Category Archives: Just Plain Fun

fun stuff

San Diego

San Diego

We drove “Li’l Beast” to San Diego to visit family a few weeks ago. Unusual for San Diego, we caught the tail end of a tropical storm that came up the Baja Peninsula and dropped a ton of rain with lightning and thunder for a full day. Now it is sunny and cool in the evenings, just what you would expect in Southern California.

We consider moving to San Diego from time to time. Even now I’m hoping that Hercules can “get its act together” and implement a well designed walk-able plan for its bay front property. Work has re-started on the “Tyvek Palace”, a high-end condo project that went bust about six years ago. It will have shops on the ground floor and about 150 market rate apartments in the floors above. The high-end condo concept was abandoned. Strangely, no additional parking has been planned for the 200+ cars that will be parking in the Bay Neighborhood. This is a significant problem that the city of Hercules failed to address when the project was approved. If Hercules does a better job of planning/implementing development of its bay shoreline, that could change everything. I doubt the city has the foresight though.

 

Hercules, Ca

Herculels2 Herculels1

     Sycamore North today                   Sycamore North last year

If I had to guess, we will stay in Hercules for the next four to six years, then move to San Diego. San Diego housing prices are still low compared to the Bay Area which makes moving there quite possible. Another little known fact, San Diego county allows the tax basis of your current house to be transferred to San Diego County if you buy there. If your home is worth $150 K, you can transfer your ridiculously low housing tax basis if you buy in San Diego! I am not sure that this tax transfer works for out-of-state property, something I have not had to research as we live in California. This might make the purchase of a house along the coast or with a view feasible for us!

We had thought to head back to the Bay Area this morning, but we’re still here and will be for a few more days. This is one of the joys of retirement. If you want to spend more time somewhere/anywhere, you can do it. We have arranged online payments for all of our bills and have a monthly deposit from our savings dropped into our accounts every month. We can close up our home and go anywhere we want at the drop of a hat and not have to worry about our creditors. Of course, I check our accounts regularly.

If we go for more than a week or two, we do have to have the post office hold our mail. When we were in Europe in July, we had a huge stack of mail to work through. Surprisingly, there were only four or five pieces of mail of any significance. Most of the mail was marketing material that went right into recycling. What a waste of time and material that is.

We’ve had Li’l Beast plugged into the Nema 14-50 socket Chanda had installed for our Tesla here in San Diego. It’s no coincidence that the Tesla and our RV take the same plug. Tesla planned this to increase the number of alternative charging locations for the Tesla. Today, if we were to take the Tesla to Eureka, we may have to charge at an RV campground. We’d most likely take our RV, Li’l Beast.

Balboa Park, the Museum of Man

Yesterday, we visited the Museum of Man, Balboa Park San Diego for the Mayan Exhibit. There were very few original pieces which was a disappointment. There were numerous pots and some jewelry on display; that was great. Interesting were the interactive presentations. Create your name in Mayan glyphs, hear it pronounced, and print it out. Print out your date of birth in Mayan calendar glyphs. There were a number of videos that described the Mayan culture, how the ruins were discovered, games the Mayans played, and population centers growth and demise over time. I’d post photos if I had thought to re-charge my camera’s batteries! Both batteries are charged now, and ready for the Aeronautics Museum and the Vermeer Exhibit at the park. I’ll update this post with photos when we get back.

MuseumOfMan1 MuseumOfMan2 MuseumOfMan3

 

Photos from the Mayan Exhibit, Museum of Man

 

San Diego Zoo

If you visit San Diego, do not miss Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo. Both are a treat. As usual, I recommend going early for quick parking and to get some time in before the crowds. Still the crowds have never been a problem, both the park and the zoo are large. Crowds spread out and you don’t even notice. I have photos of a prior visit to the zoo that I will post a bit later.

IMG_1459                     IMG_1456

IMG_1404      IMG_1417

IMG_1349      IMG_1412

20090318_0254      20090318_0246

20090318_0229      20090318_0215

20090318_0206      20090318_0203

A series of photos from the San Diego Zoo

 

The San Diego Air and Space Museum

We just returned from an afternoon at the Air and Space Museum.  The museum is in San Diego’s Balboa Park.  The Air and Space museum houses a large number of airplanes and space memorabilia, including the Apollo 9 space capsule, a PBY-5a Catalina amphibious airplane, The Gee-Bee R1 aircraft that Jimmy Doolittle flew to win the Thompson Trophy: Doolittle and the R1 ,  a number of WWII aircraft, a Blue Angles Hornet, and any number of other aircraft.  The museum is large, but it could easily be doubled in size to give each plane more space.   The time flew by as we walked the museum.

