The New Year of 2024 began without much fanfare. Liz and I wanted to mark our anniversary in some way, so we walked through Leo Ryan Park where we were married 11 years earlier. We stopped in the Marriot lounge for a remembrance, then walked across the court for coffee. In the afternoon we dropped by neighbor Lynn's house for a low-key celebration. I sat, talked, snacked a little and drank a few sips of wine. and so the year began. The next day, I got an email from Kevin Sneed informing me that the next sermon series would be on Colossians. It was short notice, but I was happy to plan for another Deep Dive into that great epistle.

On Thursday morning I woke early for a Men's fraternity zoom. I'm ready to get back into it. I need the fellowship in my life. I continued my gym visits and on Saturday went to men's group at BurlPress. After meeting with those guys, I met Allen and Liz at Starbucks. Allen has gone through some surgeries, so my eyes had to adjust to his appearance.

After church on Sunday, I headed to Prayer Mountain. Since it was the only overnight of the month, I planned for three nights. On the drive out I listened to the 49ers lose their last game of the regular season to the Rams - 21 to 20. My time in the woods was cold, rainy and dark. I did manage to get my requisite 10,000 steps each day, and the weather made for good sleeping. However, I did overindulge in the eating department. Alas, I began to stray over my 200-pound benchmark.

I returned to San Mateo on Wednesday, swam the warm pool and cleaned up at CSM. On Thursday morning, I was up early for Men's Frat - Steve, Dan, and Dave were present. Then I went to my cardiologist in Redwood City, Dr. Felix. It was just a verbal consultation and all went well. I finally uploaded my 33 rolls of old 1973-74 negatives to Shoebox. Liz hasn't been feeling well and on Friday - January 12, she tested positive for Covid.

And later in the evening, I tested positive as well! I felt lousy. Saturday was a "pajama day", my first since my broken leg era. I slept a lot and went down stairs just once. Sunday church was livestream and I lounged most of the day. I did manage to lead the Zoom Deep Dive, Colossians chapter 2. I stayed at home a few more days just going for short walks. I was hoping to go to Men's fraternity on Thursday, but I tested positive again on late Wednesday. Liz and I watched 49er's football at Round Table Pizza. Our 49s didn't play well on Saturday afternoon, but we squeaked by the Packers 24-21.

Liz asserts that she caught Covid at church by sitting next to a cougher. She was reluctant to attend CPC in person, so we did a livestream once more. I was proved negative on Covid and led Table 1 at Men's Fraternity, walked with Ken Napier at the levee on Friday, and drove to BurlPess on Saturday morning. The days in January passed with rain and shopping. I cheered as the 49ers staged a come-back win the NFL Championship 36-33. I was working hard to overcome writer's block and complete Chapter 20: Mission Mates. The chapter included thoughts of The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal.

The final week of January was cool and rainy. After two months of laziness, I finally completed Chapter 20 of my novel. It's odd. I know the general flow of the story. Yet, I can never predict the details of the plot until my fingers actually hit the keyboard. After a December and January of limited travel, I prepared to fly a triangle East and my see my kids and grandkids once more.

My triangle trip began early on Thursday morning, February first. I fixed coffee, dressed, collected my belongings, and met Jeff in the driveway at 5:45. Liz awoke in time to bid me goodbye. There were five in attendance at MF. The 90 minutes passed quickly, and soon I was off to SFO. After 5 hours of napping, scrabbling, and fast-forwarding through movies, I arrived at PIT.

Zachary met me at the Hyatt lot. Zélie was thrilled to see me. Zoshi not so much - until I made friends with her 3 stuffies; little Yoda, little turtle, and busy bear. We went to Zach's place for a bit, ate some chili, and the girls were proud to show me their new bunk-beds. Zélie had enough energy to sing me a song from her new favorite musical - Matildia. I went to my Airbnb - a nearby loft at 706 Rebecca Street. Ruth claimed the neighborhood bad, but it was ok with me. And so, my Thursday ended with an early sleep time.

