Incredible International News!

Article: NORTH KOREA FREES TWO U.S JOURNALISTS AFTER CLINTON TRIP (click on article to read it)

Amazing! Amazing! I'm so relieved for their families. Way to go, Bill!!

Silly Kitty...Tricks are for Kids!

Oh, what a beautiful morning...wait...I need to come up with something original in this post...

But it was a lovely sunrise this morning. It would've been even lovelier without all the roofs and wires blocking it...
There we go...
And then it was time for the pets to belly-up at the trough...LOL!
And Ramius, the white kitten, is starting to climb the orange tree. This morning he made it all the way up to the birdhouse. There is no one to teach him about climbing trees because my 2 older cats have never been tree-climbers. I think it is because they spent their first 4 years as indoor cats at my apartment. Oy, that kitten is so active! I'm really glad that he is comfortable being outside a lot (although right now he is taking a power nap on my bed.) Everything is a toy with this cat. This video looks like it is sped up, but this is real time. He never stops!


After a "tough" morning of non-stop play:

Bye, Bye Old Honda...(for real this time!!)

Well, my 1999 Honda now has a new home and new owners. We met tonight at the tables outside the local In n Out Burger and did the final exchange of the balance and the pink slip. Such nice people! Just the kind of owners I would want to turn my car over to. They were so grateful for the smooth transaction that they bought dinner for my mom and me and we got to know each other a little better.

After a more in-depth tour of their new purchase, and a yummy burger dinner, we parted ways and my first new car went to its new home. I hope they get as much joy out of it as I did!

Love those CR-Vs! My 1999 and my 2009 side-by-side right before the '99 went to its new home.

Rich and Betsy--the happy new car-owners. I'm glad Betsy finally got the car she's always wanted. I know the feeling!

Bye, Bye Old Honda...

OK, well, not really. Right now I'm at the local car wash getting my '99 Honda all spiffed up for the final transaction tonight. The new owners are going to pay the balance of the cost, and I'm going to sign over the car's title to them.

I'm still amazed at how easy it was. The wife is so cute--she has been wanting a Honda CR-V for ages, since they first came out, and now she is finally going to get one. And interestingly enough, she prefers that older body style. Also amazing is how this couple, who saw the car on Saturday when I had it parked in a high-profile spot in the neighborhood, had no plans to haggle on the price. I had it priced halfway between the "excellent" and the "good" condition prices that the Kelly Blue Book site suggested, and they were totally OK with that.

They gave me a very decent down payment to let me know that they were serious, and tonight we seal the deal at a local restaurant parking lot. Speaking as someone who is currently experiencing the thrill of having a new car, I decided to have it waxed and to buy some new floor mats for it so the new owner can have that same thrill.

It's also the first time I've ever done a blog entry from my Blackberry.

Saying goodbye to my old car is going to be a little hard! There are so many memories associated with it. We've taken it on trips, moved furniture, and have had some passengers who are no longer with us, like my grandparents and Brad. That car has seen a lot.

I think the only thing that makes it easier to let it go is knowing how excited the new owner is to get it.

It's DORIS DAY Day...

Yes, try saying that five times fast! (Doris Day day, Doris Day day....OK....stop.)

I haven't done the online karaoke thing for a couple of weeks, and now the site lets you record and save the same song multiple times. That's a good thing when you want to sing a song again and keep the newer and an older version.

So, I decided to do an ode to Doris Day, who has one of the best singing voices of the 1940's. Click on the song titles to listen to them...

IT'S MAGIC

SECRET LOVE

IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU

Love those oldies!

MY HOUSE: Before & After...

Anyone who knows me knows that I love my house. Love it. It is across the street from my mom, it is on the street where I grew up, it's in a great neighborhood, and it fits me.

Decorating it has been a treat since I moved in. It was built in 1941, and I'm always trying to find ways to make it look welcoming and preserve its charm.

Each year there have been little improvements here and there...the first year I moved in and did the basic decorating on the inside, the second year I bought patio furniture, and the third year I added more flowers to the back yard. But this year was a biggie...the house got painted and got some brick work done in the front.

