The Blog from Sin City

Living the Freelance Life

2010-09-04T09:36:00.001-07:00

I quit the substitute teaching work I had been doing for two years and began freelancing fulltime… writing web content and articles, editing/proofreading, publishing books and ebooks. I’m happy to say that not only is it working out okay, I actually have enough work lined up to take me through the end of the year, and I’m even turning jobs away (the low-paying ones, of course).

This was something I dreamed of in my 20s. It’s hard work and difficult to take a day off at times. Deadlines are just as stressful as they were when I worked fulltime as an employee. But being gainfully self-employed is liberating. And once in a while, really exciting. For example, I recently completed a memoir project that took over a year from first interview to final delivery. The author is having a signing for her newly published book at a local Barnes & Noble on Sunday, Sept. 19 (two days after her 69th bitrhday). I’m going to get it listed on Amazon.com, too. Exciting stuff, indeed.

Rituals and Routines

2010-08-04T07:45:00.001-07:00

Ritual behavior is not required to be a good Buddhist, but it can be useful in instilling mindfulness and making it part of daily routines. Each time I move, I set up my little home shrine in a place where it can overlook my living quarters. This time, I’ve set it up on the top of the bookcase near the front door so that I look at it frequently every day, a reminder of life less temporal.

The shrine is made up of items I’ve collected on my journeys, mostly from Thailand, Japan, China and here in Las Vegas. Each item is associated with a specific memory. Most serve a specific purpose I can meditate on. It contains all the elements: earth (stones), water (in the chalice), fire (candles), and air (birds in flight). Also all of the senses: sight (Buddha images), sound (bell), smell (incense), touch (prayer beads) and taste (when I add some fresh fruit). There is also a “vault of treasures” (the wooden box used as a pedestal) that contains several talismans and trinkets, reminders of a rich inner world that cannot be seen. The shrine provides lots of symbolism and opportunity for reflection.

Over the past year or so, I haven’t been praying or meditating as often as I might. Now that I am establishing some new routines, there should be room for more ritual in my life. I am looking forward to it.

See more progress on: be a better buddhist

All moved

2010-08-02T08:09:00.001-07:00

My feet still hurt from all the traipsing back and forth, but I am moved in. A friend from the Sierra Club helped me on Saturday. It took two trips using her truck and trailer. As a thank you, I gave her all my cactus and aloe plants, some of them quite huge and a couple I had been growing for five years. Just no place for them at the apartment.

The cable guy came about 2pm, while the place still looked like a scene from that TV show “Hoarders.” He got the television and Internet running, although I couldn’t use either till I connected all the wiring, finished reassembling my desk and found a place to sit down. That took nearly six hours.

In the meantime, the stove came (works fine) and the maintenance guy replaced the faulty fire alarm that kept beeping every few minutes (battery failure). By 3pm, the refrigerator hadn’t arrived. I waited till 4pm to call the store and the woman who answered told me the delivery truck had left hours ago and should have arrived by now. She would call them and confirm.

By 5pm, it still hadn’t arrived, so I called again and talked to a guy who confirmed my address and said they had stopped by twice and left a doorhanger because nobody was home. I checked the door. No hanger. He said he’d call the delivery guys again.

They finally arrived about 6pm. It turned out that they had the right address on the books at the office but had transferred my old address (the one I was moving from) into their electronic system; the guys had tried to deliver to an empty house! At least they made it before any food spoiled. The cooler I used still had ice in the bottom.

I spent all day Sunday arranging things. I eventually found the shower curtains so I could get all the sweat and grime washed off. Although I still have about three boxes of documents and two boxes of clothes to sort through and put away, plus all the wall decorations to arrange, the place doesn’t look half bad. It already feels a bit like home because I have all my things with me…not like moving into a furnished place.

I still need to saw some wood to make shelves. I’m going to convert the entryway closet into a pantry/storage area. There’s not nearly enough cupboard space. Ah well, a nice weekend project awaits me.

The emotional aspects of the move hit me Sunday afternoon when I finally got my CDs sorted out and selected something to play while I unboxed things. I just picked a CD at random. It was “Voices from the Sky” by Dadawa, a Chinese woman with a voice somewhat like Enya’s but more forceful. I had bought it after seeing her perform live in Hong Kong at a black tie affair I was attending for Time Magazine’s 50th anniversary in Asia.

