Even the Dandelions Grow Better at the Garden

Normally, on a Monday, I’m back at work by now, but what with this being Memorial Day weekend I’ll just have to soldier on. After the previous two days of bicycling, both Strife and I were ready for a little cross-training, anything to not get back on the bike again. I don’t know what I’ll do when I retire and I don’t have five days of sitting around to fall back on. I learned this week that the Spanish word for retirement is jubilación, which sounds like a heck of a lot more fun than retirement. Maybe, I’ll have to retire to south of the border? OBTW, Strife has informed me that if I continue to refer to her like that she will come up with an equally dubious nickname for me. Do I dare challenge a woman whose vocabulary accessorizes itself with sharp-tongued witticisms? In the words of that great president, George W Bush, “Bring it on!”

The weatherman lied to us this weekend, having predicted rain for most of it, but it has been dry for almost all of it, except for last night. Anne and Joanie were at their dance concert and I was at the movies when it rained, so we all missed it. I wanted to see “Mad Max – Fury Road”, but it was sold out. Instead, I saw “Pitch Perfect 2” (meh). Which is a shame, because the first one was so good. This one did have moments though, like during the Key and Peele substitute teacher scene.

Daenerys of Westeros Lookout for this Guy

Today, was another beautiful day, but like I said, we weren’t up for another bicycle ride, instead just to get out and enjoy the day, we went to the gardens. The second iteration of the Chinese lantern festival kicked off this weekend. During the day, it is still free to members, but at night there is an additional fee. Still there is a lot to see and admire in the daylight, like the dandelions pictured above, and there are also of course all of the usual flowers, plants and trees.

After the gardens, we headed over to South Grand and the City Diner. On the way there, we bumped into this guy with his twin bearded dragons. Daenerys of Westeros has nothing on him. Well, she did have three dragons. These two are only three months old and when full grown will reach two feet in length. He let us hold them, which was special, especially when afterwards I learned that they are linked to the spread of salmonella. We both wished that we had washed our hands afterwards. Still, he was a nice guy. The big one is the female, named Liz. Neither of us could remember what the smaller male’s name was. At the City Diner, Anne had brunch and I had lunch. Afterwards, when we were back out on Grand, I overheard one guy describe the diner to another guy as a “hipster Denney’s”, which seems pretty apt to me.