San Jacinto Aerial Tramway, Palm Springs

Mom and Dad bought us tram tickets, which took us over 8,500 feet above sea level!  If you want a good idea of what that is like, just watch the old episode of Dirty Jobs where Mike Rowe helps the crew maintain the tram cars.  It is freaky high.  So high that I had to stare at the floor of the tramcar all the way up.  I was not doing well with the height because it seems like a 45 degree angle, or more, going up.  But, as you can see, I was much happier on solid ground!  My parents held down the “base camp” of a picnic table, and the girls and I climbed some rocks before lunch.  Daryn was quite impressive.  See the big rock behind the three of us?  She climbed to the top.  The best was when there were some obnoxious college frat boys who thought that they were really talented because they climbed a rock that was five feet high.  Then, they passed Daryn and remarked, “How did she get way up there”?  They were quieter at that point.  Allyn liked making dirt / rock soup for us and climbing rocks as well.  The day ended when she tripped on a rock lying on the ground.  I ended up packing her on my back and hiking back up to the tram way.  That, my friends, is something any stairmaster machine will NOT prepare you for.

Dr. T, Cuca’s and The Center of the Earth

Today was a day of lots of aloe vera for my face and Cuca’s for my tummy.  Let me explain.  First we went to my mom’s retirement party at Dr. T’s.  Yes, she officially left the office in December, but you know her.  She loves to retire and then come back like Brett Favre.  I even asked Dr. T how many letters of retirement she gave to him.  Ha ha.  So, that is probably why he waited until now for the party.  BUT, he got Cuca’s food!  OH GLORIOUS CUCA’S.  I nearly passed out when I saw that.  Cuca’s is theeeee best Mexican food take out place in Redlands.  Melanie and I would save up extra money just to eat there instead of Taco Bell.  One bite of the bean and cheese burrito, and I felt I was transported back to 1991.  After the party, mom, the girls and I went to go see Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D.  Fab movie.  And the fact that Brendan Fraser was the star didn’t hurt either.  Overall, the movie was great.  Nice effects, scary, but not too scary, and seems there might be a sequel.  However, we went on the 17th, which is also the day before The Dark Knight opens.  People were camped out for the 12:01am showing all day.  Tents, tables, cots, and even a guy dressed like Batman.  Allyn was thrilled to get him to save her from the Hulk statue that guarded the theater.  OH, and more food, I finally got my Marie Callendar’s fresh peach pie.  Guess what I’ll be having for breakfast in the morning!

Legoland and the Beach

Francine and I took our girls to Legoland.  Francine had never been, and Jane is the same age Daryn was (5) when we took her.  I was so impressed with Legoland back then that I vowed to go again so Allyn could fully enjoy it.  Short lines, totally imaginative lego set ups, good food, and friendly people are reasons why I would rather come here than Disneyland if given the choice.   The girls had a blast, and Francine and I were totally impressed that everything was made out of legos!  We stayed the night (girl chaos!), and went to the beach the next day.  I forgot to put sunscreen on my face, so I now look like I’ve been skiing for the last 80 year- mask and all.  I will NOT post a picture of that!

Too Busy to Blog!

Thursday the 10th we were able to have dinner with Bud, the guy who got Lance started in radio.  Bud knows I’m really warming up to sushi, so he took us to Mikuni.  Although I ordered something pretty tame, he insisted I try the Japanese Mafia roll, which was great!  I know it had some orange fish eggs, scallop sauce and tuna, but it was so delicious that I didn’t care.  However, the most entertaining moment of the evening came when Bud insisted that Lance try a piece of the deep-fried California roll.  Lance will probably do things for Bud that he won’t even do for me because Bud is SOOOOOOOOO nice!  (what am I saying about myself???)  He looked like he was going to die, but he ate it so quickly that one might think he actually enjoyed it. 

The next day we were on our way to So. Cal.  Saturday morning my parents took us to Grandma’s for breakfast.  Let me tell you, I probably could have gone without food for the rest of the day!  We tried to work some of it off at Downtown Disney, where Lance was able to buy his Moroccan Mud shampoo bars and the girls were able to get a hairwrap.  After that, we went to Anne Marie and Don’s place, where my girls tried their best to flirt with their son, Ben.  Well, actually, Allyn proved more interested in Ben’s toys than Ben himself!   More eating followed the next day as we headed over to Melanie and Rob’s.  Her parents, John and Georgia, caught up with mine, and once more Allyn was more interested in Noah’s toys than Noah himself.   Today, Monday, the girls and I took Lance to Ontario Int’l Airport, and then swung by the old home for a quick picture.  Let me first say that when I owned the place, it was much cuter!  There were a couple more trees, some pretty hedges, and flower pots on the stairs!  Alas, despite its faults, you must always retain a soft spot in your heart for your first home, even if you can’t afford it any longer!  I think if we ever moved back to So Cal we would live in a box!  After I snapped the photo, we quickly headed to Victoria Gardens.  “Outdoor Mall” does not do this place justice.  It is like a shopping city within Rancho Cucamonga!  Fortunately, I hadn’t taken the girls’ swimsuits and towels out of the car, so they were able to frolic in the fountain at the center of shopping city.  Now, we have napped, and are ready for Tuesday at Lego Land!

