...and just like that!

Paris Street Food

2012-02-09T04:05:00.000-08:00

After my first visit to Paris I always felt that it was in my blood. Probably because I'm Cajun and could possibly be a decedent of those poor souls that was kicked out of Canada I think a part, a big part of my heart is Parisian to a point, but French none the less. Every visit is typically the same; we forage for food. We are always on the look out for a pastries, or a stinky cheese shop or

British Twits Tweet their way home

2012-01-31T07:34:00.000-08:00

Two British touists were barred from entering the United States after joking on Twitter about “destroying America”. Leigh Van Bryan and Emily Bunting’s Twitter feeds were monitored by US special agents who also took exception to a comment about “digging up Marilyn Monroe”, the Sun reported. read more ->British Teens Barred From U.S. Entry Due to Twitter Feed

Kazakhstan Subway System Opens After 23 Years

2012-01-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

I'm very interested in visiting old USSR countries....this could be worth the trek! Kazakhstan Subway System Opens After 23 Years

Nothing new...moving along

2012-01-23T02:52:00.000-08:00

Ok so nothing new to report....really. It's a brand new year but for some reason it hasn't felt like brand new anything. I could go down the list of things that has changed but that would really make for a boring read and obviously I don't want to bore anyone and it'd be a very short list. As for the things that haven't changed the list is the same as it was in December 2011 and even January

Christkindlesmarkt

2011-12-18T09:50:00.000-08:00

You ever do something just because? Well, we did. We really love Christmas and the whole way different cultures celebrate it. We've been mostly exposed to American and for the last 2 years the British, we've spent 3 Christmas seasons here now. We wanted to see how the Germans do it.View allGet your own We decided to travel to Nuremberg Germany to take part in their centuries long tradition of

Rome!

2011-11-30T06:21:00.001-08:00

We recently went to Rome to celebrate our birthdays, yes, our friend Mark has a birthday 2 days from mine. Seems like I know loads of people who have their birthdays in the middle of November. I call us "Valentine Babies". We stayed out of the city at the Rome Cavalieri up above the city. This is an amazing property, great to look over the city if you're on the east side of the building.

Working it....

2011-11-12T08:39:00.001-08:00

I got a job! And now its over. I was contacted by a recruiter to work on a project that was to only last a couple of weeks. I finally got to work in in a different country! Interestingly enough it wasn't that different than working in the US. The project was an laptop swap out with Orange/T-Mobile. Basically employes with old equipment exchanged it for newer equipment. I got to travel to

Rub a cracked mirror?

2011-10-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

You know how you finally achieve something yet you don't want to jinx it? That's how I feel right now. I'm sitting on some good news but want it to gain in momentum before I start advertising it. I often feel that if I start getting excited over something like this or talk to loads of people about my excitement I'll jinx it....I'll bring the fragile house of cards crumbling down. I'm

and now for something weird

2011-10-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

It's no big secret that I'm looking for a job while here in London. I have been for almost 2 years. Doesn't that sound really pathetic? Actually it's very normal for most everyone here. If you don't have one before you come here it's really hard to get one and then it takes loads of time. The process is very different from in the US where you have to deal with recruiters mostly before you

Has it come to this....?

2011-09-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

Ok so I'm guilty. I'm guilty of having way too much time on my hands to spend with Facebook. The time could have been spent being much more productive. I have to admit that I've been able to reconnect with old friends and classmates and even with some people I hardly knew/know with being on Facebook. It's been great to find out how many of my classmates from high school are now grand parents

Driving, A Church, A Castle and Chalky Cliffs

2011-09-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

We spent last weekend driving down to Canterbury and Dover, this was 2 places Kevin wanted to check out for a while. This whole driving thing here always gets me a little stressed out. Ok, it gets me very stressed out. Kevin and I both aren't the best at navigating the streets of London and with most of the street signage on the sides of buildings it's hard to know which street is coming up

Slipping & where did Summer go?

