the other side of a small picket fence with my hoop skirt around my neck, talk about embarrassing when you
are 10 years old. So deciding against costumes this year, we had a fun cook-out with everyone that we camp and work with since it might be a few weeks until
One year my dad made me this amazing turtle costume out of an enormous piece of cardboard. The shell went from my neck to my knees. It was by far mywe
see them again. While we were hanging out Tony Schumacher, a Top Fuel Dragster driver, came over to jam with Frank. He gave Frank a few lessons on
strumming and Frank introduced Tony to the wonderful world of finger picking. It's amazing all the different styles people have when playing the guitar. They
played for about an hour which was great to listen to, especially since Tony sang as well, and he wasn't have bad. Hey, if racing ever ends who knows?
graceful of people and at one point ended up one the other side of a small picket fence with my hoop skirt around my neck, talk about embarrassing when you
are 10 years old. So deciding against costumes this year, we had a fun cook-out with everyone that we camp and work with since it might be a few weeks until
One year my dad made me this amazing turtle costume out of an enormous piece of cardboard. The shell went from my neck to my knees. It was by far mywe
see them again. While we were hanging out Tony Schumacher, a Top Fuel Dragster driver, came over to jam with Frank. He gave Frank a few lessons on
strumming and Frank introduced Tony to the wonderful world of finger picking. It's amazing all the different styles people have when playing the guitar. They
played for about an hour which was great to listen to, especially since Tony sang as well, and he wasn't have bad. Hey, if racing ever ends who knows?
November 3rd - Potential Poison Pepperoni -
Warning!! Millions of boxes of Totino's pizza may be contaminated with e-coli, so check your freezer and the stock numbers. Cody was very helpful with this. He
stock number and threw it in the trash so we are all safe from the potential poison pepperoni. The funny part of this story is, back when we were pizzeria owners
we would always sort of joke around that all is great until you get that poison batch of pepperoni and people take you for everything you have. That obviously
never happened to us, but you can see where the reality of poisoned pepperoni would hit close to home.
Warning!! Millions of boxes of Totino's pizza may be contaminated with e-coli, so check your freezer and the stock numbers. Cody was very helpful with this. He
stock number and threw it in the trash so we are all safe from the potential poison pepperoni. The funny part of this story is, back when we were pizzeria owners
we would always sort of joke around that all is great until you get that poison batch of pepperoni and people take you for everything you have. That obviously
never happened to us, but you can see where the reality of poisoned pepperoni would hit close to home.
November 4th - National Finals - Pomona, California -
The Budweiser team could taste the championship. All they had to do was beat the U.S. Army. As if the name isn't intimidating enough, The U.S. Army Racing
Team has won the last three consecutive World Championships, and the last one they achieved by breaking every record ever made in the sport, so beating
them at the National Finals is not an easy task. As the anticipation grew we all made our way to the starting line to watch it live. Luckily for us, the Clydesdales
were there for added support and a definite happy sight to take everyone's mind off of the race third place in the standings. Unfortunately the U.S. Army was
victorious, mind you this is the only time those words will ever be uttered where one won't get arrested for treason, and the Budweiser Team took third place in
without the Championship Trophy. Earlier in the week Brandon, the driver of the Budweiser Top Fuel car, finally received his personalized motorcycle given to
him by Dale Earnhardt Jr, who also drives a Budweiser car in some other circuit that a few people watch (ha ha ha). The motorcycle was presented to Brandon
back in June, but it took a national tour to be photographed by all. It is probably the most beautiful bike I have ever seen, and the detail is amazing. It resembles
a Top Fuel Dragster as much as a motorcycle can. Well as you know our season is now officially over at the commencement of this race, and we will heading to
the Santa Barbara area to visit and catch up with all our friends and family that we haven't seen since we left earlier this year. It's amazing how fast this year
went, and all the things we did. We certainly hope you all enjoyed reading along as much as we did experiencing it. We of course will keep you up to date on all
our California adventures, but just wanted to say thanks for being loyal followers of The Whitmore Adventures '07.