On Friday morning, I walked to Z's in 15 minutes. Ruth worked, so Zach and I drove the kids to an art class at the Frick. The kids made cards, then we took a guided tour of the mansion seeing how folks lived around 1900. For lunch we went to Panera Bread, then to a park where the girls practiced their new scooters. Zélie had mastered the technique, but Zoshi was learning. I had been in conversation with Zachary about a July trip to Japan/Korea. He's all in, so five of us ate Japanese for dinner. The day was full with lots of driving and grand-girl time. My Airbnb loft space, up 2 flights if narrow stairs, provided a place to unwind.

Saturday was another go-go day: to ballet lessons and a walk at a park. The temperature in the Pittsburgh area has been in the 30s and 40s. My big event of the day was a drive to Shanksville to see the Flight 93 National Memorial. The girls stayed with Ruth so Zach and I got time to talk - about my book, the Sunflower part about forgiveness, our planned trip to Japan, and our remembrance of 9/11. Was it really 23 years ago? The day grew late and I was dropped off at the loft at 8pm.

Sunday was Airbnb check-out. Zach was running late. He picked me up along Pennwood Avenue, as I was pulling my suitcase. We drove to downtown Pittsburgh to attend morning mass at Church of the Epiphany. I found it odd that the church abutted Penguin Stadium. We drove to IKEA for a lunch and shopping combo. I enjoyed looking after my girls as Ruth and Zachary looked after furniture. We had some time before my hotel check-in, so we visited the Andy Warhol Museum. I can recognize pop art even if I can't appreciate it; too many faces and soup cans. The two girls made birthday cards for Lorenzo and Gia.

About 3:30 we checked into the Airport Hyatt. In the hotel room, I shot the kids some cash with a "Money Gun". The girls had fun catching the flying bills. I sat at poolside while Zachary, Zélie, and Zoshi splashed in the water. Both girls are more confident swimmers, although assisted by various flotation devices. At 5pm I began my Deep Dive Zoom. Frank was present, with Jimmy, and Yvonne & Patrick. The giggly girls entered the hotel room to change out of suits and they greeted the Zoom class. My triangle was half way done. I relaxed in the spacious room and prepared my heart for part two.

I got up early enough to consume a Hyatt breakfast. It was charged to room 401. I made my way down the escalated walkway to get my boarding pass and pass through security. The first leg of my flight brought me to Newark Airport. I reflected this was the start-place to the end-place at the Flight 73 memorial site. My New Jersey time was short and soon I was winging toward Florida. I purchased the super economy fare and ended up sitting in 35E- a middle seat. But the time passed quickly with a nap, a movie, and a game or two.

Simon warned me he would be busy during my 4 days in West Palm Beach, and so he was. He picked me up at PBI between business calls. Lorenzo and Gia were in school so this visit to my second son was a slice of life with no agenda more than to observe and engage as opportunities present. Dilia and Simon have this arrangement in which each parent sees the two every day. Thus, I didn't see my grandkids until 7pm. I gave a hug to Lolo and a birthday hug to Gia, who had just turned 13. It was late; I was tired; so, I retired to Lolo's room for the night.

Tuesday was early-busy and daytime-restful. I got up with the family at 5:55am. Simon makes his two a healthy breakfast-including a protein shake-then drops off Gia by 6:40 at East Olive for an hour bus ride to her Bak school. We drove Lorenzo to Suncoast high school about 12 miles north. I recorded the school routine for posterity. I loafed in the afternoon; resting, writing, and walking. Simon was really working from home - back-to-back calls, managing projects. I walked to pick up Lolo at 3:30 after his bus drop off. Gia came home later after soccer practice. Tuesday night was Si's evening/Dilia's overnight.

I noted interacting with two teenagers is different than with two preschoolers. I just pop into Lolo's and Gia's worlds with a quick hug and a few words. I love them so much and am happy to just watch them as they grow and change. I am filled with gratitude toward God. We did watch some TV together and I helped Lolo with world-history homework- just up my alley- World War Two. Simon impressed me with a 7-mile run. That guy's amazing. I was still fatigued and closed my eyes at nine.