2011-09-04T01:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm slipping! Just looked at the amount of post I've had in the last year and I'm really lazy! I have to get a grip on keeping you all informed on my amazing life! Shame on me! Summer was pretty much non-existent here. I got back from Salt Lake City in mid April and it was really warm here, and actually the warmest month of the year! I had hoped to see the cherry trees in bloom when I

København

2011-08-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Made it! Finally! We were planing to go to Copenhagen early this year but couldn't get the dates to work with other things. Finally we found a date that worked and off we went. We had to plan the hotel and the flights then work on the transfers but it wasn't too difficult. We're getting to be very good at finding flights that work for us and hotels that are suggested on a few, trusted web

It didn't work out....or did it?

2011-08-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

A friend recently put this article on Facebook "6 Reasons Your Plans to Move Abroad Might Not Work Out" It's written by a true immigrant who moved around a bit and is now in Los Angeles. I thought it would be fun reading this only to find it a little frustrating. It did make me miss the California. While I agree with some of the items listed, not all applies to my circumstances. I've only

Service Included?

2011-08-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

Last week I went for my bi-annual check up and cleaning with the dentist. We were warned by so many people in the States that we'd not find decent dental care here. I think that stems from historically looking at bad teeth on the Brits. Maybe that's true to a point. Those who warned us about the care failed to warn us about the customer service. Customer Service It's a difficult subject

The Hills Are......Wet?

2011-07-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

When I was in Salt Lake City earlier this year I managed to order a few of our favorite author’s travel books and Austria was one of them. We both wanted to see Austria so we picked Vienna and Salzburg for a 6 day trip. Planning it was mostly Kevin’s doing. Not to worry there, he’d be filling every day with so many things to do that I would start jogging daily to get my legs in shape! He

AaaaLittle more to the right

2011-06-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

No, I’m not talking about political views and opinions. Even with the Republicans ramping up for a go at Obama next year. I’m talking about the world map. We Americans may have this perception that the dirt we live on is the center of the planet, mostly because of the big stick we have been swinging around for decades. When you consider where the shift is going to and away from you have to

One month later....

2011-05-27T01:30:00.000-07:00

I've been back in Blighty for just over a month now and actually it's really not been such a 'blighty' time. I left Salt Lake City with a little cold front going through the area and we had snow flurries where I was wrapped up with cold weather clothes only to arrive in London where they temps were hitting a record high! Sweating as I walked through the jetway, lugging my heavy leather coat and

Sick Puppy

2011-05-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

No, not the naughty or dirty minded kind, we have a sick dog. The week started at 3am when I hear Bentley vomiting. I'm a light sleeper for maybe this very reason. He seemed fine after cleaning it up. The next day he didn't eat much and threw up a few more times. We figured it was a bug or something he ate. Little did we know it was something he ate. He's always picking up something off

Road Home

2011-04-22T02:48:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday was one of those days. Well, not a bad one but one with hurdles and challenges. Since I couldn't get everything I wanted to in my bagzillas I had to ship a few things and thankfully Puna has an employee discount with FedEx. I put stuff in a box that I figured would be better off than in my luggage. TSA would certainly go through my things and by shipping them it would make

All done.....

2011-04-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

I was given a huge opportunity. I had always wanted to work with a solid winter guard program and I did. I had to sacrifice a bunch with my family in London and me moving to Salt Lake City for 3 months. Kevin was mostly supportive and I'm sure the dogs really didn't like it at first but they got used to it but not at first. I knew it'd be rough on all parties involved but this was something I

Time is fleeting!

2011-03-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, and it flies too!I'm humming a tune from Rocky Horror right now...."Time Warp". I've been in the States going on 3 months and time is speeding up! I have about 25 days left here before I head back to London. It's astounding.....how time has flown by. Of course there were times when I could have done without the stupid drama that is known as winterguard and it's ugly side of petty

Still speeding along

2011-03-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras....sigh.....I'm in Salt Lake City where I'm certain there won't be a decent celebration for this way-out-of-place Cajun. I thought about having a King Cake but I'll just have to settle for an Apple Fritter from the 7-11 down the street with a cup of their coffee. It'll be the next best thing, right? I just hope it's fresh.I have been amazingly busy since I've been here.