The Budweiser team could taste the championship. All they had to do was beat the U.S. Army. As if the name isn't intimidating enough, The U.S. Army Racing
Team has won the last three consecutive World Championships, and the last one they achieved by breaking every record ever made in the sport, so beating
them at the National Finals is not an easy task. As the anticipation grew we all made our way to the starting line to watch it live. Luckily for us, the Clydesdales
were there for added support and a definite happy sight to take everyone's mind off of the race third place in the standings. Unfortunately the U.S. Army was
victorious, mind you this is the only time those words will ever be uttered where one won't get arrested for treason, and the Budweiser Team took third place in
without the Championship Trophy. Earlier in the week Brandon, the driver of the Budweiser Top Fuel car, finally received his personalized motorcycle given to
him by Dale Earnhardt Jr, who also drives a Budweiser car in some other circuit that a few people watch (ha ha ha). The motorcycle was presented to Brandon
back in June, but it took a national tour to be photographed by all. It is probably the most beautiful bike I have ever seen, and the detail is amazing. It resembles
a Top Fuel Dragster as much as a motorcycle can. Well as you know our season is now officially over at the commencement of this race, and we will heading to
the Santa Barbara area to visit and catch up with all our friends and family that we haven't seen since we left earlier this year. It's amazing how fast this year
went, and all the things we did. We certainly hope you all enjoyed reading along as much as we did experiencing it. We of course will keep you up to date on all
our California adventures, but just wanted to say thanks for being loyal followers of The Whitmore Adventures '07.
Michelle, Suzy and Julie pose with the beauties
It all comes down to the next 4.5 seconds
Bradley votes to throw it in the trash
... ... and away it goes!
Cody says it tastes funny to him
November 12th - Pismo Beach -
the beach, and the darling city of Pismo Beach is the perfect biking distance away so we rode around for a couple hours visiting the old shops that we used to
frequent like Poncho's Surf Shop and the Kite Store. Along with gorgeous sunrises, walks along the romantic ocean front and the best clam chowder anywhere
on the West Coast, is the greatest little theatre we have ever been to. The Great American Melodrama is where we spent many evenings over the years and
laughed, booed and cheered with the best of them. To relive some old memories we once again visited the little Oceano theatre and watched 'The Bride of
Frankenstein'. It of course was a spoof on the horror movies of old, and kept us laughing and cheering the entire night. After the main performance they have a
Vaudeville Revue. Tonight's was a spoof on all the reality TV shows and it was great. We will have to hit the Melodrama again in a couple weeks when they have
their annual Christmas performance of Scrooge. We will be here all week so the birds will get lots of sunshine a bike rides by the ocean.
the beach, and the darling city of Pismo Beach is the perfect biking distance away so we rode around for a couple hours visiting the old shops that we used to
frequent like Poncho's Surf Shop and the Kite Store. Along with gorgeous sunrises, walks along the romantic ocean front and the best clam chowder anywhere
on the West Coast, is the greatest little theatre we have ever been to. The Great American Melodrama is where we spent many evenings over the years and
laughed, booed and cheered with the best of them. To relive some old memories we once again visited the little Oceano theatre and watched 'The Bride of
Frankenstein'. It of course was a spoof on the horror movies of old, and kept us laughing and cheering the entire night. After the main performance they have a
Vaudeville Revue. Tonight's was a spoof on all the reality TV shows and it was great. We will have to hit the Melodrama again in a couple weeks when they have
their annual Christmas performance of Scrooge. We will be here all week so the birds will get lots of sunshine a bike rides by the ocean.
Aunt and Uncle and their darling kitties who were extremely curious about Frank's guitar and it's case. We met up with good friends in Santa Barbara over coffee
and others at good old Antonio's Pizza where we had lunch almost everyday since we have been having withdrawals since we hadn't visited Santa Ynez since
January. It's still, without a doubt, our most favorite pizza in the country, and that still holds true since we are now on the having to pay for it. As pretty as we have
been to and bought fuel in pretty much every state we can safely say this without any exaggeration. They say it might get higher.
and others at good old Antonio's Pizza where we had lunch almost everyday since we have been having withdrawals since we hadn't visited Santa Ynez since
January. It's still, without a doubt, our most favorite pizza in the country, and that still holds true since we are now on the having to pay for it. As pretty as we have
been to and bought fuel in pretty much every state we can safely say this without any exaggeration. They say it might get higher.
November 5th - 11th - Santa Ynez, California -
Catching up and visiting everyone this past week has made us busier than we
have been in months. Don't get us wrong it has been great, but crazy at the same
time. We have been camped out at Frank's grandparents where after climbing over
the roof, and down the side of the house we found power which is always good. We
set up our inflatable jacuzzi under the enormous oak tree out back and have
enjoyed many cool mornings and chilly evenings warming up in it. As you look up
into the sprawling tree above, you can see the American Flag wave through the
leaves, and as you look out into the field, there are dozens and dozens of birds
feeding in the bird feeder and bath. Bradley was even brave enough to float in his
pirate ship on the waves of the warm water. We spent a day in Lompoc with Frank's
Catching up and visiting everyone this past week has made us busier than we
have been in months. Don't get us wrong it has been great, but crazy at the same
time. We have been camped out at Frank's grandparents where after climbing over
the roof, and down the side of the house we found power which is always good. We
set up our inflatable jacuzzi under the enormous oak tree out back and have
enjoyed many cool mornings and chilly evenings warming up in it. As you look up
into the sprawling tree above, you can see the American Flag wave through the
leaves, and as you look out into the field, there are dozens and dozens of birds
feeding in the bird feeder and bath. Bradley was even brave enough to float in his
pirate ship on the waves of the warm water. We spent a day in Lompoc with Frank's
The wild birds all around the yard
Sissy guards Frank's guitar
Just the beginning of high gas prices!
