Temp Up - Stock Market Down!

Mr. Indi called me at 3:15 to say that he was on his last bag of fluid (a saline solution to flush his system) and was feeling pretty good. I was able to pick him up at 4:00 p.m. and we were both happy to be back home before 5:00 p.m. - just in time to make a nice dinner of smoked turkey, cheesy potatoes and salad.

Well, what a day it was. I watched with mild amusement as the representatives of the two political parties threw blame at each other while the stock market melted down like a bar of tainted Cadbury's chocolate in the noonday sun! I really have no sympathy for the people who took out mortgages for houses that they couldn't afford but it seems that their greed is now costing everybody a lot of money. Mr. Indi's pension lost several thousands of dollars yesterday! Why? We have always lived within our means and I very much resent the idea of bailing anybody out. But - the government will do whatever it wants! Sigh!

The hot weather continues and my arthritis is not at all happy about it. The dark clouds didn't produce any rain but I heard the radio crackle a few times - so there was some lightning about. By afternoon, the mercury was up to 103F and the garden continued to gasp! The venerable weather man has promised a cooling trend by the weekend - Ha! down to 90F no doubt!

Mr. Indi was up very early this morning - working on his computer. He has had all of about 2 hours sleep - in 15 minute increments. I hope he will be able to rest as the steroids wear off.

The picture is of a grove of bamboo at Quail Gardens.

Will it Rain?

I shall take Mr. Indi to the chemo clinic at 9:00 this morning and then I shall stress out for the rest of the day while I wait for a phone call to say that he is OK and to go and pick him up. I hope everything will be OK.

There are lots of dark clouds around this morning and the forecast calls for a chance of thunderstorms - wouldn't that be wonderful?

The picture is of some pretty white flowers - Duh! you can see that! I took the pic in Redlands.

A Hidden Treasure

So, our first stop was the little town of Murrieta. Last time we were there, I had seen a signpost pointing to the "Historic Old Town" district and this time I wanted to check it out. Well, the "Historic Old Town" district is all of about 6 blocks long and is mostly ramshackle old houses - many of them boarded up. Sad really.

We parked the car and walked up and down both sides of the street - not much to see - but before we left we went into the antique store that is hidden behind the shade trees in the photo above. It was typical of many antique stores - an old house with rooms filled with tatty old junk that nobody wants - but lo and behold - I saw a wondrous sight! One of the rooms had been turned into a lovely little knitting yarn shop!

Anyone who knows me will understand why my eyes glazed over and I began to drool at the sight of all that lovely yarn! There was wonderful DK from England in a beautiful powder blue - and gorgeous silk ribbon yarn from Germany in a luscious orange. I thought I had died and been transported to knitters heaven. Sitting at a table in the middle of the room was the owner of the little knitting shop - a young lady in her twenties. She could see that I was overwhelmed with emotion as I fondled the balls of yarn - and when I took my own knitting project out of my handbag - she lowered her eyes in awe! At least, I think it was awe - or maybe she was thinking, "What is this barmy old lady doing with a ball of yarn and knitting needles in her handbag?"

Mr. Indi found me in the little yarn shop and reminded me that we were having a day out in order to help with his mental health and not to satisfy my unnatural desire to purchase more yarn than one can possibly use in several lifetimes. So we left!

The rest of our day was spent with lunch in Temecula - it wasn't bad but it wasn't good either - followed by a wander around more antique shops with an even bigger array of tat than we had previously seen! Does anyone ever buy any of this junk?

We were home by 4 p.m. and I made the most delicious dinner of pork chops and roast spuds and fresh green beens - ahhhh! Perfect! - But I do wish I had bought some yarn!

I Wish!

I wish I had a hammock in a shady spot where I could lie and read a book - but I don't so - Oh Well!

Me and him are going for a ride today - he wants to have a little outing before he has to face his chemo again on Monday. I can't decide where to go though. The weather is very hot here (forecast to be 105F today) so the roads to the beach will be jammed. I don't feel like negotiating the mountain roads so I suppose we will go to the wine country or other points south. I think I will just get in the car and let it take me wherever it wants!

Yesterday we went to Riverside for lunch. The food was good, as always - but, I have a sneaky suspicion that the waiter was pulling a fiddle by not putting the cash in the till. I saw him place the tab and money under a shelf near the cash register - why would he do that? Hmmmm! Makes me feel very uncomfortable - I hate dishonest people.

We watched the presidential debate last night - twas like watching grass grow! I do wish Senator McCain would wipe that stupid smirk off his face. We've already had 8 years of stupid smirks - I can't take any more! Senator Obama looked and sounded quite presidential, I thought. That would be a novel addition to the White House - someone who is presidential ! Just imagine! Still, I expect McCain and his ditzy side-kick will win. Well, at least she will provide us all with a few laughs as America slowly sinks into the sunset!

I took the photo at the County Fair - in the garden exhibit.

Go Dodgers Go!

Today's blog was going to be rather sad - I've had a sad couple of days - but in between the tears, there was some good news and smiles.

