Third Quarter 2004 Diary
Third Quarter 2004 Diary
07/08/04
I was able to leave my Room Mate and her bad foot alone Friday , and one of my daughters took care of her Saturday, so I got to the boat before noon Friday. Scott drove down after work Friday afternoon. Poor baby; it took him forever because of the holiday traffic.
Michelle said that she was going to be able to get out Friday night, so I made reservations for dinner for the three of us at the Sky Room. We met her there a little after eight, and we were seated at a nice window table. The food was very good, but expensive. Two expensive meals in a row is living a little too high to do that very often.
We moved to the bar after dinner for a drink and to dance to the jazz group that was playing. It was fun. We went to the roof patio to look at the sky line and the harbor before we left for the Queen Mary.
I left my car at the Marina, and Michelle drove us to the Queen. We went to the Observation Bar, and found a table. James (AKA Elvis) was back from his vacation. There was a good crowd there. I was surprised that Mary wasn't there. She never misses a date with Elvis. There were a couple of other regulars there that know me, and one of them who is a bit of a pain to me, asked me if Scott was my boy friend. I told her yes, and she kept asking me; "is he really your boyfriend". I finally just walked away from her.
Scott and I had a few dances, and I did a couple of fast ones with Michelle. There was a drunken Russian wearing a Russian Air Force cap that latched on to Michelle for a couple of dances. I asked him "why the Cap", and he said he was making a movie about Russian woman pilots.
We stayed until James' last set then called it a night.
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 Marianne is inebriated |
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I got a new boat horn for my birthday and we wanted to install it Saturday. It turned out to be one of those thirty minute jobs that took forever and we didn't even finish it. The old horn must have been installed when the boat was built, because the bolt nuts were behind a panel that would have required us to dismantle part of the bridge. We ended up hack sawing it off. We were soldering the new wires on to the old to snake them through the holes when the soldering gun broke. We gave up for the day, and I got cleaned up and made up.
I heated some left over spaghetti sauce and cooked some spaghetti pasta for a late lunch. It was after three o’clock. We took a nap, then got up to salute the queen for the six o’clock horn with our cocktails, and got ready to go to Ripples.
We got to Ripples about seven o’clock and it was crowded. Katt had a lot of her friends and co-Workers from KJAZZ there, and everyone was having a great time, including Katt. She was funny, and I think had a few too many dirty Martinis. We had a good time too.
Katt quits at eight o’clock, so we left then too, and went back to the boat. I made some Hamburgers for a little supper.
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Scott had to work driving the Reagan Library Shuttle Sunday, so he had to get home Saturday night. We had planned to go to the Lodge for a while, then go home from there, but I was too tired to drive anywhere, so he left and I stayed on the boat Saturday night.
The 4th of July at the Marina is a zoo. fire crackers, and Rockets are being set off in the parking lot all day, so your car is in danger of being burned or blown up, and a lot of drunks, and gang bangers walking around. I don't enjoy being there unless I have friends down for the fireworks behind the Queen Mary, and no one was planning on coming.
I stayed until noon Sunday then went home.
07/13/04
Sorry I am so late with this report. I really miss my digital camera. It takes me forever to get the film processed, put on disk and loaded into my computer. I have to tell you a secret; I need the pictures to remind me what I did the previous weekend.
We did the usual Ripples, and the Queen Mary Observation Bar Saturday, then the Mama's Boys Rocking the Dock Sunday.
We got the new horn installed Saturday afternoon. I tested it by blowing it just as Scott was passing by it on the dock. It startled him so much that he dropped the toolbox he was carrying, and it almost went into the water.
Katt surprised me with a beautiful red stole for my Birthday when I arrived at Ripples. It is just the thing to jazz up my outfit. There was a couple there that couldn't get over me and my outfit. The woman was all over me with her kisses. Katt was in a really good mood too, and I got some great pictures of her.
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We had a steak dinner on the boat, then went to the Observation Bar. Tim, the Manager stopped by our table to give us some new VIP Cards, so we could get into the ship on Sunday afternoons without buying a general admission ticket. We didn't use it that Sunday because there was an event there that screws up the parking.
We had a good time dancing to Elvis, and stayed late.
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Sunday morning, I attacked the sea water pump impeller problem that I have been putting off for quite a while because it is such a pain. I have to lay on top of the engine and disconnect it by feel. I managed to get the pump off and replace the impeller, then took a break. The hard part is putting the pump back on, and it took forever. I was just finishing it up when Ruby called me from the parking lot, to say she was ready to go to the Rocking the Dock party. I told her I wouldn't be ready for another two hours, because I needed to shower, get ready. She went on ahead to the party, and I stared to get ready.
We got to Alamitos Harbor about three o'clock. We hadn't had lunch yet so we went to the Crab Shack for something to eat, then walked to the Mama's Boys party. Ruby introduced us to a guy that worked for the same company that she did, but she had never meet personally until then.
We had fun, and danced some. The Mama's boys had a couple of guest performers that were very good. We left when the band quit at five thirty
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We had a light dinner on the boat, then left for home.
I woke up in bed at three thirty Monday morning with the realization that I hadn't completed the installation of the sea water pump! The output hose from the pump was loose and letting sea water into the boat! I got up and drove back to Long Beach at first light.
I didn't' know what to expect when I got there, but the boat was still afloat, and the bilge pump was still working. It's a good thing I got there when I did though, because the batteries wouldn't have lasted much longer. It didn't take me long to connect the hose to the heat exchanger and run a test to see if everything worked properly. I got back home before the rush hour.
