Sunday, a day of rest

Good Morning! I wasn't sure how well I would sleep on the new bed, but maybe, it was a good thing that I was exhausted, because I slept like a log, except for waking up one time. It was nice to have a softer mattress. Today, I am going to give my body a rest, except for doing usual house stuff. Not sure what the day will bring, but we will see. Doing my usual morning routine. Made Rory's breakfast and then made sausage for us. Mari made pancakes for the girls of us this morning. Watched "Too Cute" while we were eating breakfast. Love that show. It's on Animal Planet. Did laundry and other household chores, then made lunch and took a nap. Marissa is not feeling well, but she decided to go to Target with me. Made a chocolate banana smoothie. I am going to do some writing until 5:30. The girls want to watch "Making Monsters" at 5, so I will watch that with them. Made dinner and as Mari said, I am into Mexican Food right now. We had enchiladas the other night, last night it was tacquitos and chili and tonight it was Chicken Fajitas and tomorrow night we are having Fish tacos. YUM! I love Mexican food. At 7, we turned off the TV and I am editing pictures from yesterday. I love sharing my pictures.

Amazing Race starts tonight, so I am watching that, then I will do my reading and go to bed. Good Night, Trudi

Gratitude

Good Morning!

This picture was from a year ago on October 1, 2011. I love beautiful sunrises. Today we are getting our new bed and I have already had an argument with Rory about the old mattress. He wants someone to take it and I just want the people who bring the new bed to take the old bed away. The friend who he asked to take it, could not come over until tomorrow and the mattress would be in our one car garage and I would not be able to park my car in the garage tonight. He always has to get his way! This bed has been a problem from the beginning. Mari and I are going to Long Beach with a group of people to do a stair walk. Now I am glad I am going and be able to walk my frustration out and enjoy the fresh air and getting some exercise. I am going to make dinner before I go, so I don't have to worry about it when I get home. This morning I am just enjoying the quiet and being able to do my own thing. Enjoying the birds singing as well. Doing house stuff this morning and have had breakfast. Took a nap, as I felt I needed it with all the drama with Rory this morning. I am really looking forward to getting out of here this afternoon. The stairs are cleared off and at 2, I am going to strip the bed. Rory said he would help, but, I know he would not put things where I want them to go. He would put them in the closet and that is not where I want them. I know I am going to have to make the bed when I get home, but at least the bed is made and I did find out that he could not get in touch with his friend, so the old bed is going on the truck. YEA! Mari and I left at 2:30 and headed for Long Beach. I forgot my walking shoes, but I was wearing my sandals, which I can walk in long distances, so I wasn't unhappy. Met the group at 4 and headed out. Mari and I got almost to the end and then headed back. We figured we did 4 miles and 12 staircases. We were wiped out and I fell just as we got back to the place where we met the group. I am ok, just sore. We got some tacquitos and headed home. I called Marissa on the way home and asked her to make our bed, which she did. Had chili and watched TV when we got home and had a glass of Sangria. I am sore and going to take some Motrin tonight, so hopefully I can sleep. Good night, Trudi

Relaxed and beautiful Friday

Good Morning! This was the sunrise I was greeted with this morning. This is beautiful and I love the contrail. People headed out for other areas of the country. Mari and I are going to head out for our walk pretty soon. Today, we are going to do hair. Other than that it is a relaxed Friday. Of course, I have to get kabobs for Rory. Mari and I did our 2 mile walk this morning with our walk buddy. Came home and had breakfast. Doing morning routine. Took a nap as I felt I needed it. Had lunch and then accomplished some financial stuff. Did some filing! Got our hair cut and then did some errands. Because Mari and I are going to be out Saturday and Sunday late afternoon, I am trying to make dinner ahead of time, so that Marissa can serve herself and her dad and that we won't have to make dinner when we are tired and just getting home. YEA! Rory went out to get lunch and decided he was going to stay out until dinner time, whatever time that may be. Thankful for the relaxation. Lately, I have been having this feeling like I am being pushed to get out of my comfort zone. It is not coming from anyone in particular, but just an overall feeling. I know this weekend, I will definitely be getting out of my comfort zone, as Mari and I are doing two step walks, that are 3-4 miles. Part of the feeling of getting out of my comfort zone is with my photography. Mari and I got dinner together and then the three of us watched Ghost Adventures and then we colored our hair. Actually getting to be in bed to read at 9. Hopefully will turn off the light at 10. Good Night, Trudi

A Very Busy Day

One of my favorite things to take pictures of, are the clouds, especially at sunrise and sunset. Good morning! This is going to be a very busy day! Mari has to be at school at 10 and then I am going to go walking at Dana Point, then I am having lunch with a friend and running a couple of errands. At 3 I need to take Mari a smoothie and her dinner, then come back and go to Farmer's Market and then meet a friend for dinner and go to wine tasting and pick up Mari from school. UGH, but fun! I think I will come home and collapse. Well the first part of the day went the way I said, but the end of the day did not. I got Mari to school by 10 and then went to Dana Point and walked the island. The next time I walk Dana Point, I am going to increase the amount. I did have lunch with my friend and ran my two errands. While I was out, my friend, who I was going to go wine tasting with texted me and asked me how many red wines were we going to taste, as she has a problem with red wine. Called Total Wine and we were going to taste 6 out of 8, so I cancelled that and we just met up for dinner, which was nice. Did get Mari her dinner and smoothie and did get to Farmer's Market. Leaving about 8:30 to pick up Mari. Rory injured his ankle last night at work and he has been a big baby today. He wanted one of us to be home to be at his beck and call. No way! I know sprained ankles hurt, but really!!! He did get his breakfast, his lunch and I moved his car. Earlier today, I did not think I was going to be home for dinner and when I knew I was going to go out, but, was able to bring something home, I tried to call him, but he had already gone out. I was talking to Marissa earlier this morning and I have decided to call our financial advisor and see if he can recommend an attorney. I see Rory going downhill with his legs and I can just see us having to get a caretaker to take care of him. I cannot lift him and I do not know if the VA will pay for this. I am thinking I might not be a good idea for me to wait until Mari graduates from college to leave, especially money wise. We will see what happens. I am going to say good night! Trudi