Tears came to my eyes and I sobbed for a bit, something I haven’t done for a long while. It was a mixture of strong feelings, some sad, but mostly happy, remembering what a good and plentiful life I’ve lived. Now, a new chapter is being. New adventures lie ahead. And although my “new” apartment looks like a college student’s room (my bicycle is parked in the bedroom), this will be the base from which I venture out and return for rest, refuge, and reflection each day.

All moved. Very moved.

I posted this picture

2010-07-21T13:44:00.001-07:00

about a year ago, before Kathy and I moved into our current (rented) house. I didn’t think I would be using the photo (or the boxes) again so soon. Yesterday I put a deposit down on a one-bedroom apartment. I’ll be moving there, alone, between 7/28 and 7/31.

Moving is not something either of us wanted or planned to do, but the time has come once again. Kathy’s unemployment benefits ran out in May. She has been looking for work here for 19 months without any success. It’s a dead end, and she has no source of income to help me pay the rent. She will be leaving the state to go live with her children and grandchildren and look for work in their area, where prospects are allegedly better.

I will stay here, cutting my costs by downsizing dramatically. Over the past month, we’ve held garage sales and advertised on Craig’s list to sell off all of the household items we could. It has gone better than expected. Almost every piece of furniture is gone and at the price we were asking. We’ve been able to catch up on all the bills and even gone out for dinner several times.

So the move is going rather smoothly, but it’s hard. We’ve been good companions for each other for seven years. We were able to pick up the slack for each other during the down periods and had plenty of fun during the ups. There will be a lot to miss. But life goes on and there will be even brighter days ahead, I know.

For now, it is what it is. Her pets (two dogs, three cats) are probably feeling the stress more than either of us are. They see furniture disappearing and sense something not particularly all good is going on. The words “economic adjustment” and “unburdening” have no meaning to them. Too bad there is no way to tell them that it’s all going to work out for the best.

And it will.

See more progress on: move, again

A tug on the plug

2010-06-26T15:53:00.001-07:00

I am getting old. There was a time when I would have dreaded this realization, but life has a most wonderful way of making aging more acceptable to those who are going through the process. Things that used to seem so important now seem rather inconsequential. Take new technology, for example.

My mother is old. She will turn 80 in September, and I used to chide her for not using the computer she has available in her apartment building. She says email and browsing are confusing. She knows how to type, but finds keyboards and mice beyond her talents. She doesn’t own a cell phone and relies on a land line and an aging answering machine for communication. Today she sent me a very short email message asking for my snail mail address so she can send me a letter. Too funny! I know how difficult it must have been for her to do that. She could have simply phoned, of course, but she knew that email would get me to respond faster than a voicemail message, which is totally correct.

That got me thinking. When I am 80 (should I live so long), my daughter will think I am even more old-fashioned and out of touch than I used to think my mother was. In fact, she might already think that of me. I don’t tweet. I don’t follow. I’m not on YouTube or MySpace. I am on FaceBook, but I don’t use it much, and certainly not to announce to the world what flavor donut I ate this morning or such personal minutia. I know how to text message, but I find it a hassle. I refuse to get an iPhone or a Droid or any other mobile device that does much more than make phone calls. I prefer my PC to a laptop or notebook. I have no interest in Kindle or iPad. I have never downloaded a ring tone or an iTune. I couldn’t tell you the difference between 3G and 4G. I still have a VCR and a DVD player, but no TiVo or DVD-R or Blu-Ray. My ancient TV isn’t Hi-Def, flatscreen, or LCD.

How different from when I used to feel the need to be the first among my peers to get an 8-bit home computer, WordStar software, a Daisy-wheel printer, a Betamax, a handheld VHS video camera, a home fax machine, and a Motorola mobile phone. Thirty years ago, I was considered an early adopter. Now, I’m getting old, and apparently one advantage of being a senior is not needing (nor wanting) the latest technology in my life. Perhaps I am starting to understand my mother a bit better. Life is okay unplugged. I am actually looking forward to receiving her handwritten letter.

See more progress on: take advantage of being a senior citizen

War of the Weeds Redux

2010-05-05T08:42:00.001-07:00

The problem with using a weedwhacker is the roots are left behind. They grow strong and become more deeply embedded in the ground. A month has passed, and the weeds have grown back with a vengeance. This round, I am attacking them the old-fashioned way, pulling them up by hand. This is quite time consuming, but it works (and it is great exercise). I’m also applying Spectracide to the roots I can’t remove. Yesterday was the first skirmish. So far, I’ve cleared the area between the patio and the BBQ grill. This looks like a one week project at the least.