Wednesday was a sleep-in because the kids were with Dilia. After a text leak by Zachary, Dilia found out about the Asia trip, but fortunately, she appeared to be all-in. I do hope that will pan out. With Simon immersed in work and the kids at school, I walked my steps to Dairy queen and edited my novel. During a time of no -meetings, our father-son project turned out to be fixing a flat tire on the Mazda. That proved unworkable, so instead we made an appointment for the next morning at the dealer. During a second walk, I videoed Simon jogging past me on his seven-mile run. Dilia dropped off the kids about 6:00. I decided to buy as birthday presents the items that were at the top of the grandkid's wish list: expensive sneakers from an online shop called Stockx.com.

Thursday was a bit busier. After dropping off Gia and Lorenzo at school, I went with Simon to the Mazda Dealer to the west near the swamp. It took three hours for the whole process of tire replacement and tune-up. I walked, talked with Si, and my son kept to his busy schedule with any table top being his office. (I do hope he gets that raise he's seeking.) After that it was rest and relaxation. I did some novel revisions, some laundry, and watched some politics on YouTube. The stuff is crazy. Trump will either be in the Whitehouse or in prison, while Biden will be either re-elected or committed to a dementia facility. At six, we drove to meet Dilia, Lolo, and Gia at a place called Yami. It was good to be with the four of them. My ex-daughter-in-law says she does want to go to Japan with us. After the meal, we met at Si's place for a Lolo birthday cake. Zélie and Zoshie dropped in via Facetime. Later in the evening, I watched the Warriors game with my grandson. He loves basketball and especially Steff Curry.

Then it was time to conclude my triangle. On Friday morning, I prayed with the three before heading out the door. I read from Acts 2 and encouraged Lorenzo and Gia to be baptized. We shall see. I then sat in the passenger seat as Gia hopped out of the car at East Olive school and Lorenzo exited at Suncoast. Simon dropped me off at PBI at 8:00 to catch my 9:30 flight. I flew to O'Hare with 3 seats to myself, then rushed from the A Concourse to the C Concourse to travel on to San Francisco and to squeeze into a tight middle seat. I finished an editing of chapters 17, 18, 19, and 20. Jeff picked me up at SFO about 4:00 and soon I was home once more. I showered (Liz calls it cootie abatement) and put stuff away. Liz told me about a visit with her mom and cousin, Jesse, and with Liz Quaday at Filoli. I did have enough energy to move some writing from the iPad to the desktop, but soon it was lights out and the triangle adventure was over.

Saturday was a day of recovery. I walked my 10,000 steps, corresponded with Z&S about our Asia trip, and curated my triangle photos. It's always good to relive the moments. On Sunday, Liz and I live-streamed the CPC service. She's still concerned about cooties. At 2:00 I did my final Zoom Deep Dive- covering the last chapter of Colossians and all ove Philemon. Good Stuff! Then came the Superbowl. Liz watched the game at Lianne's house. I just listened to the big game while updating Part Two of my book. It was a nail-biter for sure, but my Niners lost in overtime. So sad. On Monday I mailed out four parcels: a one-dollar bill to Lorenzo for the Niner's bet, to KP I sent my poop kit, my California primary ballot, and my application for a new passport. I needed that for my upcoming overseas trips. Lizzy and I do seem to be getting along better with little drama between us! Thank you, Lord.

I had some lazy time in mid-February, writing my book, walking my steps with Audible, spending too much time engrossed in youtube shorts and podcasts. There was a lot of rain! Liz and I finally got to live church (as opposed to Livestream) on February 16. Zachary sent me videos of his girls practicing their Korean and Simon recorded the reactions of Lorenzo and Gia as they unboxed thier expensive sneakers - birthday gifts. I packed up my Prius Prime on the 21st for my road trip north then stopped off at the post office to send Korean caligraphy to my two sons.