Mid week happenings

Good Morning! I had to let go of what is going to happen to Rory and I have to let Marissa make her own decisions. They are both adults. I have to focus on me. Got up at 6 and doing my morning routine. Today, Mari and I are walking up to the park, hopefully no bee stings today. The plumber is coming this morning to take care of the water heater, my house gets cleaned today and Rory goes to work today. Mari and I are going to go out and take pictures today for her class. Mari and I did our walk and nothing happened, except seeing a huge spider. Came home and had breakfast and doing house stuff. The plumber came and that was accomplished. I am starting to feel tired, but I am going to try to wait until Rory leaves for work and take a nap. Did get a nap and had lunch. The girls are right before that time of the month and they are being on the testy side and I am feeling on the antsy side. I thought we had planned to go out and take pictures and most of what we are doing is being around the house, which is better, because Rory is not home. I know this is good for Mari, as she is getting school done and it turns out Marissa is going out with a friend. I guess I am being a little testy as well! The cleaning people got here and Mari and I took off. I went back to see if we could find the large spider again, but it was gone. :-(. Then we went to the bank and the gas station. A friend called while we were out. I had sent her a present and she loved it. I have two people in my life, who have a hard time with cell phones and hearing them in the car. It is hard for me to talk at home and I would rather be talking in the car. I hate to say it, but these are two people, who I don't want to talk to alot anyway. Sorry! After we went to the gas station, we went to Mission Viejo mall and I talked to the Sleep Number store about getting the sheets and mattress cover for our new bed. The bed is supposed to be delivered on Saturday, but we will see. Then we went to the Apple Store and then went looking at puppies and calendars. It's fun to go to the pet store and look at puppies. Went by Trader Joe's and came home. We were going to have Chili, but we changed it to spaghetti. Just enjoying spending time with Mari, as Marissa is out with her friend. Tonight, I am going through my list of things I do and I was reading my last email that I had saved. There are some emails I save, because I want to go back and read them and do some writing on them. This email was a blog that someone had written on accountability. I really don't have someone to keep me accountable and push me forward, because I am afraid of not being accepted. Mari and I are doing a walk on Sunday and I am afraid of not being able to keep up and being made fun of, but I am going to do the walk, even though I really don't want to. Plus it will be dark, by the end of the walk and I guess I am afraid of falling or there will be some wild animal out there. We will have flash lights. My growing up years, I was made fun of and this has affected me in my life. I keep telling myself, I need to step out of the box and get out of my comfort zone. I start to, but I don't keep going. Traveling, taking pictures and writing would be something I would love to do and make money at it. Right now, I feel stuck, as I have one daughter in school and I want her to finish school; I have one daughter, who, I have no idea of what she is doing and my husband, I sometimes wonder how long he will last or will he become disabled and I will have to take care of him and I don't really want to do that. In many ways, he lives in lala land and thinks he will just end up in the hospital. He has no concept of money. I really need someone to keep me accountable and push me to move forward, as right now, I have the time to learn how to move forward. Mari and I are going to do two 3-4 mile walks this weekend. Mari and I are going to watch Ghost Hunters at 9 and then I will go to bed at 10. I will say good night! Trudi

What ifs?

Good Morning, I think! I am not in the most up mood today, in fact, I feel sad! I cannot focus on the what ifs. I have to be thankful for a new day, a house to live in, people who love me and that we have enough money that I do not have a paying job, but I am able to stay home and be a wife and mom. The whole thing with Marissa is bothering me and last night, I was talking to a friend and was telling her about Rory and she said that he could end up in a home, if he doesn't do something about his health. That is the truth, but then, I look at how are we going to afford that. I can't look to the future, I can only look to today, because that is all I have and I have to remember that. I was, also, shredding papers yesterday having to do with my dad and that brought back alot of not so great memories. I need to enjoy today. We are going to get out and walk and Mari has school. I am thankful for both. Mari and I went on our walk and on the second lap around, Mari started swinging her water bottle around and said "ouch"! She got stung by a bee and luckily no bad reaction. We decided to come home and put some stuff on it. Interesting start to a morning. I feel like taking a nap, so that is what I am going to do and I actually got some rest today. Got some morning stuff done. Got lunch, then took Mari to school and then ran some errands. It was nice to be out by myself for awhile. Came home and Marissa was non-stop talking and I just wanted some alone time. Need to make smoothie and then go back and get Mari. I was getting frustrated because I could not accomplish what I wanted to do, but part of the problem was my own time management After I got back from picking up Mari, I got everything done. Made dinner and watched TV. I am making bread for tomorrow morning. Mari and I are going to watch both NCIS's tonight and after that I am going to bed. Good night, Trudi

A new week, some new things

Good Morning! I thought I would start off this week with a beautiful red rose. I made the decision I was going to get up at 6, so I did not feel like I was rushing to get my morning routine done before Mari got up at 8 and we went walking. Plus I could get something small(2 pieces of turkey bacon) to eat and not have to wait until 9 to get breakfast. I have a question for those who eat breakfast-Is it good for my body to wait until 9 to eat breakfast, when I get up at 6? Getting up at 6, I also get to watch the start of Wake Up with Al on The Weather Channel, which I enjoy. There are benefits to getting up early. I, also, get to do some writing on my blog. I get to enjoy listening to the birds and have it quiet. Mari has school from 2-10 today. I can't say I will not get angry or frustrated, but I am going to give it to the Lord. Mari and I took our walk. No walking buddy this morning, but there were some moms walking their babies. Came home and had cereal with yogurt and berries for breakfast. Doing some more of my morning routine. I feel like I need a nap, but when I lay down, I don't feel like I rest, but I feel like I need a nap. Need to get lunch and then take Mari to school and then run some errands. Got my errands done and now having some quiet time. I have known Marissa has had a problem with anxiety and picking at her arm, but I did not realize it was on other parts of her body until today. On her arm, she has put a sleeve we got at a sporting goods store. I am not sure what to do with the other parts of her body. Someone that Marissa knows, compared what is on her arm and other parts of her body to cutting. Marissa does not work and she does not go to school, as school is difficult for her. She does not work, as she is not sure what she wants to do. She has had two other jobs, but she was bored and that causes more anxiety and she loses interest. We need to find something she is really interested in. I took her to Michael's, which is an arts and crafts store and did not make suggestions. She found something she was interested. She is also interested in ghost hunting and English history and knows alot about movie history. I am worried about Marissa to say the least. I am really having fun with cooking lately and tonight I made chicken with a sauce from Trader Joe's and some rice and some squash. The chicken with the rice and sauce came out really good. The squash, I need to work on, but, I am ok with that. Marissa and I watched "No Reservations". In the middle of it, a friend called. After the show was over and Marissa went upstairs, I called my friend with cancer and talked to her. I have been feeling guilty, because I could not go up and help her; but, I have enough on my plate here at home and I am now comfortable with that. I sent her a present over the weekend and I wanted her to be on look out for it; plus I wanted to find out how her doctor's appointment went. In about a half hour, I need to leave and go get Mari and then come home and go to bed. Good night, Trudi