See more progress on: spend more time outdoors

War of the Weeds

2010-04-02T15:43:00.001-07:00

The house we are in now has no lawn to mow, so I no longer get outside for yard work like I did. But there has been an unusual amount of rain this year and the weeds have come in full force. So today I revved up the weedwhacker and went to work. I think the weeds won this round. I was covered in green guck at the end, and the roots are still there. The next round will be mine!

See more progress on: spend more time outdoors

Endless Diversion

2009-12-09T16:45:00.001-08:00

I played the Classic mode of Bejeweled 2 Deluxe for a couple of weeks, never making it past 60,000 points, before I finally figured out the strategy. Right now, I’m at Level 93 with over 21 million points and there is no end in sight. I read a post online by someone on Level 130 who heard that the record score is over seven billion points. I am not really interested in that, but a hundred million might be worth a shot.

A (Medieval) Day in the Park

2009-10-11T08:43:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since I got any extra mileage out of simply “being my age,” but yesterday I was eligible for half-price admission to the annual “Age of Chivalry” Renaissance Fair at Sunset Park and took full advantage of it.

It made for a nicely distracting afternoon outdoors, with costumery, sword play, parrot shows, jousting matches, storytelling, comedy acts, live music and lots of heavy food, including fried zucchini, flower onions, steak and mushroom pie, and funnel cake. Plenty of grog, too, of course. Kathy won an iron pot hanger made right before our eyes by the Fair’s blacksmith.

Ah, but speaking of age, our tired muscles are most definitely reminding us today of all the walking we did. Sunday will most certainly be a day of rest.

See more progress on: take advantage of being a senior citizen

Camping at Mt. Charleston

2009-08-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

We had been planning this outing since March, when the Sierra Club made a group reservation at Mahogany Grove campsite near Mt. Charleston. The idea was to combine an annual membership picnic with a hike and overnight camping.

Kathy and I drove up on Saturday morning and were among the first to arrive, just before noon. We picked out a nice secluded spot for our tent, downhill from the picnic area with a beautiful view of the the Spring Mountain Range, at an elevation of 7,500 feet. The rest of the group started pouring in soon after, and there was barely enough parking space. I estimated more than 40 participants in all.

Everyone brought potluck items. Kathy prepared one of our favorites, an Asian cabbage salad made with uncooked ramen noodles, peas, almonds and a tangy sweet-and-sour dressing. It was quite well received. There were also bean and macaroni salads, spinach dip, fruit, chicken wings, deli sandwiches, loads of cookies, brownies, cup cakes...and one fellow even brought ice cream. It was certainly more food than we all could eat.

After lunch, we heard a park ranger talk about the Spring Mountain Range. She used an "island" analogy to explain how certain species got here and evolved uniquely. It was quite educational. Then, while most the group headed off for a hike alng the North Loop trail, we stayed behind, had a few beers, and chatted with other club members who were staying the night.

Most of the hikers returned around 6pm, packed up and headed back to Las Vegas. The hike master, Jack, and his wife stayed on to camp with us, and we had a little village of seven tents scattered around the grove. For dinner, we had planned to have hamburgers but "somebody" forgot to bring the patties, so I fired up the barbie and grilled some Boca Burgers brought by one of the other campers.

It stayed light out till almosy 8pm, then the temperatures dropped quickly from 70-80F to 40-50F. We lit up a campfire and sat around talking till nearly 10pm. The stars were out brightly, as was the moon, which showed right through the tent walls like highbeams on a 4x4.

I'm not sure whether it was the thin air, the sloping campsite, the hard ground, or a bit of intestinal discomfort, but I had the worst night's sleep I've experienced in years. I tossed and turned till just after dawn, when we finally emerged to a beautiful view of the mountains and made some coffee on the Coleman propane stove we brought along.

We broke camp about 9am and decided to do a little hiking up the Deer Creek Trail a quarter of a mile to the north. It was mostly uphill, following a crystal clear mountain stream. We rested a lot, owing to the thin air, but we did manage to make it to the top, drank a little of the bubbling water, and enjoyed the downhill return.

Next we drove up the Lee Canyon side of the range and stopped to take in the view at the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort, before backtracking to the Kyle Canyon side and up to Mt. Charleston Lodge for brunch about 11am. It was already crowded with bikers and day-trippers, and there were native American craft stands set up under canopies in the parking lot.