Speeding Bullet

2011-02-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

It's been a while.....So I've been in Utah for a over a month now and I'm actually about half way through my stay here. It was incredibly busy the 1st 3 weeks here. The team had to prep for their 1st performance and also their 1st contest which also, happened to be their home show. Susan, the director and my host had her hands full with costumes for 2 teams, with loads of details. I'm really

Weekend Update

2011-01-23T21:31:00.001-08:00

Yup, the weekend is now coming to an end and we're starting another week!I have 1 costume to cut outI got into the Substitute Teaching pool with the school district and actually got 1 day last week!I got a pretty decent massageI had Wendy'sI went to a staple of Americana dinning for a big Grand Slam BreakfastI had a very long day with the team and we did our first showing for evaluationI got to

Dis and Dat

2011-01-20T21:48:00.000-08:00

So I'm now in U-TAH and well, it's been incredibly busy. I landed and was whisked off to my new temp home with my temp family. I have to say that I felt like a member even before I unpacked. My temp family is so welcoming and have been really helpful with the transition.My first full day hasn't been any different than the 9 days that followed. I'm completely engulfed in a pile of teal blue satin

Happy 2nd day of the New Year!

2011-01-02T03:42:00.000-08:00

Yup, 2010 has come and gone. Out with the old in with the older? I have to say 2010 hasn't been all that bad. I can only complain about 2 things, not finding work here and it being not as warm as I'd like. One of those I can do something about the other well, I could do something about it.I did get here during one of the coldest January on record and I may be leaving here after one of the

One year down....

2010-12-10T01:59:00.001-08:00

So I’ve been here a year now. As with most things that happen with time it seems like last week when I rushed from the house on Stearns Drive with my dogs ahead of me and my friends Domi and Mimi driving me to the airport. Their BMW 325 coupe packed up with my gi-normous bags filling every space and one on my lap we made it to the airport with some time to spare. It didn’t hit me that I was

Doing it right

2010-11-18T02:35:00.000-08:00

I always said I wanted to celebrate my 50th birthday in Paris and well, I did. Having moved to London made it so much easier. I only wished I could have had some of my friends come over, I had to be realistic on that one. None the less, I did it! I made it to 50! The trip was wonderful! Beyond words as how to describe it. I can never thank our friend Mark for making it extra special. He pulled

Welcome to England

2010-11-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

I was just pointed over to this article....sums up a bunch of feelingsMy American FriendsLetter From Londonby Geoff DyerThe New York Times

Shifting the gear

2010-10-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

Today was spent moving the warm weather clothes out and the cold weather clothes in. We've used Space Bags to help us with this as we certainly don't have the amazing space we have in our LA home, 3 bedrooms with 3 closets AND not counting all the drawer space too. Not such a big deal as we've learned and are still learning how to cope with the space issues. Thankfully we do have a 2nd bedroom/

Season of Change?

2010-09-29T01:10:00.000-07:00

I had a certain expectation of what the Fall or Autumn(the English don't know "Fall" as a season) would be like here. Lately it's been wet and moist and gray. The parks smell like wet dirt or "earthy" I've been told. I just hope it dries out a little. We do have some trees that have started to drop their leaves and change of color too. Mostly the ivy on the sides of building have been changing

Decisions, decisions

2010-09-17T02:51:00.000-07:00

I'm creeping up on 1 year of living here in London and I'm still not able to find a job within my previous career path. I don't understand why this is either. I expected to find something, even if it was part-time or contract for a few months but it seems as though I may have a few things working against me. I suspect one major thing is that I'm not a UK citizen. The fact that I'm considered

Don’t fly Ryanair….unless

2010-09-02T03:49:00.000-07:00

unless you want to put up with what could be a long day or a few moments of frustration. We decided to fly to Stockholm this past weekend; we planned it out a few weeks ago. We thought it would be best to go up north there while it’s still warm enough to walk around and not have to wear our ski gear. We picked Ryanair this time over other airlines for the cost. This is the only reason anyone

Domestication

2010-08-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I'll ever get a job here in this silly country. I've been searching using one method then switching to a different one then yet one more. Still no movement. I have had some calls, a few here and there. It's been a little frustrating. I'm reminded of a line from "The Devil Wears Prada", "By all means, move at a glacial pace". The thing is they post "urgent" on some listings yet

Strange days...

