Tues 3 Mar. Day 52

                                                        SHEILA’S BIRTHDAY

The sun is back! It was cold at night and by 10:10 was only 56 F.  Today was Breakfast Club day. We went with Larry & Judy to the Seven Hills Golf Clubhouse for their breakfast--$10.80 for the 2 of us incl. tea, coffee & sales tax! It was a big breakfast too. Then back to GVP & into the pool for VB.  When we got back from the pool at 12:30 it was 64 in the shade under our awning and the RV inside was up to 76 with the windows closed.  We didn’t bother with lunch because we were full from breakfast.  We left GVP with Larry & Judy about 3 PM heading to Temecula.  Sheila wanted to walk around the old town a bit before supper.  So we did.  We discovered that Old Temecula was established in 1859 as a depot for the Butterfield Stage line. Temecula is an Indian word meaning, “sunlight through the mist”.  The entire valley was given that name by a chief of the local Indian tribe.

After our walk & picture-taking, it was off to Red Lobster for Sheila’s Birthday feast. We had a great dinner.  Sheila wanted to take a bottle of Champagne to the restaurant because the champagne that all restaurants mostly stock is a dry one and she likes it sweet.  She phoned them to see what the rigmarole would be to bring it & the cost.  The answer: no problem, no cost.  So into the restaurant we went, plunked the bottle on the table, and asked the waitress for 4 champagne glasses which they brought over. I undid the wire on the top of the bottle in prep to getting the top off and set it aside. Several minutes later there was a loud “POP”; the cork flew up, bounced off the ceiling, and landed on the floor, startling everyone around us.

 We had a wonderful lobster dinner--both Sheila & I had Lobster Bisque soup followed by the “Duelling Lobsters” dish which was 2 lobster tails, one topped with crab meat & one with shrimp both with a nice sauce. Sheila even got a free dessert – her pick from the dessert menu.  She chose Apple Cobbler with ice cream. It was served on a large platter with “Happy Birthday Sheila” written in chocolate with strawberry hearts, it was a really nice presentation. The waitresses were all very nice and three of them sang Happy Birthday to her, (with us accompanying them). It was a nice evening. And between Sheila, Judy & Larry the champagne was finished and then I drove everyone home.  We got a SKYPE from Michael, Adeline & the kids about 9:45 with everyone, even William, wishing her a “Happy BD”.  Then Sheila got to open her present from them that I had set on the table before we went out, tantalizing her with what she hoped it was.  It was more than just photographs—it was 4 placemats with 4 different photos of the family—something she had put on her “wish lists”  a couple of times.  She was flabbergasted at the detail & clearness of the pictures on the place mats and was thrilled to get them. She said it  was one of the best birthdays she’d ever had. The Skype call and their birthday gift were definitely the “icing on the cake” of  a wonderful day!