We got a table on the veranda with a nice view, just in time to order steak & eggs for Kathy and a spinach-mushroom-cheese omelet for moi. It sure tasted good. And it was nice to be able to use the restaurant's flush toilets after two days making do with latrines.

We arrived back home just before 1pm, covering about 110 miles round trip. It was a nice weekend away, and one we are likely to repeat at some point...perhaps with some new cots to sleep on.

Time Warp 2009~1969

2009-07-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

The weekend of July 10-12, I returned to South Bend, Indiana for my high school graduating class's 40th reunion. There was an informal gathering at a bar called Simeri's Old Town Tap on Friday evening, where many of our classmates gathered to see each other for the first time in four decades. I brought along strings of orange and blue party beads for everyone, plus a copy of our senior yearbook to have signed. What a trip it was!

On Saturday, many of us met at the old South Bend Central High School building downtown to go on a tour. It had been converted into apartments a few years after we graduated. It was hard to imagine the carpeted lofts had once been classrooms with 20'-high ceilings. Even the old gym had been subdivided, and the free-throw lines and scuff marks were still visible on the hardwood floors.

Saturday afternoon, I walked around the campus of Notre Dame and bought some gifts at the university bookstore. I did not attend ND, but I used to caddy on the golf course there and often "bummed tickets" to see the fighting Irish play football. I grew up less than a mile from the Golden Dome and the grounds hold special memories for me.

Saturday night was the big reunion event. The organizers had booked us a large banquet room at St. Andrew's Greek Orthodox Church, with an open bar and buffet-style dinner. There was dancing and reminiscing, a tribute to the 29 classmates who had passed away over the years, and three of the former cheerleaders grabbed orange and blue pom-poms to lead us all in the school's fight song. It was all very nostalgic and very well done.

Throughout the month, the local newspaper, the South Bend Tribune, has been running a series of articles about the Central Class of '69. It's fascinating to read what everyone has been up to. I returned to Las Vegas on Sunday with a head full of new memories, dozens of renewed friendships, and a yearbook full of fresh signatures. I took a few photos, too, and they can be seen in my 40th Reunion slideshow on Flickr.

The Patio Project

2009-07-04T11:15:00.001-07:00

See how our backyard was transformed in just ten days.

(Slide Show Here)

#94 with a bullet

2009-06-28T10:02:00.001-07:00

I gave up on the goal of being the top salesperson in my company more than two years ago, but the desire to excel at whatever I do has always been strong in me. I don’t feel the need to be the best, but I do feel the need to do my best, which often results in coming out on top because others don’t put in as much effort.

Over the past six months, I have really worked at doing my best as a service provider on Elance. Members there are rated according to their ability to market and deliver services, and to maintain client relationships.

I still think I can do better, but today I learned that my efforts have led to my ranking in the top 100 out of 23,081 service providers in my category—writing and translation. I am currently listed at #94, up from #106 a week ago.

That’s quite an accomplishment, given that I am in competition not only with other writers and editors, but also with companies employing numerous staff to provide similar services. The only downside is that I know how much work I am doing, and I know what I am earning for it. It’s not an easy way to make a living, even if you are ranked among the best.

Anyway, it’s good news—and the perfect excuse to raise my rates!

See more progress on: be the top sales person in my company in 2006

MagicJack!

2009-06-14T08:00:00.001-07:00

When we moved recently, we cancelled our land-line service which was costing us about $45 a month. I heard some friends at the Sierra Club discussing a VOIP product called MagicJack, which has been sold on TV and is now available through CVS Pharmacy.

Well, I got one, and I could not be happier with it. It cost about $40, including a full year of unlimited local and long-distance calling in the U.S. To connect it, I needed to get a USB hub for my peripherals, because MagicJack has to plug directly into the computer. That cost $15. Then I decided to go ahead and get a new hand’s free telephone, too. Add another $25, so the total outlay was $80 … less than two month’s of phone fees.

I hooked everything up yesterday, and it worked like a charm. There’s an easy-to-remember local number assigned to it, with caller ID, call waiting and voicemail features. The unit was easy to set up; no programming required. I routed my fax machine through it as well, and the dial tone came up just as soon as I plugged it in. No problem.

Because I also want to be able to make international calls, I purchased 200 minutes of call time for just $5 using a prepaid feature that MagicJack offers via the Internet. Last night, I phoned my daughter, who lives in Tokyo. We talked for half an hour, and neither of us noticed any difference in the connection. Excellent quality, no drop out, and just a little echo, which is not uncommon on overseas calls.

