Michael In US

Michael is back in the US. He will arrive in California this afternoon. My sister Cindy is waiting in 29 Palms to greet him. He is glad to leave Iraq. I may get to see him this weekend.

College Choices--UPDATED WITH CORRECT DATE

Kyle has been accepted at California State University Sacramento and California State University Fullerton. He is wait-listed at Cal State Northridge. He will graduate on May 28th at 9:00am. More to come as he makes his way through the choices ahead.

CORRECT DATE FOR KYLE'S GRADUATION IS MAY 28, 2005.

Birthday Reminder

We have reservations for 9 people at Uptown Mexican Café, 7040 Greenleaf Ave. on Friday, April 1, 2005 at 6:30 PM for Dave’s birthday. See you there.

Car Dealers' Dream Family

What's going on? Are we at that stage in life when our cars are aged and paid for? It appeared for several in the family that certain signs made it clear that it was time to make a change. Dick & Jane/Mom & Dad got a car in February out of necessity. Then Rob got a car out of necessity. Then Doris/Mom got a car on Monday out of necessity. It's a car shopping frenzy! Sounds like everyone got a good deal and find the joy of something reliable a big benefit. So, congrats to everyone on their new wheels. Now, if I could just keep mine clean...you know, with all this rain and all.

How they do find us

That number way down at the bottom of this page really does count the visits to our humble little blog. Additionally, when folks do a search for something and then link to this, I can see the search terms that were used to get here. It is curious--especially, is everyone's shift key broken??!!??

These are some recent searches:

shower curtin vintage [Steve, got anything to help out?]

peterson remington furniture [hmm, that would be an interesting business--but design? manufacturing? distribution?]

apothacary furniture [Well we do have that new thing in the front room]

"jim touhy"

weather forecast honolulu hawaii "may 10, 2004"

"PLACERVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT"

David praise [this one came from the altavista search engine--Portugese]

glen peterson meda [you rang?]

Welcome to all who find their way here. Hope you enjoyed your visit.

Cayucos Trip

Beth and I just returned the central coast. We stayed in Cayucos at a nice bed and breakfast. Our room was next to the ocean and had a fireplace. Spent time exploring the coast and made our way to Solvang. What a contrast between the coastal valleys filled with cows and grapes and the coast filled with very expensive houses. Here are a couple of our pictures.


This is downtown Cayucos taken from the pier.


What can I say, vintage Solvang.

More on T de C

There is more in the news today about a Tour of California in February 2006. Backers include the Anshutz company: sports franchises owner, Staples Center, on and on. They are investing $35 million into this project to ensure that it has what it take to do it right. The race will have the largest cash prize for the winner than any other US professional bicycle race.

Arnold, the actor who plays the part of California's governor, wants it to happen--and we know he can raise money! And he sent his secretary of education, Richard Riordan to the press conference yesterday. (See a picture of me with Dick below.) Why was Mr. Riordan at the news conference? From the Daily Peloton:

"Leiweke introduced California Secretary of Education and former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who has been an avid cyclist all his life, and who was one of the first people to ride the velodrome while it was under construction.

"Mr. Riordan said that he had with him a letter from Governor Schwarzenegger endorsing the Tour of California is. The governor quoted Ronald Reagan: "'California is not just a state or a country, it is a way of life.' The Tour of California will show the world what he knew, and what I, as governor, believe."

"Riordan recounted that he fell in love with racing thru Alex Baum (of the Los Angeles Mayor's Office and LA City Bicycle Advisory Committee) - Baum talked Riordan into riding with "some unknown racer" about ten years ago - and Riordan said, "'Are you sure he can keep up with me?' Well, it was Lance Armstrong. And he not only couldn't keep up with me, he kept hitting me in the back...as he pushed me up the hill, of course."



So, this makes me one degree seperated from Mr. Armstrong.

The Sacramento Business Journal has an article that describes one of the race legs from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe. That could be exciting.

Tour of California

Now we're talking! The company that runs cycling events (AEG) at Carson's Home Depot Center, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), and USA Cycling will officially announce plans for an 1,100 kilometer road race that will start in Northern California and end in Southern California set for early next year.

Dates are pending approval by UCI so that it fits in with the schedules of other international racing events.

The announcement is happening at Home Depot Center during the track races that are running there now. More information is in today's LA Times and Canada.com.

Anyone wanna head over to Carson to see what's up?

okay, to most on this blog it must seem that i have fallen off of the face of the earth, and reading through all of the family updates, i would almost agree with you. i hope you get better soon with your ankle audrey! i also hope sam is healing from his surgery, and behaving accordingly. easter comes on sunday, and of course what says easter more than pie and video renting? at least, that's what people seem to think, as i've been suckered into working both of those jobs on sunday. i will have a window of opportunity between 4 and 5ish perhaps to visit with the family at doris' house, provided that everything runs smoothly with my shift. i hope i'll see everybody there!

Getting Published

At staff meeting ARPO last week, it was suggested that we try to get something about our work published. An article in a professional journal about our work.

And, we don't have to wait until "after work," you know 8 PM, to write. Interesting. Hmm, back to my writing. Does blog publishing count?

Congratulations #2! [UPDATED 3/23]

. . . to everyone competitive among us who are proud that we are now in second place for record rainfall.

Since record keeping for rainfall began in 1877, the wettest season downtown Los Angeles was in 1883-1884, when 38.18 inches fell. This rain season we have had 34.85 inches.

Congratulations to everyone. Work hard and that old rain record will fall before June 30, 2005.

UPDATE: Channel 4, LA's NBC affiliate has now updated the scores and there is less than one-inch difference between the all time record and this year's actual. GO TEAM!

Maybe Grandma Pete will post here rain gauge readings.

Brianna on a day the sun came out.

here is a picture of the princess with her sunglasses.

Danger on the deck.

I will not post any photos of Brianna's injuries. I forgot how quickly a small child can get into trouble. One moment she is playing with water, the next moment she has the rope around her neck. Scary time.

Hello, I can't seem to respond to any of the recent posts, so I will make up my own

.....Sorry Audrey is experiencing so much pain with her injury. Hope Daniel feels better soon and that Grandma survived the trip...again.

Good to hear from Timothy, even if he doesn't recognize his own mother LOL:-) Good to know Sam is indifferent to his surgery (probably feeling more relaxed than he remembers ever feeling.)

Looking forward to Rob posting a picture of hie new car. Can't wait for more pictures of David's stunt double on the trail this year.

Brianna was competing with you today, David. She is not afraid of anything and attempted to run with the umbrella rope around her neck today. She's fine, and Papa (aka Steve) will recover someday...

Wonderful to hear of Jane (and Dick's) progress healthwise.

I'm looking forward to a week off next week. More details to follow, but anyone who would like to join us is welcome to come north to the Cayucos area Easter weekend and join us for a picnic or something.

Beth

Welcome Back, Daniel & Mom Pete

Daniel...hope you feel better soon. So the trip was better than school? As a teacher, I sighed to read that. Yet, I know it to be true. Actually, trips are better than working, too. So stay in school, do well, to earn a respectable living...and travel! That's what I say.

Mom Pete'...we'll have to see your photos and hear more stories later. Glad you did well and enjoyed the experience.

Samson-2 is healing. We are monitoring him, which is not always possible (anyone want the 10:00pm-6:00am shift?) to keep him from excessive licking.

My mom started chemo this morning, if all went according to plan. Can't wait to hear how it went/is going.

Glen and I had a quiet weekend. Enjoyed the fire on the cloudy,cool Sunday afternoon and listened to jazz. Watched many episodes of vintage M.A.S.H. on DVD. I find them interesting and stories nicely told of a time I don't remember, and yet issues of war transcend the decades.

Hi

I enjoyed the HST (it's definitely better than school), although it was demanding and got me sick with a fever, cough, and runny nose and got me very tired.

I just learned that the Discovery Channel (Channel) will not be showing bike racing or Lance programs on TV. Only OLN will have it.

Testing four five six

hey, let me through!

UPDATE: This was intended to be a temporary message. Neither Blogger nor Earthlink can figure out why my messages from posts on Blogger get caught in my spam filter--even after repeated attemps to add to my address book. No more comments are allowed to this post. Please feel free to comment on another post today.

Another D/D spotting

This one at the Library of Congress.



This was posted on the school web site on March 9, proving that Grandma Pete is still walking 9 days into the tour. I think the plan is that they come home on Saturday night.

Sam Gets Snipped

Wednesday is the day. It is "De-sex the City" month in the L.A. area...and I'm not joking. It is a special promotion to spay and neuter your pet in March. You can even order a shirt! OK, we'll definitely pass on that opportunity. We do get a 20% discount on Sam's pending surgery, however. For once, procrastination worked in my favor. He'll stay overnight at the vet's and we pick him up Thursday. If he doesn't leave his stitches alone, he'll have to wear the cone --- collar ---lampshade thing. Oh, wish us luck. And, sure, I'm a little nervous for him.

Mom Starts Chemo

I talked with my mom yesterday. She is healing nicely. The Dr. reported that they got the tumor and it wasn't attached. It is "Stage 3" cancer -- in the lymph nodes. She'll begin chemotherapy on Monday, 3/14...the morning at the hospital and a fanny pack of chemo for 48 hours. This repeats every 2 weeks for 12 weeks. Then they'll evaluate. Side effects are loss of appetite (which my mom sees as positive) and fatigue. It is all positive at this point -- that they caught the cancer, and I am grateful. We all know cancer follows no rules, but I will trust the Lord with that. The Dr. said there is a 50% chance the cancer could reappear within 5 years, so she'll be checked on a regular basis. The Dr. said she is healthy, so that is good, too. My dad's back is better, though he is anxious about it with golf season just around the corner. Thanks to everyone for the prayers on our behalf.

Tenth Annual LA Bike Tour

As part of the 20th Annual LA Marathon, along with some 18,000 other Angelinos, Ken Brown and I got out before dawn this morning for a 23 mile bicycle ride. I think this was the third time (maybe fourth) that Ken and I have done this ride together.



This year we averaged 17 MPH. We were much closer to the front of the group this year which made a faster pace easier. Ken said he passed and talked to former Mayor Richard Riordan. It's not a race. And it's not a fast ride becuase of the huge number of people.

Anyone want to join us next year? It's the first Sunday in March, we leave my house about 4 AM. Start getting in shape!

Guess who turned one year old!

Sam's one year burfday was Saturday, March 5. Can you tell he is excited?

Daniel and Doris Sightings

Daniel is with his eighth grade class visiting historical sites of american history. The school posts various photographs each day at their website. It is not very easy to navigate through all of their photographs--so here are some sightings of Daniel or Doris. You can see a larger version of the picture if you click on the image here.







I hope Doris is keeping up! She is on the trip as something of a backup chaperon (I am pretty sure she is not in the eighth grade). At the last minute there was an open space and she wanted to go on the trip one more time.

UPDATE:

This is from Saturday. Iwo Jma memorial.

President George W. Bush, in comments . . .

made at a Leadership Conference on Monday, mentioned one of my clients in Miami. Jim Touhy, the Office of Faith-based and Community-Based Initiatives, visited Peacemaker Family Center at the end of January, the week before I was there in February. This is what the president said about them . . .

"Let me give you an example. The Peacemaker Family Center in Miami is a small ministry of the Trinity Church that helps low-income and unemployed families. Touhy visited there, so he's telling me on the way over, in the limousine, that this is a desperate part of Miami, that this program is in a desperate part of Miami. And, yet, in the midst of desperation is a little beacon, a light. And so the center received a $50,000 -- seed money, it's called, from the Compassion Capital Fund Mini-Grant program. It's the first federal funding the organization had ever received."

You can read all of his comments at the White House's web site in News and Policies It's a long speech. MEDA and the program that I manage works with 40 organizations in Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Indianapolis, Central and Western Pennsylvania, and Peoria, IL. I work with the client organizations in all the geographies except Pennsylvania.

Wilson Boys Birthday Bash

Everyone posed for a nice family picture:


And here are the birthday guys:


Thanks to the Wilsons for having the same birthday dates so we can do all of this on one night--last Saturday.

Furniture

A new piece of furniture arrived on Saturday. An apothacary chest and big ol' mirror. I am really happy about that. It is fun to design our home little by little. I really like how it fits in the spot we picked for it and with how it looked. I'll ask Glen to blog a photo of our newly designed "entry wall." We did not even have to assemble it! It makes me feel like a grown-up, as we move past what we brought into our marriage from apartment life. It is looking like a high class place in the living room. So I'll start acting respectable.

UPDATE: