Pure

Hi,

Well kids, we just spent our last night in America.  Now it’s off to the Land of Smiles.  Not that there haven’t been a lot of beautiful smiles in California.  I will leave with a whole new set of fond memories.

‘Easy Monday’ is from 1964.  Even if you’re not old, you might remember:  “…You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares and go __ where all the lights are bright, __, waiting for you tonight, __ you’re gonna be alright now

(__, __).”  Clue: The singer also cautioned us about sleeping in the subway, in another song.  This song title is one word.  How hard can that be?  Special clue: What is the opposite of up.

This morning Lisa and I made a brief trip to Venice Beach, saw the Pacific Ocean, a bit of the boardwalk, and the local ‘color’ before dashing off to the next location on our list.  We made a pact that next trip, we are going to return to the beach with no time limit.  It is a thing to be savored, not rushed.  

At the mall, as well as the boardwalk, I was reminded of Chiang Rai and the Night Bazaar.  Being in the midst of strolling crowds speaking different languages felt very familiar.  If only I understood what everyone was saying.  Or not.  

Every time we visit the states, it seems there have been changes.  This trip is no exception.  The first big surprise came when we went to get gas at the Arco station we lovingly called ‘Fedco’.  The station was gone.  Not just closed, but nowhere to be seen.  Then we discovered that Rally’s Burgers is gone.  We were fans for a minute, but it was such a landmark for so long I thought they would never leave.  It appears as though condos are going to devour Culver City (555).  I could go on, but I won’t.  Still, it’s amazing.

Meanwhile, back on the road, we left the mall and headed for Alhambra to visit Lisa’s childhood friend, Deb.  A traffic report warned of three blocked lanes ahead so we got off and took an alternate route.  It worked great and I’m sure it saved us a lot of time and aggravation.  We exchanged info on family visits and life in general.  She told us about her grand kids and we told her about the young people in our lives.  It was a good visit. 

In Altadena, we picked up my mom and went to dinner.  We have a lot of fun hanging out with her.  While driving across town she told stories of my elementary school days.  Apparently, I was a pretty sweet kid...   

Today’s photo was taken at Venice Beach, California.  

Have a Happy Tuesday

             Peace,

                       Danny

“The teaching is simple.

Do what is right.

Be pure.”

~Buddha

Light

Hi,

Our last weekend in the U.S. was a full one.  The weather for the 4th of July was clear and perfect, the day after was cloudy and cool.  How does that happen?

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Sixteen Candles” by The Crests.  See if you know this ‘Easy Monday’ tune:

“When you’re alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go __.  When you’ve got worries, all the noise and the hurry seems to help, I know, __.  Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city.  Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty.  How can you lose?”  Hint:  It’s a location in most cities.  

As you may remember, holidays and festivals are times when fireworks and explosions are the order of the day.  This year’s Fourth of July celebrations seemed larger than in the past.  Maybe the folks in our neighborhood were trying to make us feel welcome.  There were whistling things, silent spectaculars spewing sparks, display fireworks the looked like smaller versions of the big pro shows, and of course, things that just blew up and made loud noises.  August started pulling the strings in some of the little ‘safe’ fireworks in afternoon.  When it got dark, a family a few doors down started setting off ‘family packs’ of colorful assortments.  A few minutes of that and I was done.  I must say, it was nice to not hear giant explosions into the night, or at 5am. 

The biggest treat for us over the holiday was a visit from our Godson Darryl and his daughter Kaylani, who is one year old and too cute for words. They live in Lompoc, California and it took a bus, and a train for them to get here.  Kaylani entertained us until she finally crashed.  It seems amazing that this man we met when he was 13, is now the father of a beautiful baby girl.  We were impressed with what a good dad he is.

The 4th is usually a time for picnics and BBQs.  Ours consisted of Lisa and Anna doing some shopping and sight-seeing and me hanging out with The Boys.  We had a sit-down dinner prepared by Anna.  The roast chicken was the best chicken I’ve had this trip. Anna’s chicken was moist and flavorful, due to the fact that it was stuffed with fresh herbs from her garden.  Brava.

The song ‘Hotel California’ was inspired by an actual place.  Have you ever wondered how many hotels bear that name?  I have, and when I saw one in downtown Palo Alto, I just had to take a pic.

Early Sunday morning I took Lisa to the airport for a flight to San Fransisco, where she was met by her step-sister, Karen Jo.  They drove to Palo Alto, for the memorial being held for Eva Zirker.  There were at least 60 friends and well-wishers in attendance and it was a beautiful way to pay tribute to a vibrant member of the community.  Lisa returned late in the evening, and I got to do something I haven’t done in a very long time: drive to, and around LAX at peak arrival time.  I will never complain about Chiang Rai traffic again (555).   

