Holiday Inn Express Suites Tracy

... this year - we've managed to catch up with a few friends and family. I'll share a few pictures with you - I haven't had my camera with me much this past month and in hindsight I guess I should have been taking pictures of us with all our various doctors....Hmm, maybe next year!!

One other thing that has happened since last we 'spoke' - Ken & I have both had a birthday. I am ...

... itself! This is UNACCEPTABLE!

Double-billed us even though we stated several times we were paying in cash (took a week to get the charge off our credit card), complaint about bathroom fan not working was ignored, $HITTY customer service, hotel manager was either not given our numerous messages (or ignored them until corporate called), bed had no pillow-top (so ...

Right!! So...I am bright and sunshinny ...(who am I kidding, its a rainy day here!!!). Well, after my drunken Indian Arrival Day weekend....I decided that I should slow down.How about laying back and cleaning my apartment for a change. A gathering of female forces should have me place shining in no time!! YEAH RIGHT... I tell you..my vehicle has a mind of its own! Instead of dropping off a pal at UWI (University of the West ...

... super thankful to have the day off from cultural experiences.. WHEW. My brain (and a little bit of my soul) worked hard when I watched Babel. The plot twists around with 4 sets of characters, and the soundtrack is just beautiful. We also visited Jewels of Nature again, and I got my second drum lesson! I know 3 rhythms now, and practice them on my trash can in my room when I'm bored. ^^; A few of us helped Rae ...

... tried to make myself useful while I anxiously awaited Kim's arrival. Wow-she looks good! Kim has always been so cute anyway, but she's adorable pregnant! Absolutely radiant. And huge! (I mean that in the best possible way). I'm kinda hoping she has the baby a bit early so I can see her before we head home. (Baby London is due January 24th, and we go home the 12th). She's an active little one! Kim let ...

... number-no answer. So we left-again-and meandered around town for awhile, looking for alternatives. After making a bunch of phone calls, and looking at local mobile home parks (thinking one of them may accept overnight RVers), we found that there were still no options. Really tired, and now irritated, we went once more to the original place. This time when I knocked on the still-locked door, I could hear shouting. The office is ...

... mark. Mark has done a lot of work on this boat, and Parrish duties, along with many other factors dos not have the time to completely make the boat "in Bristol Fashion." I intend to do this, with Marks guidance. I am limited but I refuse to sit idle. The boat has many other unique features, cool stoves Etc. The coolest part of the boat however, is the One cylinder Diesel engine that was probably built at the same time as the boat. Mark has ...

... SF skyline, and then cruised back out to Stockton. Mon 7th Hyl and I headed to Fisherman's Wharf first thing in the morning and spotted none other than the very famous SF icon The Bushman. We told him that he was famous even in Australia and he posed for a photo. I'll attach a pic of his antics. Unfortunately this camera doesn't have sound - so you don't get the whole effect of his 'show' - but you can find him on break.com if you search for Bushman - and you can see heaps of his ...

... purchases for oneself. Unfortunately, a sense of proportion will still apply. Bringing home a bouquet of flowers does not usually provide a hall pass to get a new sports car. This ratio is known among many men as the Toy to Diamond Ratio ("TDR"). Scientific research has shown that for each dollar a husband spends on jewelry, on average, he can get away with spending 0.8 to 1.0 dollars on toys for himself. Of course, the TDR varies based on the ...

... but put it down to the area I was walking through. I turned onto Market St and walked the full length to the Ferry building at the corner of the Embarcadero. Again while walking along this 'main' road through SF I was confronted with a lot of begging and unsavioury types. Now I want to point out that I'm not trying to be critical of the people or their situation, I'm just trying to give you an idea of the area and the ease of which tourists like myself must form opinions ...