Gualala...Finally!

We finally got to visit Gualala last weekend.  Eddie and I had not been there since October.  It was the longest absence since we got engaged, I think, and was too long.

Nothing major happened while we were there so I'll explain in pictures.

Friday morning was our first gymnastics class. Normally Dave will take him, but since he didn't come home I got to go. It's mostly free play, with only a few minutes of doing stretches with the teacher.  I didn't go to work that day since I didn't have childcare. So we spent the day packing and prepping the house for our absence (filling the chicken water/food, cleaning the house, etc.).

Friday afternoon Eddie went to lab meeting with me. He was  pretty good during the presentation, during which he stood in the hallway scowling (several of us sat on the floor near the door because there weren't enough chairs). And then he passed out some cookies we'd made that morning. I don't like having to take him to meetings on campus, but when I have to I can feel good that it definitely reminds my PI of the juggling act I have to do.  ;)  He wanted to walk back to the car, which I parked at Cassie's.  The walk too FOREVER and a day because he doesn't walk in a straight line and kept stopping to collect acorns, rocks, leaves, cigarette butts (ew), etc.

We hit the road right after the meeting...and four hours later (Taco Bell pit stop on the way), we arrived in Gualala. Eddie was soooooooooooooo excited to see his Papa and Grammy.  Maybe he was just excited to have a nose-picking buddy?

The next morning he helped Grammy fill in all the holes Puppy dug in the yard.

Then he went on a walk with Papa to see the skidder and backhoe. 

A friend gave us her daughter's seldom-used Barbie Jeep (yes, Barbie). We took it to Gualala so he and Zennie can drive it when they are visiting.  Eddie made sure to park "his" car along with the others when it was time to come in.  

Saturday's dinner: mustard/orange glazed ham, scalloped potatoes with butternut squash and caramelized onions, and salad.

Saturday night I gave the boys haircuts. Dave usually has a 5 on the top and a 2 on the sides.  But since the #2 guard fell OFF while I was fading it up, he ended up with a scary/terrible/awful haircut (0 on the sides, which I tried to fade up to 3 on the top).  It was not pretty.  At least his hair grows really quickly so it should look much, much better this coming weekend.  (His head is so weird--so many pores have multiple hairs growing out of them.  Ick.)

The doggies got along fine, except that Puppy is crazy and will NOT STOP PLAYING until she's over tired.  She's definitely still a puppy.  (I've taken to calling her Puppy since I cannot call her Missy Bean.)

Saturday's lunch was local crab and red wine risotto with purple asparagus, leeks, broccoli, and orange juice.

Dinner that night was our typical abalone and pesto pasta.  Our good family friend, Mary Jo, joined us.  Dave and I haven't seen her in too long so it was nice to catch up.

Sunday dinner.

Nap/show time.

Tired doggies.  I love that they use pillows!

Monday morning we went down to the Coast House (Dave's late Papa's house where his dad grew up).  We are making plans to live there after I graduate and wanted to take some measurements.  We pulled up the icky carpet in the living room and were thrilled to discover lovely oak floors beneath.  

Eddie was happy watching Cartoon Network while we poked around the house.  We are NOT keeping that couch, by the way.  When was that fabric ever in style?

This is the house.  Dave's brother's family lived here for 4 years and then Eddie, Dave, and I lived here for 3 months right after Eddie was born.   It needs a lot of work...we're mentally prepping ourselves for the effort and expense of renovating another house.  Sigh. 

While Peggy was looking at the dog photo album, I found this little gem.  That's Dave at 11 years old, sitting in a dog house, surrounded by border collie puppies.  He was in HEAVEN.

Of course there were airplanes flying around.

Around 2pm we had to say goodbye to Grammy and Papa so we could drive home.

Back in Davis, we stopped by the store for a gallon of milk.  I don't really shop at the store anymore (egg, produce delivery and Dave goes to Costco) and was worried that Eddie would run around like a mad man.  Luckily he wanted to ride in the car cart and even "helped" me put all the stuff on the self-check-out scanner.

We had mac-n-cheese for dinner that night.  I like to mix mine with black beans and peas, topped with sriracha.  Mmmmm.

Once I start teaching during spring quarter (until 5pm on Fridays), it'll be harder to go to Gualala.  With such a long drive and so much work involved in packing us and the dogs up, I only want to go when we can be there for three nights.  So we'll try to go another 2 times before April and then we'll have to wait until Memorial Day weekend.  Boo.