I got up early on Thursday, loaded into my already-packed car, and headed out the door for Men's Fraternity. I did manage to give Liz a hug before take-off. Our new guy at the table - Mike - is a handful, but we manage. I pointed the Prius north and headed out: first on HW 92, then I 880, I 680, I 80, I 505, then finally hitting I 5. Since I acquired my plug-n Prius, I've stopping at Dunnigan for an hour of charge, a rest, and a walk. Then it was north on I5 again. The time passed by listening to an Aubible about A Patriot's History and by reviewing the 22 chapters of my own book with PDF AI voice. I got to Jimmy Walker's house in Grants Pass about 5:30. He was alone, Valerie being away with their son James. We ate out and shared a lot about Charlotte and what's going on with her. We talked to about ten.

I hung out with Jim a bit in the morning and headed out about nine. I took my time traveling north and paused at Seven Feathers for a walk and a plug in. I got to Vancouver and Frank about 4pm. We walked around Salmon Pond then ate at Burgerville. We talked about our sisters, other family, CASA, and our upcoming trip to Grand Canyon.

I've made it a habit to hang out with Frank when he goes to his 6:30 guy's group. It's mostly four men discussing cultural concerns. I spoke of the distinction between Theological and Anthropological heresy. About 10:00am we headed to Tabby's Adult Care to pick up Jeanne. We three then headed to Longview in my Prius allowing Lelia to drive up later. With four of us in Eileen's house, Lelia and Jim Francis showed up at the same time - about noon. The house was occupied by one fewer dog. Tootsi was gone, but Mitsy was still underfoot. We talked a lot, shared a meal of sandwiches and potato salad, and just listened to Jim Francis do his thing. Of course, he missed the presence of Char, but in some ways that freed him to linger - which he did, until 8:00pm. Frank and Lelia had left much earlier. Jim discussed the two car collisions one involving Shelley and one with him. We watched a fast-forward version of Psycho. Eileen and I talked until sleepy and turned in about 10:00.

On Sunday I met Jim Francis at Calvary Chapel in Kelso at 8:45. Shelly met us at the door. Jim has just begun to re-attend church since Char left the house. We fellowshipped at his home on Academy. Shelley seemed to be doing well. I returned to Eileen's about 2:00, rested, walked in the rain, and talked with my sister. She is doing well.

Shelley dropped by on Monday morning and Eileen drove her minivan to Vancouver to visit Charlotte in her care facility. Unfortunately, she was not successful at Tabby's with Jeanne and had been looked after at the Salmon Creek Medical Center for several days. She had a room to herself with 24-hour observation. Her mind wanders and sometimes betrays her. I Facetimed Jimmy so he could see his mom. Charlotte didn't say much, but Eileen did ask her "Are you happy?". She responded, "I choose to be happy." which I thought was a very appropriate response. After visiting Char, we went to Franks place. Shelly got the tour since she had never been there before. We then went to Billygan's Roadhouse for lunch. Had a burger and conversation. The day was cold and rainy but I had carried along my 49ers rainsuit, so I completed my 10,000 steps in a downpour. In the evening Eileen and watched the Man Who Invented Christmas about Dickens. Then it was time to retire for the night because of the next morning would come early.

I left the house at 5am in order to avoid Portland traffic. I got to a far-side rest stop and took a nap in the back of my Prius. It was a bit cold, but the army blanket helped. I stopped at Seven Feathers again, and soon I was all the way to Red Bluff about 4pm. I spent a comfortable night at Days Inn asleep from 7pm to 7am. I guess I was pooped out. I traveled to Dunnigan to plug in the Prius. I walked, but my regular route was blocked by arial spraying. The last few hours zipped by and soon I arrived at the CSM gym. I swam in the pool and sorted stuff in the lot and was back home by three. Liz and I talked, I unloaded, rested, and soon it was lights out for an early next morning. It was a good trip - good to be a part of a great family.

All that was left of February was the bonus day - February 29th. After leading table 1, I came home, finished putting away my road gear, shopped at Safeway, washed the bug-specked car, and finally finished my taxes: $11k back from IRS and $2k back from state. I think I paid too much for 2023!

March roared in like a lion with rain and storms. Liz was worried the electricity might fail. Simon sent me a message that Gia was injured in soccer match and went to urgent care. Nothing was broken and she is feeling better. I also received a video clip from Ruth with two little girls crawling all over their dad while he is engrossed in his gadget.

I led the men's group on Saturday at BurlPress teaching from the Sunflower by Simon Weisenthal. It seemed to go well. The first week progressed with a walk with Steve, Men's Fraternity, a walk with Ken at Sawyer Camp Trail, and a lunch with Ryan. I have been writing a lot. I reconfigured my book away from formal chapters and into eight short stories in Part One and fourteen missions in part two. Mission 2002 is a challenge because that is the year I have the fictional Joy dying in a traffic accident - in a parallel to the actual Kim.

In the second week of March, I drove to San Lorenzo to Chan Family Dentistry. Dr. Chan laser-cleaned a few of my gums. It was a kind of surgery. I also received my new passport in the mail. My Prime went to Toyota 101 on Tuesday to program a second car key. (It took seven months for that to arrive). Often times I relaxed before turning off the lights with a snack of granola, a game of scrabble, and a tale of WW2. And on the 13th, I packed up the car for my road trip with Frank. It should be fun!

My adventure began before daylight. With the Prime pre-packed, I headed out to Men's fraternity. Six sat around the round table: Me, Steve, Tom, Dan, Jeff, and Lindsey the mailman. I walked a few laps at Catamaran Park, then to my car which was charging 20 minutes away on Hillsdale Blvd. Then it was south in HW 101, to Gilroy, then East to I-5.

I listened to Audible, hymns, Bach, my own book, and a few podcasts. After 170 miles, about 5pm, I pulled into Tehachapi, east of Bakersfield. The campsite at Brite Lake looked closed, but site 1 was open. It was cold at 5000ft. I set up my Walmart 3-man tent and prepared for the evening. I managed to start a fire and prepare Raman noodles. I bundled up with fleece pants and hoody, gloves and stocking cap, zipped into my sleeping bag with army blanket. But still it was cold. I think it got down to 25 degrees.

I stayed bundled in my sleeping bag until 8am. I couldn't ignite my fire. Both lighters were dead! The camp water pipe stopped. It was time to depart! I zoomed down HW 58, stopping off at a Loves Travel Stop for coffee.

After an hour I stopped off at a tiny town called Yermo. I had noticed sculptures along I-15. This turned out to be Liberty Sculpture Park. It was a product of Chinese dissenters. I photographed a Wuhan Virus head and a Tiananmen square monument. It was odd to see such a park in the middle of nowhere, but where else could it be? I was able to get in lots of walking steps.

It began to rain as I neared the Nevada state line. I stopped at Primm to walk and get gas. I pulled into the Railroad Pass hotel about 5pm. I was pooped, so I showered and napped and snacked and soon it was time to pick up Frank. His Southwest flight landed at 9:20. The traffic was difficult. There was a March madness tournament in progress. We caught up on news during the drive to our Henderson hotel. Frank showered and we turned out lights about 11pm.

This was a long 20,000-step kind of day. It did start out with leisure in the hotel room. We ate the 2-egg special in the casino restaurant. Our day-time outing was to the Hoover Dam. It was only 20 miles to the east. We did two walks. The first was across a highway walkway. We took pictures looking down at the dam. Then we backtracked to drive across the dam itself and park on the Arizona side. We walked to the dam, crossing its expanse, looking at Lake Mead to the north and the Colorado river to the south. We also caught a glimpse of big-horn sheep. Zachary face-timed me when I was on the bridge, so I got to show my grand girls the scenery.

Our next outing was to the Sphere, but that wasn't until six. To fill some time, we visited the Clark County museum and lunched at a White Castle. I found a charging station near the Sphere, so I plugged in the Prius. We then decided to do a recon of the area. That was a mistake. We checked out the outer Sphere and learned where to park. We then took a "shortcut" back. The return walk was grueling for two septuagenarians. When we got back to the charging car, we both rested in the front seats.

