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Showing posts from April, 2014

92°F in Carlsbad

92 ° F on April 30 right by the beach. Fire to the east. High winds to the north. It's not even fire season and today feels like it's on full force. The smoke and sand are blotting out the blue to give us a white sky. I went out barefoot on my patio and burnt my feet. Ouch!  I drove to north Orange County today and a couple of times the wind gusts were so severe I was sure a car was about to side-swipe me. The freeway was a debris hazard from people who didn't secure stuff down in their pickup trucks. I have no point to this other than to comment on how hot it is. I hope all the inland folks have a/c and are staying cool!

April 28, 1972

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For many years I shared my birthday with two horses and a dog. When I was 11, these two foals were born at the house down the road from me and for the next 20 some odd years of my life, I had birthday cake celebration with Dusty and Blaze. The horses belonged to Audrey Kremzier and since she loved to celebrate and to bake, there were three birthday cakes each year. This was to the delight of all the neighborhood kids who knew a good deal when they saw it. The birthday parties were the stuff of fame, especially when a few years later a black lab came to the scene with the same birthday. The horses never got to come inside but we all watched as Benji opened up his birthday presents every year. I am glad that I had such fun birthday pals! While they may be gone the good memories are still here!

Another Great Beach Day

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10:30 am or so, Sunday morning. Even though it wasn't that warm, the sun was out and no wind so perfect exercise conditions. This photo doesn't show it but the waves were pumping today for all the surfer's enjoyment.

Shelter Island, San Diego

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If you want a place to have a beer that let's you enjoy the harbor, then Fathom Bistro Bait & Tackle is the place to go on Shelter Island. 15 beers on tap, food, and you can either enjoy inside out of the wind or relax over the water. No signs so look for the octopus when you are driving by the pier.

No Black Eye...yet

I keep waiting but so far, the bruising hasn't spread beyond the corner of my eye. The cut is starting to heal and the itching has begun. Now I want a pirate eye patch to keep myself from poking my eye. Most people assumed I've been a klutz and managed to walk into a corner. So no new photo yet. Instead I went out and exercised until the first sprinkle of rain and decided that it was time for Friday night to begin.

Not a Glamour Selfie

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This will be a fun two week color change! I've had a small mole in the corner of my eye for years and the doctor finally decided that it was time for it to go. It couldn't be frozen off so after several rounds of numbing injections that left my entire face feeling no pain, the removal began. Let me say that if you ever need surgery around the eye area, I've got the doctor for you. No pain, no discomfort (well now 2 hours later there's pain) and the best you could hope for. Two weeks of antibiotic ointment for the stitches, yes that dark crease is a line of stitches. This will be my first black eye in my entire life. I'll post again when I'm fully bruised.

Earth Day

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Earth. It comes with good and bad. The flowers are good. The fact that I didn't get stung by one of the many bees pollinating the flowers was good. Plants and gardens are good. Gophers are bad. Gophers dig up the Earth. Gophers lay traps for humans who go out to photograph flowers and step in Gopher holes.  This human needs to attend to her yard! In the spirit of Earth Day I will not dwell too much on the lives of Gophers. Enjoy the world around you and treat the Earth with respect.

Beach Reflection

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Perfect weather, not working, and there are still few crowds at the beach.Walking in the sand gives that added punch to the workout and in a couple of months it will be warm enough to walk in the water. The sad story of this walk was that a seal had beached itself and was slowly dying in the sand. While it was sort of aimed in the direction of the ocean, the life guards had to call animal rescue out to recover the seal. I didn't take it's picture because it was too sad. Even on a great day life goes on in the animal kingdom.

3 Day Weekend!

Thursday evening has come and the work week has (mostly) ended. I happily have no plans tomorrow beyond a little bit of work, some exercise, and finish unpacking suitcases. If ambition hits I might see Captain America. If ambition really hits, I might rent Thor 2 first to stay with the continuity of the films. This is one of those days when I wonder what it would be like to have a maid. I don't have much of a mess but right now if I had a super power it would be the ability to clean the house with a snap of the fingers. Happy Thursday!

Great place to end a day

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After getting my wayward guest on Monday, we got him settled in and organized so it was off to the usual meeting spots. My day ended in Santa Barbara where it was warm and sunny.

Sunday Night

I'm in a hotel room by LAX. I'm supposed to meet someone from Taiwan tomorrow morning who should be staying also by LAX. He made a hotel reservation near Ventura. And thought the Tuesday meetings were Monday. Granted a long flight and Customs will boggle the mind and he decided that he would drive to Ventura anyway and back track in the morning. 10 minutes later he's changed his mind and wants to stay by LAX (duh) and I am now making hotel reservations for him. Reservation done. Now the only question is, should I go downstairs to the hotel lobby and get a glass of wine? I'm thinking that's a yes!

So Tired!

Some work weeks are 12+ hour days with more work scheduled into the time right after getting up and right before going to bed. Add in being in cold Canada and other stressful factors, I am totally wiped out. I'm in Denver now, waiting for the 10 pm flight to Los Angeles and all the earlier flights were sold out. Too tired to think, too tired to work. It looks like I'm going to have to do another 20 minute lap of the terminal to stay awake. Here's hoping next week's meeting cancels and I can have a few days at home.

Mid Week Canada Blues

The cold Canada trip is winding down and I am ready to go home in a couple of days. It's been one of those weeks where you go up and down and not all of it related to work or travel. Well the long days are for sure work and I'm looking forward to Saturday and sleeping in! 

Spring in Edmonton

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Spring means clear skies with no snowfall. Spring means 33f as a high and it feels warm (when in the sun) Spring means water and mud everywhere. A quick walk to get exercise can be a shoe wrecking event as I learned today. That nice patch of grass? Mudhole! That spot of water on the sidewalk? A puddle deeper than it looks! So from the parking lot of the hotel, this is the last little bit of winter melting away.

Edmonton

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I have to confess that it's not really a snowy pine tree filled wonderland in Edmonton. The snow is not deep and only a light dusting happened today. This is on a hill near a parking lot and it was in my view so I took the photo. It looks all nice and pretty but if you recall from yesterday's photo, it's not that everywhere. We got up to 32f today so I was happy!

Room with not much View - Edmonton, Canada

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Edmonton, Canada. Temperature was a balmy 10f upon arrival and sunny. I missed the -17f temp from Sunday so I'm glad that Canadian Spring is here! That really is my view.