And now it is ALL DONE! 5 weeks of brick and/or painting, and, as of yesterday, it is all done. I'm thrilled with the way it turned out. How many differences do you see? :-) (click on the pictures to see them full-sized...)

BEFORE:
AFTER:
BEFORE:
AFTER:
BEFORE: (I know! Happy Halloween!)
AFTER:
My goal: to update the colors, to have cool colors, to clean up the roof, to have a dramatic accent color. I love it!

Sushi with Xander...

Big day! Tonight, after lunch with my friends and selling my car, my mom and I went out for sushi with my nephew.

Xander is not normally a big eater, and lately he has been a little fussy, but tonight he ate with gusto! Edemame, miso soup, rice, and, especially, tofu...he loved them all. The fun part was watching him hold the bowls with two hands and say "hot" after each gulp of soup. A video...


This kid is constantly getting spoken to in 3 different languages. My mom speaks to him in Spanish, his other grandparents speak to him in Vietnamese, and everyone else in English. It's never too early...

And some fun pictures... (Click on any to see it full-sized)

Interesting (but good) day!

It is always good to do things out of the norm, out of our comfort zone, and today was one of those days.

Back at the end of October of last year I ran into a girl named Bernadette that I had known in 1st and 2nd grade. She was on my street, campaigning for Obama. A couple of days later I ran into her again at the polls on Election Day, and then attended her birthday party. A few months passed and we made plans to go to lunch today with another girl, Michelle, who was also from our classes in elementary school (for the 1.5 years I went to Catholic school!)

So today Bernie and I drove out to Canyon Country and caught up and talked a blue streak during the hour-long drive. We had a nice lunch at CPK with Michelle and another mutual friend that I just met today.

Me, Michelle, Bernie, classmates in 1977!

The CPK was at a strip mall with a cool pond with ducks, some sailboat-like-structures coming out of the water, and a neat sculpture in the background of a flock of birds taking flight. As always, click on the pictures to see them full-sized...

This morning, before even getting picked up to go to lunch, I finally drove my 1999 Honda Cr-V to the neighborhood's "unofficial used car lot," which is the street in front of a local elementary school. I don't know how this got started, but every weekend people who want to sell their cars park them along the front of the school yard in this one place. It has been going on for years, and you just get used to turning your head in that direction when you pass the school, which is on a busy street, to see what's available.

When I came home from lunch, there was a message on my machine from someone who was interested in the car, but wanted to pa only about 55% of what I was asking....ummm...no. The car had already been out there for about 7 hours and that was the only message regarding it when I got home, which was a little discouraging.

But...a little while later I got another call from a man who was there looking at it with his wife. I got my mom to come with me to go and talk to him, his wife has been wanting a Cr-V since they came out (and, funnily enough, she liked that older body style the best) and we took a test drive. She loved it, they had no plans to haggle, she gave me a decent down payment, and the sale is in the works. Wow, that was surprisingly easy! Of course, it is a Honda--a great car, with a lot of life left in it...

And now we're babysitting my nephew and will cap the day off with some sushi.

Good day!

An Evening at the Magic Kingdom...

One of the great things about having a pass to Disneyland, besides being able to go on any day, is that you can go for just a few hours. My friend, Bobby, and I did this last night.

We arrived at 7pm, and, besides having a mediocre dinner at the Zocal Mexican Restaurant, had a really fun time. It was my first time there with my new camera, so I did a lot of picture-taking. Bobby was a really good sport, especially because I was taking pictures of things we had seen hundreds of times.

We were there until about 11:45pm, went on 5 rides and enjoyed some treats at the Blue Ribbon Bakery, and came home tired, but happy. Here are a few photographs...

The one photo we took of us, while waiting for the firework crowds to pass by...

P.S. Yep, time for another blog face-lift!

Off-Color Joke of the Day

This joke is so NOT what I usually post. Forgive me. But it is so funny...

I was in the pub yesterday when I suddenly realized I desperately needed to fart. The music was really, really loud, so I timed them with the beat.

After a couple of songs, I started to feel better. I finished my pint and noticed that everybody was staring at me..

Then I suddenly remembered that I was listening to my iPod.

Ah...the joy of giving...

