If you asked me ten years ago where I wanted to go on vacation, Virginia probably would not have been on my mind. My aunt and uncle live here though in the Shenandoah River Valley and they were always telling to me come and visit them so here I am. I flew in on Saturday and coming from California, that took the better part of the first day. I woke up at 4AM to get to the airport by 5AM to get a the plane by 6:30AM for a flight at 7AM. I didn't want to drive to the airport, so a friend from work took me to LAX. In the dark. On a Saturday morning when she could have been sleeping. That's what friends are for. The plane experienced turbulence over Illinois and near where I landed at Dulles. It made my stomach a little queasy. After almost six hours on the plane, the landing at Dulles was easy. The airport is modern and has a high speed shuttle to take you from the gates to the terminal. Once your bags are collected at the luggage carousel, all you have to remember is who you rented your car from and find where to stand on the curb to catch the shuttle bus to where the rental car terminal is. Rent your car, find it in their parking lot, and you're off!
Driving from the airport to Winchester took maybe 40 minutes? I had to stop and get something to drink because I was thirsty from the long flight.
So I got in on Saturday and they fed me. I got up on Easter Sunday and they fed me. And we had an early dinner of ham, three veggies and tea. I was so full... These seniors eat way too much way too often. They are so sweet and so retired. They are in their 80's and don't volunteer much anymore. Tressa makes things to sell at the craft fairs around town. She handed me the instructions sheet for Star Pot Mat. Guess what I know how to make now?
STAR POT MAT
Three skeins of yarn, 4 ply worsened weight.
variegated (4 rounds)
white (3 rounds)
Your choice of solid color (3 rounds)
Directions:
Using variegated colored yarn:
Chain 8, slst, chain 2
Round 1 - dc 15 times into ring, slst
Round 2 - *chain 21, skip one st on ring and join in next st of ring. Repeat from * 8 times. Slst.
Round 3 - 10 sc, then * 3 sc in next stitch, 20 sc, 3 sc in next stitch. Repeat from * 7 times, 10 sc.
Round 4 - Continue to sc and when you reach a star point, 3 sc in same st.
Round 5 - Continue to sc and when you reach a star point, 3 sc in same st.
Round 6 - Continue to sc, and when you reach a star point, 3 sc in same st. End variegated colored yarn.
Round 7 - Yarn on white. Continue to sc and when you reach a star point, 3 sc in same st.
Round 8 - Continue to sc, and when you reach a star point, 3 sc in same st.
Round 9 - Continue to sc, and when you reach a star point 3 sc in same st. End white yarn. Shape work to look like an 8 point star
Round 10 - Yarn on solid color, then * 7 stitches from point of star then sc, and when you reach a star point 3 sc in same st. Sc in next 7 st, sc [repeat from * seven times]. Slst onto first solid color st.
Round 11 - sc in each st, and when you reach a star point, 3 sc in same st.
Round 12 - sc in each st, and when you reach a star point, 3 sc in same st. End solid colored yarn.
I was feeling a little stir crazy on Easter Sunday night with the rainy and cold weather, and not knowing where I was going, I drove around until I found a grocery store that was open (Food Lion) and picked up some things. I also bought two VA scratchers at $5 a piece and won $10. Made my money back.
On 04/01, I went to the visitor's center: http://www.visitwinchesterva.com/visitor-info/visitor-center
I went to Stonewall Jackson's home and took the docent led tour with my uncle. Tressa stayed in the car knitting because she didn't feel like negotiating all those steps. I bought a $10 ticket and then later found out they were across the driveway from the visitor's center.
http://www.winchesterhistory.org/society_museums.htm
After that, we decided to take a drive out of town, but before doing so, because by then it was noon, we stopped for lunch and ate at Perkins. I found the food to be very much like Coco's. They offer a 2 or 3 item lunch special. I had the chicken noodle soup and lemon meringue pie, and tressa and frank split a 3 item special - frank had the tuna melt and tressa had the loaded potato soup and split her salad with frank. The bill for three people was less than $20.
Then I drove with them over to the arboretum. They had an herb garden I walked through that looked pretty shabby right after the end of winter. I picked a few leaves of sage and lavender and put them in my pocket. They also have a driving tour of the property which we took. Afterwards, my guts were so shaken, I had to stop the car again and parked across from the herb garden in order to walk to the office building to where the restrooms was. It was a good thing they were there. OK, then we tooled on down the road to Milltown, but the mill building there was closed for renovation. I quickly ran around the building and took some pictures and got back into the car because it was a cold, blustery day.
We drive through Milltown, which is actually older than Winchester and not much of a town at all, and then went back to the house. That was outing for the day. And then we ate again. And I made another star pot mat. I'm on my third one now.
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Monday, April 1, 2013
Saturday, November 3, 2012
A Retirement Wake-up Call
I woke up really early this morning, my body anticipating the time change this weekend and to the noise of the TV being on to that Ed Slott infomercial about saving your retirement. I've seen it before. I'm sure I'll watch it again. But something struck me. 2012 went by so fast and I probably have about 20 more working years before I retire.
FACT: The three things you cannot live without are food, shelter and clothing. People will give you clothes and share their food with you as these things are relatively cheap but you have to maintain a roof over your head or eventually you'll die of exposure to the elements.
FACT: The single most expensive financial decision one will ever make is to buy a house.
