I’m still on a learning streak on Duolingo, 176 days. Although I can tell my Dutch is improving (Mijn olifanten dragen een broek, which means ‘My elephants wear pants’), I’m not sure how I will use this vocabulary in the land of tulips, canals, and windmills. I have learned klompen (clogs). I’m excited about this trip, though we have plans in between that distract from my usual full focus on this itinerary alone.

snail and white-marked tussock moth caterpillar

I can tell the temperature is increasing, and though we spend time outside, our walks have been decreasing. Perhaps when our neighbors ride their bikes, we should hop on ours and join them, since someone is always putting on a helmet and going. I was maintaining my running, but that too has fallen off the to-do list, and the same goes for my workouts that leave my legs sore for days.

Sunset Beach

I’ve been writing about the road trip I took in August of 2019 after I graduated from SDCC (San Diego Community College) and met up with Caleb’s family in Virginia. A lot of memories were made, and I’m glad to recall the great times had by all, as the kids would otherwise only have photos to know they were there at all.

I spent 5.5 hours on the phone with Fallon, 55 minutes with Dad and Caroline, 32 minutes with Uncle Chuck, 11 minutes with Christine B., 9 minutes with Sarah, and less on various other calls. We watched the Predators (2023) five-part docuseries about cheetahs, lions, pumas, polar bears, and wild dogs (which are the cutest). I read: The Secret Life of Sunflowers and Heartbreaker: A Memoir, and listened to I am Malala, which focuses on art, music, and education, respectively.

I manage 4.5 hours on piano, and I’m ready to learn some new songs or play these familiar tunes until I have them memorized. I walk Snicker and Doodle 18 times so that their usual walker could have a week off. On one of the walks, Chris and her son and his wife will walk with us to get Snicker moving, as they are neighbors and know how stubborn the dogs can be about walking in the same direction. Sarah gifts me some homemade rice krispies.

Christine R. will be dog-sitting the same week, so this allows us to chat more than we usually do. I also get to walk a lap with Helen and her black golden doodles, Ramona and Frankie, twice. I’ll walk the dogs a lap one afternoon, so come the planned evening, after a lengthy conversation with Sarah, I forget to grab a poo bag, but luckily Mike (Tulle’s dad) had just gotten home, so I knew which door to knock on. We have plenty of pet owners in this neighborhood.

We’ll spend many hours and a few coffees at Mary Jo and Roberto’s, mostly in the shade of their lanai. Caleb helps Pat move his washer and dryer, and Chris will lend me some brochures for Key West. I see more of Amanda, so she thinks of me for the book club meeting when she gives me some free appetizer footballs for Carrabba’s, even though she’ll be too busy volunteering to make it this time, either.

I chat with Jen, gift Penny an apple, stop by Jill’s, meet the new Dave, and say hi to Harper, Lisa U’s three-month-old granddaughter. I’ll meet my neighbor Tammy, get introduced to Laurie and her dog, get invited in to see Deb Y’s feathers and mirrors, and Dawn’s many craft spaces. I talk with Gary and Joyce, returning one book and getting three more, with Rick about his daughter finishing med school, and with Jan about her bread and visiting the beach.

Shawn Mackey

Helen gives me a box with some outfits she hasn’t worn in twenty years, and is happy to see how well one of them fits on me. This encourages her to give Caleb a shirt with rhinestones that her husband used to wear. We ride bicycles to Cool Beans with Jan for coffee, and we will have to go back once they get more of their menu on offer. Holly invites us over, and Tina’s garage is always open for conversation. I met Susan, another new resident, with two cats, a bird, and a 14-month-old grandson.

Caleb and Mr. Slithers at Fireside Pizza

We go to Sunset Beach to listen to OysterBone with Fallon and her daughter, Addison. We have the perfect stage-side view to watch the dancing crowd and our bikes to escape on before the vehicle rush. This also gives us time at her place for me to play with Zeus and feed him treats. I’ll spend the next weekend with Cheryl, Amy, and Asta at Lucky Lobster listening to Frank on vocals and guitar, and Señor Rita’s eating overloaded bowls of chips and swinging from their rafters.

Caleb, Jordan, Tristan, Kris

My legs are still sore, so we’re taking it easy on our 18th anniversary. That, or neither of us planned much, so we spent the morning reading with coffee. We’ll walk around our favorite park and see gators and deer, and then find a bench in the shade where I can watch the tufted titmouse family flit about while Caleb reads. Our REI dividend from all our PCT purchases arrives in time for shoes (we still have more than we need), a magnet and bra for me, and socks and stickers for Caleb. Dinner is had at Brick House so we can try their fried deviled eggs by their fireplace.

We only visit the hot tub once, as just being outside now can be cause to rinse off. Caleb’s dad is officially diagnosed with dementia, which I thought meant losing your memories, not creating mean ones to excuse behavior and throw tantrums in public. I spend time coloring and looking through a National Geographic from 1997. I called the university because it’s been four more weeks and they still haven’t reached a decision. Class registration opened on March 25, but I’m told I can sign up in the summer, so we will see how that goes.

Tristan and Vicki

I spent a weekend by the pool meeting more neighbors and eating cupcakes, brownies, and chocolate mint cookies. Roxy made us a loaf of apricot-walnut bread, and though Caleb thanked her for it, I’m not sure he even got to try any. I met Serena, who is moving her parents in so they can be closer to each other. I’ll talk with Toni, Linda, Pat, Agim, Leo, and Sue. I planted a crown-of-thorns and an aloe plant in the little space under the garage window. We had basil and a Poinsettia, but they didn’t make it.

Jordan and Tristan

I take a box of Sarah’s books to donate, as all the little libraries are full, including the one by our pool. I vacuum Dar, Christine’s cat, while Caleb helps her hang some art. I ride with Helen and Linda to the book club, and Deb F. asks some good questions: What would you want to find in a mystery box? What would this chapter of your life be called – vacation mode. It was a nice way of getting to know more about each other while still discussing the book by Marta Molnar.

view from The Great LEGO Race ride

We scrub the pollen out of the car’s crevices and order a car cover. We take a trip to Key West, which is another post. My blog no longer supports the pink and gray background, so I changed to blue and yellow. We have dinner at Fireside Pizza, and Caleb plays with some dough, like the two kids at the table by us. He makes Gumby and Mr. Slithers while another kid is being told to read aloud. Sue invites me in to see the painting of her dog, Sugar, done by Sarah, and to play with the pup for a while.

Jess and Caleb in front of LEGO Kingdoms

Jan coordinates a successful lunch at Benedict’s with Sarah, Deb F., and me. Caleb and I will end the month by spending the day at Legoland with Kris, Vicki, Tristan, and Jordan. We leave the house before sunrise, have breakfast at Little Johnny’s Diner, where you can add two eggs for $2.75 or get a side of one egg for $2.95. You also have the option of a third egg if one over-easy is brought to the table broken. We park the motorcycle for $25, and the longest line will be the one at the gift shop eight hours later.