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Thursday, August 25th, 2005
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4:01 am - First-Time Burning Man Trip, Here I Come!
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I am finally going to make it to Burning Man this year for the first time!! I have wanted to go for years now and this is the year, apparently. I will be traveling up with my housemate, Regan and we will have our own tent and sun shelter adjoining the Temple of Mom at Kidsville with whom we are sharing meals, food prep and "Dog Camp". Kidsville will be on the 5:30 line of the layout.
I would really appreciate hearing from those who are going to Burning Man this year that I know with details on the camps or areas that you will be staying as well as the location so that I can wander about and keep and eye out for some of you!!! Thanks in advance for any such information you can send me!! I am leaving this coming Friday morning for northern California and will go on from there to Black Rock City Saturday night or Sunday morning. I look forward to seeing some of you there!!
current mood:  excited
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| Wednesday, January 12th, 2005
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3:07 pm - Happy Birthday Janice!!!!!!!!
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Happy Birthday Janice!!!! I hope you are feeling much better now and are having a wonderful birthday!! Please clear the messages from your cell phone service so I can get through on your phone to talk to you!
If anyone else reading this finds themselves in contact with Janice, would you please ask her to clear her cell phone messages so I can get through to speak with her? Thanks a lot!
James
current mood: excited
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| Friday, January 7th, 2005
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1:08 pm - Best Organizations To Donate Tsunami Relief Funds To?
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It is impossible to ignore the immense and truly incomprehensible gravity of the tragedy wrought by the Tsunami in Indonesia, S.E.Asia, Sri Lanka and the many other affected countries and regions. Like so many others, I feel deeply compelled to contribute to the efforts to relieve the great suffering, risk of disease, starvation and death that countless numbers of people are facing as a result of this tragedy. However, I want to be very careful to make certain that any monetary contributions I make go as far as possible toward the actual relief of affected victims of this tragedy and are not wasted through excessive administrative expenses or otherwise frivolously spent. If anyone reading this knows of particularly honorable and effective relief agencies that I can safely donate my money through for the purpose of this tsunami disaster relief effort, I would be grateful for your recommendations and links to any documentation or information supporting their record of integrity nd effectiveness.
Here follows a link to some extremely revealing "before" & "after" satellite photos of some of the worst hit areas:
http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/2.html
Thanks in advance for your help with this!!
James
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| Tuesday, November 30th, 2004
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8:49 pm - Mercury Just Went Retrograde Again!
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Just a brief FYI in case anyone cares and hasn't already realized it.
The planet mercury just went into retrograde motion again this morning(Tuesday, November 30th)at 4:18am, PST. It will remain in retrograde motion until Sunday, December 19th at 10:30pm, PST. The usual mercury retrograde precautions will be wisely exercised during this cycle. It is a great time to reassess, plan and consider changing the way things will be done after mercury returns to direct motion. However, it is wise to expect some delays, setbacks and possible unexpected repairs or problems with electronics devices(especially computers and the like!), transportation vehicles or systems and communication systems & equipment, among other things. Mis-communications or mis-understandings between people tend to occur more often during this cycle, so taking extra care to be concise and clear when communicating is advised during this time. Special care should be taken when driving with a greatly increased focus on defensive driving technique and slower speeds. Accidents, especially rear-end collisions, tend to increase during this cycle with the greatest danger usually in the first week or so. I believe that the sudden change from a more outward awareness to the more introspective inclination that characteristically accompanies the mercury retrograde cycle(mercury has dominion over mental thinking and communication)is a large part of the reason for the increase in automobile accidents that I have observed over and over again. Forewarned is forearmed and awareness alone can make a major difference in how things are experienced over the next 21 days or so.
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| Tuesday, November 2nd, 2004
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12:59 am - Prop 66..more thoughts and lamentations
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I had the unusual occasion to be driving to another library branch for a holiday party planning meeting today and, while on the road with the radio on, I heard a barrage of anti-proposition 66 ads, including one of the Governor's own voice blaring what I now KNOW to be lies about how 26,000 dangerous criminals including rapists, murderers and child molesters WILL be released into our neighborhoods if proposition 66 passes. These ads sound so different and so dishonorable when you KNOW what a seriously inflated and distorted version of the facts are being practically screamed into your ears out of the radio.