07/22/04
I'm relay getting behind on this diary. It's due to a combination of delays in getting the pictures processed and lethargy.
Friday the 16th was the Blues Cruise night, and I had ordered tickets for Ruby, Scott and myself. Scott had to work Friday until five, but thought he could still get to Long Beach in time for the eight thirty cast off. I went down to the boat at noon, and I met Ruby at the Out Back Steak House near the Marina for dinner at seven. We were just finishing dinner when Scott arrived, and it was too late for him to have something to eat before it was time to leave for the Cruise, so he had to wait to get something on the Blues Cruise. All they have on the cruise are cook - it - yourself hamburger and hot dogs fixings.
The Cruise was fun and the music was great. We got back to my boat about midnight.
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Saturday was the usual. Sleep until nine or ten, late breakfast, a little boat maintenance, then go to Ripples for Katt's Jazz. It was very warm, so I dressed in a cool white outfit and no wig.
Normally, Katt starts at four, but she wasn't able to start until after five because of an electrical problem. She had a new keyboard player, and it took a while for the new person to get in sync with Katt, but everyone had fun and it all worked out fine. I promised my friend Valerie that we would come to her party which started at six, so we had to leave Ripples early.
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Valerie lives in North Long Beach and we got there after seven, but we arrived before most of the other guests. We couldn't stay long, because we were suppose to meet Michelle at the Queen Mary at nine o'clock. I had a soft drink and some food and enjoyed the company. I hadn't seen Valerie's Daughter, Julie in quite a while, and was surprised at how much she had matured.
I called Michelle to see if she was going to be at the QM at nine, and she said she wouldn't get there until about ten, so I had time to stop at the boat to change clothes. I refreshed my makeup, changed to a skirt and blouse, and put on some hair.
There was a Motorcycle convention of some kind in the Queen Mary, and in the event park adjacent to the ship, so they were collecting $8 for access to the parking lot. I told them that I was a hotel guest and they let me in for nothing. When I got into the ship I called Michelle to tell her about the parking, but she had already left and I couldn't reach her.
The Observation Bar was full, but Scott had grabbed Mary's usual table when she left, and I was able to find a third chair for Michelle when she arrived soon after we did. There was a special group performing. Three girls doing a Dixie Chick style performance, with the Lost Boys band doing the backup. The music was good, and everyone was having fun. The bikers were behaving themselves until the end of the evening, then the bar got a bit overloaded with too much testosterone. At one point Michelle was pulled out on the dance floor, but it turned out to be friendly. We left before it got too wild.
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Scott had to work Sunday afternoon, so he left after breakfast.
I decided to get some sun to even out my body tan. When I got into my shorts, I noticed that my right leg and foot was swollen. I have some bad veins on that leg, and became worried when the leg started hurting. I tried ice packs on the leg and that helped a little. One of the things I have to watch for is deep vein thrombosis. too much estrogen can cause that. The clot that forms can come loose and end up in your lungs, and then you are in real trouble. I went home early, and then went to my physician Monday morning. She sent me to the Hospital for an ultra sound examination. The examination didn't find any blockage. The swelling was gone, but the pain lasted for another day.
My friend Jennifer's Trio was playing at Spazios Wednesday night, so I met Scott there to listen to them for a while, We stayed for a set. She played some of her original music.
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07/26/04
Another great weekend. It was only two days, but it was good.
I drove to the boat before noon Saturday, and Scott took the Metrolink.
Scott had given me a gift card for Robinson-May for my Birthday, and I wanted to go to the Lakewood Mall to get some summer clothes, so I picked Scott up at the Willow Street Metrolink Station on my way there. I found a nice cotton Summer dress, and a sexy dance dress at the R-M.
I wore my new dress to go to Ripples Saturday afternoon. I decided it was too hot to wear a wig, so I went natural. We stayed for a couple of sets, then went back to the boat for dinner. I had cooked a Pot Roast for Dinner at home Friday night and had saved half of it for the Boat, so we had that for dinner.
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The Observation Bar's entertainment for Saturday night was The Batista, the Duo that plays good guitar music, but nothing to dance to, so we decided to go to the Executive Suite. It's a Girls Bar that I used to go to often , but I haven't been there for quite a while, and Scott has never been there. I left my new dress on, but put on my wig, because the regulars there probably wouldn't recognize me without it.
We were lucky to find a parking place on the street right by the front door. The security guy recognized me and we were told to come right up to the door without standing in line. He asked for my ID, but I had left it in the car. The owner of the bar also recognized me and told him that I could go right in. My friend Yolanda was working at the downstairs bar, and she came out from behind the bar to give me a hug, and complemented me on how thin I looked. We found a couple of seats at the bar and Yolanda bought us our first drink. We were able to talk a little during lulls in her duties about what was happening in her life and mine.
We went upstairs when it got too busy for Yolanda to talk. The dance floor was full, but we were able to dance for a while. I got up on the pole stage during one number and did my pole dance thing. Two girls came over and each put a dollar bill down my cleavage, a bunch of the girls clapped and yelled "go girl". It was a blast. We found a vacant table on the side of the bar room and relaxed for a while then went back downstairs for another drink. I had Yolanda make me my favorite drink, a frozen Amereto. We left when I finished the drink, and went back to the boat.
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Sunday morning was work. I had to change the oil on the port engine that I have been putting off for too long, so I got into my grubby work clothes and did it. Nothing on the boat is easy to do, and it took me a couple of hours.
