OK, so I didn’t take a picture of the shrimp I ate, but I did get this one after that when we drove around on the Naval Base …

That’s the USS Peleliu (LHA-5). It was in the same amphibious group as the USS Cleveland and we deployed with her numerous times to the Western Pacific in the 1980s. I believe that she is now the oldest active amphibious ship in service since the USS Cleveland was decommissioned last September. I took pictures of some destroyers, too, but don’t know if you are all cleared to see them.

Now, let’s back up a little … we got up at a reasonable hour this morning and headed back down to San Diego with the intent of getting a smog check so we could get a base sticker for the car. Complicating this was the fact that we had an appointment with Chuck, and his bride Vonnie, at the old Chief’s club at 32nd Street. You may recall that this is where we had prime rib last Wednesday. Today it was dead fish and dead shrimp, and shrimp & chicken pancit. Pancit is noodles. Very good stuff. There was peel and eat shrimp, too. I ate way more than I should have and will probably pay the price when my right big toe breaks out in a terminal case of gout. It won’t really matter since everything from my hip down on the right side hurts. So, a sore big toe is really no big deal. I already limp on that side. I’m not complaining, mind you. I’m just stating facts.

We were able to get the smog check done ($40) but it almost made us late for our rendezvous with Chuck & Vonnie. They had already been through the line and were just sitting down when we sauntered into the joint. We had a great visit and Chuck is going to give us a hand with the September reunion. I’ll have to introduce him to Brian, who also is helping.

After a great visit and lunch, we went to the 32nd Street pass and ID office for our base sticker. I got in line and stood there for about half an hour before someone came out and said their computer system had just crashed and they couldn’t issue decals, just passes. So, I took the pass I already had, went back to the car and “ordered” Diane to take us to the Naval Air Station to see if we could get a decal there. It was a nice ride over the Coronado Bridge, and Diane took the order quite nicely. We quickly got the decal and a nice young lady in uniform, a Seabee from Tennessee, stuck it to our windshield. We won’t need to get another one until 2016.

It turned out that President Carter was at the Hotel Del Coronado today riding a Trikke. Perhaps you saw it on the news. Probably not because it was a local “thing”. I guess he used to live on Coronado a long time ago. That’s just really nice to know, isn’t it?

After we left Coronado we went back to the Naval Base so Diane could shop. No amount of whining and crying on my part would redirect her efforts. So, of course, I went along. The fact that she was driving had nothing to do with the fact that I had to go with her. I could have gotten out any time I wanted to. Really. I could have. She may have even stopped to pick me up and take me to a hospital. Maybe not.

Once done shopping, and confident that the rush hour was at it’s peak, we headed back north to Carlsbad on I-5. Most of the traffic during that time is going South, so it’s really not too bad. We arrived in time for another ho-hum sunset.