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League Western Division Conference of the Baseball race. Yea! I have been a Dodgers fan for over 20 years and this year the team is looking awesome - and that is in part due to the acquisition of the fabulous Manny Ramirez - but, there again, Nomar Garciaparra is pretty good too! And, mustn't forget the manager, Joe Torre - Great job Joe!

The picture is of Manny Ramirez ( found on the web - photo by Reuters) and now that the Dodgers are going to be in the play-offs, I really must get one of those Manny Ramirez baseball caps that have the dreadlocks attached! I have looked all over the web for one but it seems that I will have to go down to Dodger Stadium to buy one. Bummer! Dodger Stadium isn't that far away - maybe 50 miles - BUT it is soooooo awkward to get to and means negotiating about 5 different freeways through the middle of Los Angeles - Grrrr!

Mr. Indi asks if I would wear the blinkin' hat if he could find one for me. Of course! What do you think?

His Lordship is home today - he's had a couple of bad nights and can only go so far without sleep and - as it's Friday and not much happening at work - he's going to take it easy.

Up - Down - Sideways!

Mr. Indi will be having chemo again next Monday even though his blood test results where somewhat mixed. His PSA has crept up by 7 points to 93 - not a good trend. However, his alkaline phosphatase was down to 265. The alkaline phosphatase test measure the cancer activity in the bones. A normal reading is from 20 to 120 but a couple of months ago, Mr. Indi's reading was up around 450 so the downward trend is in the right direction.

The hematocrit reading is up from 28.3 to 30.0 and the hemoglobin is up from 9.7 to 10.0. This is good news for the red blood cell brigade and Dr. Dina told Mr. Indi he can skip his stab myself in the belly with a very sharp needle routine this week! Yea!

Even though the doctor visits are a big pain, we always enjoy seeing Dr. Dina - Dr. J's assistant. She is the kindest, gentlest and most compassionate little lady we have ever met. And when I say little, I ain't kidding. You could pick her up and put her in your pocket! OR - as Little Ronnie would say, " You could wear her on a charm bracelet." She's a love.

Mr. Indi is back to work today and I am off to the import store to get some beef pies for dinner. I'm having a a yearning for a soggy pie with chips and gravy! As far as my own doctor appointment - I gave up and my arthritis seems to be quite a bit better this past couple of days. As Ma used to say - most things get better - or not!

Angel Fish

I got a note from Mr. A to say that his friend has come up with the answer to the question - "What is that old blue car?" It's a 1956 Mercury Monterey. Well, who'd a thunk it. You certainly don't see too many Mercurys about any more - I think they went belly up donkey's years ago. Good job chaps!

Mr. Indi is home today because he has to see the doc about his blood test results. If they look good he will be going for chemo again next Monday. I am still trying to get an appointment and I think that if I can't get in to see a doc today, I shall go and camp on the doorstep of the clinic.

I hate to sound like a crotchety old lady BUT - here goes! My neighbor (2 doors down) is having some tile work done. I cannot for the life of me figure out what the heck they are tiling but there has been a chap with a tile cutting saw working in their front yard for at least a week now. He starts the saw up at 7:30 in the morning and is still sawing at 7:30 at night! Cor struth - they must be putting tile up the walls - on the ceiling - across the floor - down to the bottom of the garden! The saw is bad enough but when it runs it makes the other neighbor's dogs bark! Arggg. No peace for the wicked!

The picture is another from the floral exhibit at the Los Angles County Fair. I didn't get it quite centered - sigh!

Roses in Shells

So, there I was, driving home along the freeway after a visit to the grocery store when what drove up alongside of me but a brand spanking new Rolls-Royce; black with what looked like a silvery colored interior. It was a nice bit of motor car. I have to assume that not everyone is sweating about the fall of the American economy! Although I suppose that some folks have so much money that they would have to lose a lot before they reach the poverty level. Still, I couldn't help wondering what this lovely Roller was doing in this neck of the woods! Nothing but horse ranches and hicks out here!

Speaking of which, our neighbors - at the back of our house - did very well for themselves with their own up-market sandwich business over the past few years. So much so that they were able to purchase a HUGE motor home, at least 2 boats, 3-4 cars and ATVs and motor cycles for their kids. All of this clobber was stored in their back yard which lies up against our back yard. If they didn't take the boats out at the weekend they would start them up and let them run for 20 minutes or so a couple of times a week; ALWAYS when I was sitting in the garden - grr! Then it would be the motor cycles etc! Well, I guess the economic hard times has caught up with them and all of their toys have gone except for one small boat - with oars! So, these troubled times have a silver lining! Peace and quiet for a change.

Mr. Indi went for his blood test early yesterday morning and while he had an appointment he was there for ages. They couldn't find a vein - bummer. One girl had a dig around for a bit then she went and got a supervisor who also dug around for a bit then an older lady came to join in and she was finally able to get the flow going. He's going to have a few bruises today!

Today's picture is another that I took at the County Fair.

Monday Woes!

Going to the fair wasn't such a good idea after all - I spent most of yesterday lying on the couch because my poor old ankles and knees were suffering badly from their overuse on Saturday! Grrr! Mr. Indi, on the other hand, was feeling quite well and did a bit of much need vacuuming. He is home for blood tests this morning and I am going to try - once again - to get a doctor's appointment.