Ruby was going to park her car at the Marina and go to the Rocking the Dock party with us at one that afternoon. I called her and told her that it would probably be past two o'clock by the time I got cleaned up and dressed. Scott and I hadn't had any lunch yet, so I made some hamburgers, were just ready to eat them when she arrived. I poured her a glass of wine to drink while we finished our lunch, then we went to the party.
The Mama's Boys have been supplementing their group at the Rocking the Dock party with some guest performers that are very-very good. We had a ball. It turned out to also be a surprise birthday party for Ruby. She was delighted. We stayed until the party ended at six o'clock.
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We weren't ready to quit partying yet so we stopped at Panama Joe's in Belmont Shores for a drink, some snacks, and music. We spent about an hour there, then went back to the Marina.
Both Scott and I were very tired by the time we got back to the boat, so we laid down for a short nap, and the next thing we knew it was past nine o'clock. Scott had to work Monday morning so we needed to leave as soon as possible. I made some hamburgers for dinner and we left.
Scott had left his car in the Fly-Away lot in Van Nuys, so I took him there, and went home.
08/02/04
It was a busy weekend. I am worn out, and hung over.
Scott and I had planned this weekend for a while. He had requested a three day weekend from his employer so we could go to San Diego for the Pride Festival, and the Girls Night Out at the SRO Lounge. Originally, we planned to take the Surf Liner Train down to San Diego on Friday and stay for two nights, but the logistics of transporting suitcases, and coolers made us decide to drive instead. That was a mistake, because the Traffic was terrible. We also decide to just stay just one night in San Diego to reduce our expenses. My favorite Motel, and most of the other low cost places in town were all booked. I was able to get a $65 room at the E-Z Eight motel in Old town for Saturday night.
We took the boat out after lunch. The port engine is still not running right.
I started packing for our trip to San Diego when we got back to the dock.
I Cooked some steaks for dinner, then we got ready for the Observation Bar. Michelle met us there. James King was performing his Elvis impression. We had a good time dancing and talking. We left during the last break.
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I wanted to leave by nine o'clock Saturday morning so we could check into our hotel and be at the Festival around noon, but we didn't get on the road until eleven o'clock. The traffic was OK until the toll road ended at the I-5 in Capistrano, then it was a crawl all the way into San Diego. The trip took three hours total.
We checked into our motel, had a drink, and drove to Balboa Park. We had to stand and wait quite a while for the shuttle bus that took us from the parking lot to the festival grounds, and I was starting to have foot problems. We stood in line for the tickets, and the guy selling them gave me two senior discount tickets without me asking for them. I wasn't wearing my wig because of the heat, and my natural hair makes me look older I guess.
The first place I wanted to go to in the Festival grounds was a beer garden, but there was a long line to get in, and they were only letting people in when some one left. The line was not moving, so we just took a tour of the festival grounds for a couple of hours
There was a bowling alley set up on a flat bed truck, and Scott won two bead necklaces by getting a spare. We got a hot dog, and found a shady spot with a picnic table to rest and listen to a girls rock band on the stage. Mainly we just enjoyed looking at all the people.
We left the Festival about six o'clock and went back to the room for a rest, and change clothes for dinner and the SRO. There is a trolley station close to the motel, and I drove to there and parked. We took the trolley to Little Italy, and went to Fillipi's for dinner. They don't take reservations, so we had wait for a while to get a table. The food is good, and very reasonable.
We took a cab to the SRO after dinner. It was after ten o'clock by the time we got there, and the place was full, but we were able to scrounge a couple of seats at the bar. It was fun as always. I didn't recognize hardly anyone, but Darcy recognized me and came over to great me. Bryan, the bartender pored me a couple of double Martini's, then I switched to diet coke until last call, then had another double double.
Scott was able to flag a cab to take us back to my car in the Trolley parking lot, and he drove us the few blocks to our motel.
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We wanted to try to beat the traffic back to Long Beach Sunday morning, so we showered, packed, and got on the freeway as soon as we could. We were lucky and got back to town about noon, then we had breakfast at the Long Beach Cafe before going to the boat.
Back at the boat we took it easy for a while, then got dressed to go to the Observation Bar to listen and dance to Chris and Lisa. They were collecting $8 at the entrance to the Queen Mary Parking lot again, and I told the guy at the gate that I was going to the restaurant. He marked the ticket with the time and told us to get it validated or we would be paying on exit. Why the hell does the QM Management make it so freaking difficult? I have heard that they are loosing money, but they sure not going to make more if they keep screwing the regular customers.
We got to the Observation Bar about three o'clock, and there was several tables of customers, so it looks like the audience is improving. Sometimes, Scott, Mary and I have been the only customers there.
We had a good time. I danced alone on some fast ones, and I danced with Scott on the slower ones. My right foot still swells up on me when I am on my feet a lot, and I wasn't wearing hose, so it isn't pretty, but it didn't hurt, so I was OK.
I wasn't wearing a wig, and both Claudia, the waitress and Lisa told me that I looked better in my own hair. I think I look older, and so does Scott, so I think I will still wear the wig, but I should get a new and better one. Michelle gave me the name of her hair person that I am going to try. She evaluates your face to select the hair style that best flatters it. I have never had my face evaluated for hair style, and I think that is a good idea.
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We went back to the boat when Chris and Lisa Quit at six. We had a hamburger for dinner, then crashed for a while. We were both so tired that we didn’t wake up until nine.
We packed up and started for home at ten. I had to take Scott home to Simi Valley, then drive home. I got home about midnight.
