Author: Rudy

By 7:00am we were having breakfast. Max was his usual cheery self — he slept almost 8 hours in a stretch after going to sleep just before 8 last night. Tim and Alex were busy packing and by 8:00 we were in the van on the way to the airport. The weather at home is supposed to be not so good by the time their plane lands mid-afternoon. (Sara and James are picking them up at the airport.) We got to the Palm Springs airport by 8:30. Of course, Max was fast asleep from the half-hour ride. So we had to say our goodbyes to his parents  while he snoozed in his stroller.

When we got back home we did a major cleanup of the place — Sue was doing laundry, I vacuumed, we moved ourselves back into the master bedroom. We were all done and had just finished our sandwiches outside on the patio when our next ‘visitors’ arrived. People interested in renting a place for next winter were coming to inspect the house — we had agreed to this request from the landlord. They were also Canadians, from Vancouver. We showed them around. After that I watched a bit of golf on TV and then at around 3:00 we took a drive down to the Somerset area just south of El Paseo to look at a couple of rent options for us for next month. It’s not a country club, so that sort of appeals to us.

We went to the Palme d’Or theatre to see a movie at 4:00 — “Amour”, the subtitled French film nominated for 5 Oscars including best picture. It was okay. Back at home we had supper and watched 60 Minutes. Got an email from Alex — they’re home, the flight was good, Max was great, the ride home was no problem — everything is fine. Did a bit of reading on the internet and went to bed early.

Woke up and heard Max gurgling in his room. I got up and went in to pick him up — but all he wanted was his soother and he went right back to sleep. So Alex and Sue and I sat in the living room, but no Max — not quite like every other morning here. Max eventually woke up and joined us for breakfast — watching us eat our bacon and eggs.
The girls went for a long walk in the morning while the boys played with Max. Sue and I left for a 12:15 appointment to see our real estate agent. She showed us a home that we are considering for the month of March. Not bad, but it sure was cold inside the house. And the patio faced North. We’ll see what else is out there before deciding.
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We got back to the house and Alex had made us lunch. So we ate out on the patio. Then it was time for Alex to take Tim and me to the Rancho Las Palmas Golf Club, where we had a 1:58 tee time booked. Got a bit turned around by the GPS and showed up late — but still too early. The course was busy. Eventually we got going but it the parties ahead of us were slow. Still, we had some fine shots and had a good time. It was 5:50 when we finished the 16th hole — dark, but not bad for as late as we started and as slow as we played. Called Alex to come pick us up. When we got home Max we learned that Max had been busy all afternoon and had barely slept at all. So I played with Max during our happy hour snacks, until he really was ready for bed. Tim barbecued some cheeseburgers (how would you like your burger?) and Sue and Alex made potatoes and vegetables for our supper. And then there was an “Eagles” special on TV. We watched most of that and then started watching a special on Johnny Carson. At around 10:00 Alex had had enough fun for one day and went to bed. Tim was still packing but he too was off to bed by 11:00. I stayed up to write my journal. Tomorrow we need to get out of the house by 8:00am to get the kids to the airport for their 10:00am flight back home. It’s been a great 10 days. We’ll miss them very much.

Crepe Suzie made crepes and bacon for breakfast. And it’s not even the weekend yet!

After breakfast the girls went for a long bike ride and the boys hung out at the house. Tim discovered a flaw in his new iphone’s camera and took it to the local Apple Store to see if it could be fixed. They offered to replace the phone once Tim had performed a full backup, so Tim came back home to do that.

We had lunch out on the patio again. The weather was perfect again. The girls headed out to the pool again. The boys stayed home again. At around 4:00 the girls came back. We got ready to go out. At around 5:00 we were out on El Paseo with Max in his stroller. We’d parked our car near the California Pizza Kitchen and then walked the nearly half a mile to the Apple Store, all the while watching the parade of amazingly restored cars cruising the street. Cruiser night is every second Friday from 4:00 to 6:00, and there are lots of sightseers and photographers out on the sidewalks when the weather is as nice as it was today. Tim got his phone replaced and then met us at the pizza restaurant at around 6:00. The restaurant was full, and we got a table smack in the middle of it. Max sat in his car seat for a while, and on my lap for the rest of the time. He was content and happy despite all the noise and distraction of a busy packed Friday night restaurant. Our food was fine. We opted for ice cream at the Cold Stone Creamery instead of dessert at the pizza restaurant, and so we got into the van and drove around until we found the ice cream shop — which was in the Westfield Mall. Ice creams all around. Max enjoyed a ride around the mall in his stroller. A quick grocery store stop and then we went home. It was 8:00 here, which means it was 10:00pm back home. Tim and Alex skyped with Tim’s parents — today was Tim’s grandma’s funeral at SMC in Steinbach. Max had fallen asleep in the van and went to bed easily. A bit of TV while Tim finished setting up his new phone. Alex went to bed. Then Sue. Then Tim. Then (after a too long journal update) Rudy.