I watch with great angst as the stock market continues its march to the south - taking our pension funds with it. Me and him have been very diligent over the years and put away money on a regular basis so that we might have a comfortable income when we retire. I'm a bit older than his Lordship and am already getting a few bits and drabs coming in on a monthly basis but the majority of our savings are tied to mutual funds and bonds that are all being dragged along in the downdraft. I watch the financial bobble heads on TV who say, "Don't panic, don't sell - just give it TIME - everything is long term!" Well, ehhhmmmm! WE DON'T HAVE BLOODY TIME! He is dying of cancer and I'm already 65! Honestly, I wish we would have stuffed the dosh under the mattress - or spent it.

Today's picture is of another of the floral entries at the Los Angeles County Fair. Isn't it beautiful?

Los Angeles County Fair

Yesterday, me and him went to the Los Angeles County Fair. We couldn't go last year as I was too sick - but, prior to that we had been for at least 15 years in a row. Needless to say "We Love The Fair". The Fair covers almost 400 acres and there is so much to see and do that it would be difficult to catch it all in one day. But, for a pair of old farts, we did pretty well. Of course, two of the main reasons for going to the Fair are eating and drinking! The picture above is just one of hundreds of BBQs cooking thousands of pounds of chickens, turkey legs, beef and pork ribs and corn on the cob. It all smells so good - even at 10 in the morning.

One of my favorite attractions is the flower show - all the displays are done by professionals and are just stupendous - this year's theme was Hawaii and the picture above is one of my favorites. However, I did take lots of pics of the flower show and will post more soon.

I also like to wander through the huge building called "Home Arts" where they display knitting (I used to enter - won a couple of 1st place ribbons in years gone past!) also quilting, Christmas Tree decorating and baking of all types. I thought this spag/bol cake was so awful that it was worth taking a picture. Mind you, some of the wedding cakes were amazing.

Many of the activities and competitions at the Fair are geared toward children - they have an awesome exhibit of photography done by 5-15 year olds. I really liked this wall of coloring done by little school children from all over the Los Angeles area.

The fair also boasts a thoroughbred racing schedule and we stopped by the track to sit for a while and have a cold beer and a flutter. Unfortunately, the nag is still running! We had a nice day out but came home totally knackered AND I broke my walking stick! Sigh! So - my mission for today is to rummage down at the antique shop for a new cane. Poor old blighter, I am!

This is the last picture of the classic cars that I took last weekend. I think it might be a Chevy - the hood ornament is very Chevyesque - but after searching for hours on the Internet, I still can't find a car that's exactly like this. So, this is a challenge for everyone - especially Mr. A who is both an old car enthusiast and my number one sunshine - what is it?

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Me and him got into a funny conversation last night. We wondered why advertisers think that we (or anyone else) would be interested in colon medicine, pap tests or incontinence pads while we are eating our dinner? We don't get it. When I'm having a nice evening meal and watching the news on the big tele, if I have to watch any adverts at all, I would rather see something to do with vacation destinations or new restaurants or even the latest cars but the inner workings of somebodies reproductive organs put me right off me Cottage Pie!

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Yesterday, would have been Ma's 87th birthday. I talked to Mrs. Banjo and she had been to visit the old girl up at that lovely cemetery in the beautiful English/Welsh countryside. (She's straddling the border) Mrs. Banjo also took her some fresh flowers and had a little natter with her. All is well - Thanks Mrs. Banjo.

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Spacing problem is back again - sigh!

Wooo - Hoooo - It's Fixed

Blogger was on the blink for a couple of days. I guess I wasn't the only one - hundreds of messages on the Help Group board but not much in the way of solutions - but never mind, eh? Mine is all back up and running and, as we say "I'm alright Jack!"

While I think about it, I want to thank Anjo the Banjo for the address - the baby blanket was stuffed into the mail a week ago and should be nearing its destination very soon. Please send me a semaphore signal when it arrives. Ta everso!

I also want to thank praireskooner for identifying that beautiful 1957 Buick Century for me. I wasn't exactly lying awake at night worrying about it but it did keep floating across that cloudy part of my brain!

Me and him are chugging along. He is feeling OK - although sleep has been a problem for a couple of nights. His taste is all back in his mouth - where it belongs - and yesterday we went down to BJ's Brewhouse so that he could satisfy his craving for their Sirloin Chili Burger (or summat like that) It's a humongous burger with horrible looking lumpy chili poured all over it. He then douses it with 1/2 bottle of Tabasco Sauce and washes the whole lot down with a pint of their Jeremiah Red beer. Cor struth - it's no wonder he can't sleep!

Today's picture is one I took of some flowers in a vase on a table in a restaurant somewhere at sometime!

Blog is Broke Bad

Will try and post later.

A Car Quiz

Well, here is another one of the local classic cars that I photographed last Saturday - but I don't know what it is - so I'm hoping someone will tell me. I think it migh be a Lincoln. It definitely isn't a Chevy. Anyway, there will be a prize for the first correct answer!

Mr. Indi's blood test results were OK - both the red and white cell count were within range - although on the low side. He has to have another blood test next Monday (he won't have much left at this rate!) and then has to see the doc next Wednesday. They will then determine if he should go forward with yet another chemo session.