08/10/04
It was kind of a mixed up weekend since Scott doesn't know from day to day what his work schedule will be during the Ventura County Fair. I did have fun though, thanks to Michelle being available. I finally got my digital camera back, so I was able to get a lot of pictures, and to transfer them to my computer today.
I was able to get to Long Beach fairly early Saturday morning, and took care of the boat stuff that needed to get done. I replaced the broken forward bilge pump switch in record time (one hour for a half hour job), and gave the boat a bath. I actually was able to just sit and relax out in the sun for a while after lunch.
Katt's Gig at Ripples now starts at six o'clock, and I went there solo. I am really glad I did go, because there wasn't hardly anyone else there, and she would have ended up singing to the Bar tender. I did need to leave by seven thirty though, because I was meeting Michelle at eight.
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Michelle said that she would be able to get out that night, and we agreed to meet for dinner at the Reef, then decide where to go after. I made a reservation for eight o'clock, and that's when we got there. We were both too hungry to spend time at the bar before dinner as we usually do. We did order a drink when we were seated though. We both had a light, but satisfying salad for dinner.
James King was performing that night at the Observation Bar and we decided to go there after dinner. The room was packed! There were no tables available and no room at the bar. We were trying to figure out how to scrounge some chairs to join Mary at her little table, when one of James' other regular fans invited us to join her and her husband at their table. I had seen them there before, but had never had the opportunity to talk with them. The wife, Chris was delightful, and her husband was pleasant but didn't say much. They insisted on buying our drinks. It was Chris' Birthday, and she was ready to party!
We had a ball also, and the three of us danced the night away.
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Sunday morning, I put some gas in the boat, and replaced the fuel filter on the port engine, then I took her out for a test run. Unfortunately, the problem with the port engine had not been fixed by the boat fairies since last week. I will need to have Harpurs Marine's mechanic over to fix it. I am afraid its going to be a $$$$ problem.
Scott was going to get off his Fair Shuttle Bus duties early that Sunday afternoon, and would not have to go back to work until late Monday afternoon.
Ruby wanted me to go with her to the Mama's Boys Rocking the Dock party. It starts at one o'clock. She got to my Marina about two o'clock, and I drove us to the Alamitos Bay Marina.
There wasn't as many people at the party this week as there had been in previous weeks, but the group that was there were having a ball. Katt and one of her friends from Seattle arrived about four. It was her first time there and she had a good time. The Mama's Boys play until five thirty or six. Ruby and I left about five o'clock. Ruby hadn't had any lunch or anything to eat at the party, and wanted me to take her to a restaurant to eat, but I told her I needed to be at the boat at Six, so she drove her self somewhere when we got to my Marina.
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I expected Scott to get to the boat a little after six, and Michelle was due to come some time before seven. We planned to go to Spagittini's for their Jazz band, and have something for dinner there. Michelle was early and Scott was late, but we got to Spagittini's sometime around eight. The Jazz band played until nine thirty. Michelle had to leave early because she had to take an early flight the next morning. Scott and I had dinner, and left when the band quit.
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Monday morning was just breakfast, clean up, and pack to leave. Scott had to leave early, but I stayed until two o'clock, then drove home before the worst of the afternoon rush hour traffic.
08/18/04
It was a mellow weekend. Busters with Michelle Saturday, and a night on the boat with Scott watching the movie Titanic on my computer Sunday. .
I spent Saturday afternoon doing some boat cleaning, and watching the PGA Championship. Michelle called to see what I wanted to do Saturday night, and we discussed our options. They were; the Observation Bar on the Queen Mary with a guitarist for music, The Valley for dinner and dancing at the Muddy Moose Lounge at the Sportsman’s Lodge, or dinner and dancing at Busters Long Board in the Alamitos Bay marina.
Michelle had been to the Observation Bar Friday night, and met a guy there, but didn't want to see him again so that was out. The Sportsman’s Lodge said they had a band playing oldies, and the food is good there, but it's a long drive from Long Beach. Busters is close, and Michelle hadn't been there, so we decided to give it a try.
We got to Busters about nine o'clock and had a nice Prime Rib dinner, then went into the Bar room where the band was playing. It was the LA Flyers band that was playing the last time I was there, I think they are there regularly. They play a nice mix of current and old popular music including songs the Beach Boys, and the Village People made popular.
The crowd at Busters are mostly regulars, with a lot of boat people from the Marina. The dancers were mostly couples on the small dance floor, so we didn't feel comfortable dancing together out there.
Michelle was invited to dance by a guy sitting at the next table. She went to the dance floor with him, but he wasn't interested in dancing. All he wanted to do was play grab ass, and poke his erection into her belly. He didn't even try to fake any dance moves to the music. He just stood there and grabbed and poked. Michelle was able to get him at arms length eventually and dumped him at first opportunity.
I watched this guy do the same thing with three or four other girls with the same result.
We left about midnight, and went to check out another dance club in the area called the Club PCH. Michelle had found it listed on the internet and we were curious to see what it was. The place is in a hotel on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) not far from the Alamitos Marina. We parked by the Hotel and walked to the Club entrance. The Security Guards at the entrance were doing pat down searches of the men going in. We didn't want to see if they did that to the women also, and got out of there. Michelle dropped me off at the boat and went home.
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Scott was still working on the Ventura County Fair shuttle bus Sunday, but was going to get off in time to drive to the boat in the late afternoon. He had Monday off, which he really needed since he had been working up to sixteen hours a day for the past twelve days without a day off.
We decided to just relax Sunday night. I made him a Scotch and Soda, and cooked some steaks for dinner. We watched a DVD of the movie Titanic on my laptop. It was the first time I have seen it, and found it to be very romantic.
