I'm baaaaaaaaack! It's been awhile since I've posted. First vacation - we had a great time by the way - then home to a couple of deadlines, two family reunions and then on top of everything else, I hurt my back. Wasn't able to get into the chiropractor until yesterday! Am very sore today but at least it's a 'healing' soreness - everything is back into place. Apparently, my hips were going in two different directions than normal. Could barely walk or sit for a couple of weeks - everything I did was painful. Hopefully, now I'm on the mend.

We took a LOT of pictures on the trek to California and back. I ended up with over 300 on my camera. Of course, now that I'm home I keep thinking, why didn't I take more pictures?

Top picture is of me and guess who? We went to Hollywood and the kids wanted to go to Universal Studios. They've built it up a lot since my last visit in hmmmmmmmmmm. Since I rarely watch new movies or tv shows, all the references to 'stars' and scenes from newer shows was lost on me. But, I had a good time watching people and seeing the kids have a fun day. It was the only day in California that turned out to be beastly hot. Most of the time it was cold.

Middle picture was taken on Rodeo Drive which seemed like a high priced tourist come on to me. I loved all the flowers though - California is awash in the most gorgeous flowers and trees. One of our tour guides told us that the jackaranda (hope I spelled that right) tree only blooms one week a year. We were there on that week. The flowers were small and purple, like wisteria. Some streets were planted with hundreds of the trees. In one town - am not sure which one now - each street was planted with a different tree - either all oak, all maple, all whatever. Any tree had to match the street's official tree.

The picture on the bottom is of some of us on the rocks in San Francisco Bay. To our right would be the Golden Gate and Alcatraz. This is the first time I'd been across the bay to Sausalito. It's a wonderful little town, very relaxing and quaint is the only word that comes to mind. True there are dozens of touristy shops and boutiques - but they didn't seem to be overly priced and we had a great time looking in them. We were on our way to Muir Woods where we saw some giant redwoods. Not the biggies -- maybe a third as big as the ones in the redwood forest.

Am not sure I'll do a recap of the whole vacation on here. Maybe bits and pieces now and then. I just couldn't let Kitty come here again and find nothing going on in my life. Hi, Kitty!!! :)