85F and Sunny in February!

Our what-has-become-annual trip to Palm Springs to see my parents and escape into paradise for a few days during the winter was fantastic this year. We had the warmest, sunniest weather we have ever had in four years of going. 85F and sunny nearly every day!

This year Susie was there, and she dictated much of our daily activities. Instead of going out to eat, golfing, and shopping all the time, we instead went for walks and played fetch and chase. Having a year-old beagle and no fenced yard adds complexity to a vacation. It also reduces the amount of money you spend on eating out, golfing, and shopping. So it all evens out for the best. Besides, as I have mentioned before, Susie is irresistible and has stolen my heart.

Between my dad's tendency to favor routine and Susie's need for it, we quickly established one. Here's how it went:

7:30 Wake up to whimpering and pawing at the bedroom door. After all we are a pack, and the pack needs to be together. No one can be in a separate room behind a closed door, especially Mom.

7:30-9 Read the paper, watch TV, eat a freshly-picked (from our yard!) grapefruit.

9:00 Watch a 30 min lecture on economics. I brought a series of lectures on DVD, and everyone seemed to enjoy them.

9:30 Take a shower.

10:30 Take Susie for a walk. Smoke a cigar if you're my dad. Sit in the sun and read if you're Rick.

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11:30 Start fixing lunch. Have a bloody mary if today = Sunday.

12:00 Eat lunch.

1:00 Take a nap and smoke a cigar if you're my dad. Read a book or work on a jigsaw if you're Rick. (He read 3 books and did at least 5 puzzles.) Otherwise, go shopping.

4:30 Take Susie for a walk.

5:00 Happy hour, no matter who you are.

6:00 Start fixing dinner.

7:00 Eat dinner and then watch the Olympics and work on jigsaw puzzle.

11:00 Go to bed.

That's what we did pretty much every day. All in the setting of a very comfortable condo located in a beautiful oasis in the desert. This is a life I can easily enjoy!

One day we did deviate from the schedule to go visit the Salton Sea. It turned out to be a stinky stagnant place with lots of bird poop. But we got to see part of rural California desert and passed by many fields of palm trees where they were growing dates.

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Another day we went to the Riverside County Fair in Indio. The fair was quite large for a county fair. There were something like three ferris wheels!

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The Palm Springs area is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been - right up there with the mountains in New Zealand. Another great vacation is captured in the blog.

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