Switched all 25 of my calendars to June today because May ended sometime late last night.
May 31 2012
“Unconditional Surrender” Surrenders
Left early on my way to lunch get together with two of my beautiful girl friends and decided to stop at Tuna Harbor next to the USS Midway Museum. The previous day the twenty-five foot “kissing statue” officially called “Unconditional Surrender” had been taken apart in preparation to be trucked back to New Jersey to be refurbished. It had been on only temporary loan to the City of San Diego and unfortunately its time was up.
So I stopped to take some pictures thinking the section would already be on the trucks ready to leave. I was completely surprise to find that while the statue was in pieces, they were just lying on the grass and not on the trucks. I called my friends and told them I might be a little late.
I stayed around as long as I could taking pictures of the giant crane lifting the sections onto the waiting flatbeds. I missed a few in between moments when I left for the get together but immediately came back after lunch to finish taking pictures of the operation.
I talked to both drivers and learned that it was going to take about four days to drive cross country. Also learned that the statue, while having a steel internal support structure, was mainly made from carved foam with a hard outer shell coating.
It was a sad thing to see the pieces leave on the two trucks, but I’m really looking forward to the same-sized painted bronze replacement arriving in December.
Original statue photo from 2010. That’s my great friend Brenda by the nurse’s legs, during one of her visits back to San Diego.
The statue, located adjacent to the USS Midway Museum, was diassembled the prior day.
Now in six separate pieces.
His and hers legs.
Some of the heavy equipment used for the operation.
The nurse’s legs preparing to be hoisted.
Raising the skirt, so to speak.
Crane operator.
That’s one of the truck drivers on the left, helping the section into place. He told me it was going to take four days to get to the refurbishing facility n New Jersey.
Mighty big shoes to fill.
Nice gams.
For those of you who have always been curious, you’re welcome.
And now it’s the sailor’s turn.
The heavy-lifting crane.
Getting a rise from the pants, so to speak.
That’s the second truck driver helping to place the section.
Bolted-on steel structures were attached to keep the larger pieces stable.
You know what they say about big feet. Course, she had big feet as well, so…
Truck #1 loaded and ready to roll. — at USS Midway Museum.
Naval pride.
Last larger piece on its way to the flatbed.
Driver helps place the nurse’s arm. He was the one who told me that the statue was made mostly of foam with some internal support structure and an outer painted, coating and was in fact very light.
Close up of nurse’s fist.
The middle torso section of the kissing couple.
My hand next to one of the nurse’s buttons for scale.
The sailor’s neck and shoulders. Sections were removed to get to the internal structure.
Metal plate in between all the major sections.
Some damage that clearly shows the internal foam.
The first truck preparing to leave.
Truck #1.
Truck #2.
Both trucks loaded and preparing to leave.
Truck #1 begins its trip to New Jersey.
First truck officially leaving the area.
Truck #2 begins its trip.
Empty spot where the statue once stood.
All that’s left of the kissing statue, “Unconditional Surrender,” is this sign that doesn’t relate any more.
May 31 2012
Masticating With Two Women
Met with my long-time friends, Sylvia and Lannie, at Rubio’s in Southbay for an early lunch. Wanted to try something new again so I had the Grilled Chile-Lime Wild Salmon Taco Plate with beans and rice. It tasted great but I think there were too many different bits and textures in the tacos that fought for flavor dominance. They were good, but I couldn’t really taste the salmon very well.
We spent most of the time talking about either family genealogy (some really interesting stories there) or about difficult family members and the disappointing life choices they have made. The usual stuff.
May 31 2012
Monarch The Third
As expected, our third Monarch Butterfly in as many days emerged today. Unfortunately, it decided to present itself while I was out at an early lunch with friends. I was able to get these shots earlier this morning before I left and you can clearly see that the chrysalis is clear and the Monarch’s colors are shining through, clear indications that it will emerge soon. Just not when I was around.
I found the butterfly on a nearby plant when I got home and, just like the previous two, it was a very healthy looking female.
Two more to go, neither of which are going to be coming out tomorrow.
May 30 2012
Two In A Row
As expected, and for the second day in a row, we had a Monarch emerge from its chrysalis. It was healthy and flew around the backyard after it had squeezed its body juices into its wings and stiffened up a bit. Also took a picture of what I believe will be the next one to come out, possibly already later tomorrow.
After these two, we still have two more to go.
May 29 2012
Royalty And The Reptile
Went out to take pictures of our latest emergent Monarch Butterfly. I ended up getting amazingly lucky (once again) because after a few minutes she dropped down from the potted plant she was a chrysalis on, and landed on an old tree stump near one of our resident lizards.
With much care and a lot of patience I was able to capture them right next to each other from about a foot away. My back was complaining from being bent over for too long, my head and arm were complaining about being pricked by the needles of a small pine tree I was hiding behind and my left eye was complaining about being scrunched close while my right eye was staring intently through my camera’s viewfinder.
But, as always, it was worth the effort.
And this female was the first of five going to emerge. I can already tell that tomorrow we’ll see another one, and then the last three will start turning dark in preparation for their introduction to our world.
