N is for Netflix, National Park, Nightclub

Posted on April 16, 2022 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Watching Netflix could definitely be a date. It’s the movies, right? We have watched a lot of good ones, including some that are older that we either didn’t see when they were in the theaters or saw so long ago that we forgot them (which happens when you get of a certain age). Occasionally we will binge watch a TV series. I would suggest, however, that if you do decide to binge watch a series, you should keep your eye on the Netflix guide that tells you when the series is going to be taken off. We learned that the hard way when we started to watch a show called Person of Interest. We were on the last season, almost to the last episode and they took the show off! Do you know how frustrating that is? I just may have to buy the DVDs so we can see the ending.

Going to a nightclub is a different experience than the theater or a concert. It makes me think of the old “speakeasy” although alcohol is certainly not illegal. In fact a lot of clubs have a drink minimum. Some nightclubs have dancing, although if you remember my hubby doesn’t dance much so the ones we’ve seen have been of the comedy variety. Rosanne Barr (before her most recent inappropriate behavior) and Ben Bailey from the Cash Cab were pretty good.

Visiting a national park could be another fun date. We have nine of them in California, more than any other state. I don’t have pictures of our own experiences there, yet. I recently found out that my hubby has never been to Yosemite and I haven’t been since I was a young girl so I think that goes on the list of places we need to go. It is about a 3 hour drive so probably would be more than a day trip but we could manage, probably NOT before the letter “Y” though, just in case you were wondering.

Okay. Time to take a break and try to visit as many other folks on the list as I can for the rest of today and tomorrow. Have a wonderful Easter if you celebrate. Since the kids are grown it is just another Sunday here.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 27 Comments

M is for Musical, Museum, Mini-Golf

Posted on April 15, 2022 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

While we go to lots of concerts, I consider shows that we see in a theater musicals. Menopause the Musical was one of my favorites but I went with girlfriends. I suppose you could still call those dates, right? Hubby and I have seen Rain, the Beatles Tribute, Jersey Boys and Rock of Ages. They were fun. Wish I could have taken more pictures but they are not usually allowed and in a theater it’s a lot harder to sneak than in a concert.

We’ve been to a few museums too. When we went to Oregon a couple years ago, in addition to the Lava Butte we saw the High Desert Museum and stopped to check it out. We didn’t go inside but around the entrance were some very interesting sculptures. The Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf is a fun time too. That’s another place we haven’t been to in a long time and they probably have a lot of new figures. The De Young Museum had a Summer of Love exhibit where they were showcasing the San Francisco hippie days. I think my jacket was a perfect one to wear on that day. I fit right in with the times. Definitely have lost a few pounds since then!

No pictures here but miniature golf is another great date idea in my opinion. We’ve gone a few times but since hubby is a “real” golfer, he says that playing mini golf wrecks his game. I’m not sure about that honestly but whatever. Personally, I just think that he doesn’t want to get beat by me. LOL.

One more day this week and then a day of rest. I’ll be visiting as many new folks as I can over the weekend. Appreciate all the visits I’ve had from folks so far. Happy Friday.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 36 Comments

L is for Lake, Lunch, Light Show

Posted on April 14, 2022 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

I mentioned dinner, but lunch is also a good time for a date. When I was doing research for the A to Z of San Francisco last year, my husband did me the favor of driving to a few of the locations so that I could hop out and take pictures without worrying about trying to find parking. As a reward, I treated him to lunch at a little place he found that makes great burgers, among other things. It is aptly named Bill’s Place and has seen some pretty famous customers through the years. We haven’t been back so I have a feeling a lunch date is in order soon.

There used to be a light show called Laserium at the Morrison Planetarium in San Francisco. Sadly, the show closed in 2000. I may or may not have been under the influence when I saw it in my youth. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon was the show I saw most often. When we saw ELO a couple of years ago, their light show definitely reminded me of the laserium. Here are a couple of quick clips.

Honestly, I’m not sure if there are any light shows in other places but fortunately, since I have a Mac, I can replicate the essence of them with my iTunes (Music) visualizer. I do this often when I am working in the studio.

I have no idea how I missed this Lake when I was wandering through the City last year. Stow Lake is in the middle of Golden Gate Park and it looks like so much fun! When the weather gets warmer we are definitely heading there. I think we could manage the paddle boats. There is even a ghost story surrounding it. How cool is that?

