20100826 Thursday PCB to San Diego
We were up at a reasonable hour and did the mad last-minute things. I think we completed everything we'd outlined before-hand.
Jeff of Sunshine Shuttle came at 0745 CDT in a nice, clean, van and whisked us away to the new airport officially titled “Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport”. At least that's its name today – it's been changed a few times. The airport code is ECP. That's apt if you know that DoD systems procurement uses ECP for Engineering Change Proposal, and the airport's features have changed many times coming to today.
Check-in at Southwest was efficient. The TSA people found a small Chapstick tube in the bottom of Dolores's carry-on, which made them very happy. We found comfortable chairs and waited.
The plane landed. As soon as the last passenger came out, we started going in. The flight to Nashville was half-full and a nice ride. We pulled in at 11:30, so we went to lunch in the concourse's O'Charley's. On then to gate C7 and more waiting. Again, the plane emptied and filled efficiently. There were more people on this flight, but D & I took aisle seats across from each other and had no adjacent middle-seat folks, so it was as comfortable as Southwest's 737's can get.
The flight to San Diego was calm and quiet – the best kind. The Hertz desk couldn't give us a car immediately because someone had locked the keys in it. They provided another, and we drove out in rush hour traffic to Glenn & Lou's house in Lakeside.
Over hors d'oeuvres and wine, we renewed acquaintances with them. Then we moved to the deck with the wine. They then served a salmon dinner with wine. Then we talked some more. Glenn then remembered the Asbach brandy we drank on the river cruise in Germany in 2007, so he got that out. Finally, very happy and a little liquored-up, we went to bed in their wonderful guest suite with the view down the valley.
20100827 Friday San Diego/Lakeside
We got up in an internal fog due to the amount of wine and brandy, but got moving after a bit. An old friend and STCM(SS) named Bing (Rich Bingman) had arranged a lunch at the old Naval Training Center on Rosecrans, which has been turned over to civilian enterprise.
Glenn & Lou went with us. We met Bing at the door of what was once the enlisted mess at NTC and then Fred Ward appeared, a great surprise. We ordered drinks and chatted, ordered food and chatted, ate and told stories and had a great time. Of my contemporary Sonar Technician friends Bing was a fine NISC Acoustic Intelligence specialist and Fred was great at anything he took on, operational or technical.
Glenn could join in on some of the stories since he and most of our NUC 1969-1971 group was funded by NISC at a time when Bing was there and thus has a submarine background, and did his service in things called destroyers. Dolores could even take part, since she was funded by NISC at the time she worked at NUC, where I was stationed.
At the end, we took pictures of each other. Bing showed us where the submarine memorials are, quite close to Tin Fish. So we took a long walk around the path the memorials are place on, then wandered around and eventually left.
Glenn was driving and took us on a tour of the docks near Shelter Island, Shelter Island itself, the Cabrillo National Monument, down to 4811 Bermuda Avenue, where D & I first lived and then returned to Lakeside.
We chatted some more. Glenn & Lou made up a brats and sauerkraut dinner with potato salad and other stuff. Chat, chat, more chat.
But we wore out a little early after the big night last night, and knowing we have a party tomorrow, everyone went off to bed.
20100828 Saturday San Diego/Lakeside (Picture Link)
A gorgeous Lakeside day – cool and dry and just plain beautiful.
We got up and straggled around drinking coffee for a while until we found the energy to brunch. Lou made up a bread tray and juices and fruits while Glenn cooked bacon and huevos rancheros. It was a great brunch.
Then I went out for a few small purchases and wine while the others all started making up goodies for the party that was to start at 1600. Got back to the house only to be sent out again for a bottle of marsala for the chicken dish being prepared.
We arranged the outdoor furniture around tables. I dusted off the stacking chairs. Lou made up antipasto and salad. Glenn smashed the chicken flat and put ham and asparagus on it and rolled it up; D tied the strings around it to keep them in rolls. Everything was ready around 1400 and we took it easy for a bit.
Carla and friend Chris showed up first, followed a little later by Hal & Marge, then Bert White and Eleanor Boxburger. Lots of champagne came out of a cooler, so we nibbled antipasto and drank the bubbly. Chat. Talk. Jokes. Laughter.
We moved the tables to get into the shade and ate. It was an excellent dinner. Then we sat around some more with jokes and stories. Then we moved into Glenn's “bar” and had a few more. I got out my laptop and we looked at 1970-era pictures and marveled at how young we once were. More laughs.
Eventually we wound down and people went home. We went to bed and slept like logs.
20100829 Sunday San Diego/Lakeside
A little fuzzy this morning after the great party last night. Glenn volunteered to take D to church while I did e-mail and logs. I did, Lou came out and we sat around. Glenn went back to get D and we all sat around.
When we worked up a little energy, we went to the Brigantine for brunch. Lou & I had carnitas, Glenn his fish tacos and D had lobster benedict. All of it was very good and waitress Ann was great.
Back to the house, finished the laundry, packed, sat for a bit, then got eager to go. We said our thanks and good-byes and departed.
Across 52 to I-805 to I-5 to CA-73 to I-405 to Hertz's turn-in at LAX. I-5 was a zoo – many people out running around in the gorgeous weather. CA-73 is a toll road paralleling I-405; we took it and paid the $5.50 without regret. We turned in the car for $255 and grabbed the bus to the international terminal. We were waaaaay early (at 5:00pm for an 11:20 departure) so we had no problem checking in.
We went to the bar and had a pint of Sam Adams and a pinot grigio for $19 + tip. That'll keep you sober. Then out to the gate – the farthest gate, as one would expect for the world's largest airliner, the A380. We wandered around trying to find Wifi without success, then just sat down. I finished this log entry and D played games on her iPad. Then we read books, nibbled a few things and finally boarded the aircraft.
I'll put the flight to MEL (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) on tomorrow's entry, or the next day's entry since we lose a day going across the dateline.