Emotions

Good Morning! Thought about getting up at 5:45, when I woke up and had to go the bathroom, but then I said, the sun is not up yet, so why do I need to get up. Went back to sleep and slept until about 6:30. Got up and did my morning routine. On Sunday mornings, Rory watches a program called "Sunday Morning". They were talking to a young man who had served in Afghanistan and his buddies had been killed and he was standing over one of his buddies and got knocked in the head by one of the enemy. All of the soldier's anger at losing his buddies went into fighting the enemy and he killed the enemy and I was thinking about how I handle my anger at Rory. Don't worry I am not going to do anything. I get angry at how Rory does not take care of himself, at his lack of motivation and his irresponsibility and his real lack of care about us or his respect of us. My anger just gets pent up inside and there is nothing I can do about it. Every thing is all about him. Mari and I talked about this on our walk and I have to remember to take care of myself with my walks and doing things I enjoy, such as my photography. I need to take care of me. I have to remember that God takes care of me. This morning, I was reading something that a friend wrote about "There but for the Grace of God..." and she was talking about the homeless. My father-in-law was not a nice man, but because of him, we have money and I, at this point, in time do not have to have a paying job. Being a wife and mom is a full time job. I can remember several years ago, that we could have been homeless and I am very grateful that we are not. Part of our money issue comes from Rory's irresponsibility with money and always wanting the most expensive things, plus his gambling and his lack of patience and his lack of motivation. My emotions have been all over the place this morning, from good to bad. Mari and I did our walk this morning at the lake, along with other people, the dogs and the ducks and geese. Got oatmeal and coffee from Starbucks and came home. Doing morning routine. Tried to take a nap, but couldn't really. Mari and I are going to get out of the house this afternoon and take a drive and take some pictures.

Had a salad for lunch and then hit the road for San Diego. Luckily, the traffic going south was not bad. Mari took some of her school work with us, but she kept falling asleep. I have a book of San Diego road trips and this was the first one. I have driven alot of this area, but have never seen some of the areas we went into. It was a nice afternoon out. Rory wanted dinner from Panda Express and so we stopped there and got him dinner on the way home. We got home about 7:30 p.m. and I made dinner, watched some TV and now I am just relaxing. Going to do my reading at 9 and go to bed. Good night, Trudi

First day of fall

Good Morning! The calendar says it is the first day of fall, but the temperature does not reflect that, but in Southern CA, it usually gets hotter, before it gets cooler. We have our Santa Ana winds usually at the end of October. I love fall and everything associated with fall. I love the color of the changing leaves and pumpkins and apples cooked into things. Today, I am going to make some pumpkin puree and some apple cookies from the apples we got last week. I am also going to help Mari make up a schedule for getting homework done, so that she is not spending all day Wednesday doing homework and wiping herself out. I also need to buy our new bed. A busy Saturday! Got up at my normal time and doing my usual morning routine. Mari and I are going to go walk the park this morning. Mari is making breakfast. We had a fun walk. One of the dogs that is sometimes at the park likes us to throw its frisbee, which I am not really good at. Doing my morning routine, took a nap and had lunch. We made a schedule for Mari and Marissa and I went out and ran errands. I always say it is very different to do things with Mari and Marissa. They may be twins, but they are so different. I decided to send my friend a care package, instead of waiting to see her. Hopefully that will cheer her up. We did some other things and ordered my bed. Mission Viejo Mall was a mess and I was glad to get out of there. On the way home went by Target. While we were at Mission Viejo mall, Marissa wanted to get some Thai tea, which we did, as well as some Chai tea. Came home and put things away. I was going to have a little bit of quiet time, before making some cookies and some pumpkin puree. Rory decided to come down, which I didn't really need, but I did not complain and eventually he went back upstairs. Mari came out and helped me with the cookies and the pumpkin puree, which I totally enjoyed. Got dinner together and we watched Celebrity Ghost Stories and The Unexplained. I feel like I actually have some energy today. Going to do my reading tonight and then go to bed. Good night, Trudi

More relaxed

Good Morning! We sleep with a fan going and Rory decided to turn it off at 6 a.m. this morning and turn on the coffee maker, which woke me up on a morning I didn't really have to wake up that early. I could have gotten angry, but what is the use. I am really going to try and focus on being positive, than constantly being angry with him. So I got up at 6:15 and just enjoyed the quiet, as Rory had gone back to sleep. He is supposed to do his vitals every morning, but doesn't. We do them some mornings. With how he cares about his health, why should I care whether he does them or not and really he could do it all by himself, but won't. I am downstairs just enjoying the quiet and listening to the birds singing and the dogs barking. The girls and I are headed out to Temecula to see my mother-in-law and sister-in-law and have an enjoyable lunch. I also feel more relaxed today, as I am not constantly hurrying to get some place. I have an ongoing list that I work from and I like to get things done. I am a "do" person. When I can't get things done on my list, I feel frustrated. I do surrender my day to the Lord, but I want to accomplish things I want to accomplish. I have to remember that I am accomplishing things, even though it may not be what I want to do. The girls and I got together for lunch with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. It was really nice. We drove home Ortega Highway, which is a very windy road. Going to get my smoothie and take a nap. Poor Mari is very tired today. After I took a nap, I put dinner together, but I really wanted Mari to wake up and have her make dinner. My self-confidence is very low, when it comes to making meals, unless what I make is very simple. I have some great ideas, but I would rather someone else would make it. I need to work on that. The girls and I watched Ghost Adventures, while we ate dinner. I am very tired tonight. Don't really feel like doing much, except, maybe sleeping. I will read at 9 and go to bed at 10. Good night, Trudi

