Pre-Birthday Happy Hour

Thursday, February 25, I got on-line this morning at 7:00 a.m. to read an email from Bud and Billie. They are bugging out today! They head to Albuquerque and then Bud has to be in Alexandria, VA, on 3/3 and in Yei, Sudan on 3/5! Wow! I'm so glad we got to see them before they left and we wish them safe travels.

My friend Jean in Austin has returned from her three-week trip to Tierra del Fuego. I can't wait to hear all about it and see her pictures. Something happened with her email and the one picture she sent to it is all hung up in my ISP's undeliverable box.

Most of the Seabreeze crowd can't make Bob's birthday bash so we might try to reschedule. We sure would like to see all of them. I try to call Nan. She says she was on the phone with her Mom. She calls back and we agree to walk at 10:00. It is sunny and chilly but much warmer today already as the wind is out of the south.

After breakfast I call Marty at Seabreeze to check schedules. Then I send out a new email to try a birthday/happy hour celebration on Tuesday. Nan, Roxy and I take a walk. Lois and Richard grab their two little dogs as we go by. Nan says they got loose from their peg in the ground yesterday. Nan and Tom toured Mustang Island and South Padres yesterday. Tom said the area was asking for loans back in the 80's so he checked out some of the real estate prices.

After our walk Nan and I agree to go to Wal-Mart at 11:00. Bob is loading digital pictures onto our frame. I love to see new ones pop up and be reminded of some fun part of our travels that I had forgotten about. I get cleaned up and walk over to give Nan some handouts and coupons I picked up yesterday (3 seafood dip recipe card, $2.00 off Aquarium tickets and a Red Tide danger brochure.)

It was fun to browse Wal-Mart at leisure. Of course I get more than I thought I needed. Nan is nice enough to stop so I can get a paper at the convenience store on the corner. Back home we find Bob cleaning the inside of Big Bertha. Nan tackles the outside of their rig and car. I work on correspondence-very low key.

Bob and I go to Rockport Thrift Store but find no good books or puzzles. We have lunch at Apple Dumpling (thanks Billie for telling us about this place two years ago!) I have the Waldorf Chicken Salad Sandwich on huge homemade pumpernickel bread. with a heavenly cinnamon mayonnaise. Bob has tuna on huge, fresh whole wheat and we both enjoy tomato basil soup. I was here with our neighbor Julie from Rustic Cove RV Park last year and with Billie once but Bob has not eaten here. We'll be back.

We go through the automatic car wash so now Big Bertha is clean inside and out. Back home Nan is still working on their rig. It is a nice day for it though. The high is only 63 and the wind is a little chilly. A new RV arrives on our row. Nan and Tom said they met the neighbor from SD in the Presidential on our streetside. He was here, then went down to Mission in the Valley, and now he's back again. He heads back to SD where he lives on 3/15. He says he has been sick with a cold.

We read the paper and put out a spread for happy hour with those guys. Nan and Tom arrive at 4:30 with a cheese ball, crackers and wine. It's too windy to have our treats outside. I add my Braunnsweiger Ball, pumpernickel bread and mango Smirnoffs. We chat and snack until the Olympics start at 7:00. Of course we sing Happy Birthday as we cut Bob's Red Velvet Cake a day early. After all we have to eat this thing now that the crowd from Seabreeze is not coming tomorrow.

Korea takes gold in lady's figure skating. The Canadian gal who lost her Mom takes bronze. What a fun evening. Nan and I walk at 9:30. It's 11:32 p.m. and 57 degrees. We're having late nights with these Olympics. I ended up with a migraine early this morning, very unusual now days for me. But I took a magic pill after breakfast and it was gone by noon thankfully.