Things to do ... and it ain't riding

On Friday, July 24, it was haircut time.  We rode to the hairdresser, and a car backed out nearly onto the road in front of me.  They stopped, I swerved.  Another incident.  Too many for my short time in the city.  I’ve had one in a month of riding until we got here.  I’ve got eyes in the back of my head, the front of my head, the side of my head.  It’s apparently working.  All’s good.

From the hair cut we took my boots to the cobbler.  The sole was separating, they were coming apart and needed a little TLC.  I also needed some provisions for when I leave on Sunday and a new charger for my phone since I left mine home on the bike that’s at the Harley shop.  When I realized it was there, the shop was closed so I couldn’t retrieve it.  I also need some new jeans.  Two pair I have here are too big and loose.  They are sloppy, I don’t like the look and don’t want them sliding down at an inopportune time.  It would be ugly.  I found no jeans that fit.  This situation is looking bad.

We also did our usual walk, but no photo support for the day.  We didn’t take cameras, and there really wasn’t anything in the neighborhoods to photograph.

On Saturday, July 25, we walked in the morning.  We needed it as we were joining friends for lunch and would most likely eat large.  This time I took my little camera, and got a shot, or two. 

We did see a guard cat.  This one was allowing no solicitors.

 We walked in a park for a while and it’s also a dog park.  There were lots of dogs, and I got a shot of this Vizsla.  She was beautiful, her name was Carli, and she loved her ball. 

Carli waiting for her mama to toss the ball.

 

Who knew.  Don't eat these. 

A beautiful tree in the park, an old oak.

We headed down to the Hofbrau.  There used to be one like this in Anchorage with huge chunks of meat on chains in the window, twisting and turning as they cooked.  This place had a turkey in the window.  I chose to eat pork. 

Our lunch with our old and new friends was amazing.  Everyone but me had grown up or been born in California, mostly near where we were, so they had a lot in common and a lot of people in common, with some even related. 

From left, Vangie, Mary, Jaz, Virginia, me, Lorraine.  We met Vangie, Lorraine and Vangie's husband, Mike, on the South America cruise.  Mike was taking the photo.  Virginia is Jaz's mom, and Mary is Virginia's cousin. 

We spent a couple of hours over lunch but then it was time to go pick up my boots before the cobbler closed or I’d be riding in sneakers.  I do not want that as if my bike is loaded it’s way easier to handle with boots. 

From there it was back to the search for jeans.  We went to a big shopping mall with every fancy store you could think of … but we were going to Macy’s.  We walked in but couldn’t find the women’s section.  Turns out they have a whole store of their own, much larger, of course, and across the mall.  We found it, and found jeans that I didn’t want to pay the price for.  We finally found my price bracket, $50 and under on sale.  I am not into paying over a hundred buck for jeans that I ride in and most likely will get oil on, or grease, or lots of bug guts.  The best part of things on sale here is that I opened an account and they gave me another 40 percent off.  They practically paid me to walk out with those jeans.  I’m happy, and now ready to get packed and on the road tomorrow.

In the meantime, there was a birthday party across the street.  And a bouncy house.

The bouncy house was huge and even had a slide.

If they stay up too late, we have a solution.

 

The final solution.  Geez.  Were there a couple of kids left in there?  Whoops.  Time to go to bed so we don't become suspects.