Julie, Lora, and Regina picked me up at 11:00 and off we sped to Santa Barbara, getting to Villa Alamar where Betty lives in less than an hour. Lora and I went in, Julie and Regina declined, but that was okay. We found Betty in the recreation room, dozing as she often is. But she awoke and smiled to see me and we talked for a bit. Well, it was mostly me talking, but she was, as always, amiable.
I was disappointed that Carolyn wasn't there, but that was my fault, as I had told her we'd get there about 12:30, but it took much less time than that. I called her and she suggested we drive to her place, only about 10 minutes away. We did, I left the presents for Betty (and a box of See's candy for her and family) and she gave me a lovely glass container for my birthday:
We then went off to Cliff House for lunch and what a neat place!
We had lunch and lots of good talk, and I was presented with presents from each (forgot to take off my reading glasses):
That jacket was my gift from Lora, about which I'm a little dismayed. It was surely anything but cheap and she also gave me the rose-colored backpack on the table. Julie and Regina gave me what seems to me more appropriate: from J., two loaves of pumpernickel bread, which I had complained I couldn't find in California, from Regina, a bag of cashews, which she had doctored up at home to make spicy.* Julie insisted in paying for lunch for all four of us, and here we are:
From left: Regina and Julie seated, Lora and me standing.
I was dropped off about 4:00 and shortly after, Ellen called, driving back from work, after the last day of school in 2022. Had a good chat and she'll pick me up about 3:00 today, we'll run some errands, then we'll meet Greg at Steven's Greek Restaurant for dinner. Life is good.
* I was incredulous when Regina told me she was going to get me a small Bundt cake, but "had heard" I didn't like cake. What? Since when? She also, in giving me the cashews, said she knew how much I liked spicy food. Double what? I like cake as much as anyone else and I've proclaimed my dislike a spicy food hither and yon, so what gives? The only friend we have in common is Julie, so she must have misunderstand what I told her about refusing cake at Suzanne's, but that was just because I was getting weighed the next day. As for the "Rosemary likes spicy," I can't imagine how anyone could think that.
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