Life's Rich Pageantry

Sand Castle Contest at Corona del Mar

2009-10-04T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today we did a couple of things. One of them was a trip to Corona del Mar for the annual Sand Castle Contest. It was so much fun and the sand sculptures are amazing!

--
Take Care.
Bon-

Lake Elsinore Storm Baseball Team Article Link

2009-09-03T16:34:00.001-07:00

Minor League baseball games, in my opinion, are great fun, especially at the Lake Elsinore Storm stadium. Compared to the other Southern California teams, the Storm offers a unique experience that creates lasting fun memories for everyone in the family at every home game.

Below is a link to an LA Times article that will give you a glimpse into the world you enter as you pass through the front gates at the stadium. Enjoy!

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke19-2009jul19,0,7975955,full.column

Lake Elsinore Storm Baseball article link

2009-09-03T15:23:00.001-07:00

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke19-2009jul19,0,7975955,full.column

Troop 547 Night at the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

2009-08-15T20:46:00.001-07:00

Tonight the Girls Scout troop got to go to a minor league baseball game at the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. They got to march in a parade before the game started! They had so much fun that they took all their energy to their seats with them and partied like teenagers together! These girls love each other so much and they are having a blast socializing in their very own world. They are leaving the game tonight with some very happy memories. It's giving all of the parents here a warm and fuzzy feeling to watch them having such a good time together. And, oh yeah, there's a game going on, too!

Never Underestimate the Mind of a Child

2009-06-21T13:40:00.001-07:00

On Friday night we were at the Temecula Children's Museum for a special Friday night event in the Inventor's Series called The Great Build. The objective was to link up different shaped PVC pipes together and shoot miniature marshmallows through them. Adults and children were in the dining room creating wild-looking contraptions and ended up competing against one another shooting for distance.

There was one group of families that decided to take it to another level. The contraptions they made were amazing and they could shoot the marshmallows so far that we decided to take the inventions outside to shoot the marshmallows across the ravine.

The kids and parents were super excited and their competitveness grew once we got to the fence that bordered the ravine. Suddenly, the wind kicked up and gusts blew right in our faces. So, everyone thought that it would be a good idea to use the wind in our favor to shoot for the ultimate distance. The marshmallows went flying! Then, people started taking their contraptions apart to redesign them to make them work even better. What fun! After awhile, though, the marshmallows were getting too wet to shoot because they landed too many times on the wet grass.

At this point, I asked the kids what we could do to solve the problem without getting new marshmallows. Everyone looked at me with priceless, blank expressions on their faces. So, I said, "What if we go inside and put one of the marshmallows in the microwave for 30 seconds? What would happen to the marshmallow? Also, would it then shoot farther than before or not at all? Then this adorable six-year-old, named Kirra, immediately came up with an answer. She explained that the marshmallow would expand in the microwave and it would not shoot as far because it would become a different shape in the microwave. Then, a father of another child said, "Well, what happens to sugar when it's heated? and his son said, "It melts!". So I said, "It looks like we have another competition. Let's go inside and test our theories." So, we all walked back inside the museum (there must have been about 15 of us), and gathered around the microwave. I put one of the wet marshmallows on a paper towel
and set the timer for 30 seconds. Everyone was watching closely and shouting, "It's going to melt!, No! It's going to expand! Watch!" Then suddenly, it grew. Everyone's eyes grew, too. "The little girl is right!" they said. We all counted down the last 10 seconds out loud together and when I took it out, it was obvious that Kirra was right. The father who thought it would melt was actually humbled by this brilliant six-year-old and admitted that he thought for sure he was right and that he believed, at the time, Kirra couldn't have possibly understood her theory before we tested it. He learned something from this little girl: never underestimate the mind of a child. I think that, now, he looks at his son a little differently, too, because he then started asking him how to design a better marshmallow shooting contraption to make the next marshmallow shoot even farther than the last.

Congratulations, Kirra. Not only was your theory proven to be correct, but you humbled at least one adult who confidently thought he knew the answer. Good job using your creative reasoning abilities and being confident even in the face of an over-confident (and wrong) adult!

2009 Annual Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival

2009-06-18T08:21:00.001-07:00

On June 6, we went to the Temecula Valley Balloon Festival. We heard about it last July, just after we moved there, and it sounded so exciting that it became the one annual event that we've anticipated all year. It became one of those things that we've looked forward to so much that, if we only got to see it one time in our lives, we would be happy. As it turned out, it was worth every moment of the anticipation and more.

As I've said in my previous posts, Temecula is an amazing city. There is a wonderful sense of feeling connected and being involved with the community is so fulfilling, personally, that we feel like, not only are we a part of it, but it has become a part of us. To someone who hasn't experienced Temecula, I would suggest that they go to the Balloon Festival because it exemplifies, in a nutshell, exactly what Temecula is all about.

The Balloon Festival was located off Hwy 79, in the heart of Wine Country and overlooking the rolling hills, at Lake Skinner. It's a very large area away from the city and set in the hills away from it all. We've never traveled up there before, so it was nice to see the old wagon trails, an abandoned one-room schoolhouse, and other remnants of history that were left behind during the pioneer days. The road is peaceful and winds through time as it travels through the city, Wine Country, then into the quiet, beautiful hills. As we got closer, we ran into some traffic, so it took us about an hour to get to where we could park the car at about 6:00.

Let me say, before I go on, that before we started our drive up Hwy 79, we stopped off at our favorite place, Old Town Temecula, for a few hours. They were having a Japanese Children's Matsuri event on Main St., right behind the place that is dear to our hearts, the Temecula Children's Museum. It was a wonderful experience and, of course, we spent time with our friends there and enjoyed some Japanese culture with food, children's activities, and photo opportunities.

So, back to the Balloon and Wine Festival. When we got there, the weather was in the low 60's, so we were grateful that we brought jackets and blankets to sit on. We were all set up to enjoy the concerts, the sights, and the flavors of the event that we've planned on for so long.

Combining wine tasting and wonderful food with music, Saturday's music featured Sugar Ray, Caitlin Crosby, Patty Smyth and Scandal, and Starship. Pechanga Indian Casino was one of the major sponsors and they set up one of the two stages for the concerts. The festival also offered wine and food pairing as a gourmet dining option with four courses prepared by local executive chefs and paired with Temecula's award winning wines.

The kids had a special fair set up near the wine stage and the balloon launch area. There, they had face painting, a petting zoo, pony rides, exotic animals, air slides, games, and lots of activities that the kids could spend the entire day and night doing if they wanted to.

Above are some pictures of the exotic animal exhibit. Along with a these beautiful birds, they also had a baby alligator, a monkey, a 55 lb. snake, a kangaroo, a huge iguana, and other wild-looking animals.

After we spent some time in the kids area, we walked over to the vendor area, which was huge. There were hundreds of vendors set up in white tents that were selling everything from art, bath and beauty products, body art, clothing, collectibles, children's stuff, fashion accessories, health care, home decoration, home improvement, insurance and realtors, jewelry, non-profits, outdoor stuff, prepackaged food, sunglasses, wine related items, and other miscellaneous stuff. This area was like a big outdoor swap meet!

As it got later, we decided it would be a good idea to head back over to our blanket and wait for the balloon glow. We were on the grass right in front of one of the concert stages, so we got a good spot. The night sky looked wild as the balloonists unloaded the baskets and balloons from their vans. The corporate balloonists that were setting up were: Cayman Islands, Embassy Suites Temecula, Farmers Insurance, Lake Havasu City, Pechanga, Smokey Bear, The Grape Escape Balloon Adventure, and Wilson Creek (who had a champagne bottle-shaped balloon).

Quick, move the blanket! The balloons are going up! What we didn't realize was that one of the balloons was going up on top of our blanket, so we had to back everything up about 20 feet. We had no idea how good our spot was until this started happening!

Because of our good positioning, though, I was able to get a couple of pictures of the balloonists firing up the ballons - from the inside! As you can imagine, it was freakin' hot in there! Then, the magic started happening:

Within a few minutes all the balloons were up and being fired along with the beat of the music from the concert on stage. This was amazing!! It's difficult to explain the magnitude of the excitement here. Unfortunately, the pictures don't show how excited the crowd was, the sound of the music, the energy of the balloons, and the build up to this. This is just one of those experiences that you really need to be there for to fully understand how magnificent this experience was.

It all ended so quickly, too. When we walked back to the van, we noticed a sea of cars, all trying to get out at the same time. There must have been several thousand of them. Instead of trying to move the van into a line, we decided to put the seats down and relax - for a couple of hours - until the traffic started to move. In the meantime, I got couple of pictures. The first one was taken from the roof of the van with my camera set at 3200 ISO with no flash. It is the champagne bottle balloon; the last balloon standing. The next picture is a small portion of the sea of cars all waiting to make their way back through the hills toward the city on the two-lane highway.

This was a truly unbelievable and unforgettable experience. As long as we live, we will look back at this with a smile and be so grateful that we had the opportunity to experience this together as a family. Maybe next year, we'll be able to go again. If not, then we hope that all of our friends and family will be able to go because, like I said, it was an amazingly unforgettable experience that we will smile about remembering for as long as we live and we know that others will feel the same. Not bad for only $20 per person, no matter what room you might have in your budget, especially in this rough economy; the bills can wait.

Ashley's Promotion to Brownies

2009-06-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

Last night, Ashley and some of her Daisy troop sisters were promoted to Brownies. They also had an award ceremony for cookie and fall product sales. To our surprise, three girls in our troop took first, second, and third places for most cookies sold in our council area! The first and second place winners were only separated by one box! Congratulations, Troop 547!

Goodbye, GM ...by Michael Moore

2009-06-01T15:10:00.001-07:00

Goodbye, GM
by Michael Moore

June 1, 2009

I write this on the morning of the end of the once-mighty General Motors. By high noon, the President of the United States will have made it official: General Motors, as we know it, has been totaled.

As I sit here in GM's birthplace, Flint, Michigan, I am surrounded by friends and family who are filled with anxiety about what will happen to them and to the town. Forty percent of the homes and businesses in the city have been abandoned. Imagine what it would be like if you lived in a city where almost every other house is empty. What would be your state of mind?

It is with sad irony that the company which invented "planned obsolescence" -- the decision to build cars that would fall apart after a few years so that the customer would then have to buy a new one -- has now made itself obsolete. It refused to build automobiles that the public wanted, cars that got great gas mileage, were as safe as they could be, and were exceedingly comfortable to drive. Oh -- and that wouldn't start falling apart after two years. GM stubbornly fought environmental and safety regulations. Its executives arrogantly ignored the "inferior" Japanese and German cars, cars which would become the gold standard for automobile buyers. And it was hell-bent on punishing its unionized workforce, lopping off thousands of workers for no good reason other than to "improve" the short-term bottom line of the corporation. Beginning in the 1980s, when GM was posting record profits, it moved countless jobs to Mexico and elsewhere, thus destroying the lives of tens of thousands of hard-working Americans. The glaring stupidity of this policy was that, when they eliminated the income of so many middle class families, who did they think was going to be able to afford to buy their cars? History will record this blunder in the same way it now writes about the French building the Maginot Line or how the Romans cluelessly poisoned their own water system with lethal lead in its pipes.

So here we are at the deathbed of General Motors. The company's body not yet cold, and I find myself filled with -- dare I say it -- joy. It is not the joy of revenge against a corporation that ruined my hometown and brought misery, divorce, alcoholism, homelessness, physical and mental debilitation, and drug addiction to the people I grew up with. Nor do I, obviously, claim any joy in knowing that 21,000 more GM workers will be told that they, too, are without a job.

But you and I and the rest of America now own a car company! I know, I know -- who on earth wants to run a car company? Who among us wants $50 billion of our tax dollars thrown down the rat hole of still trying to save GM? Let's be clear about this: The only way to save GM is to kill GM. Saving our precious industrial infrastructure, though, is another matter and must be a top priority. If we allow the shutting down and tearing down of our auto plants, we will sorely wish we still had them when we realize that those factories could have built the alternative energy systems we now desperately need. And when we realize that the best way to transport ourselves is on light rail and bullet trains and cleaner buses, how will we do this if we've allowed our industrial capacity and its skilled workforce to disappear?

Thus, as GM is "reorganized" by the federal government and the bankruptcy court, here is the plan I am asking President Obama to implement for the good of the workers, the GM communities, and the nation as a whole. Twenty years ago when I made "Roger & Me," I tried to warn people about what was ahead for General Motors. Had the power structure and the punditocracy listened, maybe much of this could have been avoided. Based on my track record, I request an honest and sincere consideration of the following suggestions:

1. Just as President Roosevelt did after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the President must tell the nation that we are at war and we must immediately convert our auto factories to factories that build mass transit vehicles and alternative energy devices. Within months in Flint in 1942, GM halted all car production and immediately used the assembly lines to build planes, tanks and machine guns. The conversion took no time at all. Everyone pitched in. The fascists were defeated.

We are now in a different kind of war -- a war that we have conducted against the ecosystem and has been conducted by our very own corporate leaders. This current war has two fronts. One is headquartered in Detroit. The products built in the factories of GM, Ford and Chrysler are some of the greatest weapons of mass destruction responsible for global warming and the melting of our polar icecaps. The things we call "cars" may have been fun to drive, but they are like a million daggers into the heart of Mother Nature. To continue to build them would only lead to the ruin of our species and much of the planet.

The other front in this war is being waged by the oil companies against you and me. They are committed to fleecing us whenever they can, and they have been reckless stewards of the finite amount of oil that is located under the surface of the earth. They know they are sucking it bone dry. And like the lumber tycoons of the early 20th century who didn't give a damn about future generations as they tore down every forest they could get their hands on, these oil barons are not telling the public what they know to be true -- that there are only a few more decades of useable oil on this planet. And as the end days of oil approach us, get ready for some very desperate people willing to kill and be killed just to get their hands on a gallon can of gasoline.

President Obama, now that he has taken control of GM, needs to convert the factories to new and needed uses immediately.

2. Don't put another $30 billion into the coffers of GM to build cars. Instead, use that money to keep the current workforce -- and most of those who have been laid off -- employed so that they can build the new modes of 21st century transportation. Let them start the conversion work now.

3. Announce that we will have bullet trains criss-crossing this country in the next five years. Japan is celebrating the 45th anniversary of its first bullet train this year. Now they have dozens of them. Average speed: 165 mph. Average time a train is late: under 30 seconds. They have had these high speed trains for nearly five decades -- and we don't even have one! The fact that the technology already exists for us to go from New York to L.A. in 17 hours by train, and that we haven't used it, is criminal. Let's hire the unemployed to build the new high speed lines all over the country. Chicago to Detroit in less than two hours. Miami to DC in under 7 hours. Denver to Dallas in five and a half. This can be done and done now.

4. Initiate a program to put light rail mass transit lines in all our large and medium-sized cities. Build those trains in the GM factories. And hire local people everywhere to install and run this system.

5. For people in rural areas not served by the train lines, have the GM plants produce energy efficient clean buses.

6. For the time being, have some factories build hybrid or all-electric cars (and batteries). It will take a few years for people to get used to the new ways to transport ourselves, so if we're going to have automobiles, let's have kinder, gentler ones. We can be building these next month (do not believe anyone who tells you it will take years to retool the factories -- that simply isn't true).

7. Transform some of the empty GM factories to facilities that build windmills, solar panels and other means of alternate forms of energy. We need tens of millions of solar panels right now. And there is an eager and skilled workforce who can build them.

8. Provide tax incentives for those who travel by hybrid car or bus or train. Also, credits for those who convert their home to alternative energy.

9. To help pay for this, impose a two-dollar tax on every gallon of gasoline. This will get people to switch to more energy saving cars or to use the new rail lines and rail cars the former autoworkers have built for them.

Well, that's a start. Please, please, please don't save GM so that a smaller version of it will simply do nothing more than build Chevys or Cadillacs. This is not a long-term solution. Don't throw bad money into a company whose tailpipe is malfunctioning, causing a strange odor to fill the car.

100 years ago this year, the founders of General Motors convinced the world to give up their horses and saddles and buggy whips to try a new form of transportation. Now it is time for us to say goodbye to the internal combustion engine. It seemed to serve us well for so long. We enjoyed the car hops at the A&W. We made out in the front -- and the back -- seat. We watched movies on large outdoor screens, went to the races at NASCAR tracks across the country, and saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time through the window down Hwy. 1. And now it's over. It's a new day and a new century. The President -- and the UAW -- must seize this moment and create a big batch of lemonade from this very sour and sad lemon.

Yesterday, the last surviving person from the Titanic disaster passed away. She escaped certain death that night and went on to live another 97 years.

So can we survive our own Titanic in all the Flint Michigans of this country. 60% of GM is ours. I think we can do a better job.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com

Good Stuff to Know!!

2009-06-01T15:01:00.001-07:00

This is pretty cool. Good stuff to know!!!

  DID YOU KNOW?
Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil.
It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking. Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef.
It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350
for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!

Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and for-get about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and .... ta da! ... static is gone.

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the window s fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals    easily.


Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!


INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a    mesh material . I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well . the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free ... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ... well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long    time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that.       So, I thought I'd share!

My Beautiful Sister & Niece

2009-05-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

My sister, Laura, and her beautiful 3-month-old daughter, Anneliese flew out for a visit from Virginia last week. We had the opportunity to meet up with them at Victoria Gardens mall on the 18th to spend some long overdue quality time together. This was the first time we met Anneliese and she is so amazing that she brought me to tears. We each got a chance to hold her and it was such a happy moment that we'll remember it forever. Laura was absolutely glowing and she is thrilled to have her little girl to complete her family. We are so happy for them and we are looking forward to the future as the children grow up and sharing all the experiences of raising our families together.