2010-08-20T03:28:00.000-07:00

These are very strange days indeed. Recently I lost a very good friend and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. How could someone who seemed so healthy and especially young have died. It's hard to imagine. Now I have another very good friend who's in the hospital here in London fighting for his life. He made it through chemotherapy for cancer recently and decided to plan a trip to

A bright, new star in the heavens

2010-08-12T01:05:00.000-07:00

This week has been a tough one on the emotional level. A very dear friend has lost her daughter. I was introduced to Susan about 10 years ago through a friend, he suggested I go up to Salt Lake City to judge for their circuit. He felt that I'd hit it off with her and he was right. I found a kindred spirit with her. She introduced me to her children, Sean & Sara both of who were members of

Where have I been?!

2010-08-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a month since I've been here! I'm a bad blogger! Now I get to play catch-up. Lets see....Matthew has come and gone and we did our trop to Paris and now July as come and gone!Matthew’s visit was really fun and I learned something about myself in the process. I really enjoyed seeing the sites, most I had

Update from the last 7 days

2010-07-08T06:12:00.000-07:00

This past week has been extremely busy, well at least for my feet. Our friend from Los Angeles, Matthew came to stay with us on his month long visit to Europe. He arrived last Friday morning and we took off from there. The only time I actually sat still for more than 2 hours was Saturday evening for the Rufus Wainwright concert at Hampstead Heath's Kenwood House.I got to learn more about how to

Nothing new....sorta

2010-06-27T04:53:00.000-07:00

I'm still dealing with the pollen in the air, seems like the whole month of June is going to be this way. I've managed to deal with it using OTC drugs, I don't remember it being a problem last year in July when I was here for a week. Hopefully this will be over soon. The weather has been really great lately, it's warming up nicely and sunny most of the time, even when it's overcast it's still

Weekend...

2010-06-14T03:06:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a busy one. Our friend Mark finally moved into his new flat just 10 minutes walk from ours. I, for one, am thrilled he's here! He's one of the few friends I have here that isn't associated with the film industry. Don't get me wrong, I understand what got me here in the 1st place and I've made some pretty cool friends here, Lynn and Wendy to name a few. It's just nice to

The Experience of a Lifetime

2010-06-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

This weekend begins the journey for over 2000 people when they leave from San Francisco and mount their bicycles and pedal over 500 miles in 7 days down to Los Angeles. I've been lucky enough to do this life experience 3 times. The firs time I did this I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to complete even the 1st day but I managed to ride every mile. I've completed every mile every time...

Finding purpose

2010-05-28T01:46:00.000-07:00

As I approach the 6 month mark of living here, June 4th, I have to think am I actually "living" here? Most people's idea of making a life somewhere is to be working, which I'm not, and enjoying the locale, I'm still working on, and being happy....we'll get to that.Item one, working. I've been trying to find a job in the same field I was in before, IT Support, with very little luck. I felt it

Mid May

2010-05-19T01:37:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since my last post....mostly because I don't have a bunch new stuff to report.We did have a great visit from Jessi Foell and her family this month. They came in for a quick trip to Brussels then spent a week here in London. Jules is 11 months old now and has been discovering his voice....it's a big one! I think Pepper was the most affected by this visit, she seems to be much

Ahhhh - chooo!

2010-04-27T02:37:00.000-07:00

Spring has certainly sprung here in London. I can tell because I’m sneezing! I admit I like seeing leaves on the trees and greener grass and all the pretty Cherry Trees in bloom. Thankfully I do have some OTC meds to help me out with the pollen and whatever else is in the air here. I’ve been wearing shorts for a few days now too, it’s warming up some mid day enough to bare the white legs.