To think we were spending over $500 a year for phone service, paying monthly charges, when this is available for just $20 a year (that’s the annual service renewal fee). This is one of the best investments I have made in a while.

Thank you MagicJack! It is great to buy something and have it work exactly the way it’s supposed to the very first time you use it.

See more progress on: get VoIP (Voice over IP)

Light at the End of the Tunnel

2009-06-04T08:59:00.001-07:00

Today is the last day of 9-month classes in the Clark County School District, which means my primary source of income for the past six months (substitute teaching) is going to all but stop. I started preparing for this situation in January by offering freelance writing, editing, publishing and content development services via Elance.com, and I’ve gradually built a clientele and a track record I can use as a platform for expanding my services.

Today is therefore the start of turning my home-based business into my primary source of income. I am quite pleased with this transition. In fact, yesterday one of my clients asked me to create a proposal for a book project worth several thousand dollars. It is beginning to look like I’ve found a way past the summer doldrums.

In September, the political season will begin anew and I’ll have consulting work. I am officially declaring my goal to survive the recession as completed. Now, my fingers are crossed that we don’t go into an actual depression!

See more progress on: survive the recession

A Midweek Pause

2009-05-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

We successfully completed our move across the street on May 15th, but it has taken almost two weeks to settle in. The garage is still a bit of a jumble. My office is about half organized. And the backyard...well, we have plans, but they will take a while to implement.

I hardly missed a minute of work as we transitioned, but it has been exhausting. One day last week, I put in an 18-hour day on the computer with only a meal break. On Memorial Day, I worked 12 hours straight, then taught seven hours at a Middle School in North Las Vegas the next day. I was really dragging my tail on Tuesday night, so I decided to take this afternoon off. Kathy and I drove off to Lake Las Vegas for some R&R.

Our destination was Lowe's Resort, where we had a couple of beers by the pool at the SandsaBar & Grill under the misters. Then we settled in a cool spot overlooking the lake near the Arabesque Lounge and watched ducks dive for fish. We relaxed on cushioned chairs with our feet up and listened to the soothing sound of water pouring from the mouths of turtle-shaped fountains. It was an almost meditative experience.

Kathy's cousin (who works for a local radio station) had given us a couple of hundred dollars in free meal coupons, which we took to Marssa Restaurant. It features a highly acclaimed sushi bar, and I ordered yellowtail, tuna and sea urchin as an appetizer. Kathy enjoyed the salmon tempura as her starter and had the 16oz ribeye as her main dish. I had to go with the lobster tail, something we don't cook at home, and we shared a delicious side of barbequed aspargus.

We finished off with the Chocolate Lava Cake, and I had a glass of port. The total cost, including tips, came to a little over $220. We certainly don't do this often, but we both agreed that we need to give ourselves a treat now and then. It was a refreshing pause in a very hectic time of our lives. Maybe we'll just go back to the lake again on Friday.

The Slow-Moving Move

2009-05-11T12:30:00.001-07:00

With four days to go, we are about 70% done packing and trotting our belongings across the street. The past two weekends, we had help getting the heaviest furniture over. Now all that remains are the mattresses, computer equipment, one television, kitchenware and all the garage stuff.

We bought some banker’s boxes to cart odds and ends in. Ten loads of little things. Who would have guessed we had accumulated so much over the past three years? I must have about twenty baseball caps in various stages of newness. There are posters never put up. Travel and tote bags never used. Could there be a yard sale coming up in the near future?

See more progress on: move across the street

How to publish a book of poetry

2009-05-02T12:13:00.001-07:00

"The journey was the destination."

How I did it: Wrote poems on and off for 25 years. Threw a lot of them away, reworked many of them. Got a few published separately. Eventually collected them together in one place on the Internet. Listened to comments readers made. Deselected a number of them. Collected the best ones into a formated manuscript ready for publication. Designed a cover. Shipped everything off to the printer. Waited for a brief eternity. Received the finished books from the local Fedex agent. Offered them to you.

Lessons & tips: Keep at it. There is no rush. Emphasize quality over quantity. Persevere. Never give up.

Resources: Poetry Society of Japan
Tokyo English Literatue Society
Poetry.com
Ezwaybooks.com

It took me 27 years.

It made me relieved

See more progress on: publish a book of poetry

A Plan - Plan A

2009-04-02T18:23:00.001-07:00

Now that we know for certain that the house we rent is in default, we have come up with an action plan.

