I am getting used to a new life and trying out different things. Today I tried out being a lady who lunches as part of an organised ladies group with speaker and everything. I am not convinced it was for me. The ladies were pleasant but mostly with friends and largely quite a bit older than me. I wasn't sure they were people I had a great deal in common with.
It was nice to do something different and I enjoyed my lunch and the talk was unusual but interesting but I am not sure it is the way forward for me.
I may try it again next month - we will see.
I did also finally connect my phone today and downloaded the recent pictures so cue - random images.
Nigel dressed as a Gingerbread man for the party which had a sweetie theme ... He never did take a picture of me - I was a bar of chocolate. Both costumes borrowed and meant for children really!


me with the birthday girl - how ageing is it that I taught someone who just turned 40! (I was very young though and she was 10!)

and her twin sisters who I also taught and to make matters worse and make me look even older were in school uniform!

I finally got a shot of the Japanese tea house int he sunshine - it is always morning when we visit and the sun isn't there till the afternoon

and I loved this van I saw the other day ... I wasn't driving I was a passenger

and I also have a new page to share today
It is a lovely lighthouse we saw at Pigeon Point on our trip down the Californian Coast.

Today I am thankful for
- the willingness to try new things
- the acceptance of the fact sometimes they don't work
Well done to everyone who managed to cope with the holiday posts - normal blog service will resume after today.
SUNDAY 25th September 2016
Starting mileage 38637
Day started 9.30
Ending mileage 38693
Day ended 6.00
Total miles 56
Today was a chill day ... And I was in denial about the packing. Bit worried.
We went to breakfast at Denny's which was lovely if a little light on the egg. From there we d cited, for old times sake, to drive down Brookhurst to the beach.



It's an awfully long way! We then went to a Michaels and to Westminster Mall ... Nigel got Angels shorts and a few tops fell into my bag.
We just enjoyed driving around. Even the small streets are wider than our dual carriageways at home

and we were staggered by how many level crossings there were everywhere.


We came home and spent a couple of hours at the pool, largely n the shade as it was 101 degrees. Yikes. But there was no humidity at all.



and because it was a lovely hotel just some general photos of it





From there we did the deed ... The packing.
The sad thing is that I could almost get the packing in 4 cases but I didn't have room for the fifth case inside so five cases it was. The fact dual number for a return trip though they were certainly not rammed full.
We went out to dinner at Outback at Buena Park and had a leisurely drive home. It's been an incredible trip with so many amazing and different things to see and do. We know how blessed we are and hope one day we might return to Anaheim. We have felt very at home in the US and especially in Anaheim that we know well. We will be sad to leave but I think we are both ready to return home to our cats and a new life. I haven't had the chance to appreciate I am retired yet ... It will hit home on our return. At least I have enough scrapping material for a while with over 6000 photos to scrap.
Our night ended watching the Disneyland fireworks from the parking lot again. Our holiday need with a fabulous bang.

The hotel lobby




and the gorgeous fishtanks int he lobby housed ... you guessed it ... Dory and Nemo

MONDAY 26th September 2016
Starting mileage 38693
Day started 11.30
Ending mileage 38850
Day ended 4.00
Total miles 157
Travel day is always a hard one for me ... I am one of life's panicers plus I am a Cancerian. I need a shell ... A home where my base is. Travel screws that completely. Even the n the road trip I had everything with me ... My home was the car and whatever hotel room we had for the night. Travel us a nightmare. Stuff everywhere, other people ie airlines having some people of it, the fear of being late, if hitting a problem, of forgetting something. Oh my ... I am a bag of neuroses.
So we planned keeping it chilled and I worked hard on that. Shame Nigel blew it ... With good intentions I guess.
We got up at our normal time and were sat in a Dennys at 9 ... This time on Euclid and it was a great diner with cute pictures on the walls ... Even one of Angel stadium.
We returned to the hotel and packed the last few things from the bathroom and the Chargers etc then read and chilled ... Keeping me calm ... Until we left at 11.30 and not a moment before.
We had a lot of luggage .... 3 suitcases, 2 soft bags, two pieces of hand luggage, a laptop and a handbag
Several trips then ...oh and a plastic bag containing the last of Nigel's disgusting garlic breadsticks he seemed loathe to part with.
We set off with plans of what to do. Our initial plans had been thwarted. We thought we'd leave early and go to Griffiths observatory ... Closed Monday's
We thought we would revisit the movie land wax work museum visited in 1983. We'd seen the building ... Looked good. Closed in 2005. Looked like it had been open yesterday!
So Nigel said we would go to Hollywood, take pictures, go to Beverly Hills, take pictures. Go to Santa Monica and take pictures and be at the airport around 4. Sounded ambitious but he was sure.
We hit traffic on the I5 almost immediately and took an hour to do 10 miles. I started to get twitchy then needed the loo.


It was hot too

We recalculated the sat nav and ended up in the seediest neighbourhood around Sunset. I ran in to a very dodgy looking joint to use the loo and ran back to the car telling Nigel to hurry away as there had been no one to ask so I had just helped myself to the rest room.
We went past Echo Lake - which was pretty


Nigel then saw the Hollywood sign and the Griffiths observatory and decided we should go there. Reprogrammed sat nav Flossie again and again. I started to panic. There were great views from the top but by then I had lost his it. I had no real idea where we were (I am a map girl not a sat nav girl - I need the visuals) , no idea how to get to the airport or us w long to to would take or what traffic there would be. The sat nav was playing up and I had a panic attack.



So much for a calm chilled day.
We regrouped and headed toward the airport. We went through Bel Air



then back to Sunset and Hollywood



and only in America eh - this sounded a cheerful place to visit!

and who said I wouldn't see Mount Rainier!!

The car return was smooth, staff were very helpful with the bags and the virgin desk was literally right by the terminal door. Perfect.
Apart from having illegal hairspray taken away we made smooth passage to the Virgin lounge where I had a delicious burger, freshly made donuts and the most gorgeous anti oxidant juice ever.
Nigel was in his element in the clubhouse just watching planes and identifying them on his app. Such a happy geek. Just a shame he didn't have an anorak.


Oh and champagne as we watched the sun set on the most wonderful holiday we have had before boarding our flight for home. It had been such an amazing time and a holiday we will never ever forget. We count ourselves truly blessed.