I went to lunch the other day with my cheapskate lunch date (who is in retail loan sales) and somehow the conversation always turns to money. Previously, I discussed with him my need to refinance my home because I currently have a Hybrid 5 year Fixed/6 month Libor Note that's been adjusting for awhile now. Since LIBOR rates are tied to the European economy and it followed the U.S. economy decline with the credit crunch and the housing market crisis, my Note rate dropped from the initial rate and has stayed low... but the economy is improving. Jobs are coming back to the finance market because even I've had opportunities to interview recently for what I do which is highly specialized and I'm not looking for a new job now. And with an improved economy, interest rates will start to creep up higher. And the interest rate I'm paying today for my home loan is close to market rate and I don't want to put myself into a situation where I have a high interest rate and may not be able to refinance in the future. I also know that my loan is owned by Fannie Mae and HARP Loans, that are easier to qualify for with a high LTV and that require no appraisal, are going away next year.
After getting back to work, he sent me this email:
"Your goal this week or next is to contact HR in order to open a 401(k) because retiring poor sucks. I have to turn down seniors all the time (for cash-out refi home loans) and it makes me sad."
I had a 401(k) before I was laid-off from my mortgage job (the company closed) and because it lost half it's value and I didn't know when I was going to get my next job, I liquidated it the moment I could. Almost right after my severance pay ran out, in February 2008, I was hired as a contractor to Fannie Mae for a year and a half driving 150 miles round trip for work each day to manage the default vault at 1800 Tapo Canyon (if your're in the industry, you know that address holds one of the highest number of mortgage loans on the west coast) of loans moving from Countrywide's safekeeping into my custody. I supervised the vault's growth to hold 325,000 files (who knows how large it is today). The stock market tanked in October. HBO produced an excellent movie called "Too Big to Fail" which is a portrayal of what happened in October 2008. I was sitting in the belly of the beast and the beast was required to be bought by B of A and the behest of the U.S. federal government due to B of A exercising a large repurchase of poor performing loans.
FACT: You only have about 45-50 years to save before you retire.
When you're in your 20's and busy establishing your career, home and family, you're probably not thinking a whole hell of a lot about your retirement. My cheapskate lunch date is actually the same age I am, mid-40's, and as he's also a Realtor, he's put his money to work more than I have in the past so I have to give him some respect for the financial position he's in now as compared to mine own.
My parents, when they retired, didn't really plan for it. Both had to work after retirement because they didn't have homes to sell and live off of the proceeds or even homes that generated a net income from rent. They had no savings accounts, just checking accounts. Both had meager life insurance payouts. I was able to settle my father's estate, but my mothers???
She lived off of credit cards until the day she died. As I cleared out her apartment, I found many newly bought items and at the time, couldn't figure out how she could afford it. That is until I found a brown box in the back of her closet full of unpaid credit card bills which turned into charge offs. She couldn't afford it. She consulted with a family friend, a lawyer, that told her not to pay them after she was 75 and had triple by-pass heart surgery.
I took back to the store those items I could find receipts for and threw the contents of her apartment in storage because it was right before Christmas when she passed. I paid the final utility bills with the cash on hand and that refund money and also ignored those credit card bills. Because of the lack of her financial and retirement planning, I had to pay out of my own pocket for her cremation, her headstone, her funeral and the transfer of her ashes to New York where they were buried with her parents, my grandparent, as she wanted. It took me a year and a half to get rid of that storage unit, finally donating the majority of the contents to Goodwill after giving away some things to friends and I paid for that storage unit, too. I can imagine my story of not being able to settle my mother's estate multiplied by the number new retirees and the debt river that's coming.
So in essence, if the vast majority of people now have the lack of retirement planning, execution and savings like my parents had, you and I will be paying for it all the way through the period the baby boomer generation (born between 1946 and 1964) goes into retirement (2011 to 2029) and subsequently passes away passing their unpaid debt onto the large financial institutions who will pass it on to the consumer in the form of higher fees and interest rates. That consumer is you and me.
Ed Slott says the biggest retirement killer are:
1. taxes
Tax free safety zone (life insurance and annuity)
Payouts from Life Insurance are tax free.
Roth IRA's conversions. You can get an annuity inside your Roth IRA.
2. risk
You cannot rely on the stock market for a secure retirement future. Think about an annuity. It guaranties your retirement income for life.
3. saving money
Sometimes you have to spend money now to save money later. Buy life insurance. Seek out qualified financial planners.
4. uncertainty
No one will ever care about your retirement money more than you.
5. inactivity
Doing nothing will be costly because prices rise and taxes increase. Do something now when you can. If you want a secure financial future, you have to do something about it.
I emailed HR about establishing a new 401(k) blind-copying my friend and then I called and was qualified for a HARP loan all in the same day.
Lets see where I am this time, next year...
FACT: The three things you cannot live without are food, shelter and clothing. People will give you clothes and share their food with you as these things are relatively cheap but you have to maintain a roof over your head or eventually you'll die of exposure to the elements.
FACT: The single most expensive financial decision one will ever make is to buy a house.
I went to lunch the other day with my cheapskate lunch date (who is in retail loan sales) and somehow the conversation always turns to money. Previously, I discussed with him my need to refinance my home because I currently have a Hybrid 5 year Fixed/6 month Libor Note that's been adjusting for awhile now. Since LIBOR rates are tied to the European economy and it followed the U.S. economy decline with the credit crunch and the housing market crisis, my Note rate dropped from the initial rate and has stayed low... but the economy is improving. Jobs are coming back to the finance market because even I've had opportunities to interview recently for what I do which is highly specialized and I'm not looking for a new job now. And with an improved economy, interest rates will start to creep up higher. And the interest rate I'm paying today for my home loan is close to market rate and I don't want to put myself into a situation where I have a high interest rate and may not be able to refinance in the future. I also know that my loan is owned by Fannie Mae and HARP Loans, that are easier to qualify for with a high LTV and that require no appraisal, are going away next year.
After getting back to work, he sent me this email:
"Your goal this week or next is to contact HR in order to open a 401(k) because retiring poor sucks. I have to turn down seniors all the time (for cash-out refi home loans) and it makes me sad."