What I find most frustrating as I continue to mull over the pros and cons of proposition 66, is the apparent unavailability of the most important facts. Statistics and numbers speak to generalities. What I need to know is just how many truly dangerous criminals WILL actually be eligible for re-sentencing and potential release from prison, not just the ridiculous scare-tactics numbers that I now know are grossly inflated for use in sensationalist fear tactics media campaigns. I also need to know just how many people ARE unjustly serving excessive prison sentences way out of proportion not only to their 3rd strike felony offense convictions, but to their overall previous criminal history as well. Without these facts, it becomes nearly impossible to accurately balance the real threat to public safety against the magnitude and extent of excessively harsh and unjust punishment that may need to be remedied by the passage of proposition 66.
During my research on this subject, I read that there had been several calls for close re-evaluation of the detailed workings of the current "3-Strikes" law but that all requests for such review or scrutiny had been repeatedly denied by authorities or agencies that could have intitiated or undertaken them. I also read quite a bit about the near-dictatorial powers that the California Prison Guards Union had ammassed and the corrupt influences and monies that have allowed this powerful union to control many aspects of elections, their own pay-raises and the legislation chosen for use that would further the need for more prisons and prison guard services. Apparently, this union has routinely opposed rehabilitation programs for inmates favoring instead laws and programs that would keep prisons full. This union was apparently instrumental in securing the current "3-Strikes" legislation for use on the ballot measure in 1994 despite the fact that it was the harshest and most controversial of 3 competing "3-Strikes" measures all of which were potentially eligible for selection and use on the ballot in that year.
The California Prison Guards Union just recently donated $49,000.00 to help fund the "no on prop 66" campaign. In the past, California politicians have stumbled over themselves to seek support of this powerful union and its campaign contributions and gone out of their way to avoid being targeted for positions that might upset the prison guard's union. It appears that it was known that the California Prison Guards Union could, by itself, make or break a candidate in California elections. The blatant conflict-of-interest interference by this union in the California political process was reportedly so severe that, at one point, a federal judge threatened to intervene if things were not brought under control. I gather that no federal judicial interference ever took place but it appears as though the prison guards union still has considerable power and influence in California politics. Having come to understand about this special interest influence, I have to wonder if it underlies the unanimous opposition to proposition 66 now being voiced not only by our present Governor but by "all California Governors" as an anti-prop 66 ad blared out of my radio today while I was driving.
It is extremely disturbing to discover that public taxpayer money is being paid out in inordinate amounts to pay the "bloated salaries and excessive overtime" far exceeding prison guard salaries in other states, to support a union that uses this money to unfairly influence elections and legislation. That the California Prison Guards Union is collectively more interested in keeping people in jail to further its own and its members financial gain than in seeing people rehabilitated or seeing justice done is a disgrace to the Department Of Corrections and the whole California Justice System.
Okay, that's the last that I will say about this subject for the time being, at least. Thank you for helping me to further solidify my perspective on all of this!
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| Monday, November 1st, 2004
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8:01 am - Prop 66...Looks Like I was Wrong About This One!!!
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At the present time I am feeling quite a bit like a pompous and not fully informed ass regarding my prior post imploring a “no” vote on proposition 66.
After reading fireflyfaster’s response to(I assume)my earlier post, I felt compelled to re-evaluate my position and to delve as deeply further into all the available information both pro and con regarding proposition 66 as possible. I started with the information available through links on fireflyfaster’s subsequent post including the ACLU site link which directs to a considerable amount of information regarding the “Yes On Prop 66” perspective, re-examined all of the “No On Prop 66” information I had already reviewed previously and sought any new information I could find. I am often at odds with some of the radical stands that the ACLU chooses to take but, in this case, it simply linked to information and statistics that were well enough documented to stand on their own. As I compared information from both camps on this issue, I got the disturbing sense that I had allowed myself to be misled on this issue. I felt uncomfortable enough about this to suspend all other activities for my weekend and focus on getting at all the truths regarding this issue instead.
