Santa Barbara

As ever during the holiday season, activities continued apace.*
I walked Kimball, then came home and made Betty a fried egg breakfast. Steve and Dex came about noon and stayed to chat for thirty or so, then off they went. Betty will stay over with them until Friday, when her plane leaves.
Tidied up and had lunch, after which Ellen and Greg came to pick me up. We drove to Santa Barbara, dropped Greg off at Chaucer's Books, got gas, picked him up again, and went to his mother's new condo on State Street.
This is such a great place for Roz. If I wanted to live in SB (and had the seven- or eight-hundred thou price tag), it would be great for me, too. It's on the ground floor in a very attractive, Spanish adobe style; two beds, bath and a half, tiled kitchen, master suite with built-ins, and lovely garden patio--nice location, too.
We visited for a short time, then drove up in the hills to Mike's and Paula's. The view was still spectacular--virtually the whole of Santa Barbara, plus a big swatch of the ocean--and the house beautiful. We had brought our suits, but considering the very cool weather, only El and the girls went in. (The pool was set at 90 degrees and the hot tub warmer than that, but you have to eventually get out.) Mike joined them for a bit, then turned his attention to dinner. Paula was occupied much of the time with packing to leave, but sat down often to talk.
About 5:00, Mike took Vivian to meet her cuz, Claire, at Claire's gymnastic practice while live wire Violet entertained us. That eight-year-old has a vivid imagination, remarkable command of language, and a wonderfully engaging personality. While she and Ellen frolicked in the pool, Greg and I chatted.
Mike came back and busied himself with dinner prep. When El got out of the pool, she made the salad, and so on. Niece Carolyn came in, bringing Vivian and Claire, and we talked until dinnertime, which was surf and turf, plus mixed veggies, all on the grill, and delicious.
After a leisurely dinner and good talk, we said goodbye to Carolyn and Claire (who goes back to school today); by the time, it was 9:30, past my usual bedtime, but I didn't care. We stayed another half hour while El and Greg cleaned up the kitchen, then said goodbye, always a difficult time for me. Mike and family will leave SB today, stay over in L.A., then fly back to Singapore on Thursday. Darn.
Got home and went right to bed. By that time, it was 11:00, but I set the alarm for 7:00, so got about my usual hours of sleep. Must get ready for the BCNN breakfast meeting now.
* I think that's from Samuel Johnson's memoirs--I'm a sucker for two-hundred-year-old phrases.