Our Last Day in Roseville

Our last full day in Roseville was rather nice.  First we visited the air base and got a bit of a guided tour by Adam.  We had lunch at an Irish Pub (it was the day before St Paddy's Day) that was more like a dive sports bar.  Then, we actually had a little time to unwind and spend some time at the hotel pool before heading out to dinner with Joi's mom joining us.  It sounds like it was a busy day but it was actually the most laid back day we had while in California.  For a pleasant change, we actually had some time to kill which is why we ended up in the pool at the hotel.

While on the air base, we stopped at the Coyote Pub and Grill to use the restrooms and get some cash from an ATM.  I have to say that it was difficult leaving that place because the NCAA basketball playoffs were on the big screen and they had the channel turned to the Florida game...  a game I wanted to see.  I knew if we stayed for the game it would lead to a few drinks, getting a bit too comfortable (air bases are like "home" for me) and eating there which would put an end to any other plans for the day!  So, we reluctantly moved on after everyone used the restroom and the ATM.

Here we are heading to the air base...


Here are a couple of shots of the air base...


Those few hangars out there are where Adam works...


Some lounging time at the hotel pool...  we had the whole pool and whirlpool to ourselves, which was nice.  The weather was very summery which was nice for us coming from snowy Vermont.  The temperature was in the upper 80s and it was clear and sunny!




In our travels around Roseville, we came across a nice looking Italian restaurant and we thought that would be a great place to meet Joi's mom, Ahavah.  When I called to make reservations, I was told that the menu was a 'family style' menu.  Having not met Ahavah yet, we weren't sure if she would be okay with whatever we ordered for the table (due to allergies or personal preference...  I have a special restricted diet myself so I'm well aware of people having different needs) so we opted for The Old Spaghetti Factory which happens to be an old standard for us when looking for restaurants during our travels.  

Here we have a photo of Adam, Joi and Sheila waiting in the lobby waiting room for Ahavah to arrive...


Dinner was great but the one regret I have about choosing a place like the Old Spaghetti Factory is that it was too noisy to hear anything being said beyond the person seated next to you.  That being said, it was a Saturday night so any restaurant we chose would probably have been too loud for talking freely from one end of a table to the opposite end.  Sheila sat next to Ahavah so they talked quite a bit but, honestly, I could not hear much of anything at my end of the table.  Perhaps old age is affecting this as well!  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and I know that we enjoyed our time with Ahavah that evening.


Adam had already told me, privately, that he was going to ask Joi to marry him but he wouldn't be asking her until we were in San Francisco and that I was not to tell anyone since it was to be a surprise.  It was a bit difficult keeping this secret from Sheila, Will and Sue during our long journey to California but I happen to have a career full of secrets so it was nice to once again have a little excitement in a secret.  I was aware that Adam and I knew of his secretive plan but I didn't realize Ahavah knew as well...

After dinner, as we were saying goodbye outside the restaurant, Ahavah hugged me to say goodbye and whispered in my ear, "You make sure you take plenty of photos!"  I leaned back so I could look at her face and saw her huge smile and immediately knew that she was also aware of Adam's plan.  I smiled and assured her I would.  I have to say that I was quite relieved that Adam had already discussed this with her especially since he was waiting to propose until after we left for San Francisco.  

I couldn't hear much at my end of the table but, at one point, I did hear Ahavah mention something about Brooklyn.  When I asked about the topic of "Brooklyn", she informed me that she was originally from Brooklyn.  I was shocked since we were now on the west coast and especially since I am originally from Cambria Heights and Rosedale in Queens!  That was a happy coincidence of a "small world".  

Our last day in Roseville turned out to be a very nice day!  Meeting Ahavah that evening was especially nice and I am very thankful that we all had this opportunity to meet over dinner.



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