I had asked my mechanic to see what was wrong with my port engine and they tuned it last week. He asked that I test it and let him know how it ran on Monday, so we took it to the fuel dock to fill it up and then took it out. It ran better, but still wasn't running right, so I called and told him that it still didn’t have any power, so he said he would come and check it out again, but he would call me first so I could meet him at the boat and take it out under load to see how it acted.
The mechanic called me Wednesday to say that he had checked it again and could not find anything wrong, so I should come down and go out with him to check it. We took it out and the engine quit while we were leaving the harbor. It turned out that there was a fresh water leak that was spraying the carburetor and causing that problem. I shut that off and we continued our test drive. The engine still couldn’t run right, and acted like we were pulling something, or the propeller was fouled. The mechanic said that the engine was running properly, and I should get the propeller checked out.
There was a diver working on the bottom of the boat next to me, and I asked him to go check out the prop. He said that the props were fouled with marine growth. I had him clean them, and took the boat out again to see if that fixed it.
When I got out of the harbor I tried to go full speed, and the Other engine quit on me! That was all I could take for that day, so I came back to the slip, and gave up. I may have to have the boat hauled out to have the prop removed and balanced.
A land locked condo on the beach is looking pretty good to me now
0825/04
A wonderful weekend in San Diego! We had discussed going to San Diego by train for a a while, but I have resisted because of the restrictions on bagage, and lack of a car to get around while in town. The traffic problems to and from San Diego on our last trip convinced me to try the Amtrak Surflinner.
I met Scott in the Los Angeles Union Station Friday afternoon. He was getting sloshed in the Trak Bar when I arrived, so I had a Martini to even our attitudes out a bit. We borded the two o'clock train, found a seat, and got a lunch and some drinks as soon as we left the station.
A few days ago, I asked Scott to remind me of what we did during the weekend, and he sent me an e-mail that pretty much covers it, so I am going to use that (with some editorial comments) for my diary this week.
(Scott's Version of our weekend ) Now, for your diary, you remember all we did, in the right sequence?
Friday: You went to the boat to pack up and head for Union Station, while I drove to the Flyaway for car parking, and a ride on the MTA 169 bus for Van Nuys station, and then onto a Metrolink train to have me at Union Station by about 12:15 or so. We met up at the Traxx Bar where a little pre-trip imbibing occured. We boarded Amtrak 578 for the run to SD, ate and drank a little more, and watched the world rush by outside our window. With an on-time arrival, a short ride on the San Diego Trolley landed us at what would be our Home-away-from-home for the next 4 days: E-Z8 Motel at Old Town. After getting checked in, I took off for Fuller Liquor to get more suppliesfor us: a Vodka, some spicy V-8 (for me) , and a six-pack of Sammy(for him).
Friday evening: After gettind settled in, we began tossing around ideas for where to have our dinner, and ended up at this little Mexican place in the Old Town park. Obviously it didn't make a good impression on either of us, as I cannot even remember it's name. Your Fajitas were too hard, right?
Friday night: With my girlfriend so sozzled she couldn't even walk a straight line(on the hike back to our room with Heels that were killing me), we decided to can any after-dinner bar-hopping, and just turned in for the night, with our own stash, some TV, and just cuddling up with each other, which is as special as anything else we could've done.
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Saturday Morning: We awakened, got dressed up for our day, and went across th street to Perry's. A 1950's style breakfast-only diner.
10AM: Armed with our 3-Day Tripper passes I got when we first arrived, we proceeded to hit the town! $24 for 2 people to have the entire MTS Transit System at our disposal for 3 days is an incredibe deal. First, onto the Trolley for the ride into town, then onto the 7 bus for a ride down Broadway, then up Park Blvd into Balboa Park for a visit to the Aerospace Museum. A very interesting lecture on the ISS( International Space Station), then walking around and looking at all the airplanes, engines, satellites, and the actual Apollo 9 Command Module, among lots of other great things.
Early PM: Back on the Track. the 7 bus brought us back into town and to the Embarcadero, where we entered the Elephant & Castle Bar inside the Holiday Inn, for a little liquid propulsion. Then off to the Bay Cafe for our lunch. After this we took a round-trip on the Ferry to have a little ride on the San Diego Bay. Terrific view of the city can be had from here. we saw a wedding taking place on this little park, I wanted to crash it, but I realized that I'm still not able to run fast.
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 at the Areo-Space Museum |
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4PM: Back on the ol' Trolley to return to our motel for a little pool time. Nothing like a soak in bubbles after a long day of sightseeing.
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By this time, passion began to overtake, (This section has been edited for content).
7PM: After getting cleaned up after our swim, and after doing a little (censored), it was time for dinner. Italian? Why not! Where? Pizza Bella, back in Old Town. Yummy!
8:30. With dinner done, it was PARTY-TIME!!!! Onto the Trolley, and a little taxi trip as we were not sure of the exact times for the 5th Avenue buses, it was off to the SRO Lounge for the bi-monthly GNO party by the San Diego Hotties. What a BLAST!!!
Closing time: After the Last Call, Kelly (One of my friends from the last time I was in SD alone) happened upon us trying to hail a cab, and took us back to the motel. Once inside, I proceeded to the side of the bed, hollered "TIMBERRR-R-R-R", and that's all folks! I have no memory of anything that may have occured during the next several hours.
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Sunday Morning. Once I "awakened", and had a look in the mirror, I could've sworn I was hit by a beer truck.