I spent several hours Saturday night and much of Sunday afternoon poring over information on this issue including going over the actual text of proposition 66 to see whether the claims made by either camp were supported by the way it is actually worded.
While statistics and “the facts” can be compelling or misleading depending upon the way in which they are presented, I am now convinced that the greater weight of truth on this issue is with the “yes on prop 66” camp and not with the “no on prop 66” camp as I sincerely believed only days ago.
Statistically, a connection between the drop in California’s crime rate and the implementation of the initial “3-strikes” law may, in fact, be coincidental as similar or even greater drops in crime have been reported in states where no such laws are in force as well as in areas of California where the “3-strikes” law has been employed least. Although statistics can be misleading, this is what they appear to indicate in this case.
It appears that the opponents of prop 66 are employing an unsupported fear tactic in claiming that “up to 26,000 dangerous criminals” will be released if proposition 66 is passed. A Superior Court Judge in Sacramento ordered the wording of this claim changed on the official ballot information pamphlets claiming it to be “patently false” and “mathematically impossible”. Proposition 66 would only allow third-strikers who are serving sentences for non-violent or non-serious crimes to have their cases re-evaluated. This amounts to about 4,300 inmates at this time that could be re-sentenced based on the new prop 66 guidelines. Even these would not necessarily be released from prison. There is the possibility that some second-strikers might petition for their own cases to be re-evaluated under an attempt to get similar equal treatment but there is no way to accurately estimate how many or if any would succeed at this attempt.
I am not in favor of removing some of the “strike” offenses that prop 66 eliminates from its list and even the proponents of prop 66 admit that some potentially dangerous criminals will “probably” be released if prop 66 passes. The logic behind allowing any felony to count as a third strike in existing law is to take previously violent or serious criminals off the streets once a return to criminal activity is identified and before they can commit more serious crimes. This seems at first to be prudent policy in the interest of public safety except that it appears not to have been evenly applied. Minorities have been treated more harshly than whites under the judicial and prosecutorial discretion permitted under current law.
There are, however, persons with very serious criminal histories who are in prison now due to comparatively minor third strike offenses who could be eligible for re-sentencing and likely release if proposition 66 passes. I have not found any figures on just how many of these there might be, so far, but this is something that still concerns me. The question is whether these real concerns identified with the potential passage of proposition 66 are as significant as the numbers of people who may be unjustly serving 25-years-to-life prison sentences. On balance I am leaning more towards the fairer sentencing guidelines of prop 66 but I wish there were a clause in it that could assure that potentially dangerous criminals do not get released and have the opportunity to commit more serious or violent crimes against the public. I now favor most of the provisions of proposition 66 but I also still have reservations about some of the potential effects of its passage.
I apologize for intimating that those in favor of this proposition were uninformed or misled. It appears that, in fact, I was not fully informed on this particular issue myself and that I fell victim to some of the misinformation and fear tactics of the opponents of proposition 66. I do think there are some valid arguments on both sides of the proposition 66 issue so it will probably remain controversial. It is up to each of us to do the research of both sides of every issue and then make our decisions only after thorough assessment of all the available facts.
Being well enough informed to vote responsibly on the many ballot measures each election is one of the most daunting challenges we face. It takes more time than most people are able or willing to spend. I do not usually vote on ballot measures that I have not researched well enough to understand properly and stick to voting on the candidates and issues that I know and feel most strongly about. I think it is very easy to be misinformed or to be misled, especially with the barrage of media and the influence of special interest groups that utilize it. Deception runs rampant and the best choices are often unclear. Politicians think nothing of lying and are seldom willing or able to deliver on their promises. Election time is always a tough time to get through and this one is really wiping me out!!!
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| Friday, October 29th, 2004
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1:01 am - Proposition 66 Misinformation Alert!!!
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First, let me apologize for getting political here in this forum. During such an ugly, lousy-choice election era as the one we are all facing, I would generally rather refrain from discussing politics or pushing a political agenda but I feel very concerned about this one particular California issue so I hope all will forgive me or at least understand why I feel I must try to reach people on this one! Thanks for your indulgence!!!
