Wanna Play Catch Up?

Michelle & Jim farewell from Norfolk

Okay so I realize that I've been quite tardy on my blogs lately, so bear with me.

As you may or may not know we've moved from the East Coast to the West Coast.  Such is Navy life.  Always an adventure!

Jim & Darby Cadillac Ranch

So we packed up what was left, after the movers had come, into our two vehicles and traveled from Norfolk, VA to Chula Vista, CA.  We had the two cats, our dog and the bird travel with us.  Don't worry we had the cats in a different car from the bird!

We stopped each night at a pet friendly hotel so that everyone could be out of the vehicle, stretch their legs and be reassured that all was well.  Thank goodness for a bit of  planning ahead of time.

Winslow, AZ

The animals did much better than I had hoped they would.  Although our female cat was none to pleased about life on the road.  Our boy cat on the other hand thought it was a great adventure!  And our little dog?  She loved it.

Even though we were on a deadline to be in California by the end of September, we managed to get in a bit of sight seeing again.

Our stuff has arrived!

We stopped in Texas at the Cadillac Ranch, went to the corner of Winslow, AZ, visited Las Vegas, NM where they filmed the original Red Dawn and of course stopped in Glendale, AZ to visit family.

Whew!

Fortunately for us, our household good were delivered within days of our arrival.  This pleased the animals greatly!  They were tired of air mattresses and folding chairs.  And I was with them in that regard!

Adina & Michelle

It's taking adjusting since our move here.  We've been blessed with really great weather though.

Jim, Audry & Rebecca

We've caught up with old friends, visited a museum or three, and had company three times already.  Jim has even reconnected with old shipmates.  How great is that!

Michelle's parents even came out for a visit around Halloween.  Insert a squeal here.  To add to the joy her aunt and uncle also came to the area during the same time.  So we did a bit of sight seeing and then back to Casa de Davenport for a lively couple of rounds of Mexican Train.  We're kinda hooked!

While we're getting used to the west coast way of life (and let me just say here that people are way more laid back here, a bit too laid back in some cases), we decided to get museum memberships.  We've already been to the San Diego Museum of Man.  Michelle wanted to see the exhibit on Monsters.  Bonus was the exhibit on Beerology.  Since the exhibits are constantly rotating and this is not the only museum that we have a membership to, this will become a habit for us.

A habit that I look forward to.

The weather here is another change in our life.  We're used to colder climates.  Not that it hasn't gotten cold here, but not for long periods of time.  And people react differently here.  I had a friend mention that they hardly got any rain here.  Plausible since California is in the midst of a drought.  You wouldn't know it by how often people wash their cars around here and how often all the sprinklers for the lawns go off.  However, it has rained quite a bit since we got here.  So much that we've actually turned off our sprinklers for the time being.  People have been known to freak out when it rains here and will treat it like a snow day.  LOL

Michelle & Jim snow selfie

And don't even get me started on snow.  So after Christmas Jim and I decided to drive up to the Palomar Observatory.  We were hoping to go in, but it was closed.  Which was sad.  The drive was lovely until we got higher up.  There was snow.  It wasn't the snow that worried us, it was all the crazy people parking, on the road, to go play in the snow.  I'm still shaking my head over this one.  We even saw people shoveling the snow into the bed of their trucks and on top of their cars (by the way that's a jerk move and quite dangerous) to try to take some back.  I guess they don't realize that snow melts. Can't wait to see what other craziness we will encounter while we're out here.

Catching Up: January Part 1

Traveling is so tiring.

So now I'm going to play catch up with the things we've been up to since this is 'our' blog.  Even though I'm the only one who seems to post here.  Oh well!  Bear with me.

In January, Jim & I drove back to IL to visit family.  We brought our little dog with us.  She is in no way a good car dog.  So we got doggie Valium and ginger snap cookies.  Darby LOVED the cookies and they seemed to help since she didn't get car sick once.  We did learn that too many of these cookies can make Darby a hyper puppy.  She really didn't want to go to sleep at the end of the day.

We were able to surprise my parents.  I told my brother, but no one else.  I needed him to keep my dad from leaving for any long periods of time.  We weren't going to be staying for more than a few days so we didn't want to alert our entire family.  We feared feelings would get hurt.

So if we didn't see you while we were home, our apologies.

Jim's mom managed to figure out we were in the area because Jim kept texting her.  *sigh*

Darby discovered that she LOVES crunchy IL snow!  I spent a large chunk of time taking her out to do 'business'.  Which was really just her finding new areas to stomp around in.  Silly dog!  I can understand though, because the snow here is wet and mushy.  Not nearly as fun.

