Something's Fishy

La Jolla is home to the famous Scripps Institute of Oceanography and the Birch Aquarium. We enjoyed another glorious San Diego treat today, and spent the afternoon at the aquarium. The pictures speak for themselves. I'm beginning to think that Dick is a natural photographer!

The Big Tank


Historic tuna fishermen - three rods for one tuna


A school of sardines in perpetual motion!


The fountain in front of the aquarium


After the aquarium we drove along the seashore and stopped at a sea lion beach to see what we could see. We saw three sea lions in the water, but none on the beach. It was wonderfull just to be able to see the sea!



So far this year, we have been from the Atlantic to the Pacific - from sea to shining sea :)

Super Zoo Day

Not being particularly interested in the Super Bowl this year, we took off for the San Diego Zoo instead. Of course we expected Chip's Steelers to dominate, and they almost did. At least they won the game. We got home in time to see the end of the 4th quarter, and the fabulous catch in the end zone. Go Steelers.

Believe it or not, many people were able to get along without watching the Super Bowl today - I know this because many of them were at the Zoo, too. Tom's friend Brandy and her brother Hunter came with us. It was another perfect San Diego day, and we had a great time. Afterward they asked me what was my favorite part, and I could narrow it down to five things - but I decided that the overall favorite thing was the giraffe exhibit.

A view of the Zoo from the Skyfari ride:


Dick's favorite was the gorilla exhibit - he especially got a kick out of this young gorilla checking the the Big Boss to see if he was doing his gorilla thing correctly.


Big Boss Gorilla


Me with Tom, Brandy and Hunter


Dick got this great picture of the endangered rhino.

Baby Maya

We were invited to Amy's Mom's house for dinner, and the Washington family came down from L.A, bringing (of course) the baby!

We started the day in an excellent way - Tom took us to have dim sum for breakfast - another first for us. It's a little like Chinese tapas, or small plates - kind of individual dumplings and wontons filled with all good things - shrimp, pork, chicken, beef and you name it. It's a very enjoyable way to go out for breakfast!


Being in Joyce's home is another unique experience - she's such a good hostess, and her home is so inviting - you feel like one of the family. Well, actually we are family in a shirt-tail kind of a way - great-aunt and uncle of her son-in-law - is that close enough? The baby is adorable, and very entertaining - we all got a chance to hold her and cootchy-coo at her a little bit - she's a happy baby! The food was magnificent - a real feast - we had nine people at the table, and enough food for nineteen...plus two desserts!

The Washington Family:


Talking to Sharon on the phone while holding her grandchild - is that really fair?


Me with Amy's dad, Richard, the grill chef for the day.


Tom and Babycakes


Grandma Joyce and Maya Grace

San Diego Days

After the big Bar Mitzvah weekend, Dick and I had 3 days at Tom's to entertain ourselves while Tom was at work. We mostly did geocaching, driving around, resting, and playing WoW. Wednesday noon we met Tom at Val's house {Darkdru) to meet her baby, Connor. He is a perfectly beautiful bouncing baby boy, one year old, a real sweetie and a total charmer.


Thursday we went to Sea World. It's an amazing place. We went to all of the shows - sea lion, Shamu, and dolphin. My favorite was Shamu, just because the animals are so big and beautiful - it seems like it would be quite an undertaking to try to teach them tricks - but they were spectacular. The other two shows were great as well - similar tricks that look just as difficult to train.


The plantings at Sea World are so colorful -try seeing this in a Michigan winter!

There is also a fascinating walk-through aquarium, where the sharks and fishes swim all around you and over your head.

Who knew that walruses were this big?!?

It was incredible watching the polar bears at feeding time.


On Friday, Sniders came down to see Tom and his house, and to go whale watching with us. We were incredibly lucky - the weather was perfect, we saw a multitude of dolphins very near the ship, and we saw two gray whales breaching and diving several times. It was a most successful three hour cruise :)
Ready, set, here we go!

These dolphins were very close - it was quite exciting to see so many of them jumping together.

Here is the tail of the gray whale as he dives under the water. I promise you there's a whale tail in there somewhere :)

We are intently whale watching.


Whale watching afterglow at Joe's Crab Shack.

Bar Mitzvah of the West

We had a simply glorious weekend sharing the joy of Adam's Bar Mitzvah with both sides of his family. There were 5 major events associated with this ceremony - it's really a lot like planning a wedding, I think.

Friday night we went to services at the synagogue, where Adam participated by doing two readings. Saturday morning was the Bar Mitzvah itself, followed by lunch at Il Fornaio. In the evening we went to Kim's for sandwiches and conversation, and on Sunday we were back at Kim's for brunch. What a terrific weekend. It was a first for us - but now we're looking forward to Jake's Bar Mitzvah in a couple of years.

Dick, Bill, Eric and Ethan waiting for the service to begin.


