Wednesday, February 29, 2012

On Behalf of Jovita

Jovita is doing the Relay for Life with her rugby team! Here is the link if you would like to donate:

http://convio.cancer.ca/site/TR?fr_id=11772&pg=pfind

Just type in her name to find her and click on Donate.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Time to Say Goodbye to SB

Graveyard at the Mission.

It has been a great break from winter, even if our winter has not been very bad. Today I spent the morning drinking coffee on the deck and then packed a lunch and spent the afternoon on the beach. Even though the temp only got to 14 here today, it still felt warm down by the water.

Yesterday I went to the Mission. This is the 3rd building, after awhile the first one was too small and a larger one was built, then the 2nd one was destroyed by an earthquake. The last one was also partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1927 (I think) but it was restored. It is still active as a catholic parish. The graveyard at the Mission has over 4000 indians buried there, but there are no headstones or crosses, for them, I am not sure if there were at one time and they just disintegrated but there only a few mausoleums and headstones left.. The last burial was in 1952.

Labels: ,

Sunday, February 26, 2012

The Presidio


Is the oldest building in SB. It was built between 1782 and 1795 by the Spanish. They are still excavating the site.
As Mom said it was quite the trip home.  I felt like I was in an episode of the amazing race!  We did make the plane and most of the folks were great just the one bag in SB.  At any rate the week was super so relaxing and warm.  SB is a very nice place and Judith's place was perfect.  We took long walks and read and got lots of sleep.  Wilf liked his gifts and I still have to mail, Henry and Ally's.  they have rented an apartment it is on 99th and 87 avenue.  They are excited about it and will be moving on the 1st of March, if the walk through the apartment goes well.  It is an older building with hardwood floors.  I came home to snow and it snowed Friday and Saturday so good thing I had some warm memories to fall back on. 

Thursday, February 23, 2012

A Pajama Day



Not too sure why, but today I just felt kind of blah, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day, but I just did not feel as though I wanted to go out. Maybe it was my long walk yesterday, 2.5 hours. Any way tomorrow will be better.

Labels: ,

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Birds on the Beach


Labels:

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Good bye to My Company

At the Courthouse.

Laura and Mom left today around 3 for their journey home. It was really nice to have them come and stay. On Monday they took a long walk along the beach, they were gone for over 2 hours. I had a nap. Time has really flown by quickly, I cannot believe I only have a week until I come home. I could easily stay for another month.

Labels:

Monday, February 20, 2012

A Busy Weekend

The cactus house down the street.

I tried to keep Mom and Laura occupied this weekend, so they can at least say they did more than sit around my place. On Saturday they took the bus in the other direction, to the mall. I decided to go to the beach and we were going to meet up there. The trip to the mall was very successful, both came home with new clothes. On the way home from the mall the bus stops at the beach just down the road, it is in kind of a valley so way easier to get to then walking all the stairs, and we decided we would meet at that beach.

I puttered around home then grabbed a beach chair and took the stairs down to Hendry's Beach (what I like to call my beach). Being a Saturday there were way more people walking, jogging, walking dogs. I found a nice quiet spot and read my book, people and dog watched. After a while I walked down the beach to Arroyo Burro (the other beach) to wait for the others. It was even busier, lots of families, kids digging holes and building castles. I had just about decided that Mom and Laura were not coming, when they appeared, got a little mixed up about bus times. So we walked home together, along the street where the slope is more gradual and easier to walk up then the 80 steps to my beach.

As well on Saturday morning we skyped with Lisa, and showed her Mom eating breakfast. Maybe she will not have to nag quite so hard about Mom eating when she gets home having had proof that we are not starving Mom.

Yesterday we went downtown, then took a little electric trolley to the beach. Each Sunday since 1966, there has been an art show with the local artists, about 200 booths. They had tons of different things, paintings, jewellery, wind chimes. We walked about halfway down and then decided to go back, it was really over whelming. Back downtown, and we stopped for coffee, at a place called Jitters. It is run by a british ex pat, and he made the most delicious scones with blueberries and raspberries fresh that morning from the farmers market. Yummmmmm. All three of us made purchases at the art show, and when we were walking through Paseo Nuevo Laura found the ball cap she was looking for Henry, I found a new pair of shoes at Nordstroms so we came home a tired but happy crew.

One more day of visitors then I will be back on my own for a week and then home for me. Time has flown by very quickly.

Labels: , ,

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Day 7

Richard was over with Clem, and asked me to come over as he couldn't figure out the TV.
I came in, Richard said, 'Clem growled as she saw you walking to the door.' She was sitting near him, being petted.
As I left, I stood near the sliding door outside.
He shouted through the door, 'She's growling again.'

Picture of the Day


Me on my deck.