Since there was a lengthy campaign of misinformation presented about the alleged merits of Proposition 66 which is only now being countered with the real facts, I wanted to alert every well-intentioned person that may have been planning to vote "yes" on this measure just why this measure must be defeated with a resounding majority “no” vote instead.
The majority of the costs of bankrolling Proposition 66 and its promotion are being borne by a northern Californian multi-millionaire who has spent over 2 million dollars on it as an attempt to get his son out of jail by Christmas. Far from simply "fine-tuning" the concept of the existing "3-Strikes" law, as purported by its proponents and supporters, this law would remove many serious felony crimes from the legal "strike" category which are now properly included in this category under current law. Among felony offenses that would no longer be treated as "strike" offenses under Proposition 66 are "arson", "residential burlary"(when no one is home), felonies commited as part of a gang and many others. Someone convicted of multiple murders could only be charged with a single "strike" offense instead of 1 strike per murder conviction as the current law also properly allows. One of the worst provisions of Proposition 66 is that it would require previously convicted 3rd strike and 2nd strike offenders to be re-sentenced under these absurdly diminished "strike" offense definitions which would inevitably lead to the release of up to 26,000 currently incarcerated 2nd and 3rd strike convicts, the vast majority of which are truly dangerous criminals that should definitely remain in jail. Any reasonable person can see just how dangerous and absurd this would be! It is no coincidence that the overall crime rate in California has dropped 45% and the murder rate 40% since the passage of the "3-Strikes" law in 1994.
Further, the 25 years to life sentence of the so-called "pizza slice thief" is actually a myth as it turns out. The offender does exist and he was arrested for the theft of a pizza slice(from some children he was threatening or intimidating at the time as I recall). His case, however, was reviewed and, after the application of judicial discretion allowed under the current "3-Strikes" law, his sentence was reduced and he was released after serving a six-year term. He is reportedly out of jail at this time despite a record of 14 prior convictions.
For more in depth information regarding the truth about Proposition 66, check out the web site at this address link:
http://www.whyamidead.com/
For a look at the only long-term, in-depth study of the original California “3-Strikes” law and its effects, review or read the report done after careful research by Dr. Jennifer Walsh, Ph.D. It can be found through the following link/address:
http://salvatori.claremontmckenna.edu/publications/pdf/Walshmonograph.pdf
It is in Adobe .pdf file format.
It seems extremely clear to me(but this is just my opinion, of course!)that a “no” vote on proposition 66 is the only choice for a person informed with the actual facts.
Thanks for hearing me out on this one! If passed I think this particular proposition would be extremely dangerous to the safety of all of us in California. I was mugged by street thugs in the early nineties before the current "3-Strikes" Law was enacted. The streets here in Los Angeles were much more dangerous at that time than they are now. I do not want to see a return to that kind of street climate again!
current mood:  worried
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| Thursday, September 2nd, 2004
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9:13 pm - Mercury Just Went Direct!!!Yaaaay!!!!!
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As of today(Thursday, September 2nd)at 6:10pm, PST, the planet mercury resumed its direct(forward)motion within the zodiac as plotted with the earth in the center. Over the next several days it will gradually increase its transit speed to normal. It is now a great time to put into action all the new plans or improved variations on old plans and matrices that were spawned or revealed during the naturally introspective thought processes characteristic of the mercury retrograde cycle. It is time for refreshing changes and new directions to be implemented! There is once again new wind for our sails!!! Let us pull up anchors and oars and set off to ride the fresh winds to new experiences and successes!!!
Can you feel the improved, upbeat, outgoing and straight-ahead vibe?! I sure can!!! What a relief!!(but then mercury is my ruling planet as it is for all virgos and geminis!).
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| Wednesday, August 11th, 2004
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6:17 am - Mercury Retrograde or, "It's My Planet & I'll Cry If I Want To!"
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Everybody ready?! Yup! It's that time once again, ladies and gentlemen! In case some of you are not already aware of the fact, the planet mercury went retrograde this past monday evening at 5:34pm, PST. It will remain in retrograde motion until Thursday, September 2nd(the day after my birthday!)at 6:10pm, PST.