Have you ever been to a laserium show? Seen ELO in concert? Been to a lake with a ghost? Lemme know!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

K is for Kite Flying, Kayaking, Karaoke

Posted on April 13, 2022 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

I’ve always had a fondness for kite flying. My birthday is in March and every year I’d get a new kite which my dad would help me put together and then when he got home from work we’d go out in front and fly it. It would go very high and sometimes we’d write a note and send it up to the top where the string meets the kite in case the string broke and the kite got away. We hoped that if someone found the kite they’d let us know how far away it got. We never got an answer from anyone but I still have those great memories of times I spent with my dad. I very much think that time spent with your dad, or mom for that matter, on a one-on-one basis is a date. Especially if you have siblings like I did, time alone with a parent is precious. I wish I had asked dad more questions about his own childhood while he was alive. Kites are still a big thing and there is even a Kite Festival you can go to.

Yesterday I suggested jet skiing, today I’ll go for a little less exuberant time on the water with kayaking. Not something that we have done but I know my daughter went with her boyfriend and had a great time. Living practically surrounded by water with the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean, there are a few different spots you can rent kayaks from. There is even a Bay Water Trail.

Finally, there is karaoke. This wasn’t a thing when my husband and I were dating years ago but I know the kids have been several times and it is more popular now. There are several around the area. This one in San Francisco called “The Mint,” boasts over 22,000 songs to choose from! I happen to be married to a real romantic and there are times he’ll just come over and sing a few lines from a song to me, like these from Leather and Lace:

You in the moonlight
With your sleepy eyes
Could you ever love a man like me?
And you were right
When I walked into your house
I knew I’d never wanna leave
Sometimes I’m a strong man
Sometimes, cold and scared
And sometimes I cry
But that time I saw you
Knew with you to light my night
Somehow I’d get by.

Not making this up, folks. He really does stuff like that. Maybe that’s one reason why we’ve been together so long. Who needs to spend money in a bar when I’ve got my own singer right here?

No pictures today but I made it through another letter!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 21 Comments

J is for Jazz, Jigsaw Puzzle, Jetski

Posted on April 12, 2022 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Just in case you couldn’t tell by now, I’m mostly winging this year’s challenge. Some of my ideas are like yesterday’s, skating on thin ice (think errands too). But if winging it is going to get me through, I’ll take it.

How about a little Jazz date? While hubby and I are more into rock and roll, we did go to a Jazz concert once. To be honest, I couldn’t tell you who was playing but we look like we’re having fun, don’t we? Yes, even though we live in 49-er territory the Dallas Cowboys are our favorite football team. Hubby’s been a fan for his entire life. I’ve said that baseball is my game but I do like the Cowboy uniforms. Something about that blue star.

Putting together jigsaw puzzles could be another fun date night. You don’t always have to go out to be on a date. They even have them online now so you don’t have to figure out what to do with it when it’s finished!

And then perhaps a date on a jet ski. I found this one that goes from Long Beach to Catalina Island, somewhere I’ve always wanted to go. Doesn’t it look like fun? Unfortunately we’ll probably have to find another way to get to Catalina because the disclaimer on the jet ski’s about health conditions prohibit my hubby from engaging.

Okay. Made it through J. See you tomorrow!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 40 Comments

I is for Ice Skating, Ice Cream, Indoor Rock Climbing

Posted on April 11, 2022 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

It’s going to be a very short post today as I have lots of work to do and no pictures to share. That’s what happens when I don’t prep for the letters in March like I did when I did my A to Z of San Francisco last year.

Ice skating is one idea for a date. When we were first married my husband joined a Broomball league and I would watch him play. They didn’t wear ice skates but it was at the rink so I’m counting that. And, just to be clear, even though I wasn’t participating in the activity, I still consider it to be a date. I’m really sorry I don’s have pictures of this because it was fun to watch but it was back in the “olden days” when we didn’t have cellphones with cameras, heck we didn’t even have cellphones without cameras, and I didn’t even have a good regular camera then either.

Going for ice cream is something that I DO participate, or at least did before I was watching my carb/sugar intake. We have a couple of places near us. My favorite is mint chocolate chip with hot fudge sauce. Hubby likes vanilla or sometimes chocolate.

And finally I’ll just throw this one out there, indoor rock climbing. We have never done that and honestly I don’t think either one of us would do very well at this stage. There used to be a place about 20 minutes away and the kids went there for birthday parties a couple of times but it has closed.

