CALIFORNIA DREAMIN', Day 5, July 28

We were all able to sleep in late, since our first official appointment was not until sometime between 1:30 and 2:00 p.m. Before leaving for the appointment, I took one more look at Alexandra's totally ripped and torn jeans and decided to do something about them. Of course you can't come out and say that, but you can certainly look, finger, and thereby get your point across. We decided to go to Stanford Shopping Center to find some jeans. Alexandra had luck at the first place. Abercrombie & Fitch was having a sale, and she found some beautiful wine-colored jeans that fit well, looked good, and only set me back about $50. Maureen also found a jacket and a top at Coldwater Creek and at J. Jill. Alexandra changed in the car, and we proceeded on to Woodside, arriving at a little after 2:00. Peggie and Don were both in attendance, looking fit and trim as ever. Both of them had hiked with me on the Norway hike that Ann Stevens had led in 2004. Since then, both have continued to go on quite a few trips. Peggie continues to garden and showed us the beautiful grounds around their home. Don has lost quite a bit of weight and had quadruple bypass surgery a few months ago. He is walking about 2 miles every day now, and enjoys a new, healthy lease on life. Peggie looks even younger than I remember her--perhaps due to a wonderful new hairstyle. We stayed about 1 1/2 hours, chatted, discussed future plans for trips (my favorite occupation!), and in general had a wonderful time seeing them. Afterwards, on our way back home, we stopped to get the cake we had had made for Alexandra at the Chinese bakery. It looked scrumptious. Then we stopped by a grocery shop and I picked up two bouquets of freesia for the party. We came home and started preparations for the dinner. I was in charge of chopping everything and then washing all the dishes and utensils used by Maureen in order for us to have adequate space to work in Maureen's kitchen. We took out the best china, silverware and glassware and set a smart table. The menu included chicken a la king over noodles, with chow mein noodles sprinkled over the top; steamed broccoli, a green salad, and the mocha / almond cake with coffee for dessert. Alexandra kept raving about the food, so we knew we had struck gold. After dessert, Alexandra unwrapped her presents: from Maureen, a blue / yellow scarf which she immediately donned and liked; from me, the airplane ticket to and from SF; a new pair of jeans; and then the Swedish gifts: Dala horse earrings and a freestanding Dala horse from Nusnas; a book on Greta Garbo from the Skogskyrkogarden cemetery store in Stockholm; four peppermint sticks from Granna; and a wrap from Goteborg. From the Arkansas trip, a necklace made by a craftsman in Eureka Springs. And then finally, a practical gift: a talking air pressure device for car tires. In other words, quite a goodly stash. As a final activity for the evening, we watched a film I had brought along with me--"The Great Debaters" with Denzel Washington, a film I had seen before and decided to bring along with me. It was about a debating team and their mentor from Wiley College in Texas, during Jim Crow days. Eventually, the team goes up against Harvard's team and wins. It is an amazing film and I highly recommend it. Well, tomorrow we are off to the north of SF, traveling the Big Sur to Mendocino. Can't wait--more later! SV