We were drawn from the entrance to the center courtyard then walked through the far doors and headed left.  If you do this, you’ll miss the exhibit of early flight through WWI on the right side of the museum.  We retraced our steps and discovered the WWI replicas and originals on the right half of the museum.

A word of caution,  Tuesday is a day of free admission to some of the park museums.  On the fourth Tuesday of the month (today), the Air and Space Museum is one of those that is free.  On Tuesdays, the park is full and parking becomes difficult unless you arrive after 3 pm.  The park closes at 5 pm; it is not worth it to go that late.  Go early, you will be glad you did.

 

Photos of San Diego Air and Space Museum

BalboaPark1      AeronaticalMuseum

   Reflecting pool, Balboa Park                  Air and Space Museum

IMG_5602      IMG_5606

              Apollo 9 capsule

 

IMG_5612      IMG_5616

           PBY-5a Catalina                                             Mig15

IMG_5618      IMG_5631

                  F4-Phantom                                  Phaeton Plaque

IMG_5624      IMG_5629

                   Phaeton                                    Ford V-8 Deluxe Roadster

IMG_5641      IMG_5639

                    Spitfire                                                        ME109

IMG_5644      IMG_5645

Vought F4U Corsair

IMG_5668

Ryan STA Trainer and Acrobatic plane

 

Ron

Shatterproof Update

The rappel will be down the side of San Jose’s tallest building, over 260 feet high.
I have collected a substantial portion of the $1000.00 donation necessary to make me face this rappel. I’d say it will be fun, though it’ll probably be more terrifying than enjoyable until I’m back on the ground.
Thank you for your donations.
Ron

I’m fighting to end addiction, and doing a crazy stunt too…

Hi,

On December 2, I expect to rappel from the side of a building in San Jose.

It’s a fundraising event called the Shatterproof Challenge, which will raise funds for Shatterproof. Shatterproof is devoted to ending addiction; providing families with critical information and support; working toward prevention, treatment and recovery; and changing public policy.

Show your support by making a donation through my personal fundraising page. A donation of any amount will go a long way toward helping me hit my goal and support Shatterproof.

https://secure.shatterproof.org/page/outreach/view/san-jose-2014-shatterproof-challenge/RonOnaRope

I’m donating $100.00. Will you match my donation?

Thanks!
Ron

No corkscrew??? how to open a bottle of wine without one…

Not often, but every now and then I find myself with good company, a bottle of wine, and no corkscrew. Typically this happens while travelling and I’ve been forced to push the cork into the bottle which creates a mess and trouble pouring the wine.

Here’s the best solution I’ve ever seen. Also check out the Coravin described in the article. I think it is too expensive and does not deal with crystal formation or sediment in the wine.

http://www.today.com/food/no-corkscrew-no-problem-how-open-wine-shoe-2D11899299

(I would post the article, but the video would not come across. It’s all about the video!!)

Ron

Full Lips ????

Image

I was reading an article on the web about a seven year old girl in Brisbane Austraila who asked for a pet dragon for Christmas, when my wife said, “you’ve got to see this”.

The seven year old article is touching: http://www.today.com/moms/girl-7-asks-scientists-dragon-gets-standing-job-offer-2D11900130

Ellen was watching a TV program that features short clips of the wierd, wild, or outrageous. What was shown was a melt down between a mom and her son in a grocery store. The son was eating grapes, mom tried to stop him, and a fight ensued complete with by-standers trying to break them up and throwing the pair out of the store. Undoubtedly this was the culmination of years of bad parenting.

It was the next clip that I have to share.

“full lips”

There were four “reporters” (2 guys, 2 gals) on the program who selected something new, strange, or weird to feature. One of the gals asked, “what do you think of women with full lips?” Everyone agreed that if they are natural, it’s attractive, but if they’re filled with silcon or whatever that’s not good. Up popped a video presenting “fullips”, a gadget (a pump) that you wrap your lips around and pump. The pump applies suction to your lips and puffs them up! No kidding. Fullips comes in 3 sizes. The “reporter” had purchased one of each size and passed them out for the others to try. This was hilarious, but most amazingly it worked (you’d have to see the video).

I could not resist. What a wonderful thing to pull out at a party. Hilarity would ensue!! I’ve ordered two. They ship from London.

www.fullips.com They provide a video.

Disclaimer: I have no business connection with fullips.com aside from my order.

Enjoy,

Ron