Words

Hi,
This is gonna be quick. The long flight from San Jose and the second, intensive security check had taken their toll. (Ha) Seriously, it takes a lot out of one to stand with your arms out and go through the tension of watching all your belongings wiped down for explosive residue. (555) Repeat after me, 'I will always travel with my passport'. Really, I just slept late.
Some of you recalled the tune. Let's check back and see how things turned out at the doctor's. Our singer got this reply:
"He said, "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) Yes, indeed, all you really need (Is __ __)" Hint: Is it really needed?
We actually had a smooth trip home, if you discount getting lost leaving LAX. Yes, but we discovered where all the limo drivers and express vans go to hang out. Like that's really something I wanted to know. It was an eerie sight seeing all of them waiting to re-enter the streets to dart and swoop. Oops, got off track. We found our way out with great relief.
Today we're going to the beach with Anna and The Boys. It's been a long time since I've felt sand between my toes and smelled the salt water. (don't know how it smells these days) We spotted the Pacific from the air, but it's not the same as being there.
Have a Great Rest-of-the-Day.

Peace,
Danny

"A bird that you set free may be caught again,
but a word that escapes your lips will not return."
~Jewish Proverb

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Worry

Hi,
Sitting up here in San Jose, reflecting on the day. It began easy enough. We got up really early, packed the last of our stuff and made our way to Park 'n Fly. It was when we got to the ticket counter that things got tense. I had left my Passport at the house, since I'm living the life of a 'local', totally forgetting that I don't have my new drivers license with my photo on it. So, after much discussion, many inspectors and a special high level search, I finally was allowed to go to the gate. The same thing may not happen in the same way on our return, since I was allowed to fly here and I'm returning so soon. At least that's what I was told. I'm just happy to be here.
So, many of you were paying attention and some of you, as Lois put it, were busy. Fair enough. It was "People" by the one and only Barbara Streisand. If you have time to wander back to 1966, tell me about this tune: "I was feelin' . . . so bad. I asked my family doctor just what I had..." Hint: This group recorded this early in their career when they were 'young'.
We've been driving around in a little Mazda 3 sedan and I like it. As they say 'Zoom Zoom'. The woman at the rental counter tried real hard to put us in a Corvette. "It's just $200 more, and I won't even charge you that much." Right.
San Jose is a lot different than Los Angeles or Chiang Rai. There's a local train that runs down the middle of the street. There are many ways to get lost. There are many streets that are on diagonals with north and south, which makes it easy to get disoriented. We're staying in a hotel that is familiar, except for the room. The one we got this time is a bit strange. No need for detail, but the bathroom is bigger than the sleeping area. It looks like an after-thought. 'Hey, we have some room left, let's make another room'. Ok.
We had a great time with Joe and Eva. We went out to dinner and then returned to their house for a tour of the latest work in his art studio. We're going back to Palo Alto this morning for breakfast with Joe, a visit to an art exhibit and more 'art talk'.
Oh, there was an earthquake today. It was centered in Chino Hills, but felt all over SoCal. We knew nothing of this until we got a call from C-Bass. It was good to hear from him. Some people felt it and others didn't. I wonder how the news 'worriers' will spin this one? Of course, you're going to tell me where you were and what you were doing when it hit. (Ha)
It's time for an early check-out and a Wacky Wednesday

Peace,
Danny

"Worry is like a rocking chair
it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere."
~Dorothy Galyean

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Think

Hi,
As you read this, I'm somewhere between LAX and San Jose. If you got up late, you know where I am. Now I could have been real clever and set this all up so you got it as I was taking off, or landing. Then I could have said something like 'Just touched down....', but I just don't feel that inspired. Knowing it can be done is sometimes enough of a thrill.
What's the deal, people? Do we have to go back to basic training with the songs? Do you read your mail. This one is sooo easy. I've already given you a major hint. Ricardo wrote me with the title and artist. Who's next? "__ , __ who need __ are the luckiest __ in the world." Hint: The singer who made this song famous has given several farewell concerts (not as many as Cher).
Today we made our way to the City of Commerce to check our storage stuff. We only got lost once, because we approached from a different freeway than the directions we were given. Some things seem logical at the time, but suddenly have no relationship to logic at all. What I mean is, turning left just because you exit from the opposite direction doesn't mean you'll be headed in the right direction. Get it? Anyway, we found the place, after a tour of the industrial underbelly of Los Angeles. To our surprise, there wasn't as much in the storage bin as we anticipated. This is good. We'll sort out the where, when, and how when we get back from the north.
After our storage adventure, we drove to China Town for lunch. Of course, how could we go that far and not do a little browsing? We went to our favorite store and were greeted by our 'friends'. It was a trip seeing how big their kids had gotten. We talked of Thailand and they encouraged us to visit Viet Nam, where they're from. It was a nice reunion of sorts.
One things for certain, the traffic in Chiang Rai is nothing like L.A. It occurred to me that our Super Highway has no on-ramps. Just intersections. Guess it's not really a freeway at all. There's only one intersection where the traffic backs up during 'rush hour' and it usually clears with each signal cycle.
We talked to Boot this evening. We got a full report on the happenings at The Place. Bam-Bam is doing fine. It turns out that when Boot goes to her English class, she puts Bam in her room and she sleeps until Boot returns. It's been raining every day but that's not really news. (Ha)
Time to go pack for the trip. Have a Happy Tuesday.

