The Wiltin Rose: Girls about town

My friend Sue arrived in San Diego on Saturday night. We had a big fondue dinner when she arrived and planned out our next few days together.

Sunday, we took the ferry from San Diego over to Coronado. Steve drove so he could drop us off at the ferry and meet us on the other side...after a quick look through the boutiques near the ferry, we headed to lunch and a quick trip through the lobby of the Hotel Del. What a beautiful place! Built in Victorian times (prior to 1888, is my understanding - see www.hoteldel.com for more information), Hotel Del has been visited by movie stars and royalty and has even been in a few movies itself. What I would give to stay there for a night or two! Just not in any of the haunted rooms. Crrrreeeepy.

After the Hotel Del, we headed back to the car, passing along these rose bushes where the heads of the roses were at least 7 inches in circumference. Sue and I were amazed...we'd never seen roses so big in our lives. Into the car and on to Mission Beach. We were at Mission Beach from 2 or 3 in the afternoon until 9 last night. The kids had fun playing in the sand and running in and out of the surf. Steve flew a few kites. Sue and I gabbed, drank beer (on the beach...gotta love CA!), and caught up on stuff. We watched the sunset over the ocean, something Sue has never done before. After that, we went up to the boardwalk for burgers and rode some rides. The kids rode the Submarine ride with Steve while Sue and I rode on the "Giant Dipper Roller Coaster". Great ride! I was a bit scared but in the end it was good. The ride itself is one of the oldest wooden coasters in the country...being built in 1925. It goes pretty fast for being so old! Hope I can say the same thing when I'm 82. ;-)

Today, we got a bit of a late start but were still in time for the low-tide anemone show at Cabrillow National Monument's tide pool area. I was more prepared this time than I was back in November (when we took our family Christmas photos)...I had bathing suits and crocs for the kids knowing full well they would be heading into the water and slipping and falling on the rocks. Which is exactly what Delaney did towards the end of the visit...slipping and falling and cutting her hand open...about which we are STILL hearing the boo-hoos. I'm sure she'll keep it up as long as she can see the cut.

Tomorrow I think Sue will head out on her own. I have laundry to do and things to try to get caught up on here at the house. Laney will go back to school for Tues/Weds/Thurs...Sue leaves Weds evening. Friday we are planning a spur-of-the-moment trip to Disneyland. The twins turn 3 on Saturday so we need to get this visit in before we have to pay for them! It will be our last time there and I'm sure 1 day isn't ever enough time but it's more than we thought we'd get and I'm glad for it.

I have to pause here for a moment and clarify a little something that was in my blog entry about Stacey. Some of you may have noticed I called her "slut". She wasn't a slut at all. That was a complete term of endearment that I have used for her for 16 years...and a name she gave herself. At one time, there were three of us girls who hung out together. Stace named us "Slut, Smut, and Slurp. The Innocent Three." (You'll just have to guess which one I am of the two that are left!) My dad was a bit concerned that I was being disrespectful to John and Stace's family. I wasn't and had Stace been able to read that entry, she would have laughed at the fact that I included it ...and probably would have had a thing or two more to say about it.

So, anyway, here are the latest photos...