Love

Hi,

The nights in Chiang Rai are in the low 50s. It feels colder than that, but I guess it's because the afternoon's are so hot. In spite of weird sleeping times we managed to get a lot accomplished today.

It appears that only a few of you remember the 'Easy Monday' song. It's never as good as the first time, but here's more: "Coast to coast, L.A. to Chicago, Western male. Across the North and South to Key Largo, love for sale... No need to ask, he's a __ __, __ __, __ __." Hint: To give you a real hint would be the sweetest taboo.

One of the things we brought back from America was a digital clock that projects the time on the ceiling. It's in the shape of a rocket ship. Last night we went to bed at 9:30 and we both recall starring at the ceiling around 3 and 4 o'clock. We eventually got up at 5:30am, much to the delight of Daku. When I took him out it was totally dark and very cold. I hope this changes soon.

This morning, while Lisa got a massage, I went into town to the bank. The hustle of downtown felt strange since the street is narrow and parking is scarce. After finding a parking place and paying the 'meter lady', I managed to take care of business. It was so nice to just pay 4 Baht (12 cents) for parking.

We went to Big C right after lunch, figuring that we had a small window of time before Mr. Lag would show up. There are still some items missing from the shelves and that surprised us. The supply chain from Bangkok is still a little shaky. We got what we needed and came home for a nap. The Australian Open has started and that seemed like the perfect thing to send us to dreamland, but it was a restless proposition. It's going to be a slow adjustment back to 'Thai Time'.

We had dinner in the Night Bazaar with Rachel and Shannon from The Sold Project. Shannon is a new volunteer with the project and has been in Thailand for a week. We talked of many things, had a great meal, and made plans to visit Rai Maefarluang on Thursday to see Chalit's photography exhibit of portraits. It's turning out to be a busy, but wonderful week.

Have a Happy Tuesday.

Peace,

Danny

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

~Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Kindness

Hi,

We're back in Thailand after a record-long travel time. We got a very warm welcome from Boot and the dogs. It's good to be home. Of course, we had that pesky stow-away, Mr. Jet Lag on the trip and now he's doing his thing.

The last song I gave you was the end of the 'Song of '75' series. It was "Dance With Me" by Orleans.
This 'Easy Monday' song should be just that: "Diamond life, lover boy. He moves in space with minimum waste and maximum joy. City lights and business nights, when you require streetcar desire for higher heights... No need to ask, he's a __ __, __ __, __ __." Hint: It's about a cool 'man about town'. The singer goes by just one name.

We left LAX on Thursday night and arrived in Chiang Rai on Saturday night. The total travel time, door to door was 35 hours. Part of this was 8 hours in the airport in Bangkok, waiting for the flight from BKK to Chiang Rai. There are only so many planes a day going to the north.

The bags are finally unpacked, things are mostly put away, and the eyelids get heavy when we least expect them to droop. A few more days and we should be back to some semblance of normal.

We went to Central Plaza yesterday (Sunday) and walked in on a giant dance recital of the cutest tiny little kids. The place was crawling with children, parents and grand-parents. We went there for a coffee meeting with Jaffee to work on Lisa's Chiang Mai exhibit, but the location of our meeting changed. We then went to Doi Chaang and had delicious coffee, and discussed the business. Our friend Rachel, from The Sold Project, had been upstairs and I ran into her at the front door. She joined us and we had another little meeting. We didn't even know she was still in the country. Funny how things work out. We're having dinner with her tomorrow night.

This morning I had a massage from Khun Joy and it really helped loosen up the travel muscles. She told me, in her Thai/English mix, about the cold, rainy weather here while we were gone. Since we've been back it's been very cold at night and warm by mid-day. Hmm, seem to remember this same pattern last year. Oh well, it will be hot soon and I'll be fussing about how hot it is.

We have already noticed some interesting things since we've been back. A Thai cellphone with an Italian opera ringtone, a giant light display on the highway to celebrate the completion of a temple complex, and more lights on Clock Tower street celebrating the New Year.

Sunday will be the celebration of Chinese New Years and Jaffee is having a party which will also celebrate Lisa's birthday. It will be, as they say here, "A very auspicious day".

As if someone is waving a watch in front of me, "I am getting very sleepy".

Have a Great Week.

Peace,
Danny

"Kindness in words creates confidence.
Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.
Kindness in giving creates love."
~Lao-Tzu

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Ripples

Hi,

Here we are, at the end of the proverbial road. All the gifts have been given, most of the visits completed, and sadly, a few friends left to see that won't be seen. It's been a good trip, but it's time to go.

Well, no one has written me with the correct answer to the 'Song of '75', so here's a bit more. Use your dictionary.