Got up early because I heard Max was awake in the next room. It was still dark outside when I picked him up and took him to the kitchen to watch the sunrise. All was well. We were singing quietly. I was trying to give Alex an extra hour of sleep. Then when I put Max into his little bouncer chair he kicked his legs and kicked himself right out of the chair. He landed on his stomach on the carpet — more alarmed than injured — and let out a terrific scream. That brought Mom and Grandma out in a big hurry. So much for the extra hour of sleep. Max calmed down almost right away but acted a little strange to me after that.

By 10:00 the lady-niners were out in full force on the golf course. Red balloon valentines taped to their fancy golf carts. All wearing sparkly red Valentine’s tops. Red shorts. White shorts with red tops. All decked out. Their golf was still shitty, but at least they looked good. Our fancy breakfast was ‘the usual’ — toast and cereal. After breakfast Tim and Alex went shopping and Sue and Max and I watched the golfers. When the kids got back we barbecued whistle dogs on the barbecue.

Then Tim and I went to the Palm Desert course for golf while the girls took turns sitting at the pool and snoozing inside with Max. The weather was perfect. Hot and calm and sunny. The golf course was busy, so although we were there almost an hour before our tee time, we didn’t get on any earlier. And we were partnered with another twosome. An older couple from Tennessee, ‘CC’ and ‘DD’ were great golf partners. ‘CC’ was a good golfer, and ‘DD’ had taken it up a few years ago. ‘CC’ reminded me of Jimmy Carter; same accent, looked a bit like him, very gentle and friendly. So, although we had to wait at nearly every hole, we really enjoyed our time. And both Tim and I shot pretty good games to boot. We managed to finish 16 holes before we called it a day at 5:30. Back at our house, Tim and Alex made supper for us. They’d bought all the supplies in the morning, pasta with Italian sausage, salad, and fancy pastries from Sherman’s Bakery for dessert. It was very warm in our house, maybe too warm for Max to go to sleep nicely. (I finally turned on the A/C.) So we all took a turn rocking him while we watched “The Five Year Engagement” (good Valentine’s Day choice for the ladies) on HBO. Max finally drifted off at 9:30. Alex and Sue went to sleep at 10:00. Tim and I started watching “The Bourne Legacy” (Redbox rental) but I couldn’t stay awake and went to bed at 11:00.

After some quality time with Max early in the morning, it was time for breakfast. But today we had a special breakfast. The girls went out to Sherman’s Bakery for sticky buns and coffee. Tim got busy in the kitchen and made bacon and eggs for the boys. Max could only sit and watch. After breakfast the girls went to the pool and the boys stayed home. By the time it was lunch the sun was high in the sky and it had turned into probably the nicest day we’ve had here since the kids came a week ago. So we had lunch on the patio (Sue’s idea).

After lunch Sue and Alex went downtown to go shopping. Tim and I stayed home and played with Max. I got our ‘map’ ready for the drive Sue and I took when the girls got home — scouting out potential places for us to rent for March. And when we got home it was time for supper. Sue made twice-baked potatoes and Tim barbecued steaks. Great supper. Watched a bit of ‘garbage’ TV for about an hour and then everyone was tired and we all went off to bed early.

Got up at 6 and took Max to the living room. We had a lovely time together during the early morning. After breakfast Alex and Sue went grocery shopping. Then Sue took Alex to the hairdresser. I worked on a website and visited with Tim and Max. I went to fill up gas and check on Alex — then returned home without her and Tim and I had lunch. Alex called and I picked her up. Tim and I went golfing at the Cathedral Canyon course — slow going, lots of golfers, but Tim shot a great front nine. We skipped a few holes on the back nine and finished up just as it was getting dark. We drove back to the house. Sue and Alex and Max had gone for a long walk and then spent another hour or so at the pool. For supper we all went out to the Outback Steak House — Tim and Alex’s treat for us. Max was a real darling again. He’d just fallen asleep before we headed out, but didn’t fuss at all at the restaurant. In fact, we were the envy of other grandparents at the restaurant — some of whom stopped to tell us how lucky we are. When we got back home Alex put Max to bed. Then we watched our movie rental, “Robot & Frank”. Not bad. Alex skipped it and went to bed. Sue and I both drifted off for part of it. After the movie Tim went to bed and Sue and I looked through a bunch of listings for options for our March home rental here in Palm Desert. Sue jotted down some addresses for us to scout out tomorrow. Tim’s grandmother passed away early this morning, and the funeral is scheduled for Friday — so that is weighing heavy on the kids’ minds tonight. Okay, it’s 1 o’clock. I’d better get myself into bed.