For the duration of this cycle it would be wise to apply extra diligence in paying attention to detail, especially when engaging or signing legal contracts or agreements. Also, take care to communicate carefully with others. Mis-communication or mis-interpretation of communication attempts is a common problem during this cycle. Be careful to avoid leaving things you need at home or at the office when you intended to have them with you. Be careful not to lock your keys in the car, etc. Above all, be especially careful when driving and be very aware of the intentions and actions of other drivers on the road. Watch other drivers behind you and tap your brake pedal repeatedly, if needed, to flash your brake lights on and off to signal that you have slowed or stopped(but maintain your awareness of the road ahead as well!). Rear end collisions seem to increase drastically especially during the first week of a mercury retrograde cycle so be extra aware and careful this week and this coming weekend. Be prepared for the possibility of unexpected setbacks of various types during the mercury retrograde cycle but do not be alarmed! Remember that forewarned is forearmed! With a little extra care, compensation and awareness, things should move along productively and successfully even if at the cost of more energy spent than normal to get the same amount of work done.
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| Friday, August 6th, 2004
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11:33 am - Out From The Old & Into The New!
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As of this past Sunday afternoon at about 2:00pm, nearly all of my belongings and what little furniture I have were moved into,or onto the property of, my new home. During the days that followed I returned and picked up nearly every last item of mine including refrigerator contents except for my 75 foot garden hose which I will leave for Sarah to use for a couple more weeks before taking it also. I do keep remembering odd scattered items that I had tucked away here or there but even those are now moved by now except for a black plastic bathroom cup I had forgotten about. I have moved two bookshelf units into my new room and secured them with screws and angle braces to the wood studs behind the walls in case of earthquakes so they are now solid as a rock! My computer desk is set up again with PC, Monitor and all peripherals connected and running. Last night hardwired DSL T1 style jacks were installed in all 3 bedrooms and I am connected and again on-line, finally! I am about halfway through organizing and putting away belongings that will stay in my room and I have purchased inexpensive plastic drawers and lots of hanging hooks to keep things organized in my closet space and on the sides of bookshelves, etc. I have not yet determined what I will do for a personal phone but I will start researching options for that soon now that I am on-line once again. I love my new place and I am happy that I am starting to feel a little bit settled again!!
current mood: accomplished
current music: The Verve, "Urban Hymns"
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| Wednesday, July 21st, 2004
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5:58 pm - I Found A New Place To Live!
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I have found and settled on a new place to live! I will be moving into a room in a house that I will share with two other housemates in Granada Hills starting on or around this upcoming August 1st. Although the house and yard are not in perfect condition and will both need a little work here and there, it is a generally wonderful place with an extremely comfortable, homey feel. The fully enclosed private back yard is quite attractive overall, there is a large jacuzzi and large covered back patio area, a sizeable pond which is home to 4 large turtles, a tree swing and an array of trees, plants and shrubs. There are 3 cats and a friendly, lovable dog living there also. The house is a single level 4 bedroom on a corner lot so there are neighbors in adjoining lots to the rear and on one side only. The house is partially shaded by trees and ventilating air seems to flow readily through the house. The house has a driveway and a garage within which I will be able to store my roll-away toolbox, air compressor and bicycle. There is also a small, corrugated metal storage shed with nothing in it in the back yard which I will be able to store some other things in as well. The house has a large living room, a modest(but decent)kitchen and a small laundry area adjoining the kitchen with washer and drier. There is a dedicated DSL high-speed internet access cable feeding through a router with available hard-wire access but I will have to pay a share of the access fee in addition to my rent. The hook-up is ready for me to connect to immediately, however, which will be convenient.
Despite a little work and maintenance that will be needed on the bathroom I will share and in the yard, the living situation presents an overwhelming number of positive factors and I am really happy about the opportunity to move into this particular house and situation! Another very positive factor with the new place is that I will be even closer to work than I have been at my current place of residence! I will be only 4.7 miles from the Pacoima Branch Library where I work so getting to and from work will be fast and easy! The access ramp to the 118 Fwy is about two blocks from my soon-to-be new home which adds to the convenience!