I am still unable to get in to see the doctor - Grrrrr. My doctor is booked up until a week from Thursday and the other doctors are just as bad. The receptionist suggested that I try their other clinic - 10 miles away! But, it hurts to drive and I don't have the energy to go down there. Still, I have to do something about the pain so I suppose I will call them today. Fingers crossed.

Well, the phantom double spacer is here - now, instead of no double spacing, I get double double spacing! More flippin' spacing than I'll ever need!

Muscle Car!

This picture is of a 1977 Chevy Z28. I'm pretty certain about this one as I spent quite a while looking for it on the net. But - please do correct me if I'm wrong. Anyhow! I love the car but am not crazy about the color - although I do think that it is one of the original stock colors.

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Mr. Indi is back at work today - not feeling too bad although still taking his queasy meds. His taste buds are finally starting to reappear and I hope he will enjoy lunch today at the Mexican joint. He will be calling the clinic later this morning to get an update on his white cell count. If the count is too low, he will have to start more injections - fingers crossed.

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I tried to get in to see the quack yesterday but they were overwhelmed with Monday morning sickos and I was told to call today - unless it was an emergency. So I will do just that. In the meantime, I'm unable to do very much of anything because of the pain in my hands - tis a real bother because you need your hands for so many things!!!!

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p.s I am putting the lines between paragraphs because this blog thing - for some reason - isn't recognizing double spacing.

What a beaut!

Each Saturday morning, a group of classic car and hot-rod buffs come to our local shopping center to show off their babies - and some of those babies are fabulous. Last Saturday morning, before we went to Palm Springs, I swung by the parking lot and took a few photos. This car is a 1953 Buick Roadmaster - to the best of my knowledge - please correct me if I'm wrong! The chap who owns it has been working on it for 5 years and it is beautiful! I'll post more pictures of the lovely cars later this week.

Yesterday was a laid back stay-at-home day for us. He worked on his model - the Spitfire Super Marine. I did a little knitting but my hands hurt too much to do a lot! Boo hoo! I also tried to work on my memoir but I'm at a brick wall and can't seem to get over it! So - I stared at a blank piece of paper for most of the afternoon! Very restful!

My neighbor came to bring us some of the wonderful fish that he caught last week off the coast of Mexico. My favorite is the smoked Yellow Fin Tuna - we love smoked fish - and we shall have some for lunch today.

Today, his Lordship is home because he has to have a blood test to check his white cell count. He's not supposed to go anywhere where there are any sick people but he has to go to the clinic to get a blood test! Go figure! Do you suppose the clinic will be full of healthy people waiting for a blood test? Luckily, I have made him an appointment so he should be able to duck in and dive out without getting too many germs on himself!

In the meantime - I am going to see the quack about my arthritis - and sit and watch as Wall St. melts down again and takes our pensions with it! Sigh!

Palm Springs is Hot!

When we got up yesterday morning, we had every intention of catching up on the housework and gardening and Mr. Indi even got as far as slinging his cobweb catcher around the bedroom ceilings but we quickly grew bored with the whole business - threw down our polish - our dust rags - and got in the car for a trip to Palm Springs. We haven't been to PS for nigh on a hundred years - well, maybe five years and it is still HOT! Yes about 105F at 11:00 a.m. The picture above is of a statue of Sonny Bono who was the beloved mayor of Palm Springs. Mr. Indi wanted to see if there was a statue of the Bono tree - Mr. Indi is a very cruel person!

Palm Springs has lots of water features - much needed in the heat. I love this fountain. Most of the restaurants have misters spraying out onto the sidewalks and patios - probably full of Legionnaire's disease but hey ho - they keep ya cool! We had lunch at Chez Phillippe - a lovely French bistro. Mr. Indi (who is still queasy) had a fruit and cheese platter with crusty french bread which sat very nicely on his tummy. I had a wonderful crepe made with wheat flower and filled with ham and Gruyere cheese - yum. We both swigged a bottle of Fischer's Pale Ale - that lovely french beer - and were well pleased with our lunch break.

Palm Springs has it's own version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame with stars all over the sidewalks. I took this picture of Jack Jones star for me - I LOVE JACK JONES - and for my friend "Her" She likes him too! After lunch we mowed around the shops - there are some really good shops in Palm Springs. Mr. Indi got a new pair of Clark's sandals - a bit pricey at $102 but very nicely made and they should last.

The bougainvillea thrive in the hot dry climate of Palm Springs. I thought this one was pretty. The heat started to get to us at about 2:00 p.m. and so off we went to the Morongo Indian Casino just down the road in Cabazon. If nothing else, the casinos are always cool with ample air-conditioning. Anyway - I had a cold beer - he had a large tonic water and we won $5 - can't beat that! We had a nice day and are going to look into spending a weekend in Palm Springs in the winter when the temperature should be down around 80F! Coooooool!

Bimbos and Cookie Bakers

When I started this blog, I promised myself that there were two things that I would not write about - religion and politics - after all, this blog is about my husband's battle with cancer and, as we all know, cancer does not differentiate between religious or political groups. HOWEVER, me and him do discuss politics and as the election draws near we are having a few good giggles!