November 14th - Butterfly Beach -
North America come to nest. They fill the eucalyptus trees that line the coast
and are amazing to watch. When you first look at the branches of the trees
you think they have the oddest color of leaves, but then you realize that the
butterflies are all closed up and sleeping in groups. When the wind begins to
blow, all the butterflies flutter and their wings open a bit, which makes for
some beautiful pictures. After we walked through the fields of butterflies we
finished off our bike ride at a nearby park, where we packed the new
removable basket on my new fun cruiser bike and took the birds on a picnic.
Our old bikes were absolutely demolished by all the miles of riding and most
of all being carried on the back of the Jeep across America and back again
and again and again. Having Cody ride on Frank's handlebars and chewing
up his brake lines and gears, made Frank's bike a bit unsafe as well. Frank's
new cruiser has only one gear and the brakes are on the pedals so there are
no worries about loosing them on steep down slopping hills. This leaves
nothing on the handlebars except soft padding, which we added, for Cody to
hold onto, so hopefully this one will last for many years to come. As the sun
began to set we headed home and watched it disappear behind the ocean as
a flock of pelicans bathed in the pond near our campsite. We have once again
set up our inflatable jacuzzi outside the house and have it warm and ready to
climb into once the sunset is complete and the cool evenings hit.
North America come to nest. They fill the eucalyptus trees that line the coast
and are amazing to watch. When you first look at the branches of the trees
you think they have the oddest color of leaves, but then you realize that the
butterflies are all closed up and sleeping in groups. When the wind begins to
blow, all the butterflies flutter and their wings open a bit, which makes for
some beautiful pictures. After we walked through the fields of butterflies we
finished off our bike ride at a nearby park, where we packed the new
removable basket on my new fun cruiser bike and took the birds on a picnic.
Our old bikes were absolutely demolished by all the miles of riding and most
of all being carried on the back of the Jeep across America and back again
and again and again. Having Cody ride on Frank's handlebars and chewing
up his brake lines and gears, made Frank's bike a bit unsafe as well. Frank's
new cruiser has only one gear and the brakes are on the pedals so there are
no worries about loosing them on steep down slopping hills. This leaves
nothing on the handlebars except soft padding, which we added, for Cody to
hold onto, so hopefully this one will last for many years to come. As the sun
began to set we headed home and watched it disappear behind the ocean as
a flock of pelicans bathed in the pond near our campsite. We have once again
set up our inflatable jacuzzi outside the house and have it warm and ready to
climb into once the sunset is complete and the cool evenings hit.
November 16th - 19th - Emma Wood State Beach, Ventura, California -
As we slowly make our way South to Tustin, where we will spend Thanksgiving
with family, we have stopped to camp with friends here on the banks of the Pacific
Ocean. The camping is what's called 'dry' since you are on your own for water
and electric, but you can't beat the rates or the views. Since our little home on
wheels can hold it's own for about 3 weeks in regards to water and electric we are
set. We have seen dolphins play every morning in the surf and again in the early
evenings when we all sit outside on the logs and listen to Frank play the guitar. I
tried to have breakfast out here a few mornings with Cody and Frank, but Cody
would eat my breakfast faster than I could get to it, so it turned out to just be
coffee for me in the mornings and toast for Cody. There are seals all around us
as well. Our good friend Todd celebrated his 40th Birthday Saturday night, and
the guys bar-b-qued the best carne asada tacos you have ever had. Everyone
brought truckloads of wood so the bonfires have been great each night. One day
coins. We loaded up about 14 coins all along the track and waited for the next
train to come by. As soon as it hit the coins they made a loud CLANG CLANG
CLANG as the coins went flying. After the train had safely passed, we all raced
up the hill to see what we could find and found out that yes indeed, the weight of
a passenger train does flatten out coins. The dimes were of course the thinnest
and the nickels were the best survivors. The one warm day of the weekend we hit
the sand for some Boccie Ball and catch with Malibu, the ever faithful Chocolate
Lab who along with his parents have camped with us his entire 9 years of life.