"Let it lift you off the ground. Starry eyes and love is all around. I can take you where you want to go. __ __ __, I want to be your partner, can't you see the music is just starting?...." Clue: He's asking her to join him in a terpsichorean exercise. Hmm.

We spent our last full day doing those odds and ends things. We had a wonderful lunch with our dear friend Seth and his wife China. We missed them on our last time over so we had a lot of catching up to do. Some of you will remember Seth from the 'Godfadda Workout'. He told us that the show has finally been put to rest. It was a great run while it lasted. As groupies of the show, it will always hold a place in our hearts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCuMW_jTzmo

A stop by the 99 Cent Store left us wondering what we would buy that we can't get at home. We laughed at the idea that most of it probably came from there. We left with nothing. (555)

We have a friend named Joe who works at Emerald Thai. He just returned from Thailand so we went by to see him. He's still in the midst of jet lag, but he told us about the flower festival in Chiang Mai. He sends us email from time to time to see how we're doing. He and Khun Nid were very concerned when they heard about the recent flooding. It was nice to hear from them and we had a nice visit with them this evening.

Meanwhile, back at the house, we had a nice Thai dinner with Anna. This morning we'll be getting August ready for school and then I'll take him. It will be like 'the old days'.

It has been a joy to see so many friends. The sharing of meals, coffee, and hugs will be fond memories that will last until the next time we visit.

Have a Thrilling Thursday. I'll try to write from Taipei during our layover.

Peace,

Danny

"Like a stone dropped into a lake,

our acts of kindness can create a ripple effect.
The long-term effects may be unknown to us,
but the ripples of one wave creating another and another,
to forever impact - that is a definite fact."
~Susan Fahncke

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Guide

Hi,

We traveled back to Altadena yesterday to have a final visit with my Mom, managed to take a nap, and had a fun family dinner with Jeff, Anna and August. It was what I'd call an easy day.

The 'Easy Monday' song was "I Feel Fine" by The Beatles. See, it really was easy. It's time to take a look at another 'Song of '75'. "__ __ __, I want to be your partner. Can't you see the music is just starting? Night is falling, and I am calling, __ __ __." Hint: It's by a group named after the older version of a city in the south. The song is an invitation.

We had to say goodbye to C-Bass early in the morning because he left for a 'Senior Camp' with his classmates and won't be back 'til after we've gone. We'll miss him, but there will be communication through Skype.

We hit the freeway right after the morning rush, but ran into heavy traffic on the way to my Mom's house. Seems that the morning rush lasts longer than I remembered. I cleared up a few things on her computer and helped her upgrade some software. Lisa showed her our email messages from Boot and she got a kick out of them. We recapped the trip and told her about some of our adventures.

Our list is getting smaller since we managed to find what resembles 'fly paper' at a hardware store in Pasadena. It's something we couldn't find in Thailand, at least not in Chiang Rai, and we needed something to deal with tiny little gnats that find their way to our house.

The evening meal was a delicious chicken dinner that Anna cooked. While we were eating Anna told us about a comedian that they really enjoyed. Later we watched the show and I haven't laughed that hard in days.

One more night in Culver City and then it's off to Thailand on Thursday evening. We realized today that we will have to get back in shape for the stairs at our house. We've been living on one level for three weeks. It happens every trip, but this time we thought about it.

The news from home is that Lisa will be having an art exhibit in Chiang Mai that may be opening on February 25. This is exciting since it will be the first 'road trip' for her cast acrylic prints.

I suppose our next adventure will be the packing of the bags. If we start today and pace ourselves it should be pretty easy. (laughs to self)

Feels like a Wacky Wednesday.

Peace,

Danny

"When they think that they know the answers,

people are difficult to guide.
When they know that they don't know,
People can find their own way."
~Tao Te Ching

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Learn

Hi,

Monday we pulled out the list and did some of the shopping. We lunched with friends, and had two more visits later in the day.

Nice to know a few of you remembered the 'Easy Monday' song. My brother even remembered the other side.

"I'm so glad that she's my little girl. She's so glad, she's telling all the world that her baby buys her things you know. He buys her diamond rings you know, she said so. She's in love with me and __ __ __." Hint: Really?

The pet supply store is a place we always go when we're in town. After all, we have to take something home for the dogs. This trip they're both getting new collars and more things to chew. We've been missing them and they've been missing us. Boot told us that Daku went upstairs looking for us and came back down with one of Lisa's socks.

We had lunch in the Marina with our friends Claire and David. It's always nice to connect with them. We heard about their vacation in Florida, and we talked about everything from wetsuits to birds, to the world of dance.

In the afternoon we went to Santa Monica and had a visit with our friend Kerrina while she gave Lisa some physical therapy.