I love America. I have lived here for many, many years and have been afforded many opportunities that have enabled me to travel, to pursue my education, and to meet some of the dearest people in the world. HOWEVER, (I use that word too much!) when it comes to politics, the stupidity of the American public at large blows my mind.

I watched a program on the big tele yesterday where a news woman was asking a few "regular women in the street" what they think of Sarah Palin - John McCain's choice as a vice-presidential running mate. Sarah Palin is the governor of Alaska with just a few years political experience in a sparsely populated state. One woman stated that she LOVES Sarah Palin because Sarah drives her kids to school - she bakes cookies - and she's JUST LIKE ME! Whaaaaa? The news woman then asked this dippy bobble head if SHE wanted to be a vice president. "Oh goodness me, No." she replied. "But I would like someone who thinks like me!" I couldn't help but ponder - "Thinks What?" Thinks about driving the car and and baking cookies?- hmmmm - right! Just what we need in the White House!

Still, I suppose McCain and Palin will win because he's a white male and she's a cute female who drives her kids to school. And, 4 years down the road, the public will have become disenchanted and wonder why the country is in a mess. Just as they now hate Governor Schwarzenegger - the has-been, weight-lifting movie star - who has made a right fiasco of the state of California. Will they never learn?

A country who elects movie stars and bimbos gets what it deserves - in my humble opinion.

Today, my heart is with the people who lost relatives in the terrible train crash in Chatsworth - also the people of Texas who are battling hurricane Ike.

The picture is of a statue of a boy riding a seahorse in the harbor at Santa Barbara. The statue was a gift from the people of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to the people of Santa Barbara.

September 11 - Then and Now

Hard to believe it has been 7 years since that awful, awful day. I was getting ready to pack our suitcases for a trip to England on September 14, 2001 for a surprise birthday party for Ma's 80th birthday. Of course, our trip never happened - the airline was very kind and returned our money and we did fly to England a few months later - but Ma's birthday was a melancholy event.

A few years prior to September 11, 2001, I was in New Jersey on business. I often travelled to New Jersey and New York but on this particular occasion, as we took off from the Newark, New Jersey airport on the trip back to San Francisco, the pilot flew the plane around the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Oh My! It was a beautiful spring afternoon and the sight of the towers was magical - and there was all of New York - so close you could almost touch the buildings! And so, on that terrible morning, as I watched the towers fall - I wanted to crawl into the TV and hold them up! All gone.

Well, we must move on. September 11, 2008 and Mr. Indi was not feeling so good because he is moving into the gassy phase of the chemo aftermath! All I can say is that I'm glad we have two bathrooms and that they both have windows! His Lordship spent a considerable amount of time in the main bathroom yesterday afternoon and even with the window opened for ventilation, a pong resembling that of dead animal carcasses began emanating from the back of the house - Doh! Thank goodness for the cooler weather - I was able to spend time in the garden where the air is much sweeter!

Today's picture is of the biggest yellow hibiscus I think I have ever seen. It was growing near the park at Ventura Harbor. It was at least 6 inches across.

It's All in Your Mind - Not!

Last evening, I was in the garden watering a few plants. I came indoors and upon looking for Mr. Indi, found him rummaging in my knicker drawer! Well, I was shocked - shocked I tell you! Once a man has had his prostate removed and is chemically castrated with the drug Lupron, he has NO desire to get into anybody's knickers or - I imagine - their knicker drawer.

"Oy" I shouted (he's going very deaf) "What you doing?" He turned and gave me that great big silly grin. While I was in the garden, he had emptied the dryer, folded the laundry and was putting things away!

Ahhhhhhh!

Washday Weevils!

Mr. Indi was back at work yesterday after his two days off for chemo and he was feeling remarkably well. The nausea is well under control with a drug called Zofran - generic name ondansetron. He will take that for 5 days after chemo and then - if he is still queasy -switch to another nausea drug called Compazine - generic name prochlorperazine. Per JoAnne, these two drugs work on different parts of the brain - OK - I believe her!

Speaking of chemo brain, Mr. Indi sometimes gets very muddled for a week or two after chemo. Yesterday he was trying to balance a budget worksheet at work and was adding his Augusts to his Julys instead of his Septembers - he got himself into a terrible state!

While Mr. Indi had a fairly good day, mine was a mixed bag - most of it a bag of rubbish! I keep a hanging bird feeder with bird seed on the back patio. I'm not always very good filling it with bird seed from the large tub of bird food that I keep in the garage. I think I've had this tub for about a year - or more! Yesterday, I decided to fill 'er up! So I did! In the meantime, I was catching up with the washing from our weekend away. I did a load of delicates that need to be hung on a drying frame outside. I washed them with a tissue in the pocket of one of the items - Argggg! I hate when that happens. So - there I am - standing on the patio, shaking all the bits of nose rag out of my smalls, when I notice that the bird feeder is absolutely CRAWLING with some kind of bugs! Yikes! It seems that the bird food in the tub in the garage is SO OLD that it has hatched some kind of weevils. So now my patio was covered in bugs and nose blowers.

