Southern California crazaziness continues

So, for those of you who have visited and wondered about the cost of a home here in Beverly Hills in the flatlands, here is some info for you. I grabbed a flyer from a house a few blocks away from the kids school. 4 bedroom, 4 1/2 bath, with a detached guest house 1 bedroom/1 bath. square feet approx 2200 (smaller than my apartment) and the lot size is only 5900 square feet. Asking price 1.9 million or 9500 a month to lease. CRAZAZY!!!

I've notice a lot of bumper stickers here in LA. It's either a fact that they love to proclaim their ideologies on their cars, or there are just so many more cars here that there are naturally so many more bumper stickers. Regardless, the majority of them are about stopping Bush's war, and impeaching Bush, and make love not war, Coexist, crazy types of things. Well, one of the absolute dumbest ones I saw was the other day "Love Animals, Don't Eat Them" Yeah, whatever.

I missed putting up photos from my quick trip to Philly. So, I'm uploading a lot of photos and a video of the boys playing in the fountain on Hollywood Blvd at the shopping complex where you go to take pictures of the Hollywood Hills sign.

Keeping Busy

Whew, are we ever tired but glad some of our family could come and visit us!!! We have enjoyed visits from BS and the Kids and DNA all this week. Dan and I spent Thurs at Disney with BS and the Kids, friday we hit California Adventure. Saturday was the LA Zoo, the beach (I didn't know we could have sand storms in Cali. The wind was so wicked the waves were huge and it was freezing, not to mention being pelted by whipping sand really hurts), and dinner at the kids favorite Korean BBQ joint.

Believe it or not as we were looking at something at the zoo I hear a "Hey, Chris...Is that you?" I'm looking around wonder who it could be (Jacob saw a teacher there and saw friends from school at Cali Adventure) Low and behold, I don't recognize the person speaking to me until she identifies herself as none other than Sharrey Dolquni (Sorry if I'm slaughtering the spelling), a friend from HS that I haven't seen since graduation. Her uncle was the math teacher at PHS for many years and was well known for saying, "Hey Lackey, You BirdBrain." Small world.

Sunday we had another rather funny albeit annoying phone message from the psychotic woman upstairs. I will be glad to be shot of her in a few months. Wade had a case of the stomach flu and D-Oh got his first official hair cut. BS and the Kids returned home and Monday afternoon we picked up DNA at LAX and drove them to the LA Harbor where they were leaving for a cruise on the Monarch of the Sea. Their first port was today, Tuesday, in San Diego, so the kids and I drove down to meet them. We spent the day at Balboa Park in the Natural History Museum. We saw the Pompeii exhibit there. It is a fantastic place and I hope to make it back. We drove to the temple and then had lunch in the Old Town district and went to the tide pools. We all agreed we could've spent many more hours there. The boys in particular had a great time. We saw urchins, anemonies, crabs, and shells.

Somehow I only ended up with one photo of DNA on my camera, they have many more on theirs. I'll add Disney photos later. DNA will be back to spend the day with us on Friday. Maybe the weather will be more cooperative for the beach?

Just Another Day for You and Me in Paradise

I often wonder why everyone who lives in southern cali raves about how it is the best and only place to live? I wonder this because clearly so many of them are so unhappy. They are rude to each other, live with way too many other people close by, drive like crap, never smile and say hi when you pass them, etc. etc. So, I saw this bumper sticker on a car last night and thought, "yep, that's it exactly."

Ho Hum, It's just another shitty day in paradise.

Latest Celeb Sighting

So driving down Wilshire I just saw Drew Barrymore on the corner of Rodeo and Wishire. Blue sunglasses and all. In case you didn't already know it, blue framed sunglasses are the latest "must have" for the summer. Better run to the store to get them now before you can't find them.

What Hypocrits!!

