Being Tourists in our Hometown

We just got back from being tourists in our hometown of San Diego, staying in hotels and eating out.  I was born and raised in San Diego.  Howard was mostly raised there and coincidentally was born in the same hospital as me - only a few years later.  I'm a cradle robber!  But, I digress.  The last of our immediate families left San Diego about two years ago.  There are no more spare bedrooms or couches to sleep on and no more home-cooked meals. 

At first we stayed on Coronado Island (which is really a peninsula), where Howard and I spent a lot of time when we were dating.  Back in the day he rented a (maybe) 500 square foot apartment - the rent was at least $1 per square foot.  Whenever we visit San Diego, we always have to drive past his old bachelor pad and pay our respects.  This time we noticed that a dinky two-bedroom in the same complex was available for a mere $1750!  (A few days later we noticed the sign was already gone.)

 

Our first meal on the island.  Those waffles were amazing!

 

I miraculously made a healthy breakfast choice,

but secretly coveted Howard's waffles the whole time.

The new and improved Mormon Battalion Center.

We visited the Mormon Battalion Center in Old Town.  I just love what they've done with the place.  It's like Disneyland - minus the long lines and nausea.  And it's free!  The volunteers dress in period clothing and they interact with talking portraits.  There are lots of hands-on activities and interesting artifacts and reproductions housed in inspiring architecture and decor. 

We cruised around Old Town and soaked up some local color.  I was telling a friend, "It's so colorful here!"  She told me that I said the same thing when we were there a few years ago visiting from Boston.

 

Dorothy, you're not in Nashville anymore!

 

I love all the funky succulent plants!

Check out this colorful taco combo. ¡Delicioso!

I'm not really sure of the relevance of having this shop

in Old Town, but it's Howard's kind of shop!

Holes

Have you ever read the book Holes by Louis Sachar?  It's such a clever book full of unexpected twists and turns.  I loved it so much that I read it in Spanish too.  But, I digress.

Lately I've been digging a lot of holes in the backyard.  I've been waiting to do this for YEARS!  It all started when I taught 3rd grade in National City, California.  Friends, parents and students helped me dig a garden in the grass in front of my classroom - with permission of course.  

My students and I learned lots of things about gardening and composting and recycling.  I immediately became obsessed with recycling, but had to wait a looooong time to have my own yard where I could garden and bury biodegradable stuff.

This is a pile of some of the many 'treasures' that the builders buried in the backyard instead of hauling them away.

Making fruit salad with pineapple and watermelon always creates a huge amount of compost.

I'm pretty sure that the earthworms loved this meal!