I killed all the bugs, threw all the bird food and the feeder in the rubbish and went out to lunch!

Today's picture speaks for itself! It's me!

The Old Mission Santa Barbara

Here are a few of the pictures that I took at the Mission of Santa Barbara. The Mission was established in 1786 and is the 10th mission to be built in California - there are 21 missions in all. It is called "The Queen of the Missions" because of its beauty although I tend to think that Mission San Juan Capistrano is lovelier - a matter of opinion. I don't know how I managed to capture the shot of the exterior of the church as there were lots of people hovering about but I got lucky or they were invisible! Anyway, it is a large and imposing structure and, from the top of the steps, one can see the ocean - a beautiful view.

The Mission was largely destroyed in an earthquake in 1927 and much of it is rebuilt. Of the three skull and crossbones signs above this door, only the one in the center is original. I think that the door is the entrance to a crypt - all rather gruesome if you ask me!

All of the missions that we have visited have a statue of Saint Francis of Assisi. This one is in a lovely walled spot under the shade of the trees. A large part of the mission grounds are out of bounds and I was not able to get too many photos.

This is one of the most amazing trees I have ever seen - it's a Moreton Bay Fig - a native of Australia and planted around 1890. Its trunk is a mass of twists and turns. It sits in the middle of the old part of the Mission cemetery and provides beautiful shade. You can see several sarcophagi (I hope that's the right word) along the back wall of the cemetery. We were the only visitors in the cemetery last Sunday and it was wonderfully peaceful.

Mr. Indi took this picture of an old lady sitting on the steps of the church - HEY! I have the same blouse and pants as those that she is wearing - what a cheek!

Cook Your Veggies!

Well, I'm glad that yesterday is behind us - and I know that he is, too. I dropped him off at the chemo clinic at 9 a.m. sharp and he wasn't ready to come home until 4:45 p.m. That's an awful long day to sit in a chair hooked up to endless IVs and being fed tons of steroids and anti nausea drugs.

JoAnne has alerted us to the fact that, as he has more sessions of chemo, his white blood cell count will become more compromised and, unlike his red cell count which I can help boost by feeding him slabs of liver, there is nothing that can be done except to wait for the body to repair itself. Therefore, it is imperative that, starting next Sunday, he stay away from anybody who is in any way sick. He also shouldn't eat any raw fruit or vegetables and he must take his temperature a couple of times a day. So - pfft - I guess there will be no skinny-dipping down at the river for us next week!

Yesterday was quite stressful because, apart from it being chemo day, we were waiting for a phone call with an update on the condition of Mr. Indi's sister, who - we learned when we got back from Santa Barbara, was in the hospital with a recurrence of her illness. However, when I got back from the grocery store, I was glad to find a message on the phone to say she is doing better. We hold her in our hearts.

When I got up at 10 past 2 this morning to have a tinkle, Mr. Indi was sitting at the dining room table bashing away on his computer. He will get no decent sleep now for a few days. He also won't stop talking for a few days - yak - yak - yak. When he crashes, the silence will be deafening! I don't know which is worse! Sigh.

The picture is of a water lily in a fountain at Mission Santa Barbara.

Home again - Pffft!

We are back home again - safe and sound and reflecting on our wonderful weekend away. We did make it to the Mission at Santa Barbara and I will post some of those pictures soon - but in the meantime here are a few of my pictures from Santa Barbara and Ventura. The first picture is of the Santa Barbara pier with the morning haze hanging over the mountains. The weather was really gorgeous. We ate at the restaurant with the red umbrellas on the patio - not to be recommended!

These two little boys (about 8 years old) were having a great time cutting up fish bait in the sink on the pier - as you can see there is no fence along the side! Yikes. I wonder how many people fall in the drink? The large bird above them is a pelican who was bound and determined to get in on the action. He wouldn't leave them alone.

The hippie van was parked along the beach near the pier in Santa Barbara - what an amazing sight! The van is covered in toys and figures of all kind - from Homer Simpson to G. I. Joe! The chap who owns it is a really nice bloke who isn't shy about asking for some dosh if you want to take pictures of his handiwork. I yelled at Mr. Indi to put some cash out while I snapped! It has taken the owner 12 years - so far - to cover the van with stuff. It's wonderful!

The boats were parked on the sand next to the entrance to the Santa Barbara Harbor. There were quite a few people para-surfing and I was happy that I got a shot of one of the lovely moon shaped kites.

The last picture was taken at Ventura Harbor - on our way home. The fog was still in and hadn't cleared by the time we left at 1:30pm. But, I sometimes think that the fog makes the bougainvillea look even more vibrant. We ate at the Italian place before making the long drive home - the food was very good. And so - Mr. Indi has chemo today - I need to get busy with chores and our weekend is gone! Darn!

What Mission?

So,we got up nice and early and got all washed and scrubbed like a pair of new pennies and off we went to the Santa Barbara Mission. It's in a beautiful part of this beautiful city. The houses are incredible - well, mansions really. Elegant old Victorians and wonderfully restored Arts and Craft style (Frank Lloyd Wright) homes. Cor - there's a few bob here!

