Bill and Cathy McArthur Spring/Summer/Fall 2008: 6
Monday, May 5, continued our string of good weather. We went over to Delaware on the ferry to visit Don and Bern and meet their grandson Alex. Don picked us up at the terminal about 9:00 AM and drove us to their house in Lewes. It was foggy and dank, so the cappuccinos that Bern made us were very welcome. We drove over to their daughter Megan's apartment and met grandson Alex. We all went out to lunch at Beseme Restaurant in Lewes. Cathy and Bill both had delicious veggie sandwiches on baguettes. Megan and Alex returned to their apartment while the rest of us drove north to the site of the old Mispillion Lighthouse, which burned in 1992. There is now a nature center nearby where the old lighthouse stood. We saw a big flock of Red Knots on the other side of the inlet. We drove over to Slaughter Beach to find a suitable landing site for a kayak trip across the Bay. We went to the northernmost public access point and saw a big mud flat. The tide was dead low, so maybe the location is OK near high tide. We returned on the 4:15 PM ferry. We viewed "Smokin' Aces" during and after dinner. It's a weird movie that we thought was a comedy, but it is classified as a thriller.
Tuesday began foggy again. Bill started to powerwash the deck as the day turned sunny and warm. After lunch, Jim Sosna stopped over for a chat. We took a walk to the Canal. Bill walked the last mile back on the beach. Afterward, Bill headed out for a paddle down to the Canal. He didn't wear a wetsuit, pfd, or boots. The water and air were warm. Bill talked to Joe Link as he launched his kayak. We viewed "Dan in Real Life" - mostly a chick flick with some good moments.
Wednesday, we went to Becky's morning aerobics class. Bill spent the rest of the day finishing the powerwashing of the deck. Cathy spent some time at the Book Shoppe in North Cape May where she will help Steve close down the store by the end of May. Bill grilled burgers for dinner. We viewed "Bella" - a surprisingly good movie.
Thursday, we went to two aerobics classes: Gloria at 9:30 AM and Katie at 5:30 PM. Bill checked-in all 5 of us for the Northwest Airlines flights to San Diego and then called and emailed Alex. Before lunch, we packed for the trip. After lunch, Bill dropped Cathy at the Book Shoppe and then went to Lowes to buy sealer and equipment for the deck. Later, Bill picked up Cathy and we shopped at ACME. We had a great haddock dinner. We went to bed somewhat early.
Friday, we awoke at 3:30 AM and got on the road at 4:00 AM. It was raining hard as we drove up the Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway to Philadelphia. We drove to Winners Valet Service and were dropped at the airport by 6:00 AM. We checked two bags at curbside and entered Terminal E. After security, we ate a light breakfast. Katie, Alex, and Erin arrived somewhat later and also ate breakfast. In spite of very hard rain, we took off on time and landed at Minneapolis for a short layover. The final leg got us to San Diego around 1:30 PM local time. We were surprised with the cloudy and chilly weather, belying San Diego's reputation. We took the Sheraton shuttle to the Bay Tower and checked-in. We met with Son Bill and various members of the Bialas family in the lobby. We went to our room (793) for a bit of unpacking and then walked with Son Bill, Alex, Katie, and Erin along the marina to the Marina Tower and Starbucks. We walked back along the bay. After cleaning up and dressing, about 35 of us took a charter bus from the Marina Tower for the rehearsal dinner for Michael Bialas and Sarah Rodriguez. We had a good Italian meal and an entertaining presentation about Mike and Sarah afterward. Erin took a long nap during dinner on Alex's lap. The bus returned at 10:00 PM to take us back to the hotel. Alex and Erin joined Stephanie and Will and their kids for a ride to the hotel a bit earlier. We finally got to bed a little before 11:00 PM.
Saturday was a typical San Diego day. Bright blue sky, warm temperature, and flowers blooming. Bill and Cathy both awoke at 3:00 AM due to jet lag, but slept on and off until 6:00 AM when they arose. We called Son Bill and found that he'd been up since 5:00 AM. We couldn't hear any sign of life outside of the girls' room. Cathy, Bill, and Son Bill walked over to Starbucks and ate breakfast and read newspapers. A half hour later, the girls' arrived at Starbucks for their breakfast. We all decided to go to the zoo for the morning. We hurried back to our rooms and then caught two cabs for the zoo. We took the bus tour through the zoo and then walked around until it was time to head back to the Sheraton in two cabs. We bought takeout lunch in a deli at the marina between the hotel's two towers. We ate back in our rooms and were treated to the sight of a massive regatta out on the bay. We borrowed Matt and Erin's car for the drive to the church in Old Town; Katie rode with Stephanie and Will and family. The wedding ceremony was beautiful. Afterward, we walked around an arts and crafts fair where Bill bought a computer art print. We drove back to the hotel and watched the aircraft carrier Stennis sail into the bay. Then we went to the reception on the 4th floor of the hotel. There was a cocktail hour on a patio with a view of the marina and the downtown skyline. Then we all went into the dining room for a great meal. Dancing continued until after 10:00 PM. Bill and Cathy made it to the end, dancing for the last couple of hours of the reception. Matt called after we got back to the room wondering where his valet parking ticket was. Oops, we forgot to give it back to them.
Sunday was a mixture of clouds and sun with temperature in the 60s. We started the morning by saying our goodbyes to the girls. Then, we and Son Bill went to Starbucks for breakfast. Afterward, we said goodbye to Son Bill and went back to the room to get ready for the Mothers Day brunch at the Hilton. We walked with several Bialas relatives to the brunch, which was very well attended. Afterward, we walked back and got ready to go for a hike. Two carloads of us went to Torrey Pines State Park for a walk up to the headlands and then down to the beach and back along the water to the cars. We did a tour of La Jolla on the way back to the hotel. Bill went to Starbucks for a cappuccino when we returned to the hotel around 4:30 PM. We headed out again en mass to eat dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Sixteen of us had a special back room and good meals. From there, we went to Erin and Matt's apartment for cake and ice cream and to celebrate several May birthdays. We also watched videos and slide shows of various family photos. We headed back to the hotel at around 10:00 PM. The wedding weekend was over.
Bill and Cathy
