Flashing knives

We are looking to squeeze a trip to the beach this week. It takes a fair amount of planning on our part, the 5th wheel is not stored on our property and with two RVs I'm always robbing one. Oh, I have two sets of the basics but I'm always forgetting some of the odd things, like the cribbage board and a deck of cards. We like to play cards when we're camping but I find it odd we never do at home. I guess there are too many distractions.

We only have Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning then I'm off to the Getty Center. I don't dare be missing as it is the tail-end of tourist season and we've been packed the last few weeks. All the docents love doing what we do, geeze, we do volunteer, but by September we are longing for one of those days without 100 people in an hour in the sketching gallery.

Some quiet time at the beach will give me time to contemplate my need for surgery for my lateral epicondylitis, I love saying that, makes me feel smart but it's really just "tennis elbow." My orthopedic wants me to have it as well as my therapist but I'm looking for an alternative and acupuncture seems to be successful for some. I'll be seeing a doctor next week when we get back from camping. After the six weeks with my broken wrist I'm wary to have surgery but when the pain gets unbearable, I'll be forced to go under the knife.

Anyone had an experience with acupuncture? I'm usually a skeptic when it comes to stuff like this but very interested in a first-hand report.

Tuesdays with Moon: and the band played on

This past Tuesday was quite the trial for my No Gas Tuesday. I took a bus to a train, to a bus, to another bus, and it all took about three hours. Yes, I could have driven in a third of that time but I'm staying true to my self challenge. I did not drive my car but in the end did carpool with daughter, lil bird to the Dave Matthews concert. The end was well worth my effort.

Once there we we not sure the concert would take place. LeRoi Moore, the horn player and original band member died that morning of complications from a recent accident. This was a shock. You see, my daughter has been taking me to their concerts since 1998; it's become a tradition. Though I can't say I'm as big a fan as her, I love their music and have so much fun with her at the shows.

That night the emotions ran the gamut from shock and sadness to joy and remembrance. What really happened was a huge wake at the Staple Center with fans and band members giving their friend quite the send off. I think any musician would be thrilled with that memorial. Dave summed it up by saying, "It's always easier to leave, than to be left."

Do your kids pay attention?

Though back to school time is far behind us it was most important when our daughter was growing up. Going to college was NOT an option, it was expected and I’d drive that point home every chance I got. We didn't care what she did after college but a degree was expected.

When our daughter was about five I needed to make regular trips to the downtown area and usually took her with me when she wasn’t in school. This was an area that had, sorry to say, a number of people living on the street and to explain this to her I told them they lived that way because they never went to college.

This must have made quite an impression on her because about eight years later when a friend ask if she wanted to go to college she quickly said, “Oh yes, I don’t want to be a bum and live on the street.” For a while I felt bad I’d scared the kid but she went on to graduate college with honors, put herself through law school, and is now a practicing attorney. She must not hold that against me because she also takes me with her to a yearly ritual, a Dave Matthews Band concert. This year's was fantastic. Sometimes they do listen.

Engrish not spoken here

New site from the folks who bring you I can has cheezeburger? Engrish is funny.

Now why wouldn't the Walmart want this product?


more the engrish!

Tuesdays with Moon: Body Works and a voyeur

What ever happened to "No Gas Tuesdays"? Still going strong. I've not driven my car on Tuesday since mid-June. There were a few Tuesdays I carpooled with another person but those were times when, because of schedule, couldn't take public transportation or walk. Just this past Tuesday was one of those times.

A good friend ask me to go to the exhibit, Body Worlds at a museum in Los Angeles. I planned the entire trip for public transportation but she came and fetched me to the starting point. She knows about No Gas Tuesdays and had no problem taking the train, metro, bus to our final destination.

Because of the train schedule we got to Los Angeles with time to spare so I plotted out breakfast. She, a native Californio, had not been to the Pantry Cafe in ages, so I planned that as our first stop. Though downtown has been my Friday destination for the last few months I'd not gotten to the Pantry so this was perfect. We had a light breakfast, hard to believe that's possible at the Pantry, and were off to Exposition Park to see the exhibit. This friend is good to travel with, likes to walk, and isn't afraid to try new things. My kind of travel buddy. She had so much fun we need to plan another day downtown. Using public transportation gives you an opportunity to see so much more. If we'd been driving we'd have gone to the museum, and maybe lunch, then home. We had quite a fun packed day and were gone ten hours.

If you get to downtown Los Angeles you've got to plan a trip to the Pantry. What a place, they've been in business since 1924 and I don't think have changed the menu much. I do believe there is a bit of the original grease and some of the wait-staff. They never close and it was always a good place to head after a night on the town.

