The walkway, hanging out and the sun

Watched a pretty intense movie called "The Constant Gardner" based on a book
by John le Carré. I wouldn't recommend it for the faint of heart (that means especially you Vivian) for the graphic images of death. It is, however, an excellently acted movie and a good suspense movie.

Today we traveled north again to Escondido to help Ed with a few things. One was taking his insurance card back to the office of the ENT Physician the saw the other day. I took this one of a woman walking through the walkway to the parking garage.


Back at Ed's place I sat in the car andwasted battery power taking pictures from the car of nothing in particular like this house across the street....


... a palm tree...


and this bus passing by - I thought it interesting the combination of words "Welcome Home, Unity of America"


More palms and a woman on her cell phone smoking and driving a truck and waiting for the light to change.


Back in Chula Vista on H Street I liked the Blackbirds on the cross of a church above some more palms.


I liked the sun peeking through this tree ablaze on gold behind the green lights - oops - I have a green light.


The sun was about to drop behind the Marine Layer of clouds coming in from the Pacific Ocean.


I hung out at this spot trying different exposure settings.


in a real compromise I used the flourescent setting and got this one.


Getting ready to play Scrabble (maybe) the Queen isn't feeling very well.

Quote of the Day

A desk is a dangerous place from which to watch the world. ~ John le Carre English suspense novelist; wrote novels "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold" 1963, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" 1974, "Smiley's People" 1979, "The Russia House" 1989 and "The Constant Gardner"

Doctor Day

Somewhere around 1988 I had my left hip replaced. That's where the story begins. It's kind of a fairy tale story in a way. Bothered since High School by a sever case of Anklosing Spondylitis (arthritis of the spine) that manifested itself primarily in my left hip. It destroyed my hopes of becoming a great baseball player (probably unrealistic) and had played havoc in that hip for years and eventually started causing pain in my back. The hip had become so bad by 1988 I sought help and was referred to Hans Andersen (not the Hans Christiansen Anderson) who I think is one of the finest Doctors on earth. Well my fairy tale by Dr. Hans Anderson was he replaced my hip with a "bionic" one and since then there has been no pain in that hip. Well since we were in the area and the operation was done almost 18 years ago I wanted him to take a look and give me an idea of how it was holding up. So I drove to his office noting a banner on the wall of an apartment complex across from his office and took it as a good sign. It was and his estimate was that it should go another 35 years or so at which time I won't be doing too much dancing so I put on a big smile just like the banner and realized Han Andersen is still writing fairy tales.


On my way back to the RV I got this shot of the San Diego skyline from the hill near the Chula Vista KOA.


We then took off for Escondido and Ed's trip to Dr Kripps and ENT who would look into Ed's dizziness issue. Dr. Kripps was in this cool Medical Offices Building in downtown Escondido.


I really liked the weird stuff strung up over the entrance but wondered if I'd like it as much in a heavy wind since they are all metal pieces.


They are in all kinds of shapes and sizes and colors.


I did guess this one was either a Kokopelli, A fiddler or an ocean liner.


There were some nice muted colors in the faux stucco walls.


The moon was rising about 4:30pm over the building and made for a nice picture.


Inside the hearing tests for Ed were done and he and Sharyn waited to see the doctor .....


...along with George and Jill.


Not wanting to just sit around I took this picture in the hallway using different settings. This is the first setting using natural light.


The second using a flash and the incandescent setting.


And the last with a fluorescent setting. Interesting how camera settings can change the mood and lighting and color so much.


This pampas grass in the huge pot was amazing.


At both my earlier appointment in Chula Vista and in Escondido the elevators had a burnished metal interior that gave a 3D effect so for my artsy pic of the day we have the interior of an elevator.


No Scrabble tonight but we almost started a game twice.

Quote of the Day

Enjoy life. There's plenty of time to be dead. ~ Hans Christian Andersen Danish poet & fairy tale author (1805 - 1875)

All around the Park and a trip to the movies

The gentleman directly across from our RV has shamed me again by continuing to clean and do "stuff" to his RV while I barely managed to dry the Musemobile after Scrabble Queen applied a cleaner with a wet cloth. Oh well it was nice and inspiring watching someone showing such care on his RV. I may need to change my ways it's good for the Musemobile and is a healthy exercise, if I don't fall off of the ladder.


I have always been fascinated with the Bird of Paradise plant so any opportunity to get pictures of them I go for immediately. This was not at the RV park but the ones I got a picture of in an earlier Web Log Entry. They are next to the Rubio's in Chula Vista. We stopped there on the way to the movies to see Casanova a more lighthearted Heath Ledger movie than Brokeback Mountain.


I took two photos and couldn't decide which to use so I kept both.


Across from Rubio's I thought this Martial Arts studio look pretty cool but didn't realize there was a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I did like the name "Just for Kicks" though. It was a jovial name for a place that teaches you how to defend yourself but incapacitating an attacker.


Then there was the Southern California version of Patriotism but we are led to believe Californians are all liberal nutcases by the Patriots in some parts of the country.


Geeze I really need to decorate the Musemobile to keep up with the Jonses. I like this mobile mural on the back of this Cruise Master.


The KOA in Chula Vista is an international destination with flags from the US (of course) but also Australia, Mexico, Canada and Japan not to mention five KOA flags.


The great slide in the playground is so colorful and I like the purple dinosaur ride also.


We even have bus service that comes through the park.


.... and a nice pet walk and walking path.


There are bikes that accommodate from one to six people with a place for two small children in the front.


The picture I've been trying to get for the last two days was one of the little girl across the way and her pogo stick. She is a real wizard and hoping on that thing. Amazing!


No Scrabble

Quote of the Day

"I don't myself believe in astrology. However, I think that's because I'm a Libra and Libras are always skeptical." ~ Philip Greenspun MIT professor and photographer

2nd, 3rd, L, 4th and H to the KOA

We got Pete's new address today so we found out where the Post Office was located in Chula Vista. It was on 3rd Avenue just past H street. We left from the KOA on 2nd Ave ( I don't like typing so I'll abbreviate Avenue to Ave) and went south past C Street, D Street, E Street, to F Street and hung a right (west) to 3rd Ave. Then right (south again) to the our San Diego bank at 3rd street and H street. There I sat in the car and wrote a letter to Pete while Sharyn did some high finance in the bank. We then pulled back out on 3rd Ave to the Post Office. While sitting in the lot while she mailed the letter to Pete I listened to the car alarm in the parking space next to me and took some pictures. I liked the glass front on the 3rd Avenue Plaza Building reflecting the deep blue sky.



I thought it was cool how the flag reflected off of the glass.


I liked the red blooms on the tree in front.


And the palm on the North end of the building and the huge tree in the distance.


Right next to the car was a beautiful yellow rose.


Just south of the 3rd Avenue Plaza was a cocktail lounge that looked like an old saloon (a word I used in scrabble last night).


Well we left the Post Office and headed south to L street where we took a right (west) headed for Broadway but the road was blocked by a serious accident at 4th Avenue and L street. We were forced to turn right (north) on 4th and followed it back to H street and turned left (west) having decided on the Jade Palace for lunch.


The Jade Palace doesn't look like much but the food is great. Bruce, Sharyn's cousin took us there with Sharyn's dear aunt Janet while she was still with us. Janet loved the Honey Walnut Shrimp and it's my favorite item on the menu there. So we sat at a table and I had to get a picture of this colorful fan on the pink wall....


... and the folding dragon on the ceiling.


We left the Jade Palace with full tummies and some great leftovers and headed east on H street to 2nd Ave and the KOA. After arriving Sharyn mentioned several times about how the guy across the way had been working on the RV all day cleaning it and even had washed the roof (hint hint) and was probably 10 years older than me. So I guess I know what to do tomorrow.


No Scrabble I was too tired after watching that guy working so hard *smile*

Quote of the Day

"For decades I plotted courses that never duplicated themselves. Some were out-and-backs, but a route looks different when you reverse directions. Usually I'd run a single big loop with new scenery every step of the way." ~ Joe Henderson Runner and Writer

What I do when I don't have anything to do

Today was an off day hanging around the RV, calling Camping World and Winnebago about the $189.35 we paid for the honor of having them "fix" the TV/Vent fan static problem (it still happens), washing the RV and windows, and eating tuna fish sandwiches. While running on idle I snapped this long distance picture of a windsock shaped like a chef.


I got a close up of Scrabble Queen's shoe (cute shoe).


Then I got this one of an empty glass on the picnic table.


And an empty table looked like easy pickings.


Then there was the drainage overflow that had nice hanging vegetation.

It even had an iron gate to keep people from going down the drain.


It looked a lot like a dungeon so I decided to go elsewhere.


But only after a picture of an agave perched above the overflow.


Oh and since I was doing the mundane I got this fence.


I lucked out with this lovely picture of pink geraniums with a California Pepper Tree background.


I also got this beautiful BBQ Grill (just kidding).


Steven, Martha and the kids were coming over for burgers and I took this one of Sharyn cutting Tomatoes.


It was a great visit with the other Viel family not to mention Matthew calling to say he and Diana are coming to see us in San Diego before heading to Las Vegas to be married. Other family news includes a letter from Pete saying he was being moved closer to Oregon (only a day's drive) and a better facility. Andrew is mucking around the house and collecting our mail and renting out every room in the house (just kidding he couldn't rent the garage).

Scrabble Score ~ Scrabble Queen 368 - the contender 337 yikes!!!

Quote of the Day

"Alas! the small discredit of a bribe
Scarce hurts the lawyer, but undoes the scribe." ~ Alexander Pope, Epilogue to Satire