What are you going to do when your truck is being repaired? We're Going to Disneyland!

Yes, we pulled into La Mirada, CA, to the Watkins Shepard shop with an armlong list of problems with "Clifford" our Big Red Truck. The most serious we thought was a worn head gasket that allowed  dripping oil to drop on the hot engine and send fumes into the truck as we drove along but it turns out that wasn't our biggest or deadliest problem.  The heater that runs independent of the truck running also had a problem and was spewing carbon monoxide fumes into our truck. We've felt sick off and on for the past month and now we know that God must have been watching over us. First on our list of items to install in the truck is a CO detector. I'm sure Shannon and I have lost some brain cells over this, and to be quite honest, we didn't have that many to begin with!

So, while the truck was being worked on we rented a Mini Cooper and drove all over LA for one day and then went to Disneyland the next. The Cooper is cute and quick and handles great, but I really didn't like being so close to the ground, after living in the upper stratosphere of a semi. After visiting Los Angeles countless times over the past 40 years, we drove Mulholland Drive for the very first time. The two to three miles that we covered consisted of s-curve switchbacks the whole way. The HOLLYWOOD sign can be seen from this roadway, as well as the Griffith Observatory, and a great view of downtown LA. Shannon had a blast driving the sharp turns in the Cooper - I held on and TRIED to keep my mouth shut. Didn't succeed.  :{  There were several tour buses that stopped at the park where the HOLLYWOOD sign can best be viewed and the tour guides were telling stories about the stars who lived on Mulholland Drive but I could only catch partial sentences here and there so maybe next time we'll take one of the tours, too.

We drove around Sunset and Vine streets and I must admit that there are some very interesting people who call LA their home - VERY interesting.  I will say no more because we are all God's children but I imagine that even God does a double take once in awhile. 

Another first for us is we stopped at one of those big, elaborate miniature golf places in southern Cal and played a round of golf.  I beat Shannon by only 1 point so it was a good, competitive game!  We've driven by these places every time we've visited California and always said how much fun they looked like they would be but never, ever stopped. I'm so glad we did because we did have so much fun. 

We ended the day at one of the huge theatres that southern California seems to be so fond of. We watched the best movie, "The Blind Side" with Sandra Bullock.  Go see this movie - it is sooo good and it is based on a true story. Sandra Bullock does a knockout job in her role, but the boy who plays her son steals every scene he is in. Actually all of the actors did a superb jobs. The story is one of redemption and unconditional love and what can happen when your faith means more than sitting in a pew each Sunday.  I don't believe there is any swearing in it and I would not hesitate to take my 9 year old granddaughters to see it and I believe they would understand and appreciate its story and meaning.

Yesterday we spent the day at Disneyland. I hope we never get too old to enjoy "the happiest place on earth." We did enjoy it, too! We rode all of our favorite rides - Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, the Matterhorn, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, and the Autopia. Shannon saw a girl in one of the Autopia cars talking on her cell phone and we had a good laugh about that. I was amazed at how many people were texting while standing in line next to their kids, or sitting down next to their kids, or walking along next to their kids...my point, instead of interacting with their kids they were texting to who?  Who could be so important that you had to be texting them while you are at Disneyland with your kids?  I don't get it.  I'm probably showing my age but I really don't understand it. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox - oops, another age identifier.

Shannon and I splurged and ate at the Big Rodeo Roundup and although the $20 per person price made us gulp once or twice before we took the plunge, it was worth it. It is "all you can eat" family buffet style lunch (or dinner) of BBQ chicken and ribs, baked beans, coleslaw and cornbread. The ribs were to die for. They were so tender and the BBQ sauce was just the way I like it - not too spicy, not too tangy, and not too much.  Every 30 minutes or so a trio of country singers played and sang to us, even strolling among the tables serenading us individually.  I felt as though we got our monies worth and if you are going to eat at Disneyland, I think this is the best value - especially when you consider a cheeseburger, by itself, is $8.50. Of course the best value is to bring your own food and drinks. 

We were wore out at the end of the day and thankful to get back to our home on wheels. Most of the items on our "fixit" list had been fixed, the oil smell is gone, and although we won't have our independent heater until we get the new part installed, we can at least keep the truck running for heat if we need it without getting asphyxiated by oil fumes.

We returned the Mini Cooper to the rental agency, picked up our new load from Rancho Dominguez in California, and we're headed to Jacksonville, FL for a delivery there at 8am on Tuesday morning. We have requested that we have hometime from January 23 through January 29th.

Pictures from our last couple of days are on the slideshow. The Lord has been so good to us and I just want to praise Him for giving us such good things to enjoy and not what we deserve.  Love to you all.