Post Holiday Guests - Part 1

Several months ago our friend Bert Franco from the Lancaster/Palmdale area of Southern California decided to have his house built at nearby Lakeshore. Since we’re basically based here now I sort of committed to him to visit his construction site, take pictures and send them to him to California through the web, and as evidenced in my previous blogs, I posted some pictures on his construction. Bottom line? I flaked out big time. All through the months of December and January I failed to go even once! Whether it’s legitimate or not, my excuse was the housewarming and all the preparations for it, the guys’ visit here, the Holidays, etc. So a couple of weeks after the New Year and I was thinking about my obligation to Bert, I get a call from him saying he’s in town visiting. I was so embarrassed and profusely apologized and he was gracious enough to say he perfectly understood. He called the 2nd time wanting to meet but it so happened that we were expecting guests from Manila – Donna’s nursing classmates.

Leanne came by as well. Leanne is Mary's husband Robert's niece. Her parents are Cesar and Onor, Cesar being Robert's brother. She's from Carson City, Nevada but she goes to school in New York. She was in town for her cousin Coco’s wedding. On her way to Manila from Subic she dropped by to join us for dinner. Her Auntie Mila and Auntie Connie (Robert's sisters) didn’t make it though. She's the one in the picture between me and Donna sitting in our living room couch and with Donna on the music room floor.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it in previous blogs but my cousin Josie came before the house warming. And that's her with me and Donna by our front lawn fountain/water falls and the Jacuzzi 'bahay kubo'. She was here for her elementary school reunion and to visit relatives before the Holidays. She left before the house warming to be with husband Rey and her two boys in San Diego for Christmas and New Year.

We were having lunch at SM's Gerry's Grill one day. My cell phone rang so I pulled it out of my pocket, and stood up to answer it outside. Then I heard some girl saying, "April Boy, April Boy!" It was Nancy on the table next to us having lunch with her former co-workers. She recognized my long hair! She's Jun's wife and Mary's sister-in-law. They're based in Japan but she said Jun who's in the US Navy is getting transferred to San Diego so they're moving there in a few days. She's with Reggie in the enclosed picture.