Well. Yesterday was my 47
th birthday. Yup. They just
keep coming. Odd to be transient and celebrating something like this that one
is used to celebrating with one’s “community”. And to top it off, I can’t get WiFi
on any of my devices (they have it here, Marcus says it is incredibly fast but
I can’t get it and he hasn’t had time to help me get my computer on it), my
data is used up on my phone and so I am completely disconnected. I tried for an HOUR last night to post this entry. I was able to check FaceBook and saw a TON of greetings from all parts of the world which really made me love FaceBook... From the
moment I awoke, my children were adorable. They love birthdays. Ben reminded me
that today is also Sam’s “half birthday” since her birthday is April 22! Fun. I
love that. Ben gave me a loose tea steeper in the form of the Titanic and Samey
chose some funky socks for me). Max got me a trophy that says “Best Mom” on it.
I LOVE IT. A big treat for me and for my mental health (I’ve been worried about
her) is that my mother was able (thanks to Randy, Adri, Sandra and Linda) to come
down and be with us for a couple of days and nights before we leave for Mexico
(October 28!!!!). Coming meant getting coverage cobbled together for my
father’s rapidly declining mental health (he has early onset Dementia at age
74).
I have been worried about my mom
and thought a few days of respite in the sun with some of her “sunshines” (my
kids) would do her some good. She arrived mid-afternoon and is staying at the
Sheraton that is walking distance from Sun Road Marina where we are staying now
in San Diego. We were two nights at San Diego Yacht Club before coming here and
had a lovely stay in their marina with the great pool and hot tub! We got to
spend some fun hours with San Dollar and Unleashed and Dawn Treader and met
Palarran, too. But here, where Marcus’ step-dad has a son who is a yacht broker
(Peter Zaleski) and who has been incredibly kind, generous and helpful to us,
we have a slip in this amazing marina!! The pool yard and hot tub here are stunningly
beautiful! And we have full facilities – even laundry. Simple pleasures, eh? Last
night, Peter took Ben, Sam and Marcus for a short trip on a $2.4M Italian yacht
that he is selling! Ben even got to drive!!! They loved it. Anyways, back to my
birthday. As we are getting down to the wire before leaving, we decided to rent
a minivan for the week so we could do errands, go to Sea World, possibly
Legoland, and take my mother with us (and later this weekend my in-laws who are
coming to join us for the Baha Haha!). It meant that last night we had the
extreme pleasure of going to TARGET! For supplies! Familiar and yet so odd,
too. Today, my birthday, Marcus decided he really needed to get the new
inverter installed. It was failing/failed and he had ordered another one. He
awoke this morning completely consumed with the project, like a warrior going
into battle. I know it was important to get it started early in the week so
that he would have time and days to make it work if there was trouble with the
installation and I know that it was just poor timing that it had to be today
but it did put a huge dark cloud over the day since he stayed on the boat all
day and got increasingly frustrated and angry and tore the boat apart and so we
were all a little out of sorts and displaced since his tools and parts were
EVERYWHERE on the boat (as he likes to do). I decided to get out of his way and
to get away from his bad mood and take the kids with me to do errands. IN A
CAR. That minivan turned out to be the best birthday present ever this year
since it meant that I was able to almost feel normal as we: 1. Went to Mexican
Consulate (attempting to find out if we can get a year visa or can only get 6
months that have to be renewed), 2. Went to Chase Bank (to see why, once again,
my credit card was denied even though I have asked that the fraud department be
alerted that I am traveling in California, 3. Went to Wells Fargo (for Max),
4. Went to get our Mexican Fishing Licenses, 5. Went to Einstein Bagel (made me
heart-miss Keri and Wendy and even Max got nostalgic as well), 6. Jamba Juice,
7. Radio Shack, 8. The Party Store for Halloween costumes (Sam is going to be
Dora and the rest of us are going to be pirates!). 9. CVS to get more Scope
patches, 10. TJ Maxx (for a new tea kettle, a new cookie sheet, a loaf pan for
bread (I hope to make)), and then 11. To Goodwill for more Halloween costume
elements!!!! OMG! 11 errands! Minivan world! I almost felt back to “normal”
(how scarey!)! We got SO MUCH DONE and all that before 2 pm!!! We needed to get
the car back to poor Marcus who was getting deeper and deeper in the electronic
doo-doo as he needed to go to West Marine for supplies. To top it all off, he
can’t find his wallet again. And is VERY frustrated!! Max, Ben, Sam and I got
again out of his way and went over to the Sheraton to see my Mom and go for a
swim in the fabulous pools there. It is great to see her and have her here. She
and Samey are so cute together!!! As usual, she had TONS of presents for
everyone. Around 6, we came back to the boat and Marcus was still battling with
the electronic demons on the boat but he was able to get away so we go all go
out for my birthday dinner. Samey, naturally, went dressed as Dora in her new
costume. So incredibly cute, she is. We decided to go for Mexican in the Old
Town part of San Diego and so we went to the Old Town Café there and my Mom
says it looks exactly the same as it did when she took Randy and I there when I
was 10 and Randy was 8. We had a GREAT dinner with great Margueritas. It was a
fun day… Tomorrow, we are going to brave Sea World. And my poor husband is
going to brave his inverter project. Wish him luck. Some photos from yesterday and today...
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He found Minecraft stuff at Target! Hi Matthew!!! |
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Driving the yacht! |
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Birthday Momma and her sweet princess |
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"Dora the Explora" |
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Pete Zaleski and my mom |
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Love, love, love... |
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