Coming to grips

Good Morning! Bear with me, as I am trying to put this into words and get my emotions clear about what is going on. When I first met Rory, he would work on his weight and he exercised. In that way, he was better than me, as I had always struggled with my weight and I did not enjoy exercise or really being active. Now he has turned into a man who weighs close to 400 pounds and does no exercise and likes to eat what he wants and really does not want to be healthy. We bought a new mattress about 18 months ago for $3000 and he wanted a hard one, so that is what we got. Now, because he has to lay around to rest from doing very little when he goes out, he can't handle the hard mattress. We went to the sleep number store and found a bed that I think he is going to be able to deal with. The top of the bed will adjust and not just lay flat and each side of the bed will adjust to our comfort level. This bed is $6000. I have to get past my anger and frustration and just deal with what is going on, as he does not want to do anything to help himself. There are so many things he does that are a joke. He does not want to work, but he plays the game with unemployment. His doctors want him to lose weight and he goes to the classes, but does nothing. I have to focus on me. I can't be angry. I guess I can be frustrated. We have no choice, but to get the new bed. Normal morning routine, but no walking, as Mari has to be at school at 10. After I dropped her off, I went to Dana Point to go walking and then came home. Rory decided to get away, as things were beginning to build up, so it was nice to come home to just Marissa and I being in the house. We had lunch and watched TV. I made the decision to get a plumbing company to come out and inspect the plumbing and a/c, so we don't have too many problems in the future and they were out this afternoon. Since Mari has school on Thursday from 10-10, I try and take her dinner and snack in between her two classes. It also gives me a chance to see her. Picked up hamburgers from In N'Out on the way for all three girls of us. Met up with Mari and then went to Trader Joe's, then to the Farmer's Market and then to the bank. It was fun going to the Farmer's Market. Met up with my neighbor at the Farmer's Market. Came home and put everything away. I love trying new things and I know it is better for me. Need to get dinner. Marissa and I had dinner and watched TV. I had bought some Blondie mix at Trader Joe's and Marissa made them. So I had a blondie with some fruit and some elderberry balsamic vinegar. YUM! Doing computer stuff. Talked to a friend who is dealing with cancer tonight. We used to be really good friends; but now I think we have gone in separate directions. It is very hard to call her, as I really feel I have nothing to talk to her about. Somewhere along here, I have to go pick up Mari, so I will say good night. Trudi

Maintenance and mattress

Good Morning! Normal morning routine. Mari and I on Wednesdays are walking up to the park, doing 4 laps around the park and then walking back. I was taking my car in for service today and then Rory and I were going to go looking at a mattress at the Sleep Number store in Mission Viejo mall. After I got back from walking, I had breakfast and then took off to turn in my car. Rory picked me up at Big O and then we drove over to Mission Viejo mall. Riding with him drives me nuts! He has a tendency to yell at other drivers, when they won't get out of his way. This is one reason, we drive in two cars, except for when we have to ride together. We parked and walked into the mall and found where the store was and walked over to it. Rory was out of breath by the time he got to the store. I really did not know how bad he was in his walking. I was not happy about getting this new mattress, because we had just bought one for $3000 about 18 months ago and now we are looking at another, because the one we have is too hard for Rory. Minor detail, he lays around all day and all night. The new one is going to cost $6000, but it will have some amenities that the one we have does not have. I am angry because he does not work on his health and does not want to work on his health. I said I wanted some time to think about this, but I know in my heart that we need this new mattress for Rory's health. After we left the store, we walked back to the car and again Rory had problems and had to stop a couple of times. Then we went to Elephant Bar and had lunch. I was so ready, by the end of lunch, to get my own car back. Luckily, by the time we got back to Big O, my car was done. Rory went home and I went to Target and the gas station and then came home. Tried to take a nap, but couldn't. Made snack and am having some quiet time, which is very nice! It was very nice to come home to my daughters. I made dinner, as Mari has been working all day on homework. We watched TV while we ate dinner. I have gotten past my anger and now just feel sad at the whole situation. I am glad I have made the decision to work on myself. Mari and I are going to watch "Ghost Hunters" at 9 and I am going to bed at 10. Hopefully I sleep like a log. Good night, Trudi

Problems and being patient

Good morning! Another not great night! Rory was very upset about the VA letter and that he could not solve the problem. I went to bed, when I got home from picking up Mari, which was about 10:40 p.m. About 1:30 a.m, Rory woke me up, complaining the mattress was too hard. This is a mattress that he wanted and we bought about 18 months ago. He has complained about it, from the word go. Tomorrow, we are going to look at some other mattresses. It just kills me, after all the money we spent on it. I got up around 6ish and did my morning routine. I hated to get Mari up at 8, but we needed to walk, which we did at the park with our walking buddy, who was not feeling well either. Came home and made breakfast and did some of my morning routine, then I needed a nap. I have found that sleeping on the couch is not bad. Got lunch together, as we had to leave at 12:15 to get Mari to school I did an errand on the way home. I really try to combine taking her to school and running errands. Came home and did more house stuff. About 3 made a smoothie for Mari and I and then Marissa and I went down to pick up Mari. We came to realize that it has been six weeks, since the girls got their ears pierced, so we went by Target and got them some more earrings. On the way home from LCAD, Rory called and said he was feeling dizzy. I have a feeling, all of this, caused him some major stress. Hopefully, we will sleep better tonight. Came home from Target and had some quiet time and then I made dinner. Yesterday, I really had to trust God to take care of this problem with the VA. Rory needs to learn patience, which I doubt he will ever do. If he was to leave the VA, it would cost us about $18000, due to all his meds and doctor visits. Luckily, he will be able to stay with VA and he will be making co-pays, at a far less cost. I know he is stressed about this new job, as well. He is the type that wants to know when everything is going to happen and sometimes you can't know that. Better go eat dinner. Talk later. We watched Mysteries at the Museum, while we ate dinner and then turned off the TV. I am really proud of Mari for making good use of her time and getting homework done. I have this tendency to get hung up on editing pictures or constantly working on pictures. I, also, love to organize, so I am really trying to not get caught up in looking at emails and Facebook and adding my organizing into my schedule, plus some cooking, which I am starting to really enjoy. I did get the bank account checked and some filing done and organized the refrigerator. I have made a list and I am really going to try to stay on task. Mari and I watched Face Off tonight and now it is time to go to bed. Good night! Trudi

Normal school week

Good Morning! Better night last night, than the night before. Woke up a little before 6 and then went back to sleep until 6:25. Got up and got morning routine done. Rory has this tendency to lay around all day and off and on sleep and then not be able to sleep at night and that is exactly what happened last night. I can't tell him that he needs to get up and be active. Mari was up before 8 and got some homework done and then we did our park walk with our walking friend. We saw three dachshunds today at the park, plus it was much cooler this morning. YEAH! Mari made apple pancakes this morning, using some of the apples we got the other day. Did emails and house stuff, took a nap, had lunch and then took Mari to school. On the way home, did an errand. Before we left, the mail came and we found out that Rory may not be able to get VA medical benefits any longer, due to the trust money we have. With all his medical issues, that is not good, as he does not have medical insurance through his job and will not get medical insurance through the new job. I am frustrated at this, as this will be more money out of our pocket. When I got home, he wanted me to handle this issue and I said no! I will fax the papers he needs faxed, but that is all I will do. He needs to handle this and figure out what the VA needs. He has talked to our attorney and our accountant. He decided to go to a movie and calm down. Now, Marissa and I have quiet around the house. YEA! This is a memorial that Pepperdine University did last year to 9/11. Today is also Constitution Day. Did you know that? I didn't, until someone's blog told me.