Top 10 Things Homeschooled Children and Their Parents Get to Do While Other Kids are in School All Day

2009-05-21T23:25:00.001-07:00

This article is worth posting because it's all true!

www.helium.com/items/989520-things-homeschooled-children-and-parents-do-while-others-go-to-school

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Something different to do on Memorial Day Weekend!

2009-05-21T22:32:00.001-07:00

Are you looking for something different and exciting to do this weekend that is FREE? Then, you might be interested in Southern Disney's Train Tour!

Disney's Christmas Carol Train Tour.
Christmas for Memorial Day Weekend? You bet!!

Disney's Christmas Carol Train Tour will be hitting the road with a 40 city
train tour extravaganza that will kick off Memorial Day weekend in Union
Station in Downtown LA. The four train car interactive experience will
feature a 3-D Disney theater featuring clips of the upcoming Christmas
Carol film, fun activities, Radio Disney, performances and well a Disney
experience. If you are in the area or are looking for something different
to do you might want to check this experience. Here is more information
about the train tour. disney.go.com/disneypictures/christmascaroltraintour/

It sounds like a fun experience!

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Homeschool Article from our Alma Mater - CSUN

2009-05-20T22:10:00.001-07:00

homeschooling.families.com/blog/ideas-for-keeping-homeschooling-fun-passive-learning

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Children's Matsuri "Natural Wonders of Japan"

2009-05-19T16:23:00.001-07:00

On June 6 the Old Town Temecula Community Theater, which is located at 42051 Main Street in Old Town Temecula, will be hosting performances bringing Japanese culture & fun to Southern California from 11 am - 6 pm for FREE! Some of the many things they will be doing are: Hokusai and Hiroshige Woodblock Demo & Art Lesson, a Nihon Buyo performance, The Rings of Jrock Band, a Taiko Drum Performance, Miyagi Nosho Okinawan Dance, Ikebana Demonstration, Martial Arts Demonstrations, fresh Japanese food, and fun crafts & games. They are also having a silent auction with many items including Sony products and a used book and decorative tin can sale.

The sponsors of the event include UCLA Paul I. And Hisako Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies, City of Temecula, Pediatric Partners, Toyota of Temecula Valley, Kirin, Yamashita Karate, Abbott Vasular, and many more.

Along with free admission, there is a free gift for the 1st 500 kids.

So, here's the info once again:

Location: Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main St, Old Temecula

Date & Time: June 6 from 11 am - 6 pm

Contact Information: www.TemeculaSisterCityAssociation.org or call (951) 750-1088

Admission: FREE!!!

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La Habra Children's Museum

2009-05-17T23:04:00.000-07:00

This is a little challenging to write because I'm making paper dolls with Ashley at the same time as I'm gathering my thoughts. So, if it comes out sounding disjointed, that's why.

Today, we visited the La Habra Children's Museum for the first time. They had a special event celebrating cultures from the Pacific Rim. On the front grass, there were stage performers, and lots of tents set up for games, activities and food. Inside, they had a big room set up just for crafts. It was a busy place!

We wandered over to the different rooms in the museum after awhile and discovered an exhibit called the Ring of Fire. It was a whole room set up as a walking journey around the Pacific Rim, each stop included hands-on learning about each country, region, etc., as people dodged around volcanoes and earthquakes.

There are also other parts of the museum which we had fun with, too. Ashley, being the science-lover that she is, spent quite a bit of time at the Science Station. Here, she found mini-exhibits about water conservation and a dig site where she uncovered dinosaur bones and artifacts. She also enjoyed the Carousel Room where kids can ride a Dentzel Carousel, shop in a mini market, and climb into a real bus and pretend to drive it. There was also another exhibit called Kids on Stage. It had a stage with a working microphone, costumes, musical instuments, scripts, special lighting, and a control room that allowed kids to work the magic behind the scenes.

There is so much we missed because of the festival activities, but they have free admission on the first Saturday of each month, so we'll have to plan another trip out there. On the way home, Derek asked Ashley what she thought and she said, "It was great! But Pennypickles is more special and more fun." I agree.

Anaheim Children's Festival and a Surprise!

2009-05-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

Today, we went to the 17th annual Anaheim Children's Festival at Center Street Promenade. Ashley started with chalk art and made a garden with a rainbow on the street. Then, we visited every booth we could and did fun arts and crafts projects like bubble art, making jewelry, visor decorating, making kites & windsocks, making flying butterflies with paper and pipe cleaners, making a purse, making music & instruments, painting, and more. We also got to watch beautiful ballerinas perform on a stage! We had a really good time!

Later, we walked over to Jack In the Box to grab a cheap snack and the strangest thing happened. While we were getting our drinks, a bride and groom walked in. The bride had on a long bright-white wedding dress with a veil and the groom was in a black tux. Everyone turned and stared as they walked up to the cashier and, I swear, it looked like they were getting married right there! Derek, Ashley, and I looked at each other, then at everyone else, then at the couple and it felt like we were all thinking the same thing...OMG...WTF? I wish I got a picture, but I was so surprised that, not only did I forget to take a picture, but I also forgot about the dog that was running all around the Jack in the Box lobby! Bummer! Cute dog, too! If I did, then I would definitely have put it up on this blog!

So, we'll see what tomorrow brings. We're going to the La Habra Children's Museum for a special (and free!) event and it looks interesting! Who knows what we'll see there. ;)

Our Website Has Been Updated!

2009-05-16T20:45:00.001-07:00

Derek has been busy working on our website and it has drastically changed. He added lots of pictures and information about our store and it no longer automatically drags you to eBay. It's more user friendly, so come check it out! www.BackIssueNewsstand.com

Mother's Day at the LA Arboretum & Botanic Garden

2009-05-13T09:48:00.001-07:00

The weather was warm and about 85 degrees with a bright sunny sky on Mother's Day. There was a special event at the LA Arboretum & Botanic Gardens of an Open House at the Queen Anne Cottage, which only happens twice a year. So, combined with the nice weather, we were looking forward to a new experience and creating more happy memories together.

As it turns out, the grounds are more beautiful than we anticipated. Everything is so serene and immaculate. There are gardens from all over the world and historic sites to visit. My favorite places are the Queen Anne Cottage, the waterfall, and the breath-taking rose garden which is worth the price of admission alone. We spent most of the day there and only saw about 1/4 of the grounds, so we'd like to plan another trip to see the rest of it someday. Below are a couple of links of photos and descriptions of what the arboretum has to offer:

www.arboretum.org/index.php/explore/historic_structures/

www.arboretum.org/index.php/explore/photos/

Check Out This Switch PITCHER!!

2009-05-06T11:30:00.001-07:00

One of my Twitter buddies, Alyssa Milano, posted this a few minutes ago about a switch PITCHER!

sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=4145564

URL For Back Issue Magazines

2009-05-05T20:14:00.001-07:00

Derek just created a URL to one of our two online back issue magazine newsstands. Check it out! www.backissuenewsstand.com

The Lost Inhabitants of Easter Island

2009-05-04T11:41:00.001-07:00

As a homeschool mom, I'm always looking for little gold nuggets of information that I can use in our curriculum This is about the consequences of tampering with a lands natural ecosystem:

www.science-facts.com/2008/06/13/the-lost-inhabitants-of-easter-island/

Science of Spas at the Temecula Children's Museum!

2009-05-02T07:46:00.001-07:00

The science behind the pampering!

Last night was Girls Night Out at the Imagination Workshop. It was a big success, too! We were almost at full capacity with girls and women of all ages. Ashley (pictured above) had a blast making organic spa treatments and experiencing the science behind them. The treatments were: fragrant bath salt scrub, cucumber eyes, tea bags for eyes, and corn meal and mayo scrub. We used essential oil frangrances to understand the science of smell such as lavendar, rose, peppermint, geranium. and ylang ylang. Then, we made an egg white face lift and our own flavored lip gloss - Yum!

Circus, Anyone?

2009-05-01T12:52:00.001-07:00

Ashley asked us if we could go to the circus a couple days ago, so I did some research and thought I'd share what I found:

Circus Vargas. Amazing acts under the big tent offer fun entertainment for all ages. Circus Vargas appears in Orange through May 4, then moves to Ventura, CA. Time: 4:30; 7:30 p.m. Location: The Block, 20 City Blvd. West, Orange, CA 92683. Call: circusvargas.org

A Picture of a HUGE Jellyfish!

2009-04-29T12:50:00.001-07:00

Check out this jellyfish!

www.science-facts.com/2008/10/02/jelly-fish-facts/

Girls Night at Temecula Children's Museum

2009-04-28T20:56:00.001-07:00

This Friday night at the Temecula Childrens Museum is a special night for girls! It's going to be a spa night and we get to make bath salts, organic facial masks, etc. and learn the science behind it all. The doors open at 5:30 and it goes until 7:30. The cost is $5.00 per person, which is a good deal for a girls night out of pampering and fun! The space is limited, though, so you'll need to make reservations either at www.pennypickles.org or by giving them a call.

Chicks at Temecula Children's Museum!

2009-04-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

Baby chicks arrived here a few days ago. They are in a very comfortable coop with a heat lamp here at the museum. One of the wonderful things about this magical place is that they provide amazing and unique experiences for children (and adults, too!). I have to blog about this because we are truly fortunate to be a part of this world in here as is anyone who comes through the front doors.

A Great Homeschooling Article

2009-04-20T00:12:00.001-07:00

There a terrific article about homeschooling that I want to share. Check out the link below:

www.sakaaltimes.com/2009/04/16175635/Homeschooling.html

April 9, 2009 - A Very Memorable Day for the Brusko 3 and Craig!

2009-04-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

April 9, 2009 was such a good day that we're going to make it a personal holiday to celebrate every year. Not many days like this happen, so we've decided to mark our calendars to keep the memory of this day alive for years to come.

The first thing we did was go to Pechanga Indian Casino. It started off as a typical trip with Derek and I trading off spending time with Ashley in the food court and "helping" Craig out at the machines. Then, when it was my turn to "help" Craig out, Craig had to leave to go back to the car to get his cell phone. That's when the magic began. The machine he left me at went into the bonus round twice with three coins in and continued paying for 30 rounds in a row! I cashed out with 4658 credits (in pennies, not dollars, darn it!) and went back to the food court to wait for Craig with Derek and Ashley. You can see in the picture above that Ashley was having a party of her own with a giant piece of cake! When Craig got back, we headed back out to the machines and burned through some more cash for about another hour. We ended up leaving $10 ahead and with enough comps on our Player's Club card to fill the gas tank. Yay!

After that, we went to the opening day of minor league baseball at the Lake Elsinore Storm game. We got free tickets in reserved seats and free parking, so we were happy. It was a good game, too! They played the farm team from Arizona and both teams were pretty well matched, so the plays were really good!

Around the second inning, Derek bought tickets for a post-game concert. Mike Peters from The Alarm, who Derek and Craig have idolized for 26 years was playing at the Diamond Club and the tickets were only $5.00! On the way back to his seat, Derek literally bumped shoulders with Mike Peters because it was so crowded at the stadium. Derek noticed that he was headed over to the kids play area with his two sons, so he came and got Craig, found Mike Peters, and they introduced themselves as big fans. When they returned, Derek asked Ashley and I if we wanted to go over to the kids area to play with his kids. I jumped up, with dinner in my lap, and Ashley and I excitedly said, "YES!" So, we made our way through the crowd and played around in the kids area for awhile. Then, after that, we watched the rest of the game. Lake Elsinore lost 6-5.

During the last pitch of the game, something wonderful happened. Ashley lost another tooth! You can see it in her hand in the picture above. This is the eighth tooth she's lost so far and only two adult teeth have come in on the bottom. Now, she has this big smile with almost no teeth in front, top or bottom, whatsoever! It does look like the top two in the front are about to break through, but for now she only has her canines and molars to chew with. She's excited about getting her big girl teeth in, so losing this baby tooth was a big deal.

Now, to get to the really good part of the story - the concert! It was a small crowd of only about 50 people, which was depressing for Craig and Derek because he used to sell out huge venues in Southern California and in the UK, where he's from. But it turned out to be a fantastic experience! It was like we had a private concert with an icon - their idol! He played some obscure and popular songs from The Alarm and told us stories about how he came to write them. Half-way through he took a break from the stage and we got a chance to get to have wonderful conversations with him and we got to know each other a little. I took a picture of Mike, Craig and Derek (above) with my cell phone. (All the pictures turned out poorly because of the dim lighting and lack of flash - sorry!) Mike is a really great guy from Wales who is now in remission with lymphatic leukemia. He's playing all over the world with other big-named bands from the 80's speading the message of "hope, love, strengt
h," which is just what the world needs to hear right now, especially in these hard economic times. After the break, he auctioned off his acoustic guitar for his charity and Craig got it! The picture of Craig with the guitar is above. He paid $450.00 and the last guitar he auctioned went for $3,000! What a deal! Mike Peters autographed and personalized it for Craig and posed for pictures with him. (The production company is going to put it on their web site, but I don't have the URL yet.) That experience made Craig so happy that he was over the moon! I have NEVER seen Craig so happy before! He needed this boost especially since losing his mother to cancer on Christmas. Derek and I were ecstatic too because, OMG, we're hanging out with Mike Peters and Craig just bought his guitar! It was kind of funny watching Craig get all this attention from pretty girls after he paid for his prize. He was one happy man, let me tell you!

Mike played for over two hours for us and did an encore of three songs that people requested. He also played every song that Derek and Craig requested during the concert, too!

The concert ended about 12:30 and we had smiles on our faces that lasted through the next day. We talked excitedly until 3:30 in the morning about what an amazing experience that was. We'll never forget April 9, 2009 and we decided to celebrate this day every year to remind us of one of the very happiest days of our lives.

Tonight at Lake Elsinore Storm Baseball Game

2009-04-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

Craig caught this frisbee for Ashley at the game! This place is packed, too! :)

Ashley Loves Her Scooter!

2009-04-06T18:36:00.001-07:00

Ashley is getting more confident riding her Barbie scooter around. She's been afraid of falling for so long and I am proud of her for riding it for a half an hour. Before we know it, she'll be zipping around like a teenager!

Season's Greetings! UPDATED!

2009-04-06T12:38:00.001-07:00

Yes, today is the day -- opening day of the 2009 Beisbol (oops -- I mean Baseball) Season. Actually, it started last night, but that's purely a function of scheduling for television. At least it didn't start four days ago in Vietnam, or wherever, like it has been for the last few years.

Anyway, there is really only one point to this post: To tell you how to wager your hard earned money today. It has always been my tradition to bet AGAINST the Dodgers on Opening Day, namely because they almost never fail me -- that is, fail to make money for me on Opening Day. Today is no exception. The Dodgers are away, playing the hated Giants. It sickens me to have to put my cash on the Evil Ones, but this is business. As good as I think the Dodgers will do this season, and I do think they will do VERY well (mainly later in the season), today will not be their day.

Take the Giants and give the -124, today only.

Bank on it.

UPDATE: Yes, I'm an idiot. I was looking at the wrong schedule. That shows how completely out of touch I am this year. Ok, substitute Padres for Giants and "win" for "lose" and flip the rest of the stuff around and it will be ok. Let's just forget this post ever happened.

An Open Letter the Girl Scouts Re: Cookie Sales

2009-04-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

This is Bonnie. Below, is an Open Letter to the Girl Scouts letting them know of our experiences selling Girl Scout cookies. I never thought that I would be so frustrated that I felt compelled to write a letter such as this. To tell you the truth, I'm not that kind of a person. This experience, though, brought it out of me...

Here it is, in its entirety:

It is my opinion, based on my personal experience as Cookie Manager for our Daisy Troop, the cookie sale event this year was disappointing to say the least. What was most troubling was not the sales, but the management of our Service Area Council.

First, the information and instructions were unclear, confusing, and hastily organized. Everything was handed to us in a paper bag and instructions for handling it were given to us like machine gun fire, making it overwhelming, confusing, and impossible to follow without independent research.

Second, the demands that were placed on us were unmanageable. The time it took to meet all of the demands of accounting, sales, deadlines, forms, and reporting cost us a great deal of time and lost income. We were told at the beginning of these cookie sales that the job of managing cookies was not that big of a deal, not to worry, and it could be done without taking too much time away from our lives. Obviously, that was misleading and, had the truth been more transparent and straight forward, we would have not volunteered to do this job.

Third, the communication lines were unprofessional and less than what I anticipated from an organization that most people are proud to be a part of. At first, it was not so bad. Help was available when it was needed and we returned the favor gladly whenever possible. However, as time wore on, the rules, deadlines, requirements, and the dissemination of information effectively diminished. It began with more and revised requirements given to us inconsistently and at a rapid fire pace. Then, confusion began to mount as misunderstandings became insurmountable. Trying to get clarification became a daunting task and, as a result, frustrations continued to grow. Specifically, our Service Area Manager, Linda, extended cookie sales from March 29 to April 4, but our Service Area Cookie Manager, Barbara, later, made it clear that she would not honor the new date due to her upcoming vacation. In an email to me on April 3, Barbara stated, "Bottom line is the decision is mine. I WILL NOT accept any payments or paperwork after noon on Saturday the 4th" and "Yes, Council extended the sale but I upped my deadline by 1 day." Then, unexpectedly, she moved the submission date and time up again, with only about three hours notice, to no later than Friday night at 9 pm. What a surprise that was! As a result, all troops in this service area are paying for Barbara's unfortunately planned vacation.