We had event parking so we drove a few miles to lot M and stood in line for the Sphere. Entry was at seven, the program called Postcards from Earth started at eight. There were AI robots that answered questions to crowds of people, but I just stood on the sidelines. The projection on the sphere was outstanding-wrap-around sight and sound. The plot was cheesy new-age with earth being abandoned and an Adam-Eve couple terra-forming a distant planet. To remind them of their origin, they receive postcards of earth (stunning images of landscape, mountains, animals, people). But the plot was secondary to the haptic experience of sight, sound, shaking seats, wind in face, and scent. It cost $90, but was worth the experience. Here is Frank's take on the plot.

The day was long. We had over 20,000 steps each as we drove the Prius to an overnight stop-over in Seligman, the Deluxe Inn on Route 66. We hit the room about 12:30 with a time change and I crashed for the day.

In the morning, we walked around town gazing at the relics of a bygone (route 66) era. Then we headed east along I-40 to Williams, then north. We were at the Grand Canyon visitor center about noon. Some viewpoints were nearby, so we walked to them and shot lots of photos. A few pictures were of a munching Elk. Of course, the views were stupendous. We caught one sight-seeing bus and connected to a second. Frank and I partook in a rim walk of a few miles - snow afoot and puddles. First there were ominous clouds, then a burst of snow. Simon face-timed at just that moment and marveled that he caught me at such a scenic moment. His news wasn't good. He didn't get his anticipated raise so he opted out of the Japan vacation. I guess I'm going on a cruise with Zachary and family.

Our time was great. Just as we were leaving the lot, it started to snow. And it continued. It was sticking to the roadway as we drove along the south rim at 7000 feet altitude. I was worried - no snow tires. But then we drove to lower elevations and the snow left us. We continued to HW 64 then north on 89. We paused in Cliff Dwellers where I ate a Ruben sandwich in honor of Saint Patrick's Day. We got to Jacob Lake Inn before dark. There was lots of snow around, but the roads were clear. This was on the north side of the Grand Canyon. The room was fine for $100- $50 each. I fell asleep early. The days were long and eyes tired.

The morning was leisurely. We headed north on HW 89a to Kanab, Utah. I did some laundry and washed the car. The pause was pleasant with McDonald's coffee. We arrived at the Bryce Canyon welcome center about 2pm. Inspiration Point at 8100 feet was cold with ground snow. Very gingerly I carefully baby-stepped up a snow path to the view point. I did not want to fall. It may have been a few hundred yards up and back. The viewing was great, but I didn't count it a success until I returned bodily intact. I told Frank, "No more snow walking for me."

But the hoodoos were amazing and the air crisp. Our night stay was at Bryce Canyon Pines Inn. Again, cold and lots of ground snow. We ate dinner at a restaurant next door. It was good, as was the day at Bryce Canyon.

On HW 12 leaving Bryce Canyon Pines Inn, we stopped at the Red Canyon Tunnels that spanned the highway. Frank drove my car through a hole, then we found a footpath that led to the base of several hoodoos. More steps and more pictures followed.

Going down HW 89, we turned west at HW 9, and soon we were entering Zion National Park. I couldn't believe how packed the place was! Spring break? The line for the shuttlebus was endless. I drove around the lot but couldn't find a place to park. I finally parked my plug-in at a charging station - lucky for me. But the day seemed late and the park crowded. Frank and I decided to return next day, but early. However, we did walk a trail called The Watchman. Of course we didn't make it to the top, but the views were other-worldly. Frank soaked his feet in a stream and took a photo of my smart watch when it celebrated 10,000 steps. (He thinks I'm obsessive about my steps.) We drove about 30 miles to Saint George for the night, eating at Taco Bell. We figured how to divide our costs. There were five hotels at about $110 per night plus two tickets for the Sphere at $100. We alternated meal paying and car gas. So, it cost us about $500 each.

We got up about 6am and got to the National Park about 7:30. This was day two at Zion. There was still a crowd, but no line for the shuttle. We left the Visitor Center then shuttled to the Grotto, Zion Lodge, and Court of the Patriarchs. Lots of great photo opportunities. Sometimes I wish I were younger so my legs could carry me more than a mile up those steep mountain sides. "To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven." We stopped at the History Museum then back to the Visitor Center. We left the park about noon. Frank was due at the airport at 4pm.