Rory came home from the movie and had to tell me, as well as talk about the VA problem. There are ways of handling it. Made spaghetti for dinner with garlic toast. Watched Anthony Bourdain with Marissa while we ate dinner. She did dishes and I did pictures and writing. I have to go to pick up Mari about 9:15 and then I am going to come home and go to bed. Good night. Trudi

Wow! I am over 1000 views

Good Morning! Thank you for all who read my blog! Not a real good night, as I could not remember if we closed the garage door last night and our coffee maker is not working correctly, so at 3:30 this morning, I came downstairs to check on the garage door and to play with the coffee maker until about 4. Then I could not get comfortable in bed and finally about 4:45, I guess I went to sleep, because a little after 6, Rory turned off the fan and turned on the coffee maker. Instead of arguing with him about turning off the fan, I just decided it was time to get up and do my morning routine. Mari and I walked the lake, which is 2.2 miles, then went to Starbucks and came home. Doing the rest of my morning routine. I have decided that instead of always arguing with Rory about practically everything, I am going to take care of myself and go on with life. Took a nap, finished house stuff, had lunch and then ran errands with Marissa, as Mari wanted to stay home and get school stuff done. Rory keeps trying to tell me about a boil he had and I told him I did not want to hear it, just like his sister did not want to hear about people being killed. Then he started talking about his family and all the lovey dovey, which I like. I was close to my parents and family to me is very important. Our two major differences is how we relate to family and how responsible are with money. At the beginning, I don't think I looked at that, as all I saw was a man that accepted me for me and that there were many similarities in our families. Being accepted was major important, as kids growing up had not accepted me for me and the men I had relationships with, prior to Rory had walls around them. I have always wanted to be close to a large family and been able to have holiday or family dinners with all of family. I guess I did not see at that point, how important that was to me. Got home from running errands and just having some quiet time. Nice! Soon, I need to start making dinner. Oak Glen:

Made one dinner for Rory and one dinner for the girls and I. He does not like potatoes. Watched TV, now having quiet time. Marissa has done dishes and Mari is doing school work. Will do my reading at 9 and to bed at 10; unless Rory has other ideas. Good night, Trudi

A day in apple country

Good Morning! What we were going to do today changed a couple of times over the last few days. When we found out how hot it was going to be, we decided not to go to the Huntington Library and see the new Japanese gardens. Then, we were just going to stay home and wing it! Yesterday, a friend of mine said she was going to Oak Glen, which is up in our mountains. At first, I said, no, as I thought it was going to be too hot, and then I talked to Mari and, she said, she wanted to go, so we decided to go and I am so glad we did. I got up at my usual time, as we had someone coming over between 7:45 and 8:15, to fix some nicks in our tile floor. Did not get much done of my usual routine, which was fine. Mari and I left about 9 and went to Starbucks, then to the bank and then to get gas in the car and then we headed for Oak Glen. It was a perfect day, as there were not too many people and it was 20 degrees cooler in Oak Glen. When we first got there, we walked around Riley farm and then we met up with some friends for lunch, which was nice. After lunch we walked around and took some more pictures and then, Mari and I left and did our own thing. We stopped at another place and picked some apples to bring home. Headed on down the mountain and again the temperature began to climb. Got home about 4 and I got a nice nap and it is getting close to time to have dinner. Had dinner and watched "Celebrity Ghost Stories". We were supposed to go see a friend of mine, who is in town for the weekend, but her schedule got messed up, so we are going to try for tomorrow. Watching TV. I am going to read at 9 and then head for bed at 10. Good night, Trudi

Open and closed

Good Morning! Doing my usual morning routine. Yesterday, Mari and I did not walk, as Mari and school all day and I was going with Rory to see his mom and sister for lunch. Rory has really not seen his mom and sister for about 40 years, except for some brief time. The lunch went ok and I am glad it is over. Rory said he would like to see his mom periodically. I got this feeling that lunch was more of a business meeting than a family get together. In many ways, he was being the drama king yesterday and he does not tell the truth on most things. His mother asked him,"if he has diabetes" and he said, "a little". Yea, right. He would not answer his sister's question about being in Vietnam. He led on that he had been, but he had not. He does not understand relationships and that is sad. The girls and I will continue to see them and I am happy for that. Family is very important to me. After we came home, I took a nap and then Marissa and I did errands. I felt like I could not really get anything done yesterday; but I did get things done. Had dinner last night and then about 8:30, went to pick up Mari. Came home and went to bed. Today, should be pretty normal and I am glad about that. Going to work on the Flickr project and some of the mini-challenges through I Love Photography in FB this weekend. It is supposed to be hot this weekend. As soon as Mari gets up, we are going walking and I am so ready for that and some normalcy. Mari and I were going to go to the Huntington Library tomorrow, but because of the heat, we decided not to. Mari and I did our walk and it is hot. At 9 a.m. it was already 84 degrees and it felt like we were having one of our Santa Ana's. Came home and Mari made breakfast. Doing my emails and house stuff. Marissa has decided she is going to a movie this afternoon. I am going to go run errands and possibly take some pictures. It is 103 degrees so far today. Mari is taking a nap. I am putting up a perfect picture for today:

As usual with the hot, dry weather, we are getting fires. We have one south of us and I think it is at Camp Pendleton and the other one is near Getty Center. About to get dinner together and then we will watch Ghost Adventures. Nice quiet evening, will be doing my usual night time routine. Good night Trudi

Unbelievable

Good Morning or maybe I should say good afternoon! Mari and I decided we were going to walk to the park today, so we had to get an earlier start than our 8 a.m. start. It was very foggy/cloudy this morning and you could not see very far, plus my glasses kept getting fogged up, but we did our walk. When I weighed myself this morning, I was down 10 pounds exactly from what I was July 20. I am really happy, as the food and exercise plan I have set up for myself is working. I am happy this is working, but I really don't know what the difference from all the rest of the times I have tried to lose weight is. Came home, had breakfast and did my usual routine. I did take a nap, as all of the excitement from yesterday exhausted me. Rory is working today, so we had to help him with some stuff, but now I have the rest of the day to just relax. The house is getting cleaned today and Mari and I are going out and taking pictures for her class and a project I have.