Peace,
Danny

"Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go
any higher than you think."
~Benjamin Disraeli

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Peace

Hi,
I know, I'm very late today. We had a pretty busy weekend and yesterday was a big day. Before we get to that, have I mentioned that it's much cooler than we expected? You were having a heatwave before we left Thailand. Now it's a bit cold. Just goes to show that you can't always rely on the 'weather liars' to know how to dress. I brought a bunch of warm weather clothes. I'm glad I left some winter things in our apartment.
A bunch of you must have missed Friday's message. That must be the reason you didn't write to me about "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs. Hmm. That's alright. I have a real easy one for the start of the week. "...We're children, needing other children, and yet letting a grownup pride, hide all the need inside. Acting more like children than children." Now, do you really need a clue on this one? I didn't think so.
Saturday, I was supposed to go to the movies with C-Bass, to see the new Batman movie. He had second thoughts about it, and decided not to go. He was right in his predictions about the violence and tension. Lisa went with me instead. I do not understand how this film got a PG-13 rating. I'm not about to write a review. If you want to see it, go for it, but don't take your kids. Heavy stuff.
The evening found us at a pre-wedding dinner for our friends Paul and Joy. It was a fun time, meeting the rest of the wedding party, parents, and cousins.
Sunday was the big day. As a 'Groomsman' I had serious responsibilities. (Ha) Like, make sure the groom is at the wedding, seat guests on the proper side and don't fidget during the ceremony. The wedding was on the lawn at the California Yacht Club. The Groomsmen wore traditional Filipino Barongs (a sheer long-sleeve shirt with embroidered panels down the front) and the Bridesmaids wore lovely copper colored gowns. The bride chose a lace sheath with a tasteful train. All in all, a beautiful picture.
Today we're going downtown to see what's in our storage room. Then we'll see where it can be relocated. Tomorrow we leave early for our Northern California trip. We'll fly to the San Jose airport, check in to our hotel and then drive up to Oakland for lunch with the Bay Area Cousins. We'll have dinner with Lisa's dad Joe and his wife Eva. Wednesday, we'll breakfast with Joe, see his latest art projects and then lunch with our friends Bill, Rochelle and Cordelia.
Have a Great Week.

Peace,
Danny

"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we
seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal."
~Martin Luther King Jr


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Friday Funnies

Hi,
It's Friday in Los Angeles (or should I say Culver City) and I think the worst is over as far as the J.L. I know you're all tired of hearing me whine about it. I tried to out think it, tell myself that I was going to stay awake and induce a normal sleep pattern. I don't think it can be done. The stronger the body clock, the harder it is to alter it. After seven months in LOS, flying back to this continent and arriving on the same day I left has taken it's toll.
Nobody wrote me about the song. It was Olivia Newton-John's "I Honestly Love You". See, you knew it. For the weekend:
"Baby's into runnin' around Hanging with the crowd, putting your business in the street talking out loud. Saying you bought her this and that And how much you done spent...I wonder, wonder who put those ideas in her head..." Hint: This classic is from a Bay area artist that puts on a legendary holiday show for his local fans, has had a ton of hits, and has an unusual first name. Now that you know the lowdown on the artist, this should be easy.
Yesterday we drove over to Altadena and picked up my mom for our trip to Bangkok Blue. We had a fun time hanging out with the family (Blue, Joyce and Ming). After our great lunch and a lot of laughter, we went back to mom's, for more hangin' out and catching up. Even though we talk on the phone every week, there's nothing like being there.
Speaking of being there, when we returned to our 'vacation house', we noticed big hearts drawn in chalk, on the driveway. We followed them, like a trail of crumbs, and at the end was an invitation: "Party in August's room, fun fun fun". I had plans for the evening so I went by to see what was up. He had decorated his room with strings of lights, set up all of his DJ gear and had his various 'work' lights (strobe, blacklight, etc.) set to one remote. Of course he demonstrated the whole thing. It was brilliant. No more hitting all the switches for each light. One button and they were all on, and off.
Tomorrow I'm going to the movies with C-Bass. We're going to see the new Batman flick. Personally, I can hardly wait. The vehicles alone are enough to make me want to see the movie. The new bike looks awesome.
More Culture Shock: It dawned on me that the absence of all the motorbikes buzzing around in traffic was making the driving much easier. They tend to add a measure of tension since you never know when one might pop up beside you. At the same time, seeing big bikes on the streets has me turning my head trying to get a better look. We don't see much of that in Chiang Rai. Yesterday I bought gas for the first time. Back home, they pump the gas for you. I hadn't done it in quite a while. In addition, I hadn't been hustled by anyone for a window wash in a long time. Weird.
That's all for now. It's time for the 'Funnies', inspired by my old friend Jet Lag. Have a Summer WeekEnd.

