Opossums are hideous, but they aren't so bad.

A Restaurant Ruckus

A couple of months ago Cindi and are eating quietly at Datillo's my new favorite in uptown Whittier when it becomes evident that four men, part of some kind of gang group at a nearby table are singing. It was a party of 8 men and women. Someone at the table immediately adjacent to these singing outlaws engaged them in some sort of conversation and before you know it they are jumping up to seek their revenge--singing in full voice, four part harmony straight at the older gentleman who had started the conversation.

Because one of the singing youths was wearing tee shirt that identified his gang group with a web site, I looked that up just for fun.

Then, earlier this week we are surfing through channels on the TV and who do we see? A whole bunch of these guys singing. Must be some kind of gang initiation.

Book Signing by Floyd coming to a book store near you

Floyd Landis will be out signing his new book, Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France, during July. The complete list of dates is here. I think I will take my copy over to get it signed and say "hi."

Fire By the Wilsons

Just a few blocks away, there is a quite large fire. (It isn't that dark outside yet.)

New Giants Fan

The newest Giants fan. I had to convert her before Mamabeth, Rob, or David had their chance. Papa has a special person to shower with sports apparel.

I felt a really loud noise a few minutes ago. . .

. . . and it just occurred to me what it was:

Atlantis' return from NASA's first manned flight of the year was marked by its trademark twin sonic booms that were heard from San Diego to Los Angeles. After deploying its parachute, the shuttle came to rest on the concrete runway under mostly sunny skies.

--LA Times

Island Dinner

Beth and I had dinner Saturday night at Forbes Island. This is a man-made structure that floats next to pier 39 in San Francisco bay. More photos and info at http://www.forbesisland.com/ .

What was cool was that Forbes himself shuttled us to the island in the tender. After a very pleasant dinner Beth dragged me up to the top of the lighthouse. It was dusk and the view was clear and windy. What a treat.

Doris requested that i post a picture of my own eyes, which look like my grandfather's...


...so here they are.

A Wife Can Be A Startling Thing?

I don't know what I said or did to him, but it must have given him a start. Look at those stunning blue eyes and that look of adoration. Ha!

Ventura and School's Out!

I'm in Ventura this evening. I have Staff Meeting tomorrow at our school office here, starting at 9:00. It is always a good time. I enjoy being with my colleagues, since we work independently most of the year. We'll find out about changes coming next year. Always something in education. Hopefully, I'll be able to take it in stride. I'm finishing all the final reports and records and report cards. Should be ready to "check-out" for the year by late on Friday. Oh, joy. I have five new families to enroll for next fall. I'll do that next week. Goodnight from Ventura.

Tetanus Vaccine shortage

I learned today that there is a shortage of these. Some said that the Army is getting all of them. Others think that it is an economic problem--who wants to make tetanus vaccine when the real money is in . . . well who knows.


Sunday I stepped on a bougainvillea thorn that went all the way through my shoe, my sock and into my foot. And, it was in the garden where Cindi is planting tomatoes. And, there is fresh manure fertilizer. Doc said I should definitely have it if they had any at the office. Fortunately, they just got a box and I am safe from lock jaw for another 10 years. Wanna get grossed out. Search for lock jaw or tetanus on Google and check out somebody with a frozen face. By then it's just too late. Lights out.

They said my arm should heart hurt like I got hit with a 2X4 tomorrow. Can anyone confirm that? Whose had one of these lately? Timothy? Rob?

Insole folded by weight of car

In January, at LAX, I had a run in with a taxi in front of Terminal 1. It turns out that I was not hurt. But the taxi's front right tire was all the way up on my right foot. Seen here, in a photo provided by Cindi, you can see where the insole of my shoes worn that day got folded by the weight of the car. Xrays of my foot did not show any corresponding damage.

The Dancers

Beth and I went to watch Brianna and Shawntea dance tonight. It is the last time Shawntea will perform. She will continue to teach. This is Brianna's first performance, one of more to come. We enjoyed the performance. Here are a couple of pictures. Had to add one more.

Have you had trouble logging in?

I had some trouble logging in today. Usually, when I click on my bookmark to go the the "dashboard" page, typically, my browser, or the the site itself, remembers me, enters my user name and password, and there I go. This afternoon, however, that did not happen. I had to try several usernames and passwords until I remembered that I needed to use my gmail account to log in.

Anyway, now I am on and I can blog to my hearts content.

I am working on my third book in as many weeks. Already completed:



The Starfish and the Spider was recommended by a client in Bellflower. It is a popular management book about how groups lead themselves. Alan Alda's book is an autobiography. He talks about the faultiness of memory. Mr. Alda was raised by burlesque performers and spent much of his life trying to adjust his life to the insanity of those around him.

And I am just starting this one:



Mr. Kuo's book is interesting to me as he was one of the authors of the president's faith-based initiative stuff from which I have supported myself of the last few years. Ultimately, he is disillusioned and has become critical of the policies and the programs he helped create.

What are you reading this summer?