Wild Animal Park

Saturday August 29, 1992

We're up and off with Dee (Steve had to go to work) to Wild Animal Park. We arrive about 11 a.m. It's a hard uphill walk from the parking lot. I'm relieved when we reach the entrance. Once inside we hike up the hill to see the Dinosaur exhibit. It's tough and I sweat alot though the weather is in the 70s. It's a great exhibit.

Later we stand in line 45 minutes to ride the monorail, a 50-minute ride around the park. We see lots of animals. We have lunch, then wander around, see the bird show, the butterfly exhibit, the gorillas, etc.

We had a great day and are home tired at 5:30. We rest, eat and leave for the Padres/Pirates baseball game. It was great fun, but the Padres lost 2-3. After the game there was a great fireworks show. I felt great and did fine!

Whew! What a day! Just hearing about her day makes me exhausted, and I don't have cancer. I am amazed that Mom still has so much energy. I have been to San Diego Zoo a couple of times, but have never been to Wild Animal Park. Now that we have flights from Sonoma County Airport to San Diego, it sounds like we'll have to plan a trip there soon.

San Diego

Thursday August 27, 1992

Up and packing and ready to leave for San Diego by 11 a.m. We enjoy our beautiful ride down except for the traffic. Dolores in there to greet us when we arrive at 3 p.m. We spend the evening visiting with Dee and Steve We sleep well on their couch bed.

Frank's daughter Dolores went to college at CSU San Diego where she met her husband Steve. After they both graduated from college they settled down in San Diego. She is a teacher and Steve is an architect.

San Diego, pictured above, has a population of over 1.3 million. It is the second largest city in California (after Los Angeles) and eighth largest in the country. No wonder there was so much traffic on the drive down. Los Angeles County, Orange County and San Diego County make one huge metropolis with bumper-to-bumper cars. The climate in San Diego is what attracts so many people, as it is mild all year round, has beautiful beaches and warm water.

Surprise Birthday Party for Dolores in San Diego

Sunday July 5, 1992

Up at 5:30, we're off at 7 a.m. to pick up Frank's folks at 8 a.m., then off to San Diego for Dolores' surprise birthday party at Peohe's Restaurant on Coronado Island. It's a lovely drive and a lovely restaurant. She had been told we were coming but all were very surprised to see the folks. We had a really good brunch at 11 a.m.

After brunch we go to Dee and Steve's house for birthday cake. We visit a few hours. I'm tired from my cold and cough but have felt pretty good all day. Wonderful compared to last week! I help drive home 1/2 way. It's good to get home. Dolores loved our gift of rabbit wind chimes.

Thank you, God, for answering my prayer for recovery! We go to pick up Justin at 7 p.m. but they're still swimming so Gary brings him over at 9 p.m.

This sounds like an exhausting day for someone who is battling cancer as well as battling a cold, but in spite of all circumstances, Mom is thankful for a good day. Peohe's Restaurant on Coronado Island looks like a beautiful place with scenic views of the San Diego skyline. Frank's daughter Dolores must have been very pleased and surprised.

Off To San Diego

Saturday November 9, 1991

Best night this week. Only 4 hot flashes last night. I feel really good this morning. I'm awake at 6:45 and ready to rise and shine. By 9 a.m. we're packed and ready to go to San Diego. The traffic around Los Angeles is "stop and go". Awful! But we finally do arrive about 2 p.m. We stopped for a nice lunch at Marie Callendar's in Capistrano.

The kids are glad to see us. We get the grand tour of their new house. It's really a neat little house. We will sleep in the trundle bed in what will be the baby's room someday.

We go to Old Town for dinner but all the restaurants have long waits. We end up at Acapulco where the kids don't care for their dinners. Steve buys dinner.

At home we eat the key lime pie we brought from Marie Callendar's. I call and talk to Yvonne but it's hard. She's doing customers' nails while we talk.

Wow, 5 hours to travel 160 miles from Simi Valley to San Diego, and this is on a Saturday, when traffic should be much lighter! Several years ago, when our two teenage boys were very young, we took them to Legoland which is in Carlsbad, north of San Diego, and I remember the traffic coming north to Simi Valley through the Los Angeles basin, including the Long Beach area. It was 8 lanes of traffic on Interstate 5, all crawling along at 5 mph. We have not been back since. The horrendous traffic is one of the many reasons I left Southern California after graduating from college in 1974.

I remember mom talking about how small Dolores and Steve's house was in San Diego, where prices were so expensive for housing. Dolores is Frank's daughter, who went to college at San Diego State, met her husband there, and stayed in the area after graduating with a teaching degree.

I am so touched that Mom called Yvonne who lived in San Diego (and perhaps still does?) Yvonne was my brother's girlfriend 35 years ago. That's one thing I admire about mom. Once a friend, always a friend.

Off to San Diego

Wednesday June 5, 1991

Awoke at 7:30 feeling rested. The all over body aches are less. Some pains in my tummy now and then. Still have discomfort under my ribs on the right. Is it from sleeping on my right side? I wake often each night with achiness especially on my right side including hip and leg, body and shoulder and arm. My right side lower back and hip ache most of the time day and night. Need to start my exercises again and get back to walking.

I have my nails done, bank, post office, and get the car washed. Buy a hot dog and hurry home to vacuum, dust and straighten.

Frank comes hom and we are off to San Diego at 2:30. Lots of traffic. We arrive at Dee and Steve's at 5:30. Dee has dinner for us and then we drive over to see, from the outside only, the house they want to buy. It's charming from the outside. We'll see inside tomorrow. We go to a coffee house and later hit the hay (floor) about 11 p.m. Feeling good. They think I look great.

Oh no, mom has to sleep on the floor when she has all those aches and pains?? I have trouble sleeping in a strange bed and would have a sleepless night if I tried to sleep on the floor at this age. What a trooper!

San Diego is located almost 200 miles south of Simi Valley in Southern California where mom and Frank live. Considering the distance and how much traffic there is on that stretch of freeway, it is amazing that they arrived at 5:30 (rush hour) in only 3 hours. Located on the border between Mexico and the United States, San Diego hosts miles of beaches and a number of U.S. military facilities. It is known for it's warm climate and sandy beaches. With a population of 1.3 million, it is the second largest city in California, after Los Angeles, which has 4 million. By contrast Santa Rosa is ranked 30th in the state with 160,000 population. This is where I relocated from Los Angeles in 1974 to get away from the horrible traffic and crowds.