In all, my family is glad this experience is over. This was a job that we did out of love for the families in our troop and it cost us dearly. In the future we will not be participating in cookie sales with this troop or any other troop as our daughter progresses through the ranks of Girl Scouts. In fact, our daughter said that she doesn't want to do cookie sales ever again and that she doesn't care about the patches and incentives because she only cared about having fun and this wasn't fun. Isn't this what cookie sales are supposed to be about, though? Having fun, gaining self confidence, working together as a team, and being supportive of your Girl Scout sisters? In summary, our Service Area Council failed us, it came down through the ranks and, as a result, we were all let down by our leaders.

Ashley at the Temecula Children's Museum

2009-04-02T15:42:00.000-07:00

This is one of Ashley's jobs at the museum. She draws pictures with a highlighter on kid's hands for the blacklight maze. The kids love her!

Having Fun at the Temecula Children's Museum

2009-04-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

Ashley is so excited! The chicks are going to hatch on Tuesday!

Homeschoolin' by the Pool

2009-03-31T14:38:00.000-07:00

We just love this weather!

Santa Rosa Plateau and a Unicorn

2009-03-29T23:34:00.000-07:00

We finally made it out to the Santa Rosa Plateau! Gee, it only took us 10 months to finally get there! The visitors center was full of education about the plateau - right down to how to recognize the different wild animal poop! There was quite a bit to do there, actually, and I think, as a homeschooling mom, Ashley learned more from the visitors center than I anticipated.

After awhile, we went on a two mile hike. It was 65 degrees and a little windy. It wouldn't have been too bad if we brought our jackets! So, to warm up, we ran - a lot. My muscles are going to be sore tomorrow! Ashley was awesome on our hike. I thought she would get tired eventually and that I would end up carrying her the rest of the way, but she didn't. She kept going the whole way!

After we got back to the van, Ashley wanted to go to the Children's Museum. She wanted to check on how the chicks were doing, see everybody because she (and Derek & I, too) were missing them after being gone for a week, and to buy a very special unicorn that she saved her allowance for. The unicorn was sitting in the window when we got there, almost looking for Ashley to come back, as promised, to buy it. She is so happy tonight about how she found the unicorn and that she earned it by saving her money. Experiences like this really pull on my heartstrings!

Casino Morongo

2009-03-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

We started off this evening at San Manuel Indian Casino. When we parked, the security guy told us that no one under the age of 21 was allowed inside, even to go to the buffet. Since we, of course, had Ashley we got back in the car.

We then decided to go to Casino Morongo for their buffet. It was pretty good, especially the freakishly good baked tomato with garlic and herbs. The dessert bar was sinfully enormous and we took full advantage of it. I made a bowl with apple cobbler topped with Schwan's vanilla ice cream, hot carmel sauce, and crushed Butterfinger with creme brulee on the side. Derek gave me a bite of his warm bread pudding with Schwan's vanilla ice cream and, let me tell you, it was too good! Remember that cafeteria scene from the movie "When Harry Met Sally"? Well, I suddenly did and Derek's face got just as red as Billy Crystal's! (Just kidding...I didn't make THAT much of a scene...) I swear, the next time we go out to eat like that, I'm going to wear a tent!

Do you want to hear something else that is cool? This whole week has only cost us out of pocket $6.00. $4.00 was for parking at Laguna and $2.00 went into a slot machine. WOW!! We're getting good at frugal living!

Tidepools!

2009-03-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

We spent a gorgeous afternoon climbing around the tidepools at Laguna Beach today!

Our First Helium Balloon Ride

2009-03-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

We just went for our first helium balloon ride! The Orange County Great Park, on the old El Toro Marine Base property, gives FREE balloon Flights every Thursday - Sunday. The weather today was perfect and beautiful. The view was fantastic and exhilarating!

We're now heading to Laguna Beach to go exploring! Yay! We just love taking advantage of beautiful weather!

Ashley's First Hole-In-One!

2009-03-25T16:15:00.001-07:00

We finished with homework early today, so we decided to go miniature golfing. The weather is perfect and the day is wonderful! To add to it, Ashley got her first hole-in-one all by herself!

Best Buffet in So. Cal.

2009-03-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

We just had the BEST experience at a buffet ever! It is at Pala Casino and, OMFG, food does not get any better than this. The quality, the variety, and the price is absolutely amazing! Check out this picture of Derek's prime rib! Derek ate this plus two more plates and dessert. Ashley ate so much that she can't even look at food! They have everything here that only very high-end restaurants have, and it's an endless buffet! The dessert bar alone made our knees buckle. They have the best cheesecakes, creme brulee, and chocolate fondue fountain that makes the Disneyland Holiday buffet look almost amateurish. For only $13.99, it's a bargain!

When it's Time to Change, You Know it's Time to Chaaanngee!

2009-02-26T23:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, enough of this silliness. This blog has been a lot of things over the few years it has been in existence. First it was about legal problems, then about politics, real estate, more politics, some music, LOTS MORE POLITICS (this was late 2006, peeps -- anyone remembering our endorsement of Jon Tester for the Montana Senate race?? No, of course not.), then some music, some kids stuff, some ranting, more legal problems, real estate, relocations, reinvention, and now... how about some fun? Hmmmmmmmm???

I just saw and heard a few great songs by Game Theory, Blondie, and the EasyBeats tonight, and it occured to me that a lot of us are getting too buried in our own shit, and might need to loosen up a bit.

On that note: did you ever think you'd hear them singing about smoking pot on the Lawrence Welk show?

I think that's good for a warm-up act. Stay tuned... more to come!

More Fun in the Old World

2009-01-12T00:23:00.000-08:00

Hi y'all! First post of the not-so-new year -- let's make it a good one!

Oh, look! I've got new news about what a dump Sycamore Creek has turned into!

So, the abandoned house that was two doors down from us (next to the psycho who threatened to kill me over our dogs barking in the direction of his BBQ) is now $65/sf, and a house two blocks away is $55/sf. And you know what? I STILL WOULDN'T MOVE BACK THERE!! It is Hell's Half-plus Acre! It is the demon-child of IE real-estate! GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!

Seriously: the day the bulldozers and steamshovels head out there to plow the whole damn neighborhood under and turn it back into hills and brush, I will be there applauding and waving. It was a neighborhood built entirely by speculators and flippers, fueled by greedy realtors who assured everyone that real estate ALWAYS GOES UP, and funded by banks that would be gone by now, but we've donated about $1,000,000,000,000 to so, so.... so they can still do something, I guess, because... we'd be in REAL TROUBLE if they went under. Good riddance -- all of you.

(My next post will be much lighter in spirit, and will talk about new methods of deploying poison gas.)

More Winter Fun!

2008-12-15T20:33:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Radio Disney brought 22 tons of snow to the Promenade Shops at Dos Lagos. As you can see, Ashley had a blast! After playing in the snow for about an hour, we decided to go play in Temecula - again.

Dynamite Dave made this awesome balloon heart wand with a white balloon teddy bear! Isn't it cute? After that, we walked around for a bit and it started to rain and the wind picked up. It got cold! So, we decided to head home.

The next day, Ashley got sick. We were up and down with her all night last night with a fever and throwing up. She didn't go to school today and she won't go tomorrow. We found a thermometer buried in the medicine cabinet tonight and took her temperature with it. It is 102! We gave some ibuprofen and she just fell asleep. Poor baby! I guess the flu shot didn't work this year on her. :( Derek said that she has gotten sick every December on the week before school lets out for winter break. Weird, isn't it? We're taking good care of her, though, so she'll be up around by Wednesday. I'll keep you posted...

Winter Wonderland: A Storybook Christmas in Temecula

2008-12-12T21:10:00.000-08:00

Tonight we went to a Winter Wonderland in Old Town, Temecula. It was truly a storybook experience unlike any other. The weather was cold and the air was crisp. We had on our jackets and hats as we walked down Front Street from the van. When we got there, the sun was setting and the Christmas lights and decorated store fronts began to twinkle. There was Christmas music in the background and children with Santa hats all about. It felt like we entered into a real life storybook this evening with all the beauty and fantasy coming to life.

We had about an hour before the fun started on Main Street, so we went into some antique shops and found some real treasures. We made some new friends in some of the shops and reunited with the ones we made last summer. After that, we went across the street to the Olive Oil Shoppe and Derek (who has not visited this wonderfully unique place) was awe-struck by the olive oil tasting bar, the enormous variety of olives, oils, vinegars, salts, etc.

The fire department set up a Toy Drive on Main Street and their mascot, a person in a Dalmation suit with a yellow fire helmet on, posed for pictures with the kids. Ashley, who is literally terrified by these mascots, wanted nothing to do with the Dalmation, stayed as far away from him as possible.

At this point, the crowd is starting to form at the ticket booths in front of Pennypickles. So, we walked over there to get some tickets for the activities. Luckily, we got there early because there must have been well over a thousand people who showed up!

The first activity we did was making our own flavored popcorn. We put together an interesting mix of Kettle Corn and cinnamon. Sounds weird, I know, but it wasn't bad!

The next activity we did was a science experiment. At this tent, we were greeted by friends that we met last summer and we had a chance to catch up and give each other hugs. Awwww.... Anyway, the experiment was working with ice and snow. Ashley got to test different surface areas with an ice cube to see which one melted it faster. There was a paper surface, a wood surface, a plastic surface, and an aluminum surface. Then she had to use her critical thinking skills to explain why the ice cube melted faster on the aluminum surface than on the other surfaces. Then, she learned how to make snow using polymers and water - Hollywood snow. It was interesting!

After that Ashley wanted to do some crafts. She first made a snowflake ornament. The people who were working at this tent remembered us from last summer, too, and were happy to see Ashley again. Then, Ashley went to the next tent to make wrapping paper. It was fun making snowflake stamps on the paper and making a wrapping paper design all by herself! (Unfortunately, she misplaced it somewhere later in the evening and it didn't come home with us. I promised her that we can make a wrapping paper craft this weekend to make up for it.)

Then, we decided to go check out the snow. There were tons of kids over there making snowmen and throwing snowballs. The parents were having a blast taking pictures of their kids experiencing snow for, most of them, the first time. That's California for you!

It was really getting cold, so we decided that maybe we should go inside Pennypickles to warm up for a bit. Along the way, though, I discovered a beautiful Shetland pony and just had to stop for a quick visit. Once I started feeding the pony, though, all these kids swarmed over and wanted to do the same. Lucky pony!

Aaahhhh....inside Pennypickles, getting warm in front of the Christmas Tree...nice.

We were greeted by more people who remembered us with warm memories and big hugs. It felt like back to a place like it was a second home for us. It is such a wonderful, magical place and we are so fortunate to be a part of it. This is Christmas, we said to ourselves. This is warm, wonderful, welcoming, fun, enchanting, and a place where many happy memories came from.

They had a few activities for the families all set up. We got to make a personalized Christmas ornament, Ashley and I went shopping for a Christmas present for daddy, and they had Christmas cookie decorating for the kids, too. Everyone had a good time and the excitement in the air was contagious, just like it always has been in the summertime.

When we realized that we were losing track of time, we ran to get some smores and then walked over to Daniel's Cafe to hear the storyteller read "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." He was dressed as the Mayor of Whoville and was a terrific and captivating entertainer. Here is a picture of him reading the story to the kids. (Ashley is the one in the red coat with the Santa hat on.) The parents and the kids all gave him a standing ovation when he finished telling the story. He was awesome!

Then, we went on the trackless Holiday Train. The conductor drove figure 8's around the parking lot and it was a lot of fun because he took the turns really fast! Some of the little ones were actually screaming! Here's a picture of Ashley and I on the train:

We never made it on the horse-drawn carriage rides tonight. The line was way too long and we were cold and tired, so we decided to head back home. It was an unforgettable night, though, something best described as a Christmas storybook experience. We are so grateful that we could be there to enjoy the gift that Old Town gave to the community. This experience was all about the true meaning of Christmas and a memory that we will treasure forever.

The Diaries of Adam and Eve at Colorado Stage Company

2008-11-16T14:43:00.000-08:00

The opening night of this play was a tremendous success. They had a very enthusiastic audience who seemed to love every minute of the play.

Everyone knows the story of Adam and Eve, but Connie, Bill, and the Cast brought these biblical figures on stage and made them truly humanized and timeless. They characterized the humor and understanding of life's realities that have marked relationships between men and women since the beginning of time to the present day. This is a play about the oldest love story of all time. It is a very funny and entertaining performance that will throw you off guard while leaving you feeling a deep connection with the way the two characters symbolize the traits of a typical male-female relationship.

Here's the story behind the story of ADAM AND EVE
based on Mark Twain's Own Love Story

This is compiled from multiple sources by
Constance Cawlfield

In 1867 after glimpsing at a cameo photograph of Olivia Langdon, in her 22nd year, Samuel Clemens stated: "I loved her from then on." He also had said, "But for marriage, I wouldn't have a girl I was worthy of. She wouldn't be respectable enough." This was typical of Clemens' brilliant, sardonic humor.

Olivia was a delicate beauty and a devout classics-educated daughter of Elmira Langdon, New York's first family.

Ten years her senior, Clemens was a redheaded rascal who came out of small-town poverty in Hannibal, Missouri with a formal education that ended at age 11. Then thirty-two, the newspaper correspondents was becoming famous as Mark Twain. He and Olivia met several months later in New York City. There, Samuel accompanied the Langdon's to a reading by Charles Dickens on New Years Eve. Dickens' career was ending while Clemens' was just beginning.

That evening also marked the beginning of a rather long courtship. Olivia had turned down his proposal of marriage three times but he was persistent and continued to woo her with 184 letters that she called "The loveliest love letters that ever were written." She eventually gave in to his persuasiveness and said yes. He called her "Livy"...she called him "Youth." Three children followed their marriage and they built their home at "Nook Farm" in Hartford, Connecticut. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and many other very famous works were written there and Livy would always be the first to read them.

"Ever since we have been married, I have been dependent on my wife to go and revise my manuscripts.....I don't always know just where to draw the line in matters of taste."

He lost his fortunes as quickly as he made them and in 1891 the family moved to Europe where his wealth went a "little" farther. In 1894, in Italy, he completed The Tragedy of Pudd'Nhead Wilson and started to write Extracts from Adam's Diary. He thought "It was a little gem if I do say so myself." After many revisions, it was finally published in 1897. Twain modeled Adam after himself, endowing the First Man with the laziness that he often and proudly owned up to. In fact, he was a most prolific writer who regarded his work as "play."

He began an "autobiography" of Eve in 1901. This would become a most difficult project. After numerous false starts, he finally put it aside stating, "There are some books that refuse to be written."

By 1902, Livy's health began to decline and because the doctors believed her husband's presence caused "psychological distress," only five minute visits were allowed...occasionally...for two years. They communicated by notes delivered between his writing room and her sickroom. Between bankruptcy, Livy's health, and the death of their eldest daughter, Clemens writings had grown darker and more cynical. Since he always felt reluctant to serve his readers anything but the shenanigans expected of the Great Mark Twain...the humorist, he contemplated publishing The Prince and The Pauper anonymously. He feared it would be too refined for his readers. It turned out to be Livy's favorite.

Livy's health improved and a milder climate was recommended to speed her recovery. They chose Italy and Samuel wrote "Yes, I am glad we are going to Italy. You will get well there." On June 5, 1904 Livy died, only six months after they arrived at the peaceful villa in the Italian countryside. Clemens wrote, "I am a man without a country. Wherever Livy was, that was my country."

He then moved to the seclusion of New Hampshire and found the right form for Eve's story. "Eve's love story, but we will not call it that." This was to become Eve's Diary and Livy's eulogy. Then, and only then, did he write from a woman's point of view. It was published in 1905 at Christmas time.

Extracts from Adam's Diary was published in 1904 and Eve's Diary was published as a book in 1906 with added new pages from Adam's Diary.

Their tales conclude at Eve's grave where Adam's solitary presence reflects the writer's own loneliness wit the last words. A tender expression of love and loss....."Wherever she was there was Eden."

The Denver Post published a review to be proud of. Although it got three out of four stars, this reviewer never gives four stars for some reason. The review itself, though, is glowing and he has only wonderful and positive things to say.

Below is more detailed information about Colorado Stage, the play itself, and the people behind and in the spotlight. If you find yourself in the Denver area in November, go see this play!

The Diaries of Adam and Eve

November 2008

The Diaries of Adam and Eve

Translated by

Mark Twain

Directed by

Constance Cawlfield

Before "Men Are From Mars".....there was "Adam and Eve."

Based on works by the immortal Mark Twain, Adam is puzzled by this new arrival in his garden. He wishes she would talk less and he's very suspicious of her disturbing appetite for fruit. For her part, Eve is curious about Adam, who she concludes must be some kind of reptile, although it probably is architecture.

Eve goes about naming everything, much to Adam's annoyance, but they come to love each other.

Adam comes to know that........

"Wheresoever she was...there was Eden."

While the story is about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; our production is set in the Victorian era of Mark Twain

in costumes and stage pieces.

"Delightfully entertaining for the whole family."

The Crew

Director

Connie
Cawlfield

Constance has been a professional actress for over 30 years touring in well known national productions, costarring with many celebrated actors in film & theatre. One of her 200 national commercials received a "Cleo" award for best national comedic commercial of that year. In LA, she co-starred & had re-occurring roles in Knotts Landing, Hill Street Blues, Superior Court, & The Young and the Restless. She had featured roles in films such as The Rose and Murder in Peyton Place. She may be best known for her network animated series, Super Friends, as the voice of Wonder Woman. She has taught acting for commercials and on-camera cold reading. As a director, she created a Podium Theatre in LA and directed there as well. She has been the director on most of the productions for CSC and is proud to be one of its founding members.

