My Never-Ending Birthday Celebrations!

More Celebrations.

The day began on a motorcycle tack, James Wilbourn came over and we started on the assembly of the Yamaha engine.

A beautiful late fall day in SoCal.

 

Norman with the "Ealth and Safety" hat on!

Don't point the air hose at any part of your body!

 

 

 

Later a buddy of James came over to help out!

As you can see he has his biker tee shirt, ready to go.

 

 

 

Later in the day we went to Costa Mesa to Scotts Restaurant for dinner.

 

 

Here I am with my birthday treat.

 

A great place.

 

 

As a gift for my birthday, Anne had arranged tickets for the Orange County Performing Arts Center to see a performance by a young pianist named Joyce Yang,

The orchestra opened with the overture from Glinka's Russlan and Ludmilla, a wonderful piece.
Then the virtuoso came on and played Tchaikovsky's Piano concerto Number 1 in B flat minor.
I know, technical stuff.
 It really makes no difference to me what key it is played in as I am tone deaf, and couldn't play God Save The King on a penny whistle.
But this young lady gave an absolutely stunning performance.

Joyce Yang

Check out her website from the link above.

Intermission.

We clean up real good!
It's amazing what you can pick up at the Salvation Army Thrift Store.


Then came the second half, Bella Bartok Concerto for Orchestra.

As far as I'm concerned he need not have bothered writing it. It's too jumpy and discordant to listen too and too loud to sleep through.

Nonetheless, a wonderful evening.

Here endeth the celebrations of my monumental 65th birthday.

Ciao Bella

 

Man this Christmas thing is coming up fast!

More preparations for the "Festive Season"

Santa came early this year, look at the tool box he has been storing at the plant for me!
Yeah, dream on. One of the guys in the shop bought it for himself.
Craftsman brand too. That used to really mean something back in the days when there were nine planets.

We got the Christmas tree set up in the house, so I thought OK I'll get Anne's gifts wrapped and put them under the tree.
I started looking for gift wrap and came up with the perfect plan.
Gift Bags.
My gift wrapping is atrocious, as my Dad used to say, "Everything you wrap looks like a ham shank"
Oh well, gift bags are OK especially when you get the correct design.

Now this tree is a little more eclectic than the pure leopard tree in the gazebo.

This one has Harley stuff, motorcycles, dogs and who knows whet else on it.

In preparation for a couple of little soirees we have planned over holidays, I have been making a few appetizers, just practice quantities until I see how they work.

 

I've been trying my hand at baking, and so far it has worked out well.

That is to say, we have eaten a couple of samples and we are not dead yet so they must be OK.

I must admit I felt a bit like Paula Dean when I was buying some of the ingredients, it seemed that butter was very high on the list.

 

Can't wait to go to the store without having Jingle Bells playing in the produce section.

 

Yeah, I know I'm just an old curmudgeon.

 

And don't you forget it!

 

More soon,

Ciao Bella,

 

Norm

 

 

 

 

Getting Ready for The Holidays

It must be a sign that you are getting old when you receive four pieces of mail and they are, one from Forest Lawn Mortuary and three from Medicare Part B provider.

Oh! well just carry on as normal until one or the other of those services is required.

We started decorating the gazebo with the Christmas stuff in very unseasonal weather.

However, the decorating went ahead and turned out well.
Madame decorated the Christmas tree, but had a hard time coming up with a theme.

 

NAW!

 

 

 

 

Anne also came up with the idea for the lights,

All I had to do was install them.

 

 

We went out and stayed with friends on Friday 12/6 and we went out for dinner where I ran into this strange woman.

 

 

I think that she was either French or from Blackpool!

 

This morning when I went out to the backyard the temperature was very seasonal, in fact a bit too much so.

 

 

35 degrees F and 96% RH.

BRRRRRRRR!

This was a surprise birthday gift from our neighbor Jim, looks like it's for brown baggin' it.

But really it is a very good red wine from Paso Robles.

 I'm not sure where the biker bit comes from, but that is the perceived connection.

 

 

More soon,

 

Ciao Bella!

2014 Travels

Planning For 2014

We have started our trip plans for 2014, the first six months are already in the book.

January, Las Vegas, Norman with James Wilbourn to look at motorcycles.

 

 

February,  Surprise Az, we both go to visit Barb and Leon.

March, UK, we both go to hang with the homies.

April, Laughlin, Norman with Jeff Lidwin.

 

 

May, Idyllwild Ca, we both go with Brent and our four legged friends to chill for the weekend.

 

June, Italy, we are both going to the Amalfi coast for a reprise of our 40th anniversary.

Who knows what's next and we still have three weeks of this year left for more planning.