Monday, May 28, 2012

Bunny ears on Nancy Reagan, not so funny

Fred and I drove straight from Palm Springs to Camarillo to visit our family.  We wanted to do something  Memorial Day-related but since we got a late start and military folks tend to wake up and get going pretty early we missed most festivities.  While eating the tofu scramble and potatoes that Don made, and the biscuits and strawberries that Shirley baked we decided we were just going to have to go with patriotic-related instead.  

We decided to check out the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.  
Fred is admiring the 9 1/2 feet tall, 6,338 pound a piece of  the Berlin Wall.  The painting gets touched up occasionally but it is original from the west side of the wall.  
"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"- Reagan in 1987

The grounds and the views are absolutely gorgeous.  It was the perfect way to spend the day.

Apparently some people don't think it is funny to give Nancy bunny ears.  It ALMOST makes me feel guilty about doing it.  Fred said he kept making eye contact with the docent who was shaking his head.  Meanwhile, Don (who was taking the picture) was telling me that my peace sign almost look like ears.  Sorry but this just makes it all the funnier...

If you have never been to a presidential library (as I had not) it is full of memorabilia from their life.  Reagan has a long line if history considering his career changes.  His whole life he had wanted to be an actor. After going to school in Eureka,CA and majoring in economics (while in a fraternity, playing football, doing the yearbook, and acting in the drama club) he went on to radio, and then acting, followed by being elected as CA governor and then a two-term president.  
Reagan absolutely adored his wife, Nancy, and between them there are over 700 love letters and telegrams.  

We got to tour Air Force One (although we could not take pictures or touch anything).  It was rather large but everyone had certain areas/ seats/ little offices that were theirs.  The president was confined to one area, along with a small sleeping area that we couldn't see.  We learned that any news reporters who wanted to board had to buy a first class ticket in order to do so.  
Reagan is quoted saying while aboard Air Force One "I go knowing we're witnessing an awakening to those self-evident truths to which our forefathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor".

Fred, who loves history, could not help but walk away from the Presidential Library with more respect for this president.  He was an admirable man.  

After the Library we went to a new ice cream spot called Sub Zero.  It is a chain from Idaho that uses Nitrogen to freeze the ingredients for your ice cream right in front of you.  I chose custard with a citrus tart base and raspberry mix-ins froze medium hard.  I have to admit, I was skeptical but it was delicious.

For dinner we went to Mongolian BBQ, which I have never experienced.  It was all you can eat buffet for 10$ and it was a fun way to end the evening.  I could finish two plates which I was bummed about because there were so many combinations to try!
Thanks for a great weekend, Don and Shirley!

1 comment:

  1. Well, you beat me to the Reagan Library. We passed it every time we went to SLO from Temecula and each time we said, "Let's plan to go there... next time." You did a great job of making us want to go there even more. Reagan had is minuses (stem cell research for one) but he did amazing things for this country. I respect him for that.

    "Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we've ever known."
    -Ronald Reagan

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