Santa Barbara

I had a good time in Santa Barbara, overall, aside from the distress of seeing my sister as confused and sick as she is.
Arrived about noon, as the train was late by a half hour, standard on this railroad, I'm afraid. Can't quite remember what we did did for lunch and dinner, but I enjoyed being with Carolyn and her family, as well as Betty and even Calvin.
On Friday, I managed to approximate my three-mile walk regime and enjoyed sitting in the backyard and chatting with Betty. We then got ready for the neighbors' party, a potluck and just across the street. The food was wonderful: moist and flavorful chicken, potato salad, baked beans, fruit, and for dessert, homemade pies and cake. (The apple pie was, hands-down, the best I've ever tasted.) As for the nice cold beer, there wasn't any, as the host and hostess are L.D.S.
Attendees were all neighbors on the street, Carolyn and Dana (and their children, of course) being the youngest by far. In fact, there were about twenty-five people there and I'd say half were older than I am.  I enjoyed chatting with them and it was nice to be able to just stroll across the street to get home. After the party, Carolyn, Dana, and I walked the mile or so to a coffee shop and talked, mostly about  The Situation--Betty and her problems. There is no good solution here--in fact, there's no "solution" at all, except to turn back time--but it helps to discuss it with others who love her.
Yesterday, I slept until 7:45, had coffee, then did my walk. For lunch, we had leftovers Carolyn had taken home from the part, then went with Carolyn and Claire to the mall. They got a baby gift for a shower Claire was attending for her best friend's much older half-sister and Betty and I browsed. Later in the afternoon, we all (aside from Claire) went to the Santa Barbara Wharf, which was jammed with crowds and fun to see. I think it's one of the most beautiful harbor areas anywhere and yesterday reinforced that. After just strolling a bit and marveling at the prices--for instance, more than six bucks for a single-dip ice cream cone--and looking around, we went up on the deck outside a wine bar. Carolyn and I had a glass, she of Merlot, and I, Chardonnay (a scant two ounces as thirteen bucks!).
Back at the house, we chatted, played with Calvin, and just hung out. Carolyn and family were invited to a pool with friends, so they left after many of my thanks. Finn then drove Betty and me to look for a restaurant for dinner. Town was, of course, still jammed and it was Saturday evening, but we found a small Mexican one and enjoyed dinner there. Got the 7:02 train back to Ventura and was relieved to see my car was still there and intact. Drove home, had my fruit, and slept sounding.
I'll be back at Carolyn's on Thursday for the trip to Salinas for Marybeth's funeral.