I had a 401(k) before I was laid-off from my mortgage job (the company closed) and because it lost half it's value and I didn't know when I was going to get my next job, I liquidated it the moment I could. Almost right after my severance pay ran out, in February 2008, I was hired as a contractor to Fannie Mae for a year and a half driving 150 miles round trip for work each day to manage the default vault at 1800 Tapo Canyon (if your're in the industry, you know that address holds one of the highest number of mortgage loans on the west coast) of loans moving from Countrywide's safekeeping into my custody. I supervised the vault's growth to hold 325,000 files (who knows how large it is today). The stock market tanked in October. HBO produced an excellent movie called "Too Big to Fail" which is a portrayal of what happened in October 2008. I was sitting in the belly of the beast and the beast was required to be bought by B of A and the behest of the U.S. federal government due to B of A exercising a large repurchase of poor performing loans.
FACT: You only have about 45-50 years to save before you retire.
When you're in your 20's and busy establishing your career, home and family, you're probably not thinking a whole hell of a lot about your retirement. My cheapskate lunch date is actually the same age I am, mid-40's, and as he's also a Realtor, he's put his money to work more than I have in the past so I have to give him some respect for the financial position he's in now as compared to mine own.
My parents, when they retired, didn't really plan for it. Both had to work after retirement because they didn't have homes to sell and live off of the proceeds or even homes that generated a net income from rent. They had no savings accounts, just checking accounts. Both had meager life insurance payouts. I was able to settle my father's estate, but my mothers???
She lived off of credit cards until the day she died. As I cleared out her apartment, I found many newly bought items and at the time, couldn't figure out how she could afford it. That is until I found a brown box in the back of her closet full of unpaid credit card bills which turned into charge offs. She couldn't afford it. She consulted with a family friend, a lawyer, that told her not to pay them after she was 75 and had triple by-pass heart surgery.
I took back to the store those items I could find receipts for and threw the contents of her apartment in storage because it was right before Christmas when she passed. I paid the final utility bills with the cash on hand and that refund money and also ignored those credit card bills. Because of the lack of her financial and retirement planning, I had to pay out of my own pocket for her cremation, her headstone, her funeral and the transfer of her ashes to New York where they were buried with her parents, my grandparent, as she wanted. It took me a year and a half to get rid of that storage unit, finally donating the majority of the contents to Goodwill after giving away some things to friends and I paid for that storage unit, too. I can imagine my story of not being able to settle my mother's estate multiplied by the number new retirees and the debt river that's coming.
So in essence, if the vast majority of people now have the lack of retirement planning, execution and savings like my parents had, you and I will be paying for it all the way through the period the baby boomer generation (born between 1946 and 1964) goes into retirement (2011 to 2029) and subsequently passes away passing their unpaid debt onto the large financial institutions who will pass it on to the consumer in the form of higher fees and interest rates. That consumer is you and me.
Ed Slott says the biggest retirement killer are:
1. taxes
Tax free safety zone (life insurance and annuity)
Payouts from Life Insurance are tax free.
Roth IRA's conversions. You can get an annuity inside your Roth IRA.
2. risk
You cannot rely on the stock market for a secure retirement future. Think about an annuity. It guaranties your retirement income for life.
3. saving money
Sometimes you have to spend money now to save money later. Buy life insurance. Seek out qualified financial planners.
4. uncertainty
No one will ever care about your retirement money more than you.
5. inactivity
Doing nothing will be costly because prices rise and taxes increase. Do something now when you can. If you want a secure financial future, you have to do something about it.
I emailed HR about establishing a new 401(k) blind-copying my friend and then I called and was qualified for a HARP loan all in the same day.
Lets see where I am this time, next year...
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
This Halloween is not like all the others
My thoughts and prayers go out to all those on the East coast dealing with the effects of Hurricane Sandy.
The greater tri-state area was hit hard. Some places harder than hard. Some people lost everything. The NYC MTA was crippled by the flooding. The stock market was closed for two days.
The greater tri-state area was hit hard. Some places harder than hard. Some people lost everything. The NYC MTA was crippled by the flooding. The stock market was closed for two days.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
At the Movies
I went to the movies on Friday night with my cheapskate lunch date, who bought me a pretzel and Coke at the Arclight. A change in theater numbers left us in the lobby for a bit before the earlier show had ended. We chatted about food, family and work. The concessions stand, I think, is selling breakfast sausages (chicken and mango and jalapeno or apple) like they sell at Costco by Aidells. Fancy. We had to ask for the mustard because there are no condiments in the lobby anymore.
Argo was almost sold out and he didn't like the remaining seats or the later start time, so we saw Looper. It was the second time for me. I caught more of the details this time around and had to explain the story to my friend who viewed it for the first time.
I'm still looking forward to seeing:
Argo
Cloud Atlas, opening 10/26
Killing them Softly, opening 11/30
Argo was almost sold out and he didn't like the remaining seats or the later start time, so we saw Looper. It was the second time for me. I caught more of the details this time around and had to explain the story to my friend who viewed it for the first time.
I'm still looking forward to seeing:
Argo
Cloud Atlas, opening 10/26
Killing them Softly, opening 11/30
Friday, October 30, 2009
Perq's
It was the first time since I went to the South Coast Rep for a Yelp event that I went out. I didn't drink anything. I got to talk to Manny after the gig about what was going on in his life and about what happened to him after he was laid off in 2000. Life insurance. Ultimately, the business was something he grew a distaste for because of so many uneducated people and he then got into industrial sales. He's one smart cookie.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Me editing the Sports Editor...
This is good example of why newspapers are dying. Read: New book on Steelers creates stir
The sad, sardonic ramblings of a sports editor compelled me to edit him.