Every trip I seem to comment on the different motor vehicles that I see on the road. This time is no exception. I've been surprised to see so many new cars as we ride around. There are lots of cool cars and vans these days. There also seem to be more motor-scooters on the streets of L.A. Could this be a trend? Maybe some day in the future you will experience what we encounter on a daily basis. (Ha) I doubt it, but it's a funny speculation.

Lisa had dinner with her friend Lisa, who lives in Nevada. They had a fun time and ended up at Fox Hills Mall. I had a quiet dinner and met with some dear friends. I also got in a little time with The Boys.

We've been getting email from some of our friends in Thailand. It's warm again and that sounds good to me.

Have a Happy Tuesday.

Peace,

Danny

"Man can learn nothing except by
going from the known to the unknown."
~Claude Bernard

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Develop

Hi,

We just spent our last weekend in America for awhile. There were lunches, visits, and travel around the freeway system.

I'm a little surprised that only two people knew the 'Old School Friday' song. It was "You Don't Own Me" by Lesley Gore. Here's your 'Easy Monday' chance: "Baby's good to me you know, she's happy as can be you know, she said so. I'm in love with her and __ __ __." Hint: The singer, one of four, is quite pleased with his relationship. You really should let me know that you know this one. (555)

Friday I had lunch with my friend Frankie at a cool place called The French Quarter on Santa Monica Blvd. We talked about the creative process, and the business that comes with it, and laughed of course. A unique menu item that we both liked was 'half a sandwich'. Nice idea.

Saturday we traveled to North Hollywood for a lunch with the Valley Cousins. It's so nice to eat home-cooked meals. Nowell and Jennifer hosted lunch for eight and it was outstanding. A lighting contractor had come by to pick up a light and they invited him to join us. It was such a cool gesture. After lunch their son Chaz and I went through some of the music apps on my iPad. More fun.

In the evening I celebrated my birthday with some good friends and Lisa went out to dinner with McKinley, a friend from her childhood.

Sunday we lunched with my Mom at Thai Boom. We came home and relaxed a bit and then went over to Alhambra to visit our friend Debby, another childhood friend of Lisa's.

In between the meals and traveling around we've been able to spend some time with August and C-Bass. August taught me how to play 'Crazy 8s' and we played the longest game ever. I've had some nice visits with C-Bass, while he played video games and enjoyed listening to his drumming (it's unavoidable). August played one of the piano pieces he's working on and let me film it. This week they will both be back in school so we'll have limited time with them before we leave.

Today we have another lunch date with a good friend and then we start rounding up the things we have to take back to Thailand.

Have a Great Week.

Peace,

Danny

"The way to develop the best that is in a person
is by appreciation and encouragement."
~Charles Schwab

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Friday Funnies

Hi,

As we enter the last week of our Winter Trip, things are heating up with the weather and the schedule. Thursday we went on a little adventure in nature and today there will be more activity.

The 'Song of '75' was "Love Will Keep Us Together" by The Captain & Tennille. It's time for 'Old School Friday'. See if you know this one: "__ __ __ __, I'm not just one of your many toys. __ __ __ __, don't say I can't go with other boys. And don't tell me what to do, and don't tell me what to say and please, when I go out with you, don't put me on display, 'cause __ __ __ __...." Hint: This singer was really standing up for herself. An independent spirit. It's from 1964.

Yesterday we went to Liberty Canyon to spend some time with Blue and Ming. Blue has been living at a horse rescue ranch on the inland side of the Malibu mountains that is owned by a friend of his. Ming will be going back to Stanford today to finish out his senior year. It seems like it was not so long ago that the four of us traveled to Thailand together. That was back in 2001, Ming was 11, and now he's about to graduate from college. We took lunch with us and we all ate on a sun deck that overlooked the corrals. After we ate we looked through photos of our last 6 months so they could see the various exhibits and events as well as a movie clip of the dogs playing ball.

One of the things that I've seen that caught my eye recently was the skate park in Culver City. There must have been a 'clinic' for kids during the winter break. Several times we passed the facility at Jefferson and Duquesne and saw a very large group of tiny little kids, all on scooters. Whoever was supervising the kids is a very brave person.

While driving to our various destinations my perspective on the size of the L.A. area has changed. It's huge when I think about driving in Chiang Rai. There, we live on the north edge of the city and we can drive to the southern part of town in 10 to 15 minutes. The big streets have two lanes in either direction, but there aren't a lot of big streets. Some days it seems like there's a ton of traffic, but after driving down Venice Blvd. during rush-hour I've changed my mind on that as well.

Today I'm having lunch with a friend in Hollywood while Lisa goes to the Santa Monica Pier with August and Anna.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd. And now, the 'Funnies.'

Peace,

Danny

Notes from Home

John has been absent because he had two teeth taken off his face.

Please excuse my son's tardiness. I forgot to wake him up and I did not find him

till I started making the beds.

Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father's fault.

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

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