The ride home was interesting. The seats are two-facing-two on the train and because we stayed so long we got into commuter-time and the train was crowded. We had no problem finding a seat but my our second stop a nicely dressed office working type of gentleman sat down facing us. No problem. He had his book to read and never lifted his head. End by the end of our trip he never read a word but did stare at his book the entire trip. Kathleen and I chatted the entire time and the subjects were varied. Gas prices, books we'd read, vacations we're planning, nothing I'd ever eavesdrop on.

When we were walking to the car I asked Kathleen if she though that guy enjoyed our conversations and she laughed. "He never turned the page! He was on page 361 when he got on and the same page when we got off. He could have at least joined our conversation."

Obey the Princess!

Our little princess is now six months old. Where does the time go? This is my favorite snap of her right now. Oh, there are others that show her darling smile but this one, I believe, will foreshadow her personality. She's inquisitive and serious at times and I can't wait until she starts giving us orders.

In this snap she's wearing some new shoes she wants us all to adore. We will, princes, we will obey.

Soul Man is gone

Well, that's a bummer. Isaac Hayes died Sunday. Many will remember him for his song writing and lot's for his voice of Chef on South Park but I'll never forget his cameo appearances on the Rockford Files, the late 70s television drama/comedy with James Garner. His character Gandolph Fitch, Gandy appeared in three episodes but was memorable.

Good night, Shaft.

Nom til it hurts

This is Multi, one of Lil' bird's pups. We've both been trying to get something on I can has a hotdog and she's succeeded. He is a funny dog.

Trailer life

This is from Fox news but, oh hell, it's too funny not to share.

The 43-year-old woman pulled out her .44-caliber Magnum revolver after she saw the mice scurrying across the floor of her trailer on Highway 20 in Potter Valley, sheriff's officials said.

But she accidentally dropped the gun, which went off as it struck the floor. The bullet went through the woman's kneecap, bounced off the keys sitting on the belt loop of a 42-year-old man in the trailer and grazed the man's groin before ending up in his coin pocket.

The mice escaped.

Cool ocean breeze makes life worth living

We've been away camping, again so blogging takes a far back seat. Someday I might get a laptop and post from where ever but until them the blog takes a bit of a hiatus from time to time. We have a few campgrounds to choose from but we knew it might be difficult to find a spot. It's been hot here in town and that usually drives the peasants to the shore and this peasant was feeling the heat and wanted to get to the beach.

We decided Monday morning would be our best bet and though our first choice, Faria, was full we found more open spaces at a camp ground called Hobson. It's tucked into the end of the Rincon and the beginning of some private residences with a few dry camp spot and about a dozen ones with full hook-ups. We took a dry camp by the water, well rocks actually because there is a berm built of big rocks between most of the spots and the surf. The view is only visible if you climb up on a rock or two bit you can find a few flat ones to put a beach chair.

The photo is looking south about five in the afternoon with a bit of fog drifting in. Other than that we experienced wonderful weather. The nights were great. Clear skies that were dark enough to see the Milky Way if you were up late. I get such a kick out of that each time we are there and am lucky to have a bladder that wake me around two in the morning for my own private show.

We did have some interesting neighbors this time. A family with three teen aged boys and three younger girls and a truck full of surf boards arrived after we'd set up. While they unloaded, we are so close we could have helped, I couldn't help but notice the mother unloaded what I thought was a little puppy. No, it was a little piggy. Lilly, a 10 month-old pot-bellied pig, was quite a surprise at the beach. Buddy the dog wasn't aggressive but very interested in the noises she made. When I asked why a pig for a pet the father said, "Well, we had one before." I didn't go any further with that line of questioning.

The little porker was kept in a dog carrier and evidently didn't get out much because by the morning it was covered with flies. Nice neighbors to have. Lucky for us they found a better space the next morning and left. Pig, kids, and surfboards were thrown into the trailer and truck and off they went. They forget to take the flies.


Going home we were driving into the sun and that makes it tough on Buddy. He usually gets on the floor of the truck but it was pretty hot and couldn't find the right place. After he'd gone back and forth enough to make me scream I plopped my cap on his head to shade his eyes. Bingo! That is what he was looking for and wore my cap the rest of the way home. When you're pulling a teardrop trailer with a dog wearing a baseball hat you get looks.

It was back to the real-hot world on Wednesday morning. Sad that it has to end but knowing school will be back in session soon and we then can take the 5th wheel up to the Rincon, again.