Back and Forth

2010-04-14T01:50:00.000-07:00

I just returned from yet another trip to the States. This time to experience world championships for winter guard. Dayton Ohio isn't where I would think this activity would be based but it seems like they found a 'home' there....I wish they would rotate it around more. Best of all I got to see friends I hadn't seen for a year or more. I spent time withh my friend Jessi and we got to laugh and

Something out of a movie

2010-04-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Kevin wanted to head out to Bath for the long 4 day "Bank Holiday". It was an experience that I won't soon forget. He insist on getting a driver's licence here and decided we'd drive to Bath. It's about 2 hours west of London but with everyone else on the roads and the weather and the 'scheduled maintenance' the trip took about 3 or 4 depending on if you count that stop off at

Rainy Spring

2010-03-31T02:30:00.000-07:00

I believe spring is arriving here in the United Kingdom yet it's still cold and wet. I have a feeling 'wet' will be on a daily basis here. I remember watching the Wimbledon tennis matches on TV and it rained on some of the games. I was here in July for a week and it rained then too. Oh and that quick overnight stop here on a return from Italy to Los Angeles, it rained. When I lived in Los

Planes, trains and shuttle service…..again

2010-03-18T03:27:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow I'm headed to Orlando Florida for the weekend. I've had this passion for pageantry arts for 35 years, as a performer, teacher and now adjudicator. This trip is part of the attempt to gain a level of completion. WGI is Winter Guard International and I've been hoping to be considered for this for about 3 years now, not consecutively but maybe I should say I've wanted this for 10 years all

Ski Trip To Italy

2010-03-11T02:55:00.000-08:00

We recently went to the Italian Dolomities for a ski trip. The initial plan was to go with friends we have here in London, but sadly due to some lost Passport problems our friends couldn't go with us. They were the ones that found the incredible lodge we stayed in and also the location we were going to ski.The trip started out for us very early in the morning, thankfully we had a friend stay with

Buses, Trains and Planes

2010-03-01T06:31:00.000-08:00

Here I am in the Netherlands. I’ve made the trip to Drachten, look it up on some internet map. I’ve realized that the farther you go away from Amsterdam in the country the less *English* the people speak. I’ve had to fly over from London getting up at 4am to walk from home 30 minutes to catch a bus to Paddington Station. A train there to Heathrow which takes about 30 minutes then change to a

Another day

2010-02-23T02:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was trying to figure out what to do about my new brick previously called 'iPhone'. Yes, I brought my iPhone over with me from the states, this was one of those impulsive buys I had a year ago. I really enjoyed using the phone and all it's great features. When I was in Dayton last year my friend Jessi and I used the GPS and map features to find places to eat and where the events where

Chinese New Years!

2010-02-22T00:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we made it out to the National Portrait Gallery, it was the fine because the weather was cloudy and rainy. No sign of what was ahead of us either with regards to the events of Chinese New Years. I had read that the actual celebration was on the 14th here in London. Apparently it last longer than a day. The streets of Chinatown had loads of colorful lanterns all over the place. I

Adjusting to the left?

2010-02-10T01:51:00.000-08:00

Getting to the middle of February already! 2010 is really coming in quick and seems that it won’t slow down. The days here in London are getting longer and actually have had some days with a few hours of sunshine! Yesterday and this morning we’ve had some snow flurries, nothing serious, it doesn’t stick. I take the dogs to the nearby squares or parks and have noticed some flowers sprouting up

2 Months down

2010-02-04T02:27:00.000-08:00

I've been here for 2 months now. Amazing how quickly that time has passed. It's as though I can remember December 3rd 2009 very easily. The days have gotten longer since mid December which has helped with the adjustment. Our things arrived mostly unscathed, we had a dented trash can and a broken glass on a picture. The movers were put through hell when they had to haul up our big American

Walking around some....

2010-02-04T02:14:00.000-08:00

We went for a walk last weekend.... We went form Victoria Station down to the Thames then walk along Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square. This is Westminster Cathedral, it's Catholic and actually very unimpressive. it's tower(out of view) is very tall but that's about the only thing that makes it remotely interesting. The inside is amazingly dark, as in the top or ceiling is dark brick.

Miss Communication

2010-01-25T01:25:00.000-08:00

Yes this weekend we had a visitor, Miss Communication. Mostly with the London Transportation. Saturday was fine, we got some things done around the house then met up with friends at Bourgh Market, it's like a big farmer's market. It's a wonderful place with all kinds of goodies! The coffee at Monmouth Coffee is amazing! I couldn't believe the queue (line) that formed for cup of this great

The weekend....