Fire ‘n’ Food

Unlike the smog post from earlier, today’s blue skies were transformed due to all the Northern California wildfires that are going on.  This photo was taken about 1pm.  Yes, middle of the day, not sunrise or sunset.  It was weird, like an eclipse or something.  However, that paled in comparision to the choking smoke smell in the air.  We took refuge in EXPO design center.  I have always wanted to go to one, and barely missed the grand opening of the one in Pasadena because we moved to Utah.  So, Lance and I walked around and snapped pictures of “good idea” things, or more to the point, “things we’ll never afford” things.  After that, we picked up Daryn and Allyn at Bryan and Missy’s.  They had way too much fun.  All we had to do was feed them lunch and it was nap time.  Later that evening, the entire Ballance clan gathered at Hop Sing’s to have one last get together before we leave for So. Cal on Friday.

Photos and Visits, NO CAMERA!

Wednesday was probably one of the busiest days we have had, and I left the camera at home.  So, these photos are from Linda’s camera!  We took the girls to the mall to get their photos done.  While they were waiting, they took a few laps on a video rollercoaster game.  The photos this year came out great.  Most years Missy and I only have 2-3 decent ones to pick from.  This year, nearly all of the photos came out good.  We finally selected a few different poses, and then went next door to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch!  YUM!

Later, Lance and I took the girls back to Bryan and Missy’s house for some water slide fun and a sleep over.  We stayed there for a long time (no pictures) and Missy actually went down the slide (again, no picture!)  After that, we drove to Mark and Courtney’s to chat.  Irv and Chris came by to work on the racecar, but I don’t think they did much working.  First, no motor until Thursday, and second, when I went out there all four of them were just drinking beer.  So, this picture is one Linda took from a previous race.

Girls and Shopping

Today was all about the girls.  Lance and I took Daryn, Allyn, Gracie and Daisy to see Wall-E.  Very cute movie.  The plot isn’t too complex, but the robots are lovable and the message is poignant.  Lance sat at one end, I sat on the other.  We had ‘em lined up with their popcorn boxes and icees.  After the movie, we took them to Red Robin.  Let me tell you, when the kids are sitting, it is great.  It is just transporting them is like “herd cats”.  Daryn held Gracie’s hand, Lance held Allyn’s, and I held Daisy’s.

However, we got very creative toward the end and lined them up, Daryn leading the way.  Can I just say two things… I’m REALLY glad we only have two kids, and those of you who have more, God bless you.  Don’t get me wrong, the girls were well-behaved, but boy is it hard to manage the entire situation.

Later that afternoon, Missy, Linda and I took them shopping for some matching outfits for their annual picture.  For a change, WE wore them out!

Hang Time…

Last night, July 5th, we decided to meet up with Bryan, Missy, Gracie and Daisy at Chili’s.  On the way there, Mark and Courtney spied us and decided to join us as well.   Today, we took the girls to a nearby park, but it was so hot all we could do was sit in the shade.  We had fun watching the wild turkeys, but then decided to use the trees and rocks for a photo opt with the girls. 

Oh, yes, the obvious question is which is a picture of turkeys…

ha ha ha…

4th of July!!!

Ok, I’ve finally recovered from the annual Ballance Family Fourth of July at Bryan and Missy’s house.  There were so many pictures, so I decided to make a movie for you all to enjoy.  You’ll see Lance’s brother, Bryan, and his wife Missy.  Mark, also Lance’s brother, and his wife Courtney are doing fireworks, along with Lance’s other brother (how many boys are there??), Chris.  You’ll also see Bryan and Missy’s girls, Gracie and Daisy.  We also have a few of me and Dad Irv and Mom Linda.

Yes, you’ll notice Lance is NOT in the pictures.  He was at FM100’s Star Spangled event in Memphis.  He took a 6AM flight on the 5th, and we have just picked him up from their airport.  YAY!

Foot and Cake

Well, the foot will walk again!  I actually ace bandaged it, kept it elevated, and iced it.  I tried to go to urgent care, but they couldn’t verify my insurance because the office was closed.  So, instead of paying the $175 doctor fee, plus any other expenses, I opted for reliable, free advice from Dad Tom, Mr. Med.  I’ll live.  I just hope the swelling goes down enough so I can still wear my cute shoes! 

Anyway, Allyn had a 3rd birthday party.  Keep in mind, she had one in May before school let out; she had one with us on her real birthday June 23rd; and now she is celebrating again with her cousins (L-R Daryn, Allyn, Gracie, Daisy).  Can we say SPOILED!?  But, as you can see, she is very excited about her cake!

As for the grown up girls, I painted Missy’s toenails with the red, white and blue nail polish, along with Mom Linda.  M.L. is also cooking up a storm.  We are having tons of drinks, chicken, mac salad, tri-tip, hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, etc.  Expect lots of pics on tomorrow’s blog!