Tough Job

It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. Barb with popcorn and a good book!

New Background

Changed the blog background . . .

Followers

Wondering where all our blog followers are hiding out! Last year there were 13 followers, but this year only 5 so far!!!

Picnic at Lake Lily

This morning I drove to Lake Village in Nevada to play tennis with the local men's group. Apparently, the ladies group was short a player and I drew the short straw!

Just kidding. I had a great time playing with three delightful ladies. Maybe next time I can play with the big boys!

When I returned to the condo, Barbara announced we were going on a picnic with Frank and Judi, who drove us to a small lake west of Lake Tahoe called Lake Lily, where we enjoyed the views and cool mountain air.

Let me know if you have any problems viewing the video!

After a picnic lunch, we walked down to the lower falls where Barb stuck her toes in the water. She reported the water was so cold, she could leave her feet in the water for no more than 30 seconds!

Quiet Sunday

Tried my first bagel run of the trip. Bike paths for the most part through meadows and away from traffic. Not the best bagels in the world, but they will do. Any bagel is better than no bagel, I guess.

Afternoon spent reading outside on the deck and playing cards with Frank and Judy. They beat us today, rather badly, I might add.

Sunday nights are interesting here as many folks who come from the San Francisco Bay Area head back to their "real lives" for the work week and the crowds thin out a bit.

Tomorrow will be my first tennis day!

Hope everyone who is following our blog is having a great summer. If you are not already signed up as a "follower" we'd love to add you to the ranks!

Short Bike Ride

Woke up this morning to an unusual phenomenon, light drizzle and socked-in mountains! Made for a relaxing day of reading (Stuart Woods' "Swimming to Catalina" --- a good summer read, although written last century!) and doing odd jobs. Realigned the sensor on my bike odometer and replaced the battery in one of the "smart keys" for the Prius.

This afternoon, the rain stopped and I was able to do a short 5-mile ride. One of these photos was taken on a bike path through the woods not far from here. Still kind of cool here. Today the high was only about 68 degrees.

Getting the Old Bicycle Ready

Got out my bicycle, put some air in the tires, and ventured out for a small test ride around the neighborhood.

Probably will do first extended bike ride this weekend.

Played a round of golf Tuesday at Eagle Valley over the mountains in Carson City. Then dinner at our favorite little casino --- Lakeside Inn.

Barb feeling under the weather yesterday, so activities limited to shopping.

Today Frank and I will play golf at Lake Tahoe golf course, which is just outside of town.

First View of Lake Tahoe

Today I took a walk out to the pier not far from our condo to check out the lake and the mountains. Still some snow at the higher elevations.

Some interesting facts about the area: The surface of the lake is 6,229 feet above sea level. The highest peak rising directly from the shoreline is Mt. Tallac at 9,735 feet. Quite a view!

Father's Day Cookout

Frank and Judi invited us to join them and their two boys and their families for a Father's Day barbecue.

Frank's son, Tom, did the honors with the grill.

The kids spent time on the pier fishing between courses.

Dessert was homemade brownies and ice cream with all sorts of toppings.

South Lake Tahoe at Last

Yesterday we rolled into South Lake Tahoe and found our condo all ready for us, thanks to our friend, Frank, who unpacked the boxes we had left in storage from last summer.

Next few days will be spent unwinding from the long drive before we hit the hiking and biking trails.

Utah in Three Pictures!

On Friday we left Rock Springs and drove all the way through Utah and into Nevada where we stopped in Elko for the night.

Along the way I searched for snakes but failed to find any. The weather in the mountains was beautiful. No rain, cool temperatures. And not much traffic. I liked that best.

The spectacular views are difficult to convey. You've got to see this part of the country in person to realize how different it is from the crowded cities along the eastern seaboard.

Wyoming At Last

Today on the drive to Rock Springs, Wyoming, we saw prairie dogs, an airplane on the highway, and many working windmills.

Our rest stops were at about 7500 feet of altitude where the temperature was 55 degrees and the winds were gusting at about 45 mph.

Tomorrow we'll drive through Utah and into Nevada, within striking distance of South Lake Tahoe, where we are scheduled to arrive mid-day Saturday.

Driving Driving Driving

Nothing much to report today. Mucho driving! We crossed the remainder of Iowa and stopped in Lexington, Nebraska, where the motel clerk directed us to a local restaurant with down home cooking. Reminded me of Ethel and Fred's in West Melbourne. Sleepy town here, but they do have Walmart Supercenter. Ah, progress!

Mentor, Ohio

On Sunday morning we said our goodbyes to Naomi and Dawn and Eva and to Dawn's family and some friends at a pre-birthday party for Eva and then we hit the road to Mentor, Ohio, where we stayed with my brother, Alan, and my sister-in-law, Judy.

On Sunday night, continuing our adventure of eating our way across the country, we went out to dinner at the HARRY BUFFALO with Alan and Judy and Fred and Mo.

On Monday night we all went over to Fred and Mo's for a backyard barbecue, where Alan cooked up fresh marlin on the grill. I went a little overboard later on toasting marshmellows over Fred's fire pit. Herb and Bobbi showed up in style in Herb's vintage Cadillac convertible!

This morning (Tuesday) we hit the road early and drove all the way to Davenport, Iowa, where we had dinner at the largest truck stop in the world! Early night tonight and then back on the road.

Naomi & Dawn's Wedding

I don't even know where to begin to describe Saturday's ceremony. The whole event was superbly choreographed by Thommy, the wedding planner! The event began at 4PM when guests to the Union Project, where the ceremony was held, were seated by the ushers.

