Imagination

Hi,

The weekend weather was warm.  Some might call it hot.  It was hot in the sun, and the air temp was warm, to me.  Natcha said it rained in Chiang Rai.  That’s a good thing.

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Hang On To Your Love” by Sade.  This week’s ‘Easy Monday’ tune is one I’m sure you’ll remember:  “Deep down in Louisiana, close to New Orleans, way back up in the woods among the evergreens, there stood a log cabin made of earth and wood, where lived a country boy named __ __ __.  He never ever learned to read or write so well but he could play a guitar just like a-ringing a bell.  Go, go, go __ go!…__ __ __.”  Hint:  The song paints a picture of a true guitar hero.  It’s an autobiography of the artist. 

Just so you know, this will be our last full day in America.  Yes, we’re leaving on a jet plane, but we know when we’ll be back again.  The Winter Trip will be the usual 3 weeks starting just before Santa lands.   

Friday afternoon we braved the I-405 freeway, which is an interstate highway that is a major thoroughfare in Southern California.  It’s ‘famous’ for it’s long lines of traffic during rush hours.  We had no trouble driving out to the Valley Cousins.  When we arrived, we were greeted by Tina and Lucy, the chocolate lab and Shih Tsu  that live there.  They followed us around and made us feel at home.  A little later, the humans came home (555).  Nowell, Jennifer, Ellen and Gerry all arrived and the stage was set for a relaxing evening.  It was like being on vacation.  We stayed up late and slept in on Saturday morning.  There were lots of stimulating conversations, as well as family history and discussions about art.  Later in the morning more family arrived.  Sam came down from Ventura, Martha from Calabasas, and Chaz and Ashley introduced us to the latest member of the family, Lalo.  He became the center of attention for the rest of the afternoon, with the exception of Nowell’s smoked chicken and salmon.  Lalo is 6 months old and totally adorable.  

Coming home on the 405, we got to experience some of the slow traffic.  For a Saturday I guess it was moving pretty good.  I’m just glad it wasn’t Friday afternoon.  

Sunday was a busy day.  After my morning meeting we drove out to Pasadena for lunch with our friends Frank and Linda.  We met at Saladang Thai Restaurant and had a wonderful time.  After we finished eating, Linda called Ming, Blue’s son, who lives in New York City.  She used Facetime and we surprised him with the call.  We passed the phone around the table with greetings and then got to hear about a special art weekend coming up in September.  Ming has been working on his art while writing code for a magazine.  It was good for all of us and we’re hoping to see him next time we visit the States.

After lunch we drove to Alhambra for a visit with Debby, a childhood friend of Lisa’s.  We visit her every time we come to town.  Debby gave us an update on her grandchildren and told us about a trip she’s taking to San Francisco.  She will be traveling on what’s call the Megabus.  It goes from L.A. to S.F in 7 hours, with a stop for lunch.  We looked at photos from the past and Lisa and Deb shared memories.  

From Alhambra, we dropped down to San Gabriel where we met with our friend Diane at the Golden Deli, a Vietnamese spot that serves award-winning dishes.  We got there just before the dinner rush.  While we were eating, people began lining up outside.  I had a chicken sandwich, and Lisa and Diane had traditional Poh noodle soup.  Diane had heard about how Thailand is promoting Chiang Rai as a tourist destination.  We told her that for now, we’re not in the path of the ‘rush’.  She told us about some places in Hawaii that have been overrun by tourism.  It's sad, what greed can do.  We ended on a happy note with the planting of the seed for a visit to The Land of Smiles.

Have a Great Week.

                    Peace,

                              Danny

“Imagination… its limits are only those

of the mind itself.”

~Rod Serling