As we slowly make our way South to Tustin, where we will spend Thanksgiving
with family, we have stopped to camp with friends here on the banks of the Pacific
Ocean. The camping is what's called 'dry' since you are on your own for water
and electric, but you can't beat the rates or the views. Since our little home on
wheels can hold it's own for about 3 weeks in regards to water and electric we are
set. We have seen dolphins play every morning in the surf and again in the early
evenings when we all sit outside on the logs and listen to Frank play the guitar. I
tried to have breakfast out here a few mornings with Cody and Frank, but Cody
would eat my breakfast faster than I could get to it, so it turned out to just be
coffee for me in the mornings and toast for Cody. There are seals all around us
as well. Our good friend Todd celebrated his 40th Birthday Saturday night, and
the guys bar-b-qued the best carne asada tacos you have ever had. Everyone
brought truckloads of wood so the bonfires have been great each night. One day
coins. We loaded up about 14 coins all along the track and waited for the next
train to come by. As soon as it hit the coins they made a loud CLANG CLANG
CLANG as the coins went flying. After the train had safely passed, we all raced
up the hill to see what we could find and found out that yes indeed, the weight of
a passenger train does flatten out coins. The dimes were of course the thinnest
and the nickels were the best survivors. The one warm day of the weekend we hit
the sand for some Boccie Ball and catch with Malibu, the ever faithful Chocolate
Lab who along with his parents have camped with us his entire 9 years of life.
November 17th - Madison's 2nd Birthday at The Santa Barbara Zoo -
'The Million Dollar Miracle'. Her 2nd birthday was celebrated next to the Lion's
'The Million Dollar Miracle'. Her 2nd birthday was celebrated next to the Lion's
Den at the Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens that overlook East beach and the
Bird Refuge. We had a soft little bunny rabbit come and visit for all the little ones
to pet and a train ride around the Zoo to see a few of the animals a little closer.
Madison's favorite time was eating the cake. Yesterday, Madison and I were
able to hang out most of the afternoon while Madison's mommy, Sharon, ran
some errands for the party. We raced her very noisy but fun crocodile clapper
all around the house and took a few self portraits. We played helicopter on the
top of Aunt Suzy's knees and then she took a nap in Aunt Suzy's arms while
reading a book. It was a very full day of fun which wore the little one out.
'The Million Dollar Miracle'. Her 2nd birthday was celebrated next to the Lion's
'The Million Dollar Miracle'. Her 2nd birthday was celebrated next to the Lion's
Den at the Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens that overlook East beach and the
Bird Refuge. We had a soft little bunny rabbit come and visit for all the little ones
to pet and a train ride around the Zoo to see a few of the animals a little closer.
Madison's favorite time was eating the cake. Yesterday, Madison and I were
able to hang out most of the afternoon while Madison's mommy, Sharon, ran
some errands for the party. We raced her very noisy but fun crocodile clapper
all around the house and took a few self portraits. We played helicopter on the
top of Aunt Suzy's knees and then she took a nap in Aunt Suzy's arms while
reading a book. It was a very full day of fun which wore the little one out.
Once Sharon got home, she and I stuffed the goody bags for all the guests of the party including fun zoo masks for the little kids and animal shaped bookmarks
for the bigger ones. At the Zoo, I'm not sure who had more fun on the train ride or exploring, the little kids or the adults. When the train passed the lion he was
regally sitting atop a rock peering at us through a tree. Unfortunately he was behind a chain link fence and my camera would only focus on that and not him.
for the bigger ones. At the Zoo, I'm not sure who had more fun on the train ride or exploring, the little kids or the adults. When the train passed the lion he was
regally sitting atop a rock peering at us through a tree. Unfortunately he was behind a chain link fence and my camera would only focus on that and not him.
Dolphins playing in the waves
On the bike trail with the house behind us
Vanessa and Olivia collect shells
Flattened change, is it still worth money?
Pretty little change all in a row
All aboard!
I'm ready for another helicopter ride
November 19th - Indoor Go-Kart Racing - Mira Loma, California -
Just down the road from our home at Prevost is a fun-filled indoor go-kart racing track. We raced at one like this in Las Vegas and once the guys heard there
was one nearby, we had to check this one out as well. Sean came down for the night and Kurt and Philly are also camping here with us, so we all packed into
Sean's car, went to dinner and then racing. The go-karts are quite low to the ground so you feel pretty safe, but a couple of the corners are very sharp, and the
flooring is painted concrete which makes for some slick roads when you take a hairpin turn a little too quick. No worries we all had on lots of safety gear,
including a Haans Device so when we hit the walls you could hardly feel it. In the first race the guys were all pretty much head to head. As they came by me, not
wanting to be in the middle of the pile up, I pulled off to the side of the road and let them go by. Boys will be boys. Kurt ended up winning the race, but Sean had
the fastest lap. During the second race, which Kurt sat out, Sean and Frank were a bit ahead of me the whole time, but neck and neck with each other. On the
second to the last lap Sean came around the sharpest corner a bit too fast and ended up sideways facing the on-coming traffic. Frank, being so close behind
him, had to slam on his brakes in order not to hit Sean head on, while I sailed right on by and managed to keep enough speed for the very last lap to stay just
enough ahead of them to claim the checkered flag. Since Sean still had the fastest lap, and I the slowest, at least it gave me a little bit of bragging rights.