On the drive to Las Vegas, we were listening to Part Two of my book as read by the PDF female voice. Frank made some good suggestions as in the passenger seat I took notes. The time passed quickly and soon we were in the city. We stopped at a park to bide our time for Frank's flight. While looking at ducks in a pond, we spoke by phone with Eileen then Jeanne. It's good to have family. Frank gathered his bags and I left him at 4:10.

Then I was off for the long return trip to San Mateo. I drove nearly non-stop to Afton Camp Ground in the Mohave Desert. The last five miles were down a gravel-dirt road. I pulled in about sunset. It was warm - about 75 degrees - and remote. I built a fire and set up the pup tent, more efficiently this time since I had practice six days earlier. It was a tranquil setting -- at least until I returned Frank's frantic phone call. My brother had lost his wallet! I searched the car but couldn't find it. He did manage to get through security and get home, but what a hassle. I felt bad for him, thinking the item was lost at the duck pond. But night time passed like real camping! The wind blew the rain cover loose, so I removed it and gazed at the bright moon and shining stars.

When I got going in the morning - in the daylight - I found Frank's wallet stuck beside the passenger seat! I phoned him. He was relieved. After boiling coffee for breakfast and a nice walk in the desert, I continued my trip home. I stopped in Barstow to mail the wallet to Frank -- 3 days at $30. I continued my long drive through Bakersfield to Middleton Lake near Fresno. I was disappointed. All the campsites were closed! (But the website said "year-round" open). Not knowing what to do, I located an Indian Casino 30 minutes north - - at Coarse Gold. Actually, it didn't turn out half bad. There was a gorgeous sunset. I boiled some Pad Thai noodles and used the tailgate tent. I was comfortable in the 55-degree weather and my eye mask.

In the morning, I walked some trails and got coffee at the trading center. I was feeling pretty good. It was about 3 1/2 hours home. I listened to Part Two of my book again, making mental notes of changes. I stopped at Los Banos at a charging station which recorded 1 hour of plug-in time. I was busy, sorting and repacking all my clothes and camping gear. Back in the car, then to San Mateo. Liz was at Filoli. That was good because it provided time for me to scurry around without her hovering over me. I went to pool for a wash-up and swim and when I returned home, there was my wife. We talked and played puzzles. I ate soup for dinner, then exhausted, it was off with the lights. The Brothers Adventure was over!

Saturday was back to routine. In steady rain, I drove to BurlPress for the Men's Meeting. The sun did burst out and for a moment a rainbow arched over El Camino Bvld. This day-March 23, 2024- carried a touch of sadness. This day would have been the fiftieth wedding anniversary for Kim and me.

The days seemed to rush to Easter on the last day of the month. With Liz I walked through Filoli on March 25. It was so pleasant I decided to become a member and so signed up at $94 for the year. I bought my ZipAir ticket for round-trip to Japan, got my 10,000-mile checkup at Toyota 101, and continued to monitor politics via YouTube after dark. (Will DJT really get re-elected in November?) I spent Friday afternoon at Half Moon Bay, walking down the beach avoiding the blue blobs of jellyfish. There was an unusual thunderstorm on Holy Saturday and on Sunday Liz and I attended BurlPres for a traditional Easter service. I spoke a few words to Liz's mom. The month was all lion and drew to a close as it began with wind and rain.

On the day after Easter, I got Sunday photos of Zélie and Zoshie hunting outside for eggs. As a new member, I visited Filoli on Thursday, and on Friday I walked with Ken Napier at the levee. Saturday was a long day, starting with Men's group at BurlPres, then a walk and swim. I was preparing for the eclipse trip to Pittsburgh/Cleveland. It was part family visit and part event visit. Jeff picked me up at 10pm and I was off to SFO for an adventure.

I wasn't able to sleep in seat 29d so the night was long. With the five-hour flight and three-hour time shift, I got to the PITT airport at 8am. Zachary soon met me at the Hyatt Hotel parking lot. We drove to his Catholic Church where I sat with Zachary, Ruth, Zélie, and Zoshie for a post-Easter mass. This church is really packed with young people and kids. It wasn't surprising to see the big fellowship after the service. I called it "Churchie Cheese", with all the kid's activity: games, ice cream, cooking making, and just running around. My grandgirls had a blast. I was really tired, so I napped in the basement suite for a few hours. Ruth had the girls at a party, so after my rest Zach and I went to Home Depot. He wanted to buy things to strip and re-furbish his back wooden deck. I interacted with the girls when they returned, but grew tired. I got to sleep early about 8:00.

Monday, April 8, 2024, was the big day of eclipse. It had been on my radar for about 3 years. I got an early morning walk, then returned to the house. I learned that Ruth wasn't going to join us (too much academia), but Mary -her mother- did accompany us. She sat in the back seat between Zélie and Zoshie. We left the house about 8:30 and drove straight through to Cleveland. We parked near the Great Lakes Science Center for the Total Eclipse Fest 2024. The totality was at 3:01pm. We were blessed. We were expecting cloudy skies or even rain, but the slight high clouds allowed for a bright sun and sharp shadows.

We picked up some ketch like the eclipse glasses, backpack and even cookies. We walked through the NASA pavilion and ate a good burger lunch. We then found a grassy spot to lay claim to our viewing post. Zachary brought his fancy camera (but to no success). I walked with the girls to a soap bubble location where they were fully occupied. I was able to see the moon slowly eat up the sun - beginning at 2:00 nibbling at the south east corner. There was spontaneous applause an hour later when only the sun's corona shown in the sky like a jeweled ring. It grew noticeably cooler and darker. The street lights popped on. I thought it was awesome. Then slowly the darkness passed. We were nearly returned to the parking garage when the sun was again at full strength. For me it was literally a one-in-a-lifetime event.

Ater an hour of driving we paused at a Wendy's where I consumed a dream-cycle shake. We drove on to Canton getting to the Hyatt around 5pm. Zachary took the girls to the pool for a few hours of splashing. After a brief nap, I relieved his lifeguard duty, and looked after the little swimmers. It was certainly a good and full day. I walked a few laps around the hotel premesis to get in my 10,000.

Zélie wanted a morning swim, so Zach as a good father sat in the poolside lounge chair. We enjoyed a hotel breakfast, then headed out. We stopped on the Ohio River at East Liverpool for lunch at a DQ. We then drove a backroad route to get Mary back home. That proved longer than anticipated and Zach was running late for his 2pm Eye Appointment. Does my son have glaucoma? I took the girls to the Monroeville Library where they were soon engrossed in coloring paper. Zachary and I got to talk about a lot of stuff. We nailed down our plans for the Princess Cruise of Japan in August. I put the $3800 on my charge card. We only had a short stop-over at the house because I was running late for my return flight. The traffic was bad getting into PITT, but we talked and as things turned out the United flight to SFO was running late. I sat in the same 29d passenger seat, rested, watched the cross-country map zoom the 4.5 hours back to California. Good old Jeff met me just as planned and I walked in the house at 11pm. Liz was asleep, so I was quiet. I didn't have any trouble falling asleep.

Wednesday was a recovery day of puzzles with Liz, curating photos, walking and swimming. Thursday was back to Men's Fraternity. I recieved an eclipse compilation from Zachary.

The week between my domestic and our international flight lasted eight days, a lull between storms of activity. I hiked with Liz at Edgewood, our chance to view the Tidy Tips and showed the eclipse video clip at BurlPress. Much of my time was spent listening to an Audible called Byzantium, reading the comics, and walking at CSM. I got a video of Gia running hurdles and ZZZ posing with flowers. I finally worked my way through Mission 2003: Souls Gone Astray of my manuscript. Liz was anxious but I was excited to go on British Airlines to begin our circumnavigation cruise of Great Britian called Dreams of Britian.