Reiko and Hunter - Hunter was running a temp. and not feeling very well, but he was a trooper.


The Man of the Hour, Adam Henry Reines. His best friend (John from Manistee) is behind him, and farther back is Michael and some Reines uncles and a cousin.


Adam is conducting the Bar Mitzvah service. It lasted about an hour and a half.


Adam reading from the Torah, in the Hebrew alphabet.


It's a Reines family affair - Grandma, uncles, and cousin.


After the service, he gets a bouncy chair ride down the aisle of the synagogue!


Jacob loves his cousin Emily - well, everybody does!


Kim and Mike, the proud parents - they say that Adam didn't need any prodding or motivating to do this - he was self-motivated the whole way along. He worked very hard and did a superb job! It was impressive.


Mike's sister Sarah is a Rabbi.


Tammy and Ethan - the children were very well behaved through the whole thing!


Adam is kick-starting the luncheon by having a ceremonial sip of wine - he hated it!


Reiko's car - well, she is Jet's mama, and her husband flies jets, so - of course she's Jetmama :)


I'm ringing the doorbell at Kim's house for brunch on Sunday.


Adam and his friends and cousins are learning how to play blackjack - part of becoming a man!

Such a Day

This morning it was 22 below zero in Grayling, but we were in the banana belt at only 5 below. At least it was a sunshiny day - the sun on the snow really made the world sparkly.

We spent the major part of the morning in front of the TV watching the spectacular events in D.C. I'm ashamed to admit that one of the things I enjoy the most is seeing all of the political celebrities as they enter the platform - especially the ex-presidents and vice-presidents and their wives, but also the supreme court justices and well-known senators.

Obama's speech was especially fulfilling to me for four main reasons...he does not equate power with aggression; he extends America's hand of friendship to other nations, religions, and factions, He appears ready to shoulder responsibility for what happens next, and he exudes a pleasing combination of humility and confidence. In addition to the effective inaugural address, the highlights of the ceremony for me were Aretha Franklin (loved her outfit) and the very clever and meaningful benediction! It was a wonderful way to end the most invigorating inauguration in years. Here's the end of the benediction (my favorite part):

With your hands of power and your heart of love, help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nations shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid, when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.

Closer to home, we had the best possible news this afternoon from Dino, Dick's cardiologist. His message to Dick was that everything is stable, looks good, and he doesn't have to come back! Well, maybe in a couple of years. Now, that's a really good feeling! So since we had such good news, we used our Olive Garden gift card from Tony and Sharron and had a marvelous meal. Thanks Tony and Sharron!

I came home feeling very mellow - the afterglow of such a day. Now I'm ready to sit under my fig tree and watch the Inaugural Balls.

Hibernation

Since we got back from Florida, we have mostly just been hibernating! The air is so cold and the snow is so deep - not really any incentive to be outside. The snow on our deck is six inches above the level of the benches, and the benches have 18 inches on top of them. In the two weeks that we've been home, I've left the house four times. Dick's been out a little more than that, and he's been snowblowing until he's blue in the face - well actually, red in the face.

Hibernation is a great time to play World of Warcraft - we're leveling up like you wouldn't believe! I'm now level 77, and Dick just dinged level 72 this morning. Dylan would be so proud,

We're getting ready to fly to California - here I go again, trying to figure out what the weather will be like and what to take. I always stress out a few days before we have to leave...we'll only be gone for two weeks, so it's really not that tough. Adam's Bar Mitzvah is one week from today - he has been working really hard on it, practicing every day. I know he'll do well. I'm so glad we'll be able to be there! In a couple of years, it will be Jake's turn.

It's a two hour drive from Tom's to Corona del Mar, so we're driving down on Friday.
We're staying Friday and Saturday nights with Bill and Jan in their rented townhouse. Service on Friday, Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, brunch at Kim's on Sunday and then we'll go back to Tom's.

It's going to be fun and interesting to spend some time with Tom - he knows all of the cool places in San Diego, Last time we were out there we went whale watching, and I'd really like to do that again. We're also expecting to see Kevin, Amy and baby Maya, and to meet Amy's family.

Deer have been camping out in our yard - they dig a hole in the snow and then curl up in it for the night. They're nibbling on the pine trees - they have to rear up on their hind legs to reach anything. I don't think I want to come back as a deer.

We have another winter storm warning today - the snow is relentless - it's been falling since before daylight this morning. The roads are still in bad condition - icy, slippery and treacherous. Wayne County always did a much better job of clearing the roads. The salt trucks would be going up and down Haggerty Road at 5 a.m. I guess that Grand Traverse County doesn't have the funds to salt or sand the roads. They just drop a little sand at intersections, curves and hills. It's frustrating when you know that with a little salt application, the roads would be clear. Not doing that allows a lot of dangerous conditions to continue day after day. Another reason to hibernate.