Day 2 in California

Another beautiful day in sunny Fresno, CA.  My day started out with a visit to the Fresno County Sportsman's Club.My parents are members of this club and really enjoy it.  The Sportsman's club was having a "swap meet" and pancake breakfast.  I was thinking some fun antique kinda things...nope...guns, rifles, bows, and fishing gear.  I've never seen so many outdoors MEN in my life.  My Mom and her dear friend Jean had a booth and they were trying to appeal to the ladies that were following their husbands around.  Mom is a Mary Kay lady and I was so impressed with her selling abilities.  She and Jean were really having a good time.  Dad shopped a little and we decided to skip the pancake breakfast and go someplace else to get a bite to eat.  Dad suggested we go to Al's Cafe which is on my list of favs in Fresno to eat at.  So off we went.  I thought the way Dad was going was kinda the wrong way and of course expressed my concern.  He gave me that look that only my Dad can give so I shut up and just rode along.  As we headed up Olive Avenue I realized that were were almost to the Chicken Pie shop...again one of my favs in Fresno to eat at.  Then to my excitement DAD PULLED INTO THE CHICKEN PIE SHOP!!!  I was beyond excited. 

 Of course I took my camera into the restaurant so i could take some pictures to share with all of you.  Let me give you some background about this restaurant.

The Chicken Pie shop has been around like FOREVER.  In fact, my Mom went into labor with me in the front corner booth.   It's no wonder I LOVE this place so much.  They make the very very very best chicken pot pies that I've ever eaten.  The place has really never changed in my 42 years of life.  Of course I order not one...but TWO chicken pies.  My chicken pies were as good as they've always been.  My Dad always tells people that I'm his daughter from Oklahoma..and today was no exception.  Our waitress told me her brother and sister-in-law lived in Oklahoma..Moore, OK.  What a small world.  

After my amazing lunch we came back to Mom & Dad's name and I borrowed my parents truck and took a drive to the local scrapbook store.  It was very nice with lots of fun things that I'd not seen at home.  

When I left the scrapbook store I decided to take a detour and swing by my Alma Mater, CL McLane High School.  It pretty much looked the same as it did 25 years ago  I decided to drive into the school as I had done so many times while I was a student, cheerleader, soccer player, and softball player.  I pulled over and got out of the truck.  The snack bar where I always got breakfast & lunch was still there...exactly as it was when I was a student.  The big quad had changed a little.  Lots of trees had been planted in the grassy areas where we use to sit at lunch and hang out with our friends.  I walked over to the gymnasium and they've added a Home of the Highlander sign to the front of the gym.  We use to practice cheer all summer long early in the mornings in front of the gym.  As I stood there taking pictures it felt so awesome.  I wanted so bad to do a cheer or two...hehe.  

 I was walking back to the truck I heard the crack of a ball hitting a bat and decided to follow the sound.  The boys were playing baseball.  At first I thought they'd moved the varsity field, then I heard an announcer calling the game & realized this was the JV team.  I drove around and headed to the old varsity field.  NOTHING had changed to include the Varsity baseball coach...Jim Scirimarco.  I stood there and watched these young men play baseball for an inning and decided it was time to head back home.  Wouldn't wand Mom & Dad to worry that I'd gotten lost.

We had dinner at my Sister's house and had a really good time hanging out with the Adams Family.  Alyssa spent the night with her cousins last night and was going to stay tonight too, but told me she missed her Mommy and wanted to come back to Mimi's.  So she, Kolbi, & Lantz came back to Mom & Dads.  She and Kolbi are only a few months apart in age and you' d think the girls saw each other all of the time.  

Well, enough yapping for tonight.  I've got to get to sleep so I can get up and go to church in the morning.

First Day at Home in CA

We've had such a nice day here in Fresno today. It's been over three years since I was last home to visit. When I was here last was when my Grandfather Eldon's health was quickly deteriorating and God came and took Poppi home to his eternal life in heaven. I've thought about the last time I was home a lot today. It's very weird not seeing Poppi when I go over to Aunt Patty's house. I sat is his old recliner today. It felt so good to sit there. I could almost feel him there with me. Aunt Patty had mentioned a while back that she was thinking about getting rid of that old chair and getting a new one. I told her she can't get rid of it...it's Poppi's chair.

After breakfast that I talked about in my previous post Dad brought me home so I could take care of a work conference call that I needed to participate in. I finished up the call and we decided Alyssa needed a bike to ride up and down the driveway on Minnewawa street. So Dad, Alyssa & I headed to Target to get an inexpensive bike that she can ride while we are here. Of course we found one and it was time to head back to the house so she could start riding up and down that same driveway just like I did when I was her age. Before we headed back though I was seriously craving a Sonic Coke. Unlike OKC where there's a Sonic every mile, there's only 3 in Fresno and there was one just down the street from the Target we were at so Dad drove us through the drive through for a Coke..hmmmm it tasted so good. On the way home I asked Dad to drive me by the old house where Michelle & I grew up. Not much had changed on Thomas Street.