Sometime later that morning: With our late start, we were stressing over how we were going to haul out on time. But we still needed breakfast, so it was back to Perry's. At the same time, we just weren't wanting to leave to begin with. After weighing options, we decided on staying one more day/night. We returned to the motel, sucessfully purchased one more night of rent at the motel, and returned to town on the Trolley. Not to the Amtrak station, but back to Balboa Park for the SD Model Train Museum. Lots of model railroad layouts of various scales, and various stages of completion. A large place, and the total scale-mileage of all their track had to be up in the thousands. Lots of trains, too. Freight, passenger, and traction. Old-time Pullman streamliners, to the odern-day Surfliner and Coaster, which is San Diego's version of LA's Metrolink.
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2PM: After a bus ride back to the Embarcadero and hot dogs from the Bay Cafe, it was time to visit the newest attraction, the USS Midway, a de-commissioned aircraft carrier from the United States Navy, now on permanent display as a museum and tourist attraction. This is a must-see!
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After walking around all over the huge ship, it was time for a dip in the pool/jacuzzi, so another Trolley ride returned us to Old Town, where we returned to Fuller's to load up on more "supplies". We took them back to our room, watched a little of Ace Ventura Pet Detective, and were laughing at the scene where Ace discoveres that his boss isn't all-woman. A short rest later, is was off to the pool deck. So refreshing that is!
We wanted something a little more elegant for our last dinner in town, and were wanting seafood, so yet another Trolley ride got us back to the Embarcadero, and the Anthony's Fish Grotto located there. What a meal! So tasty, nice atmosphere, and good presentation. A little pricy, but I'm glad we did it.
10PM: Back on the tracks again, for the motel. Once again, my account of the remainder of the evening has been edited by the censorship board. Let's just say that it was really "moving".
Monday morning. Pretty simple: awake, shower, pack, check out of the motel, and one last ride on the San Diego Trolley which served us so well these last 3 days, for the Amtrak station to leave San Diego. After a Danish and a coffee from this little food kiosk located inside the waiting room, we boarded Amtrak 769. On board, we ate and drank, and just cuddled up while watching the surfers and sunbathers on the miles of beach that parallels the line.
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Once in LA Union Station, you ( me) got off for a drive to the boat to unpack, I (he) remained aboard for Van Nuys for a ride on the MTA 169 bus to get my car out of the Flyaway lot. A half hour later, I'm at the house, after an unforgettable weekend!
08/31/04
My friend, Jennifer Leitham's Trio played Wednesday night at Spazio's, and I met Scott there for a couple drinks, and desert. We stayed until the last set. Jennifer was great playing her left handed Bass and sang for the first time. She is traveling all over the country lately, playing in Jazz concerts.
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Saturday, I arrived at the boat a couple of hours before Scott, and did some tests on the port engine to see if I could detect any problem with the drive train. It seems fine. We took it out after lunch, and both engines worked OK, but the Port engine still seems reluctant to run at cruising speed.
Katt's trio plays at Ripples from Six to ten on Saturdays now. We got there as they were still setting up. The Guitar player got stuck in traffic, so Katt and the Keyboardist started without him. We enjoyed the music as always. We had to leave a little after seven. I wish Katt could land another gig someplace where they served food, so we could stay latter.
There was an article in the Los Angeles Times Weekend Calendar about a new dance Club In Long Beach near the Marina that I want to try. Michelle said that she would be going out Saturday night, and we decided that we would have dinner at the Reef, then try the new club
We had a drink at the Reef's Bar then went into the dinning room. We had just been there for a few minutes when Michelle felt Ill, excused herself, and went home.
Scott and I split our usual Prime Rib dinner. Their 12 oz steak is plenty for the two of us.
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We decided to go to the Observation Bar on the Queen Mary, and try the new club some other night. James King was doing his Elvis routine. The crowd was relatively light that night and we had no problem finding a table. We had fun, and stayed until the last set.
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I needed to take a potty stop before we went home, and went into the Ladies rest room in the lobby. I couldn't find Scott when I came out, and thought he might be waiting for me down at the main entrance, so I went down there. There was a new security person there that I hadn't seen before. He was wearing some kind of head gear that you might see on "Gangsta's" in South LA. He came over to me and asked me "what are YOU doing here MISTER" with a sneer on his face. I went back up to the lobby in tears. I had never seen this guy before, so the whole Security force must be talking about this TS with an attitude.
I found Scott (he had been up on deck smoking), and we went back down to the entrance. The Security guy was gone. I was still so upset that I was shaking. We went home to the boat, and I had a large gin to calm down. I don't know if I can ever go to the QM at night alone again. I don't know what those Security idiots are capable of.
Sunday morning was just a laid back, relaxing time. We had a late breakfast. Scott made a beer run, and we watched a DVD of the Movie "Ace Ventura, Pet Detective" on my lap top computer.
After the Movie we had lunch then went to the Observation Bar for Chris and Lisa, except Chris wasn't there. He is on a trip of vacation or something, so Lisa had a replacement Guitar player. We still enjoyed the music, and danced some.
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One of Scott's coworkers, Dan and his Girlfriend Rose drove down to the Boat Sunday night, and I made us all Spaghetti for dinner. Rose and I had a nice conversation. She is a sweetheart.
I need to re-install the supports for the large table in the Salon so I can better accommodate a dinner party. I took the parts that screw into the deck out when I replaced the main fuel tank under the deck. I nave been planning to put new carpeting down, then put the supports in. The table is used to turn the couch in the salon into a double bed, so it is fairly large and makes a table seating six. We have to use the coffee table and folding tables now, and it is not a good arrangement.
