2023

Ah… 2023. What a year. What a fun beginning!

Obviously, we must start right off with Politics! Could there possibly have been any more fun than watching that little weasel, Kevin McCarthy humiliate himself in his quest to become Speaker of the House? The dictionary sums it up quite well… to debase oneself:  the act or process of lowering oneself in status, esteem, quality, or character. Now, one could argue that he never had any of those traits to begin with, but still… it was so much fun to watch it play out.

And how about Donnie finally getting indicted? (Or INDICATED as he posted on his personal message board.) Too much fun, indeed!

DeSantis vs Disney, Debt Ceiling, Lost Whistle-Blowers… Politics has been a complete joke.

Immediately after that, we finally got our new bathroom! That, boys and girls, was a bit of a challenge, but, in the end, we have a really nice space. We got a discount for the inconvenience they caused, and life is good. You can take a look, here…

And then there was football… Naturally, Tim was rooting for the 49ers while Victor was rooting for the Eagles. After the Niners had to play their 4th string quarterback, the game pretty much went to hell – or heaven, depending on one’s view and allegiance. The killer was the Super Bowl. Sadly, Philadelphia just couldn’t maintain their first half dominance. Next year, we’re hoping to see another SF/Philly playoff… We both want our home team to win – but will support the winner, regardless.

With football behind us, we headed to the coast for a couple of days of winter fun by the Pacific. We finally made it out to Manzanita to meet up with friends Brad and Christopher. We had a blast! The coast in winter is really awesome – and the company was even better.

As Winter dragged on into Spring, Tim’s sister decided a trek to Cabo San Lucas was the remedy for lack of heat and sunshine! We headed down with 4 of his 5 siblings and spouses. One sister was staying in Oklahoma to help out her daughter with the grandkids.

Cabo San Lucas – OY!!! (Or is that ¡OLÉ!) Whichever the word, it was a ton of fun. Who cannot love a place where they’re pouring shots of tequila with breakfast?

Tim had been to Cabo some 45 years ago when he worked for Hyatt Hotels. Back then, it was a sleepy fishing village just on the verge of becoming a destination resort. The area has grown, but watching the sun rise on your balcony over the Sea of Cortez is as spectacular as ever.

We did all the requisite touristy things in glorious sunshine. Tim wore his SPF 50 sunscreen and a swim-shirt in the water. His Dermatologist was pleased he’s finally starting to take basal cells seriously at his advancing age. Victor, on the other hand, bronzed to Adonis beauty with his Sicilian skin. Genetics…

Back to reality, we celebrated Victor’s birthday at a great seafood restaurant in Portland and started making plans to visit San Francisco, see a Giants/Phillies game, and play tourists a bit.

Plans made, tickets bought, and Tim comes down with Shingles! Ugly red welts, blisters, and a feeling that his nerve ends were exposed and just waiting for every irritation under the sun to come by and visit. And visit, they did!

Public Service Announcement: If you have not had your 2-dose Shingrix vaccine – DO IT, TODAY! Uncomfortable doesn’t begin to describe it!

Fortunately, they were cleared up by the time we boarded the plane south! And what a fun time we had! We stayed at the Wharf, rode Muni everywhere, saw a great baseball game, revisited old haunts in Sausalito… The rumors of the City’s demise are greatly exaggerated, to paraphrase a misquote of a Mark Twain quote. The City is alive and well – and as vibrant and beautiful as ever.