Part 6... The Final Chapter

Aloha.

The time has come to say goodbye. To California, I'm not going anywhere. Gotcha! The final days of vacation are always bittersweet. We had a great time in SoCal. We spent our last couple of days with family. And it was great. Thanks Borah and Jim for having us (as if any of us had a choice!). It was a pleasure to meet the other side of ya'll's family. I leave you all with our final days, and a couple of my favorite "scenic" shots. And I bid you adieu.

Ava got a chance to meet Christian, his brother Jacob, and "big" Eva (pronouced just like our Ava).


Chase!


I love the raw, unadultered glee!


Pose for a picture! Think they're all used to the camera or what?

Once again thanks to Jim and Borah for so much fun. And to Eva and the boys for playing so well with my little one. She had a great time, as you can tell.

This was the night before we left. Ava zonked out on the fold-out couch so mama and daddy could pack. And not sleep. But then we fell asleep and almost missed our flight. You know, looking back, that might not have been so bad.


Perfection.


Nothing beats a surf-side sunset.



So I bid you fare-the-well Southern California. Until next time. Thanks for the mammaries. Memories. Whoops-a-daisies.

It's back to Life as We Know It now. Next time: Christmas photos. After all, once vacation was over it was that time.

Cheers.

Part 5... 1 if by Land... 2 if by Sea (Land and Sea Adventures)

Aloha.

Guess what, it's still cold. And Ava's sick, so we spent the weekend in bed. Seriously. I read 3 books and relaxed and rested. Besides her hacking and not feeling well (which oddly enough makes ME fell like crap)... we had a nice, quiet weekend.

So, back to the sun & surf. This time around we visit the crew of the SS Vacation as they explore sea cliffs and Sea World. Will they ever get off the island?

Walking the cliffs at Point Loma. Who's holding up whom?


Our own little Magellan.


Cringing or smiling? Eh, it's a cute face she's making either way.


Maybe the sign worried her. Oops.


We were looking for tide pools here, but we think it was a) too cold and b) too late into the tide. But it was still gorgeous.


Time to switch gears. Our heroes move from the bluffs to the sea. Grab your life jackets and water-proof cameras. Here comes Shamu!

Intent on the show...


3 dolphins! This was the coolest show. The behaviors exhibited by these animals were amazing. I wanted to do a "dolphin experience" but it was $150 for an hour of "wading" or like $500 for a full session. Someday.


A hurdle champ!


Photo op in front of a garden. Beautiful.


Feeding the sea lions with sushi. Ava actually grabbed the fish and tossed them. No weak stomachs here.


3 classic Shamu moments.






Back to the dolphins. We missed this exhibit earlier in the day, which was too bad. You can pet and feed the dolphins. I got a chance to touch 1 briefly, but Ava missed out. It was the end of the day and they were tired and picky I think. But it was still amazing.


Speaking of tired...


Well, we're nearing the end of our vacation. In photos. 1 or 2 more posts, depending on how I structure them. I sure hope everyone enjoys. Someone recently told me how impressed they were with this blog. And asked why I keep doing it. First and foremost it's for Ava.

Ava, someday you'll see this and know how much I (and your mama) loved you and enjoyed our time with you. Hopefully we can keep telling you that, but this will show you in pictures. And "witty" commentary. I keep telling you I'm my own biggest fan. Your blog will prove it.

Also, I do it because I know that for every comment I get online or otherwise, many others enjoy this slice of our life with Ava. Hopefully I keep you coming back each week with the photos and fun. And maybe someday you'll be able to watch a show I wrote on or created, and say "I used to read his blog."

So that's why I keep doing this. And I truly hope you all enjoy reading it. Take care of yourselves and your slice of the world. After all, it's not ours, it's on loan from our children.

Cheers.

Part 4... What is Cold?

Aloha.

We're expecting 0 degrees this weekend. 0. As in zero. Nothing. Nada. And that's not Celsius... that's Fahrenheit. 0.

So when I think back to "cold" from vacation... I laugh. Because while it may have been chilly enough to don our Northface jackets and a stocking cap, we also got a chance to do this...

Time to go to the pool.



Not one for careless, whimsical activity, Ava sheds her shyness for gleeful pool paddling.


Basking in the glow...


...of the California Sun.


The "Blonde Bombshell" convention was in town. We caught up with the poster-child and her dad. And "Carlsbad Boulevard," one of 3 pet dolphins. Denny and Carlsbad Boulevard, junior are the other 2. That Ava is quite creative - they're all her names. Okay, maybe I kind of helped.


Just a little taste of California to sate my hunger for sun and warmth. And maybe yours. Hope the wind chill doesn't chap your britches this weekend (if you're near us anyway)... and may the sun break through your clouds today. Live "better than you deserve." And smile, it could always be worse!
(can you tell I'm on the Stuart Smalley Daily Affirmation kick? Google it!)

Cheers.

Part 3... a Christmas Palm Tree

Aloha. From the land of 14-plus inches of snow. The drifts are taller than me.

Oh yeah. Happy New Year.

These pictures take me back and bring a ray of sunshine to the land of gray and white. And that has nothing to do with the aging aryan population. Mostly.

In this round, you'll see our adventure on the Coaster. You can catch a ride at about a half-dozen different stations in North County (San Diego county) all the way into downtown. It saves on driving and pollution. It's a cool deal. So we took off down into San Diego for a day of shopping and a local holiday celebration. "December Nights at Balboa Park." Or something like that. It was a festival with Christmas trees, carols and food. It was lovely. And not snowy. We were able to take advantage of public transport (bus and train) all day. Enjoy the pics!

Pose for a pic on the Coaster!


Shopping at the downtown Horton Plaza. It's all outdoor walkways. So when it rains like it did that morning, the floors are wet. And Ava likes to mess with people by moving the Wet Sign to a dry spot. I didn't teach her that.


2,500 miles from home to see an ice rink. This little rink is by the mall in downtown San Diego. To your right is the S.D. NBC building.


"Hmm, who's cuter than me? Not you!" This outfit (the shirt anyway) is from our friend Gail and her daughter Riley. Ava loves them, and the shirt.


Balboa park at Christmas. Behind the girls is a choir singing Silent Night.


"Cold" is a relative term.


Never fear, more to come. Next time I'll explore the relative theory of temperature. From sweatshirts and fleeces... to swimsuits and tanning.

Cheers.