A Free Drink at the Bar? (Not for Ty!); Suzanne’s New Book, The Real Alzheimer’s; A Shortage of Garlic; Gilroy is Here

On our last night in Sequoia National Park, we returned to the Wuksachi Lodge to use their Wi-Fi. There were a lot of guests also using the hookup, so uploading the photos for the blog was pretty slow. While I was waiting, I said to Suzanne, “I think I’ll go get a diet soda.” She said, “Oh, go ahead and work on the blog, I’ll go get you a drink.” How thoughtful... she returned a few minutes later with a tall soda over ice in a glass, not in a can or plastic bottle, just how I like it. “Thanks, Sweetheart, what did that cost at the bar?” “Nothing, Ty, the bartender said it was on the house.” Hmmm.... let me think about this... the last time a bartender offered me a free drink was.... never??? You know, it’s sort of like speeding tickets. A guy can get a speeding ticket for going 1 mph over the limit if the Highway Patrol is behind its quota that day, but a cute girl? It goes something like this: “Ma’am, I clocked you on radar going 125 mph in a 35 mph zone. I’m sure you have an excellent reason for speeding, so I’ll just give you a warning and a free ticket to our policemen’s social this weekend. Just ask for me, Officer Murphy.” Sigh....

We’re very excited that Suzanne’s new book (her ninth), The Real Alzheimer’s: A Guide for Caregivers That Tells It Like It Is, has been completed in a Kindle version, which will be available by Monday afternoon on amazon.com. The paper version will be available within the next few weeks.  There are quite a few people from our community in The Villages featured in the book, and we know their contributions will help many, many people who are dealing with this disease.  Check out the book’s new website:  www.TheRealAlzheimers.com.  Suzanne will be sending an email announcement to those on her email list when the paper version of the book is available.

We reluctantly packed up The Bus this morning and departed our 6,200 ft. altitude campground. This was the view from our front window; maybe you can understand why it was difficult to leave. It was about 50F, and we were in jeans and fleeces. By noon, we were down to a few hundred feet altitude in the San Joaquin Valley, and the temps were in the high 80’s-low 90’s, and shorts had replaced jeans. I had turned on the generator for air conditioning, and neither the forward nor aft unit was working. &*%^&%&^$&!!!! After a few minutes, Suzanne said, “Sweetheart, did you check the two switches in the cabinet over the microwave?” “Yes, Dear.” After another few minutes, she said, “Sweetheart, I am hearing guidance that you really need to check the two switches in the cabinet over the microwave.” “Yes, Dear.” Well, you can see this coming, can’t you? Especially you wives... After troubleshooting the seventeen things that could be wrong with the air conditioners, I checked the doggone switches in the cabinet over the microwave... how had they gotten into the wrong position? Voila, cool air! I am a really good mechanic. Sigh...  

On the way out of Fresno, we stopped to replenish our groceries. One of the things on our list was garlic. We also needed a new fresh water pump for The Bus. After looking at the map, Suzanne said, “Let’s go to Gilroy.” I asked, “Wasn’t he that guy painted on fences?” “Drive, please.” As we motored into Gilroy, I found that Gilroy is Garlic Central for the USA, if not the entire civilized world.

Suzanne had actually ordered Elephant garlic from Gilroy years ago. You can buy many different varieties of garlic and garlic-flavored foods, including garlic chocolate and garlic ice cream. Now, really, garlic chocolate? I’m a purist, and I would not eat garlic chocolate. There are some things that are simply sacrosanct. Suzanne couldn't interest Rudy and Gretchen in garlic-flavored doggie treats, either... can you blame them?

We are staying at the Gilroy Elks Lodge, right next to a golf course, with nice views of the town and surrounding farmland and hills. The only peculiar thing is the tree just behind The Bus. I haven’t been able to find any cones or identify its species yet, but it definitely not a Giant Sequoia. In fact, its bark has a distinctly metallic feel...

We will only be in Gilroy for two nights, and next weekend is the Annual Gilroy Garlic Festival (over 100,000 attendees expected). After another gourmet dinner at Chez Ty’s (linguine with a delicate Ragu sauce and meatballs), we toured historic Gilroy. Although many shops are closed due to the struggling economy, the people we met seemed very friendly and happy. In particular, a nice young couple named Maria and Robert stopped us to admire Rudy and Gretchen; they were kind enough to explain garlic farming (on days during the harvest you can smell garlic as far as San Jose, 30-40 miles away). They also gave us recommendations on things to do in the area. Robert is a videographer working for Intel Corporation in nearby Silicon Valley. They had just come from his barber shop, where his barber had given them free corn... I don't recall Cal's in The Villages having that as a promotion...

There was a free concert going on in a side street off Monterey, the main drag. A local Bluegrass band was performing, and the audience was enthusiastic, as these dancers prove. It reminded us a little of The Villages town squares when grand-kids are in town.