So a large part of Jim's family showed up at his grandma's house.  Not what we had really intended, but once word got out everyone wanted to see Jim.  He hadn't been back to the area in something like 4 years, so they all wanted to visit.

Jim's grandma isn't a huge pet person, but was kind enough to allow Darby to stay in the house.  It was really appreciated!  And Darby was pretty well behaved.  It was a bit overwhelming for her.  I mean it was a new place and there were lots of new people in the area.  And children.  Something she is really not used to.

And Jim's cousins fell in love with the little dog.  They wanted to carry her everywhere.  So Darby fell in love.  LOL

And of course they were camera crazy.  I myself did not have my camera on me.  Most of these photos came from my iPhone.  However, they were kind enough to share photos with me.  I guess when you only go back to a certain area every few years people are bound to go a bit crazy with the photo taking.  And if you know me, you know I was dodging those photo snappers like crazy.  The paparazzi can be so tiring.  LOL

And of course there were all sorts of line ups and groupings that HAD to be done.  Which can cause me to get very cranky.  So of course I'll add the shot of us with Jim's mom and her husband.

Darby also did pretty well in the hotel (dog friendly) that we stayed in.  Although it was a bit disconcerting for her to hear people in the hallway.  So she did bark and growl a bit when she heard them in the hallway.  And she LOVED the king size bed.  So did we.

And in case you didn't notice...

Official Luggage Checker

Pumpkin really missed us and felt the need to sniff and examine our luggage once we got home.

Apparently we passed the Pumpkin inspection.  All was well, except for the cold I caught from someone.

Heart of Virginia Wine Trail

So my brother Tim and I decided to do the Heart of Virginia Wine Trail on Sunday. There are only four so it's easy to do on a Sunday afternoon.

Our first stop was James River Cellar Winery. We did enjoy this winery. It has a lovely patio and some nice wines. They had a nice gift shop as well and we were finally able to find matching tee shirts in our sizes.

We even bought two of the Vino Frappes. One was red and one was white as you can see. They even sold the mixes in their gift shop. So of course we bought some. The wine tasting itself wasn't that informative.

So we sat out on their patio sipping the vino frappes. We switched halfway so the other person could try the other drink. However, I liked the white better.

The next stop on our trail was Grayhaven.

Most of the wines here are done in a South American style. Not something I'm majorly in to. The winemaker actually did the tasting. I think I would have learned a LOT more if it wasn't for the girl at the bar who thought she was a wine expert and a photography expert. I would have paid good money for her to shut up! Better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you're a fool. Than to open it and remove all doubt.

However I would have loved to hear the winemaker talk more. Loved the accent! Plus I think I could have learned lots more.

Our next stop on the trail was Cooper Vineyard. I was actually surprised at how small it was.

We had to wait to do a tasting here as well. The tasting room is quite small and really can't hold many people. So while we waited I got a close up pictures of the grapes on the vine.

They're putting nets over their vines because the grapes are ripening and they want to keep the birds and other animals away from them.

The wines are nice and we did walk away with a number of the wines.

The last stop on our trail was Lake Anna Winery. We were able to taste their wines before they closed for the day. I didn't really learn ANYTHING about their wines. And sadly, I wasn't that impressed with them.

Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail

So Saturday my brother and I decided to do theChesapeake Bay Wine Trail. I have been to a number of them before, but my brother (who's only in town for a short time) has not.

We started out atIngleside Vineyards. I'm very used to them and their wines. Especially since I used to work there. lol

Couldn't leave without a picture of their courtyard though. And some wine, of course.

Next we went to Oak Crest Vineyards. I forgot to take a picture there. Which is sad, because it is a lovely spot. And I was able to catch up with my friend, Sharon. Which made me really happy. We left this winery with a number of bottles as well. Good thing I've got a big trunk!

Our next stop on the trail was The Hague Winery. This is a fairly new winery. I had never been to it. We almost missed it because the sign is not that noticeable. I was a bit concerned as we pulled up to the barn that houses their tasting rooms. But the wines were okay if not a bit young. We only left with a bottle of their dessert wines.

Our next destination was Vault Field Vineyards. Yet another new winery for me. However, there was something familiar to me at the winery. And that was my buddy Phil McKenney. I had worked with Phil years ago at Ingleside. The wines were nice and we left with quite a few bottles. And it figures as soon as we got there a bunch of people came in at the same time. Figure the odds. It was great seeing Phil again!