Labels:

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Clem: Day 6

My captivity continues. Perhaps it will never end. My captors leave food but who knows how long that will last? If my servant does not return soon I may have to take drastic measures. And if she does return I must punish her for abandoning me.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Downtown SB

Laura and Mom at the arcade.
View from the tower at the courthouse.

We went downtown today, toured around the courthouse, it is very nice. It is in Spanish syle, lots of tiles and wood. The tower at the courthouse is open to the general public, and it has a 360 degree view of SB. A bit of shopping and then home again.

Labels:

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Mom and Laura by the Ocean

Labels:

Christmas 2012

We were just talking here about names for Christmas. Have they been drawn and if so (Mom thinks they were) please post because none of us remember seeing the list. Another wonderful day in California. We went for a walk and saw the ocean and many many dogs (dog park). They seem to like mom. Must be because she is well fed. Laura under Judith's name.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Reading



As you can see there is a lot going on in Santa Barbara. The three of us walked over to the coffee shop and had a cup. After that over to a used bookstore that is across the street from the coffee shop, and all of us had luck finding something to read. Mom's leg has been bothering her a bit, so she is not able to walk too far, we took it slow and stopped for her to rest it fairly often. It was Mom's turn to cook tonight, she made a lovely roast. My landlord stopped by and met the visitors. Tomorrow it might be over to the preserve, as long as Mom is feeling up to walking some more.

Labels:

Clem

Day 3. Clem obviously is missing Mom because she allowed me to pet her today. Yesterday, she wouldn't come near me.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Birthday Geoff

Labels:

Monday, February 13, 2012

Mom and Laura Have arrived

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Sitting here with Will watching the Grammys, once again feelimg totally out of touch with the current culture. At least I know who Adele is.

Was really looking forward to this weekend in the city. By Thursday I was feeling really good, but when we got to the city on Friday I could feel a cold coming on. It kept getting worse all weekend. It was still a good weekend. Watched Sam get a couple of lucrative awards. Went back to Hotel Jude and slept. Out for supper with Will, Grace and Al, Grace and Al went off to the more exciting part of their evenings.

Stopped at Al's on the way home and had a look at her bathroom. It's going to be very nice. She hasn't mentioned the beautiful glass tile that's going in.

Will has a cold too and Geoff is getting over one so none of us has much energy. Back to work tomorrow, feels like I have been gone for months.

Thanks for the bed, Judith.

Art Gallery Bathroom

Yesterday I had lunch in a restaurant attached to an art galley, it was on a patio, with a lovely fountain in the middle. When I went to use the bathroom, I found that they even had art for sale in the bathroom.

Labels:

Saturday, February 11, 2012

SB

I realized the other day that I have not seen one bookstore here, quite different from Oregon where we saw them in every town. I asked a woman in the Museum Gift Shop, she said that both Barnes and Noble and Borders were downtown but closed leaving only one downtown, The Book Den. Not that I need something to read, I loaded my iPad up with library books before I left, and I can add more if I run out. I just find it weird.

Labels: ,

Word Bubbles game

You won't be able to stop. My arm is sore.


http://www.lumosity.com/brain-games/flexibility-games/word-bubbles

Friday, February 10, 2012

Getting there.

Tiling not yet grouted, but installed. Blue / grey border going around all the edges. The bathroom is much brighter! Also note that I replaced window after hemming and hawing about it.

Floor will be a light grey marmoleum.

Labels:

Sunset


If you look really closely at the second picture, you can see some surfers waiting for the next big wave.

Labels:

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Some Pictures



These pictures are taken from the Douglas Family Preserve. I am pretty sure all the people who saw me there could tell I am a tourist, because everyone else was wearing sweaters or hoodies.

I am used to seeing liquor sales in grocery stores but I still find it a bit weird to see it on sale in a Drug Store.

I have found a site online where I can watch the Oilers when they play, so that is good. The play by play is done by different people, based on which station it is coming from, and I have to say that I really do not like many of the US guys, they seem to babble on just to hear themselves talk and they are always second guessing the linesmen. Tonight it is Fox Sports from Detroit, they are really terrible.

Labels: ,

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

La Mesa

That is the name of the neighborhood I am staying in, also known as the beaches, because this part of town is where you can get down to the beach. I like being in a residential area, it is so quiet that you can hear the waves at night. Hardly any traffic because Cooper Road ends in a T intersection and there is only one block if you turn right and about four blocks if you turn left, so not too many houses to access. I feel pretty pleased with my decision to rent this place. I like walking around the neighborhood, the yards are really nice, lots of places have lemon, lime or orange trees growing in them. I passed a place the other day that had a small box with limes in it, and a sign that said please take. And the spring flowers are coming out, I saw white narcissus, daffodils and some iris.