Mari decided she wanted to go to Balboa Pier to take pictures, so that is what we did. It was fun watching the people and the birds and just having fun. Got to ride the Balboa Ferry and then worked ourselves home down the coast. Stopped at our favorite smoothie place and then to Trader Joe's and Staples. Came home, made dinner and just enjoying hanging out. Very peaceful at home. Going to watch Ghost Hunter's at 9 and then to bed.

Good night, Trudi

Patriot's Day

Good Morning! Normal morning routine! Mari has school this afternoon and that is the only out thing we have. The rest of the day will be normal routine. Rory will probably be home resting after yesterday of going through the physical and tomorrow, where he possibly has to work. I am now meeting a friend for coffee/tea after I drop Mari off at school. Mari and I did our park walk this morning without our walking buddy. Tomorrow we are going to walk from home to the park, walk four times around the park and then walk home. I knew today was September 11 and I can't believe it has been 11 years since all of the tragedy happened. I remember waking up and Rory having the TV on and watching the planes crashing into the buildings. I thought Rory was watching a movie. I remember having 7 reviews that day to do and telling the girls they had to come with me, as I did not really feel comfortable leaving them at home, as I was homeschooling the girls at that point. I remember that night, when I was working about 11 p.m., hearing the low sound of a plane and wondering what it was. Mari was still up and we both figured out, it was a plane at Camp Pendleton, which we can sometimes here from where we live. Lots of memories from that day. Praying for all of those who lost loved ones.

This was a picture from last year from where I drive through Live Oak Canyon. What an afternoon this has been! I met up with my friend for coffee and that was the most relaxed part of the afternoon. After I dropped her off at the car repair place, I went over to Target and on the way, I got texted. My sister-in-law is in town and she texted me and wanted to know, when would be a good time to get together and that my mother-in-law felt she was up to seeing my husband. They have not seen each other since he was 19 and he is now 62. Long story. My sister-in-law, my mother-in-law, my husband and I are going to meet up for lunch on Thursday and then the girls of us will meet up next week for lunch. I did not feel like Marissa would handle this very well, so we are having two separate lunches. Going to be an interesting day on Thursday. I got my errand done at Target and then headed back home to make a smoothie and then went to Laguna to pick up Mari. While we were driving there, we saw this whole parade of motorcycles honoring Patriot's Day with an old fire truck leading the procession. Then there was an accident right in front of LCAD. Ran errands on the way home. Now I am home and about to make dinner. Too much excitement for one afternoon. We had dinner, watched some TV and having some quiet time. "Face Off" is on at 9 and then I am headed for bed. Good night, Trudi

Dollars and change

Good Morning! Up at my usual time and doing my usual morning routine. Rory goes to have a physical today for his new job. Two things I have to do today and I was telling Rory, was that I have to pay the rest of the tuition for Mari's school and I am going to call the plumbing company we had come out last week to fix the stopper and paid $98, and to me, it holds for awhile; but eventually it drains out. Didn't stoppers used to hold forever? Have things gotten that cheap? We have had three people look at the same stopper and it does the same thing each time. I would like to get an insurance policy they have, where they come out and check the plumbing in the house and check the heating and air conditioning periodically. When I was telling Rory this, all he could focus on was that they did not fix the stopper. I have always been a scrooge when it came to money and I have always been very responsible. This is one major difference between the two of us. He always tells me he looks for the best deals, but then he gambles and is very irresponsible with money. When we were very strapped, he would still go gamble. I will spend money, but I am cheap in regards to certain things. I don't need to go to Macy's to get my clothes, I am happy with Old Navy or Kohl's or Target. Rory keeps making comments about all of us having $1500 Mac's. I don't like what he likes and he doesn't like what I like. In regards to change, let's see what changes this week. I really have nothing planned. Mari and I did our walk around the park and we are now home having breakfast and doing computer stuff. Something very interesting is happening, I am actually enjoying exercise; which is a first! Needed a nap and then had lunch and took Mari to school. Paid what was owed on her tuition and then went to Smart & Final. On the way home, it was getting very dark, up by us and Marissa texted me and said she was hearing thunder. When I got home, I heard it and Sweet Pea was not liking it. Got dinner together and then having quiet time. YEA for quiet time.

Rory passed his physical! I left at 5:20 to go pick up Mari from school and then came home and the three girls of us had dinner. Rory was not home, but did call and he was on his way home from Long Beach. Finally got home at 7:45. Traffic is so much fun! I am very proud of Mari, as she has been really keeping to getting school work accomplished and she has her own schedule. I am not having to remind her. Got Rory dinner and dishes are done. Quiet time for me to do some writing and then at 9 do my reading and then to bed at 10. Good night, Trudi

Walking secret stairs

Good Morning! I actually slept in until 6:30, as Mari and I are not walking until later this afternoon. There is a book called "Secret Stairs of Los Angeles" and a meet up group with the same name and this is how we are going to get our walk today. I need to get Rory's breakfast and Mari is making our breakfast. Going to do my computer stuff and then I will make Rory's breakfast. I am at my lowest weight, since I started this weight loss journey or more like my being healthy journey. When I stay home and really stick to my food plan, the weight goes down, but I am learning, that even though I make wise choices, eating out does not help the weight loss. I do have to remember that I am lower than I was when I started this and I am thrilled. I know tonight we are having pizza and I am really going to make wise choices, but if I stay the same, I am not going to beat myself up, it will just be getting back on the horse again and moving forward. I have also been trying to think of how our marriage has changed and what needs to change, in order to get us back to where we were. Two things have to change and that is communication and respect. Since I have been on this healthy journey, Rory is not real supportive and I need that support. I am so thankful for one group, that has been supportive. I was reading Pastor Rick's devotional today and he talks about announcing goals and having faith that Jesus will fulfill those goals. My goals are: I want to be a healthy weight and have a healthy body, I want to be married to a man I really love and lastly, I want to be able to travel the United States and share what I experience through what I write and photograph. As far as my marriage, I would like to stay married to Rory, if he could be a different person than he is; but I really could not stay with him for the rest of my life, the way he is. Did my emails and house stuff. I got a gift card from Amazon for a photo challenge I did over the summer and I have decided I am going to get a Kindle. I am going to get rid of the books I have. There are certain "coffee table" books I want to keep. Had lunch and watched a program on TV, called "House Hunters International". These people moved to Brussels, Belgium. I think that is one place I would like to live and use that as a hub and be able to travel to other parts of Europe. I love traveling by train. Doing some computer stuff. At 2:30, we are going to leave for our walk. Breakfast Pancakes:

