My Time Of Life

2009-12-10T11:25:00.002-08:00

We had the most enjoyable evening last night in Palm Springs. I am sure many of you have also enjoyed the Palm Springs Fabulous Follies (now in it's nineteenth year with over 3 million patrons). I have seen stories and read about the unique cast in the media. Since we are in Palm Desert for a week, we decided to take in the show.
What makes the Follies unique? The cast is comprised totally of senior citizens – mostly in the 70’s. There is the “baby” at 56, but the prize goes to Dorothy Dale Kloss who at the age of 86, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the "Oldest 'Still Performing' Showgirl in the World." Yes, the picture at the right is current and looks just like her -I want her genes.
I knew the show would be good – just to marvel at the ability of the dancers and singers. But I was surprised at the beauty and grace of the cast. The ladies wore impressive, Las Vegas style, showgirl costumes that required a lot of strength - just to hold up the headpieces. The rest of of the costume took courage to wear even for a very young person.
What an uplifting experience. We laughed hard at the ventriloquist Brad Cummings and his prehistoric dinosaur "Rex. We enjoyed the music of guest star—Susan Anton, crowned Miss America the year I was born.
The Master of Ceremonies and co-founder, Riff Markowitz, was funny and kept the audience engaged and laughing between acts. If you would like to read more about the history of the Fabulous Follies, click Here.

"Finally... A Computer Designed For You, Not Your Grandchildren!"

2009-11-11T15:48:00.007-08:00

Since I retired, my technology needs have changed. I now notice businesses that market to “Boomers and Beyond” for cell phones and computers.

I no longer want a phone that will replace my computer, camera, Ipod, Gameboy or GPS. I simply want a phone that has big enough buttons to use and a design that allows me to hear and be heard. The phone functions should be call and end call – period.

Enter the JitterBug phone. The first time I saw one was in an AARP magazine. Finally, I thought, a cell phone that is just a phone ! This phone is now a popular option for people who use a cell casually or for emergencies only.

Today, again advertised in AARP, was the new Go computer. The ad declares “ Finally…. A Computer Designed for You, Not your Grandchildren." Just plug it in and it is ready to use. It features a large keyboard, and a ‘never get lost – just click and Go’ menu. To turn on the computer, press Go, then select either Email, Games, Help, My Files, or The Web. That’s it.

Not inexpensive by today’s Netbook standards (under $500), the Go computer is just under $900 and requires a monthly access fee of $19.99. Still, for older seniors that have never had computer experience this might be a good solution to quickly get online without having to take classes or be intimadated by stacks of manuals.

It seems we have gone to cramming as many functions into a microchip as possible to going back to the basics and simplifying – at least for the senior population.

Disclaimer: this is by no means an endorsement of either product as I have no experience with products mentioned in this blog. The blog is simply my observation of marketing technology products to seniors.

My new neighborhood newletter

2009-09-21T12:01:00.001-07:00

The other night, I was asked why I started http://www.glenebrookenews.com/. I used the easy answer; I wanted a place where neighbors could share ideas, get to know one another and be involved in Glenbrooke.

While those reasons are certainly valid, I also needed a sense of purpose and the ability to feel I could still contribute.

When I left my last position, it was with a sense of new adventures, travel and consulting. Those plans dissipated several months later when I suffered a stroke.I have worked very hard both physically and cognitively to recover. I had to relearn many things - including the value of numbers, how to add and subtract. I spend 2-4 hours a day on cognitive exercises- hey card games count!

While I can use the computer keyboard, I still have trouble writing and making letters. Thank goodness for spell check in computers!

I was feeling lost - I was just a consumer in society and had nothing to offer. Then my best friend, Doni Greenberg, suggested I write a blog for her website http://www.anewscafe.com/. I wrote everyday at first. As I wrote, I started to be more comfortable with my limitations. I finally felt I still might be able to do SOMETHING. Doni helped me find my voice again. Then we moved to Glenbrooke. It was very difficult to leave the community I love and the support I felt.

We didn’t know anyone in the area, let alone the neighborhood. But we quickly found people here are accepting and friendly and I now have a new community. I will always feel a connection to Redding.

The experience at anewscafe.com gave me exposure to a tool that can help build a sense of community. It is something I CAN do - on a much smaller scale. I may have to do it in tiny increments and I need a lot of help correcting errors, typos, grammar and spelling. My new friend neighbor Vickie Glaser, graciously agreed to edit the newsletter. We quickly worked out a system to post GlenbrookeNews.com weekly. Jim Gore is the technical support behind this website - without him, I would still be lost. Doni and all the writers at anewscafe.com are so supportive. I know you will come to know and love them as much as I do as we have been given permission to reprint their articles.

Is this a business? No, it’s a productive hobby. There is no way I could deal the need for advertisers, structure, or pressure of a business at this stage in my life. GlenbrookeNews.com is limited to our retirement neighborhood.

Will we charge a subscription? No, we paid the nominal fee for web hosting and no one gets paid for contributions - so there is no need for income.

Do we want to take over or be in competition with Ourglenbrooke.net? No, I needed a hobby not a job. The HOA website is just that, a HOA website for the business of HOA and is controlled by staff. Recently adopted policy limits resident’s participation and coverage of city or community events.

When Doni started http://www.anewscafe.com/ we offered to help in anyway. I had no idea the tables were turned and it was me being helped all along. Thanks everyone.

Fastest Growing population

2009-09-17T08:15:00.002-07:00

I was surprised to read today that the fastest growing population in the United Sates is now the disabled. The article stated that disabled people surpassed Hispanics for the fastest growing segment of our population.

After reading that, my mind starts racing with random thoughts:

You can't believe everything you read - I need to do some research.
It must be good, disabled are living longer, better medically managed lives.
It could be really bad as it means there are thousands of newly disabled veterans.
The baby boomer population is huge and a large percentage of us are disabled in some way.
Disabled are no longer ''hidden" or staying home.
ADA has made a tremendous difference is accessibility and working environments.
Once people are no longer marginalized, the motivation for living life to the fullest increases.
What opportunities this presents for many other businesses; retail, specialized products, home builders, automobile makers, etc.
Special equipment rental/sales - such as the disabled scooter pictured above from China see more at http://www.roadmaster.cn

Okay, I better stop thre or I will find half my day gone researching and pondering the opportunities.

Warning Frustration Ahead

2009-09-14T05:47:00.010-07:00

We're back from our 10-day Alaska cruise. We really did have a great time. There was one day at sea that was challenging for many people due to the winds and high seas. There were several broken bones as a result of falls, one helicopter evacuation, and many seasick passengers.

I am proud to say, Baileymy service dog, did just fine. But she was VERY tired of people by the last day. I even kept her on my lap, covered with a light blanket so she could get a break.

I had to wipe lipstick off her head at night from women kissing her. I know people think they are being friendly and are curious, but it is so frustrating to answer the same questions - hundreds of times of day. Bailey gets overstimulated when constantly being petted, called to, and get this, barked at. Honestly, one server would always bark at her when he saw her - even from the other side of the room. There were very few children on the ship but they all knew how to behave - it was the ADULTS that were a pain.

While people are told to ask before petting a service dog, many don't and it is hard to say no to nice people just wanting a 'dog fix' because they miss their own pets- especially if we are just sitting down relaxing.

We understood that, but none of us understood the big attraction of a dog going to the bathroom. Bailey had a relief box on the promenade deck - the outdoor deck that circles the ship . While in her little corner using the potty box, she would draw a crowd. She would then stop what she was suppose to be doing and stare back at the people. We would have to ask them to move along as it made her nervous to have a crowd. Seriously, it got where I would park the scooter to block the 'view' and Jim, Jeff and I would stand with our backs to Bailey, face out, like a police line protecting her. This would be too funny if it wasn't so disruptive to taking care of business - especially with rough seas!

There was even one time when Jim was taking Bailey to the relief area before bedtime. They were in a hurry and a lady asked if she could take a picture. Jim said not now and picked up the pace. The lady ran after him snapping pictures.

Can you imagine asking a stranger, “What is wrong with you?” Me neither, but when going from the cabin to the dining room it happened numerous times. I explained Bailey is a medical alert dog, and helps me with my disability. That is good enough 80% of the time. If someone kept asking personal questions, I would finally say, “Gosh, I don’t feel comfortable discussing my personal medical issues with strangers.” It is a good thing I have improved my impulse control and ability to filter words a little or I would have exploded dozens of times a day and killed several idiots. Especially when people would barge right into our personal conversations and disrupt our family's vacation time. Thank you Jim, Laura, Jeff, Patti, John, and everyone else who was patient and didn't sign on for the attention.

There were several times people distracting Bailey was dangerous. Exiting a crowded elevator, backwards on a scooter, with a service dog, takes concentration- especially for a stroke survivor. Once, I gave her the command ‘back’ and she was going out of the elevator while I was backing the scooter. Most people were great and cleared a space, but one woman stopped Bailey - she literally blocked our path. I almost ran over Bailey, then the doors closed - squeezing my hand against the scooter before they re-opened. The scooter does not stop on a dime and I need time to react. I said “oh, please don’t distract her while she is working” and the lady said, "but she is so cute!" The other passengers waiting to get in the elevator appeared frustrated too –they had to wait while we could get clear for them to enter and be on their way. I was nearly in tears by the time I made it through the crowds and was safe.

While I feel so grateful to have Bailey, and be able to travel because of, I feel I needed to vent about this 'other aspect' of having a service dog. I fantasize about a day when people think nothing of a service dog and go about their own business.

It really isn't the individual questions or actions of well meaning people that cause additional stress and hardship, but rather the cumulative effect many - whether we are just trying to grocery shop or enjoy vacation.

Cruising with a Service Dog

2009-09-01T07:11:00.001-07:00

This Alaska cruise is Bailey’s second cruise as my service dog. By far, the number one question other passengers ask is "where does she go to the bathroom?"

No, we don't make Bailey wait until the next port. The cruise line sets up a 4x4 relief box, filled with wood shavings, usually in an area only accessible by crew members.

The second most frequent comment, "boy I wish I could take my pet on the cruise!'
Trust me you don't. First, if you need a service dog, that means you are disabled - even if your disabilities are not visually apparent (think about disabled parking - not everyone that needs it is in a wheelchair). It is much nicer to take a cruise/live as an independent, able bodied person.

In order to bring a service dog onboard, there is a ton of paperwork to complete for the cruise line. This includes very personal medical information, the dogs training documentation, copies of registrations, license/certifications and the dog’s international health certificate.

In addition, you must pack everything the dog will need including enough food and water for the entire cruise.
I wrote about Bailey as my service dog and common questions about her for http://www.anewscafe.com/ about a year ago. You can read the full story HERE.

Fun Website

2009-08-26T05:37:00.001-07:00

My picks for fun and interesting web sites:

Are you an intern, reporter or editor? Test you knowledge of current events here:
http://www.newseum.org/newsmania/

It is just not right

2009-08-25T17:49:00.002-07:00

There is something very wrong with Bruce Springsteen turning 60 and being on the cover of AARP magazine!

Different kind of Ceremony

2009-08-24T06:00:00.001-07:00

Right now, Jim, Jeff and I driving on I-5 on the way to San Jose to Laura’s Convocation – have I mentioned how much I love my little netbook with seven hors of battery time.

This has been a wonderful summer of milestones for our family.
Jeff graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering but he chose not to “walk” (participate in graduation ceremonies). We respected his decision, but I have to admit for parents it is wonderful to witness the transition into the next phase of their lives.

There is a different language with Laura’s graduation. We were provided an envelope with a memo re: “Convocation” Tickets to San Jose State University Health and Science Department: presents Master in Public Health Class of 2009. The class will be sequestered from family at first, then right before they ‘walk’ the parents join the graduands to walk them across the stage while they are conferred their degree and ”hooded.”

Did I say how proud I am of both of them? Gosh, I think we will take them on an Alaska cruise in a week to celebrate.

Picking myself back up - again

2009-08-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

It shocks me when words or actions hurt so much I get knock on my butt. Years of working on trying to recoup my (pre-stroke)cognitive skills seemed to have been washed away - in one week. I just get so tired of having to fight everyday.

A couple of days of rest and I am ready to continue the daily battle. I refuse to give others the power to define who I am or my self worth. Time to dust myself off and start climbing back up.

Saddness

2009-08-13T18:13:00.002-07:00

Wipedia defines saddness as:

Sadness is an emotion characterized by feelings of disadvantage, loss, and helplessness. When sad, people often become quiet, less energetic, and withdrawn.

Sad is the opposite of happy. its similar to the emotions of sorrow,grief,misery,and melancholy. The philosopher Baruch Spinoza defined sadness as the transfer of a person from a large perfection to a smaller one.

I keep getting smaller.

Juliia and Juie

2009-08-09T10:00:00.003-07:00

It has been a long time since we have seen a movie we both enjoyed as much as Julia and Julie.

Meryl Streep is so incredible - she brought Ms. Child to life. We laughed out loud many times. It was the first time in decades where I have been in a movie theater when the audience actually applauded at the end.

Two days later, we are still talking about lines in the movie.

Post CVA brain hiccups

2009-08-07T10:24:00.002-07:00

Fear of the unknown is not the same as an unknown fear. One can rationalize the former. The later just makes you feel vulnerable.

It's not just your family...

2009-08-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

Many families seemed to have taken advantage of those shopping mall photo store coupons - ah, I mean opportunities. Some families did the annual Christmas card portraits.

If they seemed awkward to you, you're not alone. Now you can share in other families' discomfort by logging onto another selection of PCMag.com 100 best websites for 2009.

Yes, Awkward family Photos makes you happy your mom did not have more imagination.

I'm so sorry - Not!

2009-08-05T00:53:00.002-07:00

Why do people have such a hard time apologizing? Apparently, saying "I'm sorry" is difficult for so many that PCMAG.com felt compelled to name Apology Center as one of its top 100 websites of 2009.

On this site you can confess your wrongdoing. While the person that deserves the apology is unaware, the poster will get anonymous votes tallied to determine if they are forgiven or not.

Some of the confessions are funny, some sad. At least PCMAG put it in the “FUN” category so as not to be taken too seriously.

Weird things on eBay

2009-08-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

Blame it on insomnia and boredom but I fell in love with this vintage Bingo Blower on eBay. I know, it doesn't make any sense, but I guess love is like that.

Many, years ago (1983?) I started a weekly fundraising bingo for Helpline. The profits from those weekly games probably saved the 24 hour crisis line as our total budget was very small and a portion was being eliminated.

It was a small group of regulars that met upstairs at the old Saloon Club on south highway 273. This was before many non-profits had bingo and way before the big jackpots at Win River made our $10.00 and $25.00 payouts seem minuscule. I am not sure when they stopped the Helpline Bingo (maybe someone can tell me). I left Helpline to return to college for my master's degree.

I am trying to start a bingo in our clubhouse for the residents of our retirement community. That was my justification for bidding and winning the vintage bingo blower. It works, the board is just fine (after I cleaned it up). The motor is a 'little' noisy, but Jeff is going to come down and take a look at it and replace the cord. Jim sanded the rust off the cage and I spray painted it. With a package of shinny new bingo balls, I am ready to play!

Repeat after me

2009-08-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have to keep repeating: "It takes a variety of people to challenge us, encourage us, promote us, and most of all, help us achieve a broader dimenson." __lenn Van Ekeren

How to use chopsticks

2009-07-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

The Internet is an incredible educational tool. You can learn anything from how to repair/build engines - as our son learned in high school - to something as simple as how to use chopsticks.