New book on Steelers creates stir
Louis Brewster, Sports Editor,
From: The Sun: San Bernardino and the Inland Empire
Posted: 10/05/2009 09:36:52 PM PDT
As a high school football player, Dennis Paulson was an undersized nose guard at Fontana during the Steelers' glory days, an era he relives in his first book, "The Fo." The paperback dropped in August and is the subject of some buzz, mostly in Fontana. It's the second book with Citrus Belt League football as the backdrop following the 2004 book "A Citrus Test: Football in Black and White" by Obrey Brown.
Whether or not it is well-received depends on the reader. One of the book's main characters, former Steelers coach Dick Bruich said he's not going to read it and stated, "I lived through it. Why do I want to read somebody's take on it?"
Lance Ozier, the current Fontana football coach, hasn't read it and probably won't "until I get a free copy. I know what went on. I'm not paying to read about that."
One who did read the book and was close to the Fontana program said, "It was full of half and quarter truths." That may be evident only to those who played on the Dick Bruich teams or were very close to players and coaches.
But as the author of the novel, Paulson is entitled to his own observations and opinions. After all, this is not an autobiography nor a history book. It's about his personal account of football when Fontana was atop the world.
Paulson apparently wants to option his book to make it into a movie. Which brings up the interesting question: What Hollywood type is best suited to play Coach Bruich? James Denton as the early Bruich, with Tom Selleck as the more mature Bruich? Or are Jack Black and Vince Vaughan more in the Bruich mold? ...
If you find Dennis Paulson's distant memories of playing high school football something hard to swallow, imagine what he feels like as a former coach for San Bernardino Valley College.
In the past, we've taken those in charge at San Bernardino Valley College to task for their seemingly ho-hum attitude toward athletics. A once-proud program is struggling to establish credibility in the community.
So give it up for Kevin Emerson, who directed the Wolverines to their biggest win since the late Patrick Swayze in "Red Dawn." It didn't look good initially when he officially was hired hours before the first practice.
But the 19-game losing streak is over and we expect SBVC to be competitive in the American Division of the Mountain Conference.
The sad, sardonic ramblings of a sports editor compelled me to edit him.
New book on Steelers creates stir
Louis Brewster, Sports Editor,
From: The Sun: San Bernardino and the Inland Empire
Posted: 10/05/2009 09:36:52 PM PDT
As a high school football player, Dennis Paulson was an undersized nose guard at Fontana during the Steelers' glory days, an era he relives in his first book, "The Fo." The paperback dropped in August and is the subject of some buzz, mostly in Fontana. It's the second book with Citrus Belt League football as the backdrop following the 2004 book "A Citrus Test: Football in Black and White" by Obrey Brown.
Whether or not it is well-received depends on the reader. One of the book's main characters, former Steelers coach Dick Bruich said he's not going to read it and stated, "I lived through it. Why do I want to read somebody's take on it?"
Lance Ozier, the current Fontana football coach, hasn't read it and probably won't "until I get a free copy. I know what went on. I'm not paying to read about that."
One who did read the book and was close to the Fontana program said, "It was full of half and quarter truths." That may be evident only to those who played on the Dick Bruich teams or were very close to players and coaches.
But as the author of the novel, Paulson is entitled to his own observations and opinions. After all, this is not an autobiography nor a history book. It's about his personal account of football when Fontana was atop the world.
Paulson apparently wants to option his book to make it into a movie. Which brings up the interesting question: What Hollywood type is best suited to play Coach Bruich? James Denton as the early Bruich, with Tom Selleck as the more mature Bruich? Or are Jack Black and Vince Vaughan more in the Bruich mold? ...
If you find Dennis Paulson's distant memories of playing high school football something hard to swallow, imagine what he feels like as a former coach for San Bernardino Valley College.
In the past, we've taken those in charge at San Bernardino Valley College to task for their seemingly ho-hum attitude toward athletics. A once-proud program is struggling to establish credibility in the community.
So give it up for Kevin Emerson, who directed the Wolverines to their biggest win since the late Patrick Swayze in "Red Dawn." It didn't look good initially when he officially was hired hours before the first practice.
But the 19-game losing streak is over and we expect SBVC to be competitive in the American Division of the Mountain Conference.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Yelpity Good Bacon Fun!
Bacon? Did I hear bacon? I love bacon. I'm German so when anyone talks about cured meat, my ears perk up. And the folks at Yelp put together a fine VIP bacon themed event at the OC Fair the day before the fair opened to the public on Thursday, July 9th. Our group was at the bar/restaurant in the corner... Blue Bayou. It was located right next to the tent/trailer I don't remember which of the Weird Al Yankovic VIP party for the world preview of his OC Fair exhibition of "Al's Brain" going on at the same time. Being an "Elite" member of Yelp (no lie - it took me 4 years to get to that stage), I was able to bring two invited guests to our little party and I choose my son who's 22 and my co-worker who is new to Yelp. I couldn't give you an official headcount, but it felt like 200 people enjoying all these bacon tinged goodies like chocolate covered bacon, bacon wrapped meatballs covered in bbq sauce, bacon wrapped cocktail weenies (oh, just shove one directly into my heart already), Slaters 50/50 burgers that are made with half bacon (talk about flavor) and the premiere to California of Bakon Vodka. I know, you're thinking "gross", but I'm telling you this stuff makes the best bloody mary's ever. When our community manager Hazel told me in advance about it, we were talking about all of the food pairings... like Bakon Vodka and melon balls, fried green tomatoes, fried green beans, etc. There was more food than I could eat, but you can imagine. It was a biggest and best Yelp event yet.
ref: www.yelp.com or annazzz.yelp.com
ref: www.yelp.com or annazzz.yelp.com
Monday, June 29, 2009
About Last Night
I went to Long Beach for a few hours last night to get some air and clear my head. The only time I left the house over the weekend was to buy more groceries on Saturday night. How boring. I barely made it out into the patio to harass the cats. I did however remember to water the tomato plant. I think I have to move it to another location because it's not getting enough sun where it is now. Sunday was entirely too hot which reminded me I really should buy an A/C unit this year and install it. Maybe the whole ordeal would be easier if I just had it shipped to my house. If I could get free shipping that would be good. Anyway, developing 'The Pike' has changed the face of this area so much, it doesn't match to the faint memories of my childhood anymore. There are parking structures, a million restaurants, hotels, bars and clubs now. I walked around Shoreline Village to the end where the Parker's Lighthouse Restaurant is. Walked on Pine Street pier. Walked around the Ferris wheel that made strange groaning noises. My friend decided he wanted to explore what that BBQ smell was, so we walked over to Famous Dave's and he ordered - fish. It's a rubbed pork rib BBQ joint and he orders grilled fish. Whatever. I ordered a strawberry margarita because I was still full from lunch (a half of a homemade pepperoni pizza and a banana shake) but it was more like a slushie than anything and had no taste of alcohol. $6.95 for strawberry flavored ice in a goblet. I got home late and quickly found myself asleep.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Digital Divide
When I was in my senior year of high school, I took a general aptitude test for military service not knowing exactly what I wanted to do with my life at that point. The results were that I tested in the 99th percentile. The Army wanted me to go into computers and I basically laughed in the recruiters face. I wanted to fly and if they weren't going to offer that to me, I would not enlist. This was 1984. Fontana High School barely had a computer class located somewhere on campus in a temporary trailer and I didn't know what the internet was back then even though it was already 15 years old.
I did not even touch a computer of any kind until 1988 when I went to work for Wells Fargo. In 1995, in my third career by then, I bought my own personal computer.
Now, as I prepare to attend my 25th high school reunion, I'd like to reach out to my classmates and make sure they are aware of the event. So when I try to look for familiar names and faces of my past, I'm coming to this place called 'the digital divide'. Many graduates of 1983 somehow avoided the internet and computers either by economics, choice or career. A lot more from 1984 and beyond are on the internet. It feels odd to me to come across a person who says, "I'm not on the internet" in 2009. I expect this from someone my mothers age who is in her mid 70's, not mine.
I did not even touch a computer of any kind until 1988 when I went to work for Wells Fargo. In 1995, in my third career by then, I bought my own personal computer.
Now, as I prepare to attend my 25th high school reunion, I'd like to reach out to my classmates and make sure they are aware of the event. So when I try to look for familiar names and faces of my past, I'm coming to this place called 'the digital divide'. Many graduates of 1983 somehow avoided the internet and computers either by economics, choice or career. A lot more from 1984 and beyond are on the internet. It feels odd to me to come across a person who says, "I'm not on the internet" in 2009. I expect this from someone my mothers age who is in her mid 70's, not mine.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Reunions
I was born in 1966 in Long Beach, California. My father worked as a machinist primarily in the aerospace industry and my mother was a bank teller up until the point I was born. Before I was two years old, my dad had bought five and a half acres on Tokay Avenue near Baseline and we moved there living in a tiny farm house. My neighbor to the south was the Beer's Farm and to the north across the street was an egg ranch. Growing up, I lived on a working ranch with an ever changing array of animals. After I started school, my playmates were the animals in my yard or classmates that lived on Citrus and further. I took boiled goose eggs to school for snack time. After school, I would cross the field and play at the Hotyek's house. We'd play board games after school as well as cards and school. Karen was a classmate and her older sisters sometimes were my babysitters. I remember in first grade I had to go to Janice Taylor's house because we had the same lunchbox and picked up the wrong one when leaving school. I remember going to Monique Pinkerton's house in order to participate in BlueJays which was a sort of junior girl scouts troupe for girls.
After my parents were divorced when I was 7, I went to many different schools in Fontana. Juniper, South Tamarind, Jurupa, Fontana Jr. High and Sequoia Jr. High, too. In 1981, at Fontana High School I was a Sophomore as was the rest of my class. 9th grade was still housed at the junior high school level at that time.
I graduated high school in 1984 and our class's biggest worry was what the future had in store for us as a gloomy piece of literature written years before hung in our conscientiousness. The last thing on my mind was if I was ever going to see the people I had gone to high school with as my immediate need was to find my own mental clarity and what my purpose in the world was going to be. The day after I graduated from high school, I was 17 years old and moved miles and miles away from everything that was familiar to me to make a fresh start and gain some perspective on what I had experienced growing up in a broken home with fractured, imperfect people as parents.
By 1994, I had lived in a number of cities, but settled in Tustin, California, near where I was working for an investment bank making a career for myself in the financial industry and a home for my son. It never occurred to me that 45 miles and two counties away my name was on a list as part of a reunion plan because I never received an invitation.
In 2004, I had bought a home, was working at another job in the same industry and my son was a junior in high school when I received the notice that my graduating class was going to reunite. After twenty years, I had not made any effort to stay in contact with anyone from my high school days and my best friend was living in Kansas. I had little interest in seeing classmates that probably barely remembered me.
So now in 2009, I was recruited to participate in the 25th anniversary of my class reunion as a member of the committee. To be continued after the reunion takes place...
After my parents were divorced when I was 7, I went to many different schools in Fontana. Juniper, South Tamarind, Jurupa, Fontana Jr. High and Sequoia Jr. High, too. In 1981, at Fontana High School I was a Sophomore as was the rest of my class. 9th grade was still housed at the junior high school level at that time.
I graduated high school in 1984 and our class's biggest worry was what the future had in store for us as a gloomy piece of literature written years before hung in our conscientiousness. The last thing on my mind was if I was ever going to see the people I had gone to high school with as my immediate need was to find my own mental clarity and what my purpose in the world was going to be. The day after I graduated from high school, I was 17 years old and moved miles and miles away from everything that was familiar to me to make a fresh start and gain some perspective on what I had experienced growing up in a broken home with fractured, imperfect people as parents.
By 1994, I had lived in a number of cities, but settled in Tustin, California, near where I was working for an investment bank making a career for myself in the financial industry and a home for my son. It never occurred to me that 45 miles and two counties away my name was on a list as part of a reunion plan because I never received an invitation.
In 2004, I had bought a home, was working at another job in the same industry and my son was a junior in high school when I received the notice that my graduating class was going to reunite. After twenty years, I had not made any effort to stay in contact with anyone from my high school days and my best friend was living in Kansas. I had little interest in seeing classmates that probably barely remembered me.
So now in 2009, I was recruited to participate in the 25th anniversary of my class reunion as a member of the committee. To be continued after the reunion takes place...
Monday, July 21, 2008
In the blink of an eye
I went to run some errands on Sunday morning before going to a BBQ I was invited to that a former co-worker was throwing. I wanted to wash my car, pick up my prescription at the pharmacy, find some nice pink polish for my nails at Sally Beauty Supply because this season frosted pink is not cutting it for me and go grocery shopping.
Instead of making my usual right hand turn onto Walnut, I went up one block and turned right onto Newport before turning left onto Walnut (because it's not a square block but a triangle). In doing so, this made my trip a little longer, but I had not gone that way for awhile, so why not? I saw that Grandma's Donuts had changed names, but was still in business. I also realized that now there is three India grocery stores within two blocks of each other. Must be hell on the competition.
So I'm traveling east on Walnut, concentrating on driving around a big moving truck which I swear was the same one that I saw on the 5 freeway coming home on Friday night. Th only reason I remembered it was because it had this name on the side, "Rock N Roll Movers". After maneuvering my car around the moving truck but avoiding cars traveling in the lane left to me, I look up at the intersection fast approaching at Walnut and Redhill and there is an accident at the corner I'm going to turn at. It appeared that someone ran the red light. One car was left mangled and disabled in the middle of the intersection while another was practically wrapped around a light signal pole on the other side of the street. I took a deep breathe thinking that if I went the way I normally drive during that day and that time, that accident might have been me.
I executed my right hand turn onto Redhill while shaking my head "no" at someone who pulled over and was block traffic stand in the middle of the road on his cell phone calling in the accident instead of seeing if everyone was alright first.
At the BBQ, the host whipped up strawberry margaritas. I had two strong ones...
Instead of making my usual right hand turn onto Walnut, I went up one block and turned right onto Newport before turning left onto Walnut (because it's not a square block but a triangle). In doing so, this made my trip a little longer, but I had not gone that way for awhile, so why not? I saw that Grandma's Donuts had changed names, but was still in business. I also realized that now there is three India grocery stores within two blocks of each other. Must be hell on the competition.
So I'm traveling east on Walnut, concentrating on driving around a big moving truck which I swear was the same one that I saw on the 5 freeway coming home on Friday night. Th only reason I remembered it was because it had this name on the side, "Rock N Roll Movers". After maneuvering my car around the moving truck but avoiding cars traveling in the lane left to me, I look up at the intersection fast approaching at Walnut and Redhill and there is an accident at the corner I'm going to turn at. It appeared that someone ran the red light. One car was left mangled and disabled in the middle of the intersection while another was practically wrapped around a light signal pole on the other side of the street. I took a deep breathe thinking that if I went the way I normally drive during that day and that time, that accident might have been me.
I executed my right hand turn onto Redhill while shaking my head "no" at someone who pulled over and was block traffic stand in the middle of the road on his cell phone calling in the accident instead of seeing if everyone was alright first.
At the BBQ, the host whipped up strawberry margaritas. I had two strong ones...
Monday, April 28, 2008
For people who live in Ohio
My dear friend in Ohio and my one avid blog reader was complaining to me that I'm babbling on about the Tudors and he doesn't understand why. It's a series on Showtime cable. But it means more than just entertainment to me because, you see, I went to high school with Candy Stuart who is a direct decendant of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Mary Stuart had dealings with Elizabeth I, the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and the show that I've been watching is primarily about them. And I'm into genealogy and I love watching this kind of stuff, so I think it's cool.
Pedigree courtesy of Wikipedia
Pedigree courtesy of Wikipedia
Monday, March 17, 2008
Plants
Oh nice - plants in the yard. And you're asking for my opinion again? WTH.
There are bare spots in the from yard of Drama Boy's new house and I think it's just due to neglect on the part of a poor gardener's routines. The first thing I would do is reseed the bare spots and plant a row of flowers on either side of the flagstone walkway from the threshold to half way down the path to make more curb appeal. Otherwise, it looks like a large expanse of blah that runs into the neighbors yards.
And then he's asking me about trailing houseplants. The first one that comes to mind is pothos. It's a type of ivy, but doesn't look like ivy because of its heart-shaped leaves. Personally I like the golden pothos variety because of it's color varience, but to each his own. Later I also remember the creeping jew plant. I used to have one in my own bathroom for awhile when I had a bathroom with a window. Heh, I guess years of california agriculture class are good for something. Except I still kill tomatoes.
There is a lemon and an avacado tree in the backward and some bush near the corner of the house which I thought was a lemon but I think it's going to turn out to be lime or orange.
There are bare spots in the from yard of Drama Boy's new house and I think it's just due to neglect on the part of a poor gardener's routines. The first thing I would do is reseed the bare spots and plant a row of flowers on either side of the flagstone walkway from the threshold to half way down the path to make more curb appeal. Otherwise, it looks like a large expanse of blah that runs into the neighbors yards.