Yesterday I decided to give my mom a present. As a quirk of fate, I've ended up with a lot of new stuff lately, and part of that has been from her generosity, so I thought it was her turn to receive something.

She had been eying my new camera lately, so I decided to get her one just like it. Giving is fun, especially when the recipient isn't expecting it. I ordered my mom's camera online, where they were having a sale at Best Buy, and then picked it up from the store while she was out last night. We went walking with the dogs around 8pm, and then I was able to give it to her. She was surprised and really, really liked it.

Mission accomplished. That's the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC W290. It takes great pictures!

My brother and his family...

My brother, Jonathan, and his family recently took a new set of pictures. They turned out great! I scanned them all and want to post a few...

What a good-looking little family!

My nephew is getting so big! Almost 18 months old...


I just love this picture. It says so much about the kind of dad Jonathan is.

I have succeeded at something totally pointless...

Yes, I'm speaking of none other that the fun and ridiculous game of Farm Town on Facebook. Two and a half months of "plowing," "planting," "harvesting," and organizing "coins" and "experience points," and I'm now at Level 34--GREEN WIZARD. The tippy toppest you can get. I bought my mansion--for $1,000,000 (finally a house that cost more than mine) on the night before I left on my UT trip.

For someone who is as anti-video-game as I am when it comes to the kids, this may seem somewhat hypocritical, but it has been a fun way to wind down after work. Of course, now I'm on summer vacation, and any time I spend on it is just superfluous. Still, I'm proud of how my farm turned out!

It was fun while it lasted! (If you're dying to see a bigger version, click on the image.) :-)

Slookfest Pictures are all ready!

Yay! I'm done uploading all the pictures from my BYU roommate reunion this past week. There are 193 total, so not an easy task!

I'm still amazed that the stars aligned the way they did to make it possible for us all to be together after all this time, especially because we live--literally--across the country. L-R in this picture is Sally (NM), Karen (NC), Kristie (CA), Trish (VA), Andrea (MN), Debbie (WV), and Melanie (ID). Isn't that incredible?!

I know that these girls will visit the album I put together on Photobucket, but anyone else is welcome to see it too. We had such a great, great time. 2 days of nonstop laughter, fun, stories, emotion, and love. Everyone should be so lucky as to be part of a group like this one.

View the album HERE and enjoy.

Here are some highlights:

2 Reunions in One Week...

So last night was my 20-year high school reunion. Yep, 2 reunions in 1 week. Talk about being bound and gagged and forced down Memory Lane...

I didn't decide to go to my high school reunion until about 4 hours before it started. For me, high school was not that memorable. Does that sound awful? I went to my high school on a permit to take advantage of their music program and because the high school in my city was pretty big and overcrowded. I went knowing only 2 people: a girl from my church youth group, and the son of one of my mom's best friends who also went there on a permit. Most everyone else had known each other since elementary school.

For me, college was where I really blossomed. It is where I felt myself grow into the person I am today. It is where I met friends that, despite the years and distance, I really identified with and kept in touch with. It is where I roomed with my Slooky Slook girls that I just drove 1500 miles round trip to see--and would do it again in an instant. In high school I was the quiet kid, I sang in the choir, was in the AP English classes, and didn't do the "party" thing (not that I ever have...)

Still, for better or worse, I decided to go and just see how everyone looked and to know that I went. The reunion was at the Doubletree Hotel in Claremont, about a 30 mile drive. Not too bad. I did feel like $113 was pretty expensive--that was the "at the door" price. (Still, the original price was $93.) The reunion committee used one of those "reunion companies" to do a lot of the organizing, maybe that is why it cost that much.

Two of my classmates had been encouraging me on Facebook to attend, so I sought them out and sat with them. That was cool. They are very nice and I was comfortable with them. The dinner was decent, I said hi to a few other people. There was a slide show, which kind of reminded people like me that I was not one of the popular ones! But it was fun to see the big 80's hair, the campus, and some of my other friends in the pictures. It was obviously not put together by anyone I hung with.

