Retirement Journey to India: March 2010

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

California - 18-22 March 2010

On 18 March Suzie took Dexter and me to miniature golf. Dexter lasted less than ten minutes with the miniature golf game and ended up at the machines.

Suzie & Dexter on the miniature golf course

That afternoon Gopal and I met with Stephanie, Millicent and Debbie for a snack. It was good to see them and catch up a little.

That evening, my friend Erica picked me up at Suzie's and we went to Healdsburg for two nights. It was a good opportunity to talk, since we don't get to do that anymore. We saw "Alice in Wonderland" which we liked.

These pictures are of the Piper Street Inn where we stayed the second night. Very comfortable and charming.

Erica's room

My room (I'm the elder)

Garden

Erica and I returned from Oakland early so I could babysit for Dexter. Near their house is the Chabot Science and Space Center. Unfortunately, part of it was closed for a party, but we got a lot of mileage out of the rest.

Here's Dexter in a real space capsule, where he could flip all the switches and sit in the astronaut's seat.

Volunteers let us look at the sun through a telescope.

This big telescope and museum are on a hill overlooking San Francisco Bay.

The next morning, Sunday, Todd and Sharon (my brother and sister-in-law) came to Montclair from S.F. for breakfast with us. The Monclair Farmers Market was going on so we wandered through it.

Carolyn, Sharon, Todd

On the curb near the farmers market was this BMW painted bright pearled pink with "Barbie" painted on the window and a licence plate that read '8arbie .'

On Sunday evening, we went to bhajans again. This is little Rivaj, 3 mos., who fell asleep on me during the singing. Heaven.

Tuesday, Suzie & I got a manicure and pedicure. Aren't we cute?

Monday, March 29, 2010

California - 14 March 2010

We had a JAC board meeting on the 14th

After our board meeting, we went to bhajans

Note the babies on the floor (heaven)

This is Suzie's amaryllus, on it's second bloom

From above. It's gorgeous.

Big Sur with Suzie

Suzie and I spent a couple days together in Big Sur, California, one of my favorite places. It was heavenly, just the two of us, slow and easy.

The waterfront at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (there's a small waterfall from the rocks onto the beach.)

Suzie

Our cabin kitchen

Our table

On our way home, we stopped at Point Lobos State Reserve, another one of my favorite places.

It started to rain (it was so gorgeous!), so we had to find a tree to eat under.

Sacramento, California - 6-10 March 2010

On Friday, 5 March, after my yoga class and lunch with my brother, Todd, Gopal and I went to Sacramento to see my sister, Joan, and her husband, Scott, for the weekend. This is a really special time for them as they're in the process of buying a house.

Scott, Joan, Carolyn in front of Scott and Joan's new house

Joan's daughter Katie and her daughter Zoey live with Joan and Scott. Here's Joan reading to Zoey.

It is my hope that every time I go to Sacramento to visit, Joan and Scott take me to Tower Restaurant. Sigh.

Joan and Scott at Tower Restaurant

Carolyn and Gopal

Consumnes River Preserve

Before we knew it, the weekend was over. We really had a wonderful time with them. Never saw them again before we left. :(

California - 22 February to 3 March 2010

Out the window at Hong Kong airport en route to California

The first week there, we stayed with my daughter and son-in-law, Suzie and Ramon. It was wonderful to see them again and also to see how Dexter has grown.

We were back in my cozy basement room there. There are many wonderful walking places within easy driving distance of their house. In the first day or two we went for a nice walk.

Suzie, Gopal, Dexter

Dexter and Ramon

Suzie and Dexter

Dex, Suzie, Carolyn

On Sunday 1 March, Gopal and I went to bhajans in El Cerrito with the Hindu Nepali community there. It was a nice reunion with many friends and a chance to meet people we hadn't met yet.