2010-01-11T01:41:00.000-08:00

I'm still in adjustment mode, I think I'll be in that mode for a few more months at the pace I'm going. I moved here in December and really wasn't aware of the way things "work" or don't work here in the UK. Expect nothing and certainly expect everything to take way longer than you can imagine. Like I brought my cashier's check to the bank the week after I got here and they've still not collected

1st Month, New Year, New Decacade

2010-01-04T01:37:00.000-08:00

I've been here for a month now, still no regrets. Not that I really would have any, it's not my nature to do that. I have had some moments when I think it's silly to be here, like today when it's hovering at the freezing mark and won't move from that for the rest of the week while Los Angeles is having 75 degrees(F)! As we've said "We're in LONDON!" So still making the best of it.I opened a bank

First Full Week

2009-12-11T10:07:00.001-08:00

I've been in London, my new home for a full week now and I am getting closer to getting my sleeping in order but the short day is still a little bit of trouble to come to grips with. The daylight comes in about 7:30am and leaves near 4pm. There's something about seeing darkness at that time that makes you think it's later than it is. I hear it gets worst as it gets shorter before it gets longer.

48 hours plus

2009-12-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

Ok - I made it. I left LA in a blur, really! The pet relocation service showed up at noon and my friends Domi and Mimi were right there, they were giving me a ride to the airport. I had last minute cleaning to do and some friends wanted to stop by to see me before I left. This cause me to rush and get some things done in less than half the time. I got what I could done, leaving things in the

Last Night

2009-12-02T21:32:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here at home in a very big and empty house with my 2 dogs trying to remember what I did on my last night in Lafayette, Louisiana. I can't. Is that terrible? I mean, it was almost 14 years ago, maybe I'm getting to where I can't remember major events? Tonight I went for Mexican food with my dear friend Chris. I can't think of a better person do this with. I met him through Kevin,

Pricey Pooch and Parking

2009-11-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how expensive dogs and parking tickets can be! I had to run to the Vet on Saturday to get some paper work filled out for the move to London. The orginal paper work was picked up by the movers and is somewhere between Long Beach and London by way of the Panama Canal. While there, waiting, I managed to get a parking ticket...$40. I guess I shouldn't complain because I've been

Being Thankful

2009-11-26T19:40:00.001-08:00

It's coming down to the final 5 days.If someone would have told me 15 years ago that I'd be living in Los Angeles I would have said they were nuts. I would have never thought I'd have made it here...me the 'big fish in the small pond' called Lafayette moving to Los Angeles. I remember the day I left from seeing my parents one last time then driving out to see Jonathan at his work, which was on

Countdown!

2009-11-22T11:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, - 10 days!

Happy Birthday to ME!

2009-11-17T16:09:00.001-08:00

Yes, today I turn 49. I can honestly say it is just a number....as I don't feel any different then 45. I remember the milestones clearly. At 25 Allan Dekko asked me how does it feel to be a Quarter of a Century old. At 30 I was with friends in Lafayette, Louisiana. At 40 I was with close friends in Las Vegas. Next year I plan on being in Paris France for my 50th!I got a call late yesterday

Sunday

2009-11-15T08:02:00.000-08:00

It's getting chilly here in Los Angeles...well, maybe it's just a slow moving front that we won't have for very long. Yesterday I had probably 15 calls about the Xterre, I posted it on Craigslist for sale. I didn't expect that many calls as I've been posting my motorcycle on there for months and nothings happened. I called my friend Mike last night on my way home from Oxnard, I had a band show to

Friday the 13th

2009-11-13T21:08:00.000-08:00

Today was an interesting day. I had a great day but....maybe the bad luck isn't mine?Yesterday I gave notice to my employer of almost 14 years and went in hoping for no surprises, but I think I caught my former manager off guard with my announcement. "I don't think there's any better way to do this....but I'm turning in my resignation". I think this was not what she was expecting. We had a

Finally!

2009-11-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

After months of trying not to spill the beans I can finally "talk" about the big MOVE! It seems like forever and 3 weeks since I was in London looking for a place to live. Being apart has been hard, harder than I thought it would be. We have Skype and emails but it's still that human touch one becomes used to.Today marks 10 working days and 20 calendar days before me and the pups can go over.