Producer and Sound/Lighting Design

Bill Cawlfield

Bill is a 35-year veteran of the consumer electronics industry, recipient of CEDIA's Lifetime Achievement Award and named one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in the Home Networking / Home Control Industry. Bill has produced all the performances of our theatre to date. He has also created all of the lighting and sound for the Colorado Stage Company's productions and is a founding member.

The Cast
Part	Played By
Eve	Michelle Paul	Michelle Paul, (Eve) feels so blessed to be exploring The Bible According to Mark Twain through this play. She has performed all over the Metro Denver area for over 20 years in plays, musicals, murder mysteries, piano bars, and private parties and some random TV shows and commercials. Favorite roles include: Viola in Twelfth Night, Yente, the matchmaker in Fiddler, Nancy in Oliver!, Agnes in I do!, I do!, Sister Mary Amnesia in Nunsense, Peggy in the Taffetas, and Taffeta Christmas, Lucy in Narnia and Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web. I am proud to say that I work as a Standardized/Simulated Patient for various Medical/Professional Training institutions and as a Professional Christmas Caroler for the Original Dickens Carolers. My job as Mother-of-3 (young adults) is on flex-time lately as we have one left in the nest and two others visiting during school breaks or when they need me to go with/take them shopping. Much gratitude and love to Patrick, for his friendship, professionalism and wit, thanks to Bill, Connie, and Stuart for giving us a fun place to play, and thank you, Ken and Anna for holding down the fort and for unconditional love, and most importantly, thank *you* for supporting the arts! I couldn’t be here if you weren’t!
Adam	Patrick Hurley	Patrick is excited to be back with Colorado Stage. Patrick originated the role of Delightful in "Dearly Departed" at the Avenue theater. He also had the opportunity to play Max Nuggett in "Murder Most Fowl" also at the Avenue. Other work includes Biff in "Death of a Salesman" at the Upstart Crow in Boulder and most recently as Bobby in "Walking the Dead" in a regional theater outside of Los Angeles. After five years Patrick is somewhat nervous about his return to the stage so feel free to laugh a little bit harder for him...and feel free to applaud a little bit longer... Patrick wants to thank his parents for their ongoing and unending support and to Cory without whom nothing would be possible. "It is great to be back home on the stage, I love acting" because as Oscar Wilde said..."it is so much more real, than life...

Now Leaving...Temecula...

2008-09-19T18:38:00.001-07:00

This is Bonnie and I've been putting a lot of thought into writing this post. We're moving out of the wonderful city of Temecula and moving forward back to Corona. It is because of all the amazing experiences that we've had in Temecula that we are moving forward with more energy, more hope, more enthusiasm, and a renewed appreciation for life as we know it.

Living in Temecula has been an enlightening experience. When we first moved here, it was with a heavy heart. We not only moved out of a city that we've lived in for 10 years, but we moved away from our lifestyle. Changes were happening at a fast pace; some of them necessary, some of them welcome, and some of them not. Within the first week of living here, however, a whole new world opened up, kind of like a new flower blooming. There were so many things to do, new experiences waiting for us every time the sun rose in the sky, new people to meet, and entire city welcoming us with open arms.

This was the best summer that we have ever had and our experiences here will be held as treasured memories for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much to the City of Temecula, the Children's Science Center in Old Town, to Dynamite Dave for all the entertainment and the most amazing balloon art we've ever seen, to all the families we've met along the way, to all the merchants we got to know personally in Old Town and around the city, to the Parks and Recreation Dept. for all the amazing summer nights at the movies and concert series and family nights, and to Extended Stay America for all their kindness and hospitality. There are so many more people that I'd like to thank and if I didn't mention you, then just know that you will always have a special place in our hearts.

We will be visiting during the holidays and we're looking forward to saying hello again soon. Our lives have forever changed for the better by being here and we will always love this place. Thank you so much, we love you!

While We're At It...

2008-08-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hello if you've linked here from a housing-type blog (Housing-Kaboom, etc.)!

Regular readers and friends, I hope you can stand one more post about the old Cliffrose house. We took a closer look at the photos in the new listing, and we noticed a few more things, so I figured we would write one post to tie everything together.

Those of you who know us probably know the story: we were renting this house in Sycamore Creek, which was a nice neighborhood when we moved in, but had turned into a desolate ghost-town by the time we left in 2008, due to the insane number of foreclosures and abandoned houses. We had been after our landlords since the day we moved in about repairs, but they never did anything. Later, we found out that they had stopped paying their mortgage and were skimming our rent payments. We then stopped paying them, and ended up dragging each other into court. We eventually settled with them for about six months of free rent. We got some great advice on how to handle the situation from a lawyer named Ken Carlson at CalTenantLaw.com.

Anyway, after we moved out, we found the "for sale" listing for the house and noticed that it said the house needed air conditioning, kitchen appliances, and cosmetic repair. We thought that was weird, since it certainly had all of that when we left. Just to see, I drove by the house a couple of weeks ago, and saw that the two air conditioning compressors in the backyard had been removed! So, obviously, our previous landlords were trying to get anything of value out of the house before the bank took it back.

Well, as of a couple of days ago, the house has gone back to the bank and is listed as an REO. The new photos are incredible! THEY TOOK EVERYTHING!! I have some photos to show you what I mean:

The most obvious example is the den, or whatever you would call the area off the kitchen. Here it is a few days after we moved in:

... and here it is now:

Notice anything (other than the furniture) gone? Drapes? Ceiling fan?? Plantation shutters??? They stripped it good!

A similar theme goes throughout the other rooms. There are actually very few meaningful pictures in the listing -- any prospective buyers are going to get a shock! The 'Great Room' had the same kind of curtains and shutters, but it's gone now. This is what it looked like when we moved in (I don't have a picture from this angle now, but it's obvious looking at the rest that it's all gone):

And, the kitchen actually had appliances in it, unlike now (old pic):

Of course, while we were there, we were fighting with the landlord's over the condition of the place, which they had promised to fix in 2006 -- things like broken wood flooring, floors that don't meet walls, shattered door jambs, and stuff like this, which is undoubtedly still there:

I guess the bottom line here is that these home-debtors really raped this house. Not that I have too much sympathy for banks right now, but if they have loaned money based on holding security, and before they take the security the debtor ruins, or takes, a good portion of the value of it for themselves, how is that not grand theft? It's more than $400 of theft, right? It seems like that would be illegal...

Well, it's their karma. They can deal with their own lives. We have moved on, and made ourselves happy, but it was just incredible to see this pop-up last night on HousingKaboom!

Another Cliffrose Update -- This is Too Good!

2008-08-26T00:53:00.001-07:00

Ok, me again. I just saw the new listing for the Cliffrose ~~dump~~ house. Apparently, the house went REO in the last day or two. The bank has it listed for $20k more than our landlords did. And... (drum roll)... THEY TOOK EVERYTHING! Check out the listing and pictures on Redfin! They took the curtains, the plantation shutters, the ceiling fans, and probably more that I can't see, in ADDITION to the air conditioning compressors, etc. I wonder if the house still has plumbing of any kind? I hear pipes go for a lot at the recycling yards.

Scum. Trash. There is no other word for the landlords of that property. Well, maybe one other: Thieves. They must have plundered that place for $30,000 - $50,000 worth of fixtures. Incredible. I'm sure the bank is very pleased with what they got back.

We're Famous!!

2008-08-25T23:48:00.000-07:00

Well, not us really, but the hell-house that we were renting for the couple of years is profiled today on Housing-Kaboom.com! Click here to see it.

It looks like it finally went back to the bank. This explains A LOT about why they tried to run us out of the house so fast. Since we left, the home-debtors (allegedly) dug out and sold the air conditioners, kitchen appliances, and just about everything of value, whether or not it was nailed down! They knew the bank was getting ready to take it, and wanted us out so they could loot the place! Slimeballs. Absolute slimeballs. Well, I certainly hope they are happy -- I know we are happy to be out of there!!

Friday Night at the Museum

2008-08-16T09:51:00.001-07:00

Last night we went to the Children's Imagination Workshop in Old Town. Every Friday night they have a different special event and this one was called "Hot Starry Night." This particular event was very popular and they did a spectacular job putting the whole thing together.

The first thing we did when we got there was a scavenger hunt. There was a list of things to find and questions to answer all over the museum about astronomy. We found hidden treasures in the black-lit maze, a solar system on the ceiling, constellations in the dining room, an experimental Black Hole in the kitchen, and "Beaker" (their little mascot) dressed in a space suit and floating in the "Lonnng Hallway."

Then, we went into the dining room to work on crafts. Kids and adults were putting together a circular star chart, colored planets, and played with electricity (some people got a little static shock - but that was on purpose and they wanted to).

After that we went into the music room. An astronomer put on a presentation about what we'll be able to see in the night sky and explained what and where all the different celestial bodies are.

When the museum closed at 7:30, we went up to the antique store on Fourth Street. This time, Ashley got involved in a hula hooping contest! She's getting better and better at it. This time she had the hula hoop going around her neck and then she tried getting two hula hoops going at the same time around her body. She actually had them going for a few seconds! Then, we danced together, she jumped around in a jumper with a bunch of other kids, and then "Dynamite Dave" made butterfly wings for her with balloons.

When it got dark, we went out to the back parking lot behind the museum. The astronomers had set up about a half dozen telescopes pointed at all different objects for us to experience. I took some pictures with my cell phone looking through the telescopes. Above is a picture of Jupiter with one of its bright moons. I actually saw four moons, but I couldn't get a picture of all of them. There's also a decent picture of our moon. If you look at the top of it, you can see its rays. Then, there's a picture of a binary star system where they are orbiting around each other. These looked better through the telescope than the picture above. What that picture shows is two orange dots. In reality, they were quite colorful, the top one is blue and the bottom one is yellow.

That was such an amazing night! We got to experience the wonders of heaven and earth together in one beautiful night in Old Town. We're looking forward to going there next Friday night to add more wonderful memories to our treasured collection.

Enjoy!

Workout Journal - Week 6

2008-08-12T09:55:00.001-07:00

Six weeks ago, I learned that we have a gym membership as one of the benefits of living at the Extended Stay. I decided then that I have an opportunity to get my body and my sanity back, and that I needed to do it now. I've been intimidated by "perfect" barbie dolls at the gym for way too long, so I finally got off my butt and took on a task that I both dreaded and anticipated at the same time. I did not want to go from an unhealthy person to a skinny person. I wanted, and needed, to go from an unfit person to a fit person instead, and there's a difference. "Skinny" is an image, "fit" is a state of well-being. To achieve the image of "skinny" would be self-defeating, and I don't need any more excuses for that! Becoming "fit" is the opposite, it is self-enhancing. I don't care that I'm not, nor can I ever be, a size 0. Who is? I do know that I can increase my cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength, and decrease my body fat. Heck, everyone can do that! Along with that, I want to achieve a fit body without going on a diet. Weight loss is not a product of deprived fad diets (which only makes your body fatter and weaker by lowering your metabolism), but a result of choosing foods (using plain-old common sense) and increasing movement. Physical fitness isn't about depriving yourself of food and dancing around in neon leotards like a Barbie with her life handed to her on a silver platter. That's just not reality. Being fit means having cardiovascular health, muscular strength and a healthy body fat percentage. That's honesty, not the BS that the media force feeds us everyday. I'm not interested in what the people who earn a commission in this industry have to say. I do want, however, to change the way that I look and feel because I have to live in my own skin everyday and being unfit is not something I want anymore. I know that I have a long way to go, but that's okay. This is a process that is literally one step at a time.

Ashley is Growing Up!

2008-08-12T01:12:00.001-07:00

I just had to take a picture of Ashley this morning. She's been going through a growth spurt lately and, for some reason, I noticed this morning that she started to look different. Her face is changing, her personality is evolving more quickly now, and she's taking a bigger leap forward to being something more than a just a little girl. She's been surprising me lately, too, with how well she carries herself, her ever- increasing sense of humor, her viewpoint and perception of the world, her ability to see the value in almost every situation - good, bad, fun, boring, stress, happiness - her motivation to succeed and being a good sport whether she accomplishes her goals or not is inspiring, her understanding of the hard work that it takes to go the distance to make goals and dreams become a reality, her sincere appreciation for life and her gratitude that mommy & daddy decided to have a baby and that she was the one person that was born to us (she actually tells us this more often
than anyone would believe)! She's proud of her accomplishments, she is confident, and she's getting to be pretty outgoing. She loves to help people and encourages them to go for their dreams and to never give up. She wears her heart on her shirtsleeve and she's hypersensitive to other people's feelings, even when they try to hide them. She is like this angel who has come into this world to make everyone's life a little better. On August 19, she will have hit another milestone. She will be six years old. Our "little" girl is growing up and evolving everyday into a truly beautiful person.

Friday Night at the Children's Museum

2008-08-09T20:55:00.001-07:00

This Friday we went to an event at the Children's Imagination Museum in Old Town for an event called "Pennypickles Roman Holiday." Here's the description: "The Professor loved his recent visit to Ancient Rome and so will you! Find out about inventions of the Roman Empire, like aqueducts. Swe how a volcano destroyed Pompeii, and make some cool centurion masks and shields." This description made the event sound like fun, but when we got there, we had more fun and did more activities than what we expected. In one of the rooms, there were stations set up for making various crafts and projects. In the music room, they had a station set up so you could try all the different foods that ancient Romans used to eat, a hopscotch with Roman numerals (the Romans invented hopscotch not as a game, but to train soldiers), a station to teach kids how to tell time and do math using Roman numerals, and much, much more. The people who set all this up at the museum must have spent a lot of time s
etting this up!

After that, we went back to the hotel to watch the Opening Ceremonies for the Bejing Olympics. It was amazing! Additionally, Derek found some footage today on the internet where it shows that NBC edited out an hour of the Opening Ceremonies, so we didn't get to see a big chunk of it here in the States. I don't the place he got it exactly, but it's out there.

Next Friday we are going back to the Children's Museum again. They are doing an event called "Hot Starry Nights." Here's the description: "The night sky will be the star during this exploration of constellations - there's a New Moon on this evening to add to the fun." They are also blocking off a couple of parking lots when it gets dark because an astronomer is going to be setting up two telescopes to look at constellations and planets - and he'll stay there as late as we want! Isn't that cool?

These Friday night events only cost $5.00 per person. It's a great deal! We are really fortunate to be living here and to be a part of this. I feel like, finally, we're having some fun in our lives!

Get it Together, People!!

2008-08-08T01:38:00.000-07:00

Since I wrote the post below, I've been poking around teh Interweb and it seems that a lot of people think that the woman in BellaDonna is actually Stevie Nicks. She pops up at other cover bands performances and people start freaking out (OMG! It's her! IT'S HER!!1!11) Apparently, she doesn't discourage this, and it took a disabled veteran's request to talk to her to get her to admit that she isn't the real Stevie Nicks.

People: control yourselves. Stevie Nicks is not hanging around the Inland Empire playing at shopping malls. She is a mega-squillionaire, living on another planet, doing enough blow to fill a dumptruck. You can see her on TV, not at a Wal-Mart opening.

(I can't believe it -- someone is WRONG about something on the Internet! How can this be?!?)

WWSND?

2008-08-07T23:35:00.001-07:00

Ok -- this is my first post for a while. In the past, if my name was attached to a post it would probably contain a screed about politics or how anyone who still calls themselves a Republican should be tarred and feathered and run out of polite society. But, I have decided to lighten up! So, tonight's post will be a review of the free concert that we went to tonight: BellaDonna, live at the Ronald Reagan Sports Park in Temecula.

I should start by saying that this concert probably should have been billed differently. It was listed as "Belladonna: A Tribute to Stevie Nicks." Ok, fine. The band's website lists them as a tribute to Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac, and I think there is a big distinction to be made there. (Confession time: I am a 41 year-old ex-punk rocker, but I have a soft spot for Stevie Nicks and (most of) Fleetwood Mac in general. How sick is that?!) We picked up a couple of boozes on the way to the show because, seriously, I need to be loaded to stay in a place named after Ronald Reagan! We also took dinner along and planned to make a picnic out of it, but we ran a little late, so that only partially panned out.

Anyway, the show started and, well, here was an eight-piece band fronted by a woman who is really trying hard to be Stevie Nicks. The thing is, she wasn't trying to be like Stevie Nicks, she was trying to be Stevie Nicks! Big difference. She came out dressed in a black gypsy-style dress, changed various shawls and tablecloths throughout the show, posed, tried to make her voice raspy, etc. At one point, I realized that the illusion was a little better without my glasses on, since I could almost pretend that there was a blurry Stevie up there, singing Rihannon, or Stand Back, or whatever. It was at that point that I felt bad for this band. This was, probably, as good as it gets for them: playing a free concert at a park in Temecula on a Thursday night, while the lead singer tries to play 'What Would Stevie Nicks Do?'. There will be no record contracts, no big sold-out shows, nothing major for them, because Stevie Nicks is still performing!! Maybe I'm just acting jaded, but if I can shell out the cash and see the real thing, that means that I am only willing to accept a note-for-note, move-for-move imitation for free! Elvis impersonators get work because Elvis is dead; Dred Zeppelin used to get work because they added something (reggae) to the Led Zeppelin songs. This was just a copy without the fame attached.

Then, about half-way through the show, something weird happened.