Okay. Sorry for the lack of details on this one but at least I got something out there. Have a great Monday all.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 24 Comments

H is for Helicopter, Hiking, Horse Races

Posted on April 9, 2022 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

One of our most exciting dates was the helicopter ride we took from Las Vegas to the edge of the Grand Canyon. It was not very expensive and well worth it. Funnily enough I almost didn’t book it for us because I was quite a bit heavier at the time and on the website it said that everyone had to get on the scale so that they could balance the weight in the helicopter. Of course in my mind I thought that it would be like some game show or boxing match where you step on a scale in front of everyone and they shout out the weight. NOW WEIGHING IN AT 205 POUNDS…JANET MILES.

I tried really hard to lose weight before we left but that was before I started Keto and only managed maybe 5 pounds. Of course it wasn’t anything like a boxing match. As you check in, there is a platform that you stand on and the weight registers on the computer in front of the customer service person. No one else sees the number. From that info they are able to pick the occupants of the helicopter and then you get called into groups.

We had a really nice pilot (he reminded me just a bit of Ben Affleck) and saw spectacular views of Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. The Grand Canyon is amazing, and we only saw one part of it! There are a couple of different helicopter companies that make this run and we saw them flying over while we were taking our break. On the way home we stopped to refuel before coming back to Vegas. It was funny to see all the helicopters lined up at the pumps just like at a gas station. Flying back in you get pretty close to the buildings.

And here’s a short video of what we saw as we came back in to Vegas. We were staying at the Excalibur Hotel, the one that looks like a castle…of course! I was glad that I didn’t know about the crash that one of the helicopters had doing this run until after we were home!

If a helicopter ride isn’t your thing how about about a trip to the racetrack? Horse Racing is another exciting outing. We went a couple of times before our local track, Bay Meadows, closed in 2008. The first time we went was for a fundraiser for our kids in high school. We had such a good time that we went back a few more times. It is exciting to watch the horses run, especially if you have a small wager on them (remember I’m fond of gambling?) We were sorry to see it close. Now there is a housing complex on the land. The next closest place to see horse racing is Golden Gate Fields and it is not that far away so maybe we’ll take a trip there.

When I was young, there was a famous racetrack right in my hometown of San Bruno. It was Tanforan Racetrack and while they stopped actual racing when I was 9, I do remember seeing the track. During World War II it was used as an internment camp for Japanese, although they called it an “assembly center.” Some famous horses raced there, including Seabiscuit. When the track closed they turned the area into a shopping mall but that has now been sold and they are going to build a biotech campus and housing. Where am I going to go when Barnes and Noble and Target close?

And one more idea, although with my husband’s heart and back issues we probably won’t do this together anytime soon, is hiking. When I was doing the A to Z of San Francisco last year I did a fair amount of hiking with the trip to Mt. Davidson and all the stairs. I was definitely glad I had lost weight by then because I probably wouldn’t have made it!

Okay, I hope I gave you some good ideas for dating through the letter H. Tomorrow is catch up on other blog day and honestly, the next few letters of the alphabet may have less pictures than these did but we’ll see what we can do.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 29 Comments

G is for Golf, Gambling, Geocaching

Posted on April 8, 2022 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Early on I realized that I would have to take an interest in new things if I wanted our relationship to last. I am not a sports person but my hubby is. I talked about baseball, which was easy for me to get into and also bowling, which I enjoyed as well. Golf is another one of the sports my husband loves to play. It is not something that I wanted to participate in myself but I managed to find a way to enjoy it.

I was looking through our AAA magazine one day and found an advertisement for a 3 day, 2 night stay down in Boulder Creek. It included the villa rental and 3 rounds of golf so I booked it. We had the best time. We started having kids and didn’t go again until 10 years later when we went back with some friends and that was the start of the golf tournament that lasted over 20 years.

I’m not sure how it is now but back in the day I could go out with the guys and walk the course or ride in the cart even though I wasn’t golfing. Being out in the fresh air among the trees was so relaxing. There are some really beautiful courses. We even have one close to the ocean. It was also fun for me to watch him golf. He did let me hit a ball one time and he jokes that I hit it better than he did so he won’t let me play anymore. That’s not really true because we don’t have that kind of relationship. If I wanted to golf I certainly could. It’s an expensive game and not one I want to do. I’d rather spend the money on craft supplies – LOL. We are sad that Boulder Creek Golf and Country Club had to shut down because of the huge fires that ravaged the area a couple years ago. I am SO glad I made the scrapbooks of our times there.

While my husband likes his sports, I like my slot machines so gambling is another date idea. We just went to Graton Casino for my birthday. Hubby likes to play poker so he usually goes and hits the tables for a while but then he’ll come and find me and we’ll play the slots together. We used to go to Reno for our anniversary and spend a few days there. The Silver Legacy Casino would send us coupons for free nights. Since the pandemic they stopped sending the coupons so we haven’t gone.

