-- Hurry-- Get the Camera...

My mom’s back was really bothering her this morning.  She whined and winced all morning.  I don’t know why she needs her soft bed so badly.  Geez, Mom, I sleep on the hard floor every night.  Cry me a river.

No nature walk today, I guess.

We drove for a couple of hours while I slept, interrupted only by my mom’s moaning every once in a while when we hit a bump in the road.  We stopped for lunch at an Italian restaurant named “Il Davide” in San Rafael.  
I got to sit on the patio.  Good bread, by the way…

After we finished lunch, my dad asked my mom to drive for a while.  She took over the helm and asked my dad to take pictures since she was driving-- and my dad pretended he couldn’t hear her cuz he was listening to Mark Levin on his iPod (as usual).  As we approached the McCarthy Memorial Bridge, my mom saw how awesome it looked and she handed her iPhone to him and said, “Hurry-- get the camera!”   My dad was all, “Huh? What?”  By the time he got the camera out, the moment in time had passed. 

Here is a photo my mom found on the Internet of the McCarthy bridge.  This photo was taken at the same viewpoint when my mom asked my dad to hurry and take a photo:

Now take a look at the photo my dad took--

Good job Dad.  Nice effort.  

When we approached the Bay Bridge, we sat in a toll line for an hour.  My mom tried to change into a different lane that seemed to be moving faster (our lane wasn’t moving at all) and no one would let her into the lane.  They all looked straight ahead and pretended we weren’t there.  Where’s the love? 

Geez, how do people live like this every day of their lives? 

The whole traffic jam issue seemed to intensify my dad’s grouchy mood.  My mom asked him to take a photo of the Bay Bridge after we drove through the toll gate.  He took my mom’s camera and said, “I don’t do pictures.  This is the last one I’m taking.” 

My mom knew better than to argue when my dad gets grouchy like this.  Here is his photo…

Nice effort on this one too-- huh?

Maybe my dad should stick to driving...

My mom was naughty and snapped a couple of photos while she was driving with one hand.  Bad mommy.  But she did this for me and my blog, so I didn't get mad at her.

We stopped to get gas in Morgan Hill, California.  As we were pulling out of the gas station, my dad noticed a Jiffy Lube across the street.  Since we’ve already traveled over 5,000 miles on this road trip, my dad said it was necessary to change the oil in the Supervan. 

They were fast!  We were in and out of there in only 20 minutes!

My dad took over the driving and I called "Shotty-Noch" (that means
shotgun--no challenge).  My mom sat in the back seat and searched for more Advil in the cabinet. 

After listening to Fox News on the radio as he drove, my dad’s mood improved notably.  He called my mom “babydoll” and said he was going to take her out to dinner at F.McLintocks in Shell Beach.  

That made my mom happy.

F.McLintock's was a cool restaurant. 

Come on lady-- hurry up and take the photo so I can eat--

My mom said she and my dad had been there before back in the 1980s.  That must have been back in the day of my great-great-great-great-great-great-great--great-great-great-great-grandfather-- or close to it. 

Man, I just realized-- my mom and dad are old. 

After dinner, it was a quick drive to Oceano Dunes in Pismo Beach. 

My mom and dad have been here a few times before.  In fact, last time they were here, they drove a motorhome along the beach.  It got stuck in the sand on the way out and our friend Steve ("Wildman") had to pull them out with a winch.  Hah!  Hook 'em.

My mom had another cow while we were sliding around in the sand. 

My dad said we arrived here at high tide.  Yikes. 

Oh well, we made it. 

No grass or trees at this campsite, or squirrels for that matter-- but we have a front row view of the ocean and the sunset--

Time to have fun and play night-Frisbee...

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