Man Room

Although I was originally thinking "Man Cave," I compromised my thinking to a less reclusive "Man Room."  Gail agreed that I could set up one particular room reflecting my own manly tastes.  Gail painted the walls for me ( I caught her thinking green walls originally -- huh?).   We then hung my displays on the walls around the treadmill facing the soon-to-be-mounted television.   My mug collection, Millikan football pictures, Stanford Middle School pictures, and retirement displays are now mounted in a room I'm happy to call my own.

Palm Springs Getaway

Palm Springs is one of our favorite places.  Not that our local weather is bad, but 80 degree days in mid-December around a swimming pool is something special.   We annually visit PS in early December (among other times) to Christmas shop and enjoy ourselves.  The ritual involves a stop at the Cabazon Outlet, a corn beef sandwich at Sherman's Deli, a walkthrough at the Exotic car exhibit, shopping in the Palm Desert center, dinner and a movie at The River, and a drive down Highway 111 on the way home.   On this mid-week trip, the customary Thursday night street fair and the College of the Desert swap meets were not options.  We are looking forward to a return trip in the Spring with more members of the family.

Halloween

Cassie and Gail never do anything half way.  For Halloween, Gail made a kitten costume for Camille by hand.  Mason wore a Super Mario costume.  Cass prepared dinner out in the front yard featuring real bales of hay and beautifully decorated tables.  Following dinner, the grandkids went trick or treating with Gail and Cass while the others remained behind to hand out candy.  Actually, Mason was in charge of handing out candy for most of the evening.  A large and continuous turnout at the door led him to proclaim, "Business is Booming!"

Big Night at Ram Hi

At Millikan's final home football game, I was invited to receive a retirement gift at a halftime ceremony.  To my great delight, I received both a Millikan's letterman's jacket and a CIF championship ring earned last year by Millikan's wrestling team.  I was introduced over the loudspeaker as "Millikan's senior senior."  The cheerleaders provided a cheer.  Gail, Eric, and the Timboes were there to witness the event and provide support.  It was fun visiting with members of the Millikan family, whom I miss.

Pismo Beach

A few years back, Brother Rich introduced us to the Kon Tiki Hotel in Pismo Beach.  We try to get up there at least once a year and have developed a little ritual of stopping at the outlets in Camarillo and eating lobster tacos on the Santa Barbara Pier on our way up.  Late October is the perfect time for the trip in that crowds are sparse and the hotel rates are the lowest of the year.  The Kon Tiki is on the cliff's edge, a crescent shaped hotel overlooking the ocean with a long wooden stairway down the beach below.  The city of Pismo Beach is within walking distance to the south as is the pier.  Pismo Beach and surrounding area sport several good places to eat.  We dined at Steamers overlooking the ocean and at the restaurant on the pier at Avila Beach.  Another day trip was north to Morro Bay.  The days passed quickly and it was time to return home.  On our return trip, we took the opportunity to meet Bonnie Christianson (aka "The Queen") for lunch in Camarillo, where she now resides.  Bonnie has been a close friend of the family since the late 1970's, when we taught at Newcomb together.

The Ram's Head

Bob and Toni Bowers have been close friends for over 30 years.  We have a lot in common.  Both Bob and Toni are former Millikan High School sweethearts as are Gailee and me.   Bob and I team-taught summer school together at Hudson and earned our administrative credentials from CSULB in the same program.  We started our families at the same time.  Bob and I played together on a miserable city league softball team (Duffy's Tavern).  Our kids developed relationships with their kids which flourished even after the Bowers relocated to Southern Oregon approximately 30 years ago.  Our lives continue to mirror each other as all four of us retired from our long careers in education at the end of last year.

Bob and Toni came by the house for dinner and a visit recently.  Bob brought with him a wonderful bronze ram head mounted on a foundation (see picture).  The thing weighed in at 30 pounds!  This retirement gift will be displayed in a prominent location in our home.  During the visit, we began our discussion of a joint vacation this coming spring to somewhere on the east coast.   We feel really lucky to have such close friends who have remained "like family" over so many years.

Las Vegas for Nana's Birthday

For Nana's 83rd birthday, several family members chipped in to give her an "all expenses paid" trip to Las Vegas.  She learned of her trip on a proclamation she opened at a birthday party earlier (see picture).  Gailee and I picked her up on a Tuesday morning and headed for our destination, the MGM Grand Hotel.  That evening, we enjoyed "Jersey Boys" at the Palazzo Hotel on the strip.  The following day was devoted to gambling, dining, and relaxing.  Nana played for several hours and remained even for the trip.  At one point, she was up over $200 on her favorite slot machine.  We enjoyed dinners at the Grand Wok and at the Rain Forest, both part of the MGM.  Nana recalled how she and Old Grandad came through Las Vegas in 1947 when the town was nothing but a single filling station with a few slots inside.  She has witnessed the transformation of the town and has plenty of stories which took place over decades of enjoying "Sin City."

