San Diego, Here We Come. . . .#13. . . .

There was a lot we were enjoying about our time living in Westminster.
I liked my job.  It was was nice living by Jack and Lee.  It was fun
watching Lloyd and Jackie growing up.  Lee and I were good friends
and her family had accepted us as part of thier family, which made us
feel good.  George enjoyed working for Jack on the Saturdays he was
available. It gave us a little extra money to save toward our move to
San Diego, and he was appreciative of the opportunity to learn the
family trade.

The other side of the story was a little discouraging.  Our name had
not yet come up for any of the navy housing in San Diego.  The long
commute was becoming more difficult for George.  He was often very
tired, as if he was not getting any good rest and relax time.  On his duty
weekends, it would be two long weeks before we were together.  We
were beginning to really hate it.   Our first Thanksgiving and Christmas
as husband and wife, he had duty.  I was disappointed that we would
not be able to spend Christmas in Panaca.  He kept encouraging me
to go home without him but I could not consider going home and
leaving him in San Diego alone.  I spent Christmas with Jack and Lee
and George and I celebrated our fFirst Christmas with a telephone call
Now all I could think about was to be settled in San Diego before the
holidays came again.

While we were planning our wedding, Marsha and Ann were already
planning to visit us in San Diego.  They were so excited about it and I
was too.  I think they had hoped to come the very next summer, but
we would be living in Westminster while we were waiting for housing
in San Diego and we had no idea how long it would take to make the
move.  We had to tell them to plan their trip for the summer of 1953.
They were unhappy and so was I.  We were able to molify them a
little by promising them that this would be the perfect time for them to
come.  We assured them that by waiting, they would have more time
to plan and save money.  We also told them that by then I should be
settled into a routine with a job and regular hours, which would reassure
 Edna.

Delores and I had been corresponding regularly.  My letters were
filled with all things "California".  I had gone on and on to her about
how much I loved it.  Of course, I raved about the ocean and the
beautiful beaches.  She wanted to come and visit us.  I had been
suffering some homesickness and really missed her.  I was so ready
for her to visit us.  She was going to school at the University of
Nevada in Reno.  She was not going to take any summer classes and
so we planned on her coming to visit us as soon as her school was out
in 1952.  Unlike with Marsha and Ann's visit, she could come as soon
as her time allowed without a lot of planning time needed.

With all of that in mind, after one long and lonely two week period, we
decided to not wait any longer for Navy Public Quarters but try to
find an apartment as close to the training center as we could.  George
started watching ads and looking at apartments in the late afternoon
and evenings.  He was not having any luck.  Lee and I drove to San
Diego twice and our luck was no better.  We finally decided that
George would just keep looking whenever he could and we would
just have to be patient.  That was very hard for me.  When have I ever
been patient?

Fortunately, my patience was not too strongly tested.  Things began to
move fast.  George called in January of 1952 and said he had found an
apartment he thought I would like.  It was in the Hillcrest area of San
Diego.  It was a studio apartment on the third floor of an attractive
building on the northesast corner of 4th and Olive St.  Our address
would be 431 Olive St.  Our Apartment was No 31.

We were excited to get a corner unit overlooking 4th and Olive.  When
you entered, you looked into a grest room with a high ceiling and three
large window on the far wall.  If you looked to the left wall, there was
another large window.  These windows gave us a beautiful view of the
downtown area of San Diego, reaching to the harbor.  On the same wall
to the left of the entrance there was a closet.  On that same wall, next to
the closet, there was an ornately carved false fireplace mantel.  Below
the mantel was white paneling which attractively concealed a large
drawer.  The drawer was carved in a unique pattern that was actually
hand grips which you grasped to pull out a double bed.  It was so
cleverly done, you would never know it concealed a bed..  The wall
extended another three feet into a small hall which turned left into the
kitchen.  The kitchen was small but had all of the necessary features;
cupboards, range with oven, refrigerator, counter top with sink and a
table with four chairs.  Also, from the hall, you took three steps up to
the bathroom, which was situated over the mantel and bed.  The great
room was carpeted and furnished with a sofa, plush chair and ottoman,
and an end table with a lamp.  White wainscoting and floorboards gave
the room a beautiful, finished look.

It was a very nice apartment and we loved it.  We knew, however, that
it would not be large enough when Marsha and Ann came.  We put our
name on the waiting list for one of the larger apartments, which had a
small bedroom in addition to the pull out bed.

It was a lovely neighborhood and best of all, it was an easy walk to
beautiful Balboa Park.  We walked a block to 5th Aveune, then another
block to Laurel Street and the park.  A lovely and fun walk across the
historic Cabrillo Bridge (Laurel Street Bridge) brought us into the El
Prado area of the park.  A walk along the historic El Prado Pedestrian
Walkway opened  up a world of wonderment.  We found so many
exciting things to do and see.  The Hospitality House included the park's
Visitors Center.  There were museums, a Botanical Garden, lily ponds,
fountains, the Old Globe Theater, the Spreckels Organ Pavillion, the Spanish
Village Art Center, and much more, all part of San Diego's history.  I
fell in love immediately with the California Tower which housed a huge
clock with canilon, whose chimes were heard across the park every
quarter hour.  It was magical.   

We found we could continue walking along the path until we reached
the famous Carousel and the zoo's entrance.

With no car and little money, George's perks as a member of the Armed
Forces gave us free admission to the museums and we paid just .25 cents
to get into the zoo.  We had the perfect entertainhment to offer family
and friends when they visited us.  We were happy and contented.

More about that later. . . .