Just down the road from our home at Prevost is a fun-filled indoor go-kart racing track. We raced at one like this in Las Vegas and once the guys heard there
was one nearby, we had to check this one out as well. Sean came down for the night and Kurt and Philly are also camping here with us, so we all packed into
Sean's car, went to dinner and then racing. The go-karts are quite low to the ground so you feel pretty safe, but a couple of the corners are very sharp, and the
flooring is painted concrete which makes for some slick roads when you take a hairpin turn a little too quick. No worries we all had on lots of safety gear,
including a Haans Device so when we hit the walls you could hardly feel it. In the first race the guys were all pretty much head to head. As they came by me, not
wanting to be in the middle of the pile up, I pulled off to the side of the road and let them go by. Boys will be boys. Kurt ended up winning the race, but Sean had
the fastest lap. During the second race, which Kurt sat out, Sean and Frank were a bit ahead of me the whole time, but neck and neck with each other. On the
second to the last lap Sean came around the sharpest corner a bit too fast and ended up sideways facing the on-coming traffic. Frank, being so close behind
him, had to slam on his brakes in order not to hit Sean head on, while I sailed right on by and managed to keep enough speed for the very last lap to stay just
enough ahead of them to claim the checkered flag. Since Sean still had the fastest lap, and I the slowest, at least it gave me a little bit of bragging rights.
November 22nd - Tustin, California - Happy Thanksgiving -
We had a wonderful day with family. Aunt Janet and Uncle Curt recently installed a pool table in their living room, so after turkey dinner we all played 9 ball. It's
quite fun. In order to score you must hit the balls in numerical order from 1 to 9. You don't have to necessarily hit them in a pocket each time, you just have to
have the cue ball touch it. If you miss the numbered ball you are aiming at or scratch, you receive negative 3 points. If you knock in the ball you are aiming at,
quite a bit of strategy because most of the time the ball you are aiming for is hiding behind two or three other balls. When this occurs you must then figure out
how to bounce the cue ball off different sides of the pool table in order to get your ball where you want it to go. This is where your math teacher's infamous words
of "You really will use geometry in the real world" ring true. That's when Uncle Curt and his infinite pool knowledge came in handy. He would instruct each of us
on where to aim the ball, and most of the time it worked. The main reason it wouldn't work is because of 'miss cues' which is the term used when the darn cue ball
goes in the opposite direction of where you attempted to tell it. I can think of a few more appropriate terms to call out, but 'miss cue' is much more family friendly.
We played for quite a long time, as Scott and Frank serenaded us. By the end of the night we each had won at least one game. After our marathon game of 9
ball we all munched on the leftovers of turkey dinner and had another round of pie! Yum! Of course wonderful Aunt Janet saved all of the turkey bones for our
feathered babies back at home, so when we did get back to the motorhome they were a little less upset with us for leaving them all day. Happy Birthday Mops!
We had a wonderful day with family. Aunt Janet and Uncle Curt recently installed a pool table in their living room, so after turkey dinner we all played 9 ball. It's
quite fun. In order to score you must hit the balls in numerical order from 1 to 9. You don't have to necessarily hit them in a pocket each time, you just have to
have the cue ball touch it. If you miss the numbered ball you are aiming at or scratch, you receive negative 3 points. If you knock in the ball you are aiming at,
quite a bit of strategy because most of the time the ball you are aiming for is hiding behind two or three other balls. When this occurs you must then figure out
how to bounce the cue ball off different sides of the pool table in order to get your ball where you want it to go. This is where your math teacher's infamous words
of "You really will use geometry in the real world" ring true. That's when Uncle Curt and his infinite pool knowledge came in handy. He would instruct each of us
on where to aim the ball, and most of the time it worked. The main reason it wouldn't work is because of 'miss cues' which is the term used when the darn cue ball
goes in the opposite direction of where you attempted to tell it. I can think of a few more appropriate terms to call out, but 'miss cue' is much more family friendly.
We played for quite a long time, as Scott and Frank serenaded us. By the end of the night we each had won at least one game. After our marathon game of 9
ball we all munched on the leftovers of turkey dinner and had another round of pie! Yum! Of course wonderful Aunt Janet saved all of the turkey bones for our
feathered babies back at home, so when we did get back to the motorhome they were a little less upset with us for leaving them all day. Happy Birthday Mops!