So I realized something this morning while sitting in the mini-van waiting for Jacob to decide it was time to go to the school. Los Angelinos love to talk about protecting the environment. They love to use paper bags instead of plastic at the grocery store, heck, at about any store. Many will reuse paper bags or buy their very own reusable fabric bags. I'm all for this. Fine. I reuse my paper bags when I remember to take them with me. I even keep all of my plastic bags and put them in the recycle bins at the grocery stores. I do my part. I take my plastic bottles to the recycling center. (Usually I give them to one of the homeless people there who collect them for money. I know they can use the few dollars more than me.) Here is where the hypocrisy comes in. Los Aneglinos also love and I mean LOVE their dogs. We see hundreds of dogs daily. They are being walked by their faithful owners and taken outdoors to do their business. You have to curb your dog here and most people do. But they are the same environmental, green house, the earth is going to fry to a crisp shouting people that use paper bags at the stores, but scoop up their dog's poop with plastic bags, tie them up, and toss them in the trash. So, not only are they throwing away a plastic bag, GASP and HORROR, they are making it a nice little poop package. I have decided that I should invent some type of wax coated paper pooper scooping baggie and mass produce it for these people. Do you think I could get rich on that? I better run to the patent office today before one of you lucking people that reads my blog steals my idea. I'm off.

The First Loss of the Season

Well, it is inevitable. You can't win them all. Kade's team had their first loss today and it wasn't pretty. After their first UTB they were 3 up 3 down. Then the opponents scored 4 runs at their first UTB. Kade came up to bat in the 2nd inning. There was one out. He hit a triple that turned into a home run on a forced error. Yea!!! His first home run. He was excited but sadly it wouldn't be enough. The entire team looked horrible today. It was their first early game and I think we ned to give them all a jolt of sugar before they arrive early next time.

Take Me Out to the Ball Park...Take Me Out to the Game

Here's what happens when you try to catch a fly ball with your face.











Kade up to bat. He has had some amazing hits this year already.









Daniel of course wants to play just like the big boys. Jacob goes to all of Kade's games and practices and gets to play with the big boys. He will have his first TBall game tomorrow. (Well, actually the first one was last Sunday which we missed much to his chagrin.)

Why do I bother?

I just laundered the sofa cushion covers last week. They really needed it. Daniel just took off his diaper and peed all over the sofa.

Here we go AGAIN!!

So, we're all in the living room hanging out last night. Wade starts to walk out of the room and I notice Daniel making some funny motions. "Are you choking?" (Like he can answer me) "Wade, I think he's choking!" I rush out of the chair, grab him, and give him a quick heimlich thrust. Out shoots a penny, and of course some vomit. One would think that after 2 close calls of already choking on money, Daniel would learn not to put it in his mouth. But NOOO. He was really scared and we had a big long talk about it. When is he going to learn? When am I going to learn that I really should pick up loss change when I notice it? (I saw the penny on the floor earlier in the day and thought "Hmmm, I really should pick that up" but never did)

On the work front. We have a contract from the Dr. in Philly that needs some alterations. We have hired an attorney in Philly to help out and an accountant. Apparently we need to have a good will valuation of the practice done to make sure we are not paying for referrals in the price of the practice, ect. Can't remember the name of the laws this applies to, but it is going to cost us roughly $10K just to get to the point where we can sign the contract. We also learned that he never set his practice up as a corporation or PA. He operates as a sole proprietor. M&D, call me when you have a minute. I want to ask about how your PA was set up. I think I remember dad being the Prez and mom VP and sec'y but want to know for sure. The atty said we really should set up as a PA. Also, the Dr. gave his office manager a $100K bonus last year. Yea, you read that correctly. $100K. I can assure her now that that will not be happening as an employee for us. Apparently she does a great job. I have no interest in taking over her position any time soon. I don't want to work in the office until Daniel is in school. We haven't heard from the Dr. in Florida for a couple of weeks. He was supposed to be rewriting the contract also. So, things are still up in the air. Here we are in March and I thought we would have everything signed and wrapped up last month. We should have everything finalized by the end of this month. If not I give up.