To all who have been keeping ears and eyes open for a new place for me to consider moving to, I want to thank you for being on the lookout for me and to let you know that you may now cease sharing my concern as the solution has presented itself!!
Thanks to all of you who may have spent any attention or energy on my behalf while I have been trying to find a new place to call home!!
Now, if I can just get through the physical move process itself I will be very, very happy!!
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| Saturday, July 17th, 2004
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5:48 pm - Still Looking For A New Place To Live
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Although I am looking into several possibilities insofar as potential new places for me to move into and live, I still have not found anything that I feel certain will be suitable up to this point. This is starting to feel a little weird too because everyone else currently residing at Sarah Daniel's "Casa De Sin" seems to have already found a new place to live except for me!! Steve has a new place as do Marriah and Schno and the three of them will probably be out within a week to a week and a half. Even Sarah and her fiance' have located a house that they appear likely to take as a rental so they can have "Casa De Sin" ready for open house viewing asap. I interview tomorrow on a room at a house that may turn out to be a good prospect and I am looking at a couple of "guest houses" this weekend also. But, if anyone reading this knows of any roommate, housemate or good apartment rental options, please let me know! If I wind up sharing living space with anyone I would prefer it to be someone that I already know and like!
Thanks in advance for any help on this!!! Also, if anyone finds a house for rent that you want to share, I would consider that also.
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| Saturday, July 3rd, 2004
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4:38 pm - Back In LA But I Have To Move AGAIN Already!!!
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Got back to Los Angeles via LAX and the Van Nuys FLYAWAY bus on Tuesday night, June 29th with two more days off and then a return to work on Friday and Saturday before getting Sunday and Monday off for the 4th of July holiday. I was missing LA by the time my trip was coming to an end and I was very happy to get back home. My trip went pretty well overall but, except for my weekend in NYC, got to be a little too quiet and definitely nowhere near to kinky or sexy enough for my taste. LA is Sooo much better for that sort of thing!
However, my delight in being back home was quickly dampened by some difficult news(difficult for me at least!). While away my landlady/Housemate Sarah got engaged and has decided to put the house where I live up for sale and wants to have an "Open House" showing this coming Labor Day weekend. So now I(along with my other 3 housemates)must be out of our current place of residence in less than 60 days!! I just moved into this house last September 1st after living in a prior place of residence for over 16 years. It is hard to believe that I must move again after just 10 months!!
If anyone hears of a roommate situation opening up or a good apartment or shared rental please let me know!!!
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| Saturday, June 26th, 2004
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1:23 pm - New York, New York
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I am in New York City right now at my niece's apartment and having a pretty good time here so far. New York is a welcome change from the slow, quiet life of Middletown, PA! Lots of beautiful women everywhere and much more my style!! Subway rides often become quite an eye-candy fest and the wide variety of different types of beautiful women is amazing!
I will be flying back to L.A. next Tuesday and I will be very glad to be back on my own turf where I can more easily get my personal "jones" tweaked, stimulated and indulged the way I need and like best!!!
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| Monday, June 21st, 2004
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4:39 pm - Trip Update
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I am still in Middletown, Pennsylvania and the weather has cooled and feels wonderful!
I saw my Mom & Dad Friday and, fortunately, both were having unusually good days. My mom is in the alzheimer's ward at the assisted living facility where both my parents now live. My dad is staying in a separate room from my mom in the same ward just to be close by but he has no alzheimer's symptoms himself and is in generally much better shape than my mom is. My mom recognized me immediately and was thrilled to see me. Things went well for awhile but began to deteriorate a bit into mild concerns and paranoia in my Mom's head. Nothing too dramatic though and my sister-in-law said that this was the best my Mom had been in quite awhile so I feel fortunate! Hopefully I will get some more good visits while I am here!
