Yorba Linda (Scott)

After coming back from our trip to northern California, we checked into the five-star Casa de Riggins, a ranch-style hacienda in Yorba Linda. The accommodations are excellent, the location is choice, the food is extremely tasty, and snacks are abundant -- although some of our neighbors are a bit noisy, especially in the morning.

Speaking of noisy -- Steve has a 1960s Chevelle wagon that he likes to use on the weekends. He parks it backwards in the garage so that the rear bumper sits right against the opposite side of the wall where the headboard of our bed is. When he starts the dang thing, it feels like the world is ending -- the entire room shakes and there is a deafening roar. I think he likes it.

For the most part, we've just been lying low -- much to the chagrin of the girls who see us sitting on the couch watching television in the morning when they leave for school and who find us still in our pajamas in the exact same spots when they return from school. Hey, we're on vacation!

We did spend a day at Disneyland celebrating Mom Shari's birthday last week and I spent this past weekend in Havasu for Shawn's bachelor party -- I can't believe his wedding is a week away! Havasu was fun times: beers, boats, drinking games, excellent sandwiches, and about 4 hot dogs for dinner one night.

The highlight of the weekend was playing a game called "Buckets" -- it's actually something that Shawn and Brandon created using 2x4s and paint buckets. The game itself is sort of similar to horseshoes and we were playing in 2-man teams. To make the game a little more interesting, the losers had to dive into the frigid waters of the lake -- well, the water wasn't exactly frigid, but it was a little cold! My first time playing I was up against Shawn and Brandon. My teammate and I put up a valiant effort, but we lost so into the lake we went. Later in the afternoon, after I noticed that Shawn had a few more beers, I challenged him to another game but with a different teammate for me. Shawn, a little unsteady on his feet, didn't do so hot while my teammate and I were on fire! My team won and Shawn and Brandon were banished to the lake -- complete vindication for all the torment I suffered from their hands when I was 12. Well, maybe not complete vindication, but it was pretty cool to beat Shawn at something...that never happens.

We have another busy week ahead of us. Today is Dad Pool's birthday -- so we'll be meeting him at Disneyland this afternoon. Then we have some errands to run for the wedding, the rehearsal dinner is on Thursday, and the wedding itself is on Saturday. Oh yeah, I also promised Alyssa I'd help her prepare for the SAT, which she is set to take also on Saturday. Busy, busy, busy...