When we got home Dad took care of getting Alyssa's seat to the right height and off she went down the same driveway that I'd rode many a day when I was here age. In fact it was in that same driveway that I decided to ride barefooted one day while my Mom & Dad were out of town, foot slipped off the pedal and sliced the bottom of my foot open. Aunt Patty had to take me to the Children's Hospital ER to have my foot sewn back together. It was a very difficult lesson I learned as a child...WEAR YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU RIDE YOUR BIKE.

After Alyssa rode for a while she came and and spent some time in the kitchen with her Mimi who was preparing a dinner for the ENTIRE family. My sister Michelle and her four kiddos are coming into town for dinner tonight. I can't wait to see them.

How about that beautiful yellow lab. Her name is Katie and she's my Dad's buddy. She's a sweet and loving dog and she's wild about my Dad. I'm hoping to get to play with her in the next few days.

I'd better go for now. Mom thinks I have way too much time on my hands to sit and do this blogging thing...hehe...

Sunny California

I arrived in beautiful and WARM California late last night. Our flights couldn't have been any better. Alyssa & I slept so good, but my darn internal alarm clock decided it needed to wake me at 6am....8am OKC time. So up I was. I enjoyed visiting with Mom & Dad. Alyssa & I went over and visited with Aunt Patty too. We decided to fore go cold cereal and off to the Train Depot we went. Dad had to stop and get some diesel fuel for his truck and to my surprise Dad does pay at the pump....CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?!?!?!?! I am so proud of him. He showed me how to use his computer (like I wouldn't know how...hehe) and he also showed me how he's really learned how to use the Internet to find just about anything he's looking for. Did I mention how very proud I am of my dad. He has spent his whole life turning wrenches and now that he's retired he's learned to use a computer and the Internet. Way to go Dad.

So...on to breakfast. We arrived at the Train Depot and Dad & I both had ham & cheese omelets. We are so stinkin' much alike it's scary. Alyssa had chocolate chip pancakes. Aunt Patty went to eat with us too. After we ate we ran to Costco. I love Costco. It's kinda like Sam's Club, but NOT at all associated with the Bentonville Walmart empire.

Here's a picture of me and my Dad and Alyssa & Aunt Patty.

Visit to Dr. Stevens' Office

What a fun afternoon I had today.  It was time for my four month teeth cleaning.  I would rather have a root canal than get my teeth cleaned.  Last time I went I didn't think I was going to make it so I told my hygienist Diane that I couldn't do it again without being "gassed".  SO...today when I showed up just absolutely dreading the scrape scrape scraping, Diane remembered the GAS.  She stuck that thingy over my nose and I took some deep breaths through my nose and I was on cloud nine.  The pain was still there, but I didn't seem to care too much.  I just closed me eyes and opened my mouth.  I felt like I'd had 2 or 3 bottles of wine...hehe.  Then it was over and all I was getting was oxygen.  What a bummer.  I came home and took it easy tonight.  We went out to grab a bite of dinner and when i bit into my food...WOW...my teeth really hurt.  Of course I complained like a big old baby about how bad my teeth hurt hoping it would get me out of picking up the house for the cleaning lady Amy who is coming on Tuesday.   I know...I clean for the cleaning lady.  It's not really cleaning, but picking up so she can clean.  I don't know what I'd do without Amy.  And she does the most AMAZING job on my house.  I so love Tuesday nights.  

Well, I'd better get to bed.  I am EXHAUSTED tonight.  Take care & happy stamping!!!

Pam

Funny Sea World Story

We had so much fun at Stamp Club yesterday.  It's so enjoyable for me to get to hang out with my stamp club members, visiting, sharing, and stamping.  

My dear friend and new downline Kelly Cheatle shared the funniest story that her Grandma told.  I thought I would share it with you so here goes...

This lady took her young son who has Down Syndrome to Sea World.  A mother's worst nightmare happened to this Mom...she lost her son at Sea World.  For two hours they looked for him. They did find him and he was dirty and smelled terrible so she decided to take him back to the hotel and have him take a bath and get  cleaned up.  The Mom went to check on her son and he had locked the door.  The mother asked him to unlock the door and let her in, but he refused telling her he was having too much fun.  She could hear him laughing and splashing the water.  After a few minute of trying to get him to open the door she contacted the hotel manager and the hotel maintenance department sent someone to come open the bathroom door.  When the door swag open the little boy was in the bathtub playing with a real live BABY PENGUIN.  I can only imagine what this Mom was thinking at this point.  She called Sea World and told them that they were missing a baby penguin.  The assured her they were not missing any penguins.  She finally told them...go count your penguins.  They did and guess what?????  THEY WERE SHORT A PENGUIN.  

The little boy must have somehow gotten into the penguin exhibit and loved the penguins so much he wanted one for himself.  No wonder he was so dirty and smelled so bad.  I was curious how the little boy hid the penguin and keep it still on the way back to the hotel....hehe.

I have never laughed so hard as I did when Kelly shared this story with my entire stamp club and wanted to give you a good belly laugh too.