Saturday we went to a bagpiper's competition with over 100 pipers competing. There were performances with 3 different bagpipe and drum corp ensembles and all 3 of them played some things together as well. There were Highland dancers performing, rugby games in between and all kinds of authentic British Isles food and drink which was a lot of fun! The festival was free and held on "City Island" which is a park on an island in the middle of the Susquehana River which is owned and run by the city of Harrisburg, PA, the capitol of Pennsylvania, and which was visible directly across the water from City Island. We walked across a foot bridge to Harrisburg after the festival and later came back and drove through parts of Harrisburg finishing the day with a meal and wonderful draught micro-brew beers and ales at a restaurant brewery in Harrisburg called "ABC" Restaurant and Brewery(I cannot remember what the "A" stood for but the "BC" was "brewing company").
Sunday was Father's Day and Larry, Janet(my brother and sister-in-law)and I took my dad out for a Father's Day lunch at a restaurant where we had drinks and excellent food. My dad was in a bit of a foggy state of mind but we talked about a lot of things that happened when we grew up and he remembered almost all of it and that perked him up considerably so he seemed to have a pretty good time.
I am having a wonderfully relaxed time visiting here! I was planning on going to Ocean City, Maryland yesterday for about a day and a half with an old friend of mine but he called and told me he was coming down with a sore throat and runny nose and, while still planning to go himself, wanted to let me know that he might be a contagion risk for me. That was very thoughtful of him and I decided to opt out rather than risk getting sick so I cancelled my plans to join him. Too bad but I would rather not risk getting sick and passing it along to others while on my trip. I will be renting a car and visiting old friends in the Baltimore, Maryland, Wash, D.C. and Virginia areas later this week.
So that's it for now! I will be in New York City next weekend and will return to California on the following Tuesday evening, June 29th.
It looks like Eric is having a really nice trip!! Much more exotic than the one I am on but it sounds like it may be a little more stressful on the physical body than mine also!!
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| Saturday, June 19th, 2004
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2:28 pm - In Pennsylvania Now!!
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Having survived inadvertantly leaving my ATM card in an ATM machine in Van Nuys(I was nervous about the people gathering at the ATM)and having the next person at the ATM find it and take $580.00 of my money out just days before I was to leave on vacation, I am now in Pennsylvania visiting with my older brother and my sister-in-law(I return on June 29th in the evening). My brother has a nice computer but only does e-mail from work. As a result I am in the Middletown(PA)Public library and it is Saturday morning so I can access and check e-mail etc.
I am having a wonderfully relaxed time visiting here! I will be going to Ocean City, Maryland(a summertime "Mecca" of my youth!)tomorrow for about a day and a half and visiting old friends in the Baltimore, Maryland, Wash, D.C. and Virginia areas next week. Next weekend I will stay with my adorable niece Megan(whose dad, my brother Larry, I am staying with now)whom I adore madly, in New York City and we will get out to a nightclub to go dancing after dinner on Saturday night. That will probably be one of the highlights of my trip.
I am loving the humid(but currently not too hot)weather! Nice breezes, fireflies(we called them "lightning bugs" throughout our childhood)and other things that I grew up with in Baltimore are flooding my mind with the many heady memories of my childhood, adolescence and teen years. It is a thrilling and dreamy effect of the environment upon me! I love it!
Middletown is the oldest town in Dauphin County, PA. having been founded in 1755 so it has a lot of history and the flavor that comes with such a long and deep past. My brother and sister-in-law have provided me with a wonderful guest room in the front and first floor of the house. I have closets, shelves and my own private bathroom with shower. I am moved in and settled and this will remain my base of operations while I am traveling elsewhere in the general east coast area. The house is filled with furniture and heirlooms that I grew up with in my parent's house which adds to the sense of warmth and also acts as a further catalyst to the restimulation of old memories.
Today we will be going to a bagpiper's competition with over 100 pipers scheduled. It will be part of an outdoor fair with all kinds of authentic British Isles food and drink so that should be fun!
I will post updates again when I next have a chance.
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| Thursday, June 10th, 2004
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12:21 am - Thanks To All For The Welcome Replies!!!
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Thank you all for the welcome replies!! I am glad to be here to occasionally share life via the pen with everyone.