Insomnia: one advantage

2009-07-29T04:09:00.000-07:00

The advantage of insomnia is the ability to visit these two Internet sites - right after midnight. You never know what will be the bargain of the day and the free items go fast. Check out WOOT and 1saleaday.com

For the gadget lover, today's free offering at www.1saleaday.com is an adapter that fits on the faucet and lights up the water red or blue (hot or cold). Hey, the price was right...

A real gardener would know the difference!

2009-07-27T03:19:00.002-07:00

Did you know there is a difference between bags of compost and bags of soil? It took two experiences for me to learn this. Obviously, I know nothing of gardening and am a slow learner.

The first hint came in Las Vegas. We were staying at a condo for a week and my dog, Bailey, was with us. Since it was 116 degrees outside with mostly pavement and cement, I thought it would be a good idea to fix a relief box for her in the shade of the patio so she wouldn't burn her paws. We went to Home Depot, purchased a bag of compost (it was less expensive than soil). The clerk even gave us a top to a refrigerator box. We turned the cardboard lid upside down and poured in a layer of compost. Perfect - or so I thought.

Bailey used the box exactly once and refused to use it again. The next morning, we opened the slider to a patio swarming with hundreds of gnats. At first we were not sure where they were coming from -were they trying to get water or stay in the shade? A couple of days later there was no question they were coming from the bag of compost and the relief box. We found the nearest dumpster and threw it all away.

Fast forward 6 weeks. I decide to try again to grow tomatoes in a container. I dumped the dead plant, washed and bleached the container, bought a bag of compost (I did mention it was cheaper than soil) refilled the container and potted the new tomato plant in the compost.

My houseplants have been in the same pots forever, so I thought it would be a good idea to add some soil to the pots and replant a couple. I felt smug as I used the leftover compost for the houseplants -I hate to waste anything.

The next day, we notice a few gnats in the house. Did we leave a door or window ajar? Are they so small they are getting through the screen? A mystery. More and more gnats appeared in the house. I tried desperately to kill them and find the source.

A few days pass and it's time to water the houseplants. EUREKA, I found it, they're coming from the plants. Only then did I remember the patio scene in Las Vegas.

At least I know the source and can be more effective in eliminating them. I feel so sheepish, next time,I will spend the couple extra dollars for potting SOIL.

Oh how I wish it was a Vespa scooter

2009-07-23T14:12:00.001-07:00

Like other people who have been caretakers all their life, it is very hard for me to accept help.

It used to be so frustrating as a medical social worker to see patients struggle, risk falls or limit their activities because they would not use a handrail, cane, walker, or wheelchair.

I understand now the huge psychological impact of having physical limitations. It is devastating. Then to add insult to injury, an assistive device identifies you as different to the whole world. I am 55 years old. I don't want to have to use a cane, walker, wheelchair or scooter. I don't want to be considered old, I want my body and mind to function like everyone else.

For Jim, who sees everyday how painful it is for me to walk, it is difficult to understand my reluctance to use a mobility scooter. Heck, I am already publicly identified as "handicap" as I have my service dog, Bailey, and a permanent handicap parking placard. So what is the big deal to add a scooter?

We rented a scooter for a week in Las Vegas. It came apart and fit in the trunk of the car. Jim and Jeff had it apart and in the trunk before I could get my seat belt fastened. It was amazing the difference in my quality of life. Not only could I go to see Jeff in the World Series of Poker, we could go through a casino to a restaurant located in the back, we went to museums and stores all in the same day! Usually, if I walk for more than 100 yards, that's all I could do for the entire day - due to lack of stamina and pain. It was eye opener to me to realize how restricted my world had become. It had continued to close in bit by bit without me realizing how much I have been missing.

This week, my scooter came. We took it to the Crocker Museum in Sacramento - a place we have wanted to visit since moving to Elk Grove a year ago. It was wonderful being able to stop in front a painting, read about it and take as much time as I wanted enjoying it.

Why did I wait so long? I don't know, I am excited about the new possibilities; but it still makes me cry to think that is where I am today.

I'd rather be up all night

2009-07-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

There are some things worse than the staying up all night.
One of them is waking up in the morning after taking a "PM" tablet and feeling like I have a hangover. I would rather stay up all night, at least I could be productive.

River Cats

2009-07-18T08:00:00.004-07:00

I went to my first River Cats baseball game this last week. I loved the stadium by the River. It happened to be the hottest day of the year. When the Delta breeze came up, there was a audible sigh that roll through like the raised-hand stadium "wave."

If I had the opportunity to make a suggestion to the River Cat organization, I would suggest they do not need to fill every second with noise. Do they think that makes the game more exciting? It did seem to make people restless, maybe they sell more food and beer that way.

As a stroke survivor, I am very sensitive to stimulus. It was unbelievable how much stimuli can be thrown at you during a baseball game. By he 7th inning stretch, I was feeling anxious and had a headache. There was music blaring constantly, a bazillion vendors walking up and down the stairs - yelling out whatever it was they were selling. Beer sold beer for $2.00; water was $4.00 -guess which sold more. Lots of beer equals lots of bathroom breaks. Even Jim commented on the constant parade of people up and down the stairs - often the same folks over and over.

If the player stepped out of the batter's box, they had to blast music, if there was a foul ball - sound effects. Changing a pitcher , end of inning, or calling a time out resulted in local radio stations taking the field for gags.

"Kid, would you like a free hot dog or $50.00 to hit your dad in the face with a pie?" The boy smeared pie all over his dad's face for the $50.00, visible to all on big screen - ah yes, America, baseball and apple pie.

Pissing on Fences

2009-07-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

This quote of Will Rogers was sent to me by a friend:
"There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves."

It made me think of "wet paint" signs and servers telling customers their plate is hot only to have 9 out of 10 touch it to verify the temperature. Laura just reminds mom by saying psst, ow, psst ow, as in touching a hot stove over and over.

I wish I could always learn by observing and reading -but I fear there is a lot of electric fence staring at me for this battle.

Hoover Dam - 30+ years ago and now

2009-07-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

I was NOT looking forward to going to Hoover Dam. I had been there many years ago. I figured since it was completed in 1936, not much had changed. Once again I was wrong. I am not going to cover the facts of the dam - there is plenty of information online. This blog is rather my reflections on a visit to the same place only 30+ years apart.

We had just graduated college and were starting our cross country "hippie" trip. It seemed like we had been in the isolated desert for hours before our first glimpse of the dam and the two towers that seemed to rise from the waters. We stopped to take the free dam tour. I remember it being very informal with only one other tourist and the guide.

Fast forward to July 2009. The line of cars was stop and go for miles before seeing the dam. Looking out the window, we could see major highway construction on a straight, wide new interstate that ran parallel to the curvy road we were traveling.

Suddenly, I think, are we lost? What the heck is that? It looks like the St. Louis Arch in the middle of nowhere.

OMG, it is the bridge for the new highway to bypass the dam. We are looking at it from high up the canyon wall and it still towers above the mountain side. That will be a tourist attraction in itself!

I point out to Jim and Jeff an engineer must have made made a mistake, the two halves do not meet in the middle. Of course, that gets them started on the torque, size of wires, wind velocity, etc. -yawn.

No longer can cars stop on the dam so people can look over. Security was tight with cars being stopped, some even searched, before being allowed to drive over the dam. But before we even get to the dam, there is a HUGE parking structure.

At the entrance was a large bronze statue of a dam worker scaling the rock. We park, take the elevator down to the smooth, flat, rock pathways that lead to the "new" Visitor Center.

There, signs say you can only take what will fit in a marked area (about 14"x14"). We enter the building and are greeted by security lines much like the airports. We have to empty pockets, put all belongings on the conveyor belt and pass through the metal detectors.
It was 116 degrees and I brought a tote bag with bottled water and my medications. Jim was carrying it for me and they told him he would have to put it back in the car. (Just my guess, but he might have been able to take it through had he not had the small pocket knife on him).

I do have to praise the security officer's knowledge of service dog laws. He asked the appropriate questions and followed correct procedures. A first!

Now we are waiting in the 'box office' lines. Tickets to tour the Dam are $30! I look at the families and feel bad that it cost so much to see a public works project. We get our tickets and move on to the Disneyland-type lines.

Taking the cue from amusement parks, they try to have interesting things to view while we snake through the rope barriers. The walls display movie posters, looking more like the local Cinemark than a visitor center. I suggest to Jim that the movies must have scenes of Hoover Dam in them and he confirms it while reading a brochure.

Yes, we are almost there, oh no, the line is divided right in front of us and we have to wait another 10 minutes for the next elevator.

Finally our elevator arrives and we cram at least 25 people into it. It is hot, people are grumpy and stinky (including me) and I am wishing for the tour of 30 years ago.

Once down to the turbine room, it looks the same; in fact, we are told they are the original turbines from 1935. The Dam is the same, only the surroundings have changed. Jeff points out it would have been more efficient if the inlet pipes had been straight instead of angled - the guys start in again on doing calculations.

We finally complete the tour (and the calculations) and are headed back to the parking lot. Most people pass a bronze plaque embedded in a rock wall. I stop to read the memorial marker for a dog that was a mascot for the dam workers. He was hit by a truck and was entombed there that same day. I found it touching that workers marked his passing and with all the new buildings it has remained his respected resting place.

I don't ever want to go back to Hoover Dam. I am sure given time, there will be a roller coaster and bungee jumping available - for the price of additional 'E' tickets. (sheesh, ask someone over fifty what an E ticket is).

Shelby - the car and the man behind it

2009-07-06T09:25:00.004-07:00

Las Vegas is the home of Shelby Automobiles and Museum. Jeff and I love fast cars and the Shelby certainly qualifies as fast. Appropriately, the museum is located near the Las Vegas speedway.

It felt like walking through a dealership showroom except it held Shelbys from 1966 to present production models. From the Cobra CSx2000 to the Terlingua, and GTE00KR, the dozens of cars (and 1 Shelby truck) they were all in mint condition. We were told the exhibits change frequently.

Behind the walls of the museum is the production facility. Both the museum and production facility tour are free. We made it in time for the 10:30am tour; as did about 35 others. One man had brought his Shelby from Arkansas to have additional modifications made.

Don't expect a large production plant. The Shelby is produced by about 8 people and they roll out 2 cars per week. There have been exceptions, such as when Ford partnered with Hertz for a special 'Rent a Shelby' program. Ford then sent Shelby 4,500 Mustangs to be modified.

Of course the cars were beautiful, but I was more moved by the stories of the man that started it all, Carroll Shelby.

Mr. Shelby is now 86 years old and goes to work every day at his foundation in Gardena. Shelby cars branded with the number 85 are tribute to Mr. Shelby's 85th birthday. Carroll Shelby has had two heart transplants and a liver transplant. He is the oldest surviving heart transplant recipient and had his second heart for 15 years now.

While waiting for his first heart transplant in the hospital, Mr. Shelby saw several children die before finding a organ match. Heartbroken, he felt he needed to help in some way and the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation was born to help seriously ill children. Just recently, the Foundation changed it's name to the The Carroll Shelby Foundation in order to broaden service to include young adults. Both the museum gift store and the store at the foundation contribute to the fundraising efforts.

One of the most successful fundraisers of the Foundation is the Carroll Shelby Signature program. It helped the foundation raise over $450,000 last year. For a donation, Carroll Shelby will autograph anything from pictures to car parts. One of the most coveted is to have a Shelby dashboard autographed by Carroll Shelby. All items are sent to the Foundation - including many car parts. They are autographed and shipped back to the donor.

On a side note, when we walked into the production facility, the walls looked like they had colorful wallpaper. It was actually thousands of signatures in different colored permanent markers. At the end of the tour, the guide told us that people want Carroll Shelby's autograph all the time, but that Mr. Shelby would like to have ours. He asked everyone to take a different colored pen and sign the walls. (pictures were not allowed to be taken inside the production facility -except for the walls).

Carroll Shelby is a fascinating man, not only for his contribution to the automotive and racing industry, but for his social contributions.

As we were leaving the production facility, I saw this bench outside. It made me smile.

Things I did not know about Las Vegas - Part 1

2009-07-03T21:30:00.002-07:00

Las Vegas is the home of Atomic testing museum - right next to the Desert Research Institute. For the cost of admission, $12.00, we had several hours of blissful air conditioned comfort and access to a surprising number of exhibits. The Nevada Proving grounds was established in 1951 for the testing of atomic “devices” - its name later changed to Nevada Testing Grounds.

In early atomic bomb testing, pilots flew through the radioactive mushroom clouds. Jeff said he wondered about the volunteers for those missions - it was probably whoever didn’t take two steps backwards.

One mistake was testing in clay soil. It resulted in plumes of radioactive dust sent 10,000 feet into the sky. They had to evacuate whole towns. Another time, they advised the 4,500 residents of St. George, Utah to stay inside when winds unexpectedly changed directions.

In the early days, the tourist industry was very concerned about testing so close to Las Vegas. The fear was it would keep gamblers away from the area. In fact, testing gave the industry a boost, when thousands of people came out to watch the atomic explosions. People booked rooms in upper floors of the casinos so they could watch the mushroom clouds from their windows.

Jim and Jeff were interested in reading about the engineering and the technical stuff - I preferred the interactive displays.

In one such exhibit cameras, used to record explosions, had extremely high shutter speeds. This was demonstrated by using a drop of milk to form mushroom patterns and ripple effects that could be isolated in each frame shot.

There was an interactive display where I passed a Geiger Counter over a number of items. It was surprising how much radiation was given off by a wind up clock with green luminous numbers. However, the largest radioactive numbers were registered when I passed the Geiger Counter over a red Fiesta ware plate. I learned that red color was made by adding uranium oxide to the glaze. During WWII, Fiesta red was discontinued when the US government confiscated the company’s stocks of uranium.

A display of a sparse family bomb shelter represented many such shelters installed in backyards during the 1950’s. The supplies that people were urged to stock were not that much different from emergency supplies everyone should have in case of a disaster - sealed water, medications, blankets, and food.
Some of the items in the display I would not have thought of – stacks of comic books, 45-semi automatic weapon, and a red round tin of “Commie mints.”

Upon leaving, there was the requisite donation box. We noticed a large number of currency from foreign countries. Jim dropped in 25,000 Vietnamese Dong (worth a little over a dollar) he had left from his bicycling trip in Vietnam.

Ah, the things I learn when traveling with my two analytical guys.

He's in the Money

2009-07-01T08:27:00.001-07:00

Jeff got knocked out of the World Series of Poker - event 54 on Tuesday afternoon.

There were 2,818 entries in the Texas hold 'em tournament and Jeff made it up to 282 place - which was in the money. What a great experience it was for him. I am so thankful he let Jim and I tag along for the ride.

It was heartwarming to read messages of encouragement from family, friends and even strangers. Doni and Kelly were so sweet to mention the tournament ion Anewscafe.com and Facebook. As his family, of course we were excited and proud - but it was surprising how much interest and support came from the community.

Jeff does have the option of entering the WSOP Main Event, starting July 3rd. That is the tournament televised by ESPN.
Jeff won the $10,000 entry fee in a online tournament (plus they gave him $2,000 for travel expenses). The question asked most often was, "is Jeff going to 'go for it' and enter the Main Event or will pocket the money?"

Jeff decided to keep the money. Combined with his winnings from event 54, , he won just under $15,000. For a recent college graduate without a job - especially in this economy - it seems like a responsible decision.

I will always treasure him sharing this experience with us. I love seeing him excited and hearing him discuss analytically the various plays and probabilities with his dad.

No longer being tied to the Rio poker pavilion in Las Vegas, we are now going to play tourist. We enjoyed dinner, a show and the observation deck of the Stratosphere Tuesday night. We will take in another show Wednesday and travel to Hoover Dam for a tour.

