Foreigner In Concert

Last night Danny and I got away to see "Foreigner" in concert. We drove up to the Chuckchansi Resort and Casino in Coarsegold, Ca. along the way stopping in at Trader Joe's to pick up our wine and snacks for the room.
We were quite taken aback when we arrived. They have a huge resort, with well organized facilities and lots of ammenites. In fact, I counted 7 or more restaurants (?) wow!! I am not much of a gambler, and rather get annoyed by the atmoshpere, so the tables and slots machines were easily passed by.
The concert was outdoors, right on schedule, the seats were good, and the weather was perfect. So, the mood was all set for a fantastic evening. Then, the band started and us being music critics, were ready to be dissapointed. BUT we weren't! They were awesome! The sound was great, the harmonies were on, and they looked good, too. Why are we surprised? well, jeez, they're suppose to be has-beens, but they are touring and making albums again. Of course, they was only one original member, but that's ok, maybe even better that way. So, we had a great time and had good fun people around us.
I don't have any photos to post, cause I didn't think I could take my camera in, so I left it behind.
We stayed in their new tower. Our room was large and the bed was the biggest we ever slept in, so that was nice. But, this morning, we only felt the need to eat and drive home. I guess we like a little different scenery, we'd rather walk on the beach or look through shops, than gamble.
But, actually, we have a lot of stuff going on with our business, some of it exciting and some just plain stressful and unpleasant. So, it was difficult to stay away any longer.

Pismo for a day

Sunday, of Labor Day Weekend, we took a day trip to the coast. Pismo Beach is a regular 'hot' spot' for most Valley residents and this weekend was no exception. It was very busy, but of course, we were not surprised.

Danielle and her friend, Bridgette, were the reason we went. They had to do 'something' for Labor Day Weekend. Danny drove and I got to sit back and read my book. I read some of it aloud to him, but I was too deep into the book for him to understand. He said, "I'll just wait until the movie comes out" :) aint' that the truth!

We made a short bathroom stop at EOS winery, and took a few photos. Wineries are great pit stops, sure beats the rest stops.

.........at the beach......The girls went straight to the main strip by the pier to get their bowls of chowder, while we drove back to the new park in Shell Beach.
After an hour of relaxing by ourselves, they called to get their stuff out of the car. So, we drove to Pismo and found a great parking spot. This surprised us since it was so busy. Well, later we got another surprise a TICKET! Apparently, us non-frequent visitors didn't notice all the signs posted about paying for our parking. SO, we paid alright $40! That's a good bottle of wine. We tried not to let this bother us too much, after all it was our stupid mistake. So, off to the beach..........the girls hit the waves on their boogey boards and we had fun watching them for awhile, then we took the rest of the time to relax again on the beach. Sounds like a pattern of ours..... I do believe we are either getting old, or really needed some rest. I chose the latter. The weather was warmer than forcasted, so it was very pleasant.

We left around 5:30 and ate at Margie's Diner in Paso, if you've ever eaten there you know the portions are huge! Very good too. The rest of the trip home was very quiet, as we were all a bit tired.

Big number Birthday & Off-Road

Our friend had his 50th Birthday party this past Sat. I've only been to a couple, and they were very different. My brother had his last year, and it was very social with good drinks, laughs and food. This one was more about reminiscing, and looking back on his life. It was arranged by his wife, and done very well. They had him sit through a "Roast", too. It was very tame and tasteful (much to our disappointment) but they had alot of family with children there, so the 'roasters' were reserved. Danny is quite the jokester and well-humored individual, so he took his stance next to his friend, also.

Off-Road "Locked Out"

Our son Kyle and his friend have been putting in long hours at the shop. They're making his Toyota his off-road proto-type. Bending tube and pipe to make bumpers and tire mounts. It's very creative and hard work. After their trip to the Dirt Alliance Tour down in Riverside they are truly pumped up! Soon, I'll post photos on here or our website, dsadveng.com. He's picked out a name "LOCKED-OUT". They've been doing their own marketing and design, and looking for someone to make their logo and stickers for the vehicles and products. I'll most likely be his web designer, but i know they are researching that also. But, when all the quotes come in, I'm sure it'll fall back on me, I'm free after all. :) at least for now.

Summer break is over..........

Back to school this past week. I must admit I like knowing that Danielle, our 16 year old, is doing something with her days. She did have a lot of fun and free time this summer, but it's time for some learning to be done.She loves her classes, and has some great teachers. She also started her college English class on Wednesday nights. The reason she is taking college classes is 2-fold: 1) it's free while they are in High shcool and 2) it's getting some basics out of the way. And personally, I think, it gives her a good sense of what college is all about. Gains maturity, too. By the way, she's now driving....... so stay clear and report any mis-behavings to us. Kyle always loved that :)

The photos are from our trip to Shaver Lake. We rented this home in the Sierra Mts. with our friends. It took all my convincing and planning to get Danny to go. He was so involved with his shop and all his ideas that he just didn't know the 'need' for a vacation, until he got up there. Then he took him no time at all, and he was fishing each morning, and then resting in the recliner in the afternoon. It worked out best for me to take the kids out on the lake by myself. The girls just wanted to tube. We got 2 tubes so we could double them up and it was fun seeeing them slam into eachother.

I never could get my stupid ski boot on. I knew it would be difficult in the colder water, but I still thought I could do it. I nearly pulled my hamstring trying to get my foot in that boot. I must do something before next time out. " I had to think I was a pro and get double boots"..... right.I will have to post more tomorrow....... we got a lot going on this week. and this weekend is our friends' 50th birthday, so I plan to have some more to write about.

trying to get it together isn't always easy

Sunday was crazy, we got ready to attend church. Then we get a phone call from Kyle, our son, he was at our shop working on his mock-up for the Toyota front bumper. He was having trouble with one of the machines. "I'll be only a minute" Danny tells me as he jets out the door. Well, an hour later, and we've missed the opening songs in church. And we hate to be the late birds, so we decide to stay home. Danielle and I decide to visit my mom, who's in an assisted living home about 30 minutes from here. She was very glad to see us and any company that she gets. Her home has become increasingly quiet lately. Not sure if the cost has become a burden for some families, but it is too quiet for my mom. She's physically very dependent on them, but otherwise is doing very well and could use some excitement.

A quick trip to the mall and $100 later Danielle's got a mere 2 new jeans and we get lunch and head back to our house. We go home to change out of the 'good' clothes and put on some work clothes. Time to go to the shop. Danielle does a regular cleaning each weekend, but the task is too huge this time and we all pitch in to help out. We got a new CNC machine on Wed. and after all the wiring and arranging the shop is big mess. So, we are on our hands and knees using the wonderful product GooGone to clean up what appears to be tar. The machine was too tall for the room, so we had to modify the false ceiling to accomodate it.

Now, the TO DO's list for today: --decide on what to put on our business attire. --Put bids in for 5 new jobs.

And in the meanwhile, I am getting Danielle ready for her Jr. year in highschool. Not only is that a growing list, but it's one expense after another. She is also attending college, so we'll pick up the proper paperwork and sign her up today. She's got her driver's license but doesn't feel confident enough to take herself to all these new places, nor do I. Our hope is that she'll be able to earn her AA in college while she's still in highschool or at least get some pre-reqs out of the way. That'll give her a great headstart. She is getting her teeth cleaned this morning, and hair done this afternoon, so I better get this Monday rolling.