Got up early to run errands including a way overdue eye exam(It is getting harder and harder to read with my 3+ years-old progressive lens glasses!).
The young lady doctor who examined my eyes was very cute with long, kinky/curly reddish blonde hair, fairly tall with a somewhat slender build and a good sense of humor as well as a very thorough manner(which delighted my Virgo mentality to no end!!). She had a somewhat bizarre name. I may be off a little in remembering it correctly but I believe it was "Dr. Boothroynton"!! After observing my stumbling attempt to process her name she stated(almost apologetically!), "It's English." "At least it sounds like a name with class!", I countered.
Dr. Boothroynton responded obligingly and good-naturedly to all my many questions and occasional quips while patiently taking the utmost care to assure the capture of a precisely accurate prescription for my new glasses. The whole experience turned out to be surprisingly gratifying from both a professional and social standpoint! Attractive, intelligent and competent women are such a treat!!!!
Then came time to choose two frames for my new progressive and computer-use lenses. There was quite a selection on four large display boards which were covered at no charge under my L.A. City local 3090 Clerical and Support Services Union benefits. That process was one in which being a Virgo with a ruling planet(mercury)in Libra became a little frustrating!! I did finally decide on a couple of frames and got two new sets of glasses ordered at no charge under my union benefit with the exception of a scratch resistant, UV-protective coating which they talked me into buying as an option for $30.00 out of pocket. I don't know how important or useful the coating really is but I am not complaining as it was the only out-of-pocket expense that I wound up being responsible for! What was predicted to be a 30 minute overall visit wound up taking about one hour and ten minutes to complete!! The downside to this fact is that I was unable to make it to the alterations shop to have 3 new pairs of jeans marked and hemmed before going to work today at 11:40am to start a work day that ended at 8:10pm. I need those jeans ready before my trip too! But the extra time spent with the thorough Dr. Boothroynton was worth the sacrifice!!
Came home from work, did laundry and decided to indulge a bit in livejournal with my wordy style before surrendering to the call of my bed at last!
current mood: exhausted
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| Tuesday, June 8th, 2004
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10:33 pm - Finally Kicking Off A First Entry!!
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Thanks to Janice(who I dearly love!!)this medium was introduced to and made available to me. Out of respect for her, the wonderful friendship we share, and the general pleasure I so often take in writing, I am finally getting my quill wet and launching my first entry this evening at long last!!!
Since "spare" by no means defines my usual writing style, I may have to learn an improved economy in my approach here if I hope to have time to make entries on a regular or semi-regular basis. Of course, this being my very first entry, I may allow myself the indulgence of slight excess just this once(does anyone believe this will be my last such indulgence?!)in order to feel my way into the flow of expressing myself appropriate to the moment I am in.
That life is a journey of consciousness through space and time is never so evident to me as it is when a previously planned trip departure date is suddenly almost upon me! The current of time pushing me along through imperative preparation steps, neither slowing nor waiting for me to catch up; the shift of focus from here to there even though the specifics of "there" are only a shadowy mist of memories and impressions stored from previous visits soon to be updated but as yet not really known. Thirteen days away from where I now call "home". A visit with parents whom I have not seen for at least four years and whose mental acuity is in gradual decline; with my older brother and my younger brother both of whom I love very much and whose company I always cherish and enjoy so much! Our family as a whole has always been very close and warm, a sadly rare blessing I have learned not to take for granted in the general scheme of things!
I will leave one week from this Thursday, June 17 and return on Tuesday evening, June 29. I will stay with my older brother and sister-in-law in Middletown, PA and from that base will visit my wonderful niece Megan in the Manhattan area of New York City as well as old friends and relatives in Baltimore, MD., and the Wash, D.C./Maryland/Virginia area. This will be the first significant amount of time off from work for me since I was laid-off of my nearly 9 year G.E. Capital job as a claims adjuster in early April of 2001.
I will miss my many good friends and housemates here in Southern California while I am away and I know I will be very happy to return so I may enjoy them all again. Where worthwhile would any of us be if not for the precious love, support, companionship and pleasure of dear friends in all their many roles?!
current mood:  pensive
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