I am looking forward to Jeff and Jim discussing how many gallons of water are released from the Dam and how much concrete it took to build. I have no doubt that at some point paper and pencils will materialize to figure out various formulas to find the answer to obscure questions.
Just like they used to do at the dinner table.

Here we go again!

2009-06-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, here we go again, day two of World Series of Poker.
They just started about 25 minutes ago. Jeff is short stack at the table #170. He is having a great time and it is so much fun to share this experience.
Jeff said he will have to go 'all in' and win twice in the next two hours to stay in the tournament.
So now mom's emotional roller coaster is slowly chugging up the track...

Completed day 1 of WSOP- Event 54

2009-06-30T04:30:00.002-07:00

Jeff began playing in the World Series of Poker final $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'em event 54 about noon. We anxiously awaited every two hour break when we would get a status update via cell phone.

Yesterday, I said the event started with 2,700 players. That was wrong, the official count was 2,818 players. The first-place prize money is nearly $675,000.

By the early morning of day two, only 384 players remained - Jeff is one of them. Those players return to the Rio Hotel at 2:00 PM for another 12 hours of Texas Hold 'em. The current leader has 159,800 chips.

It should be another exciting day in Las Vegas.

Report #2 from World Series of Poker

2009-06-29T16:00:00.001-07:00

Jeff was entered in the tournament that began at noon on Monday. The crowds were enormous and it was hard to walk to the room where his event was being held. I found out that in his tournament alone there were 2,700 players. There were other tournaments going on throughout the Pavilion. It appeared they all started at noon as there seem to be a frenzy of activity with mostly men rushing to get to their designated rooms.

We followed the long hallway to Event 54 (felt like we were being sent to area 51). In answer to my question "what does one wear to a poker tournament?" the answer is -anything they want. There were shots, t-shirts and flip flops. There were suits and ties and even a couple vintage zoot suits complete with hats. By far the most common was shorts and t-shirts - with lots of baseball caps and sunglasses. It looked like a bunch of aliens buzzing around a space craft with flashing lights.

Mid-day report from Jeff (at a break) is that he is sitting at Phil Hellmuth's table. Yes, that is the very poker pro he knocked out in the other tournament to win a seat at the WSOP. Jeff is amused by that turn of events. Two hours into the game, there have been four players already knocked out. Jeff sounded happy when he called us during this first break.

Report #1 from Las Vegas

2009-06-29T08:27:00.001-07:00

World Series of Poker here we come! We left Northern CA for Las vegas around 8:00am. We drove down I-5, cutting over to 58 at Bakersfield. I was really dreading the drive, I have about a four hour limit for riding in the car comfortably. Surprisingly, it wasn't too bad - until that last hour.

Doni recommended a audio book, 'Middlesex,' which is an epic on 12 CDs. That certainly helped pass the time as we drove by sage brush, mile after mile. Have I mentioned how much I hate the dessert?

Arriving in Las Vegas round 4;30, we went straight to the Rio Casino so Jeff could register for the World Series of Poker (WSOP). The hotel had a covered red carpet with cool misters leading from the parking area to the entrance to (WSOP). With the tempature 109, the misters were much appreciated.

We dropped Jeff off so he could get in before 5:00pm to register. As it turned out, there was no hurry as the registration area was opened 24 hours a day. I sat with Bailey, my service dog, out in the hallway waiting for Jeff to complete his business. Bailey is always a conversation starter and I met a woman who owns a "poker business" in Florida. She runs poker tournaments and takes the top seven winners to the (WSOP every year. She told me she lives in Las Vegas for the two months of the tournament each year. She gave me two pieces of advice:

1. Nothing in Las Vegas closes as 5:00pm, and

2. Check out Bluff magazine for coverage of the events. ESPN will televise the main event and selected tournaments.

We left the very crowded, circus like atmosphere of the poker pavilion to go check into the 2 bedroom timeshare condo we rented. For the next week we have our 'home base' with a kitchen, living room, dinning room, laundry, and three flat screen TVS. Ya gotta love those Internet deals where you can rent a condo for less than a hotel room.

Jeff is entered into 'event 54' which starts tomorrow (Monday) at noon. Turns out it was a good thing he did register early as the event later closed out.

How Jeff won a seat in The World Series of Poker

2009-06-27T10:31:00.007-07:00

We leave tomorrow for Las Vegas to watch son, Jeff, play in the World Series of Poker(WSOP). I need to pack today (what does one wear to the WSOP?)

We have been asked many times how he got in the event; the answer is I still have no idea -even after he summarized it for me. Here is my short verson - of what I understand. For die hard poker players, Jeff's summary is below mine (warning: non poker players eyes may glaze over).

My version: Jeff entered an online poker tournament. If a player was able to knock the pro player out of the game (in this case Phil Hellmuth)then they advanced into another tournament. Jeff beat Phil's pair with a full house.
In the next tournament, he had a chance - along with 1,000 other players - to win one of 50 seats in WSOP. He won the entry fee of $10,000 - plus they gave him $2,000 for travel expenses.

Of course I asked if he can just take the money. At first he thought the answer was no, it had to be used as his buy-in only. But then he learned that he could in fact just pocket it.

Wow, what a dilemma. Pocket the money or go for every poker player's dream and possibly hundreds of thousands or even millions more (last year's winner took home 9 MILLION dollars, the record over 16 million).

We get to go along with him for the ride! I was so happy when he said he wanted us to go. He even said, "that it would be fun."

Here is where I keep my (mom) mouth shut. On one hand, I want my recent college graduate son, to take the money, move out of his studio garage apartment and leave behind the student housing and lifestyle. On the other hand, he has no dependents, or commitments, preventing him from entering the main event and I think - go for it!

I am glad it is his decision and not mine.

So, what did he decide? Well, Jeff is like his father in analytical thinking. Here, in his words, is how he decided:

I could just play a $1500 event and get 80% of the once-in-a-lifetime WSOP experience at 15% of the cost. If I busted out early in one, I might even be able to squeeze into another for a better shot at getting a return. And should I be fortunate enough to go deep, I could then feel a little more comfortable buying into the main event.

But I mustn't forget one of Ben Franklin's certainties... If I took the money and ran -- that $12K would only be worth 8K after the IRS and FTB get their rake. Still better than $2000 (if I failed to cash), but Uncles Sam and Schwarzenegger are basically giving me a $4000 incentive to play in the main event -- (and how I love overlays). So I'm not quite sure what I'll do -- still weighing options and getting opinions. But it's been quite a nice run so far.

So, at this point he is entering event 54 and playing on Monday June 30 at the Rio hotel. We don't know which events, if any, will be televised on ESPN except the main event which starts July 3rd.

Click here for the tournament schedule.

==========

Now for all those poker players that wanted to know all the details, here is Jeff's summary he wrote the day after his win.

A lot of people are asking for the full story, so here it goes (and I
apologize in advance if my analytical nature gets too boring). A few months
ago the site (Absolute Poker) sent me one of their emails with all their
upcoming promotions. One of them was a "VIP 45 seat" tournament with Phil
Helmuth and a $4000 prizepool. The kicker was if you knock Phil Helmuth
out, you were awarded a seat into a $530 WSOP satellite where they were
guaranteeing 50 seats. The buy-in for this 45-man was 10,000 AbsolutePoints
(very similar to Pokerstars FPPs & Full Tilt points). Like FPPs, Absolute
Points can be redeemed in 3 ways -- in cash bonuses, by purchasing
merchandise in the store, or by entering tournaments. If you exchange your
points for cash, those 10,000 points are worth ~$70. Items in the AP store
can vary, but generally that 10,000 points would buy something you could
get online elsewhere for $30-$40. Tournaments, on the other hand, generally
offer the largest face value. With a $4000 prizepool split between 45
players, those 10,000 points are worth $89. If you include the $530 bounty
in the prizepool, then those 10,000 points are worth just over $100.

That makes the tournament seem pretty appealing. But it has some downsides
-- the first being the obvious that if you don't cash, you don't get
anything (and I think only the top 5 paid). The second is that tournaments
require a decent time commitment -- and this one would probably take over 3
hours if you made the final table (so if you could be doing something more
profitable during that time your hourly would go down). And the third (and
probably largest downside) was that this particular tournament was for the
top 2 tiers of their VIP system. On AP this means any eligible player rakes
at least $1000/month so even though many of these players typically play
cash games, you're not very likely to come across any complete donkeys in
this field. Normally I'd probably just redeem the points for cash and keep
playing my normal game (6-man 1 table sit-n-goes), but the chance to play
Phil Helmuth and the additional overlay his bounty presented persuaded me
to register.

When the tournament started, I was not at Phil's table so I fired up some
sngs on the side and kept an eye on his table hoping he'd still have chips
when the tables combined. After 30 minutes, the first 9 players busted and
I was fortunate enough to move to Phil's table. I let my running sngs
finish (they typically take ~20 minutes) so I could better follow the
action. Phil was down to 800 chips from the 1500 starting stack, and had
been getting bullied by a couple of the more competent players. Still, most
people seemed to be avoiding him which I found odd given his bounty. My
plan was to see any cheap flop whenever he was in the hand, and hope to
make a monster and take his stack (and the bounty). Now Phil Helmuth is
without question the best live no-limit hold'em tournament player today
(and he'll often mention his record-breaking 11 bracelets as proof). But
the style he has developed to win in fishy live tournaments relies a lot on
trapping & on making great physical reads/laydowns. Online (and against
competent opponents) this style is terrible as people will mercilessly
exploit his predictability. Anyway, after about 15 minutes he'd played 3
hands and I'd stolen 2 pots from him with another player taking the 3rd. I
should note that I was pretty fortunate to have position on him so when
he'd miss a flop and check, I'd bet and take it down.

Anyway, the hand where I busted Phil went as follows: Blinds were 30/60 and
he had about 600. I had around 2000. He limped under the gun and I put him
on AJ+ 66+ and maybe KQ. He hadn't been raising preflop at all so I
couldn't eliminate JJ+ from his range. It folded around to me and I limped
along with the powerhouse 53 offsuit. The flop came 439 rainbow. The big
blind checked, Phil checked, and I bet the minimum (as I had the last 2
pots I took down). The big blind folded and Phil called. Now unless he held
99, that flop completely missed Phil (indicating that he probably had a
pocket pair or possibly was going to try and take a stand, picking off a
bluff with Ace-high). I was prepared to check (or fold) the turn until it
came 5. He checked again, and I bet 60. Normally this would be a terrible
bet size (and it may still be less than ideal long-term), but at the time I
was thinking of the following:

a) He only had 600 chips at the start of the hand and I wanted to make as
easy as possible for him to commit more (and I know that he loves pot-odds)
b) He had never seen me play a turn and wouldn't know that this bet was
unusually small for me
c) I wanted to give him the opportunity to bluff -- with 480 chips left in
his stack and a pot of 330, he had the illusion of having fold equity if he
shoved.*
d) I was hoping to allow the strongest part of his range the chance to
check-raise **
e) I was hoping to setup a bluff-catch against the weaker part of his
range... My flop and turn bets are weak -- if I shove the river Phil might
call with a weak holding thinking I am a donkey and have absolutely nothing
***

In hindsight:
c)* he'd probably only shove KQ here -- any other holding he might
reasonably have would still have some showdown value and he'd just call
d)** This isn't likely since Phil is the consummate trapper and would
rather his opponents do all the betting (if he's going to check-raise, it
would probably be on the river)
e)*** Bluff-catching hands (basically ace-high and 66-88) are going to be a
smaller part of his range (which would be weighted towards premium pocket
pairs since I'd expect him to fold most of the time on the missed flop)

Anyway he just called. The river came another 3 (filling me up) and he
checked. The pot was now 390 and he had 420 left. I'm confident that he has
a pocket pair, but there is also a chance he has something like AJ+ and is
hoping to get to a cheap showdown against someone who's been bullying him
(me). So I shoved. If he has a pocket pair he'll call and the only possible
hand he could hold that I lose to is 99. If he has Ace-high, he might fold
(where he might have called a smaller bet). But he's already invested a lot
of his stack into this pot, and my min bet, min bet, shove is precisely the
kind of play a fish would make in a live tournament with a bluff. And the
board is 43953 -- its very likely to have missed me as well (even though I
happened to make a full house). In his mind, I might have gotten lucky with
76 or A2s, but I'm far more likely to have something like JT since I
wouldn't shove 98 or J9 here (I'd only be called by a hand that beats me
when I have good showdown value).

He called and mucked and I won entry into the 50-seat WSOP satellite. I was
waiting (and secretly hoping) for the famous Phil Helmuth chat tirade, but
he just said "nh gg" (nice hand, good game). I pulled up the hand history
and he had AT offsuit (ace-high) -- a little surprising since ATo is a
loser for most people under-the-gun. Sure Phil is a great player who might
be able to play AT profitably against fish -- but to limp ATo utg with a
bounty on your head (not to mention with only 10 big blinds) is just lol
bad. Then again, this tournament meant nothing to him -- it would be like
me playing $0.01/$0.02 poker. I ended up busting in 12th out of the money
in this tournament, but I didn't care -- I had knocked out Phil Helmuth.

That was about 2 months ago, and I watched in disappointment as the entry
list grew from 50 to 500 to 1000. When it reached 1000, I had a 1/20 shot
of winning a seat and I figured I'd rather just take the $530 and see it as
a 10 buy-in upswing in my normal $50 sng game. Thankfully AP made this
event a "must play" and wouldn't let me unregister, so I played. It started
at 2pm yesterday and the first hour was like most donkaments -- people
going a little crazy and busting out left/right. I played fairly tight and
after an hour had 3500 chips (starting stack was 2500). 500 people were
left so the average stack was 5000, but the distribution was off with a few
people having 15,000-20,000 and most players having 2000-4000. I remember
thinking "Okay, we're halfway there" but the bust-outs slowed to a crawl. 2
hours later we were down to 200 players and I was still below average with
7000 chips (average was ~12,500). I hadn't had any all-in confrontations --
I'd just been slowly chipping up small pots and hoping for others to get
out of line. Another 2 hours later, and there were 100 left. I had still
been slowly chipping up but had also doubled up when I went allin with AQ
against KQ on a Qxx flop. I remember thinking "ok, I'm in the top 50, I can
ease up a bit." An hour later there were 75 left and I was still around
50th in chips and feeling pretty good -- staying out of confrontations and
stealing the blinds about once an orbit to maintain my stack.

At that point, I began to stall. Now I know stalling is frowned upon
(especially live) but it is a powerful strategy in a satellite. Where a
table that isn't stalling might play 1 hand every 90 seconds, I could add
30 seconds to the length of every hand played at my table by running out my
timebank. This means I pay antes and blinds less often which helps conserve
my stack. It also makes the game frustratingly slow for the action-junkies
-- and they tend to start getting bored and making mistakes. Unfortunately,
there was at least one other person like me at every other table -- so the
net result was all the tables played about the same number of hands/hour --
just that the game really dragged. The other downside is that I'm telling
my table how aware of my position in the standings I am -- and my blinds
become open-season (you might expect a "walk" -- where its folded to you in
the big blind -- once every 10 orbits normally, but you'll never get a walk
if you're stalling). The flipside is that when I do raise -- people will
give me much more credit since they know I don't want to commit any chips
without a good hand.

But an hour goes by and we still have 65 left (I'm now in 55th and not
feeling quite so confident). The biggest stack at each table is basically
stealing every hand and now everyone else at the table is stalling as well.
I had just under 10 big blinds -- which would still be somewhat comfortable
for me as a sng player, except the antes were big enough that I only had
enough chips to play for 3 more orbits. The big stack in the small blind
shoved on my big blind and I've got ATo. In a regular MTT this would be a
snap call, but I mulled it over -- I'ma 63% favorite against a random hand
(and this villain is really shoving any two cards -- in fact probably worse
than random since he'd likely raise small with a big hand) but that means
there is a 37% chance I get knocked out. What makes satellite bubbles so
interesting is that even though it isn't looking good for me, I could still
very well have more than 63% equity in this tournament (in which case
calling would be a mistake). In a regular MTT -- winning more chips is good
since it would move you up the payout scale -- but when all 50 spots pay
exactly the same -- it doesn't matter whether you have 150,000 or 500
chips. But since the guys who were 45-54th at the other tables were in much
better shape than I was, I made the call. I haven't run the math yet (it
gets pretty complicated with more than 1 table) -- but it is quite likely
that folding would be the best play (though I'm pretty sure its close).

Thankfully my AT holds up against his 32 (yes really). But even against the
worst-possible hand (heads up), I was still just a 66% favorite. So now I'm
25th in chips and basically celebrating -- its gotta be smooth sailing now,
right? Wrong. I still had only an "M" of 10 (the number of orbits I could
post blinds/antes before being allin). And an hour later, I find myself
52nd in chips with 55 left. I've played a number of satellites before, and
I've never seen a bubble last this long. There were basically 10 guys with
100,000+ stacks, 10 with 50-90,000, and then the bottom 35 with 15-30,000
-- all looking at each other and hoping someone else will go first. I now
have about 2 big blinds and zero fold equity so I'm hoping for a premium
hand or for other tables to buck the trend and knock 5 people out quickly.
Thankfully I pick up QQ and the big stack shoves from under the gun. I call
from middle position, and even though I'd normally get 2 overcallers from
people wanting to check-down and knock me out -- the big stack's shove
prevents them from over calling. My QQ holds up against his 97o (83%
favorite) and I move from 52nd in chips to 20th.

It takes another hour for 4 more people to bust so we're now at 51 players
left and 50 paid. I'm 35th with only 15,000 chips. Blinds are 6,000/12,000
with a 1200 ante so just about everyone is in bad shape and hoping for
someone to bust. Each hand there are one or two people allin but they keep
on doubling up. Finally on the one table no one was really watching
(everyone on it had 50,000+ chips) the big stack pushes allin and some
idiot calls with AA (even though AA is an 80% favorite to win the hand,
with over 50,000 chips that guy must have been well over 90% to just fold
into the money). The bigstack had JT suited and wound up with a flush --
much to the delight of the guy at my table with 498 chips (he had
previously pledged to treat us all to a Ceasar's buffet if he made it).

Mathematically, I ran above expectation in my allins (not having lost any
of them).
AQ vs KQ on Qxx flop: 87.3%
ATo vs 32o preflop: 66.3%
QQ vs 97o preflop: 83.0%
-------------------------------
Odds of winning all 3 allins: 48%

I was also pretty lucky to have not run into any coolers when stealing (AQ
vs AK / KK vs AA -- types of situations where that hand plays itself). But
I also think I played significantly above average overall -- just in terms
of picking good spots to steal/resteal and avoiding getting into big
confrontations when I didn't need to.

Anyway, so here comes the dilemma. The Rio does not allow US-friendly
online poker rooms to buy in directly to the WSOP. Instead, AP (and
apparently Stars/FTP as well) credits your account with $12K and hopes that
you register on your own. Now I would have been perfectly happy to play in
the main event from my ~$70 initial investment if I had no other choice,
but when offered the cash I don't know... MTTs (multi-table tournaments)
have high variance (as my math above sort of shows). In a normal (non
satellite) big-field MTT I might expect to cash 20% of the time -- most of
that being for the minimum. 3% of the time I might go deep, and less than
1% of the time I'd expect to reach the final table (where all the money
is). This would probably result in something like a 30% ROI. So while I'd
fully expect to be profitable long-term, the idea of putting up $10K for a
1/5 shot of getting a return isn't particularly appealing. Then again, it
comes with the whole once-in-a-lifetime WSOP experience (and what is the $
value of that?).

I could just play a $1500 event and get 80% of the once-in-a-lifetime WSOP
experience at 15% of the cost. If I busted out early in one, I might even
be able to squeeze into another for a better shot at getting a return. And
should I be fortunate enough to go deep, I could then feel a little more
comfortable buying into the main event.

But I mustn't forget one of Ben Franklin's certainties... If I took the
money and ran -- that $12K would only be worth 8K after the IRS and FTB get
their rake. Still better than $2000 (if I failed to cash), but Uncles Sam
and Schwarzenegger are basically giving me a $4000 incentive to play in the
main event -- (and how I love overlays). So I'm not quite sure what I'll do
-- still weighing options and getting opinions. But it's been quite a nice
run so far.

Trying to break diet soda habit

2009-06-26T10:48:00.003-07:00

I have been addicted to diet soda for years. I know it is not good for you. I have rationalized with the thought that there are no calories so it is better than regular soda. For the record, I hate milk and it has always been hard to drink enough water.

As I get older, it is time to stop fooling myself and quite drinking 1-3 cans of diet soda a day (okay, sometimes more). I will replace it with water.

This is day three and I have a splitting headache. I know it is caffeine withdrawal. I am going to push through, I just hope the headache is gone by the time we leave for Las Vegas on Sunday.

Blue Chip Stamps

2009-06-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Remember licking Blue Chip or S & W Green Stamps and putting them in books? We would pour over the merchandise catalog trying to find toys that cost no more than the number of completed books.

These stamps were found in my great aunt's home after she had died.

According to Wikipedia, "Blue Chip had 1970 sales of $126 million as about 60 billion of"stamps were licked by savers, pasted into books, and taken to Blue Chip redemption stores.Sales dropped to $19.4 million in 1980 and $1.5 million in 1990. In 2006, revenues came in at $25,920."

I wonder if other people remember the excitement of going to the redemption center to get their 'free' merchandise.

Jeff is going to play in the WORLD SERIES OF POKER!

2009-06-22T16:00:00.002-07:00

Our son, Jeff called his dad for father's day - just like thousands of other sons did yesterday. What was unexpected was Jeff telling us he won an entry into the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas on July 4th weekend. Huh???

I have worried so much about his poker playing in college. He plays online and also in card rooms and casinos. As a mom, there are just too many negative outcomes to that lifestyle. I worried he would drop out of college - he graduated with his BS in mechanical engineering a couple of weeks ago. I worried he would become addicted and use tuition, rent, food money. He didn't and even supported himself playing.

Now I am in an interesting place. I still worry, and don't think playing poker should be a career choice. Certainly the odds are stacked against players and they will all eventually lose.

On the other hand, I am so excited for him to get to that level. What an opportunity to play with the 'big boys" and have a once in a lifetime experience. He is young, single and only responsible for himself, why not go for it? There will never be a better time.

So, next week, we are going to go to Las Vegas (in the middle of summer!) to support our son. Happy Father's Day, Jim.

Save trees and sanity

2009-06-21T09:45:00.006-07:00

Credit card offers and catalogs fill the mailbox daily. We were successful in stopping the junk mail prior to our move. So I forgotten how much paper the mail carrier delivers.

Today, I took the time to register to remove our new adress from direct mail lists here.
It can be confusing as there are so many Internet sites that say they will stop the junk mail - most for a fee. You should never have to pay a fee for having your address removed from mailing lists.

I am glad it is done. While we won't see results overnight, gradually, we will see a decrease in mail. I know we have saved time, wasted landfill space and a couple for trees in the process!

Dirty Car Art

2009-06-18T12:24:00.003-07:00

My last blog was pictures of tractors made out of bales of hay. This morning I see Dirty Car Art on a web site.. Scott Wade's pictures are protected by copyright so I am unable to post them, but click here to go directly to his site. He describes how the art changes as the car is driven and more dust collects. It must be sad when it rains and washes away the beautiful images.

Slow down for scenery

2009-06-15T10:45:00.004-07:00

In this day of hectic schedules it is hard to enjoy the little things in life. One of the things I enjoy about being retired is our flexibility. We are able to slow down and even turn around if we see something interesting.

Such was the case on Saturday going to Dixon on I-80. There was a recently harvested field of hay with two tractors sitting at the end of the road. One green, the other red, I was trying to figure out what was weird about them. Then it dawned on me, they were made out of hay bales! I am yelling at Jim to look but at freeway speeds, we were past before he could see them.

I really wanted to get a closer look and Jim agreed to stop on the return trip home. However, there was more resistance to the idea later in the day. I had to point out the off-ramp, several times, while he drove past.

A mile down the freeway, I am telling Jim the next exit is coming up and yes, I do want to go back. Bless his heart, he finally got the message and took the off ramp - only to discover there was no frontage road. We had to get back ON the freeway and exit again to find the correct road. Then we see the tractors on the opposite side of the field. We needed to turn down a private road. Jim was not thrilled about going down this dirt road and initially passed it- but he gave in and turned around.

In my mind, we we had gone that far, we shouldn't stop there. Plus, I figured who ever put that much work into the unusual project would appreciate someone enjoying their work and taking these pictures to share.

For the love of running

2009-06-14T10:10:00.001-07:00

Lure Coursing is an opportunity for Whippets (and other sight hounds) to enjoy their natural instinct of chasing rabbits. In this case, the "rabbits" were white plastic bags tied to a remote controlled pulley system.

I finally got to see Lure Coursing yesterday, when Dennie brought her whippet, Zetta, down to Dixon. At a fenced school yard, a course of 900 yards was laid out where the hounds could run as fast (or slow) as they desired. They chased the white plastic bag on a zig zag course.

When the the bag stopped, they would touch it with their nose. Then the handler would put a lease back on and lead the smiling dog off the course.

Jm clocked the whippets at 45 MPH. I had trouble taking pictures of them as they were so fast by the time my camera clicked, I got a lot of pictures of just grass.

Little Zetta loves to run. Abby, my previous whippet, would do anything to have a safe place to run off leash. Bailey, on the other hand, doesn't care that much for running, she would rather just stay by me. So, we sat under a tree and watched the sight hounds enjoying the natural activity of chasing "pry."

Not sure if a web site is trustworthy?

2009-06-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Internet is my Television. I know people that have the TV on all day. I am just as much of a computer addict. My little Eee PC is on from morning to night. It even fits in my purse and goes with me.

Since I do a lot of on-line shopping and research, I use many new-to-me websites. It is often hard to tell if they are reliable or trustworthy.

When in doubt -I log out.

Enter WOT service. It stands for Web of Trust. It is a FREE service to download at http://www.mywot.com/. This service puts a green dot on websites you can trust and a red dot on those with poor reputations and yes, there is even the cautionary yellow dot.

I have used this service for the last 2 weeks and it is non-obtrusive and effective. For example, when I did a Google search of "Free ecards" the first one that came up in the sponsored links had a red dot next to it. I know not to even click on that site. If I get to a site by accident that is questionable, there is a warning that pops up. This happened when I entered www.wot. com INSTEAD of www.mywot.com. It was interesting to read why the poor feedback, (annoying pop ups, virus, privacy, etc.)

Sometimes good things really are free - like another tool to help us make good choices.

Next step robot repair technicans

2009-06-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

What would break on a new refrigerator before the summer months? Of course, the ice maker.

We noticed for a couple of days there was less and less ice in the maker. I thought we were just using a lot. But then came the day the glass under the shuddering spout remained empty. It was not spitting out a single ice cube.

The call to the 800 service number was, not surprisingly, answered by an automated voice system.

If you are calling for a repair, press 1.
If you are calling from the number where the appliance is located press 2.
If your address is ------------- press 1.
If you are calling for blah, blah, blah, blah, press 1,2,3,4, a refrigerator, press 5 (Oh, thank God. Have I mentioned I have trouble using phones and dealing with frustration?)
If you are calling for the repair of an ice maker press 1 - (hmm, ice makers must go out the most).
We can schedule a technician to come. Press 1 for Monday; 2 for Tuesday; etc.
I press 2. OK, on Tuesday we have available appointment between 8-noon (press 1) or 1:00 to 5:00 press 2. Again, I press 2. Thank you, a technician will be out on TUESDAY between 1PM and 5P M. To confirm this appointment press 1 - Finally!

Monday night we get an automated call. This is the service center, we have an appointment scheduled for you between 1PM and 5PM. TUESDAY. If this is correct press 1. To cancel this appointment, press 2; to reschedule this appointment, press 3.

Tuesday afternoon another automated call. Our service technician is leaving the prior call, his anticipated arrival will be in 30 minutes. If someone is home and this is okay, press 1. To cancel press 2; to reschedule press 3.

I was expecting R2D2 to appear at the door. But the technician was friendly and most important, human. In less than 15 minutes he had diagnosed the problem and replaced the ice maker. He carried a rugged laptop with an antenna, and a five inch printer attached. He pressed keys on the laptop explaining he was going to order a 'mother board' in case we had trouble with the new ice maker after the warranty expired. It would be delivered to our house.

My unfiltered brain wanted to ask him what the hell we were suppose to do with the MOTHER- - but I have been working on filtering thoughts from my brain -so they don't just pop out of my mouth, and I was sucessful in holding my tongue - this time.

The tech then completes a few more keystrokes and our service order and receipt are printed. The last thing he did was tap a key which started the automated voice mail calling the next customer.

I know computers and many electronics now diagnose problems and walk the humans through the repairs, so I have to wonder, how long before we have service robots show up at the door? Or will we go straight to replacing our own mother boards?

Today''s blessings

2009-06-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

Some days it is hard to stay positive with constant pain and frustrations. Today isn't one of those days. I am feeling very fortunate and so blessed.

Today's list includes:

A good night's sleep
clean windows
new friends
an ice maker under warrenty and repaired without hassle
Finding a Tai Chi class for arthritis that not only can I do, I really enjoy.
my backyard retreat
weather that allows me to enjoy outside
Baily
And above all, my family and friends

Whitestrip Diet

2009-06-09T13:48:00.002-07:00

For a number of weeks I have been having trouble sleeping. The worst part about not sleeping is getting bored and hungry in the wee hours of the night. This is less than healthy as you can well imagine.

This morning I was due for my fasting lab work. That meant I could not eat anything after 7:00 PM. Not a problem IF I could go to sleep by 11:oo and STAY asleep - but I was a little worried about the hours between midnight and 6:00 AM. Enter the Crest Whitestrips. The instructions say to use twice a day -or one could use two 30 minutes each, back to back. The taste remains in the mouth so I had no desire to get something to eat. A couple of times during the night and next thing I knew it was time for the blood draw.

It may not be a solution to insomnia, but at least I am not wandering in the kitchen and I have whiter teeth.

Do you think it will catch on as the next silly diet craze?

How inspiring - Common Sense

2009-06-07T17:52:00.001-07:00

I am very excited about the nomination of Judge Sotomayor. Not because she is a woman, not because she is a minority, and not because she is a liberal (or Conservative).

No, I am thrilled because while I like the experiences she brings to the bench, the most important characteristic is she appears to have is COMMON SENSE. She does not rule by party line, gender or ethnicity. There was piece in the Washington Post about her record and the cases they examined. The conclusion was "Taken together, the cases defy depictions of her record as falling neatly into either a liberal or conservative category".

I got into a discussion with my niece about Judge Sotomayor. She feels the judge is racist and pointed to the well publicized speech at Berkeley. I understood that Judge Sotomayor delivered that speech in a class ABOUT Diversity - so of course she would discuss ethnicity.

However, according to the Washington post , "In a less-publicized 2001 interview, Sotomayor said she tries to separate her Puerto Rican heritage from her judging. "It is very important when you judge to recognize that you have to stay impartial," she said in a video for a program on Latinos and the law. "I have to unhook myself from my emotional responses and try to stay within my unemotional objective persona. That process can be very weighty at times."

Wow, a well qualified candidate that uses common sense, the law, and the individual facts when deciding a case instead of 'sticking with party lines."

I think we need her on the bench.

Sutter's Fort closure

2009-06-05T20:39:00.001-07:00

Sutter's Fort in Sacramento is on the budget chopping block along with over 200 other California State Parks.

Among the ones in Northern California are
Ahjumawi Lava Springs SP
Anderson Marsh SHP
Bidwell Mansion SHP
Bidwell-Sacramento River SP
Castle Crags SP
Colusa-Sacramento River SRA
McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial SP
Shasta SHP
Weaverville Joss House SHP
William B. Ide Adobe SHP
Woodson Bridge SRA

I am not sure how it is that I have lived in Northern California since age twelve and have never been to Sutter's Fort. So we figured we better go before it is closed (rumored to be this August).

Today, we went to Sutter's Fort; honestly, I don't see why it can't operate as a public/private partnership. We saw one staff person and the rest were docents. They were the ones that made history come alive for the many school children crowding the Fort.

I hope communities, statewide, step up to the plate and form alliances, foundations and nonprofits to keep the doors open of these important sites.

Motorcycle Helmets

2009-06-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some interesting pictures of motorcycle helmets I Stumbled on. I feel sorry for the little boy. He finality gets to go with dad for a ride and has to wear a watermelon helmet!

Things my children don't remember

2009-06-03T20:15:00.001-07:00

A conversation about products or icons of our childhood made me think that my children have never heard of so many of these things. Some products may still be sold.

How many of these to you remember?

Brill Cream - a little dab will do 'ya

Prell shampoo
Helms bakery truck
Bosco chocolate syrup
Malto meal

Nichols candies

Sugar Daddy suckers - great for the movies as they lasted forever.
Toni Hair Perms

Bobbie pins
pink hair tape - to hold down bangs or make a curl

Comedy albums
Bill Cosby - remember God instructing Noah to build an Ark?
First family

Wishing wells in front lawn

Tiki patio decor

split rail fences

Metracal for weight control

oh, what were the tlittle square carmal candy ones you ate with a hot beverage before a meal?

Sour apple candy
Armour Star Canned meats - do they even make them anymore?
Diet-Rite Cola

Bubble-UP

Tab-opening aluminum cans - collected tabs made great chains for bedroom decor
Cremora
Maxim (freeze-dried instant coffee) Postum
Shake 'n Bake
Tang
Chase & Sanborn Instant Coffee

What else?

Public Art

2009-05-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how public art can change the entire feel of a ordinary place.

This was the store entrance to Macy's in Newport Beach. The Bells were as tall as the three story building and were gently ringing in the light breeze. Beautiful.

It only took one cookie

2009-05-29T10:45:00.004-07:00

The other night, I rushed in Trader's Joe's to get fresh produce, milk and bread. My intentions were good - honest they were.

After coming home from vacation I had been eating healthy. (I refused to say I am on a diet). A Lifetime of experience has shown me diets don't work.

In Trader's Joe's, I pick up extra fruit and veggies. I didn't go up and down all the isles as I knew there is too much temptation. I was a woman on a mission.

An employee approached me and ask, "Are you finding everything alright?" Yes, I replied, trying to decide on which kind of apple to buy. He smiled broadly and said, "you should try these cookies, they are killer!" They were plain looking boxed cookies, except shaped like a maple leaf. He handed me a sample from the tray.

I took a bite. Like an alcoholic, taking the first sip, it is a slippery slope for me to have a little. I wasn't going to stop at one sample cookie. He was right, they were really good. I bought a box - just so Jim can try them, I kidded myself. Jim tries one and is not impressed. He can have a few and stop.

The cookies continue to call to me throughout the evening. I went to bed at 10:00. At midnight, I am still awake and give into the insistent call from the kitchen. At 2:00 AM, I think heck, I've blown it now, what's a few more.

Thank God the box is now empty.

Tired sense of humor

2009-05-28T07:45:00.002-07:00

Does your sense of humor change as you age? I am not talking about aging from teenager to adult. I think my sense of humor must have changed through the last two decades.

This comes up in a when I am having trouble sleeping. I have been watching Jay Leno's last week on the Tonight Show - a program I used to enjoy. While it is still the best of the late night shows, I hardly ever crack a smile - and who are those guests?

I can't imagine the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brian. He is so immature and his humor is just dumb. Did people feel this way when Jay Leno took over from Johnny Carson?

After the Tonight Show, there is Late Night then Late, Late Night, or whatever it is called. Unrecognizable hosts do a lot of physical comedy, jump around on stage during the 'monologue' and seem to continue the monologue instead of interviewing whoever it is sitting in the chair.

I need to get some sleep - I am feeling way too old and grumpy.

2009-05-26T23:59:00.002-07:00

I need this book - seriously, sleeping should not be hard.

Falling asleep is not an issue. It's staying asleep that is difficult.

Maybe there should be an insomniac group on Facebook.

I am not ready to give in

2009-05-25T18:01:00.003-07:00

For the last couple of months I have been struggling with the decision about not coloring my hair any longer. I know it would be better not to put chemicals on my hair. The picture to the left is the top of my colored head.

My grandmother had such beautiful white hair, it would love it to be like that. But I don't think I am quite there yet with the ratio of white hair as the middle picture shows.

I have let it go several weeks past the time I should have colored it. The temples are are definitely white, but white enough? I don't think so yet.

I love the way Jamie Lee Curtis' hair looks on this cover of AARP. Of course, it is not just her hair which gives her that confident look.

The decision is made. I an not ready to look 10-15 years older. Tomorrow I am going to the store and getting some hair color. Or maybe I should go get my hair trimmed and she how it looks after cutting off a an inch of color. My hair is only several inches long anyway.

Help! why is this such a big decision for me?

Make Memorial Weekend Memories - Free

2009-05-23T10:37:00.002-07:00

One definition of the word, vacation is "leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure." You don't have to go somewhere to have a vacation. Making memories with our children or grandchildren is rarely about location. Just because the budget is tight doesn't mean you can't have a fun family vacation.

The first step is to decide that this is a vacation day. That means no laundry, no chores and ignore the phone or let the answering machine take messages.

Next, grab sleeping bags or blankets and define a 'camping spot' either inside or outside. Pitch a tent or make one with a sheet over table or two chairs. If outside, build a safe campfire in a portable grill or hibachi for roasting marshmallows or making S'mores.
However, special food is not needed, just take the food outside or have the kids help fix it inside - yes, I know it takes longer - but it is the EXPERIENCE that will be remembered.

If you are outside, you can watch the stars come out and find the Big Dipper, Little Bear and other constellations. Teach the kids a silly song from your childhood. Ask them to sing their favorite song to you. Tell ghost stories to older children. There is something about being in the dark that is safe for asking questions, telling stories, being silly.

A favorite childhood memory of mine was sleeping out in the backyard with my brother and sister one night. I only remember doing it one time. My mother came out in the early morning and told us the story of the Princess and the Pea. Now that had to be over 45 years years ago. I am not sure if Larry or Dennie remember it, but when I think of a pleasant childhood memory, that's the one that pops into my mind.

This weekend, I suggest young families take "leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure" and make some memories with your children.

I would love to hear how you spent your holiday weekend.

Retirement Vacations

2009-05-22T19:03:00.002-07:00

When one is retired, vacations are very different from those 1 or 2 week vacations - crammed in around holidays, work and school schedules. They are cherished just as much, but the flavor is so very different for a number of reasons:

1) You can go whenever you want; as much as I love children, we tend to avoid spring and summer breaks when places are crowded with families.

2) The weather. We don't have to travel during high demand periods for beaches or mountains so we can enjoy mild weather instead of record highs or lows or worse, when there is muggy weather.

3) We no longer have have manic vacations. I can remember a time when we were snorkeling in Catalina with the kids. Jim and Laura lifted their heads from the water, took the snorkel mouth pieces out and started discussing what we were going to do next! I wanted to scream - ENJOY THE MOMENT NOW!

4) While we don't work, we can do things on vacation that we feel guilty about doing at home - sleeping in, reading trashy novels, avoiding cooking or not doing the laundry.

5) We are more flexible. We rarely make a schedule for vacation other than check in/ check out date. If we see an interesting sight, we have time to stop and look, or change plans or visit with new friends - Life is good!

Internet Dates

2009-05-21T10:45:00.005-07:00

I had an Internet date this evening. I am actually getting pretty good at them and I can see why so many people now meet on the Internet.

This time, the date was with Bill and Donna from New York and Janet, from Hope, Whales. I met them on the Internet several days ago. We were all going to be staying at the same place this week in Newport Beach and thought it would be nice to meet in person.

We met tonight for drinks by the pool. Jim and I were easy to spot with Bailey at my feet. It was fun.

`Janet gave us a new appreciation for how lucky we are to be able to drive here. She and her family flew 22 hours to spend their 'holiday' here. She spent last year here and is planning on requesting this same week next year.

Bill and Donna said how impressed they were with California drivers. They related the story of driving out of the parking lot of Costco and another driver actually waved them ahead to merge in front of them. They were astonished! I suggested they would really like Northern California.

The last time we had an Internet date was on a cruise to Mexico. For a full year before the cruise, we talked to people - online - that were going on the same ship ( http://www.cruisecritic.com/). By the time we sailed, we had a group of wonderful friends that made the cruise extra special. We still have friends from that cruise and keep in touch on Facebook.

With an Internet bulletin board or forum for every group or hobby, it is so much easier now to meet people with the same interests. Isn't technology amazing?

photo: google images

Every girl deserves some pampering!

2009-05-20T11:03:00.003-07:00

When I am out and about with Bailey, I am often asked if I have trouble clipping her nails. No, she actually loves having her nails done weekly. See for yourself. She appears to enjoy it as much as many women enjoy having a massage.

After her bath, she gets in my lap, flips on her back with all four paws in the air.

Next, I use the drummel drill to file down the nails. She literally falls asleep during this process.

She stays asleep 5-10 minutes after I am finished with her nails. I rub her tummy until she wakes, then she jumps off my lap and goes to the kitchen for her reward treat. Bailey takes such good care of me, she deserves pampering!

Look, Risso Dolphins!

2009-05-19T13:15:00.011-07:00

What a day on the ocean watching the dolphins play with us. Here are some pictures of them playing alongside the boat. We saw many pods with dozens of dolphins. Captain Dave explained that they were Risso dolphins - normally very shy. This day, they were so playful he attributed the frolicking to the young age of the dolphins. They would swim alongside the catamaran putting on a show for us.

My favorite 'act' was the large white dolphin that swam between the two pontoons of the boat while we were traveling at a fast clip - almost as if saying, "follow me for a great time."

I am not a photographer. It was hard to get pictures of the dolphins. By the time I saw them, focused and took the picture, they had gone back under the water. The
top two pictures are mine, however, the one below, of the Risso dolphin, is from Wikipedia. It shows the whale-like shape of this dolphin and the coloring. It was a day to treasure.

Earthquake!

2009-05-18T20:28:00.003-07:00

Remember the earthquake in Redding, Thanksgiving day, 1997? I sure do. We were stopped at the traffic light at Court Street and Eureka Way and the car started shaking. I told the kids to stop fighting, thinking they were wrestling in the back seat. They were innocent - that time.

The earthquake we experienced last night also sounded like kids - wrestling on the floor above us. We were on the first floor of a three story building. I was enjoying the cooler weather of Newport Beach and talking on the phone to Dennie when the shaking began. My attention quickly left the subject of our conversation, when my chair started moving. Jim looked up, said, earthquake while Bailey jumped up with a puzzled look on her face. It took a couple of nano seconds for me to interrupt Dennie, repeating the word, earthquake, EarthQuake, EARTHQUAKE!

By the time I thought about what we should do, the quake was over. That's why I would rather live where there are earthquakes rather than where there are hurricanes or tornadoes. At least earthquakes are over before one can really panic. At first, it was reported as a magnitude of 5.0 earthquake, but they later downgraded it to a 4.7. There was only one aftershock of 2.7 that we noticed.

The biggest earthquake Ive ever experienced, was a 7.1, in 1992, in Eureka/Ferndale. Doni and I were in an old, wooden, two story import store in Eureka. The store was packed with merchandise - I didn't see how it could possibly meet fire code. The glassware started shaking, the hanging merchandise was swaying, and it sounded like people were running upstairs. Doni looked at me and I mouthed 'Earthquake'. Since the building sat right by the water all I could think of was, if we did make it out of the building, a tsunami would probably get us.

Since a tsunami didn't overtake us, we drove inland to the cute little town of Ferndale. We walked past a Victorian (pictured at left) that had been shaken off its foundation. We continued into town to shop and have lunch. We were sitting in an old building, looking out at main street while having lunch, when a pretty big aftershock struck. Doni looked at me, I looked at her, we looked around and everyone else didn't seem to notice the shaking. So, not knowing what else to do, we calmly ate our food while we watched the buildings sway. People walking the streets and in the shops also acted like nothing was amiss during the numerous aftershocks.

The only other earthquake I can remember being in, was in San Diego. I was at a state-wide convention for my job. It was close to midnight when a big earthquake struck. Many of the women (and a couple of men) attending the conference ran out of their hotel rooms - with little or nothing on. The problem was the doors locked behind them. It was an hour or so before security could get to everyone in order to let them back in their rooms. Needless to say, some of those people still have not lived it down - luckily, I was not one of them.

Graduation celebrations

2009-05-15T09:05:00.002-07:00

Today is a very special day. Our son, Jeff, earned his bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering! I want to do a happy dance. I want to celebrate with him, laugh, tell stories of his journey and look proudly upon him as he receives his diploma. But this will not happen as he has chosen not to "walk" (participate in graduation ceremonies).

This isn't unique to Jeff. Our daughter, Laura, did not walk when she graduated from UC Davis (with a BS Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior). She will complete her Master's degree in Public Health (MPH) in August and she will walk then - but only because it is a requirement of the school.

I can understand why people choose not to participate in college graduation ceremonies. I didn't walk when I received my bachelor's degree, neither did Jim. By the time students finish years of coursework, checks and double checks they have met all requirements, completed all the projects, and taken final exams, it is time to move on with life. Like Laura, they made me walk when I earned my MSW degree. They did not require Jim to walk for his MBA, so he didn't. I guess there wouldn't be any graduation ceremonies if it wasn't required.

The problem with not participating in graduation, is it denies family the opportunity to celebrate the achievement. Now that Jim and I have the perspective of being parents, not students, I see the benefit in walking. As parents of the students, we have much invested in our children's future and we feel like 'stakeholders" too. I want to shout from roof tops, Hallelujah - he did it!

I will miss not seeing Jeff walk across that stage - but I respect his decision and understand why he made it.

Up to now, I could fool myself into thinking that since my "baby" was still in college , I wasn't finished mothering. But I know I was just kidding myself. Our children are wonderful, giving, productive, members of society and they have their own lives. I acknowledge and celebrate that fact. I have done my job.

I am so very proud of of them!

The scale game

2009-05-14T11:45:00.001-07:00

Am I the only one out there that plays the scale game?

Game one goes like this: before I shower in the morning, I step on the scale. That first number doesn't 'count' because we have a digital scale and the the numbers can change - or not - so I step off. I know the scale is in the exact same place each morning as we have 18 inch tiles in the bathroom and the scale is moved so the edge of the scale is even to the same grout lines.

So, step on, doesn't count, step off. Step on, different number, step off. Step on, slightly different number, step off. Step on.... this will continue until I have two numbers that are consistent. Once I have a number twice I can stop (I know, OCD).

The the results of this ritual will determine if I start the day in a good mood or mentally beat myself up. Why do I give the scale so much power over my happiness? Why can't I remember the night before (when the cravings hit) how I will feel in the morning?

I have tried weighing daily, weekly, monthly and not weighing - that last one was a BIG mistake, at least for me.

I am working hard at getting healthy and not letting that stupid scale dictate my mood; I know giving an inanimate object that much power over how my day begins is NOT healthy.

TV Converter boxes - who needs one?

2009-05-13T12:18:00.001-07:00

When the original deadline to convert TV reception from analog to digital was April 16th, we purchased a converter box for our old TV in the bedroom. We don't watch much TV, but I would like to get the local news (okay, so now I am hooked on Southland too).

I think it is obscene how much cable and satellite companies charge just to watch TV; which is suppose to be already paid for by all the commercials. The programming stinks, there are so many commercials it is not enjoyable and I hate that TV seems to have become the focus in homes. It takes away from conversations with family and is often blasting away just for noise or to keep someone "company." We do not have a TV in our living room. It surprises me how many guests ask about our (lack of) TV. Did they come over to watch it or visit?

Sorry, back to the converter boxes. The box worked just fine. We were able to get the local news and the major networks. What the converter box didn't do was improve my eyesight enough that I could watch the old TV across the room. We finally broke down and bought a bigger, flat screen, digital ready, TV. No need for the converter box.

The digital conversion deadline was extended to June 12th. Our local news talks about the conversion nightly; they even have a call-in center to ask questions.

Since we no longer need our converter box, I called the 'help center' last night. I asked, is there any program that accepted donations of converter boxes and passed them along to folks who may need one? No, replied the volunteer. He said he had worked there over a year now and never heard of such a thing.

How simple would that be, to have a drop off center for converter boxes and make them available to the public? In these times of everyone watching their budgets, and trying to keep things out of landfills, this simple program could make a big difference in supporting both efforts.

Quest for the perfect table

2009-05-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

College students and retirees often have small spaces in which to live. Finding functional furniture on a smaller scale can be a challenge. We downsized from a two story, 4 bedroom 3 bath home to our current home which has two bedrooms and is about 1300 sq feet about a year ago.

The house has plenty of room for two people. We have a small round table that seats 4 people in the kitchen nook. That is fine 90% of the time, but when we have guests for dinner it just isn't big enough.

I have been searching for creative solution since we moved. Obviously, I could get a larger dining table and put it in the open living room. The counter bar separates the living room from the kitchen. However, I really didn't want to take up that much space for a table we would only use when we had company.

We had many recommendations to checked the small space specialist, and college students best friend, IKEA. I had never been to an IKEA store, so I felt like a kid on a field trip. We had an enjoyable morning touring the big IKEA warehouse in West Sacramento. I did love how they had displays labeled with the square footage. For example, they had a tiny, but workable, two bedroom apartment that was a total of 640 sq. feet. Nice kitchen displays for studio apartments or lofts. We really had fun looking at the creative use storage and furniture. Here I would surely, find the table I had visualized for the space-nope.

The Internet came to the rescue again. After looking for almost a year, I found a wooden table that folds three ways. First, it is a console table (top picture) that we have under the window towards the entry way. Pull it out, and fold over the top, it expands to a square table that seats four (perfect for playing games or cards). Pull it out some more, drop two leaves in it and it expands to seat 6-8. I was also impressed with the folding chairs that look more like regular chairs than folding chairs. I love creative solutions to lifes little problems.It is perfect - once again I am shown it pays to be patient.

This blog is for the birds

2009-05-11T12:22:00.007-07:00

I rarely think about birds, unless they are singing or leaving me a present to clean up. However, this last weekend birds kept coming up in conversations.

First bird conversation - Dennie, my sister, took her two grand kids to Turtle Bay. They thought the main attraction would be Sue the Dinosaur, but they liked the bird house the best. I had not even heard of the bird house. The kids were able to feed them seed on a stick and some birds even landed on shoulders. Dennie reported they stayed in the bird house for almost an hour. The kids were fascinated. Of course, they liked seeing Sue and enjoyed the butterfly house , but the bird house was the hit of the day.

Second bird encounter of the weekend: A big white Egret had landed in our very small back yard and was eying my koi for breakfast! Jim chased it off, but it just flew onto the roof of the house behind us (where he could still see my koi). So far, it hasn't been back. I am so happy, all three koi are still in the pond. It was weird to have that big of a bird in our tiny backyard.

And last but not least, have you seen the Caltrans eagle cam lately? When the triplet chicks hatched, 0n March 17th, 19th and 22nd, there was a lot of excitement. There was also some speculation that since triplets are rare, and difficult to feed, they may not all survive. I had marked the website as a 'favorite' but had not checked on them in weeks. According to the website, they are doing well. The parents are doing a good job of feeding them and they "are anticipated to begin fledging in mid June."

I think it always takes mothers by surprise how fast their chicks go from being dependent, to flying off and surviving on their own - but there is also a great sense of satisfaction is watching that transition.

Top photo: by Dennie

Egret: stock photo

"That's so gay" - words can kill

2009-05-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

I know a newly blended family. I was totally shocked to hear the step siblings taunt their new brother, age 6, calling him, 'gay' and 'fag'. There was one instance where he was learning how to work a new birthday toy, smiling and laughing. The joy was sucked out of him, like a popped balloon, when one of the sibs said, "That's so gay"! This is not about sexual orientation, this is about bullying.
This happened quite a while ago but it keeps haunting me.

Why?

a) it was allowed by the parents (were they worried about disciplining his kids her kids?)

b) I was so shocked - I didn't do anything! I am so ashamed of myself

c) Recently, there have been mulitiple sucides by children as a result of bullying

I did talk with the little boy later, there was no question he felt bullied by the others. We talked about the words and why people bully. But I didn't do enough and I am so sorry for that. At the time, I was trying to welcome someone new into the group and I didn't feel it was my place to correct someone else's children - especially when meeting them for the first time. That is so wrong. Children are vulnerable and need adults to protect them.

This month there have been highly publicized suicides of two 11 year old boys (how many have not been publicized?). They had been bullied to death.
They were harassed at school - in front of teachers.
For more information see here and here.

There should be a zero tolerance for bullying in every school. Actually, there should be a zero tolerance for any kind of harassment. Just like the definition of sexual harassment, the person being harassed knows it when they feel it. That should be enough! But students are reluctant to report it or minimize the extent of the harassment. They think it will stop on its own. Parents tell them to ignore it. That might have been good advice when I was growing up but it is not in today's world.

Speaking up and stopping this behavior will not only protect the harassed, but may help the bully turn into a better person - before they get older and it escalates into anti-social or criminal behavior.

I am prepared now -bullying will never happen around me again!

Dinosaur Sue - a real attraction

2009-05-07T13:08:00.001-07:00

When I lived in Redding, I appreciated Turtle Bay and the ever changing exhibits. Even though I knew it was suppose to be a tourist attraction, I questioned if people outside of Shasta County would travel to Redding as a destination.

So, I was quite surprised today to hear a new friend, who lives in Elk Grove, talk about taking her grandchildren to Turtle Bay to see the new dinosaur exhibit.

In addition to Dinosaur Sue, she was interested in seeing the butterfly exhibit and letting the grand kids play at Paul Bunyan Forrest Camp.

I proudly gave her http://www.anewscafe.com/ website for Bruce's slide show of Sue and other community information to use in preparing for her Redding vacation.

edited 1:08

Bailey spoils me

2009-05-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

Bailey is my medical alert dog. But, she also performs mobility tasks, like helping me walk straight (by defining my left side boundary) and assists with depth perception. She will alert me if I have drop something. Bailey monitors my stamina which prevents me from stumbling. She will bark to alert others if I fall.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a check up with my new doctor. Bailey had not yet met her and so I took her to the appointment. It is hard to explain all the things Bailey does for me as each day is different in the way I can function. The appointment was late in the afternoon, (why do I even schedule them at that time?) of course, the doctor was running late.

By the time the doctor came into the exam room, I had little energy left. The doctor was in the middle of talking about medications, when Bailey put her paws on my shoulders. That alert action tells me it is time to slow down or rest. The doctor asked about the signal and I told her the meaning. She said, well, lets just listen to your heart for a minute. She listened, then immediately ordered an in-office EKG - later followed by an Echo and Stress test. The good news is a change of medication should help with the heart issues.

I was so proud of Bailey! It is hard enough to explain what Bailey is capable of doing for me, but to have her actually alert with the doctor there - and the doctor to be able to confirm her alerts -was amazing timing. I am sure the new doctor will not have a problem completing the form I need to take Bailey on a cruise in September.

Last Saturday, at the Frugalistic Flea Market, I was very tired after the morning onslaught of bargain hunters. Bailey was curled up under the table but jumped up on me, twice , to alert me to take a break. So if you saw a tired looking women, cuddling a dog on her lap, she was spoiling me - not the other way around.

Retirement mode

2009-05-05T07:06:00.000-07:00

There is something that happens to the way you schedule appointments when you retire. When I was working, I would have 3 or 4 meetings before lunch, do grocery shopping or errands on my lunch hour and finish the workday with afternoon appointments, followed by completing all the paperwork generated from the appointments.

Then it seemed the second part of the day began with after school sports, homework, dinner, household chores and planning for the next day schedule.

The first year of retirement, the schedule drops down to 2 or 3 appointments or errands per day. At first, it seems boring. Soon enough, it is as busy as one wants to be ; especially since it takes so much longer to get going in the morning.

Lingering over coffee while reading the online news, checking email, and taking a stab at crossword puzzles, Sudoku or Free Cell takes precedent to rushing out the front door at 7:15.

In the second year of retirement, having one a appointment a day seems like a busy schedule. Then slowly it changes to a busy week is having 2-3 appointments in the WHOLE week.

I am busy. There is always more things to do in the house and yard than there seems to be time to do it. Activities and events in our community are numerous and keep us going. Those mandatory appointments are just a pain - and worth avoiding!

Old Singer Sewing Machine

2009-05-04T10:00:00.001-07:00

I used a picture of my sister, Dennie's, old Singer sewing machine yesterday in my blog about the Frugalistic Flea Market. The funny thing is she she really didn't know what to ask for the sewing machine and thought it was made "sometime in the 30's." Some one at the flea market said it was worth about $300, so Dennie asked $100. It didn't sell at that so she brought it home.

Once home she did some research on the machine. Here is what she found:

The the sewing machine was made in 1926 in Elizabeth, NJ. She found a couple that are similar on Ebay, a couple of 1928's (but not a single 1926 or 1927). She is going to an Antique dealer for an appraisal. Apparently there were a lot of copy cats made in 1928 in Germany, England, and Egypt but hers is a true Singer made in NJ with the manufacture date.

So what do you think it is worth?

Fantastic Frugalistic Flea Market

2009-05-03T07:57:00.001-07:00

There is one more day at the Fantastic Frugulistic Flea Market at Cypress School in Redding!

Today, Sunday, it will be open from 8 -2; but things were selling fast. It is inside the Gym, so it it a perfect rainy day activity and don't forget to get one of the best hot dogs I have had in a long time.

Yesterday, I helped my sister, Dennie with her table. She was downsizing from a large ranch house to a smaller house in town. She actually made the move 8 months ago but has had a storage unit filled with boxes. The difficulty is always what to keep. Is it needed? Have you used it in the last year? Are you going to use it in the next year?

It seems obvious to me, but so many people have trouble deciding what to let go. She fits the latter category. Dennie remembers the story of how she acquired every item or who gave it to her. She had a paperback, "How to feed a family on $16.00 per week" she got it in 1972. (Okay, that didn't sell, but we gave it to someone with a sense of humor!)

I am so proud of her. Not only did we sell out most of the stuff by mid morning, she went back to her storage unit and brought more boxes.

We gave away the few things left and she did take back the old Singer Sewing machine and will sell that separately. So, while we won't be there today, there are still plenty of sellers and wonderful bargains!

Boxes and wrapping are better than toys

2009-04-30T10:00:00.001-07:00

Most parents have experienced a child unwrapping a toy and then playing with the box it came in - or the wrapping - for longer than the toy (yes, that is her toy box behind her).

Our dog, Bailey is well trained and doesn't tear up things in the house (not since she was a puppy, anyway).

However, when we moved we ordered almost everything we needed for the house online. That meant that UPS and FED EX were delivering packages frequently for well over a month.

Bailey soon learned that when a box comes, there is usually bubble wrap or cardboard or some kind of protective coating around the item. Bailey goes crazy for the packaging. Her favorite thing is bubble wrap.

Seriously, Bailey will take bubble wrap - holding it between her paws - then she will pop each air pocket between her teeth. She uses a back and forward motion like she is eating corn on the cob. It is so funny to watch that relatives and friends now save their bubble wrap for her. (Don't worry she is always closely supervised).

Today, she was disappointed. We ordered some folding chairs and while they were well protected, it was not with bubble wrap.

Nevertheless, she had a ball shedding the padding. She makes a big mess but it cleans up easily and she obviously has so much fun with it. Yes, Bailey is spoiled, but she makes every delivery seem like Christmas!

The building of a pond

2009-04-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

A water feature is a nice thing to have when you live in a compact neighborhood. So, prior to our move, I started investigating, fountains, ponds, waterfalls and every other type of water feature. I had decided on a small, pondless water feature as our new house has more of a back patio than a back yard; it is only 40 feet long by 13 feet wide.

The goal was low maintenance; Jim said he was not moving the lawn mower. I was concerned we would be left wit a concrete slab or decorative rock. The developer had "back yard tours" to see what others had done with the small spaces.

They seemed unimaginative. As most landscapers had suggested to me, there were patios with retaining walls or patios with concrete sitting walls or maybe a small patch of grass. Most reminded me of property in the desert. I wanted more of a mountain retreat. There had to be a way to do it.

Shasta College Community Education to the rescue. I enrolled in a landscape design class. Our pondless water feature turned into a a three level waterfall - with a nine foot stream flowing into a Koi pond. The pond has a 3 foot culvert tunnel, buried underground, so the Koi can hide from predators.

I would have never thought about doing a feature that large in a such a small space without the encouragement of the instructor. He said it could actually make the space look larger.

The next decision was to put in artificial turf - no, not astro turf. It has long blades, more like the turf at Big League Dreams. We actually paid more to have 'dead' brown and yellow blades mixed in with the green to make it more realistic -seriously. We are so happy with the results, no mowing, no watering and it always looks great. The grass is bordered by flowers, ground cover and my mini -vegetable garden.

This is a new hobby for me. I have never liked gardening or working outdoors. Of course, having cool mornings and evenings makes a huge difference. Still, it surprises me how much I enjoy checking on the Koi in the morning, feeding them at night and plucking a weed out of the borders here and there.

Having coffee outside watching the Koi is icing on the cake.

Can't slide anything past your sister

2009-04-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

You can always count on your sister to know everything about you. Yesterday, I talked about how much I enjoy a pedicure. As a visual learner, I like to have pictures with my blogs.

I went searching the Internet to find a picture of a pair of feet with toes painted in a spring setting. Let's just say you want to be careful when you Google "feet" pictures. I never would have thought to add that word to Net Nanny!

Not finding suitable pictures,or non copyrighted ones, I finally decided it would be a lot faster to take a quick picture of my feet in our back yard water feature. I figured no one would know the difference. So that is what I did.

Less, than an hour later, I get a one line email from my sister, Dennie:

"OMG, you put your FEET on your blog !!!!! I can't believe it. "

Jim, never recognized my feet; I am sure no else cared or recognized them either.

It just goes to show, you can't slide anything past your sister - no matter how small!

Rest In Peace

2009-04-27T01:37:00.013-07:00

There are some that go about their daily routines quietly - touching other peoples lives and hearts and asking nothing in return.

They are the unassuming ones.

They are the ones that you know you can always ask for help.

They are the ones with the quick smile and kind words.

When they are gone, there is left a big void, not only for their family and friends, but for the entire community.

Rest in Peace Terry Quibell.

My one indulgence

2009-04-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

Jim calls me an easy keeper (maybe that is why we have been married for 37 years).

I can go from the bed to coffee, shower, and out the door in a half hour. Towel dried hair is fine with me; a little lipstick and I am good to go. The quick hair cut places are just as good as the expensive ones as my hair always does what it wants anyway -no matter the cut. I color it with hair dye that is on sale. I've thought about letting it just go gray, but then another good sale pops up.

I have never had a message,nor do I want one. BUT, the one indulgence I love is a pedicure. Having a pedicure during sandal weather is the ultimate indulgence for me. A manicure is a waste, as the polish chips within a day. For some reason, a pedicure doesn't chip and lasts nicely until the next time.

I think I have just talked myself into a nice relaxing pedicure today!

Camelot

2009-04-24T10:28:00.003-07:00

Following a beautiful spring day, it rained last night. This morning the ground glistens with the evidence of just enough moisture for the budding flowers and my newly planted vegetable garden.

It reminds me of the movie and Broadway play, Camelot. A place of beauty, where it is decreed that “it only rains at night” in Camelot.
We use the word Camelot to describe our vacations. We are usually very lucky in enjoying great weather - even when it has rained the prior week or is expected to rain the following week.
Today, I feel like we are enjoying Camelot right here at home!

The results of the complaint to California State

2009-04-23T17:03:00.001-07:00

Some may remember me writing about the incident that happened at Crystal Cove State Park where a ranger denied my right to walk on the beach with my service dog, Bailey. The saga is recounted here.

I did file a formal complaint against the ranger and asked for two things, 1) that the park be provided ADA training, specially related to service dogs and 2) A formal complaint be put in the personnel file of "Ranger Rick".

Yesterday, I received a call from the "Human Rights Office, Department of Parks and Recreation. " The representative was very pleasant and wanted to let me know the results their investigation.

First, ADA training was provided to all the rangers in that district and the south district. They even shared the access information I provided to other parks in the state.

Second, Ranger Rick was "counselled." She stated they have a progressive discipline policy and they could not skip the verbal counselling step. Having worked in personnel, I understand that policy.

The Human Rights Officer asked me if I was satisfied. Yes.

I was so flabbergasted that California State Park employees had not had any ADA training, related to service dogs, that I felt I had to file the formal complaint in order to initiate change.

Case Closed.

Dog Park 101

2009-04-22T11:03:00.002-07:00

My Favorite place to run Bailey is Huntington Beach Dog Park.

One walks down a 20 foot cliff' to three miles of beautiful white sand beach.

The dogs are safe to run with ocean on one side and the cliff protecting them from Pacific Coast Highway on the other side.

It is also a great spot for visitors to watch the local surfers. The parade of dogs - every size and breed -

the sea breeze, crashing waves, and near perfect weather, makes this my #1 choice. It is one of the cleanest beaches in southern California.

But, as with anything, a few inconsiderate people can ruin the dog park experience. Here is Dog Park 101 from the W.O.O.F. (We Offer Off Leash Fun) committee that oversees the three large dog parks in Elk Grove.

Dogs must be leashed when entering or leaving the safety entrance of the Dog Park. (Do not keep your dog leashed inside dog park).
Dogs and children must be accompanied by an adult.
Maximum of 3 dogs per adult.
Dogs that are aggressive, in heat or sick are not allowed.
All dogs must have current vaccinations and license.
Owners are required to pick-up and dispose of their dog’s feces both in and out of the Dog Park.
No strollers, carriages, bicycles, or children’s toy allowed in Dog Park.
No smoking, alcoholic beverages, food or dog treats allowed in Dog Park.
Owners must carry a leash and closely supervise their dog(s) at all times.
Owners are liable for injuries or damage caused by their dogs.
Owners use the park at their own risk.

Most of the rules are common sense. A leashed dog inside an area of unleashed dogs is vulnerable. Having children running around the park unsupervised can be an attraction for some big dog to chase them or two dogs running may not be watching the children and run into them -possibly causing injury. Strollers or bikes can cause obstacles for running or may be damaged by dogs. Smokers tend to leave cigarette butts that are poisonous to dogs. Someone carrying a treat or sandwich in their pocket can find themselves cornered by dogs with sensitive noses. The best guideline is to have control of your dog -even off leash.

Since Bailey is my service dog, I am often asked if she ever gets to be "just a dog." It's obvious by the smile on her face that she really enjoys dog parks!

Pictures: top left; two unknown dogs at dog park
top right: Bailey and Zetta at Huntington Beach Dog Park
center bottom: Bailey at HP dog park

Dog Parks

2009-04-22T10:35:00.002-07:00

Dog parks are generally so much fun - for both the human and dogs.

There is such joy in watching your pet run loose and find new play companions.

They also give humans a chance to get out and interact with others.

Some dog parks even have walking rails for owners to use while rRover is playing.

My Favorite place to run Bailey is Huntington Beach Dog Park.
One walks down a 20 foot cliff' to three miles of beautiful white sand beach.

The dogs are safe to run with ocean on one side and the cliff protecting them from Pacific Coast Highway on the other side.

It is also a great spot for visitors to watch the local surfers. The parade of dogs - every size and breed -
the sea breeze, crashing waves, and near perfect weather, makes this my #1 choice. It is one of the cleanest beaches in southern California.

But, as with anything, a few inconsiderate people can ruin the dog park experience. Here is Dog Park 101 from the W.O.O.F. (We Offer Off Leash Fun) committee that oversees the three large dog parks.

Dogs must be leashed when entering or leaving the safety entrance of the Dog Park. (Do not keep your dog leashed inside dog park).
Dogs and children must be accompanied by an adult.
Maximum of 3 dogs per adult.
Dogs that are aggressive, in heat or sick are not allowed.
All dogs must have current vaccinations and license.
Owners are required to pick-up and dispose of their dog’s feces both in and out of the Dog Park.
No strollers, carriages, bicycles, or children’s toy allowed in Dog Park.
No smoking, alcoholic beverages, food or dog treats allowed in Dog Park.
Owners must carry a leash and closely supervise their dog(s) at all times.
Owners are liable for injuries or damage caused by their dogs.
Owners use the park at their own risk.

Since Bailey is my service dog, I am often asked if she ever gets to be "just a dog." It's obvious by the smile on her face that she really enjoys dog parks!

Pictures: top left; two unknown dogs at dog park top right: Bailey and Zetta at Huntington Beach Dog Park center bottom: Bailey at HP dog park

edited 10:35

We do too

2009-04-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

The person that said, "women don't sweat, they glow" never lived in Redding or went through menopause!

No More!

2009-04-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

How many times have I missed fun events because I was worried about what I would look like in shorts - or worse , the dreaded bathing suit. No more!

I was always worried about running into someone I knew - what would they think? I didn't join water aerobics for years because of the bathing suit thing. After I tried it once, I realized everyone is in the same boat and no one really cares what I look like.

This evening while riding my bike IN SHORTS, I made a decision. I have just as much right to enjoy the pool and other spring/summer activities as skinny people do. I am not going to worry about what I look like. It is what it is. No more yo-yo dieting and obsessing about my weight and how I look in cool clothing.

I can never get back all the time I lost not participating in social gatherings, not going to the lake with the kids and not accepting invitations that involved being outdoors in the summer.

At this stage in my life, all I need to worry about is eating healthy and staying active - no matter what I look like to others.

I need to do this for for me.

I keep thinking of this lady

2009-04-20T12:56:00.001-07:00

If you have been living in a cave for the last couple of weeks (or have a life) you might not have seen the number one You Tube video. Believe me, it is worth the 3 minutes to watch it - click here.

I believe the reason it is on top is because it reminds us of ourselves. We know we have something wonderful to offer the world, if only people wouldn't judge us before they get to know our inner strengths and talents.

Remember the store clerks in the movie Pretty Woman? Julia Robert's character has a lot of money to spend but was dressed as a hooker - so they ignore her - Big Mistake.
I think of the person that doesn't get a job because they are fat or not as "polished" or disabled, has tattoos ,or is just different than the interviewer thinks they should look.

But the video is successful because we also see ourselves rolling our eyes and smirking when Ms. Boyle first came onstage. I confess, I identified with both perspectives while watching it.

It is humbling to be reminded again that one shouldn't judge books -or people - by their covers.

Frumpy and Invisible

2009-04-20T11:18:00.003-07:00

If you have been living in a cave for the last couple of weeks (or have a life) you might not have seen the number one You Tube video.
Believe me, it is worth the 3 minutes to watch it click here.

I believe the reason it is on top is because it reminds us of ourselves.

We know we have something wonderful to offer the world, if only people wouldn't judge us before they get to know our inner strengths and talents.

Remember the store clerks in the movie Pretty Woman? Julia Robert's character has a lot of money to spend but was dressed as a hooker - so they ignore her - Big Mistake.

I think of the person that doesn't get a job because they are fat or not as "polished" or disabled, has tattoos ,or is just different than the interviewer thinks they should look.

But the video is also successful because we see ourselves rolling our eyes and smirking when Ms. Boyle first came onstage.

I confess, I identified with both perspectives.

It is humbling to be reminded again that you can't judge books -or people - by their covers.

Green Bananas

2009-04-17T12:36:00.006-07:00

Overheard last night at a meeting regarding long term planning in our senior community.

" AT THIS POINT, I DON'T EVEN BUY GREEN BANANAS!"

Dude, you're next..

2009-04-16T13:15:00.007-07:00

What do you think of sales clerks or service providers that call you "dude?"

How about if you are a woman?

What if it was your hair stylist and she used the term to refer to you?

My sis reported trying a new hair stylist in Redding. The first impression of the salon was favorable; clean and relaxing. Then she noticed every stylist there looked like she was still in high school. Okay, no biggie, as long as they can cut her hair, sis thought.

But then the stylist kept referring to my sis - who is in her 50's- as 'dude'.

I just hope they have lots of younger customers - they will need them to make up for customers they offend and won't return .

Ferdinand Desoto

2009-04-15T13:12:00.003-07:00

There is a little quiz going around Facebook about he first five cars friends have owned. Their first car creates a picture on my mind of their youth. Cars listed included a '57 Chevy, many VW's and VW buses , and a 1991 Nissan Sentra.

My first car was a 1949 Desoto, given to my sister and I in high school in 1968. Just putting it on a list wouldn't do it justice.

The car had literally been the "Sunday" car of my paternal grandfather. He drove a blue ,paint -splattered station wagon to work everyday - where he painted billboards and houses. When he died, our grandmother , who never drove, gave the car to us -with all of 39,00 original miles. We were so thrilled we named it Ferdinand after the explorer, Ferdinand De Soto.

We were free! We no longer had to take a bus for over an hour down rural roads from Penn Valley, down hiway 20 to Smartville, Timbuctoo (real towns, check the map) then up to Nevada City to school - yes, even in the snow :).

Visualize the best years for fast, sleek, muscle cars; Mustangs Road Runners, Hemi Cudas, Super Bees, GTOs - oh, be still my heart. I lusted after THOSE cars.

Now, visualize two sisters in a 1949 Desoto. Okay...... that's enough -it wasn't' THAT funny!

Actually, everyone loved Ferdinand. He was the best for cruising on Friday or Saturday night. Ferdinand wasn't sleek or fast (at least off the line) but we could easily fit 8 teenagers in the huge bench seats. Gas was 34 cents a gallon when I started driving him. Eight teenagers could scrounge up enough pocket change to keep cruising all night. Hooking up with friends was easy - nobody could miss the big green tank.

If we wanted to go to the drive-in Ferdinand was the best. Not only could we fit 8 comfortably -or 10 squished - in the front, we could fit another 6-8 in the trunk without the spare!

Gotta love the carload price of drive-in theaters. Years later, my sister would surprise workers at the feed store by asking them to put 2 large bales of hay in the trunk - it wasn't even a tight fit.

Of course there were no seat belts, but parents knew their teens were much safer in Ferdinand than in the little VWs or Corvairs of the time. Some other funky features of Ferdinand:

Fluid Drive; push down the gas until a certain speed, let off, clunk , it would shift into the next gear. This was a precursor to the automatic.

Air cooled air: there was a metal cage with a squirrel wheel that hung on the OUTSIDE of the rear window. A curved vent slipped into the 4 inch opened window. You would put a five pound block of ice in the cage, the moving car would cause the wheel to turn , blowing air over the ice and transferring the cool air in the car!

Aaahh, the memories....

TAX TIME

2009-04-14T16:30:00.003-07:00

Why can't I just think of paying the taxes the same as paying any another bill?

Anything marked IRS or County Tax Assessor, puts an immediate stress load on me the equivalent of a Mack truck.

I was writing checks for the property taxes. I am so afraid of making a mistake. I just have this paranoid fear about missing a tax payment, the check getting lost in the mail, the clerk not crediting the right account.

Then I have to take it INSIDE the post office to make sure it gets a date stamp. The thought process ends somewhere with me being hauled off to jail in front of my family and neighbors by burly IRS guys . Then they put padlocks on my front door.

Totally illogical, but I go through that twice a year with property taxes, then for state and finally federal.

I hear the federal prisons are much nicer - but that is probably just a rumor.

I am so happy we mailed our state and federal taxes today. We did not wait until the last minute - this time.

edited 4/14/09

Fleetwood Mac Tickets $25.00

2009-04-14T11:21:00.002-07:00

Even the price of concert tickets are coming down - as evidenced by this email from Travelzoo this morning:

OAKLAND--APRIL 14, 2009-- Tickets to see Fleetwood Mac at Oakland's ORACLE Arena on Wednesday, May 20 have been cutto just $25. This 45% OFF deal is for Upper Level seats that regularly sell for $47.50.
This is the only discount ticket offer available for this stop on Fleetwood Mac's popular "Unleashed: Hits Tour 2009."
To buy tickets, click below. Use code LANDSLIDE to get this offer. An additional charge of $9.65 per ticket will be added by Ticketmaster.http://www.travelzoo.com/Newsflash.ashx?568933-24390945

Role reversal

2009-04-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

There is a time in life when the adult children start taking on the parental role to their parents. I am not sure when this is SUPPOSE to happen but I saw evidence it WAS happening this weekend.

Our two adult children came to visit us for Easter. When I found out they were coming, I made sure we had enough eggs to dye, a chocolate bunny for each of them and Peeps sitting on a bed of Irish moss. Hey, I know they are too old for baskets - Laura is 31 and Jeff is 27 years old!

Okay, I admit, I was the one that suggested we try the toothpick jousting Peeps in the microwave. They humored me and came to watch (the yellow peep got an early lead and stabbed the pink one to win the match).

When we went out, they drove. True, Jim's collar bone is still healing from his recent bike crash in Vietnam. Still, I believe he would rather have either one of them drive - and so would I.

Jeff opens the door for me and makes sure I have my seat belt on. He did this so naturally - it made me smile. When we were in PetSmart, I tried a new harness on Bailey. I wanted to make sure it was comfortable for her so I walked her around the store. When we were leaving, Jeff asked me if I remembered to pay for it-yes!

Laura is an amazing advocate for me with my medical stuff and was for Jim when he was injured. She still is so protective it makes us feel good.

Coming out of our favorite Mexican Restaurant they were both ahead of us. When we caught up with them in the parking lot, they were talking with an lady, dressed in her Easter finery, who told me she was 88 years old. She was parked next to us and had a flat tire.

We observed Laura offering to change the tire and Jeff doing the actual change. While Jeff was changing the tire, Laura looked like an operating room nurse as she handed him the jack, pulled the spare from the trunk and put things away. Jim and I just stood there as we watched our two offspring jump into action to help a stranger. They had the tire changed in less than 10 minutes.

I think back at all the times I worried if they would grow up to be giving, loving adults. I realized I didn't have to worry at all.

We had a wonderful Easter - even if they did "forget" the eggs I dyed for them :)

Good Intentions

2009-04-10T10:41:00.001-07:00

I don't lack for good intentions. I intend to:

Try Zumba (Gold) -again - but now, with my new prism glasses, I am hopeful they have improved my balance enough that I can do it.

Eat better. No, I will never diet again, I have already done the yo-yo thing too many times.

Write real (not email) notes to people; thank you notes, thinking of you notes, great job notes.

Gosh, before I do that I need to really work more and being able to write my letters again. I can barely read my writing.

Do a load of laundry a day - including folding, steaming, hanging and putting away - should two people really have a load a day?

Invite more people over for coffee. I always feel it has to be a big production- but it doesn't have to be.

Spend less time on the computer and more time DOING.

Well, I guess that is the end of the list - as I intend to turn off my laptop now.

This makes my blood boil

2009-04-09T12:58:00.004-07:00

I saw a well dressed, young women, next to her big SUV on our street. The women was standing outside the closed driver side door -in the rain -taking on the cell phone. No biggie, right?

Here is the thing, she was holding a baby about six months old, bald head, dressed in an adorable pink dress, no coat, no blanket so the baby was getting wet while mom talked on the cell phone!

Of course, mom had a baseball cap on, but the baby was just blinking her eyese with her little bald head getting wet.

I know as moms we have all done things that were dumb or we regretted, but seriously, I didn't understand this at all.

Out of the mouths of babes

2009-04-08T11:15:00.001-07:00

The sun was setting and a cool breeze had come up as we were walking along the beach . We came across a father playing with his three children.

The children all looked to be under 8 years old. They were laughing and chasing the waves. As we passed, the smallest girl, wet from the waves, ran passed us and said,

"Daddy, I am so cold!"

The dad looked back at the kids and replied, " Okay, it is time to go inside now."

The girl yelled back, " No, Daddy, I was wrong, I am not cold anymore!"

I hope he will hold that in his memory forever.

Airfares from west coast cities to east coast cities are a bargain

2009-04-07T17:40:00.002-07:00

Having just returned from a great beach vacation, I check my email to find the following airfare reductions and additions:

First, Southwest Airlines will begin flying to LaGuardia on June 28th for - get this - $99 or less each way!

Virgin Airline cut the cost of flights out of San Francisco this spring to $49-$119 each way!

Tickets must be purchased by April 20th.

It looks like SFO to Las Vagas, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, or Seattle is $49 -$59; Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C is $109-$119 each way.
The higher fares are for travel on Mondays, Thursdays,Fridays and Sundays.

I hope someone is able to take advantage of these great fares. As for me, I am looking forward to being home for awhile.

Photo by Joshua Davis (jdavis.info)

Pictures of Life Savers

2009-04-06T16:38:00.001-07:00

There was an unbelievable show of strength and stamina right outside the front door of our vacation cottage. It was the annual try outs for Chrystal Cove Life Guards.

First there was a competitive elimination swim. It was 1000 yards out the surf, around a buoy, and run back up to the finish line.

Think about it; that's the length of 10 football fields!

The returning life guards were first. The announcer told the first timers applicants to watch how they judged the surf and current.

Then the second group lined up. They took numerous head counts to make sure they had everyone out before the next group started.

I would guess altogether there were maybe 75-100 applicants.

There was one swimmer that had to be picked up by a life guard on a long surf board, transported to a jet ski and then brought to shore. Oh, how embarrassing. The shore was lined with friends and family cheering on the applicants.

After the 1000 yard swim. The announcer said this was the toughest competition in the state park life guard history. He encouraged those that didn't make it to come back next year and take master swimming classes and do "lots of body surfing."

They were only able to select the top 15 swimmers to proceed to the next physical test.

As they called out the last of the numbers, it was heart breaking to see so many fast swimmers disappointed. I think a couple of first timers made it (they stood out in bathing suits - returning LG all wore wet suits).

There was only about a 10 minute break between the 1000 yard competitive swim and the next test; the Run/Swim/Run test.

The applicants had to run 200 yards, jumped into the surf, swimming 400 yards out around another buoy and back.

Then run the 200 yards back to the starting line.

Very, Impressive.

The end to a perfect day

2009-04-05T19:25:00.001-07:00

Meeting with Supervisors

2009-04-04T16:15:00.006-08:00

By request, here is the summary of the meeting with the supervisor of "Ranger Rick."

For a re-count of the incident that lead to the need for this meeting, click here.
To read a response to my description of the access issue and understand more from another's
perspective, click here (Thank you so much, Peter).

Okay, on with this saga:

The supervisor of badge heavy, ignorant, Ranger Rick, said he would come to our cottage after the life guard tryouts on Saturday morning. As a side note, those tryouts were very impressive and I intend to blog about it and post some pictures.

Anyway, about 3:00 PM, I got a call from the supervisor and he said he and another officer would be coming by shortly. They were both very polite and professional. I described the incident, probably giving them too much detail - I have to remember, "just the facts, ma'am. "

My goal was twofold:

First, I wanted make sure there was training provided to the staff regarding peoples right to have equal access; even though they must use a service dog.

Second, due to Ranger Rick's horrible, demeaning, badge heavy, attitude and the fact that he flat out made up "facts" to try to intimidate me (like service dogs must be registered with the state dept. of parks), I wanted a formal complaint in his personnel file.

I waited four days to make sure I was as objective as I could be under the circumstances; but as hard as I tried to make excuses for his behavior, (bad day, fight with the wife, late in the day, etc.) there was absolutely no reason to teat any person in the manner.

With regard to the training; I was flabbergasted to learn that both of the supervisors were unsure and confused about the definition of service dog and regulatory authority. They said they had tried unsuccessfully to research the subject themselves. They had conflicting information and found it frustrating to deal with the number of dogs on the beach.

I totally agree there is a problem with people thinking they can slap a scarf or jacket on their pet and call it a service dog. There is a huge amount of training, and steps necessary to train a dog (and the person). Not to mention, the person has to have a NEED for a service dog - even if they don't look like it!

For the record, saying a pet, companion dog or even a therapy dog is a service dog, is illegal and there can be a hefty fine - the same as stealing a handicap parking placard and using illegally. Shame on them.

One supervisor stated, in twelve years of working the beach, he had only seen two service dogs; until the last two years. Now there seem to be "hundreds" of them. I said I was hopeful I could provide them with resources and law references to point them in the right direction. We pulled up the website w.servicedogsforliberty.com and I was able to show them the legal section. In addition, I was able to give them the State Parks own policy section (#4312) that addresses service dog access.

I am optimistic that by asking for this meeting, and giving them additional resources they will start the steps necessary to better train the staff.

Regarding the second goal, the supervisor told me he would talk to Ranger Rick but that I had to file a formal complaint. Ranger Rick had numerous opportunities during the course of the incident to let it drop, say good bye, have a nice day, or even send someone over to the cottage say they were sorry and we wouldn't be bothered again . None of that happened. Because he made up lies and was so far over the line, I will proceed with the formal complaint.

Did this incident ruin my vacation? No.
But it did ruin that day and we did wait around all day today for the supervisor. I have spent a lot of precious vacation time on this issue.

I am hopeful the time and effort will help staff be better trained.

I am hopeful the next time a disabled person with a service dog, is so full of joy for being able to walk on the beach, they won't be crushed by an ignorant staff person harassing or telling them they have no right to be there.

I am so tired of it - end of subject.

2009-04-04T16:14:00.001-08:00

The power of the Internet

2009-04-04T07:05:00.000-08:00

From a stranger responding to my previous post regarding the incident with "Ranger Rick" I find strength and understanding. I hope by talking about access issues- and sharing Peter's response to me -others will learn.
Peter's 10 year old son, Cameron, has autism. Cameron's Service dog is Werin:

"Darcie,
I know that feeling as well and your story reminds me of so many experiences. It can be really hard to remain calm, yet direct in those situations. I didn't grow up being a "fighter", but when I'm confronted with Cameron, the hotness starts welling up inside of me making me want to fight, then afterwards, I feel like I never want to go through that again, so "wouldn't it be best to avoid that place" - which isn't the right response.

I've learned from those on the board that there is more at stake than just my feelings, so a great response is to report or complain, which it sounds like you are doing. On our recent trip to Washington D.C., I held my ground a number of times and then complained to the companies, which gave great satisfaction. I'm also learning about complaining to the DOJ, which has some real consequences.The closest experience we had to "Ranger Rick" was Cameron, Susan and I were staying at the Embassy Suites in New York City, which is next to where the WTC was. Early in the morning, about 7:30am we were walking down to the Statue of Liberty ferry through a park by the water. Werin had already taken care of business before entering the park. A City park attendant drove up in a golf cart style vehicle and we smiled and said Good Morning. She immediately started yelling at us to get out of the park because there were no dogs allowed.
I remained calm and said, "Thank you, but this is not a pet, but a service animal" She insisted multiple times that were were no dogs allowed in the park getting more and more intense. I then explained we were just walking through the park to get somewhere else and we would be on our way and she left us yelling, "Never come back" We continued on. I didn't raise my voice, but was firm that we were allowed, which is my general response. Afterwards though, my thoughts generally turn to, "how are we going to get back in the afternoon" "Do we have to walk around the park to avoid a confrontation or just go right through again?" and trying to figure out how to avoid another incident.I know it is not really comparable, but sometimes I imagine what some of those brave individuals in the Civil Rights movement went through. Of course, virtually all of our public interactions are pleasant, enjoyable and have no issues, so comparisons are so small, since they had to confront similar issues all the time, not just sometimes. But when we go somewhere new, or have a new situation, sometimes I think, I wonder whom will confront us this time - who will try to take access away. Whom will be yelling at me in front of my 10 year old. Will there be a scene in "this restaurant"? Will this security guard stop us to tell us no dogs are allowed? Do you ever notice that when you walk in a room with the service dog, everyone in the room stops and looks. For a guy whom normally likes to blend in an be part of the crowd, it can be unnerving.

I lived for a year in Sri Lanka before getting married to Susan or having Cameron and the same thing happened there. A 6'4" man walks into a room in Sri Lanka at the height of their civil war where there weren't any tourists and everyone stops for a second to take you in. I find the same thing happens with Cameron and Werin. We are always being "taken in", just for a moment - before everyone proceeds with what they were doing. It has given me a greater appreciation for what celebrities go through where they don't really have a private life.

After living in L.A., I used to see it all the time. Someone from the movies would be out, you would see them and constantly people are coming up and talking to them while they are trying to eat or shop. It's not bad, but just different and I can understand why some celebrities don't like it or feel it can be a burden to be in public.I joke with others that it takes twice as long to do anything like shopping or getting around because so many people come up, stop and stare, or point with their kids at us going by. It comes with the beauty of the service our dogs do for us. A trade off which is worth it for the gifts they give us.

So Darcie, I understand what you went through this week at the beach. The feelings of anger, hurt, fight, and whatever else that came. Many times people's ignorance is not intentional, so I'm glad you are taking care of the situation and using it to educate and help the park service recognize the laws that are in place, so that it can be better for all those that come after.

Peter

How one badge heavy idiot ruined my day at the beach

2009-04-02T22:00:00.002-08:00

People constantly stop to ask about my Service Dog, Bailey. I am sometimes stopped from entering an establishment with her. After explaining she is my service dog, I am allowed to proceed - until yesterday.

I was with Bailey at Crystal Cove State Park. Ranger Rick (not his real name) Badge #007 (not his real badge number either -even though he seemed to think it was) approached me and my husband, Jim, all puffed up like a toad. " Lady, there are signs all over that say no dogs on the beach!" I responded I was aware of that, but Bailey was my service dog. I pointed out the service dog vest even though he was standing beside her. I offered him three different forms of ID. I also told him she was registered at the office. What office? he asked. I informed him we were staying at Cottage#1 - the handicap accessible cottage ON THE BEACH.

He spit out, "THAT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" He went on to say, service dogs needed to be registered with the State Parks Department. "Really? I said, and exactly where would they register?" He stared at me a moment, unsure, then I offered, "on www.parks.ca.gov?" "Yes, he said, they have to be registered there!"

Gosh, should I check with Raley's and the Library and any where else I want to go to see if I need to "pre-register" my service dog in order to enter.

Since federal ADA laws supersede state laws, I said I would buy him a cup of coffee if one had to register dogs on the park web site.

I walked away; angry, embarrassed and sick of him trying to intimidate me. Most of all, I was so very, disappointed my long awaited walk on the beach could be ruined by this ill trained, badge heavy, ranger. In tears and shaking, I returned to our cabin. Jim stayed behind and asked the ranger, "What would you like us to do?" Ranger Rick just walked away from him.

Once in the cottage, I immediately went to the web site where, surprised, surprise, I did not see any place to "register service dogs." However, I did see the complaint forms.

I left to find Ranger Rick. He was sitting in his truck. I told him I looked on the web site and I thought he owed me a cup of coffee. So much for the humorous educational approach as he responded with, " I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS JOB FOR 30 YEARS AND THERE ARE NO DOGS ON THE BEACH! Again, I said, except service dogs. He said "How did I know it was a service dog? I couldn’t see it from the truck." I reminded him he was standing right next to her wearing her vest and I showed him ID.

I was extremely upset. I cannot convey the horrible attitude of this man. He was belittling me and trying to intimidate me. He was still arguing about dogs not being allowed on the beach. He couldn’t seem understand that service dogs ARE NOT PETS. Again he repeated, "I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 3O YEARS!" I then informed him the ADA was passed in 1990 and it might be time he read it.

I asked for his name and badge number. Ranger Rick gave me his card, and said the web site was on the card - it wasn't.

I don't mind being stopped and asked if Bailey is a service dog. She is a whippet, not a common breed for service dogs. I don’t look "handicapped." I am used to people asking questions.

In the past, I have provided rangers at Crystal Cove: ADA literature; Service dog brochures for public access from Delta Society; Department of Justice information and, ironically, I have provided the access policies as published on the State Parks web site. The last time I was there, I even offered to give up some of my vacation time to give an in-service (free of charge).

I understand the beach is a fragile environment. What the rangers don’t understand or haven’t been trained to understand, is that a service dog is to be regarded as medical equipment- just like a wheelchair or a cane.

This time I am filing a formal complaint asking that staff be trained on ADA.

A little piece of Heaven

2009-03-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

Crystal Cove State Beach Cottages are a step back in time. The southern California beach, the temperatures and the adorable '50's style houses make it my favorite vacation spot. We always feel like we have won the lottery when we've been lucky enough to get a reservation.

This is a picture of the house will be staying in for a week starting tomorrow.
This place is so special that we have to share it with our dearest friends. When they are able to clear their schedule and come too, well, it is like winning the Mega Jackpot!