By 10pm I was kind of ready to go. I know! That sounds so pathetic. It's funny, because being at 2 different reunions this week really impressed upon me where I'm the most comfortable. I was so comfortable with my college roommates. The years just melted away, our 2 days together just flew by, and we laughed and laughed like old times. At my high school reunion I felt like the shy, quiet bookworm again. Isn't that weird? And anyone that knows me knows that I'm not shy or quiet now.

Anyway, I'm still glad I went. Here are some pictures from last night. The huge group of pictures from the roommate reunion will be posted very soon.

We pause for this important update...

I found my bracelet!! Woo hoo!! OK, I feel like an idiot because it was stuck between 2 bags from the BYU bookstore, but, who cares? I found it! Yay!!

Halfway Home...

I'm beginning to feel more and more like the weary traveler!

Right now I'm in St. George, UT, after staying in Provo last night and visiting BYU campus one last time this morning. All these years later, and BYU is still one of the best-looking university campuses I've ever seen. The bracelet I lost still hadn't turned up, but at least I know I tried.

I visited the BYU bookstore again and walked around, bought some t-shirts and fun little things like pens, pencils, and notebooks to have around the house. Even though I'm not much of a church-goer these days, I'm still very proud of the fact that I attended and graduated from BYU. I'll always treasure the memories of my college years and how they shaped me into the person I am today.

Walking around campus, I felt like a student again. The sights and smells were all so familiar. Of course, the main differences were that I didn't have any classes to get to, and I kept getting "ma'am"-ed everywhere I went. Time has marched on, no matter how much any of us try to deny it!

The drive to St. George was OK, but I am tired today. There have been some light summer storms, with huge lightning bolts off in the distance--especially around this area. But the scariest thing I saw today was when I was about 80 miles south of Provo. I saw some very black smoke rising in the distance and had no idea what it was. As I got closer, it was a huge freight truck on the other side of the highway, completely engulfed in flames. It was the kind of thing you see in the movies, except that this was real. It looked like it had been on fire for a while but no police or firemen were nearby yet. I hope the driver was OK. I didn't see anyone from my vantage point. I did, however, see a police car speeding in that direction a few minutes later.

The car has functioned well, the gas is about 50 cents cheaper in UT, compared to CA, and I'm almost done with the entire Book 6 of the Harry Potter series on CD. I except to be finished after another hour or so of driving. I've never listened to an entire book on CD before! It definitely takes a different kind of concentration than listening to music in the car, but I've really enjoyed it.

Well, I guess I'll go find a place for dinner and enjoy a relaxing evening. I'm looking forward to getting home tomorrow.

An Unofficial Slook Post...

I'm in Provo.

After 2 fantastic days with my 6 wonderful girls from BYU we have said goodbye. We had a great time and the years just melted away.

We took tons of pictures, spent yesterday at BYU roaming around campus and today in Salt Lake. We said our goodbyes after dinner, I drove Melanie to her sister's house and then decided to just quit traveling because it was getting dark. I went another 25 miles and got a hotel room.

Best Western is putting me up for the night.

Tomorrow I want to swing by the campus one last time. Ironically, I lost my bracelet that matched the one I got for everyone else. I'm going to try the Lost & Found once more, and, if that is fruitless, I'll just have the lady who made them make me another. I guess if anyone had to lose their bracelet it is best that it was me. Getting another will be simple.

Then I'll hit the open road again and will see how far I go.

As always with a great trip, it is bittersweet. I'm glad I came, I'll cherish the memories, but I'm ready to be home. I hope I recognize it! The painters have been hard at work in my absence.

G'night for now...

On the Road...

Greetings from Cedar City, UT!

Yesterday I got kind of a late start and didn't get on the road until 11:30am. One of my window locks had come loose and broken from all the activity from the painters and, since I don't have any screens right now, I wanted to replace it and have the peace of mind that my house was totally secure. So I had to run to the hardware store, install it, and finish packing. I also wanted to take my car to the car wash. All of the dust and a nearby fire on Thursday (with huge ashes) had gotten it pretty dirty.

At 11:30 I was officially on the road. I did something I have never done on a road trip, which was, instead of listen to music, I listened to a "book on tape," or CD, in this case. My companion this time was Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I read the book years ago, and loved it, but didn't remember much. And since I just saw the movie I wanted to compare the two. I really liked the movie, and I know that things from the book have to be trimmed, but I didn't realize how much was trimmed!

