Craving the Supernatural

Well, I won't unneccessarily bore you. :-D After Truckee, we headed back to San Rafael where we had a 4th of July/Ciara's birthday BBQ. We watched fireworks from the train tracks across the street. By about this time, we were having vehicle problems--again! Last year, we made this same trip, but with Brian's parent's travel trailer and luxury van. Sadly, the van broke down because of a mechanic's error in prepping the van for travel. *sigh* anyway, so this time, we arrived in our 1997 Expedition--which was shuddering as if she had a bad cold. It's not a good thing when the CHECK ENGINE light comes on--it's worse when the thing is blinking at you like a sparkler! So, anyway, we decided to brave the 50 minute trip from San Rafael to San Jose...so I wouldn't get gyped on my time with bestest bud, Neen Miller. *Amazingly* as our Expedition topped the hill right before the Golden Gate Bridge, all shuddering STOPPED. And we drove in safety and mercy to Neen's, where I sat and chatted with her and Camy while hubby had the truck serviced. Here are two photos from that visit...

Okay...Camy's chicken salad...don't tell her I'm telling you about this. Tee-hee. When Cam-ster showed up, she had a bag of food--lettuce and *frozen* chicken. I won't go into the long dicussions she and Neen had about salmonella and dying...needless to say they nuked the tar out of that chicken. :-D Despite Camy's claim that she did not inherit her mother's cooking genes, that salad was really quite yummy--light enough to enjoy the actual taste of the lettuce and chicken. She rambled about somethign crunchy supposed to be in it, but who am I to complain? I got a free meal with two very beautiful women who are near and dear to my heart.
So, after doubling the cost of our trip with truck repairs, we head down to Brian's cousin in Santa Maria. I'm telling you guys--this is one of the most beautiful families I have *ever* encountered. They have seven children, and are absolutely amazing. With eleven children (ours and theirs), you'd think it would be a zoo. NOPE. It was wonderful and very pleasant. I love Christine, the wife of Brian's cousin, who is a Deputy Sherriff with the Santa Barbara Sheriff's office. I could go on and on about this family...let's suffice it to say, I'm praying really hard that Brian gets into the FBI, and that our first duty station assignment is Santa Maria.