Wanna-be Stevie left the stage, and one of the back-up singers took the lead vocal and said she was going to do a Christine McVie song, and they played Say You Love Me. Hey -- there's a real band here, not just backup music for a Stevie Nicks clone. Then the other backup singer took the mic and sang... oh crap, I don't remember what she sang now, but she was entertaining and, in the middle of the song, switched places (mid-beat) with the drummer to take part in a five-minute drum solo! Now THAT was unexpected! When Wanna-be Stevie came back, she wasn't acting like Wanna-be Stevie anymore, she was now Michelle Tyler, singer, still dressed like Stevie Nicks, but acting like she had her own personality. To me, at least, the rest of the show was like watching a different band -- a better one, and a band that wasn't just trying to be a low-rent version of something else. Suddenly, they had their own presence, the lead guitarist got to take the Lindsay Buckingham role on Go Your Own Way, and it seemed like they were having a lot more fun! (I know I was!) Also, the crowd seemed more willing to get into it on the dance floor. I guess there is a lesson in there somewhere for everyone. I think it is: 'Don't take any wooden nickels.' Or maybe 'No one likes a tattletale.' Something like that.

All in all, it was a cute show. I thought they kind of loused up Gypsy (dammit!), and they didn't play any Lindsay solo stuff (like Trouble or Holiday Road), but they rocked a few songs towards the end (Edge of Seventeen & Don't Stop). Not perfect, and I would have changed a few things, but it was a nice Thursday night in the park.

Mobile Blogging

2008-08-04T22:24:00.001-07:00

My Birthday

2008-08-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight we celebrated my birthday by going to Family Night at the sports park here in Temecula. The theme was "Groovy '70's." We made disco balls with plastic balls wrapped in tin foil and decorated them with plastic jewels that we glued on. Then, we got to make some Shrinky Dinks. Derek and Ashley made me a birthday card with one of them and Ashley made another one that said "Ashley, Dad, Mom" and decorated it with colorful flowers and a rainbow. Isn't that sweet? Tears welled up in my eyes when they gave those to me. I'll keep them forever. Then we also went up on this stage and danced around to disco music and won some prizes. It was cute when the toddlers were up there. They had fun with their parents and other kids with the music. We also made a friendship bracelet and went outside and made tie-dye t-shirts. We've never made those before, so when we were handed rubber bands and a white t-shirts, we had no clue what to do with them. Fortunately, there was someone there to show us what to do and we made some interesting designs. After that, we came home, and I made myself an ice cream cone with Breyer's triple chocolate ice cream and topped it with miniature M&M's. Yum! So, it was a fun night with the family and I realized that turning 40 is pretty cool!

Having Fun

2008-08-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

Friday night we went to the weekly event at the Children's Imagination Workshop in Old Town. They had demonstrations of how bicycles worked, displayed all kinds of bikes from BMX to high-end racing bikes used by Olympians and gave away raffle prizes. Again, we had so much fun! Ashley and I want take advantage of some of the bike trails around here to spend some mommy and me time together when I get my bike fixed. The other kids that were there, too, want to be involved with one of the kids bike clubs that ride around on the trails nearby. Isn't that cool?

After the museum closed, we walked back up Front Street to get Ashley a root beer float. She earned that and a trip to McDonald's Playland for getting six out of seven gold stars in a week for doing her homework.

Then, across the street on the corner of Fourth and Front Streets, there was a jumper for the kids, balloon animals being made, rockabilly music, and a hula hoop contest! Ashley and I nearly dropped the root beer float racing over there. Ashley couldn't wait to show us that she's getting the hang of hula hooping from her kids aerobics classes. I couldn't help it, either. I picked up a couple of hula hoops and pretended that I was a kid for awhile myself. It was so much fun! Derek video taped Ashley and I and said that he would post it on our blog. I said, "No way! OMG!!" I also won a prize for what I was doing. Can you believe that! I haven't picked up a hula hoop since I was 11 years old! Ashley is getting really good at it, too. She can keep it going for about five seconds now and she keeps trying and trying to keep the pace up! Go for it, Ashley! After that, we put our hula hoops down and danced until the DJ had to pack up the music. What fun!

After that, we headed back across the street to do some cheese tasting. They also had a live band over there playing bluegrass music. We hung out for awhile, the three of us waltzing in the best way we could to the slower music and dancing to the rhythm of the faster music, and then left when they packed up their instruments. Then, we went home. What a fun night!

I got a message this weekend from a friend of ours asking about Ashley's birthday. Isn't that sweet? How thoughtful! When I told Ashley that "anonymous" asked me about it, her face just lit up with this big toothless smile. I'll never forget that. For her birthday, either on or around August 19, she wants to go to the Promenade Mall to either make a doll or get a makeover at Libby Lu. Either one sounds like fun, but she hasn't decided yet.

Today is my birthday. We're going to the Monday Night Family Night at the park. They are having a "Groovy '70's" theme with '70's music and we're going to make Tye-die t-shirts. We're also going to bring a picnic dinner and eat outside at the picnic tables.

Right now, it's about 9:00 am. Ashley is still sleeping, so I've got to wake her up to go to the gym. I'll write more soon because, hopefully, because I will have figured out how to post from my mobile phone so can write updates more than once a week.

Moving Forward

2008-08-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

Since my last post, things have been back to normal. I had a rough week and I needed to vent, so I wrote about my frustrations. Like what some of the important people in our lives did, a friend of ours, who Derek has known since the fifth grade, called after reading my last post and asked if everything was okay. That really touched me. It is such an amazing feeling when someone reaches out and asks if you're all right. It shows that they care and that you're important. Thank you for that phone call; you're important to us, too.

This week, I've been working out more. On the days the gym has kids aerobics, I take Ashley with me. On the other days I go by myself and spend two to three hours there in the morning. Lifting weights and sweating it out on the cardio machines makes all the difference. I have dance music on my headset, I really get into my workouts, and I escape into a world that I used to call torture, but now I call it Shangri La. This is the fifth week that I've been going to Gold's Gym since I found out that I get a free membership because we live in the Extended Stay. Week number six starts on Monday. I'm noticing some improvements and the trainers and instructors are there as my encouraging cheerleaders. I probably would have given up after day one if it weren't for them. You wouldn't know it by looking at me now, but, looking back, I used to be fit, I was a trainer, I was one of the cheerleaders. I have so much respect for the people who work at this gym; they are real professionals there. They are truly inspirational. I'd love to get back into the saddle again someday myself and help others that are starting back out on their path to having a healthy lifstyle.

What else has been happening this week? Derek took the van in for a smog check on Monday. It thankfully passed and we were able to register it. Mainly this week, though, we've been focusing on academic stuff with Ashley. Home schooling is harder than it looks, but I think we're getting into a rhythm. We've set up a schedule and posted it on the refridgerator, we've got a rewards system going, and we're moving in a forward direction. So, we're getting it together. Ashley is doing a book report on Flat Stanley, we're working more on basic math, money, telling time, fractions, phonics, penmanship, geography, astronomy, weather, and puzzles. Tonight we're taking her to the Children's Imagination Workshop in Old Town. They are doing an event on the Science of Bicycles and we'll also have a couple of hours to play at the museum, too.

Tomorrow, I'm taking Ashley to the gym for kids aerobics. She's making some friends there and she's loving the workouts. She said something I'll never forget. One day last week, she was running down the hallway from the laundry room and she stopped at the door to our room. Acting lik she's out of breath, she said, "Mom, I really need to work out! Are we going to the gym tomorrow?" I have never heard a kid her age say that before! How funny! I hope she keeps it up.

Being a Supermom

2008-07-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

There has been so much activity going on that I have to question whether I can keep up with the expectations that people have of me. Everything is going great, and then sometimes all these self-doubts creep up and I feel like I can't do it anymore. Maybe it's because my whole life has changed. Maybe I am not feeling as confident as my family needs me to show. Maybe I'm PMSing. Maybe it's a combination. This week, though was a real roller coaster.

The 21st was our 17th wedding anniversary. We went to the park for the Monday night Family Fun night hosted by the city and it turned out to be someone selling some MLM juice product. Gymstars was there to entertain the kids outside while the parents were watching this live infomercial inside. As Ashley put it, it was a train wreck. So, we left, walked around the park for awhile, discovered some bunnies (like the kind living in the bushes )in grandma and grandpa's backyard) along the way, and went home. Okay, so it wasn't the greatest thing we've ever done on our anniversary, but it wasn't the worst either.

That's when the self-doubts started to surface. Did my family expect more from me that day than I delivered? I mean, we didn't plan anything special. It was a typical day. Ashley and I went to the gym in the morning, home schooled the rest of the day, then we all went to the park. And, oh yeah, it was our anniversary. I think Ashley and Derek were disappointed that we didn't make a special day of it, but I really didn't make any plans.

On the 23rd, we took Ashley to her dental appointment in Corona. This was a biggie. She was going to have her four-part kiddie partial removed from her smile because her adult teeth are budding through. We prepared her by encouraging her about how wonderful it is that she's growing up and getting her new adult teeth in. She got really excited and couldn't wait to get into that chair! When the hygeniest was removing it, she was very gentle and talked to Ashley the whole time, letting her know everything that she was doing. Ashley was a little nervous, but also brave and anxious to make the transition. After it was removed, the hygenist showed her a mirror and Ashley smiled and actually squealed. Then, she asked to see her x-rays so that she can see the pictures of her adult teeth. In a kind of surprising way, she asked pointed questions like, "What am I looking at? Which ones are my six-year-old molars? Which ones are the front ones that are coming in? Will I need braces when I get older?" At this point, I'm feeling that self-doubt again. I should be asking those questions! Where the hell is my head? So, I stood up from my seat, looked at the x-rays and let Ashley show me everything. Ashley is an amazing little girl, and I am so proud of her for being so brave, so inquisitive, and so positive. I just hope that I can deliver all the things that a supermom can. Here's a picture of Ashley holding her bridge:

Friday night we went to Summertime Movies in the Park. We brought a blanket, a Taco Bell picnic dinner and parked ourselves on the grass. There must have been a couple hundred people there! They had crafts for the kids, activities and games for the families, music, prizes, etc. After making a couple of craft projects, Ashley played "red light, green light" with about a hundred other kids, we helped lead a huge conga line around the park, got up in front of this crowd and made fools of ourselves by leading the "Hokey Pokey" before finally settling down when the movie began. Derek bought Ashley a glow necklace that she used as a belt. She's so cute! It was really cool to lay there on the blanket under the stars watching Madagascar. Derek said, "hey, there's stars up there!" I looked up, held his hand, and we kind of slipped into our own world for awhile. Ashley laid back down between us and we went back to watching the movie again. That was really nice to spend some time like that together.

Yesterday was the opposite, unfortunately. Maybe it's my PMS, but it was not a good day. I was not in a good mood and I don't have any good reason. Last night was so wonderful! I wasn't very nice to Ashley and Derek and they didn't deserve it. Needless to say, I feel very guilty about it. Supermom wasn't available, that's for sure! This whole week I questioned my capabilities of living up to high expectations came to a head. After Ashley and I got home from the gym, we were working on a math workbook and we hit a mental block. She got intimidated with adding bigger numbers and couldn't remember how to add 1 + 1 all of a sudden. I said, "What is going on, Ashley? Did you turn the switch to 'off' in your brain?" She got defensive, I got mad, she refused to do anymore work, the whole thing collapsed. Derek intervened and then we started sniping at each other, which made me more defensive. I finally said that maybe I'm doing more harm than good here and maybe Ashley should go to a real school that has real teachers. I obviously can't do this. Then Ashley started crying and said that I'm a good teacher and she wants to be home schooled. I just said that I don't think that I can live up to everyone's expectations of being the one who is confident, fun, a good mom, a good wife, etc. I got my socks and shoes on and wanted to go for a walk. Ashley grabbed me by the legs like she was drowning or something and said "don't go, mommy, don't go!" So, in a huff, I took off my shoes and layed down in the fetal position on the bed and said that I'm done. I said told them to deal with the workbooks and everything else in this place themselves. For the next 15 minutes or so, it was quite. Ashley started humming a song quietly, which annoyed me at first, but then relaxed me. She gave me her doll and a kiss and told me she loved me. Derek asked me what was wrong and what he could do to make things better. I said that I didn't know, but that I felt like a failure. Derek said, "Are you kidding!? You are doing 98% of everything and you're doing great!" Then, Ashley said, "Yeah mom, you're doing great. I love you." Then she gave me a hug. Ok, so the meltdown was over at that point. Now I'm feeling guilty for torturing them. What the hell is going on with me?

That night, we went to the Promenade Mall for a free disco concert. We've never been to that mall before, so we walked around a bit. Since Ashley's birthday is coming up on August 19th, I thought that maybe we could go find some stores that she likes and she could make a birthday wish list. So we found a Disney store, a KB Toys, a Libby Lu, a Build-A-Bear, a lots of other stuff that Ashley got excited about. I took notes on the things that she wanted for her birthday and I figured that she wants about five grand worth of stuff! We promised her that we would do the best we could and that she'll have a fun birthday no matter what. So, then we decided to check out the concert. When we got there, the band was still setting up, so we decided to go back inside the mall for awhile and get Ashley an ice cream cone. Then, we got distracted exploring more of this huge mall and never made it back to the concert. We had a good time, so missing the concert wasn't a very big deal.

At the end of the day, everything ended up all right. We played some games in our room that Ashley set up with Dixie cups, unloaded the groceries that we picked up on the way home from the mall, and went to bed. As Ashley went to sleep, I was looking at her and thinking about what a wonderful person she is and how lucky I am to have her and Derek. I was feeling guilty about how I behaved earlier, but I know that they understood and they amazed me by showing me so much love and kindness through my meltdown. I fell asleep with happy thoughts and feelings knowing that, no matter what, these two are really there for me when I can't be there for them.

July 18 and July 19

2008-07-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

Friday night we went to the Children's Imagination Museum in Old Town. This week, we did experiments on our five senses of touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste. There were experiment stations set up all over the museum. There was one that we liked the most, though. That was in the music room where Ashley got a prize for identifying 23 different sounds played on a CD player. Then, we all played with the musical instruments and took some pictures:

After we played with just about everything in that room, we went exploring around the museum some more. Here are some pictures of that:
Cookie decorating,

Does this taste salty, bitter, sweet, or sour?

Having fun with Bernoulli!

____________________________________________________________________
Saturday was a busy day. We got up early and went to Old Town to ride the horse-drawn trolley up and down Front Street. I gave Ashley the camera and told her to take pictures of our morning. Here's what she took:

After that, Ashley and I went to Gold's Gym to work out. I dropped Ashley off in the child care center which, by the way is awesome! They taught the kids anatomy and physiology of muscles and about water and then they took them into the aerobics room and applied it in a half-hour workout. How cool is that!

Then, that afternoon, we went to the Temecula Valley Museum. I gave Ashley the camera and let her take pictures of whatever she wanted. Here's what she took:

Mommy and Ashley:

Then we played dress-up!

Then, that evening, we went to Longshadow Ranch in Wine Country. We got a bottle of wine, some BBQ food, listened to this two-person band who tried to play classic rock, walked around in the grapevines, and mommy got drunk!

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped off and got some ice cream to eat later. Ashley decided not to use a spoon....

The Last Two Posts

2008-07-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

For the record, the last two posts were not posted by marsupial. They were posted by me, ashleys.mommy. I have no idea why marsupial's name is stuck at the bottom...I'll have to figure that one out (hopefully).

Concert in the Park

2008-07-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to a Classic Rock concert at the Sport's Park amphitheater. I didn't plan to take pictures because we thought maybe it would be lame. Well, we were wrong! There must have been a thousand people there. Derek, Ashley, and I got right into the pit and danced our hearts out for a couple of hours! The band played all these classics and it was thrilling to see so many happy people like this!

Next week's concert is a tribute to Neil Diamond. Derek can't stand him, so maybe we'll skip that one. Derek said that "at least it's not Journey!" There will be more concerts in the following weeks at this park, and we're looking forward to going to as many as we can!

Summer in Temecula

2008-07-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by saying that Temecula is the best place we've ever lived. If I had known how exciting it would be to live here before we moved, I would have saved myself some serious grief. That's ignorance for you! Having lived in So Cal my whole life, I have only driven through Temecula on the way to the Indian Casino's many years ago. If I had only stopped the car once in awhile to see what was around me, I would have appreciated all the life out here that I've missed.

Picking up from my last post on July 4, I'd like to write about everything we've been doing. I'll try not to sound like I'm a poster child for the Temecula Tourisim Board, but it will be hard!

On July 5, we went to a minor league baseball game at the Lake Elsinore Storm baseball stadium. It was an evening game and the weather was warm, but not hot. We used it as a field trip because we're homeschooling Ashley and we thought we could teach her about the sport and other subjects that would apply to it. As it turned out, Ashley really loved it. She not only got an educational experience out of it, but she also had fun watching the mascots jump around and dancing to the music between innings.

The next day, I found out that the hotel we're staying in has a relationship with Gold's Gym. They offer a free membership to anyone who presents a room key. Isn't that cool? So, I went to Target, bought a pair of workout shorts and started working out there almost everyday since then.

Also, as a benefit of staying in this hotel, we get tourist information about what to do, what's going on, etc. I picked up some flyers in the lobby, brought them back to our room and started filling my calendar with all the exciting events to go to. Since we've been walking around Old Town quite a bit since the Fourth of July, we are thrilled with all the events they have to offer.

First, the City of Temecula has Family Activities on Mondays - and it's free! On July 7th they had Family Karaoke Night. We skipped that one because we're not into karaoke. However, we did go to the Family Feud event on July 14. This was so fun! They set up a real stage, just like the one that you see on tv. We played against two other families and we had the time of our lives. Next Monday, July 21, they are having Snack Shack. We're going to learn how to make a couple of healthy snacks and they supply all the ingredients. So, each week we can look forward to doing something different together until the end of August.

Second, we joined a group called Fitness in Temecula. There are two groups that meet Monday - Friday at 6:30 to walk around a park. After you complete a certain number of miles, you get prizes.

