Spring Vacation 2012

Gregg, David and I just returned from 6 days in Palm Desert, California with my parents. We flew down to spend a part of David's Spring Break in the condo, celebrating
my father's 85th birthday (a few days early)

Dad's birthday dinner at the bistro of his choice

and enjoying a little break from the Pacific Northwest's winter resurgence. It SNOWED while we were away! The temperature was in the 80s in the desert...aaaaahhhh.

This is the way they treat their median strips in the neighborhood

When we visit my parents in "the desert," we all have a few things that we like to do:
tennis
golf (for the men)
spa (for the women)
dinners "out"
daily walks in the sunshine
window shopping on El Paseo
car watching (for David)
enjoying flowers in bloom (I went a little bit bonkers over the flowers this time).

Hibiscus in the foreground; bougainvillea in the background

A lot of my parents' friends have homes in the area. It seems that "snowbirds" in the East tend to go to Florida; some from the West go to Arizona, but most of my parents' friends have chosen the Coachella Valley. So when we are in the desert, we sometimes get to visit with their friends, too. This time, Charlotte had us over for dinner, along with two of her dear friends, Sue and Betty Ann.

David & Katie in the pool at Charlotte & Fred's club in the desert

How well I recall other visits with Charlotte and Fred in the desert; our kids always loved to see them. Charlotte and David get along "like a house on fire," as she is a mother (and grandmother) to boys - she understands and enjoys David, and the feeling is mutual. Her community seems to have a rare collection of fabulous cars, and David always has fun seeing what is new in the clubhouse parking lot. This time, he saw his dream car of the year: the Mercedes SLS AMG (don't ask me; I don't know anything about it). He even took photos of it.

Another night, we ate in a French cafe and were seated at a table with a view onto one of the swankiest shopping streets in the area...which meant more avid car-watching for David. And it was practically a dog-show, as well. This is a place where people dress their dogs; we have seen a tutu, and even sunglasses, on dogs. Very amusing indeed - better than TV!

We took my parents out for dinner to celebrate my dad's birthday...

 ...ate dinner at home, played cards, sat by the pool, enjoyed a margarita and a beer or two...

...and let go of all things "work" and "school."

A break is healthy for everyone...

...except when there is a bug going around in the area, and there is one in the Coachella Valley, right now. If you watch the BNP Paribas Tennis Tournament, many of the players are also coming down with it, and David caught it on our last night in California. Fortunately, it was only a 12-hour bug, and he was able to fly home safely and comfortably, with no infection to others (so far, so good).

Today, we are unpacking and settling in back at home. Gregg and I took a brisk walk in the sun and breeze today. Vacation is wonderful, but it always feels good to be at home!