Smile

Hi,

What a joy, to have days and nights with no rain.  It’s also nice to have a break from the motorbikes.  Feeling grateful to be here.  Give me a few days and I’ll be begging to go home (555).  

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “A Thousand Miles Away” by The Heartbeats.  See if you know this ‘Easy Monday’ tune:  “You’re my love, you’re my angel, you’re the girl of my dreams.  And I’d like to thank you for waiting patiently.  __ __, your __ __ to stay.”  Hint:  It’s related to Friday.  So easy.   

Friday morning we did some basic ‘first day’ things.  The most important thing was to get new phone numbers.

Danny= 1-323-287-4295     Lisa= 1-323-354-1782    We really haven’t moved to Huntington Park, I promise.

The rest of the day was rather predictable.  Do a little food shopping and surrender to the grip of Mr. Lag.  I knew it was coming, but it’s never like you anticipate.  So there it was, the long nap and half the afternoon was gone.  I managed to keep my eyes open for dinner and a meeting.  It was a good day.

We had a bit of a reunion on Saturday.  Lisa made an appointment with our former chiropractor, Franco Columbu.  We haven’t seen him in almost 10 years.  There was a lot of catching up on life and then a treatment.  It was fun seeing him again. 

Sunday we had a wonderful lunch with some of the Valley Cousins.  Nowell and Jennifer met us at Tender Greens, where we shared ‘life updates’ photos.  There never seems to be enough time.  In the evening we had dinner with Paul, Joy and Lelani at Thai Boom Restaurant.  This is a tradition that began before we moved and we always have a great time.  

I’m being amazed by all the building that’s going on in the Culver City area.  Most of the building that we see in Chiang Rai is happening on land that has been converted from filled in farms.  Here, things get knocked down so new, bigger things can be built.  I’m still trying to imagine a hotel next to a train station in Culver City.  

This trip is only 2 weeks long.  It’s impossible to fit everything we do during the Winter Trip (3 weeks) into the Summer Sprint, even though we try.  Family visits are taking precedent, with shopping for essentials running a strong second.  Even as Thailand progresses in certain areas, there are still products that we can’t find in Chiang Rai.  Because we can no longer ship consumables into the country, we have to take them back with us when we return from these visits.  Oh, the life of an expat.  

Today’s photo is something we miss.  You know where this is?  (answer below)

Entrance to The Wanderer

Today our adventures take us to the San Gabriel Valley.  

Have a Great Week.

                   Peace,

                             Danny

“Because of your smile,

you make the world more 

beautiful.”

~Thich Nhat Hanh