I spent part of my Sunday seeing what mid-day Sunday looks like around Olvera street and Union Station.  That’s where I took Darryl and Kaylani for their trip back to Lompoc.  I keep forgetting that it’s summer time and that means ‘High Season’ for tourism.  Today I saw the Hollywood Tours’ double-decker bus just as it was pulling into Olvera Street.  It was full.  

Have a Great Week.

                Peace,

                          Danny

“Nothing can dim the light

that shines from within.”

~Maya Angelou

Age

Hi,

I’m sitting in the room of the Stanford Motor Inn.  A quaint, adequate motel whose owner has some interesting ideas about decorating.  The trip is going well.  Mr. Lag decided to stay late and is becoming tiresome.

So, a bunch of you knew the ‘Zany Day’ song.  That’s so cool.  Verse two should seal the deal if you’re wondering. 

“Commercial came on, so I got up to get myself a snack.  You should’ve seen what was going on by the time that I got back.  Down in the old abandoned mine, Sweet Sue was havin’ fits, that villain said ‘Give me the deed to your ranch or I’ll blow you all to bits!’  And then he grabbed her (and then) he tied up, (and then), he lit the fuse to the dynamite (and then and then).  And the __ __ __, tall thin __, slow-walkin’ __…”  Hint:  

Our morning went smoothly as far as getting out of town went.  For the first time, we decided to just take what we could carry on the plane.  This meant no checked baggage, which meant no long wait to check-in, and no wait after the flight.  For this stint, we got a new Toyota Carolla.  It was a fun car to drive up the highway to meet the Cousins.  We had a great time with Eunice, Trudye and Skip.  More Italian food, but I’ve been pain free for weeks so I’m not complaining.  After lunch we drove down to Palo Alto.  I must mention that we haven’t been lost yet.  

We’ve stayed at the Stanford Motor Inn before, but I forgot about the decor.  There are flowers painted on the walls in the rooms.  Some of the paintings are actual relief sculptures.  There are fake flowers everywhere and it feels like you’re in another land.  Here are a couple of samples.

Dinner with Joe and Karen Jo, Lisa’s step-sister was going quite well until my friend decided to join us.  Mr. Lag started by tugging on my eyelids.  Not cool when you’re trying to say you’re still awake.  After we got back to the hotel, he really went to work.  I have been trying to write this message but my head keeps dropping.  

I will close by telling you that Northern California is really having a heat wave, just in case you haven’t heard.  Many communities are in triple digits.  

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

                  Peace,

                            Danny

“In youth we learn,

in age we understand.”

~Marie von Ebner Eschenbach

Power

Hi,

Well, the weather people here seem to be as clueless as the ones in Chiang Rai.  The big storm today produced a very light rain for about 10 minutes.  Maybe the nearly full moon had something to do with it (555).  

The ‘Easy Monday’ song was “Memphis Tennessee” by Chuck Berry.  The ‘Zany Day’ song is one we’ve hummed before so it should be easy.  “I plopped down in my easy chair and turned on Channel 2.  A bad gunslinger called Salty Sam was chasin’ poor Sweet Sue.  He trapped her in the old sawmill and said with an evil laugh, ‘If you don’t give me the deed to your ranch I’ll saw you all in half’.  And then he grabbed her (and then) he tied her up (and then) he turned on the bandsaw (and then, and then).  And then __ __ __, tall thin __, slow-walkin’ __, slow-talkin’ __.  __ __ long, lean, lanky __.”  Clue:  The hero in this story goes by his last name.  It was a big hit in 1959 by a group known for their zany presentations.  

This morning we had some time before our ‘Marina Day Part 2’ so we set out for another dose of Ross shopping.  This trip it seems that our needs are not being met at one of our favorite stores.  On the way to the mall we stopped at the pet store to get some treats for Daku.  He gets local treats, but he really enjoys the ones we bring back from the states (like he knows the difference).  Actually, there seems to be more exotic stuff over here (555).  While browsing, I spotted something I’d never seen before.  Today’s photo is a magazine rack for pet lovers.  Oh my.

Like everywhere else in town, there had been changes at the mall.  New stores, new vendor carts, and higher prices.  We only went to three stores and that was enough.  Two small bags later we were on our way home.  Then it was off to the little Italian Restaurant where we had dinner the night before.  We met with our friend Kathie and had great fun catching up and reveling in the wonders of retired life.  