It was an interesting afternoon. We left about 2:30 and stopped to get gas and then headed for Los Angeles. We were lucky in that, we had very little traffic, until we got into downtown Los Angeles. We had to take the 101 and there was a car on fire near Union Station, which had backed up traffic. We didn't get to the meet up place until 4:30 and the group had already left. We got pizza and headed home. Went by Trader Joe's and then picked up pizza for Rory and Marissa. Came home, had dinner and watched TV. At 9, I am going to do my reading and go to bed at 10. good night, Trudi

Saturday-house day

Good Morning! I think I was laying on the bed for too long, as Rory came downstairs at 8 last night, so I went upstairs. I was very ready to get up about 6, except my knee was really bothering me. Did my shortened morning routine as Mari and I were walking the lake this morning. Got Rory his breakfast and then we took off for the lake. Walked our 2.2 miles and then got our oatmeal and coffee and headed home. Doing my emails and house stuff. Called a friend who is still in the hospital and she is getting really tired of being there. Another friend of mine had called me earlier, to see if I wanted to do something next month and asked me to call her back, which I did. She asked me, if I knew she had been at ER last weekend and I said, "No" Amongst some other things, she also has a problem with blood pressure. I have four friends who live here close to me and three of the four have health issues. I am thankful that I have been doing my walking lately, as well as eating healthy. I have seen the difference in my blood pressure and my blood sugar. After lunch, Mari and I went down to Laguna, to get some school supplies and some stuff from Whole Foods. Came home and having quiet time.

Marissa went out on her bike and did one lap around the pool. I am proud of her for keeping going with the bike. Mari and I made dinner and I made some Black Bean brownies, that were really good. The recipe came from "Peanut Butter and Peppers" The girls and I watched some TV and now we are all doing our own thing. Going to do my reading at 9 and to bed at 10. I will say good night now. Trudi

Going and coming

Good Morning! I am combining two days into one, as yesterday, Mari had school from 10-10, and Marissa and I went to San Diego on the train to see an old restored trolley car, that is actually used and then we went to the William Davis house, that Marissa wanted to see. We walked quite a bit around Downtown San Diego and then took the train home. We were both very tired by the time we got home, so I really did not feel like writing. Yesterday was the Farmer's Market, so on the way home from the train, we went by and picked up our box of produce. For me, this is always fun to get, in order to see the produce I can use for the rest of the week and it gives us some new things to try. Today is mainly a day at home. I was up at my usual time and doing my usual morning routine. Need to get Rory's breakfast and get Mari up at 8. On Friday's I really feel guilty about getting her up, but I know she can take a nap later. Mari and I did our walk, then, we came home and had breakfast. Doing emails and house stuff. Here is the park I walk:

I did take a nap today, as I think the trip yesterday wore me out. Had lunch and then went running errands. Came home, put groceries away. When I first walked in the door, Rory was downstairs and Mari's door was closed and I thought, oh great, I am going to have to put groceries away all by myself and Rory was going to non-stop talk at me. GRR! Luckily, Mari came out and helped. I had to send something for Rory to a friend of his and that cost $11.50 and the plumber coming out, cost $98.00. Sort of two stupid things that had to be done. Now getting quiet time. Rory doesn't get it, when I tell him, it would be better if he went upstairs and let me be myself. He really wanted to know, why I was angry-frustration with several things. Mari and I made dinner and we watched a little bit of TV, then worked on the computer. Rory decided to come downstairs, so I went up. At 9 going to do reading and at 10, turning off the light. Good night, Trudi

Celebration

Good Morning! Today is my twin daughters 24th birthday. We are going to Chili's for lunch and also getting Casey's cupcakes. The girls already got their birthday present of pierced ears and Marissa got a bike. I have also accomplished another goal of getting below 235. Now my next goal will be to get below 230. In about 6 weeks, I have lost 9 pounds. YEA! My usual morning routine. Need to make Rory's breakfast and get Mari up at 8. Yes, we are still doing our walking. Mari is making pancakes this morning for breakfast. Did our walk, but made several stops, so it wasn't the best of exercise. The pancakes were great. Over the summer, I did a photo challenge and the prize was going to be drawn from all of the names who finished. I won! This made me very happy, as I have not been feeling the most up about my photography or me lately. I won a $100 gift card and it was very appropriate as the girls b-day is today. I said I was going to give $50 to each of my girls, when we were asked what I was going to do with the gift card. Mari wanted me to have some of the money, so I am getting $50 and the girls are getting $25. Better get my house stuff done, as we are going out to lunch. Had a nice lunch at Chili's and I ordered a light lunch and an iced tea. The girls got gift cards to Old Navy, so we walked over to Old Navy and they used them. From there we drove to Trader Joe's and then went to Casey's Cupcakes. Dessert for tonight. The girls are being well remembered and that is so nice. Came home and all three of us girls are doing our own thing. Rory went out somewhere!

Started making dinner around 5:30 p.m. Having quinoa, shrimp and squash and of course, cupcakes with almond champagne. Healthy and sweet. Watched TV. Now having quiet time again. Talked to a couple of friends tonight. Going to watch Ghost Hunters at 9 with Mari. I am tired, so I will say Good Night. Trudi

What is a family?

Good Morning! I am not the most up person this morning, but I am thankful for a new day. Last night, I came to realize how Rory's upbringing and my upbringing have so influenced our lives. Rory has become like his dad, who was really not a very nice person. Rory does provide for us with his father's inheritance, but as far as loving us, really all he does is think of himself and what he wants. I was raised with very loving parents. We may not have had much money, but there was love, but I don't think feelings were really expressed. I am so thankful for my girls and the love we have between us. I really feel responsible to stay put until Mari is through school. It is going to be rough, but I feel that is the responsible thing to do. Going on with my day; I was up at 6ish and doing my morning routine. I am enjoying the quiet of the morning. I need to get Rory's breakfast, so I guess, I need to get going. Normal day today, as Mari has school this afternoon. I am going to continue to take care of the girls and myself and I will do what I need to for Rory. Mari and I did our walk this morning at the park. We did 8 laps around with our walking friend. Came home and had breakfast. Did my usual morning routine. As Mari had to be at school at 1, which means we have to leave at 12:15, so we had lunch at 11:30. Mari made a small sandwich for us and I added half a grapefruit to it. I don't think it was enough food, because I was hungry within half an hour. I dealt with the hunger until 3 p.m., when I made smoothies for Mari and me. I had gotten some cut up veges, when we were in San Diego, so I had some of those when we got back from doing errands. With my smoothie, I had a small piece of pita bread with some hummus on it. I had gotten this from the farmer's market last Thursday. Left to go pick up Mari. While I was driving, I was thinking about my self confidence and how I really feel about myself. We are having a chicken pot pie tonight and I want Mari to make it, because making it is something new to me and I don't want to fail. My self-confidence is low on many things. An issue I am also dealing with is feelings and taking a picture that expresses feelings. That is hard for me to do. I have decided to do something for myself and that is take pictures of old, hurt, frustrated and anger, which is something I feel about myself and then I will take pictures of beauty. I will share them on my blog. There is a trailer that is near us, that I have been wanting to take a picture of, but I don't take the time to stop and take the picture. I am going to do that in the next couple of days. The picture I am going to put up today is one I took the other day and this picture is of beauty. I love clouds, especially at sunrise and sunset. Beauty:

Chicken Pot Pie:

Made the majority of the Chicken Pot Pie, but then it was getting to the point I was trying to do too many things at once and I asked Mari for help. The pie turned out good. Ate dinner and watched the end of a program we were watching earlier in the day. DVR is so nice. I had taken Rory's dinner up to him and accidentally spilled the wine. I asked Mari to bring paper towels. I told Rory his wine had spilled and left paper towels for him to clean it up. He wanted to know where I had spilled the wine and he thought I was going to clean it up. He could not see it on his tray. Maybe I should have cleaned it up. Mari and I are going to watch Face Off at 9 and then I am headed for bed. Good night, Trudi

Memories and challenges

Good Morning! 24 years ago on this day, my twin daughters were born. They are such an important part of my life and I am so blessed to have them. My girls turn 24 on September 5. Got up and did my morning routine. Mari and I went out to the lake and walked 2.2 miles, then to Starbucks and got our oatmeal. Lots of people and dogs at the lake. The whole thing yesterday with the picture and it being a challenge, made me realize that I do not challenge myself. When I see that in this challenge, the word is yellow, I only think about taking pictures of yellow and not how I can grow in taking pictures of yellow. When I look at my day, I look at how much can I get done in a day, not the quality of the things I do. Recently, I took a test for ADHD and I realized that I have a mild case of it. When I was an appraiser, it was always called, how many reports can I get done and I really didn't look at the quality. Everything from the lender was a rush and I really don't believe they looked at the quality. When we go to museums or places, I will look at the picture, but I don't really stop and read the description. Sometimes when I am reading, my mind is off somewhere else and all I am doing is reading words. Doing my emails and house stuff. Tried to challenge myself to not take a nap, as I wonder if my nap is only to quiet my mind. Tried to slow down this morning and not race through doing things. Had lunch and watched TV with the girls. My lunch today was a salad with a grapefruit. Healthy! Doing some computer stuff and working on the yellow challenge. This is one of the pictures I took for yellow:

Going to finish a couple more things and go run a couple of errands. Trying to buy only what we need, so I don't feel like I have a jam packed refrigerator. Not trying to see how much I can accomplish as well. We ran our errands and I got some pictures taken. Came home and having quiet time, before I start on dinner. Made dinner, watched the last season of Anthony Bourdain. Talked to my friend who is in the hospital and worked on my other blog-gypsymomvirtualconcierge.blogspot.com. Rory came downstairs and wanted to talk to Mari regarding school. He keeps wanting to know about money and we finally sat down and told him what it is. He makes me uptight when we talk, as he talks over all of us, even though he wants information. He goes on and on and never stops. I am emotionally tired from dealing with him. Good night. Trudi

Wonderfully cool

Good Morning! My usual morning routine and it has become wonderfully cool in the morning and I am so enjoying it. Better get moving, as I need to make Rory breakfast and Mari up at 8, so we can go walking. Going to Laguna today to get some supplies for Mari. Mari and I did our walk this morning. Lots of interruptions and a nice compliment from someone who remembered us from a couple of weeks ago. Came home and Mari made carrot cake pancakes. Yummy! Did my usual morning routine. Took my nap. Had lunch and then headed down to Laguna to get some supplies for Mari. Traffic was packed. Last weekend of summer, warm day and the beach, what do I expect. Rory went to the store and came home with things he wanted. The girls birthday is this week and we were going to go out and get cupcakes, so he brings home cupcakes from the store, which, to me are not as good as Casey's. He likes the store bought better, so I told him he could keep them upstairs. I really tried not to get angry. He has no willpower when he goes to the store. Having quiet time until dinner time. Clouds from this morning:

Made dinner, and for once did not turn on the TV. The girls and I sat around and talked, which was really nice. Rory, of course, was up in our room eating his dinner and watching TV. After we had dinner, Mari colored my hair. I am doing a challenge in a group that I belong to and we are using the word yellow. I put up a picture and someone challenged me to do more with the picture. I have a hard time with criticism, but I am trying to learn from it and do more with what I have. This is a learning thing for me. I was getting Mari involved in it, but I know she needed to do homework. I need to learn this on my own. A friend of mine texted me at 8:40 and wanted to know if I wanted to go out for frozen yogurt or Starbucks. I really like going out in the afternoon or late morning. Overall, after dinner, I like to be home. Need to give Sweet Pea her shot, do my reading and get to bed. Good Night. Trudi

Heading for one of my favorite places

Good Morning! It is a field trip day, so up around 6 and doing my usual morning routine. Mari and I are headed for San Diego this morning. We are going to meet a photography group and go to the National City Railroad Station. Then we are going to go over to Coronado and take some pictures. Looking forward to a day away. Need to get breakfast. Made breakfast for all of us. Went through emails. Mari and I left sort of on time, but that was ok. Just as I was pulling out of the garage, my cell phone rang and a friend of mine called me to say she was in the hospital. She had hit her head on her chest of drawers on Thursday and because she deals with cancer, they put her in the hospital. We talked for a little while and we decided I would call her later. Headed for San Diego and stopped at a vista point and took some pictures of the birds. Went to In N'Out Burger for lunch and then over to the train station and met up with the group. Hung out there for a little bit and took pictures, then headed for Coronado to take some pictures and then headed up the coast. It was a beautiful day! Made a couple of stops on the way home. Marissa put in the ribs, so that with rice and veges is what we had for dinner. I did call Val back. There are times, I wish people would stay out of my life. I know she means well! I am tired tonight and I feel somewhat depressed. I really didn't feel like writing this tonight, but thought it might cheer me up. I think I am just tired.