We found the mission - which is not easy to miss as it sits majestically at the top of a hill - and as we pulled into the parking lot, we were followed by 5 tour buses! Eeeek! By the time we had walked over to the main building, the buses had disgorged their contents - about 250 zombified Europeans who had obviously been on the bus for weeks if not months! The bus riders staggered around the grounds lighting their ciggies and diving into the loo. They all had cameras and started snapping everything in sight including each other, the gift shop, the lavatories, the buses - everything! Me and him couldn't get a picture of anything that didn't include a comatose tourist so we gave up and headed for the beach. We'll try the mission again today!

The pier at Santa Barbara is a good long one - 1950 feet - and we walked the length of it. The weather was lovely with a cool ocean breeze but warm sun. We had lunch at one of the restaurants on the pier - it was OK - nothing to write home about and very expensive - I guess that is to be expected. Following lunch, we drove over to Santa Barbara harbor. We have never visited the harbor before and I don't know why - it is wonderful. All kinds of smashing boats to drool over - a nautical museum (closed for a special event - darn) - lots of shops, restaurants and bars - AND, of course, the Santa Barbara Yacht Club! Woo Hoo - did I say that there's some money about here! The picture above is one I took from a bar above the museum where we sat for an hour and watched the world go by. If, when I die, I go to heaven - I hope it is just like Santa Barbara.

I have lots of pictures but will have to wait till I get home to download them - this laptop is too clunky.

Santa Barbara

The weather here is wonderful - at least 20 degrees F cooler than it was back home. Our drive was relatively easy except for the time I wasted driving round and round Camarillo looking for a decent place to have lunch. I finally spotted an Acapulco restaurant and, while we have always been happy with that chain in the past, it was AWFUL - HORRIBLE - VILE!!!!! and I didn't like it much!

We checked into our hotel at about three - our room is at the back of the hotel, which I like - not much of a view but no traffic noise either. After resting up for a while, we went out walking. One of the things that struck me was the number of lovely young ladies whose arms are covered in tattoos. Grrrr! I think it looks awful on men and even worse on women but I see it is a growing fad. We stopped in an Irish Pub - Dargan's - quite a nice place with a lovely barmaid named Yvonne from Dublin. She promised to dance a little jig with me if we go back tonight (Saturday) Ha Ha - fat chance with my creaky old knees!

We couldn't decide on dinner - there are lots of restaurants in Santa Barbara - but I knew that Mr. Indi had his eye on the Indian joint on the corner of our street! (All India Cafe) So, that's where I steered him. The food was excellent. The lamb sikh kebab was the best we've ever had and the tandoori chicken was moist and tender. We had poppadoms and garlic nan and raita and lots of lovely chutneys and stuff. We washed it all down with a couple of bottles of Kingfisher Indian beer - bloody lovely! And so to bed.

The picture is one I got off the internet of the Santa Barbara Mission. This is where we are going this morning and down to the beach this afternoon.

Would You Believe It?

Last time we went away for the weekend (Encinitas) I was furious because my beautiful cactus plant flowered while I was away. The flower only lasts one day and I missed it! Grrrr. Well, we are going away again and last Sunday I spied another bud coming on the cactus plant! Oh NO! the bloody thing must know that I'm off for the weekend and it's taunting me. BUT - I have to take back all those terrible things that I have said about my cactus plant because when I went out and checked it at 5 a.m. - IT HAS BLOOMED! So I will take a picture as soon as it is light enough.

Yesterday was a difficult day for me because the heat has really got my arthritis stirred up. I can hardly pick anything up because my hands hurt so bad and I might have to give up typing for a few days. My knees are also mighty sore and going to the loo is now accompanied by lots of moaning and groaning as I struggle to sit down - and then struggle to get back up. What a spectacle!

Mr. Indi is feeling really well and looking forward to his weekend away. He plans on eating good grub and downing lots of cold brewskis before he starts back on his horrible chemo routine on Monday. I may or may not keep the blog up-to-date while I'm away. Depends. So, If you don't hear from us, just assume we are having a whale of a time!

I just managed a pic of the cactus flower - complete with ants! Isn't it amazing?

French Beer! Yum!

The visit to the doctor's went fairly well - apart from Mr. Indi's blood pressure which had gone through the roof for some unknown reason. His PSA is still going down - now reading 86.6 and his blood is in good shape - hemoglobin 9.7 and hematocrit 28.6 - so chemo is scheduled for Monday morning at 9a.m. sharp. The good numbers also mean that we can go away for the weekend without having to worry about transfusions or other such rubbish!

After the docs, we went to the World Market and stocked up on that lovely Barrie's Irish tea that I have to have every morning. We also had a poke through the imported beers and bought a 6 pack of one we have never tried before. It's called Fischer Amber Ale and is imported from Alsace in France - where Mr. Indi's great grandfather lived before emigrating to the USA in 1872. We sampled a bottle with our dinner last night and it is quite delish. However at 6% alcohol, I don't think we shall be drinking too many!

For lunch, we stopped in Chili's and were happy to see all of our favorite waitresses. They are such a fun and happy group of people - it's always a pleasure to see them and to catch up with news of their new babies - Ahhhh!