Uncle Curt coaches Frank
Jordan on another winning streak
How the balls line up before the break
| Bradley tries to steal the turkey bone |
| Scott, who usually plays an electric guitar, tries out Frank's acoustical |
| Aunt Janet packed more than one |
Lucky for all of us.... .... ...
Here comes Suzy down the winning stretch
| All four of us huddled together |
December 16th - Santa Barbara - Christmas Party with Friends -
Tonight was full of holiday festivities. We spent the evening with a group of
Allison and spend a little time with the kids before the rest of the guests arrived.
Tony recently received a guitar for his birthday, so he and Frank spent a little
could with the songbook. We tried to convince the guys to go caroling later this
evening but that was quickly vetoed, which was okay with me since it was a bit
cold outside, well at least for California which we know isn't really cold for you
North Easterners. We took a few pictures around the Christmas tree, and then
ordered pizza for dinner. Once the party was in full swing we had all sorts of
games and activities going on including pin the nose on Rudolf and craft time
where all the kids made Christmas trees with sugar cones, green frosting and
Skittles. However, I think most of the skittles were eaten before they went on
the little trees. The evening was topped off with a visit from Santa Claus
himself. All the kids went crazy when Santa came in knowing all of their names.
They all took turns climbing on his lap and telling him what they wanted. Not
even Kylie or Nathaniel noticed that their daddy wasn't there when Santa
arrived, so there was no reason to be suspicious of Santa's true identity.
Actually, it took Nathaniel a few minutes to warm up to Santa. This is one of the
greatest perks of our career. The fact that we have over a month off around
Christmas and are able to attend all the parties of the season. Back when we
had the restaurant Frank was rarely ever able to attend any of them,
Tonight was full of holiday festivities. We spent the evening with a group of
Allison and spend a little time with the kids before the rest of the guests arrived.
Tony recently received a guitar for his birthday, so he and Frank spent a little
could with the songbook. We tried to convince the guys to go caroling later this
evening but that was quickly vetoed, which was okay with me since it was a bit
cold outside, well at least for California which we know isn't really cold for you
North Easterners. We took a few pictures around the Christmas tree, and then
ordered pizza for dinner. Once the party was in full swing we had all sorts of
games and activities going on including pin the nose on Rudolf and craft time
where all the kids made Christmas trees with sugar cones, green frosting and
Skittles. However, I think most of the skittles were eaten before they went on
the little trees. The evening was topped off with a visit from Santa Claus
himself. All the kids went crazy when Santa came in knowing all of their names.
They all took turns climbing on his lap and telling him what they wanted. Not
even Kylie or Nathaniel noticed that their daddy wasn't there when Santa
arrived, so there was no reason to be suspicious of Santa's true identity.
Actually, it took Nathaniel a few minutes to warm up to Santa. This is one of the
greatest perks of our career. The fact that we have over a month off around
Christmas and are able to attend all the parties of the season. Back when we
had the restaurant Frank was rarely ever able to attend any of them,
December 5th - Sawyer Brown - Fremont Street -
The National Finals Rodeo officially starts tomorrow, so tonight we thought we would spend our last non working evening with a fun music filled evening with a
free concert. Sawyer Brown is a some what country band that has a great sound. Not to date myself here, but I remember these guys from Star Search. You
remember Star Search right? It was the American Idol of the 80's, except that it had winner's each week which kept things exciting versus waiting 9 months
episode had closure. I don't quite remember how many weeks Sawyer Brown won, but the fact that they won at all was huge for a new band starting out. After the
episode had Sawyer Brown concert we had our annual Christmas Party with everyone we tSawyer Brown concert we had our annual Christmas Party with
everyone we travelravel and work in some form for the NHRA circuit and work in some form for the NHRA circuit. We had our . We had our with all year with all
year usual very fun and entertaining gift exchange with the 'Poopin' Moose' that has been around the Christmas tree for the past three years. Always a good
laugh.
The National Finals Rodeo officially starts tomorrow, so tonight we thought we would spend our last non working evening with a fun music filled evening with a
free concert. Sawyer Brown is a some what country band that has a great sound. Not to date myself here, but I remember these guys from Star Search. You
remember Star Search right? It was the American Idol of the 80's, except that it had winner's each week which kept things exciting versus waiting 9 months
episode had closure. I don't quite remember how many weeks Sawyer Brown won, but the fact that they won at all was huge for a new band starting out. After the
episode had Sawyer Brown concert we had our annual Christmas Party with everyone we tSawyer Brown concert we had our annual Christmas Party with
everyone we travelravel and work in some form for the NHRA circuit and work in some form for the NHRA circuit. We had our . We had our with all year with all
year usual very fun and entertaining gift exchange with the 'Poopin' Moose' that has been around the Christmas tree for the past three years. Always a good
laugh.