After breakfast today I worked on the computer for much of the morning. Tim read. Sue and Alex went for a walk. Or maybe Alex went for a run — I’ve forgotten who did what. In the afternoon the girls went to sit at the pool. I got on the bike and cycled to Albertson’s to pick up a movie rental for the evening. Then at around 4pm Tim and Alex left for their ‘date’, leaving the grandparents to ‘babysit’. Tim and Alex went to see a movie (Argo) and then to a Mexican restaurant for a 6:30 reservation. Sue and I had a lovely evening with Max. When he awoke from his nap we played for a bit and then he sat in his ‘lounger’ while we had supper (leftover shrimp and pasta). After supper Max had a little snooze while Sue and I watched Colbert and the Daily Show reruns. He woke up just before the kids came home from their date. Sue warmed up a bottle for Max and I did my best to encourage him to drink it. But Max was battling the sandman and ultimately lost the fight — when I laid him down on the bed he gave me a giant smile, turned his head to the side, and went to sleep immediately. The kids stayed up for a few minutes with us, but they both were tired (extra large margaritas) and that left Sue and me to watch my movie rental. The movie was “Ruby Sparks” — I saw the first part of it. Sue watched the most of the movie on her own. It was 10:30 when the movie ended. I still had to write my journal. I did that, and then, by 11pm, everyone in the house was asleep.

I woke up when I heard Max was up at around 6. Alex got up too and fed Max. Sue and Alex went for a 1-hour walk around the neighbourhood. By the time they got back Tim was up and we watched CBS Sunday Morning. Sue made french toast with bacon. After breakfast we lazed around the house, playing with Max.

I tried to get him to rollover — he was lifting up his legs and using the weight to help him fall over to the side. We had a great time. After lunch we watched a bit of golf on TV while the girls went to sit at the pool. Tim mixed up a bottle of formula and fed Max. That too is a new thing — but just like yesterday, Max gulped it down as if it is the real thing. Tim and Alex went for a little grocery run and came back with a chocolate cake from the bakery near Bristol Farms grocery store. Sue got supper going. We barbecued chicken and quickly ate our supper before 7pm when “60 Minutes” was on TV. Tim and Alex skyped with Tim’s parents — latest update from Tim’s grandma’s situation is that she is still hanging on — no real change — so they are glad they didn’t cancel their plans to come out here at the last minute. We watched our show, and then it was time for the Grammys. We all wondered how many of these singers we would actually recognize. And at least for the first hour, the ‘star-studded’ lineup wasn’t enough to really energize the show. Well, at least we had cake! And so by 10pm Alex sauntered off to bed. Then Sue. Then I lay down on the couch and drifted off just in time to miss the Levon Helm tribute — the one item on the program I actually was looking forward to! I woke up for the last song — around midnight. Went to bed tired. (I learned next morning that Mumford and Sons won for best album.)

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday’s cold and wind gave way to bright sunshine today. We had bacon and eggs for breakfast. Max, who had nearly slept through the night, was a happy boy again today. I played with Max and Sue and Alex took the bikes to the Flea Market. They came back with a few purchases. Then we had lunch. After lunch we packed up in the van and Tim and I went golfing at the Oasis course. Booked it on GolfNow.com for $20 each. The course was in beautiful shape. The sun was still shining. Our play on the par 60 course was mostly pretty good. We called Sue to come pick us up at around 4:30. The girls and Max had gone for a stroll on El Paseo — Max had slept for most of the walk. They went home at around 3 and Sue and Max spent some time with the ‘Jolly Jumper’ — where Max sort of got the hang of it and was laughing loudly for most of his time in there. Sue made a great curried shrimp and pasta supper, Alex made a salad. Then we watched some golf on TV. Between 9 and 10, Max, Alex, Tim and Sue all went to bed. I wrote my journal and then went to sleep too.

Got up at 7. Breakfast. Max went for a nap and Sue and Alex went for a quick walk. Tim and I hung around and read. Soon after the girls returned we had lunch. Max had a quick bath. Then we all packed into the van and headed to the Palm Desert Golf Club. Tim and I had a 2pm tee time and were hoping to hit a few balls at the driving range before our game. The girls and Max were planning to go shopping and walking along El Paseo. It was cool, and the forecast was for rain, so we had extra jackets along just in case. When we registered at the clubhouse we were told that we could head to the first tee right off. So that’s what we did.

The weather was windy, a bit cool, but not too bad. And there was no one ahead of us, no one behind. Another perfect day for golf. But it didn’t hold. A few holes in the winds blew the clouds over us and then it started to sprinkle rain. And it got cold. Tim and I sat in our cart for a few minutes until the rain subsided. We put on our extra jackets. And we continued our game. And it was fun. We both played okay, all things considered. Finished our game in record time. Phoned the girls — they were just leaving the mall. They’d opted for a mall walk instead of El Paseo because of the weather. They came to pick us up and we headed home. The thermometer in the van said it was only 9 degrees! Cold. But the forecast is for better weather as the days progress. We went home and had happy hour and snacks. Max, who had been an angel all day, was smiling broadly and babbling at us. He modelled his new hat and sucked his fingers. Shortly after 6 Max went to sleep. Then Tim and Alex skyped with Tim’s parents while I went to return/pickup a DVD and pizza from the California Pizza Kitchen. We had supper and then sat in the living room and watched our movie, “Flight,” starring Oscar-nominee Denzel Washington. We were all tired, probably from all the wind just as much as from all our activities. Max woke up just as the movie ended, but I think he went right back to sleep. And so did the rest of us.