Wednesday: A bit of reading this morning — still reading my Osama book which I find very interesting. After lunch we hopped on our bikes and returned our rental to Walgreen’s. Also took a spin through Mountain Brook (hoping to see Eric and Joyce?) on our way home. I did my best on the downhill but only managed 62.1 kph — 1 kph less than my record.

After showering, at around 4pm, we headed out in the van. We were supposed to be at Al & Shirl’s mobile home at around 4:30, but our ‘pit stop’ at the Wine Store in Santan Village took more time (and money) than we had planned on. Still, it was a good stop.

Shirley was sitting in a lawn chair on the driveway, reading, when we pulled into the trailer park. After a short tour of the trailer (where it appears they have put in some serious time cleaning and fixing things up), Shirley suggested that we go back to Santan to a Mexican restaurant for supper. Which we did. And there I stood outside and waited for them to show up. Which they didn’t. And Sue was none too happy about me ‘taking off’ on them. But they knew the address, and the direction, and they programmed it into their GPS.

Finally Sue asked to use the restaurant phone and phoned Al. They were lost. Just around the block. (Well, actually, as it turned out, they had missed the turn-off and had done a 12 mile loop along the 202 freeway first!) Okay, I’ll stand out here a bit longer and flag them down while Sue sits in a booth inside the restaurant and warms up. My shorts and sandals are NOT the right gear for this. And they don’t come driving by. For a long time. Sue finally calls Al again. Where are they? In front of such-and-such a restaurant. Hey, that’s 50 yards from where we are! I go back out to wave them in. They park the van. They were lost. Oh well, now they’re here. Let’s celebrate.

We had a nice meal. Then we visited. Then we started talking about whether or not Al should buy that trailer. And Sue and I basically said what we thought — which was exactly what we had decided we would NOT say. And Rudy thinks that Al will probably still buy it, and Sue thinks that Al will probably NOT buy it. We’ll see. Anyway, after all that, we still had a good visit. We’ll likely see them one more time before they head back home.

Back home we stopped at Bashas (what else is new?) for some more groceries before unloading our purchases and restocking our fridge. Then a glass of wine and some late night TV. And that’s the kind of day it’s been.