Dawn and Naomi entered the hall simultaneously from two different sides. Before the ceremony itself began, Barb read a letter to Naomi and Dawn, written by Eva. The Officiant, named Barbara (not our Barbara!) conducted a most unusual all-encompassing non-denominational ceremony which included as part of it the signing of a Katuba by Naomi, Dawn, Barb, Dawn's Mom, and me; and part of it a celebration of women. Dawn and Naomi exchanged vows they had each written and exchanged rings which were brought to them by Eva.

Next pictures were taken outside the hall while Kelli, the DJ for the evening provided music for everyone. Before dinner, all sorts of hors d'oeuvres were served including cheeses, crackers, lox, and fruits. A special bar served fruited hand-pumped seltzer beverages.

After the guests were welcomed, and glasses raised in toasts, guests mingled and candid pictures were taken in the "picture booth!" Dinner was served buffet style with all manner of salads, seafood, chicken, and various culinary treats. After dinner, calories were burned with much celebration and dancing including the traditional Jewish "Hora" --- Naomi and Dawn were carried about overhead in chairs to the cheering throngs! Kelli played lots of rock music and an occasional slow number.

A great time was had by all as the party ran late into the evening!

[More Pictures will be available later --- all I have for now!]

Rehearsal Dinner at Coca Cafe

Friday night Barbara and I hosted the rehearsal dinner at the Coca Cafe on Butler Street in Pittsburgh.

The owner, Carie, was kind enough to provide space for our private party during the dinner hour when the restaurant is usually closed.

The dinner, which was for family members and out of town guests, some of whom traveled from as far away as California, included a lovely salad and a deliciously prepared salmon dish.

The evening was capped off by a special dessert provided by a local culinary artist, Chaz. Turns out the wedding planner, Thommy, who lives around the corner from the Coca Cafe and who was out walking his dog, stuck his head in the door to say hi.

A good time was had by all.

Bruce & Nellie

Last night we met some of my old Pittsburgh friends for dinner at Chicago Uno Pizza under the Homestead High Level Bridge. Joining us were Bruce and Nellie, two of their sons, Rob and Ed, and Ed's wife, Janet. Bruce and I began our careers together back in the late '60s at Westinghouse. Hard to believe how long ago that was! Where did the time go???

Thommy --- The Wedding Planner

What a great day yesterday! Barbara and I met with Thommy --- The Wedding Planner. What a great guy. He's not only an event planner, but a painter as well. His home/office is filled with many Civil War era paintings he has done, with concentration on Abraham Lincoln. We loved his painting style.

Thommy gave us a list of items to buy at various stores in Pittsburgh's Strip District. He even drew us a map of the area showing the stores he wanted us to shop in. Made it very easy for us. Felt like we were on a scavanger hunt!

While we were out shopping, Dawn and her family met with Thommy and helped him with all sorts of arts and crafts projects to be used for decorations and other purposes at the ceremony on Saturday. Busy day for everyone.

Family Dinner Night

Today was a rainy day in Pittsburgh. What better way to spend the morning than a visit to Rivers Casino, where we made our daily deposit! After lunch we drove to Naomi and Dawn's place where I performed some handyman work on the front door handle and then helped Eva load her music onto iTunes on Dawn's computer.

Later in the day, Dawn's family arrived: her mother, Pat; her sister, Kim; and her niece, Kelsey. They drove in from Michigan. Tonight was Family Dinner Night, so we had a feast at the Bangkok Balcony in the Squirrel Hill district of Pittsburgh. The food was excellent and Barb and I were adventurous, ordering dishes different than our standard Pad Thai!

More tomorrow when we meet "Thommy, The Wedding Planner!"

OMG --- Where Do I Begin?

When last I blogged, we were getting ready to call it a night. Barb crashed and fell asleep shortly after nine. All was quiet . . . until . . . a young lady checked into the adjoining room. Before we knew it, she had a full-blown party going (we were not invited!) in her in-room hot tub. Lots of guys and girls and LOUD music. Long story short: I went to the motel office and got our room switched so we could sleep. Took me about ten minutes to move everything from one room to another. We both slept soundly.

After breakfast, we ventured into downtown Pittsburgh and found ourselves eventually at the Rivers Casino, a large, modern facility will all the fixings of a Las Vegas casino except for the table games, which are schedule to be phased in later this summer. After making a small donation, we headed uptown to meet my daughter, Naomi, her partner, Dawn, and Naomi's 14-year-old cousin, Eva, who came to stay with Naomi only recently. We "dined" at Whole Foods after which I felt compelled to eat a piece of chocolate (to counteract the healthfulness of our meal!)

This evening we returned to the motel and were able to check into our "suite" for the week. Watching the Celtics and the Lakers in game three of the NBA Finals and then drifting off to sleep.

More tomorrow . . .

Best Laid Plans . . .

Got up this morning planning to drive only about 6 hours and then kick back and relax for the day and then to continue on tomorrow, but somehow we kept passing motel opportunities and ended up in Pittsburgh a day early!!!

Naturally, the motel where we reserved our efficiency suite told us the efficiency will not be available until tomorrow (as originally scheduled), so they put us in a sub-standard, regular room until tomorrow when we'll have to schlep our stuff from this room to the efficiency.

Live and learn lesson for today: Stick with your original plans! Very tired from too much driving --- time for some heavy relaxation. More tomorrow . . .

On The Road

This morning we finished packing our Prius and set out on our journey. Today's drive took us north through Florida, Georgia, and into South Carolina. We stopped for the night a little north of Columbia, SC, birthplace of my brother, Alan, many years ago! Very humid when we left this morning and very hot in SC, with temps topping 95 degrees. Hoping for cooler temps as we continue north tomorrow.