And then he's asking me about trailing houseplants. The first one that comes to mind is pothos. It's a type of ivy, but doesn't look like ivy because of its heart-shaped leaves. Personally I like the golden pothos variety because of it's color varience, but to each his own. Later I also remember the creeping jew plant. I used to have one in my own bathroom for awhile when I had a bathroom with a window. Heh, I guess years of california agriculture class are good for something. Except I still kill tomatoes.
There is a lemon and an avacado tree in the backward and some bush near the corner of the house which I thought was a lemon but I think it's going to turn out to be lime or orange.
My opinion
You want my opinion? Are you sure? Because I really don't think you want my opinion. You can't handle my opinion. Sometimes my opinion is so harsh it makes people squirm and cry like things Simon Cowell says to contestants on American Idol. Sometimes my opinion simply falls on deaf ears, so why bother. Sometimes my opinion is heard and acknowledged but rarely acted upon, so why put forth the effort. Sometimes it's best to just be nice and keep my opinion to myself.
Another saga in my 16 hour long episode of 'Drama Boy: The Epic [insert your favorite adjective or noun here]'.
Another saga in my 16 hour long episode of 'Drama Boy: The Epic [insert your favorite adjective or noun here]'.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
A trend of musicians and artists
Lately, or I should say in about the last 3-5 years, there has been a trend in my dating habits towards artistic, creative men, but mainly musicians. This is purposeful. During my 20's when most people would be living it up at college, I was a stay at home mom with one son. It was important to me to spend as much time with my son as I was able when he was little because I feel moms who do this set their children up to be a better people down the road. Stability and consistancy in a child's life is paramount to me. Since I felt I had little of it when I was a kid, I did not want that for my son.
So now my son is 20 and I'm try to get back into the things that I kind of feel I missed out on because I was busy playing mom. One of those things was music. I fancied myself to be artistic and musically inclined ever since my mom told me I was named after Judy Garland and I figured out I can sing. That woman had pipes and I can belt it out similarly. My tiny being can fill a room with voice as if I were on a Broadway stage. It's frightening to me to think about it.
I was always the art student through school taking higher classes that most and these had to be approved by the teacher because I had always excelled in this area. I struggled in Algebra 2, but in Home Handcrafts and Intermediate Art 3-4.
So artists flock to and travel among other artists and my tally I believe up to this point in time is one drummer, one pop god, one rock god, and I also befriended a girl bass player because she's just so dang nice and we have other things in common to talk about in life. Sometimes, I play merch girl and hock their CD's and buttons at the shows I attend.
I have also befriended 5 graphic artists within this same stretch of time. I don't know if its supposed to mean anything at all, but it makes me happy to see people be happy being creative and performing. Yeah ;*)
So now my son is 20 and I'm try to get back into the things that I kind of feel I missed out on because I was busy playing mom. One of those things was music. I fancied myself to be artistic and musically inclined ever since my mom told me I was named after Judy Garland and I figured out I can sing. That woman had pipes and I can belt it out similarly. My tiny being can fill a room with voice as if I were on a Broadway stage. It's frightening to me to think about it.
I was always the art student through school taking higher classes that most and these had to be approved by the teacher because I had always excelled in this area. I struggled in Algebra 2, but in Home Handcrafts and Intermediate Art 3-4.
So artists flock to and travel among other artists and my tally I believe up to this point in time is one drummer, one pop god, one rock god, and I also befriended a girl bass player because she's just so dang nice and we have other things in common to talk about in life. Sometimes, I play merch girl and hock their CD's and buttons at the shows I attend.
I have also befriended 5 graphic artists within this same stretch of time. I don't know if its supposed to mean anything at all, but it makes me happy to see people be happy being creative and performing. Yeah ;*)
Demon Rat Dog
I grew up with big working dogs around the house as a kid so it's no wonder that's what I'd perfer if I had one now. Bloodhounds, Labs, Spanials, Sheppards, Great Danes, etc. You get the picture. I don't have a dog now though because I know they are lots of work and cats don't demand so much of your energy and time. That works for me.
Drama Boy has got a Chihuahua. Its ancestors were bred originally for ceremonial sacrifices by the Aztecs and Toltecs. The Chihuahua is named after the Mexican state. It's origins can be dated back to antiquity. This dog is classified as one of the Toy Dog Group. The Chihuahua was first Registered by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in 1904.
I nicknamed it Rat Dog. I generally don't get along with yappy, nervous things very well. This animals tries my patience. As a puppy, it used to sleep in a doggie bed in the corner of it's master's bedroom, but in the middle of the night, would curl up on the amster's bed to get warm. In the middle of a hot summer night, you can imagine what people do and we fell asleep in the bed with only a sheet covering two naked bodies and I woke up straight away to a cold nose and a lick on my brown eye. I felt defiled and disgusted. Damn ass dog. Then in the morning, I could not find my underwear. The dog was using it as a chew toy in his doggie bed that night.
I was so shaken by it, I couldn't talk about it for like a week and finaly told him what had happened and he just laughed. It was over a year and a half later that he tried to contact me since moving to Long Beach.
On the way out, rat dog bit me on the hand because I tried to get between him and his master. I hate that demon dog. f*ck.
Drama Boy has got a Chihuahua. Its ancestors were bred originally for ceremonial sacrifices by the Aztecs and Toltecs. The Chihuahua is named after the Mexican state. It's origins can be dated back to antiquity. This dog is classified as one of the Toy Dog Group. The Chihuahua was first Registered by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in 1904.
I nicknamed it Rat Dog. I generally don't get along with yappy, nervous things very well. This animals tries my patience. As a puppy, it used to sleep in a doggie bed in the corner of it's master's bedroom, but in the middle of the night, would curl up on the amster's bed to get warm. In the middle of a hot summer night, you can imagine what people do and we fell asleep in the bed with only a sheet covering two naked bodies and I woke up straight away to a cold nose and a lick on my brown eye. I felt defiled and disgusted. Damn ass dog. Then in the morning, I could not find my underwear. The dog was using it as a chew toy in his doggie bed that night.