Third, every Thursday evening there is a tradition of Jazz concerts in Old Town. All the stores stay open late, there's wine and cheese pairing, outdoor patio restaurants, etc. We went last Thursday and had a great time. The three of us walked all over Old Town and shared a rootbeer float while sitting across the street from the band that was playing. The weather was perfect, so that made the experience even better. We're looking forward to more Thursday nights there this summer!

Fourth, also on Thursday nights, the City of Temecula has a Summer Sunsets Concert Series. We've heard that those are a lot of fun, so we'll have to check it out some time.

Fifth, the City of Temecula has Summer Moonlight Movies in the Park ever Friday evening during July and August. Here's the description: "The movie series will be featured at various park sites within the City. Festivities begin at 6:30 pm with kids crafts and games. Movies begin at dusk. Bring a blanket, low back lawn chairs and a picnic dinner and come on down to the park for a family movie under the stars." We haven't got to that one yet, but we plan to.

Sixth, there's Friday Night at the Museum. This is at the Imagination Workshop at the Temecula Children's museum. Here's a description of it: "Home of Professor Phineas T. Pennypickle, Ph.D., scientist, time traveler and inventor of wacky and wonderful contraptions that amaze, delight and educate children and adults alike. Every surface of wall, ceiling and furniture is occupied by pulleys, gears, cables, notes, blueprents and stuff. There are secret passageways and puzzles, machines and gizmos. Professor Pennypickle and his faithful little friend Beaker have lots of fun activities planned for you every month." I only costs $5.00 per person and that's a bargain. On July 11, they had an Ice Cream Social. We learned how to make our own ice cream in a baggie and enjoy it with lots of toppings. Yum! We also went on a scavenger hunt that took us throughout the museum for two hours! This coming Friday, July 18, they are doing Secrets of the Senses. The description says: " Discover how smell, hearing, tast, sight, and touch can help you perceive the world - this will be an evening of experiments that will engage ALL your senses." We're not going to miss this one! There's a different event at the mueseum each week and they all look like fun.

In between all of this we've discovered a few things on our own.

We accidentally found the Temecula Valley Museum about a week ago. This place is worth revisiting. It has two stories that exhibits the largest collection of local history. In print, it sounds boring. In person, however, it's not. They emphasize experiences for kids "to develop a deeper understanding of local, natural and social history that explores different time periods and a variety of topics. Kids learn about historic preservation, handle museum artifacts, meet historians, geologsts and anthropologists, make take-home crafts, and participate in group activies, period games and historical field trips." They only ask for a $2.00 donation, but it's not required.

Last Saturday, we went to a Farmer's Market in Old Town. As it turns out, they have this every Saturday morning along with free horse-drawn trolley rides. There were countless farmers selling produce, restaurants that set up tents cooking up all kinds of food from all over the world, lots of opportunities to go junking, face patinting for the kids, etc. Derek and I used this as another opportunity to educate Ashley on a whole variety of subjects. It was a lot of fun and we're going back there this Saturday.

Later that same day, there was a parade in Old Town near the Children's Imagination Museum celebrating New Orleans. There were people all dressed up in costume walking on stilts, circus-like performers, jazz music, and all the things that you might see during Mardi Gras. We took Ashley there and got a few pictures.

On the way back to the car, we found a store that only sells Olive Oil and they have a bar where you can go Olive Oil tasting for free. Have you ever thought that you could go Olive Oil tasting? Out of curiosity, we wandered in there and found some wonderful stuff!

We scheduled another fun activity that evening, but we were too tired to go. Every Saturday night at this place called Longshadow Ranch, they have something called Bonfire Saturday Night. There is wine tasting, BBQ, movies in the barn for the kids, hay rides, and a band. It sounds like it would be a lot of fun, so we're going to have to try to get there soon.

On Monday, I took Ashley to Gold's Gym with me. They have a kids aerobics class for a half hour where they use a parachute, lots of balls, and an obstacle course to give the kids a fun workout. Ashley had so much fun that she didn't want to leave! Like most of the other things we do together, this is free, too!

July 8 was an interesting day. The Wildomar Library was having a magic show with animals for the kids, so we took Ashley out there for a few hours. The only thing was, when we got there, there were a couple hundred people waiting for the magic show to begin and there was no way we could get in. So, we went inside the library and discovered that they have a summer reading program for the kids that rewarded them for every three books they've read. We signed her up and found three books right away and started our list.

This evening, I believe anyway, we're going hiking at the Santa Rosa Plateau. We've never been there before, but everyone I've talked to about it says that it's amazing. There are lots of trails with different elevations, wildlife, and different kinds of scenery, based on the trail you take. There are also some old abandoned adobe homes to explore and the visitors center gives you tons of educational information about what you'll find on your path.

Temecula also offers hot air balloon rides. We missed an event on July 11 called "A Glow in the Park." It was a family night at the park with live music, crafts for kids, hot air balloons glowing at dusk, and a movie. I hope they do this again so we can experience all the hot air balloons lit up against the night sky. Maybe someday this summer we'll be able to go up in a hot air balloon over wine country, too. They take you over wine country and it's supposed to be a spectacular experience.

In between all of these activities, Derek is sucessfully running our online newsstand and Ashley and I are homeschooling. The newsstand sales are doing all right it's making enough to survive. We may not be wealthy, but at least we're having fun! Ashley just finished a whole 1st grade workbook in a month, she is almost done with phase three of her phonics program, she's got her addition and subtraction flashcards basically memorized, we're doing science experiments, studying the geography of the globe and the animals that live on each continent, and the history of the U.S.

As you can see, this summer has a lot to offer. We are in a transitional period this summer, and we're making the most of it. Before moving here, I thought this summer was going to be a mess. As it turns out, we are having a summer that we will look back on with wonderful memories. This whole experience has shown us that life can be good!

Fourth of July 2008 - A View from the Looking Glass

2008-07-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

Like every other Fourth of July, there were BBQ's, fireworks, and baseball games. It seemed as though people were having a good time in the hot summer sun. However, even with all the traditional celebrating of our independence from Britain, there was an undercurrent of anxiety.

Right now, the economy is taking a spiraling downturn and it has created a stress in the air that could be felt by anyone. Vacations have been limited or canceled because of the soaring cost of fuel and food. It also didn't help that the Times ran an article titled, "Outlook Darker as Jobs are Lost and Wages Stall." We all know that the country that we were celebrating is in trouble. However, there were still patriotic bumper stickers and flags waving everywhere, demonstrating a hope of the fundamental basics that so many fought and died for, and continue to do so. Currently, we are fighting a debilitating war in Iraq without any idea of how to pay for it - or how to end it. No one has any idea how to cope with the crisis, or turn the economy around. Locks are being changed and homes are being foreclosed on across the country and working families who are lucky enough to meet their mortgage payments are watching their neigborhoods decline. We can build very expensive new football and baseball stadiums around the country, but we can't help the people in New Orleans or help reconstruct the World Trade Center site that was destroyed almost seven years ago.

Our executive branch is out of control as well. For example, George Washington prohibited the torture of captives in wartime, but the executive branch not only condones it, but it actively promotes it. This year, when we vote for a new president, we have the perfect opportunity to bring the truth into the sunlight. We'll have the opportunity to take a realistic look at all the trivia and sort out who will move us forward and actually plug up the drain that we're circling. The executive branch does not have a divine right to waste our resouces and our people's lives for their own personal gain.

Patriotism is great, but when you're waving a flag over a constitution that has been essentially been used as fuel to light a fire to hell, then we need to take a closer look at what's most important here. Who is running this show, anyway? I'll tell you who. It's big money, a paralyzed political process, a neglected infrastructure, a huge divide between the very wealthy and everyone else, and a catastrophic drop in the way the rest of the world views us.

Let the Fourth of July holiday remind us that we need to roll up our sleeves to better position ourselves and set the standard for the 21st century. The U.S. still has enormous economic and military power, but that privledge cannot be wasted indefinately. We all need to take an honest and firm stand with the state of the nation and be creative with ideas for moving forward. As Americans, our lives have gotten out of hand, but we can take it back by being vocal with our opinions and voting with our own best interests in mind.

Getting to know our new neighborhood

2008-07-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Temecula Duck Park. Now, I don't know what was in that lake besides water, but there were some weird looking ducks. I took a picture of a duck that had a poofy coiffe on top of its head and a curly-q tail. We named him the Jose Eber duck. Then we saw a duck that looked like it was a cross between a penguin and a duck. Very strange. We named this one Pingu. There were lots of pretty white ducks and mallards that our dog, Katie, chased all over the place, too. Poor ducks!

Here are some more pictures of the ducks:

And one ticked-off bird!

Today we went to see a magic show at a library in Wildomar. There must have been a couple hundred people there and we couldn't get in. So instead, we signed Ashley up for a summer reading program. She has to read three books a week and she gets a prize each time.

There's not much more going on until Thursday night when mommy has a Daisy Scout meeting.

Then, on Friday, the Daisy Scouts are going to be in a Fourth of July Parade in Corona. Yeah!! We are really looking forward to that. In the afternoon, we're going to a park in Temecula for Fourth of July events and fireworks. As it turns out, Temecula is a favorite vacation spot for the Fourth!

Saturday is going to be fun, too. We're going blueberry picking at 8:00 (or around that time). Then, at 6:15, we're going to Longshadow Ranch for Bonfire Saturday Night. They'll be having live music, BBQ (nominal fee), horse-drawn carriage rides, wine, and kids movies in the barn. Best of all, it's free! They do this every Saturday night, so we're really excited about that.

Another thing they do in Old Town for free is Thursday Night Market Place. Every Thursday night there's family fun, Old Town merchants and area produce growers, artisans, and food vendors. We're planning on going to that, too.

I swear, I have lived in So Cal my whole life and didn't know how much went on here in this city. Living here feels like living on a vacation. There is so much to do! We live about a mile from Old Town and within walking distance of just about anything you can think of! Before we moved here, I was not happy about living in a hotel, even temporarily. But, this place is nice and we're having a blast! I actually feel like we are taking a summer vacation in Wine Country! Isn't that cool?

Catch-Up Post

2008-06-30T11:09:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of June and the mark of the half-way point through the year. So much has happened this year that it feels like several years have already passed! I'm not going to go into a review of the last six months, though, only the past couple of weeks. Whew!

Moving out of Cliffrose: We moved our necessities to the hotel on June 24. It took a couple of car loads, but we finally settled in around midnight. I was stressed about moving from a 4k sq. ft. house to a hotel and, looking back, I shouldn't have have been. Of all days, I was also sick. My throat was on fire, I had a fever, I had all the flu symptoms, etc. Timing is everything!

The next morning, Derek got up early to go pick up the U-Haul while Ashley and I set up our new home. We both decided that we didn't want Ashley dealing with all the stress at the house that day and that she would have a better experience with mommy at the hotel. As it turned out, that was a good decision. The stress at the Cliffrose house was unbelievable. After Derek got there with the U-Haul, the moving helpers that we hired never showed up. At 3:00 Derek found a couple of other guys out in Riverside that could come out at the last minute, but it cost us $100.00 more. If we didn't have such heavy stuff to take downstairs and load into a U-Haul, we probably would not have needed them. However, since we had a washer, dryer, Ashley's bedroom set, and our Cal King mattress, we had no choice unless we left it behind. So, fast-forward to loading the U-Haul. We had a 26 ft. U-Haul and thought it would be too big. Wrong! That thing was packed solid at the end and we even had to leave our split-level coffee table, a bookcase, and a few other little things behind in the garage. Damn! Now it was 7:00 pm and Derek led the caravan to the storage place where we have a 10 X 20 unit. I'm thinking that there's no way it's going to fit. It toook 3 hours to unload the U-Haul and by some miracle it all fit. OMG! Derek wants to get another small storage unit for our inventory because he can't work with the stacks like they are.

The next day, we were wiped out. We surfed the internet to find out interesting things about the area we now live in and scheduled a few things to do with Ashley. It was a pretty low-key day, but we had fun hanging out together.

As it turns out, the hotel we're living in is in the middle of everything. This is a lot different from the Cliffrose house, where we lived in the sticks. Everything is within walking distance or at least a very short drive. When we lived in the Valley, we still didn't live this close to it all. I never thought that this woud be so much fun!

Yesterday, we went to Old Town which is about a mile away from the hotel. OMG! That place is so awesome! We had lunch, went junking, saw a lot of artists with their sidewalk chalk art (they did some amazing stuff!), and showed Ashley the history of cowboys and Indians. When we got back to the hotel, I was on Cloud 9. This area is so exciting and I cannot wait to go back again!

Today, I'm taking Ashley to a duck park. It's beautiful there. There's a decent size lake with grass and trees around it and picnic tables. I'm going to make us a picnic lunch and we're taking the camera. We're going to turn this into an educational experience for her like we did yesterday.

So, there you have it. All the chaos and changes wrapped up in a few paragraphs. (I wish I could have experienced it this simply!) Life is definitely getting better and we are really glad that we have the opportunity to experience where we live now.

Life's Rich Pageantry

2008-06-29T00:04:00.001-07:00

Well, I'll be damned...

2008-02-21T15:34:00.000-08:00

I found the password!

Gerald Ford

2006-12-26T23:47:00.000-08:00

Former President Gerald Ford died a few hours ago. I was fairly young during his presidency -- my most vivid memories of him in office are of him falling down (and, of course, of Chevy Chase impersonating him falling down). However, I can say that he was one of the few Republicans that I did not dislike, and judging by the current crop of Rs, he may be one of the last.

James Brown

2006-12-25T00:07:00.000-08:00

I just saw the news that James Brown has died. Just an hour ago, I was sitting in a car (driving, actually), arguing with someone over whether James Brown is a 'living legend' or not. I took the stance that he was, without question, and I think it was the first time that I admitted to this particular person that I thought so highly of James Brown, knowing that it would set me up for a load of crap from this person. (Earlier, he refused to admit that Chuck Berry was a living legend on the grounds that he thought that Berry was dead.)

I just told my wife about the conversation in the car about fifteen minutes ago, she agreed with me about JB, and others, and had her own picks. I just had to tell her that we can cross one off the list.

That sucks.

Where We Are Now

2006-11-21T00:15:00.000-08:00

I have no idea...

Seriously, this blog got way too serious, way too heavy-handed there for a while. The last thing I want to do is come on here and write about politics every day. So, in the future, IF this blog continues, we are going to change the tone. Will the tone change? No. Why did we ever think the tone would change? Whoops -- goddammit, there I go again. NO MORE POLITICAL JUNKI-NESS. I'm even out-geeking the geeks I know with this stuff.

Let's talk about something else. How about Michael Richards. I assume that you all have heard about his tirade, and hopefully have seen the video. But I am not here to give value judgements on him or what he said. I just wanted to say: by coincidence, that annoying guy from Seinfeld, the one who played 'Jerry', was booked to be on Letterman tonight. During his appearance, they interviewed Michael Richards on satellite (ooooooh! Satellite!!) from L.A., and let him have a nervous breakdown on the show while that Jerry guy sat in judgement, and the audience giggled and squirmed. WOW! Now THAT was some uncomfortable television!!

Gameday (#3)

2006-11-08T00:38:00.000-08:00

I have been informed that I need to do a witty and/or sarcastic post tonight regarding the election results. However, I shall hold off, as there are still a few races that haven't settled (MT-Sen, and VA-Sen, although realistically, I think they're done), and some House races that are still within 200-500 votes, and it seems silly to do final analysis on stuff like that.

Still, WOW! This was some night. MSNBC is currently projecting the new House at 235D-200R. I would like to squeeze one more R defeat out of there (are you listening, HEATHER WILSON, or you, MARILYN MUSGRAVE??), to drop the Rs below the Mendoza Line.

...to be continued (probably in court).

Gameday (#2)

2006-11-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

More predictions! This time from Tbogg, and definitely worth a read!

Gameday!

2006-11-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

Let's start the big show today (yeah, start... it's already noon on the East Coast) with a quick prediction. I'm not usually one for making predictions (BWAHAHAHAHA!), and after my Lieberman/Lamont/Other Guy prediction, I should probably just shut up. But, I will offer this quick forecast and suggestion:

Tonight, in the CA Governor's race, after Angelides calls Ahhh-nold to concede, at about 8:02pm, Schwarzenegger will take the stage at his re-coronation ball and say the following:

(Using trumped-up Austrian accent that makes Holocaust survivors wake up screaming) "I told you I would be BACK!"

At that point, I believe that beginning recall proceedings immediately would be in order.

I told everyone -- vote for Arianna, vote for Arianna, vote for Arianna. Did anyone listen? Nooooooo...

Calling Dixville....

2006-11-06T21:12:00.000-08:00

Hello? Calling Dixville Notch, do you copy? We are awaiting your returns.

(They do the midnight voting thing for midterm elections as well as Presidential elections, right?)

The Game

2006-11-02T09:14:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, or whoever is left! (get it? Left? hehe!)

There are some things that I have been sure that I have written on this blog, only to come back and find out that I have said nothing about them. That means that my 'A' material is ending up as comments on other blogs, and whatever is left over is here. That's not a good way to run the show. Maybe I'll just post links to my comments from elsewhere. Hmmmm....

Anyway, I have to comment this morning about the Congressional races. I have been watching these VERY closely, especially over the last three weeks or so. The Senate race seems to have pretty much stagnated, somewhere in the 51-49 range, either way. As far as I am concerned, that will not cut it for the Dems, even if they have the 51. Here's why: If it is 51R-49D, then it is business as usual (for the sake of these numbers, we are assuming that Bernie Sanders (I) wins, and he will caucus with the Dems. Also, the pollsters continue to regard Lieberman as a de facto Dem, regardless of his new party affiliation.); if it is 50-50, Cheney is the tiebreaking vote, and we all know how that will turn out; At 51D-49R, things get a little weird. One of the Ds is Joe Lieberman, running on the Bullshit Moose party. It is my firm belief that, if he beats Ned Lamont, as it appears he will, he will caucus with the Republicans, knocking it back to 50-50+Cheney. Lieberman knows where his votes are coming from -- and he has a debt to repay. So, the magic number for the Dems is 52. I haven't seen a 52 yet.

Now, onto the House, where it gets interesting. The Dems need to pick up about 15 seats to take the majority. For a while, that was a possibility. But, going down the laundry list of scandals, problems, Iraq deaths, war profiteering, preying on children, etc., the game has gotten out of control, and FAST!

There is a term in baseball known as the Mendoza Line. The Mendoza Line is 200, or rather, .200 as a batting average. Named after a mediocre player who hit a lifetime .200 average, it is now regarded as the point where, if you are below the Mendoza Line, maybe you shouldn't be in the majors. I think the same rule could apply to the House. There are 435 members of the House; if a one party drops below 200 members, that means they have really screwed the pooch, and the party is in trouble.

According to my most-used polling site, electoral-vote.com, which I find tracks the most polls, things are getting weird. As of October 1st, the predicted House makeup was 216D-219R. By October 10th, it had flipped to 219D-216R (for simplicity, I am counting all 'toss-up' polls as Republican victories). By the 13th, it was 226D-209R. Things stayed the same for about a week, and then, IT happened. The Republican party imploded under the weight of it's own corruption & hubris. On November 1, the Republicans had smashed through the glass floor of the Mendoza line and were looking at a count of 239D-196R. I actually thought this was a bit over the top, since most of the polls were done by the firm Research 2000, but I took it under advisement.

Imagine my surprise today when a whole new group of Zogby (who I really like) polls came out this morning and put the numbers at 241D-194R! Bush & Cheney are being forced to campaign in Wyoming (!), Idaho (!!) and other places that should be locks for them. There is truly a move afoot to throw the bastards out.

I have said to some people, although not in this blog, that the way things are going this election cycle, if this campaign were to last a another month, we might be able to go straight from the election into impeachment hearings. I don't think we're going to get to that extent, but... wow! This should be an interesting (and, potentially long) Tuesday night.

Davis vs. Limbaugh

2006-10-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post. I've been following this disgusting attack by that idiot Rush Limbaugh on Michael J. Fox for coming out and saying that he would like to see some people elected that give a damn about stem-cell research, something that this country is falling FAR BEHIND on compared to the rest of the world. (Remember when we had a science agenda to be proud of in this country?) Just to recap: the permanently flaccid and admitted OxyContin junkie Limbaugh has been railing on and on that, in the ads, Fox is either acting sicker than he is, or that he has deliberately stopped taking his meds in order to make his disease look worse than it is.

Rush Limbaugh is an asshole.

First, he has no idea how Fox's meds work. If he did, he would know that he has his cause & effect mixed up. No meds = paralysis, meds = extreme movement. Pick one -- they both sound like really great options, don't they Rush. I realize that you have no problem just cramming more pills down your fat trap to fix whatever you say this weeks problem is ("Wahhh! I'm in pain -- I need 60 Oxys a day!"; "Wahhh! I have to meet some Carribean hookers and my dick won't get hard -- someone get me some Viagra under a fake name!"), but some people would actually like a cure for some of these problems that pills just don't make that much better.

Here's a piece written by someone who has some experience in the matter. Patti Davis (Reagan). Remember, she was the estranged Reagan daughter, who then came back to the family to make her peace with St. Ronnie before he died, and now believes, along with the other sane family members, that maybe stem-cell research wouldn't be such a bad thing, and that maybe real human lives carry more importance than blastocysts. Take a look here.

The Stupidity Awards

2006-10-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting much lately. It's been real busy getting our other blog, atomicnewwave.blogspot.com (tied to our Internet Radio Station) up and running, and also trying to, you know, make a living and such.

Anyway, I just had to comment on what has to be the stupidest thing I have heard this month, so far (I realize that 15 more days is plenty of time for people to say even more stupid things, and I don't doubt they will, but this gets the award for now): Supposedly, tomorrow, the United States of America will have a population of 300,000,000 people. I'm sorry, let me be more specific: at 4:46 am PDT on Tuesday, October 17, 2006, the giant odometer that tracks the population of the U.S.A. will roll over 300,000,000.

Now, I certainly don't want to rain on anyone's parade here. In fact, I hope that Baby "USA 300M" gets a lifetime supply of Huggies and a guest-hosting stint on The View. However, does anyone actually believe this crap? 300,000,000? How do we arrive at that number? By the census?!? Are you kidding?? I'm thinking it would be more accurate if news reports called it 300,000,000 +/- 20,000,000. We have already established (after the 2000 election) that we are unable to count votes in an election (seriously -- the Supreme Court said that -- look it up), and, to vote, people actually have to go somewhere and sign in and do something to be counted. For this, you either fill out a form or.... what? Someone goes and looks for you? Well, yes. Census officials actually walk around and look for people that aren't counted. Do you have an address? Well, you've probably been counted already. More kids? Homeless? Living on a Rural Route?? Hiding in a storage shed??? Well, whatever, we'll just mark down a few more people and we'll be on our way.

Don't get me wrong. I suppose a census is important for various reasons (I'm not going to go into them), but attempting to celebrate a 300 millionth person at an exact time is just stupid, and reeks of a society desperate to celebrate something, or mark some kind of milestone, or get some kind of feeling of accomplishment, even though nothing has really happened. It's like being proud of your blood-type. You didn't do it. We didn't do anything. It's not even a real event. Get over it.

In other news, I usually don't comment on football on this blog but, may I just say: Screw You, Leinart. I realize that as a graduate of the University of Spoiled Children, you're not used to a lot of disappointment in your life, and we all felt very bad watching you have your little outbursts on the sidelines, but, perhaps you need to get over yourself and perform a little better next time. USC grads normally don't have to hear that until later in life, but I guess you're getting advance notice.

No Pony for You

2006-10-08T00:10:00.000-07:00

Well, that's it. The Dodgers' season is over, after collapsing with a spectacular whimper against the Mets tonight. I watched the last half of the game on TV, which means I didn't even get to hear Vin call the ending. Wahhhhhh.

Ok, Dodgers, we need to talk about a couple of things:

First, I thought the team came out about where they should have this year, maybe one or two games better. I really didn't expect the playoffs, but once we were there, I would have liked to, you know, win a game or something. But, at least we got something. I think. The wildcard is something, right? It says to the world, "Look! We suck less than the rest of the losers! Woo Hoo!!"

Second, this Maddux thing is starting to grate on me a bit. Yes, he was a great pitcher. Yes, he's still pretty good. No, I don't trust him. No, you can't depend on him. I don't mind that Maddux goes out there and throws the ball right down the pipe, daring the batter to hit it. It works for him, and that is great. But, this 70-pitch limit has got to go. There is no way we can take Maddux into next season (if he is still playing, that is) knowing that he can only make 70 pitches before he is "mentally exhausted." Mentally Exhausted?!? Screw You! Maybe you're in the wrong game. Jesus Christ -- get out there and throw the damn ball!! Basically, each time Maddux starts, the Dodgers know they will be looking at a minimum three pitcher game, maybe more. I don't see that as acceptable.

Third, Goddammit McCarver, WE ALL KNOW THAT THE DODGERS TRADED LODUCA A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. SHUT UP ABOUT IT!! Is it really necessary that every single time we see LoDuca, Tim Mcarver has to say something along the lines of "You know, the Dodgers made a very controversial trade concerning LoDuca, one that will probably never be forgotten." Trade, got it. Move on. Baseball: trades happen. Wow -- you mean LoDuca was on the other team? What a surprise! What were the odds?? Incredible.

Fourth, and this is to all teams clinching an LDS: drop the champaigne celebrations. It looks ridiculous. If you win a LDS, you really haven't won anything other than the right to play for the pennant. You haven't won a division -- that was already settled. You haven't won a pennant -- that's not here yet. All you have done was stay alive to play another series. You want a party? Win the LCS.

There will be more. I still say it was a good season, and I will be back on Feb. 14 next year (traditional 'Pitchers & Catchers Report' day) to start it all over again. After I tape my heart back together, that is.

Go Tigers! (What the hell, right?)

Playing to 165, I guess.

2006-10-05T23:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm not going to dwell on this, but since one of "my topics" is baseball in general, and the Dodgers specifically, I have to ask a question after the last two games:

What in the hell is going on out there???

Fine, if you don't want to play any more baseball this year, that's ok -- I'm disappointed, but, go ahead and pack it in. Just don't make yourselves look like such idiots doing it!!

It's kind of weird, the way that things have been turning out, especially regarding what will now be forever known as "The Play". It's weird because, on Tuesday afternoon, HBO-FW14 (or something) was showing the cinematic masterpiece Major League 2. I stopped my busy day to watch about a half-hour of it because I couldn't remember the intricasies of the plot, and the exact motivating factors that drove each player to achieve his own personal peak, and at the same time, achieve self-ac.... well, whatever. The thing is, when the Indians start playing well again, one of the events they show is their catcher getting a throw, and then tagging two players out, both coming into home, about three seconds apart (they called it a Twin Killing). At the time, I wondered if that kind of play had ever actually happened, or if that was just some freakish thing dreamed up by the writers.

Of course, just one day later, I had my answer. By now, we all have encyclopediac knowledge of all instances of two runners being thrown out at home on the same play, without the ball leaving the catcher's hands. The last time was 1985. Before that it was about 25 or 30 years previous. It's only happened a handful of times ever, and I am very proud to say that the Dodgers can now attach their names to that shitty, amateurish, bush league play.

For what it's worth, I think the blame goes to 3rd Base Coach Rich Donnelly. He sent Kent home, which was a judgement call, and I don't fault him for that. Kent was overly-cautious, and he's slow, and he got gunned-down at the plate. It happens. BUT, J.D. Drew was about 40 feet behind Kent, and Donnelly didn't give him any indication at all of what was going on. By the time Donnelly sent Kent, he knew it would be close. If that was going to be close, how can you justify sending another player half-a-base behind him?!?

Looking back at it (twelve million times today -- thanks Fox!), no one was more surprised than Paul LoDuca. He tags out Kent, he's holding the ball, and all of a sudden people are screaming that someone else is coming home. It was like manna from Heaven for him.

Also, it is amazing that Martin could knock a hit to the right field wall and end up Grounding Into a Double Play.

Maddux goes Saturday. He's good for 70 pitches, tops. And, he will be Maddux. He will throw 70 pitches right down the pipe and see where the Mets hit 'em. They know this. They will not be swinging on the first pitch. If we get five innings out of Maddux, I will be shocked. (But, I will take the five innings.)

Whichever way it goes, it was a hell of a season! Massive losing streaks, even bigger winning streaks, walk-off grand slams, four-homers-in-a-row, etc., etc. No complaints here -- I would just like to see it last a little longer.

Let's Play 163!

2006-09-29T23:29:00.000-07:00

I am not breaking my own rule here -- now that we have tonight's baseball games settled, I can say this for sure:

The Dodgers will be playing baseball next week. Even if it is only on Monday against the Phillies, that's still Game #163.

(I haven't even looked at a football game yet -- I just can't get into it with this much baseball action going on.)

Baseball Tonight (& Tomorrow, etc.)

2006-09-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, the following news is, from what I understand, only semi-official, and may not be the final word on the subject, but that has never stopped this blog from reporting anything as an absolute truth, so... here goes:

The Los Angeles Dodgers (yay) have ended their Class A affiliation with Vero Beach and will move their Class A affiliate (back) to ... San Bernardino!!

Actually, that is only partially correct, as after they left last time, the San Bernardino Stampede became the Inland Empire 66'ers.

This is almost totally a good thing. First off, as much as I love the Vero Beach Dodgers, this will make all of the swag I have from that team instantly limited memorabilia. Second, the Dodgers need to get a A-ball club locally again. The Padres have Rancho Cucamonga, the Angels have Lake Elsinore (yay.... oops, formerly yay), and the closest the Dodgers had was AAA ball in Las Vegas. This will be good for the team and, most importantly, good for me, because the Angels suck the life out of baseball, and it was killing me to root for Lake Elsinore.

As for the 66'ers, well, you can read this post if you didn't hear about our last experience there, but I think this will drag me out to a few more games. Also, we will probably get more local rehabbing assignments for the Dodgers this way (I still remember seeing Orel Hershiser's last Win ever when the Stampede, with Hersh starting, beat the Quakes at the Epicenter).

As for the current season, expect NOTHING out of me regarding what is or isn't happening in the NL West or NL Wildcard races until it either does or doesn't happen. Got that?

Fun with Google Earth

2006-09-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

A lot of us have been discussing Google Earth, and Microsoft Virtual Earth (or whatever it's called) a lot lately, and one of the things that has come up is how few people you see in the shots. Cars, trucks, and inanimate objects are all there, but I couldn't really recall seeing any people in the photos. I think this news story should put that idea to rest.

(Yes, it's a foreign clip. It is not in English. Deal with it. If you have ever used Google Earth you will understand exactly what is going on, and will hear enough key words to get the whole story.)

This is another reason we know that no one is actually looking for Osama bin Laden. We, the peons, can see this with Google Earth. You know that is crippled to the point of uselessness. So, how good, and how hi-res, do you think the real surveillance photos are? Does anyone really think, anymore, that the CIA (or whoever) they couldn't find anyone, or anything, they wanted while sitting at their desks?

Changing the Subject...

2006-09-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

If my records are accurate, today is Bryan Ferry's 61st birthday.

Sounds like an excuse to play some music!!

Stunning

2006-09-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

I guess we'll be hitting his harder than I had intended.

Keith Olbermann speaks for me. He also speaks for all Americans with any part of their dignity remaining.

Smoke, Mirrors, etc.

2006-09-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to hit this subject too hard, because apparently, if you have even a passing interest in the news, which I guess I do not, you've seen the clip of Clinton on Chris Wallace's show on Sunday. Honestly, I didn't think it was going to be a big deal. I read the early transcript on Friday, thought 'fine, wonderful', and forgot about it. Today, late in the day, someone told me that all hell was breaking loose over the interview. Now that I have actually seen it, I naturally want to comment, but I don't think I could do a better take than this:

Stupid Stuff from the Past

2006-09-23T00:06:00.000-07:00

This is a post that is going to appeal to absolutely no one, except maybe ashleys.mommy. While perusing BoingBoing.com tonight, I saw another post about a topic they have been writing about from time to time: replacing the "76" balls at Unocal (formerly Union 76) stations here in SoCal with rectangular signs with a 76-ball logo on them. It isn't something I have worried too much about, except that the 76-ball was something that I grew up with, and for a lot of us, used as our first antenna-ball (they used to give them away in the 1980's -- screw you 'Jack'). There was also the big one in the parking lot at Dodger Stadium that a lot of us remember.

Anyway, when I read the first story about the 76-balls coming down, I thought about the Unocal station right next to our old apartment in Encino (near where another friend of ours now lives), and how that was the only real 76-ball remaining that I could remember. Sure enough, there it is on BoingBoing tonight, being replaced. Just west of the corner of White Oak and Ventura Blvd. I still remember having my 1984 Fiero towed in there after it died on the 101 Freeway trying to drive the two miles home from work. I also remember trying to tape my cooling system back together in that parking lot just to get to work for one more day.

This is one of those times that I think there is too much information available. No one needs to know all of this, but here it is. Just a weird intersection of memories vs. random reality poking its head in.

Introducing the Pepproncinitini

2006-09-21T22:35:00.000-07:00

I have a theory that since all humans have (basically) the same genetic makeup, that we tend to experience the same feelings and same thoughts at the same times. This is usually expressed in such eloquent comments as "Everyone thinks the same" and "No one ever comes up with anything different." Imagine my surprise, then, when I discovered, tonight, that I may have actually come up with something so screwy that no one else has thought of it.

I am not a big drinker -- anyone who knows me can tell you that. I've had my problems with other stuff, but not booze. I don't have the stomach, or the head, for it. The one type of alcohol I do love, however, is gin. I think it runs in the family. But, I digress.

One other thing I love, for the last few years, is spicy food, peppers, and things goosed up with salt & vinegar. I had always thought that the perfect drink was a martini (gin, not vodka, and not any of that other crap they pass off as martinis now), with an olive. But, one night, I needed a fix of salt, spice, and booze. In a fit of inventiveness, I came up with the Pepproncinitini. Basically, it is a dry gin martini (made with Sapphire, although regular Bombay will do in a pinch), with a sprinkle of vermouth, and a few splashes of pepproncini brine, shaken not stirred (bastard Bond), over ice, garnished with an actual pepproncini, sliced to break the skin.

I'm sure that 99+% of the people who try it would declare it the most revolting drink in the world. It is spicy, salty, and weird overall. Needless to say, I love it. And, based on a search of Google tonight... IT'S MINE! I came up with this over a year ago, but I will post that as of today, September 21, 2006, the Pepproncinitini (or, alternately, the PeppronciniTini or Pepproncini-tini) was created by me.

Once again, the ingredients for a PeppronciniTini:

Bombay Sapphire Gin (or whatever sub-par generic brand you can tolerate, I guess)
Dusting of dry vermouth
Splash of pepproncini brine (I prefer Guiliano's)
Serve over ice
Garnish with pepproncini with sliced skin.

Laugh now, but someday.... future generations will look to this post.

(imagine Battle Hymn of the Republic playing here.)

A Cure for Blogger's Block

2006-09-20T23:04:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I'm back. I have not been able to think of anything that seemed worthy enough to say recently, but tonight I found something that may have re-motivated me to start writing again. Yes, it's political, and it's local (but national, too), so anyone local (from the 951) who pops in here as a result of my blogwhoring may actually care, but I'm not going all-political-all-the-time again. I can't take that -- and I'm sure you can't either.