Before we went to the marina, we had to get gas.  Once again, I really felt like a ‘visitor’ at the gas station.  It’s been six months since I’ve pumped my own gas.  The whole thing of getting out and paying for it, then pumping it is beginning to feel strange.  When we left, the car seemed to know the way.  We settled in at Peet’s coffee where we had a nice visit with our friend Richard, who is a coffee lover and always gets a bag of Doi Chaang.  He’s been a big help to us on some tech issues through the years.  An hour later we were hanging out with another good friend, Lisa Winston and her grand-daughter. Today we learned, from the ‘tween’, that long individual braids are called ‘Poetic Justice’ braids, after the style Janet Jackson wore in the movie of the same name.  It’s getting hard to stay current.

This afternoon Mr. August made chocolate-chip brownies.  Oh the pain.  Not being able to partake was not as bad as I thought, just knowing that I had coconut-flour brownies of my own.  

As you read this, if you’re a morning reader, we’ll be winging our way to San Jose International Airport.  From there we’ll drive to San Leandro for a Cousin’s Lunch with the Oakland Cousins.  Then we’ll drive down to Palo Alto, check in to our motel, and then have dinner with Lisa's father Joe, and her step-sister Karen Jo.  Eva, Joe’s wife of over 50 years, passed recently and this will be a different kind of visit for us all.  We will return to L.A. on Thursday.  

It’s time for Wacky Wednesday.

                 Peace,

                           Danny

“Nothing external has 

any power over you.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Awareness

Hi,

Well, day five was another busy one.  It was ‘Marina Day’ and Lisa and I saw friends from the institute where she worked.  There was a coffee, a lunch, and a coffee.  That was just the first half of the day.  

Our ‘Easy Monday’ song hasn’t had many responses.  I suspect this last verse may help you remember:

“Last time I saw Marie she’s waving me good-bye, with hurry home drops on her cheeks that trickled from her eye.  Marie is only six years old, information please.  Try to put me through to her in __ __.”  Clue:  Song title is a city and a state.

Our morning was filled with visits.  When you work at the same place for 30 years, there are people who go way back, and have left imprints in your life.  I dropped Lisa off in the Marina for her coffee date and returned to Culver City.  We had a package that was going to Texas and the first time we tried to mail it, no one came to the window at the P.O.  It was the oddest thing.  There were about 6 of us standing in the lobby, calling, tapping on the windows, but no response from the workers.  We left, and today I tried a different location.  This time I had success.  I returned to the Marina in time to hang out with Lisa and her lunch date Melissa.  They worked together for 15 years.  From there we went to coffee with a couple we have met with since we began making return visits.  We made it home just before Mr. Lag.

Some of you have been reading this daily message for a long time.  You were around to hear the tales told of our two Godsons, Sebastian and August, who we’ve known since birth.  Sebastian, aka ‘C-Bass’ and now Ian is a 20 year old college Junior studying at the Loyola film school.  August is 15 and going into the 10th grade.  Oh, how the time flies.  It was a odd jolt to realize that Ian would not be around today because he had to go to work.  What?  He has a summer intern job on a TV show.  From the 'August Chronicles' I must report that last semester he made an electric guitar in a class project.  Now he knows a lot more than I do about these things.  He’s been helping Lisa work out some ‘issues’ with her computer and continues to amaze us with his understanding of how things work.  He’s also become quite a chef, creating dishes from recipes and coming up with his own inventions in the kitchen.  

The evening found us having dinner with my dear friend Mark and his girlfriend Erica, at a little Italian place called EnjoEat.  It’s tucked away behind the ArcLight Theater in Culver City and the food is quite good.  Today’s photo was taken on the street next to the elementary school.  So many signs, so many rules.  Scroll down slowing to capture the whole experience.

Today I learned that a lot of the Condo construction near the Marina is due to the migration of the ‘Tech’ industry to this area.  In fact, they're calling it Silicon Beach.  Hmm, there goes the neighborhood (555).

Have a Happy Tuesday.

                  Peace,

                            Danny

“Your perception of me 

is a reflection of you;

my reaction to you is 

an awareness of me.”

~Unknown

Problem

Hi,

To say we had a busy weekend would be an understatement.  Lunches and dinners, visits and naps.  It’s nice being based in Culver City because we get the cooler air from the coast.  Inland, as some of you know, is very hot.  Meanwhile, it’s doing the rain thing back in Chiang Rai.