After my guests left, we crashed. I needed to be home by noon Monday, because a repair man was coming to see what was wrong with my large microwave, hood combination. I depend on that microwave for most meals.
I took Scott to his car at the Van Nuys Fly Away lot, and managed to get home before the repairman.
09/02/04
The Cowboy Palace has a singing competition on Wednesday nights, and Scott entered last night. He is a good singer, and often enters the contest. Last night was the second time I have been there to support him. The competition is pretty tough though. There was one guy who did a yodeling peace that was outstanding. We think he won first place to go on to the next level in the competition.
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Scott didn't win but we had a good time and danced a little. I don't know how to line dance, but was able to stumble around the floor to the Texas Two Step
09/06/04
I had planned to have a boat party on Sunday, but my Room Mate got sick with the Shingles. Shingles is the same virus as Chicken Pox. It stays dormant in the spinal column for years, then suddenly multiplies and shows up again in older people. It is triggered by some event like stress, or an operation. There wasn't anything I could do to relieve the pain she was experiencing, but I wanted to be available if she needed anything, so I canceled the party.
I did go to the boat Saturday though, and planned to go home Sunday. I called her Sunday to find out how she was doing, and she told me I should stay until Monday morning, so that's what I did.
Scott got to the boat just a little after I did Saturday, and helped me clean it. We took it out for a test run, and to pump the holding tank. The starboard engine quit as I was approaching the dock coming back, and I couldn't maneuver the boat into my slip on the one engine since the other half of the dock is now occupied by a boat as big as mine and there is only a few feet of clearance between us. It took some of my neighbors to grab a line to pull me into the slip.
Saturday night, we went to Ripples to listen to Katt sing, Then we went to Busters Long Board restaurant for dinner, and stayed there for dancing after dinner.
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Busters has a regular group called the Flyers that put on a good show. The keyboardist is a comic as well as a good musician and singer. The girl guitarist does most of the singing, and the Base guitar is also very good. We had a ball, and stayed until almost closing time.
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My friend Valerie joined us for a hamburger lunch Sunday, and we had a good visit.
Scott and I went to the Observation bar later Sunday afternoon to listen to Chris and Lisa, and dance for a couple of hours. Lisa was wearing a dress that was gorgeous. I want one like that. She bought it in Sherman Oaks at a store near Spazios, and I plan to go there to see if they have one in my size.
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Sunday night we stayed home on the boat and watched "The Mask" Movie DVD.
I came home Monday morning. My Room Mate is still in a lot of pain from the Chicken Pox, but the sores are healing. The virus medication she is taking is making her nauseous though, so she hasn't been able to eat much.
09/14/04
It was a work weekend. I have been neglecting the old lady I call “My World” for too long, so the paint and varnish was peeling. Scott and I sanded all the exterior wood work Saturday, then gave it a new coat of polyurethane Sunday. We still managed to have a little fun though.
We were too tired to go to visit Katt at Ripples Saturday night, but we did manage to get to the Observation bar for a few hours to dance to Elvis. We had fun.
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Sunday, we finished painting by two o’clock so we got ourselves cleaned up and got to the Queen Mary for Chris and Lisa by the end of their first set. You might notice that both of us are wearing the same outfits that we wore Saturday night. It was a mater of convenience, and was time saving.
We were both kind of tired when we got there, but we soon were having fun. It’s amazing how I can be revitalized by a couple of Gin Martinis.
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When the music stopped at six o’clock we went back to the boat for a little nap, then we went to the Reef for one of their delicious Prime Rib dinners.
Scott had to go home Sunday night, because he was working Monday, but I stayed on the boat. I did a little painting Monday morning, then cleaned up our work, and went home.
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09/20/04
My Room Mate is still in a lot of pain from her Shingles. The virus damages the nerve endings where the skin blisters, and that causes pain that can last for months. Her pain medication's side effects include dizziness, and disorientation, so I need to stay close to home, and I had to shorten our weekend to just Saturday.
I picked up my starboard engine carburetor from the shop Saturday morning, and installed it while waiting for Scott to wend his way down to Long Beach via the MTA Trains. He arrived just as the Queen Mary blew the noon Horn.
We started the engines after lunch to test them out, and the starboard engine ran fine after a little adjustment on the idle setting. We didn't take the boat out though, because there was some wind blowing, and I didn't want to end up trying to get it back into the slip on one engine if the carburetor wasn't fixed right.
While Scott was on the bridge running the engines, he noticed that the forward bilge pump circuit breaker was off, and it tripped again when he turned it on. We performed a few tests and found that the bilge motor was shorted. Luckily, I had a spare so we replaced it.
The plan for the evening was to go to Ripples to listen to Katt at six o'clock, then go to the Money Tree for dinner and a little Jazz at eight, and end up at the Lodge for dancing and to visit old friends until midnight.
We stayed at Ripples for her first set. She was happy to see us, and I was happy to see her. I was wearing the beautiful red lace poncho she gave me for my Birthday.
Katt has left her DJ job at K-Jazz radio due to a difference of opinion with management about what type of music she should play. She is currently concentrating on her music performing and writing career. I think she will do very well.
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We got to the Money Tree at eight thirty. The restaurant was almost empty which was very unusual for a Saturday night. I didn't see the old owners there, and the pork chop and the service wasn't up to their usual standards either. I wonder if it is under new management. The Jazz group was good though.
We got to the Lodge about ten o'clock and I was able to get my usual parking place on the corner. Roxy was tending bar at her normal station, and remembered my normal libation. She started making it as soon as I walked in the door.
