Everyone had had a busy summer and things were starting to wind down with the start of the new school year looming large, so we took one last family trip to California. It was a gloomy day and we were about to experience a rather gruesome trip, but this woman seemed happy enough as she checked is through security so that Sarah Jane Benjamin and Suzanne could settle in at the gate area. The kids read as Suzanne went off in search of coffee while this man tried to reassure us that all would be well with the flight. He was right except that the same didn't apply to our suitcase which got pretty beaten up in the transit. Here Jane and Suzanne looked out for the rest of our bags, hoping that they met a better fate. We then made our way to the stop for the courtesy shuttle while Benjamin showed off the new suitcase we were given by Continental Airlines.

Once we got the rental car (no small feat as it turned out), we headed for Dansyl's house where they served a wonderful plate of vegetables and cheese to help us get over our road weariness. Sylvia, Benjamin, Dan, Sarah, Jane, Suzanne and David were all ready for dinner, so we sat down to eat. The meatballs flashed out so quickly that they spilled over their bowl but they made a wonderful combination with the mashed potatoes as you can see from Benjamin's face.

The next day was Sunday, so Sarah, Jane, Sylvia, Dan, Suzanne and Benjamin got ready to go to the 21st floor for lunch at the house restuarant. The menu looked good and our waitress was ready to serve us starting with drinks -- iced tea for Benjamin and lemonade for Sarah. We were a good crowd including Sylvia Dan Suzanne Benjamin Jane Sarah Anne and Irv My salad was pretty and tasted good. Jane took a break to take pictures of the carnival below as well as one of the sky in the distance and another of her frok to prove that the camera's timer worked. Aunt Anne's shrimp salad in papaya shell was beautiful as were my vegetarian omelet (we let the bacon on??) Benjamin's BT sandwich (hold the L) Suzanne's chicken salad (Sarah had the same entree) Jane's BLT (I'll have some L) and the fish that Irv and Dan ordered. I made the clean plate club so I could have the cookies they brought and choose my mint chocolate chip ice cream from the plate of ice creams. They even brought me this hot fudge sauce to enhance the experience. ON the way out, we stopped to admire the view including the Mormon temple that Benjamin thought was a castle. THe kids created this photo op from up close and then from a distance. Afterwards, we went back to the apartment and took this picture of the sisters.

Our next excursion was to the beach. This person pulled out so that we could park near this corner and follow this street down to the main lifeguard stand at the beach which looked good and provided a nice background for this family photo. Benjamin liked the water and the seaweed and was quite happy to venture in as the first flying billboard passed. Then, he and Jane started in with our rental boogie board. They rode some waves and then we paused to take a picture of this family in matching bathing suits before returning for more surfing with a break for another flying billboard followed by still more surfing during which time Jane found a rock that was too small to see (especially because I mis-focussed). We returned the boogie board to their shack and admire the hole Sarah had constructed and the castle Benjamin built with the removed sand. After pausing for one more picture Sarah took her hole even deeper and collected this souvenier rock while Benjamin gathered this wonderful collection and we read the beach regulations while thinking about getting in the long line for the outdoor showers. On the way back, we passed this lemonade (and apples) stand and then considered buying this car for sale.

Once back, it was time for dinner. There was good vegatable soup and I had this dark beer from Price Club to accompany the potato kugel and the meatballs with flash and without. My brown rice and vegetables dish was a wonderful prelude to the strawberries, donuts and brownies, and banana that came for dessert enabling Benjamin to make (and eat) this sculpture and letting Jane build this food sculpture from the remains of our dinner.

The next day was Monday. Jane and Sarah Benjamin and Suzanne sat on the bench waiting for the repair car to come as we admired their electronics. Jane, Benmjamin and Suzanne went to the zoo where they began by admiring the flamingos

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After the zoo, we all went to the beach where Benjamin showed Dansyl how he surfed and how he relaxed after the surfing while Suzanne, Sarah and Jane had a reading bee. After showers, Sarah, Suzanne, Sylvia, Dan, Benjamin, Jane, and David had dinner at Sammy's where the menu offered lots of specialities and we ate bread as we waited while Benjamin completed the puzzles on the children's menu. David's Coor's Beer celebrated Magic Johnson while we are a mushroom, peppers and artichoke pizza, a chicken pizza, a Greek salad, gnocchi and Benjamin had his pasta with sauce on the side.