Mr. Indi is back at work today and hoping to get caught up on all of his projects before we take off tomorrow for Santa Barbara. We are really looking forward to getting away from this awful heat ( yesterday was 104F) and soaking up some ocean breezes. We are also planning to swing by the Santa Barbara Mission and snap some pics.

Today's picture is a flower - I think a hibiscus? - that I snapped at the San Gabriel Mission.

Movies and Martians

The film that we watched was the absolutely splendid, wonderfully costumed, brilliantly photographed, lushly designed, well acted, and overall delightfully packaged - Elizabeth, The Golden Age. Oh, and by the way - I liked it! And what I liked about it best is Clive Owen, who played Sir Walter Raleigh. Cor - he ain't 'alf a nice bit of stuff! He can put his boots under my bed any night! Says she who is - old enough to be his granny!

It really is a great film, though. Cate Blanchett makes a wonderful Elizabeth I and Geoffrey Rush is stellar as Sir Francis Walsingham, her advisor. It's not so much that the film has a great story line, but rather, the photography that is wonderful. Some of the views are absolutely stunning. I could look at this film all day! It's a feast for the eyeballs! Mr. Indi liked it a lot too - especially the battle between the British naval fleet (under Sir Francis Drake) and the Spanish Armada. This film may not be historically accurate but - what the hey! It's a film! And we liked it.

I guess I am now in the dog house with some folks. To which I say - woof-woof! Here's what happened. Someone on a certain web site that I visit made some very disparaging and hateful remarks about people of a certain national origin. Not being one to bite my tongue (as some of you know!) I questioned the wisdom of making those hateful remarks - I really hate bigotry. Well, I was shot down by a number of people who seem to think that I have lost my sense of humor. Well folks, my sense of humor is just fine - but it doesn't stoop so low! So, I'll stay in this dog house - will someone pass me a bone?

Mr. Indi went to get his blood drawn yesterday and is starting to feel uncomfortable with the appointment system at the clinic. When he arrived at 7:15 a.m. there were at least 30 people standing in line. Mr. Indi walked right up to the appointment window, which was empty, handed in his paper work and was in and out within 5 minutes. The daggers flew! He crept out and was glad to be in his car speeding back home! Today is doctor day and we shall find out how the numbers look in preparation for chemo next Monday. Fingers and toes crossed.

Today's picture is one that I took for our sister sister. It is the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse where sister sister acted and sang on that very stage about 200 years ago! Mr. Indi also sang on the stage - dressed as a little green martian - with the church choir! Enjoy.

Mission San Gabriel Arcangel

Well, we were going to stay home - but who can stay home when the sky is so blue? We took a drive to the San Gabriel Mission which is not very far from our house and only about 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles. I had never been to the mission but Mr. Indi was born and raised within a couple of miles of there and visited the mission often, as a little chap, with his Mom.

The mission is actually very plain from the front and I didn't get any really good pics - but I did like this one of Father Junipero Serra who seems to be guarding the main gates. The best feature of the old building is the bell tower and it's six bells. During the Whittier-Narrows earthquake of 1987 that occurred just before 8 in the morning, Mr. Indi was driving past Mission San Gabriel. He saw lots of people running toward the mission to pray in the chapel. However, the mission was badly damaged and has taken years to restore.

The chapel is lovely with magnificent adornments on the ceiling. The hammered copper baptismal font was a gift from King Carlos III of Spain in 1771. I was happy that I could take photos inside the chapel as, with many of the missions, photography is not allowed indoors.

The cemetery is not a public one as is San Luis Rey, but rather reserved for the clergy and friars of the mission. Still, it's a lovely quiet place with very pretty walkways. It's hard to imagine that this mission is in the center of a huge bustling metropolis.

We enjoyed wandering around the mission - very few people there and everything peaceful and quiet. We drove back close to home for lunch and then watched a GREAT movie which will be in my next instalment!

Scratch the liver!

Today, I want to start this entry off with a great big HUG for my friend in San Diego. She's been down in the dumps so please join me in sending warm and happy thoughts to S. Love ya babe xx.

Yesterday was a busy time and also a painful time for Mr. Indi. The muscle in his leg is still giving him a great deal of gyp. He pulled it the other night while having a stretch in bed. It was during his gaseous period of chemo withdrawals - I heard him crying out in pain and rushed into the room to help him but was repelled back by an odor that resembled a combination of boiled turnips and a decaying deceased rat! I stood behind the door and heard him whimpering like an injured puppy - but he soon stopped - and I went back to bed!

Yesterday morning we went to the market to do our bit of shopping and look for some liver for today's dinner. No luck - the liver was a most peculiar color and I didn't fancy it. I already have to battle enough smells in this house - I didn't want to add fetid liver into the mix! So - scratch the liver and cross our fingers that blood test numbers will be good without it.

Yesterday afternoon, M and D came to visit and we all went out for a bite to eat at Juancho's.

Our late lunch/early dinner was very good but unfortunately M has a bad tummy and wasn't able to enjoy his food as much as he usually does. I do hope he will be feeling better soon.

Today's picture is of a cactus (succulent) patch at the Asistencia in Redland. I thinks the colors and shapes make a good combo.