Many of my friends from the old Queen Mary Club were there. I think it has been eight or nine months since the last time I was at the Lodge. I was especially happy to see Ann Smith, and get re-connected to her. She is a sweet Lady.
Scott and I danced until the DJ started playing that 4/4 beat that I hate. It was a little after midnight when we left.
I drove Scott to his car that he left at the North Hollywood Red Line Station which is just up Lankershim a couple miles from the Lodge. We said our good-byes and I went home.
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09/22/04
K-Jazz Radio sponsors free jazz performances at the Hollywood and Highland Complex Plaza that includes the Kodak Theater on Tuesday nights, and our friend Jennifer Leitham's Jazz ensemble was last night. Each week a different winery from the Santa Barbara area hosts a wine tasting buffet in a reserved area of the plaza. A $10 donation to benefit project Angel Food gets you in, and that's what we did.
Scott and I took the Red Line metro train from North Hollywood to Hollywood and Highland early enough to have a drink and dinner before the performance which started at seven o'clock. Jennifer was just setting up the audio when we got there. We had a martini and beer at an upscale restaurant, then went to a Johnny Rocket place overlooking the plaza for a sandwich. We got a front row seat in the wine tasting buffet area, and had some wine and cheese for desert.
Jennifer and her trio were great, and were well received by the large crowd there. We had a ball!
The Trio quit at nine, and we had no problem getting back to our cars in the Metro Station Lot by ten. That was my first trip on the LA Metro. It was fast and easy, but I wouldn't want to go on it alone late at night.
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09/28/04
I have reached one of my Weight Watchers Goals...I was able to get into a size 12 this weekend! I went shopping at Robinson May Saturday morning to find a new fall outfit, and found a rack of Karen Scott separates. I got a size 12 jacket and skirt in Plum, and two tops, one is striped with some plum in it and the other is a solid colored light plum, and both are a misses size medium! That's the first time I have been able to wear a medium too! Now I have to lose a few more inches and pounds to make sure I can get into most other size 12 designer's outfits.:-)
I got to the boat about three o'clock Saturday. Scott had been circling the field for a while waiting for me to land. We unloaded our cars, stored the goodies and relaxed for a while before going to Ripples for Katt's Jazz.
We arrived at Ripples as she was about half way through her first set. We had our usual two drinks by the time she finished that set, then left to have some dinner.
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Michelle was going to join us on the Queen Mary at nine, and we were a little late in getting ready, so I called her to tell her we would be closer to ten by the time we got there, and she said that would work for her
There was a special event on the Queen Mary Saturday night, and they were asking for $8 at the parking gate. We normally never have to pay for parking, because we leave after midnight and they don't collect for parking then. I told the person at the gate that we had VIP Passes (which we do), and they let us in without charging us the $8
I parked in the VIP lot and we went up to the Observation Bar expecting to find Michelle waiting for us, but she wasn't there and Evon said he hadn't seen her. We found a table by the band stand, and were surprised to see Lisa and a three piece band instead of James King as Elvis, which was scheduled for that night. Lisa said the Elvis couldn't make it that night and asked her to bring in a replacement band. Lisa was great as always, and the band was very good. It was good dance music.
I called Michelle to see where she was and she was home. She had arrived before we did, and paid the $8 parking. When she parked, she was hassled by some punks in the parking lot, then again by security guards at the entrance to the ship. She left! I asked her to come back, and she thought she might.
Scott went out to the fourth level entry about a half hour later to see if he could see her coming. A security Guard stopped him when he turned around to come back to the bar, and told him that the level was closed! Scott called me on his cell phone to tell me what happened, and I got Melissa, our waitress, and Evon the bar manager to go out there to find out what the HELL was going on!!! They got Scott back in.
It turned out that the special event that night was a RAVE PARTY, and that a bunch of the party punks were trashing the ship! The guards had been instructed to not let anyone in or out of the ship. The tiny brained guard took that literally and figured that Scott in his white shirt and tie was a terrorist, even though Scott had only walked 20 feet from the entrance to look for Michelle. BTW; Michele decided not to come back to the Queen. That was definitely a good idea as it turned out.
We left about one o'clock, and didn't have any problem leaving and getting back to the boat.
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The first thing we did Sunday morning was to take the boat out for a test run. The starboard engine ran fine, but the port engine still couldn't muster enough power to get to 3,000 RPM. We got back into the slip without any major problem. I am still a little nervous about the boat in the slip next to me, and I tend to stay too close to the dock, and away from my neighbor, so I manage to push the boarding stairs off their dock fastenings. Oh well, it screws back in OK.
After we took our showers, we noticed that the forward bilge, where the shower water goes, and then is pumped overboard seemed full, When it was tested, we found that there was a hole in the pump hose, so most of the water wasn't going overboard. Thank god for Duct tape. We put a temporary patch on the hose with duct tape, so it should be OK until I can replace the hose next weekend. There is always something breaking on that ship.
We went to the Queen Mary after lunch to dance to Chris and Lisa's music. We had a ball, and I drank too much. I was going to stay on the boat that night, but Scott needed to drive home, so we went back to the boat when the music stopped at six, and took a "nap".
I made some spaghetti for dinner, and Scott left about nine o'clock for home. I sat on the back porch and enjoyed the quiet evening until eleven then went to bed.
Monday morning, I cleaned the boat, and then replaced the waste water pump out access in preparation for an extended trip to Avalon (If I can ever get everything working good enough to get there). I went home after lunch.
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