Prison pups serve those who served

2009-11-11T10:04:00.001-08:00

OTISVILLE, N.Y. — The state prison here sits among green rolling hills in southern New York. It is a medium-security prison, so it's not unusual to see inmates in green prison garb shuffling from one building to another. What is surprising is to see an inmate walking his dog. read more

True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle

2009-11-04T08:41:00.000-08:00

'Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle'When Maj. Brian Dennis of the United States Marine Corps met a wild stray dog with shorn ears while serving in Iraq, he had no idea of the bond they would form, leading to seismic changes in both their lives. "The general theme of the story of Nubs is that if you're kind to someone, they'll never forget you -- whether it be person or animal,"

Amazing doggies!

2009-10-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

Being grateful and tired!

2009-10-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

I have lots to be grateful for. These past few days my dear friend, Jonathan, came up from Louisiana to vacation and have me abuse him. I warned him about what I was going to be doing while here and he seemed ok with it all. Granted he's not at his home doing some of the mundane chores he would do there...cutting the mini jungle he calls his back yard or maybe painting his replaced fascia

Texas part deux

2009-10-12T15:29:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was Texas the sequel. I had another band show down in Houston. I flew out on Saturday morning at the butt crack of dark! Whats with this getting and staying dark earlier or am I just not aware of the fact we're ending the year?The flight down wasn't too bad, I had a row ALL TO MYSELF! They kept announcing it was a full flight but apparently it wasn't full in the back of the

Lazy or Laxy?

2009-10-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

Why is it I had to call 3 times to get my motorcycle paid off? I called on Sept 28th for the pay off amount and spoke with a "customer service" person. I gave them all the information they needed. They've been deducting the monthly payments since I bought the bike back in June 2007 with no problems. I figured it was a done deal and I'd be seeing the title to the bike in the mail this week.

Tex Mex anyone?

2009-10-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

Headed down south......WAAAAAAAAAY down south. I'm starting off my Fall High School Marching Band season in Laredo Texas, YA'LL.I'm not expecting them to be awesome or fab-u-los but I'm hoping for clean marching and entertainment. It's early in the season by Southern California standards, we get started this weekend here too...but it goes till the 1st weekend in December so it's a very long

Vote NO on Prop 1

2009-09-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

Here we go againMaine residents Vote NO on Prop 1

Don't Even Reply

2009-09-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

This is just plain AWESOME!Emails from an A-HoleWhat is this? This is a collection of e-mails I have sent to people who post classified ads. My goal is to mess with them, confuse them, and/or piss them off.Thanks Uma!

Stop Listening To Him Then

2009-09-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

Stop Listening To Him Then

This past weekend....

2009-09-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

I managed to get lots of work done in the yard this weekend. The yard man didn't show up on Thursday so I had grass to cut, I did that right after work on Friday thinking it would take longer than it did. I'd forgotten how easy it is to do that even with a non-gas push clipper. I guess I shouldn't complain as I did my part for reducing my carbon footprint even if I managed to cut back plant

For those of you who need a little help

2009-09-12T08:37:00.001-07:00

Head South

2009-09-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

I'm headed South tomorrow to the homeland. Going to visit my 83 year old Dad and 2 nephews....one of which is turning 30 on Saturday. 30! Wow I remember feeding him and changing his diapers! I hope the weather there is as pleasant as I'm hearing it is right now for the weekend. I don't mind the heat and humidity as long as I know I don't have to stay in it for very long.Should be fun as I'm

Smoke Signals

2009-08-31T13:15:00.000-07:00

The fire season in Southern California started earlier than expected this year. Right now there's a huge fire burning just 20 miles to the north east of downtown Los Angeles. In fact, the only cloud in the sky we have right now is the smoke cloud. From my office window you can see what looks like a volcano eruption taking place with the huge tower of smoke.Sunday I was in Pasadena just below

Working on the weekend

2009-08-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a short, quick trip up to Mammoth Lakes to finally remove that bothersome cabinet that I've wanted to take down for years. In the shot you can see the overhead cabinets closing off the kitchen, its on the left, white and very boring.Here you can see the aftermath of the removal. We had new counters put in recently, major improvement over those that were original to the 1970's

Sleepy

2009-08-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

Last night I was laying on the floor watching something on the DVR and I look up and see these faces enjoying the chair and ottoman.