We then headed out towards Athena Vineyards. I had been here before and was glad for the return. This trail took quite a bit longer than normal because I knew a lot of the people and we chatted quite a bit. Such things do happen when you used to work at one of the wineries on the trail. We left with a number of bottles.

The last stop on our winery trail was White Fences Vineyard. It's pretty easy to find since they have giant corkscrews at the entrance. Their tasting room is small. And we did have to wait a while to get our tasting, but when you have a small tasting room and only one person working then that's what will happen. Sadly I was unimpressed with any of the wines. My brother did, but I'm not sure if he liked the wine or the girl pouring the wine.

St. Louis Trip Day Two

So our second day of our baseball vacation we had an evening game, but we went early in order to see batting practice. This is a fantastic baseball town. We got there an hour early, but it seemed like we were running late. lol

Sadly I was surrounded by close quarter people and it was EXTREMELY hot and humid. But our neighbors were pretty cool! I have learned that I prefer aisle seats.

We didn't catch the Cardinals batting practice, but we did manage to see the Reds swing a bit. And of course we could see into the Cardinals dug out from where we were sitting behind home plate. Awesome!!

Of course we HAD to get some shots of the stadium with the Arch in the background. It's just not a trip to St. Louis without at least acknowledging the Arch.

Apparently they were doing a nod to the D.A.R.E program and had a number of vehicles from different areas. Jim and I liked the PT Cruiser that they had painted to look like an old police car. We did see a vehicle from Alton, which is close to where we grew up, and had to cheer for it.

Had to get a picture of Fred Bird pleading to be put on the roster. It was SO funny! And of course we got to actually see them talk with the Umpires.

I know it might seem a bit odd that I have a picture of Ryan headed to bat, but he's wearing my lucky number so I had to have it.

We bought jerseys for this game. This was after visiting my mom and seeing some high school friends for lunch. I got Ryan (13) and Jim got Musial (6). I got 13 because that's my number. Jim got 6 because... Well click on the links and read to find out about this legend. It was a great time. Even if the Cardinals did lose this round.

St. Louis Trip Day One

So over the Memorial Day weekend we decided to do a little baseball trip. The plan was to fly into St. Louis on Monday, catch two Cardinal games and then fly out on Wednesday. Well that was the plan.

We were fortunate enough to purchase a new vehicle before our trip and decided to give my Saturn to Jim's mom. So instead we left Sunday afternoon and drove straight through (well we did stop for a two hour nap) to her house. Jim drove the whole thing! He so rocks.

So after a brief visit with Jim's mom and driving down memory lane checking out our old places. Lots has changed in our old town. We took pictures, but I won't bore them with them. If you went to school with Jim or I and haven't been to B-town in years, just email me and I can send them to you.

So with 2 hours of sleep under our belt we went to Busch Stadium for the first of our 2 Cardinal games. And no I have no idea how we managed it, but some how we did. The first two pictures are of us, of course, in our Cardinal red shirts. The next two are random shots from our seats.

We were along first base line about two rows back. Jim took most of the photos. I loved them. Especially the one of the guy talking to the people in the seats. He actually was giving the kids bubble gum. Gotta love how nice they are out here! And Jim didn't really use the zoom to focus in on them. That's how close we were!

Love the one of the little boy holding on to the ball. He was hoping for an autograph or two. Sadly he didn't get one, but the picture was just so Americana. Don't you think? Of course I got a picture of Ludwick. And no I didn't really zoom in on him.

The game started around three, but there was a rain delay. Like the dingbats we are, we sat out in the rain. As my darling sweetie said, 'We didn't drive 16 hours to be chased off by a little rain.' Gotta love the man! Of course so we were drenched and freezing.

Of course there is the obligatory photo of Albert Pujols. And the gentleman in the yellow shirt was our beer man. He was fantastic! Smart too! Wore knee pads so he never blocked your view of the game. I wish more beer vendors would think of that. And came back at regular intervals. Gone long enough for you to finish your beer, but not so long that you went to go find your own.

Of course the Cardinals won against the Reds. The score?
12-4! What a great way to end an extremely long day for us. So we had to take a photo of Fred Bird celebrating and the scoreboard.

The Season Has Begun

I know we are inundated with Christmas before December gets here. I think I've actually been trying to ignore it this year for some reason. But now I can't, because my brother-in-law has done this.

Good job Phillip!

-Michelle

Lazy Friday

So Friday, the 29th, was really a kind of lazy day for our household.  I took my mother in law to Easton's Beach in the morning for a brief stroll on the beach.  She always likes to see the ocean where ever we are.

First we stopped at Starbucks so I could get some much needed caffeine.  And of course a few goodies.  

