Saturday

Prepared for my guests in the morning, setting the table and so on. Mike came about 11:30 and I was surprised to see Ellen wasn't with him. She had gotten a COVID booster on Friday and unfortunately, had a bad reaction, as she had with an earlier booster. She had been up most of the night and had gone back to bed. (Talked to her later and she's much improved.)

Jim came soon after, then Greg, so it was just the four of us, but we had a good time. I had roasted in the oven a chicken, cauliflower, balsamic sweet potato mix (not homemade, it was a Voila frozen dinner), which was good. I added crystal pickles and bread and put out the chocolate-covered mixed nuts I had made earlier. Greg brought his own lettuce and other salad fixings and prepared it here. He left for work after some good conversation and Mike and Jim stayed for an hour or so. 

After, Mike and I drove to the botanic gardens and hiked for quite a while, up, up, up, and down. It was lovely and the views are spectacular. Mike and the Pacific:

After, we drove into town and parked, then walked a distance to the Promenade, which was jumping, of course. Main Street was equally crowded, natch, on a beautiful, balmy Saturday evening. We checked out several restaurants, then Mike decided on Lure, one of my favorites. It was only 5:30, but it was jammed, as it always is on weekends. We shared a shrimp cocktail, Mike had halibut, I salmon, and it was good. Drove home, Mike came in for a bit, then went off to L.A. He stayed over at a hotel there, then left for Austin at 7:00 am. 

Happily, he'll be back next Friday and will stay over (at Ellen's) until Sunday. The tentative plan is for  him to drive here from L.A., pick me up, then we'll go to El's, where he'll again stay. I'll have the Access Van pick me up.