Memorial Day, San Diego

Thursday, May 27th
We left Tucson for San Diego-me,Ken, Justen, Larry and Henna for the Memorial Day Weekend Holiday. We got on the road at 6am. I made homemade apple strudel and we also had Bob Evans breakfast sandwiches (not so good) for the road. I read magazines for awhile, Justen watched DVDs, Ken had the Ipod going. I was in the back seat of the truck so I could stretch out. It's a beautiful day~good to have Justen along. Stopped for gas in Yuma. The drive went fast, uneventful. Most of the time I was reading my book-"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society". It is very good-it's about the German Invasion of the island of Guernsey during WWII. It's amazing how much there is to know about WWII. I think I know a lot but probably not. We arrived in Chula Vista a 2 pm. We were all hungry so we made sandwiches and sat outside. We love this RV park. It sits on the bay between Coronado and Chula Vista. After lunch Henna and I took a walk along the bay, stopped at a restaurant and had a drink. Back to the RV park, sat outside and had some of Larry's  green chili and chips, wine, talked and laughed. For dinner (wow-we eat often!) we had grilled chicken and steamed broccoli, apple strudel for dessert. After dinner we sat around our gas heater for awhile (gotta love San Diego weather) and then went to bed. Justen watched TV for awhile; Larry hooked up his satellite to our RV so Justen could watch the basketball playoffs. We had cable from the RV park, but it only has a few basic channels.
Friday, May 28th
Up about 7:30, we had coffee, then breakfast outside: eggs, ham, hash browns, OJ, toast. Ken and I took a bike ride around the park, took showers. We skyped Josh to see if he wants to join us on the Jan 2011 cruise to Cabo. Everyone (Justen, Uncle Don, Jason, April, Bella, Lola) is going. We met Eduardo for the first time. It felt good to do that..it really did. Ken was outside and didn't know we were talking to them, so I told him to come in and meet Eduardo; he did and I'm sure he felt good too. Good steps...
They will need to check with work, but they are hopeful! Can you imagine.....our whole family together for the first time...in, well, I can't remember and I only want to think of the future.
As we were leaving the RV park to go to the Zoo, April called, very upset saying Jason is on his way to the doctor. He had a physical (with blood work done) the day before (routine although he had an ear infection). The Doctor's office called and wanted to see him immediately. The only thing I could think of was cholesterol or white blood cells, but it all sounded so weird. My stomach immediately felt sick. I called Jason and asked him to call me as soon as he was finished at the Doctor. After we arrived at the Zoo, he called about 30 minutes later....and it was his cholesterol, which is (I think 208). The Doctor actually was surprised to see him; the urgency was the result of an over zealous receptionist that wanted to fill the appointment slot. Wow...what a relief, but he does need to watch his diet and exercise. High cholesterol runs in my family.

We got back to the RV park around 2:30. We had some snacks and Justen made some Raspberry, Mint Mojitos. Yum! Then it was time to get ready for the Padres game. Larry and Henna did not go. We went early and ate at a wonderful restaurant, "Soleil". We sat outside on the sidewalk; it was fun to watch the people walking by on their way to the game. We had appetizers: Lobster Tempura with mushroom risotto, shrimp/avocado flat bread. For dinner Justen had skirt steak and Ken and I shared grilled mahi. Everything was delicious. We arrived in Petco just as they were singing the National Anthem. Our seats (Stubhub) were great, row 12 behind home plate. The park is so nice. I was cold, it was around 65 degrees; I had my jean jacket on, but I was still cold. I went to buy a sweatshirt and the cheapest I could find, was $91; I was not going to pay that much!! The Padres lost after loading the bases in the 9th. I had a nice time with Justen and Ken. We got back to the RV around 10:30, read a little.

Saturday, May 29th

Ken woke up around 6:30; he never sleeps in when we travel. After another hearty breakfast, Larry and Ken went fishing. I napped ( I know, pathetic) and then when they returned, we loaded up to go to the beach. It was cool, but so beautiful. We all relaxed, some snoozed, some read, and some sun bathed. Henna was absolutely freezing, so I took care of her. Notice her bundle of towels; and right next to her, Ken and Justen shirtless; it's hard to imagine that she is from Scotland!

The water was freezing; Justen and Ken were brave enough to try it out; only their feet and then retreated. Back to the RV; time for a little lunch. Ken and I took a bike ride and soon it was time for happy hour. Tonight is Henna's turn for dinner (we take turns). We had grilled pork roast, peas and artichoke hearts, and fingerling potatoes. After a wonderful dinner, it was a bit windy so we retreated to our RV. Justen watched TV and Ken and I read our books.

Sunday, May 30th

Our last day. We had another great breakfast. This day, we had no definite plans. We lounged, rode bikes, took walks, napped, then Henna and I went shopping. She wanted to find a Trader Joe's, so Justen found one for us in Eastlake, a cute little town about 25 minutes east. The shopping area had lots of outdoor eating areas, ponds, lots of flowers and trees. We had a latte, went to Borders, Trader Joe's and the grocery. When we got back to the RV park, we all sat around and read books; Justen watched sports.

Tonight is my turn for dinner. I am making Shrimp Tostados: fresh grilled shrimp combined with a mixture of olive oil, mayo, serrano chilis, garlic, minced red onion, diced roma tomatoes, cilantro, lime zest and lime juice. Place fresh avocado slices on top of the tostado, add a generous helping of the shrimp mixture, add cheese and sour cream. So yummy. The original recipes calls for fresh crab instead of shrimp. I have not tried it with crab, although I have tried it with grilled mahi....my favorite.

We had a nice evening together. We have to leave tomorrow. Originally we planned to stay until Tuesday, but I have to get back to leave for a business trip to Chicago.

I am jealous of Larry and Henna. They are heading up the coast, all the way to Washington. Their next stop is Pismo Beach, which I love! They will be gone until August. After Washington, they will head to Colorado.

Our drive home was uneventful; I got dropped off in Phoenix since my flight leaves from there early in the morning. It was a great trip, never long enough. You don't want to wish your life away, but how nice to take the whole summer to get out of the heat of Tucson and explore the country!