The ‘Old School Friday’ tune was “Sea Cruise” by Frankie Ford.  Time for another episode of ‘Easy Monday’.  See if this rings a bell:  “Long distance information, give me __ __.  Help me find the party trying to get in touch with me. She could not leave her number, but I know who placed the call, ‘cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall.”  Hint:  Another from the Father of R&R, has a bit of a trick ending.  

Friday I went to Hollywood twice.  I saw lots of old friends and the many changes in the city along the way.  Riding through Beverly Hills there were lots of new cars to check out.  You know I do this every time we return to the states.  A mental ‘car fantasy’ list is being compiled as we speak.  There are clearly a lot of people here with a lot of money to spend on their autos (555).  I’ve been seeing quite a few Tesla sedans and I know they go for 100K.  There also seems to be a lot more motorbike/scooters on the road than before.  Judging by the price of gas, it should come as no surprise.  

Today’s photo is an older car that still looks good.  This Jaguar Sedan was spotted in traffic on Venice Bl. and the owner was blasting The Kinks as we sat at the red light.  I love L.A.

Saturday evening we had dinner with The Valley Cousins at a restaurant in Culver City.  Lots of catching up on news and life in general.  We had a Sunday lunch with my mother in Pasadena.  We went to the Hastings Ranch district and sampled another Italian spot.  Sunday evening we had dinner with more Valley Cousins along with Anna, C-Bass (aka Ian) and August.  That was big fun.  This trip we have discovered more places that I can have a nice meal without breaking my diet.  

While I’m writing, Lisa is texting with Natcha in Thailand, using a program called Viber.  It’s 1:10pm tomorrow over there.  We have been here 4 days and Mr. Lag is being rather persistent.  He just won’t go away.  Oh well, at some point he’ll have to take a nap.  Then he can bug us when we return to Thailand (555).

Have a Great Week.

                Peace,

                          Danny

“If the problem can be solved, why worry.

If the problem cannot be solved, worrying

will do you no good.”

~Santideva

Friday Funnies

Hi,

Day one in America and Mr. Lag reared his ugly head.  It may take a few days to kick him out, but you know the story (555).  It’s the saga of the stowaway.

This week’s ‘Zany Day’ song was “One Eyed, One Horned, Flying Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley.  ‘Old School Friday’ is next.  It’s from 1959 and it’s by a singer whose last name is that of a car, even though it’s not about that.

“Old man rhythm is in my shoes, no use t’sittin’ and a-singin’ the blues.  So be my guest, you got nothin’ to lose.  Won’t ya let me take you on a __ __?  Oo-wee, oo-wee baby, oo-wee, oo-wee baby, won’t ya let me take you on a __ __?”  Clue:  There is a nautical theme in the title.

We began our state side adventure by staying up until 2am.  What?  Lisa woke up at 5am and I woke up at 6.  Now experience tells us that at about 2pm our old friend Mr. Lag will demand that we literally pass out.  We had more to do in the morning that we realized, but got it all done.  We went to Altadena to visit with my mom and sure enough, at 2pm I got an invitation to rest my head on anything close by.  I fought the urge to collapse and we drove back to Culver City.  Fortunately, the traffic wasn’t super heavy and I managed to fight off Mr. Lag until we were safely back at home.  Sleep came quickly.  

Meanwhile, back in Chiang Rai, Daku is getting lots of attention.  We got messages from home assuring us that he is being well taken care of, with photos.  First Cat sent a Facebook message that included a pic of Daku looking sweet. Then later Natcha sent a message with two photos.  If he wasn’t spoiled before, he will be by the time we return.

Today’s photo shows one of Daku’s favorite toys looking out over the landing, just like he does.

Blue wrote to tell us that the heavy rains had begun.  Looks like the rainy season has begun.  We saw many signs of the current drought as we drove towards the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley.  We also noticed that there were some yards with healthy, green lawns while others were brown and patched.  We told my mom that we were giving her a ‘Good Citizen’ award for her dying lawn and garden.  Right around the corner there were some beautiful yards.  My mother had us laughing, saying that maybe they painted their lawns.  We all know that’s not the case.  Hmm, do we turn them in?  (555)

Things have really changed around the Culver City area.  In a way, it makes me feel like home.  So much building is going on, so many new businesses replacing things we’ve known for years.  As you know, we still identify certain landmark stores by their original names.  There’s a new one to add to the list.  The Albertson’s on Venice is now a Haggen’s.  Who?  It will always be Albertson’s.  Downtown Los Angeles, from the freeway, was quite a sight to see.  I wonder just how many giant buildings can fit in the spaces between the streets?  Hmm.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd.      It’s time for the ‘Funnies’.

                  Peace,

                            Danny