The lizard, being a bit hard to see, is on the right.
May 28 2012
The Cutting Of The Hairs
After we finished our Memorial Day dinner, Sylvia was accommodating enough, and still had enough energy, to give me a much-needed haircut. As with all the other haircuts through the last twenty eight years, I was very pleased with the result. I can finally take pictures without always pushing the hair from between my eyes and the viewfinder.
May 28 2012
Kvetching About Spuds No More
Unlike the successfully rescued caterpillar named Houdini from a couple of days ago, this unfortunate Jerusalem Cricket (or Potato Bug) did not live to see another day of burrowing on the dirt. He was found next to the Tapias’ pool during our Memorial Day barbecuing, a bit wet, but looking none the worse for wear. None of us could explain how he climbed out of the pool, crawled a few feet away and then just died upside down. We knew it must have been recent, though, since it was still posable. I placed it in the dirt amongst some leaves just in case we were wrong.
May 28 2012
Memorial Barbecue
Drove down to Sylvia and Rodrigo’s house for a Memorial Day barbecue in their backyard. Sylvia’s parents also came by for the meet and greet and eat. Rodrigo was, of course, in charge of the actual barbecuing while Sylvia took care of the sautéed onions and mushrooms along with the other condiments. The hamburgers turned out terrific and were followed by an amazingly good lemon cake they had picked up from Sam’s Club.
Lilo and Stitch were obviously in heaven with all the attention, the food smells and the occasional accidental scraps. (Accidental until Lilo jumped up onto the unattended food table and started eating from the lemon cake.) And while the pool looked really inviting, none of us jumped in.
I stayed until sunset and then headed back home. It was another great visit with two of my best friends and their lovable fur-kids.
Backyard barbecue
Rodrigo’s barbecue
Pre-burning charcoal
White-hot charcoal
Dumping charcoal
Grilling meats
Toasted buns
Cooked meats
Chip selection
My burger plate
Lemon cake
Mystery garden bug
Clear pool water
Stitch’s ball problem
Lilo at sunset
Pacific sunset
May 27 2012
Cats Again: Day Three Point Five
My final full day of house/cat-sitting for the neighbors. Very little of real interest happened. However, they have a cool, new wall clock.
May 27 2012
A Caterpillar Saved
This morning as I was checking the water level in our bird baths and came across this poor, waterlogged, little guy who was floating upside down and not moving. He had swelled up quite a bit from soaking for who knows how long. I fished him out and right away placed him on my t-shirt to soak up as much water as I could, which wasn’t very easy with all his spiky hairs in the way. After a couple of minutes of holding him on my shirt in the sun, I placed him on a sunny corner of our backyard table where my mom has a bunch of potted plants.
He still never moved. His misfortune turned into a learning opportunity and so I got my camera to take some macro shots. Fifteen minutes later I checked on him and saw that he had actually moved about two inches and then stopped. There was hope. He also looked less puffy. I checked again fifteen minutes later and saw that he had crawled about a foot away towards the plants. Then I knew he would be ok. I checked one last time about forty-five minutes later and couldn’t even find him any more, which actually made me happy.
I think I shall call him Houdini and I will be known as his unlovely assistant.
Next week we will be “appearing” at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. Tip your waitress.
Houdini
Ready for his close-up.
May 26 2012
Cats Again: Day Two Point Five
My second full day of house/cat-sitting. This time I’m adding a few lesser quality cell phone shots that I sent to the neighbor whose house I’m staying at, just to show her that the cats are doing fine.
The Four Peters is technically from late last night, but it was what I was watching when laying on their couch before falling asleep.
May 26 2012
Crocheted Mickey
My wonderful niece, Kimi, stopped by today to drop off a present she and her boyfriend RJ picked up for me on their last trip to Disneyland. She said that when she saw this crocheted Steamboat Mickey she knew right away that it belonged on my bed along with all my other friends, mostly Disney and mostly Mickey, that live there. I am very picky about the furry folk that live with me and this one turned out to instantly become on of my favorites.
She done good, that Kimi.
May 26 2012
Lunch At Phil’s With Old Friends
For the first time since my recent dental disaster I went to Phil’s BBQ to try me some chewin’ of the barbecue. And no, I didn’t eat alone. I met the Tapias there along with Mama and Papa Carvajal since it was Rodrigo’s idea in the first place. (He and Sylvia already wanted to go two days ago but they waited until I could join them. Such friends as these…)
I ordered a quarter chicken dinner with sides of beans and potato salad, all of which were really good. And I had almost no problems whatsoever with all that juicy and messy masticating. (Wipe that smile, Lisa.) It tasted as good as I remembered and I didn’t get a single drop on myself. (Your smile as well, Heather.) I needed a bit more moistness to my meat so Rodrigo was nice enough to share some of his sauce with me.
I give up.
May 25 2012
Cats Again: Day One Point Five
Back house/cat-sitting for the neighbors. After spending the first of four nights, today was my first of three full and two half days. That sounds more confusing than it really is. The cats understand it, though.
My iNaturalist-ings
My Flickr Photostream