One thing I’d like to try is Geocaching. According to Wiki, Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity where you use GPS (like your phone) to find hidden caches. These are usually containers with a note pad and pen and sometimes they hold trinkets which you can take and then replace with something else. The first documented geocaching was done in 2000 in Oregon. There are a couple of different sites where you can register and get a code name. Then when you are traveling you can go to the site and see if there are any geocaches in your area.

Most of the time there is nothing too valuable in the containers. If we started doing it, these are a few of the things that I might leave for someone else to find.

All righty then. We made it through a week! Are you still with me? Ever do geocaching? Let me know if it is something I should look into further. One more post this week and then we rest on Sunday – well, I won’t rest because I have to visit other people and try to come up with more date ideas!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 30 Comments

F is for Fireworks, Festivals, Fishing

Posted on April 7, 2022 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

My husband says he felt a shock go through him when we first met. Sparks flew you might say. I didn’t really feel it at the time because I was dating his brother. Interesting story that my husband loves to tell, but I digress. Fortunately I married the right one. He promised to show me fireworks every year and so far he’s been true to his word.

Most of the time lately it has been the safe and sane ones that we can shoot off in front of our house but we have seen them at the Giants games as well. One year we went to Lake Tahoe with some friends and watched them being shot off over the lake. Wait, was that with hubby or his brother? Or was that the other guy I used to see? Oh well, whoever your with, watching fireworks is a fun date.

Festivals are great dates too. We have a big one near us every Labor Day weekend, the Millbrae Art and Wine Festival. There is something fun about wandering up and down the street with a glass of wine (or beer) in your hand. We don’t go every year but as you can see by the glasses I’ve collected we’ve been a few times. The last one was in 2019, just before the pandemic hit. They didn’t do it of course in 2020 but I think by last year they were running again. We didn’t go.

Our own city, San Bruno, used to have street festivals but they were never as big as the Millbrae ones. Bayhill is a shopping center and they had a champagne festival one year. Fun fact, Bayhill is right by the YouTube headquarters.

And just because I’m trying to keep with 3 ideas for each post, Fishing is another idea for a date. I know my husband likes to fish but I’m not big on camping (you notice I didn’t include that on my C day) so we really haven’t gone fishing much. I can think of two times though. Once was on a camping trip shortly after we got married but before we had kids and the other was on a boat with the company he was working for.

I can’t remember whether he caught a fish or not but he got a certificate for being there! That’s me in the background with the Pittsburgh Pirate’s hat on. Maybe I don’t like fishing because I am a Pisces and it’s like I’m capturing a relative? Nah, can’t be that because I love to eat fish!

Okay, that’s about it for F. Not bad for kind of doing it on the fly, huh?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 22 Comments

E is for Explore, Errands, Exercise

Posted on April 6, 2022 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

For my A to Z this year I’m EXPLORING the different things you can do on a date. As I’ve said, next month my husband and I will be married 38 years and I don’t think that being married that long is a reason to give up on dating.

Case in point, a couple of years ago we went to Oregon to visit hubby’s mother and while we have been there many times, we usually just stay around the house. His mom is 96, doesn’t go out anymore and takes naps during the day so this time I said, “Let’s go do something different while we’re here,” We found the Lava Butte in the Deschutes National Forest. It was very interesting to see the remnants of the volcano. We walked all the way up to the top where there is a fire lookout. The weather was gorgeous and the view spectacular. Even if you are familiar with an area, it is fun to go exploring new things.

Exercise is another thing that you can do together, even if it something as simple as taking a walk around the block. I will admit that exercise is not something that I enjoy doing but taking a walk around the block isn’t bad. This was before we had our dog, Benny. As you can see above, the path around the cinder cone and the ramp we had to climb to get to the lookout at the top of the Butte got us some exercise as well!

And lastly there are errands. You may not think that’s a fun date but I’ll tell you it certainly is nice to have his company when I go to the grocery store or Costco. Most of the time it is more expensive because he always seems to find things to add to the cart but it’s still nice that he’s there. We’ve had some pretty deep discussions as we go from place to place. Just the other day we went looking for material to put a fence around the front yard so we can let Benny go outside and play without worrying he’ll run into the street.

So what do you think, am I covering some good date ideas? Can I make it through the rest of the alphabet? Would you consider running errands a date?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 39 Comments