We didn't stay too long since I did have a little one with me and she was bound and determined that she was going to march into the ocean.  And I was bound and determined not to let her.  We had a battle of wills.  Needless to say I won since I was bigger.

Linda did find a piece of sea glass while she was walking with me.  Lucky!  So another green piece has been added to the collection.

We got home and not long after that Jim was home for the day.  Hooray!  That meant we could do something together.

We decided on The Mooring for lunch.  We went their for our anniversary and really enjoyed it.  We got a table out on the patio since it was a gorgeous day.  

Jim had a burger.  I had the Ahi tuna steak sandwich.  And Linda had the Lobster Croissant.  We started out with the seafood donuts, which are basically seafood hush puppies and very yummy.  And a corn and scallop risotto.  

Greta, you can stop gagging now.  It was good.  Not as good as the tomato one we had last time, but still it was very tasty.

After that we crossed the bridge in search of a bocce ball set.  That's something we've wanted all summer, but couldn't seem to find.  Once we found that we went home and grilled.  And had a rousing game of bocce ball.

All in all I think it was a pretty good day.

-Michelle

How The Better Half Lived

Today my mother-in-law and I went to Beechwood.  Well after the little girl I babysit went home and we had lunch with Jim and Ruth.  Beechwood is one of the many mansions here in Newport.  Newport was the place to summer for the upper crust.

I've done this tour before, but was delighted to discover that they don't have the same person constantly giving the tour.  It's done by actors who treat you like guests who have stepped back in time and they portray the family.  When I took my parents we were given the tour by the youngest Astor's daughter.  And heard some of the family kind of gossip things.

This time we were given the tour by the gentleman portraying a bachelor cousin.  It was interesting in its own right and I heard some different things on each tour.  So I thought it was cool.  I think a mansion tour is definitely something that should be done here.  Linda was surprised at how small it seemed.  We may try to do another tour just for size comparison.  I've heard the Breakers are the largest. 

Afterwards we went to Cold Fusion for some gelato.  Another thing that I thought would be interesting for Linda to get to try while here.  Hey while on vacation I think you should always try new things.  She had Passion Fruit and Caramel in a waffle cone.  I had the Raspberry Cranberry Hibiscus in a sugar cone.  I think I definitely like their fruit flavors better than the chocolates.

-Michelle

Full House

No I'm not talking poker and I'm definitely not talking about the old TV show that gave the Olsen twins their start.  Admit it you all watched that show.

Yesterday Jim's mom flew in for a visit.  She'll be here over the weekend.  But it doesn't end there.  Our friends Ruth and John were getting ready to move out and needed a place to crash.  Their movers got there late, so John's travel time was messed up and he needed a place for him and the spud to crash.  Ruth had already asked to stay for a couple nights so she was golden.  So being that they are like family to us we offered them our place. 

So how many people can you fit in a three bedroom single story home?

Five adults, one toddler, one cat, one dog and two cockatiels. 

Thank goodness that we have two bathrooms!   I only wish I had taken a picture of everyone in the front room last night.  Especially since I poured John and Ruth each a glass of Ingleside Pinot Grigio.  

Nothing soothes your frayed nerves like a nice glass of wine.  And getting ready to move and all that it entails can definitely be nerve wracking.  Especially with that ten hour drive to Virginia to look forward to.

See you in Virginia John!  We'll take good care of Ruth while she's here.

-Michelle

A Day With The Ponies

So today we took my mom and dad to a Polo match.  Most people think Polo and they think snobs.  It's not though!  It's really quite fun.  It was a nice sunny day with a nice breeze.  This is a picture of my parents.  They've been kind enough to let me photo them for my class assignments.  The Polo match this time was regional teams.  It was Pearls vs. Newport team.  It was a charity game for the fight against breast cancer.  We got great seats.  Right next to the scoreboard and were able to back our car up the the site.  Hooray!

There were tons of children out, most of whom were not being corralled by their parents, and dogs.  This dog came from across the polo field in search of a ball to play with.  He found it in some kids who were playing catch.  Jim took this photo.  Good job!  The owners were no where to be seen, which worried me for quite some time.  And when they did finally show up I wanted to smack them because they were like 'oh you shouldn't do that'.

The light colored horse was one of my mom's favorites.  This was the best shot that I got of it.  Action shots can be a bit tricky.  The pink shirts are the Pearls and the red shirts are Newport.  The Pearls eked out a win at the very end.  They won by one and we think that the Newport team let them.  

And of course I can't complete this post without at least one photo of my sweet baboo.  At least I chose the clean one.

-Michelle