Now that I'm up to about Chapter 17 on the CDs, I'm questioning some of the things that were taken out. When Dumbledore takes Harry through the pensieve to visit Voldemort's past--wow, the movie really cut out a lot. And the movie also never explains why Dumbledore's hand is all black and shriveled. It also never tells you who that scary-looking guy is who chases Harry and Ginny through the grasses around the Burrow.

One thing that the movies sometimes do that I'm not too fond of--and don't get me wrong, I love the movies--is that they will change which character does something. I remember that from the 5th movie. Whoever finds the Room of Requirement in the film is different than in the book. In the 6th film they show Luna Lovegood rescuing Harry from the floor of the train and it was Tonks that did it in the book. They also cut Remus Lupin's scenes down a lot in the movie compared to the book. I guess as long as you can follow the story...

Anyway...

So I made it to the CA/NV border and stopped at Whiskey Pete's casino, which I always do. I know where the bathrooms are, they have their own gas station, and I got a quick chicken sandwich at McDonald's. Then I was on the road again.

I made it to St. George, UT, which is kind of the halfway point between Los Angeles and Provo/Salt Lake. My BYU friend, Gail, lives there with her husband and kids and she just had baby #6 (!) on Friday. My trusty GPS got me to her house incredibly easily, and thanks to Facebook, I recognized all her kids. Didn't get to hold the baby yet--he's still being passed around the big sisters.

Gail and I talked and caught up for almost 2 hours. The original plan was for me to find a hotel in St. George, but I decided to press on for 50 more miles to Cedar City, which I did. St. George was HOT! Parts of CA, like Barstow and Baker, where HOT! Nevada was HOT!

It was hot.

The car thermometer was reading the outside temp anywhere from 99 to...you ready? 116 degrees! Whenever I passed a sign that said "Avoid overheating, turn off A/C for the next 15 miles," I obeyed it. I saw lots of cars overheated on the side of the road. Mind you, most of them were either old, American, or both (never saw a Toyota or Honda on the side of the road...) but I still didn't want to take a chance.

There were summer storms along the way, which I didn't expect. It was raining when I stopped at Whiskey Pete's for gas. It was sprinking intermittedly in St. George, and it was really raining in last night as I pulled into the Best Western in Cedar City. I didn't bring an umbrella. I have 3 perfectly good umbrellas all snug at my house, which doesn't do me a lot of good. If needs be, I'll get a small one to keep in the car. Only if needs be.

The hotel is very comfortable. One of the marks of a good hotel is the shower. This one passed. Check out is at 11am and I may hang around until then. Only 200 miles left to Provo and there is no rush. I'll be meeting up with Slook Sally (Slook is a nickname among this group of girls, along with a myriad of other private jokes...) and then driving to Saratoga Springs and spending the night with Slook Karen at her dad's house. Tomorrow we'll drive to Draper together to meet the other 5 girls.

I'm so excited to see everyone! Seeing Gail was a good start on this little pilgrimage of past roommates. I can't believe it has been 15 years since I graduated college. Where did the time go?

Saturday afternoon update...

3pm and it feels like a sauna outside right now! It is ghastly hot.

This morning I laid out the clothes I'm taking on my trip. Ironed the ones that needed to be ironed, laundered the ones that needed to be laundered. Ah, thankless, tedious tasks...

So my clothes are all packed and ready. Now I need the things that I can't pack until the last minute, like toiletries. Things that I need to use again before I pack them. Also, all my my dumb electronics that I cannot live without: laptop, Blackberry, Zune, camera, and all their chargers.

I could never be on Survivor.

It is so hot right now that I don't feel like doing anything! I feel bad for the painters outside right now.

They did do a first coat of paint on my front door, finally giving me an idea of the dark, dark green I chose as the accent color for all the doors and shutters. I like it.
Too bad they won't be done before I leave tomorrow morning. I guess I'll have to be surprised when I come back. It's OK. I've seen their work and they do a great job. How weird it will be in a week when I drive into a driveway of a house that looks completely different!