Anyway, the 2006 mid-term elections are now 48 days away. Of course, every seat in the U.S. House of Representatives is up for election (2 year terms, remember that from Jack Moore's Civics class?). The vast majority of the time, these elections are won by the incumbents, probably because no one really cares or gets involved enough to know who the "other guy" is, and the voter might recognize the sitting Reps name from a newspaper story, or a wanted poster, or something. Regardless, here in the CA-44th District (of which I remain in by about 500 feet, from the best I can tell), our Representative, for the last 14 years, has been Ken Calvert (R). As far as I am concerned, Ken Calvert is the worst kind of politician. Of course, I don't agree with him on the great majority of his views (support for the Occupation, the idiotic fence around the border, etc.) but I think his 100% rating from the Christian Coalition is the most important thing.

Here's why: Mr. 100%-Christian-Values-Calvert has prided himself on his righteousness and belief in 'family values'. However, Mr. Calvert was also caught by the Corona Police, in 1993, receiving oral sex from a prostitute while parked in a car on Howard Street (not the nicest neighborhood). He explained to the police (who recognized him, of course) that he was merely ministering to a distraught woman. Of course, at the time of his explanation, his pants were down, and when the police first observed the car, the prostitute's head was in his lap.

This is not conjecture -- the story was reported by the Riverside Press-Enterprise (check the archives for 1993/1994 -- there is a charge to actually read the whole story) and is verifiable here, here, here, here, and here, among other places.

Now, to be clear on this, I don't care that he was getting blown by a hooker. Not so great that it was in his car, but... I guess that's his thing. As long as he was on vacation, I don't care if he was screwing two guys while methed-up on the roof of Wal-Mart. What I care about was that he lies about it, not just by his words, but by his actions! This is a man who voted to impeach Clinton over the same act. Remember, as the Republicans said, "It's not the sex, it's the lying." Indeed.

This year, it appears that we have a candidate who wants to make a serious effort at unseating Calvert. His name is Louis Vandenberg. Here is his website. To drive this point home even harder, and get people totally insane, here is his post on Daily Kos!

We like him. We like his views (check his website, I'm getting tired). We are endorsing him (go fig). It's our second endorsement ever, and our first local one.

(Imagine a pretty graphic here, like the one we ran for Lamont. We don't have one for Vandenberg, but if they gave us one I'm sure it would be super-nice.)

To reiterate: LOUIS VANDENBERG (D) for U.S. House of Representatives, CA-44.

(Programming note: Be sure to check future posts for our twelve-part series examining the intense power struggle in the election for Comptroller of the Lee Lake Water District, and the potential effects on the thirty-nine people who live here.)

Demand ABC Correct Their 9/11 Film

2006-09-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

Demand ABC Correct Their 9/11 Film

Learn More About The Path to 9/11 at:

ThinkProgress.com
MediaMatters.com

ABC is planning to air a two-part mini-series entitled The Path to 9/11 this Sunday and Monday.

In spite of its claim to be based on the 9/11 Commission Report, the film reportedly includes numerous inaccuracies and lays the blame for the September 11 tragedy on the Clinton Administration. One scene reportedly depicts a senior Clinton Administration official calling off the capture or killing of Osama bin Laden. This depiction of events has been refuted by former Bush Administration anti-terrorism chief, Richard Clarke.

It also has been reported that the film blames the intelligence breakdowns on bureaucratic obstacles allegedly created by the Clinton Administration, even though Republican 9/11 Commissioner Slade Gordon has previously refuted that claim.

Because of my concerns that false and inflammatory information would be widely disseminated to the American public, I, along with Representatives John Dingell, Jane Harman and Louise Slaughter, asked ABC to correct the film before airing it.

The more people the network hears from, the more likely they are to correct the errors in the film. But we do not have much time. Contact them now to let them know they should not politicize this tragic event in our nation's history.

Thank you again for your commitment to a stronger democracy.

Sincerely,

John Conyers, Jr.
Conyers for Congress
P.O. Box 17204
Alexandria, Virginia 17204
Phone: 313-438-2004

First Annual Emmy Post-Game Analysis & Report

2006-08-27T23:18:00.000-07:00

Maybe you're wondering, what in the hell is a post about the Emmy awards doing on this commie pinko liberal blog? Well, actually, this is the kind of stuff I've wanted to do more of, but we've gotten so bogged down in politics, video clips, and dead animal stories that I've kind of lost my ability to comment on anything else. I think I'll change that right about now. (Lots of links in this post -- feel free to click around.)

First off, I have to say that this is the first Emmy telecast that I have watched from start to finish in about ten years. It was comforting, I guess, to know that nothing really changed. Still lots of awards for miniseries that no one watched (Bleak House?!? Jesus...) and other stuff, although most of the 'technical' awards are relegated to the 'other' Emmy show (no, not the Daytime Emmys, the other one), so all of that stuff is missing.

I guess at this point I should say that I really like Conan O'Brien, and if he hadn't been hosting this year, I can't guarantee that I would have watched. I had to miss the Oscars since I was not really, ummmm...., available that night, but I wish I had seen Jon Stewart. I even thought that the opening production number (the song and dance) was good, basically talking about how much NBC sucks these days. The reference to Howie Mandel was cute -- especially in light of the DVD I saw a few weeks ago (from my daughters Fairie Tale Theatre collection), in which I was reminded of how incredibly gratingly annoying Howie Mandel was back in the 1980s (I had forgotten)! Realistically, Deal or No Deal is not a very original, or well crafted, game show -- it is basically Treasure Hunt with opportunities to bail out. The thing that makes it work is the contestant selection process (go to NBC's rules page and check that out!), and the fact that Howie Mandel has been able to pull himself together, get past some of the OCD that dragged him down for a while, and actually become an engaging personality, who doesn't have to hog the whole show.

Anyway, some of the awards were great (The Office for Best Comedy, multiple wins for The Daily Show, although I would have preferred The Colbert Report to take at least one), and stuff like that. I was also nice to see Cloris Leachman and Henry Gibson out there presenting. Good for some of us. I can't comment on 24 or Grey's Anatomy; I haven't seen them, so... what can I say? The award for the Directory of the telecast getting an Emmy for directing the Oscar telecast was rather idiotic. One of those awards for an awards show, which get a little cumbersome (2007: Best Performance in a Variety Show: the director of the 2006 Emmys giving his acceptance speech for the 2006 Oscars!)

Some of the awards were weird: Julia-Louis Dreyfus getting Best Actress in a Comedy for...what? The New Adventures of Old Christine?? Ok, granted, I am not totally on the ball with pop culture, and I'm not pretending to be, but, what??? Still, good for her. I've liked her ever since her SNL days, and it's nice to see someone shove something back in that Jerry-bastard's face!

Also great was the clip of Conan going into South Park and getting in the closet with Tom Cruise. He (Tom) can't be happy about that one.

Now, for the downers. The roll-of-the-dead is always kind of a bummer, but the worst came before that. I am a huge fan of Dick Clark. I was really upset when he had his stroke last year, and I knew from the news that was coming out that it wasn't very positive. I know what strokes do. I was raised by my grandparents and watched them deteriorate right before my eyes. No fun. We spent last New Year's visiting family in San Jose, and after we got back to our Motel 6, I caught the last few minutes of Ryan Seacrest's (gag) New Year's Rockin' Eve, when they had Dick Clark on to say goodnight. That pretty much trashed the New Year's celebrating for me, since he was in pretty bad shape. I'd seen the pictures of him, heard the non-sugar-coated reports, etc., but I was hoping for more positive things. Same thing this year: I knew they were going to have a tribute to Dick Clark (which is a bad sign at the Emmy's -- the other tribute went to the newly-dead Aaron Spelling -- so they were trying to get this one in before the inevitiable). So, they did the retrospective, and they introduced him, sitting down, and let him speak to the best of his ability. And, really, his speech wasn't bad -- even he was being self-depricating, but the reaction was muted, at best, and I really don't think many people could understand him. Then Barry Manilow sang and danced, and come over to Dick, but in the end, for me anyway, it was sad. It's been over a year of intense therapy, plus rehearsals, etc., etc., and that was the best they could get from him. I'm not blaming him -- quite the contrary -- I think he had enormous guts to even get out there (he's not deluded -- he knows what kind of shape he's in; the mind is still there, but the body has gone to hell). But... he's not coming back. Ever. Dick Clark, as a performer, is gone, forever. Damn it. That pretty much ended any good feelings I had tonight.

The Bob Newhart thing was cute and silly, but at least they didn't make it as stupid as they could have (smashing him out at 3:00:01, or something).

So, that's it -- if I think of more to rant about, I'll post it. I'm sure more important things happened, but I'm trying to take a break from important things right now. Sometimes, that's just how it works.

M.

Something is Rotten in the State of Connecticut

2006-08-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I wasn't going to write about this anymore, but the latest poll numbers coming out of the political sewer that Connecticut has become are disturbing, to say the least. Check out this latest poll from the American Research Group (ARG). This poll is not an "outlier"; it's numbers are roughly the same as the latest Rasmussen poll.

The most disturbing part? Well, aside from the fact that Lieberman hasn't really qualified for the ballot yet, has anyone bothered to take a look at the numbers for the Republican candidate? No, the other one -- the one that won the Republican primary: Alan Schlesinger. His total percentage among likely voters? 3%!! Three! Considering the margin of error on this poll is +/- 3.5%, we can safely say that no one is planning on voting for Schlesinger!

Does this not strike anyone as a bit odd? Say what you will about the de facto two-party system, the silliness of primaries, whatever, but in this case you have the candidate who won the Democratic primary with 42%, the canidiate that won the Republican primary with 3%, and the candidate that lost the Democratic primary with 44%! Based on those numbers, I think it is a safe enough assumption to say that virtually every Republican in Connecticut is planning on voting for Lieberman instead of the candidate they selected themselves. Wow -- that makes me feel so much better about Lieberman.

And, again, I'm talking about pure numbers and procedure here. I'm not talking about issues like the rumours that Lieberman will become Secretary of Defense, Lieberman will caucus with the Republicans in the event of a split Senate, or things like that (even though I just did). Am I the only person that feels like this election is running off the rails, and taking a piece of our republic with it? Seriously -- Bush v. Gore already made the case that your single vote probably doesn't count, and now this race is taking it one step further: the primary election doesn't count! Lieberman lost -- but not really! Schlesinger won -- but not really!

I would hope that the Democratic response to this would be to start pimping Schlesinger as a great conservative, but I don't think I actually want that to happen either. What a mess.

Lost in all of this is that Lieberman has now completely lost his "commanding early lead" in the general election, which he never actually had anyway.

I stand by my earlier prediction. For now, anyway.

Go Read This

2006-08-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

Seriously, just click this link and read this little essay by Athenae over at First Draft regarding how we got from 9/11/01 to where we are today -- not in a history-book-type of way, but more in a people-dealing-with-their-surroundings kind of way. Really Good Stuff.

Snakes, Planes, & Automobiles

2006-08-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

I hate to link to somewhere as basic as MSNBC, but they had a good "review" (if you can call it that) of Snakes on a Plane this morning.

I don't know how many people have actually been following the saga of this movie, but it seems like it has been anticipated forever. Snakes. Plane. Got it. No worse than any other crap movie, I suppose...

By the Way

2006-08-18T00:05:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that we're back?

No?

We're Back. The tubes are installed and the internets are whizzing around the house. Look -- there goes one now -- wheeeeeeeeeeee!

The Post I Don't Want to Write

2006-08-17T23:47:00.000-07:00

I hate to even get into this, but I feel like I should say something, because it's the most lurid story in the news right now, even though it is 10 years old. Of course, I'm talking about the JonBenet Ramsey murder, and the recent 'confession' of the man arrested for it. Let me summarize my position:

I don't think he did it. I think he's nuts.

I will leave it to you to check out what his family and neighbors and everyone else has to say about him, but my reasons have actually very little to do with him. Mainly:

Patsy Ramsey (JonBenet's mother) died about six weeks ago of cancer. Now, suddenly, this guy gets arrested for the murder? I don't entirely understand that connection, but I can speculate (in my head -- you speculate in your own head, please).

John Ramsey made an unsuccessful run at the Michigan State House of Representatives a couple of years ago. Undoubtedly, his campaign was tainted by the large numbers of people who believe he had something to do with murdering his daughter. Finding a 'murderer' now could really bolster his future election chances.

This guy, John Mark Karr, is basically out-to-lunch. He has been obsessed with both the Ramsey case and the Polly Klass case, and has researched and written about them, but he seems to be really loused up on the timeline regarding JonBenet (he picked her up from school on Christmas Day, or the Day after Christmas??).

Yes, this is all speculation, and I'm sure there are LOTS of things we don't know. But... something just doesn't smell right about this whole deal.

More to come, unfortunately, I'm sure.

Blogging Forecast

2006-08-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

The National Blog Forecasting Service of Life's Rich Pageantry has issued the following statement (reprinted in its entirety):

Blogging will be light to non-existant for the next several days to a relocation of the LRP World Headquarters..... After relocation over the weekend, certain technological advances and upgrades must be made to the new site..... Electricity, running water, and other generated utilities must be diverted south to accomodate the new offices..... Blogging to resume shortly after relocation..... End transmission.

I think I know what that means. It means that we are moving, again, and it's going to take a while to get things functional. Mainly, that means getting internet service up and running again. I hear that this time, Ma Bell is going to come to my house personally and install the tubes. I don't think you all understand how serious this is -- you know, the internet isn't just a truck, people! You don't just, I don't know, dump things on it! My own personal internet could be delayed by days, and if someone sends me an internet, I might have to discover why it takes so long to get to me! Damn you kids and your streaming movies!!

Life Imitates.... whatever

2006-08-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

People who talk to me for any length of time (brave, but sad, people) have probably heard my 'solution' to the problem of insane security checks at airports. Walking through the slow 'parade of the shoeless' in an airport is enough to make you start thinking about alternatives. My solution, for the last few years has been this: If the government wants to be serious about stopping people from bringing weapons, explosives, and other things that could possibly, maybe, might be able to used as some sort of weapon or device that could threaten others, then the only real solution (that I see) is rather drastic --

1) No more carry-on luggage. Sorry. Too bad. No laptop, no cell phone, no purse, no wallet, no overnight bag, no makeup, no diapers for babies, no food, nothing. Just you, nothing with you.

2) Virtually no clothing. It would probably be enough to make people strip to their underwear, but that would lead to all sorts of new issues, so... I think the solution there is to require everyone to strip and change into a hospital-type dressing gown (like a paper gown). No pockets, no useable material for anything other than coverage.

3) X-Ray all passengers at the gate to ensure nothing has been 'kiestered', or smuggled in any other body cavity.

Harsh? You betcha.
Silly? Yeah.
Effective? Definitely!

Yes, I understand that I am being ridiculous, but, so are the current security measures in place. Take off your shoes, turn on your phone, turn on your computer, empty your pockets, etc. There are thousands of ways (I'm sure) to get something on a plane if you really want to. The only way to stop that is to stop everything.

This morning, the UK instituted MOST of #1 on my list. It's a start.

The point of terrorism is to scare the hell out of people. It does a pretty good job, especially when you start with something most people are already afraid of -- flying. Rather than trying to promote the illusion of safety, which the TSA (here in the U.S.) is now, we could actually, you know, be safer.

'But', you say, 'if we do this, then the terrorists will have won!' I've got news for you: they already have. You don't notice a few changes since 9/11/01? Things aren't a little more difficult to deal with? Airlines, banks, identification cards, etc., etc.? We are a nation (many nations, actually, not just the U.S.) living in fear.

Terrorism, as it is currently defined (which, as near as I can figure, means just about anything that harms, or tries to harm or scare, anyone or anything) has existed forever. That's just how people operate. People get ahead by intimidation, fear, and inducing cowardice and/or foolhardiness. An animal backed into a corner will come out attacking, but that's not always the best plan. Yes, we can be vigilant, but we really need to go on with our lives as well. That, or we can just sit in the house all day. (And, no, you won't be able to sit inside and play the ponies all day, because, first of all, the internet tubes will be shut down so you don't send any threatening messages, and secondly, your bank account will be locked for electronic transactions so you don't fund any terrorists. Sorry about that.)

Life's Rich Pageantry

Sand Castle Contest at Corona del Mar

Lake Elsinore Storm Baseball Team Article Link

Lake Elsinore Storm Baseball article link

Troop 547 Night at the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Never Underestimate the Mind of a Child

2009 Annual Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival

Ashley's Promotion to Brownies

Goodbye, GM ...by Michael Moore

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My Beautiful Sister & Niece

Top 10 Things Homeschooled Children and Their Parents Get to Do While Other Kids are in School All Day

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Homeschool Article from our Alma Mater - CSUN

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Our Website Has Been Updated!

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Tonight at Lake Elsinore Storm Baseball Game

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Season's Greetings! UPDATED!

An Open Letter the Girl Scouts Re: Cookie Sales

Ashley at the Temecula Children's Museum

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Santa Rosa Plateau and a Unicorn

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Now Leaving...Temecula...

While We're At It...

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Workout Journal - Week 6

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Friday Night at the Children's Museum

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WWSND?

Mobile Blogging

My Birthday

Having Fun

Moving Forward

Being a Supermom

July 18 and July 19

The Last Two Posts

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Catch-Up Post

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Well, I'll be damned...

Gerald Ford

James Brown

Where We Are Now

Gameday (#3)

Gameday (#2)

Gameday!

Calling Dixville....

The Game