Everybody Wants To Rule The World

2009-08-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

So I'm loving how Pandora.com has become my savior at work. I'm sitting in my 'office' alone and removed from most of the chatter of the rest of the group I work with. Soon I'll have my old roommate back, we were told yesterday that she'll be back for a 3 month contract. Here we know that 3 months turns into 12 months or longer. I'll have to probably turn down my music since I won't be alone

Do what you have to do

2009-08-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Feeling a little out of sorts today....this sums it up.

Something New!

2009-08-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

Today at work I'm going to have a relaxing day and I've probably now just jinxed myself.I went on a random search of other blogs of note. I ran across this one. Honestly everyone of the postings made my mouth water!I've actually printed out a few post just to have in case the blog goes down!Gigi CakesReally - how bad can this be? "The cupcakes are a chiffon cake topped off with rose water

and so it begins

2009-08-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow starts the madness....sorta. I shouldn't call it madness, as it's not really that mad/crazy for me. I'm talking about High School Marching Band Field Competitions. Most of the local schools in Southern California have already had their pre-school camps and clinics, some have put at least half of their programs together on the field. Interestingly enough, here in S. California, the

Where the Wild Things Are

2009-08-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

I hope the trailers aren't showing all the best parts

Weekend Update

2009-08-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend was filled with all kinds of new sensations and experiences. Friday I was at dinner at Electric Karma with Leza and Luis, we were celebrating Leza's Birthday. There were a few familiar faces in the much smaller group than last years gathering. Only one potential supermodel type this time around. The food was wonderful! My favorite is still Chakra in Beverly Hills. The birthday cake

Cutting Loose!

2009-08-04T08:43:00.001-07:00

I have some great news....well, for me that is.I went to my last Orthodontist visit last week!Yes, after 5 years he tells me that I should continue to wear the retainers at night and that this should keep everything in place. Trust me, after all the work I've done and all the money and time I've spent on my jaws I'm going to listen to this expert!No regrets.I still have numbness in my chin and

Cute!

2009-07-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

Foundationsclick on the link above to watch the video

This should get the blood pumping!

2009-07-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

I would recommend turning up the volume and getting your Cha-Cha shoes on!(maybe not something you want to crank up at work)

Role Baby!

2009-07-11T14:55:00.001-07:00

This is to inspire my dear friends Justin and Jessi ......and Jules!

Belated 4th

2009-07-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went up to our little condo in the mountains, Mammoth Lakes, CA. We drove up early on Friday morning with hardly any traffic. Typically it takes about 5 to 5 1/2 hours to get up there this time it only took 4 1/2 hours. Guess we had a very good tail wind.The spring season up there is very short....VERY short. This means that if any plant life wants to get it's groove on it

Weekend Update

2009-06-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

We're having fun this week, Kevin's mom, Fran's Valley (she's starting a new blog herself) is visiting and staying away from the heat of Southern Ari-Zonie. I'm hearing it's like 100 plus with a slight chance of rain......rain? What's this thing you call 'rain'?We had our friends Domi & Mimi with Sophia over for dinner last night. I whipped up some Gulf of Mexico Brown Shrimp Ettouffe for

Hollywood

2009-06-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to Hollywood to catch the once a month production from some of the best improv people in the business. We walked over to Blue Palms Brewhouse on Hollywood Blvd for dinner. It's near the Pantages Theater and offers a great Pub food and a huge assortment of beers. I had the Burger #2 and it's outstanding! Even the sides are amazing....great sweet potato fries and red

I'll not complain about living in Los Angeles

2009-06-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Outrageous!The worlds most expensive cities as posted by "Business Week" today. Can you imagine having lunch for $60! I love having the $5 Foot Long at Subway!..."In contrast, a quick lunch in Manhattan, the most expensive city in the U.S., averages a relatively modest $18.61."Top 10 Most Expensive Cities in the World 1. Luanda, Angola2008 rank: 1Movie ticket (in US$): 16.85Quick lunch (in US$

Proud Colors of the Rainbow

2009-06-15T08:25:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was LA Pride 2009. I think I've actually missed one of these in the 12 years I've been living here.Pride 2009