On the Way to Our New Home

Well....Dave has been a very bad boy.. I could claim "So much to do ...so little time," but that wouldn't be true. And it hasn't been that there's been nothing to tell you about - in fact, there is much. But enough self-recrimination. Let's get you caught up!

First, there was a mad dash (for us slow pokes - 1500 miles in 5 days) from Weslaco, Texas to Palm Springs, California. Then an uneventful week in the low desert of the Coachella Valley. We love the pace of life here - it's kinda small-town (about five or six small towns, actually,) but there's still alot to see and do. Sightseeing in Joshua Tree Nat'l Park and the Palm-to-Pines Scenic Hwy, or riding to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto on the tram, or dropping a dime or two in the casinos, or just driving around this lush oasis in the middle of the desert. And of course, the snow-capped peaks of the San Bernardinos and the San Jacintos.

But we've done that already, so we just hit our favorite restaurants and hung out around the pool and spa and did some last-minute Christmas shopping (Is there any other kind?) before heading to Shannon's for a Christmas visit. Oh yeah, and finally eating our Omaha Steaks feast that Shannon and Bill had sent for my birthday. Are those lobster tails?? Yuuummmy. (Why is it that this blog always gets around to fine dining???)


Then it was off to Oxnard for a wonderful holiday with Shannon and Bill and Brianna. And enjoy it we did! Great food and frivolity for four straight days and nights.

Warm and bright and traditional Christmas decorations.

Picking up the holiday ham at the local Honeybaked store.

Presents and a visit from Santa on Christmas Eve (Bill was really a hoot - and it wasn't just that liquid frivolity - well, maybe it was, but you couldn't prove it by us!)

The inevitable day-after slowdown? Nope, not with Bill in charge. A unique Christmas Day brunch at a local  Mexican eatery in town.

Everything Christmas should be - except for the part about missing our two boys and their families. But we did raise a glass to you all.






So then it was off to Las Vegas for

A 49th wedding anniversary at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and New Years

A visit to the home of the History Channel's  "Pawn Stars," one of our favorites. The boys weren't hanging around this time -"Chumley, where are you??"

A fun time at Sam's Town with Larry and Philly, visiting us from Lake Havasu City.

A trip to see the new bypass bridge at Hoover Dam. It will make a huge difference for the trip from Phoenix to Vegas or anywhere from Interstate 40 to Vegas. We used to have to crawl along across the top of the dam, a really slow go, especially after 9/11.

One pic from the bridge to the dam and one pic from the dam to the bridge.