We had a really nice labor day holiday weekend...
Our nephew and niece, Jay and Tricia, and their three sons, Tyler (8), Tanner (6) and Tripp (2), spent the weekend with us.
Friday
They arrived Friday evening. Jeanie had prepared a delicious spaghetti dinner which we all thoroughly enjoyed after initially snacking on pigs-in-blankets - one of the favorites of the boys.
After dinner, we all piled into the Durango and went downtown. We parked between 3rd and 4th streets and walked down to the marina.
We then returned home and sat out on the lanai and talked.
We got a bit of unexpected excitement for the evening when Tripp locked himself in the bedroom. I had to take the door knob off the door to get in. At Jay and Tricia's suggestion I then turned the knob around so the lock was on the outside so he couldn't do it again.
Saturday
Jeanie cooked a sumptuous breakfast of link sausage, patty sausage, bacon, cheesy potato casserole, scrambled eggs and orange rolls.
After breakfast, we went to the beach. It was so convenient being able to drive out onto the beach with all the "stuff" - five beach chairs, a beach umbrella, boogie boards, coolers, towels, etc. The boys about wore me out between boogie boarding and body surfing. The water temperature was quite nice - just a bit brisk when you first entered, but then quite comfortable. We stayed until early afternoon and then headed back home.
While Tripp took a nap, we snacked on cold cuts, cheeses, crackers and fruit.
We headed back downtown for Mexican food for dinner at Pablo's and then walked back to the marina.
After our walk, we returned home and chatted.
Sunday
The morning started with another yummy breakfast.
I forewent the weekly gathering with the airport bums to give airplane rides / island tours to Tricia and Tanner, then to Jay and Tyler. Then Tripp and I went for a short taxi. It was hazy, but smooth. Everyone seemed to enjoy their rides.
For lunch, I dropped the crew off at Whataburger and then went to AutoZone to get some automatic transmission fluid and power steering fluid for the Durango to see if the low fluid levels were the cause of the check engine light that had illuminated on the way home from the airport. The wind knocked the transmission fluid bottle over and fluid spilled on the ground. I spent more time than I would have liked cleaning up the mess. I also got some on my still relatively new Dunham flying / deck shoes which was a bummer. I finally made it back to Whataburger, just as everyone else was finishing, wolfed down my lunch, and off we went. The good news was that the check engine light did end up going off.
After lunch, we went to the zoo. We walked around some, rode the train, and went to the new water area. We all had a lovely time.
As an aside, the check engine light illuminated again on the ride home. I pulled off to check the fluid levels, but they were okay. I was a bit nervous driving home, as we had elected to take the Heckscher route which is a bit deserted, but we made it home okay.
For dinner, we had hot dogs, brats, hot Italian sausage, chili and baked beans.
After dinner, Jeanie installed the Pirates of the Caribbean online game on her laptop for the two older boys to play.
Once again, the adults sat around and talked.
Monday
I went flying with Tricia while Jeanie did breakfast with Jay and the boys. We spent about an hour in the air, and had a blast. I'm afraid I might have somehow slightly contributed to Tricia getting a little bit bitten by the general aviation bug.
Jeanie made Mexican food for lunch - taco meat, refried beans, tortillas, lettuce, tomato, home made guacamole. As usual, it was delicious.
After lunch, we said our goodbyes and the kids headed home.
It was wonderful having the crowd here. It was great spending time with all of them.
Epilog
Part 1 - We ended up taking the Durango to the dealer on Tuesday and learned that the problem was with a switch for the power steering that revved the engine when the steering was turned to full lock so the engine wouldn't stall. That switch that probably cost all of $1 to manufacture set us back $200 between the diagnostic fee, the installation labor and the cost of the switch itself.
Part 2 - The Pirates of the Caribbean online game has turned into somewhat of an addiction for me. In many ways, it reminds me of Diablo II, to which I also became somewhat addicted. The big question now is going to be if I continue to just stay at the basic access (i.e. Free) level, or if I break down and start paying the monthly fee. The issue is that I have advanced about as far as I can in quests, weapons and skills at the free level. On the other hand, I am cheap. And, if I don't break down and pay, I will likely get tired of the game soon, which will break the addiction.
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Posted by David at September 10, 2008 03:55 PM