Peace,
Danny

TOP TEN EXCUSES FOR FALLING ASLEEP AT YOUR DESK

1 "They told me at the blood bank this might happen."
2 "I wasn't sleeping, I was trying to pick up my contact lens without hands."
3 "I wasn't sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm!"
4 "Amen"
5 "This is just a 15 minute power-nap like they raved about in the last time management course you sent me to."
6 "Whew! Guess I left the top off the liquid paper"
7 "I was doing a highly specific Yoga exercise to relieve work related stress."
8 "This is one of the seven habits of highly effective people!"
9 "Boy, that cold medicine I took last night just won't wear off!"
10 "Darn! Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem."


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Good Enough

Hi,
One of the things on the big 'to do' list when visiting the States, is to pick up things we can't get in Thailand. Such things like vitamins, certain cookies, and a few tech items. Today was a day like that, plus some visits to a couple of government agencies. Oh, what fun.
There were no responses to the song, so you could still be first with the right answer. Wouldn't that be something? Here goes: "...And you shouldn't blow the chance When you've got the chance to say I love you, __ __ __ __. Hint: Since we're so close to the end of this I'll tell you that the initials for the last name are N-J.
Regardless of how you feel about the driving in the L.A. area, I must say that it's quite orderly and polite compared to home. Several times we approached intersections and the cars turning left waited for us to pass. How nice of them. Red lights are more than a suggestion for the most part, and drivers take turns at four-way stops.
I'm getting spoiled driving our rental car. It's a Jeep Patriot with an automatic transmission, comfortable suspension, and four doors. Every now and then I still reach for the shift lever with my left hand. That will probably fade as our stay goes on. I will admit to hitting the wiper lever thinking I was using the turn signals. That too shall pass.
Tomorrow we're going out to Bangkok Blue with my mom. That should be fun. We haven't had any Thai food since we've been back. I'll bet you haven't been there yet. Maybe it's time for a car-pool to lighten the load. Which brings me to the price of gas.
Wow. There's still such a wide range of high prices. In Thailand, most of the stations have the same price, and it's falling.
One last thing. Today we drove by our old house, just to see if it was being taken care of and to see any changes. It still looks great. The new owner wrote us to say how much she is enjoying it and we can tell by the plants and trees that she was right for the place. Lisa's mural is still up on the shed in the back yard. That was good to see, if even through the fence.
Have a Cool Thursday.

Peace,
Danny

"Never think that you're not good enough yourself.
A person should never think that.
People will take you very much at your own reckoning."
~Anthony Trollope

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Humility

Hi,
So, we're back and still doing battle with the 'Lag'. The plan today was to stay awake so we'd sleep real good and get back to 'normal'. Ha, didn't work and a nap got the better of us. Maybe another day or so and we'll be alright.
A few of you recognized "Venus" by Frankie Avalon. Oh, now you remember. I'm digging deep today. Do you know this one?
"Maybe I hang around here A little more than I should We both know I got somewhere else to go..." Hint: I honestly don't know how this hyphenated singer had the success she did. Oops, that wasn't very nice, was it? Hmm.
Culture Shock: Riding down the street last night and all of a sudden, two Culver City police cars are coming from the other direction with red lights and sirens blazing. Unheard of back in Chiang Rai. The closest we get to this is when the 'Rescue' boys race to an accident. Also, there are some streets that have been closed, and/or redirected and left me wondering what I was supposed to do. There's a car dealership that is now a furniture store and 'our' KFC is gone. What next?
We've been doing a lot of hanging out with 'The Boys'. August joined us this morning, with his laptop. The three of us, sitting on the bed computing. I helped him do an iTunes search for DJ mixes. He's still working on his collection. Very interesting to hear what this eight y/o is listening to. I wonder if his peers have the same tastes? Meanwhile, C-Bass is now taller than Lisa, his voice is deeper and he's pondering which iPod to get.
This evening we met our friend Cynthia for dinner at Dinah's. We ordered turkey, since we can't get it in Thailand. That's right, no turkey. Cynthia and her husband Lynn have relocated to Arizona so we had lots to talk about. Life goes on, different.
Lisa talked to Boot today. The house is fine and Bam-Bam is fine. We miss Bam. Boot tried to put her on the phone. (Ha) That would be a good trick, getting a puppy to relate to a phone. I guessing she'll be a lot bigger by the time we get back. Wonder what she'll be collecting then. Right now she brings her rocks to Boot's door and lines them up. I wonder what she's thinking?
Have a Wacky Wednesday.

Peace,
Danny

"Humility is the soil in which all other virtues grow."
~Unknown

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