Just about a block away is The Douglas Family Preserve, it was going to be a new subdivision, but residents got organised and raised money to save the land,they did not have enough and at the last minute Michael Douglas gave a big chunk of money, and they were able to save it from development. Stuart said that the views of the sunset are amazing from there, I have not gone yet, but maybe tomorrow, and I will take some pics, can't have enough pictures of sunsets.

I took the bus in the other direction yesterday, which ended up at a mall. I always think of malls as being enclosed so it seems a bit weird when it is not. I know it was a weekday afternoon, but it was so quiet there as well. SB has about 90,000 people living in it, so not a huge city.

Labels: ,

Monday, February 06, 2012

Today's reno update

Came home to see that toilet and sink were removed, so that renovator could replace the ugly crappy pipes behind the sink, and prep the wall to start tiling. White tile will be about 5' high on the sink / toilet side. Maybe tomorrow I will come home to tile!

Labels:

Sunday, February 05, 2012

It's good to be home, where nobody is interested in your bodily functions.

The surgery went well the surgeon says. I am fine, but am surprised at how tired I am. Glad I don't have to go to work next week. Geoff was with me almost the whole time I was in the hospital and is taking good care of me now, even though he has a cold.

One of our friends, Rilla, was in the hospital at the same time, she had had a mastectomy the day before (not fair when you are 80 years old). While Geoff and I were in a room waiting for me to go to the OR, Geoff looked out the door and there was Pat(Rilla's husband)! So he went out to talk to Pat and their daughter came in to chat to me. They were just waiting for Rilla's doctor to see her and give her the OK to go home. Afterward when I was in my room after the surgery, my roommate said to me, "Are you Theresa?" Well, yes, I was. She told us that Rilla had been her roommate and had kept saying, "I wish the doctor would get here so Theresa can have my bed." And I did get her bed!

Heather came in for a cheering visit and brought flowers. It was great to see her as usual. Her mere presence brightens my spirits.

Geoff went over to Tim's yesterday to help him put a new window in the master bedroom. Tim still has lots of plans for the house and they are gradually getting done. He's quite happy with his new job, there is a big difference between being a contractor and working for a big oil company.

So a week of lying around ahead of me. Will is arriving in the Blessed Land on Friday so we will go to the city to pick him up, go to a function where Sam is getting an award, and take the kids out for supper. Better rest up.

couple photos Punta cana


here we are on the beach. It really was beautiful.









And here is the view from the airplane, as we went over Bermuda.

Saturday, February 04, 2012

Santa Barbara

So as requested by Allison here is a bit of a summary of the first couple of days. Downtown is not as close as I thought, I must have misunderstood Stuart (landlord) but I think I am happier being farther out. The beach is very close, but there are many stairs to get down to it. On Thursday I walked down to the beach then took a long walk along it. I saw some surfers, and a few a people walking dogs, or just walking but mostly had the place to myself. It is very soothing to sit and listen and watch waves go in and out. So far every day has been sunny with blue blue sky, there does not seem to be a problem with smog here. Then yesterday I decided to walk downtown, I had a map and it did not look too far. Of course it was farther then it looked, but a very beautiful walk, the ocean on the left, sun shining it was great. Downtown is very cool, lots of local stores, the mall which is outdoors and restaurants. The Santa Barbara film festival is on right now so as I was walking I looked for famous people but did not see any. To get home I took the bus as my legs were very sore. It only takes about 15 minutes to get home and the bus stop is just down the street from my apartment.

There is an Albertsons about 10 or 15 minutes walk from my place, so on Wednesday I made a trip to the store and bought some groceries, including some imported fruit (apples from BC).

Here is the link to my place I have no pictures yet as I brought the wrong cable for my camera, but I picked one up while I was downtown, so pictures will be coming.

Labels: ,

How is Santa Barbara?

Tell us what you are up to. Post some pictures!

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Bathroom Begins Again

Today the renovator came to complete (or start completing) the job on my bathroom. I did decide ultimately to replace that aluminum casing window, so had to wait while new one was constructed. It's one of those super high R rating windows that opens but also keeps heat in during winter. I had hoped to come home to the walls insulated and closed up today but no go. There's always tomorrow! Now that I know it's going to be done by next week, I can't wait. Will post pictures. Flooring will have to be done later in Feb, I think.

Just turned in a couple of pages of writing to my professors towards my research proposal. Why is it so hard and why does it take so long?

Today I was on the reference desk, wearing a black & white sort of graphic dress and a woman told me that my dressed "looked like science."

Labels: , ,

Theresa's condition

Thersa had some minor ( to me anyway) today and is doing well. She will be in the hospital until Friday.

Not such a good start

I made it to the airport and checked in, through customs, boarded the plane, and then deplaned, still in Edmonton. A problem with the weather in San Francisco, means a delay for us. I am glad that they are not making us wait on the plane, much more comfortable waiting in the lounge.

Labels: