Driving to the valley

Its been 6 weeks since we've been to the valley, the central valley that is! We're driving up there now. Kind of strange, traffic is worse in the grapevine than in LA. Its really a surprise. We probably won't hey to our hotel until midnight.

We enjoy our time together no matter what we're doing!

Today he found out that he has to start preparing for dialysis. Sooner than he ever expected. My poor honey. Whatever happens we'll face it together.
Peg sent this email wirelessly via her BlackBerry from T-Mobile.

San Diego

it's great here!!

Well, I came to California to get married. Plain and simple. If he could've left his job and moved to Ohio, then that's what would have happened. But instead, we live here for the time being. So, let's make the best of it!!

And it's getting better, my daughter is going to join us here. She's decided to move here with us. It will give her a chance to get into school, live with us and not paying rent, only taking care of her car expenses and cell phone. Pretty good deal for a college student and a great thing for a Mom!! I'm totally jazzed! There's nothing that will make me happier than having her here with me.

We did take her around and show her San Diego, explained about the way of life here - very outdoors - beach, mountains, surfing, hiking, swimming, hot tub, sun bathing, fun in the sun! Plus how great California colleges are and what it's like having a degree from a CA college. It's a ticket to success no matter where she goes to live.

Whatever helped her decide. I'm happy :)

Santa Monica, LA and Beka's trip day 2

Santa Monica Pier

We went to Santa Monica Pier - it was so cool. Lots of fun things to do, lots of people meandering around, people in the ocean - brrr, a little too cold for us, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., street people, homeless people, entertainers performing for dollars - you know singing, juggling, telling jokes, and so on, street vendors selling all sort of clothes, hats, and so on! It was so much fun.....we bought some fun clothes, and Beka bought me a PINK Cowboy hat!! It will be fun to wear that this summer - keep the sun off of my head - you know, protection from harmful UV rays...hehe!!

We checked out the amusement rides where the kids play and watched some of the kids. They were having such a great time. I was watching them and remembering what it was like when my kids were small and riding the rides at Kings Island or some of the rides at carnivals and festivals. I totally enjoyed those years with them. I so loved watching them have fun, laughing and enjoying themselves.

We went to the Getty Museum before going to the pier. It was my idea, but I thought she'd enjoy the view of LA from there. And she did!! It was fabulous! I know I enjoyed it more than she did, but it was a wonderful time. Kind of cold and windy that day.

I'm going there again next Thursday-on our way back from Lemoore with my honey!! We are taking the day off and will be driving through LA around noon or so. Perfect to stop by and check it out. I'll write more later, it's going to be one of those places that I will want to go to time and time again. I wish it was closer to my house - not 2 hrs away. :(

Check out our pics of Santa Monica, to the right.........the Flickr Photo Stamp.

Cya!

"Now this is not the end.
It is not even the beginning of the end.
But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

--- Sir Winston Churchill, November 1942

You're Going To Hollywood!

Fun in Hollywood! Check out this webcam!! Fortunately while we were there it was much clearer than this and we could see much further than the webcam looks like now. We had sooooooooo much fun! We went to Hollywood and it was a rainy day. Driving through LA is always a challenge, tons of traffic and I took I5 all the way so I could take the 101 and drive thru LA into Hollywood. I wanted Beka to see downtown LA, the traffic, the fun.


By the time we got to Hollywood and settled into our hotel, the weather dried up and it ended up being a perfect day to walk around the Walk of Fame, see Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood sign, Hollywood High School (we loved seeing that), the VERY appropriate Hollywood Rehab Center! and the museums of interest to us: Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Guiness Book of World Records, Hollywood Wax Museum. Plus shopping!! We bought some souveniers for her to take home to the rest of the kids and lots of cute things for her.

While walking down Hollywood Blvd, we were approached and pranked by The Jimmy Kimmel Show. Not sure if they are ever going to show our clip, but one of these days, we might even be on the show in the opening frivalty!! So if you watch Jimmy Kimmel and see us being pranked with vibrating buzzers, shavers and pens, please let me know.

We ate at a pizza place, I wish I knew the name. All I remember is that it has a name and the tag line is 'two guys from italy'. Let me tell you, IT WAS THE BEST PIZZA THAT I'VE EVER HAD, EVEN BETTER THAN IN NY!!! If you visit there, it's on the same side of the street as the wax museum, further east by a couple of blocks. YUMMY!

Our hotel was nice, expensive, but it's Hollywood. The parking was "interesting" to say the least. I'm posting some pictures, see if you can tell what's wrong with the parking lot and how to manuever in it.

One thing that is for certain, you can surely tell that property is at a premium. The strip malls are tight into corners of streets, have 2 floors and limited parking. You are lucky to find a place to park on the street and we did, right by the wax museum, so that was cool, we just kept feeding the meter. About $10 for the whole day. I'd say that was a bargain!

Movie

We're at the movie, waitng for it to start. Going to see Failure To Launch. I'm jazzed because its my #1 rule. A guy can't live at home!

But while I'm waitng for the movie to start I eyeballed this elderly couple sharing popcorn and a drink. Sitting close and seeming very affectionate. That's how we'll be I just know it. CUTE!!!
Peg sent this email wirelessly via her BlackBerry from T-Mobile.

Happy Friday

Happy Friday!!

Finished my first week at work! I loved it!! I’m so happy working there. I really feel like I can make a difference. That will make my job more challenging and rewarding. I know I like to work to earn money, but really more importantly is the satisfaction of a job well done. Ok, I know some people think that’s a load of crap, but it’s true. I take a great deal of pride in my performance. I’m a professional and I’m so glad to be back in the “real” world with a “real” job.

Then, I Googled myself today and was surprised. I got some hits, mostly my volunteer engagements, speaking engagements, my old website and my number 1 hit is my blog! Wow! I had no idea!

I had been thinking of taking down my blog because it’s personal and not professional.  But, I don’t mind writing personal stuff, especially now that I have something worth talking about – I HAVE A GREAT LIFE!! I’m not embarrassed to say it! It’s not always been like that, so why shouldn’t I shout it from the mountain tops!!

My kids are doing FANTASTIC, my love life is THE BEST and my job is PERFECT !! Hey, it’s plenty to “write home about”.  

So, I guess I’ll keep it up for now. I just hope that I don’t get criticized for my blog and how personal I get. YIKES!!

Day 2

Love my job
Great team
Big accomplishments
Nice atmosphere
Good culture
Good fit!
Peg sent this email wirelessly via her BlackBerry from T-Mobile.

such a beautful day

Heavenly Thoughts

I had the most wonderful weekend, special in every way. We didn't do anything that was overly exciting, but we thoroughly enjoy each other's company and we like to share everything we do together. Now, don't get me wrong, our relationship is not perfect, but it's damn close. I mean, we enjoy each other so much and we understand each other so well, that we just get along no matter what. THAT MAKES EACH DAY SO GREAT!!

I felt for him yesterday. he got up at 2am to go to work. Went to work, was there for a while, then he found out he didn't need to be there. He got back home at 5:30am. Poor guy. When he got up, I heard some noises outside - thug noises - a fairly big group of black guys loud, fighting, yelling, out in our courtyard. I wanted to call the police, but we decided to wait. They were still outside but further up from our apartment when he went to work. It kind of freaked me out, I didn't feel very safe. I just stayed on the couch and watched an old Gene Wilder movie - The Frisco Kid. It's so funny, with Harrison Ford - so young and cute.

Later in the day, we headed out to Poway. He wanted to take me to a wonderful garden center down there. He was on a mission - he was determined to find the redwood flower pots. And I have to admit - he found them and was totally happy. So when we got home, he finished putting together his fuchias and hung them up. He hung a bunch of hooks up for me to hang my plants too.

But I spent the rest of the day filling out paperwork for my first day on the job. I couldn't believe how much there was to read, to fill out and I don't think that I have everything totally filled out evennow. I'll have to finish it in the morning.

So today, we cleaned the house, I finished repotting my plants and we got the patio together. Then went to the grocery store. I know it sounds boring, but it was really fun. We got alot done and enjoyed our time together doing it.