December 1st - Bradley gets on Santa's naughty list -
presents was of course for Bradley, and since he figured this out, he thought he could reward himself by opening it early. Since his love affair of pirate ships lives
on as well, and the last two have been demolished, Santa was bringing him a new one. The first thing he found, as he unwrapped his gift, was one of the cannon
balls, and next a sword to fight the other pirates on the ship. Once the present was opened, set up and in working order, with sword in hand, um I mean beak, he
attacked the pirates, threw them all off the ship and took all the peanuts that were in the treasure chest for himself. I sure hope Santa doesn't get wind of this.
presents was of course for Bradley, and since he figured this out, he thought he could reward himself by opening it early. Since his love affair of pirate ships lives
on as well, and the last two have been demolished, Santa was bringing him a new one. The first thing he found, as he unwrapped his gift, was one of the cannon
balls, and next a sword to fight the other pirates on the ship. Once the present was opened, set up and in working order, with sword in hand, um I mean beak, he
attacked the pirates, threw them all off the ship and took all the peanuts that were in the treasure chest for himself. I sure hope Santa doesn't get wind of this.
Bradley discovers the treasure chest is full
| We are so thankful for our enormous family of friends to work and travel with |
Bradley fights off the enemy with his sword
The crime scene of the early gift opening
December 21st - Christmas Musical - Presbyterian Preschool -
Too cute! We went to the most darling preschool version of the Christmas Story ever! Our dear friend's little girl Shelby was one of the cutest little wiseman along
with a family friends little boy, Conner. Another class was dressed up as the sheep, one as the angels and another as the shepherds. After the musical we all
took a tour of Shelby and Conner's classroom which included three sweet little parakeets and saw how each child had made a reindeer out of their handprint.
Too cute! We went to the most darling preschool version of the Christmas Story ever! Our dear friend's little girl Shelby was one of the cutest little wiseman along
with a family friends little boy, Conner. Another class was dressed up as the sheep, one as the angels and another as the shepherds. After the musical we all
took a tour of Shelby and Conner's classroom which included three sweet little parakeets and saw how each child had made a reindeer out of their handprint.
December 24th - Christmas Eve -
memories of 2007.Frank and i sat at the kids table during dinner which was fun since we got to catch up with our nieces Hayley and Torrie and the many
adventures of elementary school. They are now 10 and 12 and growing like weeds. I remember when they were both itty bitty babies. It's great to have everyone
in one room for an entire evening. To celebrate the event I took a picture of the three Franks, since the last photo I have with the three of them together was at
our wedding, 11 years ago. Now the scrapbook is up to date. I should dig out the first one and compare them side by side.
memories of 2007.Frank and i sat at the kids table during dinner which was fun since we got to catch up with our nieces Hayley and Torrie and the many
adventures of elementary school. They are now 10 and 12 and growing like weeds. I remember when they were both itty bitty babies. It's great to have everyone
in one room for an entire evening. To celebrate the event I took a picture of the three Franks, since the last photo I have with the three of them together was at
our wedding, 11 years ago. Now the scrapbook is up to date. I should dig out the first one and compare them side by side.
One of God's greatest gifts is family. A family that loves you because you are just that... family, whether it be through blood or marriage. Since it is Christmas Day
and we shouldn't need any other gift than the gift of love, one might wonder what is a greater gift than love of a family? Well the answer is - the gift of those he
surrounds us with, that love us just as much, if not more than our genetic family because of no other reason then the fact that we are who we are. I've heard so
many people say that the bond of a great friendship is hard to find and yet Frank and I have been blessed enough to find it in so many different groups of people
literally all over the country. So because of this we feel beyond blessed. Some of our dearest friends that are as close to our hearts as our own family are right
here on the Central Coast of California. The six of us got together today to celebrate this great holiday. We started a tradition last year where we each bring a gift
to exchange. The way you are chosen to pick a gift is done through elimination in Texas Hold'em. No it isn't sacrilegious since in the end we were all winners, so
there! :-) Joe, who is always the most eager to open a gift, was the first one out, since the first one out opens the first gift and so on and so on and then the
winner of the game is allowed to steal whatever gift they want since now all the presents, but one, are open. Frank was the runner up, and since there are never
any bad gifts under our Christmas tree, we all ended up with a nice gift. Frank's was Die Hard 4, which ironically completes the series of his most favorite movies. I
received some very fun photo coasters and a nice BBQ set, which goes perfectly with my new Cuisinart Griddler that I received last night. It's the perfect
motorhome kitchen accessory. It is an indoor grill that transforms into a panini maker and a griddle and an open grill to make everything you need from a
breakfast of pancakes and eggs to lunch where you can make quesadillas or paninis or grilled cheese sandwiches, to dinner where you can make anything
imaginable from chicken to salmon to grilled veggies all on the same item, and it's perfectly compact enough to fit in almost any drawer. It's wonderful
and we shouldn't need any other gift than the gift of love, one might wonder what is a greater gift than love of a family? Well the answer is - the gift of those he
surrounds us with, that love us just as much, if not more than our genetic family because of no other reason then the fact that we are who we are. I've heard so
many people say that the bond of a great friendship is hard to find and yet Frank and I have been blessed enough to find it in so many different groups of people
literally all over the country. So because of this we feel beyond blessed. Some of our dearest friends that are as close to our hearts as our own family are right
here on the Central Coast of California. The six of us got together today to celebrate this great holiday. We started a tradition last year where we each bring a gift
to exchange. The way you are chosen to pick a gift is done through elimination in Texas Hold'em. No it isn't sacrilegious since in the end we were all winners, so
there! :-) Joe, who is always the most eager to open a gift, was the first one out, since the first one out opens the first gift and so on and so on and then the
winner of the game is allowed to steal whatever gift they want since now all the presents, but one, are open. Frank was the runner up, and since there are never
any bad gifts under our Christmas tree, we all ended up with a nice gift. Frank's was Die Hard 4, which ironically completes the series of his most favorite movies. I
received some very fun photo coasters and a nice BBQ set, which goes perfectly with my new Cuisinart Griddler that I received last night. It's the perfect
motorhome kitchen accessory. It is an indoor grill that transforms into a panini maker and a griddle and an open grill to make everything you need from a
breakfast of pancakes and eggs to lunch where you can make quesadillas or paninis or grilled cheese sandwiches, to dinner where you can make anything
imaginable from chicken to salmon to grilled veggies all on the same item, and it's perfectly compact enough to fit in almost any drawer. It's wonderful
December 27th - Another Christmas Filled Evening - Grandma and Grandpa Saulsbury's -
Tonight's Christmas dinner was celebrated with Frank's family from up north. Uncle Steve bar-b-qued some great steaks, chicken and salmon, and after dinner
Frank and Sean played a few duet Christmas carols with Sean on the piano and Frank on the guitar. After everyone opened their gifts we had a joke-a-thon with
Spencer's new corny joke book and all the corny jokes that the adults could pull from their childhoods as well. Once we were all out of jokes we played a game
that the family received from Aunt Linda called Apples to Apples. It brought many good laughs, and a lot of creativity. The object is to compare one of the seven
description cards you have in your hand to the one that the dealer/judge chooses from the deck. The dealer/judge then reads each of the words the other
players have submitted and chooses his/her favorite or best suited description or the one that gets the greatest laugh. For example one of the words was
melodramatic. The options the other players submitted were Daytime TV, Whoopi Goldberg, Canadians, the 1970's and Darth Vader. No, a few of these don't
make much sense, but keep in mind you can always plead your case to the judge and try and explain exactly why your word should be chosen over the
competition. Of course in this instance Daytime TV did win, but the judge was almost convinced to pick Darth Vader due to the deep breathing and all.
Tonight's Christmas dinner was celebrated with Frank's family from up north. Uncle Steve bar-b-qued some great steaks, chicken and salmon, and after dinner
Frank and Sean played a few duet Christmas carols with Sean on the piano and Frank on the guitar. After everyone opened their gifts we had a joke-a-thon with
Spencer's new corny joke book and all the corny jokes that the adults could pull from their childhoods as well. Once we were all out of jokes we played a game
that the family received from Aunt Linda called Apples to Apples. It brought many good laughs, and a lot of creativity. The object is to compare one of the seven
description cards you have in your hand to the one that the dealer/judge chooses from the deck. The dealer/judge then reads each of the words the other
players have submitted and chooses his/her favorite or best suited description or the one that gets the greatest laugh. For example one of the words was
melodramatic. The options the other players submitted were Daytime TV, Whoopi Goldberg, Canadians, the 1970's and Darth Vader. No, a few of these don't
make much sense, but keep in mind you can always plead your case to the judge and try and explain exactly why your word should be chosen over the
competition. Of course in this instance Daytime TV did win, but the judge was almost convinced to pick Darth Vader due to the deep breathing and all.
The caravan drives over Hoover Dam
Frank IV, II, and III
| ... ... or be wild and crazy, go out order and choose another year to read about |