Weekly Wrap-up 2005_28

The weather has been quite nice, with some fog in the evenings. On Saturday, for our day trip up to the North Bay, it was delightfully sunny and quite warm at our destination!

We ordered our Scion xB one year ago Monday. I don't think I've had a moment's regret in all that time (even when we were shouting at the people at the dealership :-)

I like this blurb from the Scion web site:

Let's be real - you're either an xB person, or you're not. There's nothing else quite like it on the road and we take pride in knowing that. ... If it's a spacious drive you seek, then all you have to do is step inside. The xB has got enough room for you to empty all your thoughts into it on that long drive home.

I've been wanting for ages to order a t-shirt with a theobromine molecule on it. Theobromine is the active ingredient in chocolate. It's very similar to caffeine. Theobromine is both a mild stimulant and an anti-depressant.

On Tuesday, one of my co-workers was wearing a caffeine molecule shirt, which reminded me again. This time, however, I did a web search when I got home and found a site with all sorts of "addictive" choices in "molecule wear".

We drove into The City one night for dinner at our favorite pizza place. We've tried other pizzerias s but have never found better pizza anywhere (not even "just as good" pizza). The only real drawback to this location is that both Rich and I tend to get a hankering for pizza on foggy, rainy, yuchy nights and we don't want to drive 20 miles up the freeway on those nights. Sigh.

I had a few weird, "busy" dreams this week. I often know that I'm dreaming and I certainly knew in these. Unfortunately, I usually can't do anything about it — for example, I can't change anything — and these dreams were no exception (although several times I tried). My lucid dreams are all like watching a DVD or a play that I can't turn off and can't leave, but I know I'm just watching, not really there. There was one point where I almost said something to a person in the dream about the fact that it was a dream, then stopped myself because I didn't want to confuse him (because he didn't know).

On Saturday, Rich and I drove north to visit the Leopards Etc. compound for their "Open House" fundraiser. We joined a total of 64 guests to visit the Leopards Etc compound, eat lunch, and see the wild cats in their home environment. It was tax dedutable, for a very worth cause, and a wonderful way to spend a day!

We saw (and talked softly to) cheetahs, lynxes, a cougar, snow leopard, serval, ocelot, and a caracal (who defines "lynx tips" even more so than the lynxes. What ears!!!) And then there were paws. Oh my the paws! The lynx had beautiful paws. The snow leopard's paws are HUGE (and adorably twitching as she dreamed of chasing dream rabbits).

On the way up and the way back we saw more "domestic" sights including lots of cows (and one darling baby calf snoozing in the shade with mama), a colt with his mama, two llamas in a field (really :-), goats, sheep, more cows, lots of flowers, rolling hills (and more cows).

Before heading south again, we stopped at Jerome's BBQ to pick up a couple of orders of country ribs to take home. There was a very handsome old car parked out front - a four-door hardtop sedan, brown, well preserved. The license plate said 1935. The front name plate, tail lights, and wheel covers said "Terraplane". I looked it up when I got home.

The weather was very foggy on our way across the Golden Gate in the morning, becoming beautifully sunny and warm through Marin and Sonoma counties. On the way back, it was gorgeous again until we got to the tunnel out of Marin, then socked in again on the other side. My personal theory is that Marin County has an antifog ordinance and hires "beaters" (or places large fans) on top of the mountain to enforce it.

This week I read Site Unseen and Grave Consequences, two well-written archeological mysteries by Dana Cameron. I also read Requiem for a Mezzo and Murder on the Flying Scotsman, the third and fourth Daisy Dalrymple mysteries by Carola Dunn. I highly recommend both series.

In between and around the rest, I've had almost enough naps and plenty of snuggles with the cats. There have been good meals and interesting conversations with Spouse and friends. I had one chat with my Dad (Mom's still busy).

Onward and Upward.

Weekly Wrap-up 2005_28 ( in category Gemisch/Gallimaufry ) - posted at Mon, 18 Jul, 08:30 Pacific | «e»