Plus my boy called!! I love when he calls. We didn't get to talk to long, but it was nice to hear from him. He was on his way home from church and I was elbow deep in potting soil :) His girlfriend wanted to talk to me for a minute. She said something to me that I predicted Jake's wife would say to me one day - - - she 'thanked me for raising him so well'. She told me that he's such a gentleman, so thoughtful, so kind, just the way I taught him to be. Just the way I always said - - - one day someone would thank me for the way he turned out and today it happened. I just about fell over!! And to make it even better, her mom got on the phone and said the same thing. I'M SO PROUD OF JAKE!!! Thank you Lord for such a wonderful son, he's such a blessing.

garden centers

we visited them all

We got to spend the day together on Friday. He had a dr. appointment in San Marcos with a new dr. I wanted to go so I could size up the service - this time for my insurance. Kaiser or Pacificare. Those are my choices. I'm learning that Pacificare is a United Healthcare Company and I've had UHC before in Cincinnati. I really liked their plan pretty much.

He's had both companies and is suggesting that in so CA I choose Kaiser for the time being. I can always change it at some point in the future if I want to do so. I'll read a little more about Pacificare and decide.

It's just the strange - you know, I still don't know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing - the insurance company, owns the hospitals, pharmacies, health care facilities, employs the admin staff, nurses, doctors, etc. Therefore, you have only choices within the "company" instead of a network. I don't know, I don't get it and it just sounds like controlled health care plan or something. I don't know. I'll let you know how I like it. or not!!

Anyway, we went to his favorite grower. He wanted to buy some flowers, so he bought three fuchias and bought me a varigated vinca. Then we hit Lowe's and Home Depot, trying to find the planters he's interested in and I got some coconut lined baskets for some of my plants, bought some herbs and some tomatoes for containers. I hope to have them be very fruitful. I'm also hoping the other plants end up big enough to create a barrier from the noise from these kids that play outside of my apartment. They have a training tool for baseball, use an aluminum bat, hit the ball that then wraps around the tree and they just hit the ball - ping ... ping ... ping ... ping - over and over again!! And they live in another building in the complex, they don't even live in my building. GO HOME!! I like to keep my windows open and the noise is annoying.

Back to our day - we went to see Bruce Willis in 16 Blocks. I really liked it, human interest story, bad cops, lots of bad people but the story shows that people do change if they want to make the effort. I highly recommend it. Mosdef was very entertaining. They were a good team.

They installed our burglar alarm today and that really got me. They left my house in a shambles. They didn't clean up at all, I had to come home and clean every room! Big hunks of cat5 all over the house and pieces of carpet, the place was a mess. I don't get it. I spent the better part of an hour cleaning up their mess.

Well, I"m tired, going to hit the rack.

got my offer!!

Entriq

I got my phone call today! I was so happy when they called. Actually I would have heard last night, but the recruiter was having computer issues and didn't get the email until late this morning. By the time that I heard the news, I was ready to walk into a meeting. There was one round of negotiations, we both gave a little and met in the middle.

It's certainly not the salary that I expected by moving to California, but it is 2006, not 1998. It's a good salary for the job and it's a raise over what I was making, plus tons of great benefits. I don't have to get on the 5 or the 15, so I don't have to deal with crappy traffic. That's HUGE!! The route I take is similar to driving up Reed Hartman in the morning, some conjestion, but not the interstate. :)

Not to mention there's a great team!! A BRAINIAC TEAM!! They are working really hard to pick and choose people that are "smart" workers, brainiacs, Cream of the Crop! Well, I'm totally flattered. And I will work very hard to show them what I know and how to facilitate organization and change within a team.

They have great office space, nice furniture, I noticed they all have Treo's (God, I really hope to get one of those, I'd trade in my Blackberry and get a regular cell phone for a Treo at work!). They also have good computers, nice monitors, very up-to-date. Their technology is cutting edge, their team is advanced, their team spirit can produce. That's what's most important.

I start on Monday! YIPPEE!!