SAN DIEGO: Pit Stop, Holiday Enjoyment, & Grandfatherhood

After seven glorious months on the road capped off with a two week cruise vacation, I return to San Diego refreshed and ready to become a grandfather. It has been so nice seeing my daughter Dina, and staying at her place for six days and spending some quality time. It’s great to be in a real household for a week, the weather has been beautiful here, and I already have a set of wheels for the duration of my two months here. I will be at a nice residence hotel in a happening part of town where I can plan the my next year of adventures.

2016 is going to be spent predominantly in Central/South America. I will be departing San Diego on January 22nd. , and I will see if I can manage to travel for a solid ten months without a break. I will be playing that by ear, and basically flying by the seat of my pants like I did last year. I am falling into a groove with my new vocation of long term vagabonding. It feels very natural, and I am very much in the flow. In the first month of my 2016 adventuring, I will be meeting my vacationing brother Craig and his wife Reneé in a beautiful EcoLodge in the rainforest of Costa Rica near Lake Arenal.

These are the best years of my life.

Mia’s Room – Mine for six days. There’s actually a nice bed with a comfy mattress, but it is clearly the room of my future granddaughter.

MIA’S COZY CRIB – With the full Dina treatment. Tiny elephants frickin’ lasers on their heads not shown.

AMERICAN MADE HI-TECH STROLLER – Mia’s future stylin’ ride – I think Dina has stocked up on everything this baby will need until her third birthday just in case there is some sort of apocalypse, and baby paraphernalia is in short supply. She is clearly ready to conclude this pregnancy, and transfer her little bundle of joy into the numerous conveyances and contraptions that await her.

Dina’s Xmas Tree.

Danny & Vilena’s Tree

Ready to pop and ready to be a pop.

Christmas Dinner at Danny and Vilena’s

Joe assists Grandma while Steve helps Dina cope with her bulk in the background.

Grandma receiving the medallion of “The Sisterhood of the Pomegranate.”

A Caviar Chanel bag for V – Okay not quite, but a phenomenal replica from Istanbul

Danny gets a real meerschaum pipe from Turkey.

Dina, Basil, and Loki – These unsuspecting dogs enjoy the last days of being the apples of Dina’s eye, about to be unseated as the cutest in the household. Little do they realize that their undoing lurks in that tummy.

Oh, the humanity!

After nine long months…

The Happy Pappy

A REAL CUTIE – Those poor dogs are in serious trouble!

Born December 29th. 2015 – A bundle of joy to welcome in the New Year.

Baby Mia – It doesn’t get any cuter than that.