Memphis

We were excited to join the Pistoias in Memphis to see Tulsa play The University of Memphis in the Liberty Bowl.  Joe and Joyce picked us up at the airport and we settled in at the Beale Street Westin.  We spent plenty of time on Beale Street, eating delicious ribs and taking in the entertainment, the best of which was "the blues" played at B.B. King's.  Prior to the game, we spent time at Graceland, Elvis Presley's home.  We toured inside the house, viewed his gravesite, his car collection, and his jet planes he bought for his daughter, Lisa Marie.  We then headed over to the Lorraine Hotel and museum, where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.  Our hotel was across the street from the arena where the Memphis Grizzlies play.  The team was staying at our hotel so we were constantly in elevators and the lobby with players including Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, and others.  We even enjoyed a conversation with Lionel Hollins, head coach of the Grizzlies!  Sampling Ribs was an everyday activity, but someone had to do it.  We also managed to visit Sun Records, where Elvis cut his first song.  The game, itself, turned out to be a blowout win for Tulsa. Under his jersey, Tyler wore the same t-shirt Joe had worn under his jersey when he played for Tulsa!   On the day after the game, Joe and I drove Gail and Joyce to the airport for their return flight and then we drove home, covering about 2,000 miles over four days.  Our road home took us through Arkansas to Tulsa for a visit with Tyler and a tour of the campus and city.   We passed through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona on our way back to California.

Wedding in Japan

Last April, Gail and I took the trip of a lifetime to Japan to attend the wedding of our nephew, Morgan, to his bride, Makiko (Maki).  Morgan took a position as a teacher in Japan, where he met Maki, also a teacher.  They courted, fell in love, and married.  We spent several days in Tokyo prior to heading down to Kagoshima for the wedding.  The wedding was in a Shinto temple and was captivating and beautiful.  At the reception, I delivered a speech, which Morgan had previously requested of me.  I delivered it in Japanese to everyone's surprise!  I had worked with a Japanese-American parent at Millikan to translate my English words into Japanese writing and speech.  She coached me several hours to make sure the words were pronounced correctly.   Also attending the wedding from the USA were Rich, Peggy, Sara, and Travis.  A reception will be held in Mariposa this December to allow family and friends to celebrate with Morgan and Maki.  All of the Kellers plan to attend.

Maui Recap

Our first real "new life phase" vacation trip took place in mid-July, just weeks after Gail and I retired.  Our good friends, Rick and Lee Timboe, joined us for a week in Maui.  We had a gorgeous villa on the beach, which allowed us sunset views on a nightly basis.   Our activities included snorkeling, pool time, dining, and shopping.  Gail and Lee rode horses.  During their ride, Gail's horse (a stud named Brad Pitt), decided to lie down on its side.  Gail showed great "grandmother agility" and nimbly jumped off the horse before it could land on her.  Once the horse stood up again, Gail amazed the other riders by mounting the horse on her own.  Each evening was filled with card games, wine, and conversation.  Two memorable meals included the stuffed Mahi Mahi at Mama's and the prime rib at Kemo's in Lahaina.  Gail came home with a 37th anniversary keepsake, a beach glass necklace which took the artist two years to complete.

The Old Days

Donald Adelbert Keller of Aberdeen, South Dakota, married Elizabeth Bernadette Hillon of Liverpool, England, in New York City after World War II.   They settled in Nebraska where Don pursued his college studies at Hastings in preparation for a career in education.  Don was an expert musician who played the trumpet.  Rich and Don were born in Nebraska, the first of the eventual six sons.  A move to Long Beach, California, was made to gain proximity with relatives including Lucille (Don's mother),  Emma (Don's aunt) of Crestline, and Arvilla (another aunt) and husband, Hubert and their son, Alan Dean, of Colton.  The Kellers took up residence at 742 Toledo Court near 7th Street and Orange.  The location was good because Don could walk to work at Jefferson Junior High School along 7th Street, briefcase in hand.  While the boys were still in elementary school at Lincoln, the family moved to east Long Beach to 6743 El Progresso, and remained there until moving to Park Estates on El Parque.  Rich, Don, Ray, and Eric attended Millikan.  Neal and Gary attended Wilson.  The pictures in this blog were salvaged from some damaged displays which once decorated the bar area at El Parque.