I was so shaken by it, I couldn't talk about it for like a week and finaly told him what had happened and he just laughed. It was over a year and a half later that he tried to contact me since moving to Long Beach.
On the way out, rat dog bit me on the hand because I tried to get between him and his master. I hate that demon dog. f*ck.
Cool little house - now what?
I got to see Drama Boy's cool little house he bought in the American Heights section of Long Beach. How to describe it... late 1950's suburban, detached garage in the back. Tiny rooms, pink tiled main bathroom which mostly looks original, refinished oak wood floors. The porch is built out to another room next to the kitchen, there is no dishwasher or pantry, but he does have a washer/dryer stack in a washroom. So the configuration now is 3 bdr/2bth. I think the sq footage might be a tad more than mine, but he's got a nicer yard. Kudos!
Ooh yeah! - I just noticed he's blocks away from Vets Stadium where they hold the Antiques and Collectibles Show once a month. I wonder if he's felling up to that?
Ooh yeah! - I just noticed he's blocks away from Vets Stadium where they hold the Antiques and Collectibles Show once a month. I wonder if he's felling up to that?
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Am I sick or am I sick?
If you have a sore throat, are you sick? Probably not - it's just sore. But with congestion, sneezing and a productive cough, yes, in my book that is definialtely sick. Drama Boy could not decide if he was really sick enough or not in order to attend a friends birthday party. Why am I here and he's sick? He always does this to me and I think unconsciously, he wants me to take care of him when he's feeling down. I think the last time I saw him, he had the flu. If he stopped dipping, a disgusting habit he picked up in college playing baseball, maybe he wouldn't be so sick all the damn time. You see, he slept with the window open all night which normally would not be a problem if it was the middle of the summer, but lately it's been foggy and cold in the morning. The cold, moist air crepted into his room while the window was open and went right to his throat. I know for a fact I cannot sleep with an open window at my place because the same thing happens to me when I do.
Before I left on Saturday morning, I made a store run to buy Sudafed, Cold-eze and orange juice for me sick friend. The local Girl Scouts were selling cookies, too, so I bought a box of Thin Mints. I hope I got out of there before I caught anything.
Before I left on Saturday morning, I made a store run to buy Sudafed, Cold-eze and orange juice for me sick friend. The local Girl Scouts were selling cookies, too, so I bought a box of Thin Mints. I hope I got out of there before I caught anything.
I can't shop at my local PetCo anymore
Immediately after dinner at China Palace, we hop into my car and jet over to PetCo a few blocks away. Drama Boy is in need of a new doggie door for his rat dog and he had put me in charge of the printout of the one he likes that he found on the PetCo website. I just hoped they had the same styles in-store. You know how flaky stores can be with that sometimes. Target is notorious about web only items, but they are clearly marked.
O.K., so we walk in and I head for the dog area because 1) I can read and 2) I know the store while he's accosting the help to enlist them on his quest for doggie doors. We both locate the display at the endcap at about the same time. They have two materials to choose from and three sizes so that's a one in six choice, right? He can't decide whether his rat dog would prefer the medium door over the small door. I think from a home security standpoint, I'd get the small one to inhibit illegal entry by utilizing said door to reach inside and unlock the backdoor. Now he wants to open the box to see what's inside. I'm rolling my eyes at this point but trying to hold my composure because I feel if I stay neutral, maybe this fiasco will end quicker. The sight is stressing me out and full of chinese food I now have to go to the bathroom bad. The clerk tells me its located past the bird section, to the right through double doors.
I conduct my business in the bathroom and walk to the checkout stands thinking he'd be done and paying for his items, but no! I walk further, again, over to the display area and now he's got three people helping him, he's talking about playing in bands in LA, doing is PR thing, and has got two boxes open. He's also located the display samples and fondling them as well. I'm amused and slowly becoming mentally exhausted watching him get the store help into a tizzy and generally making a spectacle of himself. O.K., decision made, his first choice - yes, and how he's onto to toys, treats, snacks, and weird lamb meat packaged in a sausage tube. After checking out, he makes a sexist comment about the sausage shaped lamb dog food and I tell him it's not funny.
Back at his pad, he later pulls out of his pocket a phone number of one of the girls that was helping him at PetCo saying her husband plays bass, yadda. yadda, etc. Can't take him anywhere and I probably can't shop at my local PetCo anymore know the girls will want to talk about his shit again. Gees.
Movies, movies, movies
After dinner, Drama Boy realizes that he is truly feeling too ill to attend a birthday party at a bar his friends are at and decides rest and relaxation at home is called for. He makes vodka drinks and tells me to pick out a movie. It's Saturday night and I'm feeling my need for crime drama. I pick,"The Usual Suspects". SOB, Benicio Del Toro looked so good in that movie, mmm. We get maybe 30 minutes into the film and Drama Boy and I get to talking about movies in general and I said I picked this one because I have not seen it before, but I like sci-fi. He says go pick a sci-fi. I go to the hall wall where the movies are and I'm struggling because to be honest with you, he's got more chick flicks than I do. So it takes me about 10 minutes to peruse through his disorganization and I find "The Core" and "Matrix Reloaded". He decides my first choice is sufficient now we're on a discussion about his electronics set-up and we are getting blasted with the four various bass booster settings he's demonstrating. Yes, it's loud, and it sounds fine. Now I realize his ears are plugged up from his cold because it's booming and I find the remote and turn it down a little. In between this all, his little rat dog is also providing its own brand of entertainment trying to settle itself. We end up watching the entire movie chatting and chilling out until 4AM'ish and crash.
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