Monday, October 12 - Day 11

Wow hard to believe day 11 but here we are. What a great day. I just finished browning the meatballs I made earlier. The spaghetti sauce I made first then the meatballs. Hard to make them as best as I can because Mara is a vegan so I can't use my usual flavorings. Vegans won't eat any animal product so no cheese or beef broth in the sauce or other secret ingredients I normally use. Nonetheless she tasted the sauce and said it was good and rich. The rest of us will eat the meatballs. Then Lisa and I head to the Oakland Airport for our hotel and fly out tomorrow morning.

I won't be sad to leave California. Everyone who walks by, looks at you and you can hear their thoughts: I am better looking; I am slimmer; I am more tanned; I am more organic. I won't elaborate on my return thoughts. This morning we went to a petting farm which Noah likes and fed the cows and goats and sheep and chickens and bunnies. Then we went to an old fashioned carousel where I sat and they took Noah for a ride. There were women with children who were wearing nice clothes and make up. You are not in Canton, Toto. Mara took us to Saul's, a great Jewish deli. I had matzo ball soup, excellent chicken flavor, and a half chicken liver sandwich and half a pastrami sandwich. Lisa had a reuben. All very good.

We went to the grocery store so I could get ingredients for the italian dinner, all organic of course cause we are in California. I enjoyed cooking dinner for everyone but Noah did not eat much of it. He was sad that we were leaving as were the dogs and cats and me. Always hard to leave my children so far away.

I have to confess that I have become dependent on the GPS for getting around the cities. I have always been able to find my way anywhere by map. Years of police work and army life insured my map skills but that GPS is so easy.

We are at our hotel at the Oakland Airport this evening. We turned in the rental car tonight so we did not have to fool around with that tomorrow morning. We drove 1,135 miles. It's been a good trip. See you soon. Good night.