1. Talk to G.R., who owns the house directly across the street about renting from him. This would be the most painless move imaginable (assuming moves can be painless at all). He’s had bad tenants before. Right now the house is empty, and he is renovating the interior. It looks good inside, if a bit smaller than where we are now. He’s not ready to talk specifics yet, but we have planted the seed.

2. Meet the landlady and renegotiate our lease. We would never have signed for three years if we suspected she wouldn’t use our rent money to pay the mortgage. We are going to insist on revising it to a one-year lease, which will end on May 1, then go month-to-month thereafter. Since we have no faith in her ability to repay our deposit, we are going to tell her to apply it to April’s rent, due Sunday.

3. Assuming #2 goes as planned, wait till G.R. is ready to sign a lease, then give our landlady 30 days’ notice, same as she would give us if she sold the place.

4. Should #1 go south, start house hunting for a place at least as big as we have now for a lower rent. They exist. We just need to look around. When we find one, give 30 day’s notice.

There is a Plan B if #2 doesn’t go as we want, but it includes being “bad tenants,” either refusing to pay rent till she agrees, refusing to allow potential buyers to come inside, or just moving out without giving her notice.

I am hopeful that the negotiation on Saturday will go well. We have paid nearly $40,000 to live here over the years. We hate to leave, but we are not going to be victims of the landlady’s poor financial management.

See more progress on: survive the recession

Having Nothing Is Something

2009-03-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

In a way, I feel sorry for all those wealthy folks who got duped out of millions by hedge fund fraudster Bernard Madoff. It hurts so much more to fall from the roof of a penthouse than it does from a stool. Seriously, when you have lived off the fat of the land, the taste of dirt...as in dirt poor...is really bitter. I know, because I have savored its flavor myself.

Not that I was ever tricked into a Ponzi scheme by some Wall Steet aristocrat. No, not me. Instead, I did myself in, voluntarily leaving a six-figure income to indulge my dreams of making it on my own. It's not that easy, I discovered.

The real trouble is, it is very hard (maybe impossible) to shake bad habits developed when living large. When you are on top, a hundred dollars is a couple of glasses of champagne at a strip club or a single hand at blackjack. An impromptu flight for two to Hawaii for a romantic weekend is just a charge on a credit card. When you've got cash flow, you swim in it, you surf on it, you drink it up like the supply is endless. And when you have got it all, "it all" has got you in ways too subtle to recognize.

Then "it all" stops. Suddenly, you are Benjamin-less, if not penniless. Unemployment. Repossession. Foreclosure. Bankruptcy. These foreign-sounding words become part of your vocabulary. You can't get over how well you had it, and how badly you've got it now.

But there is something to look forward to in losing everything. Once you hit bottom, there is nowhere to go but up. I know how cliche that sounds, but it is so damn true. If you ever reach the point of feeling suicidal, a total failure, that's the point of opportunity, when you can turn "it all" around, just by choosing to look up instead of down. You have got nothing. And that's the perfect place to begin.

Perhaps only when you lose it all, do you appreciate the true value of things, including intangibles, such as truth, loyalty, compassion, trust, generosity, friendship, faith...the list goes on and on. And that is something. Truly something. Something so much more than the money, the house, the job, or the "it all" that's been lost.

If you have lost it recently, take a little time to grieve. That's natural. You need to get the feelings out. Then get over it. Move on, and start again. The best of times might very well be yet to come.

Cure for the Common Cold

2009-02-22T23:25:00.000-08:00

I rarely get ill. I have never spent a night in the hospital, and I do not take any prescription drugs. But that's not to say, at age 57, my health is perfect.

I really need new glasses to replace my five-year-old prescription. I was scheduled for some major dental work a couple of years ago, and I am sure my teeth are in no better shape today than they were back then. A dermatologist once recommended some treatments, too, but I have chosen not to follow up on his advice.

I haven't had a medical examination in years. I am pretty sure my blood work would show indicators of changes needed, but I'm not about to pay to learn what I already know, that I need to diet and exercise to lose weight.

I am one of those millions of Americans who have no health insurance. Copays do not apply to me. I have no medical discounts, either. If I need medication, I pay full freight. Also, I am self-employed, juggling three part-time jobs, writing, consulting and substitute teaching. If I skip a day of work, I miss a day of pay.

So when I catch a cold, as I did last month, I just have to wait for it to run its course. I cannot afford to be sick. I don't get paid leave. There is no guaranteed income when I am not working. Sick as I was, I chose to work right through it, gutting it out. I simply cannot afford a day off.

This, then, is my cure for the common cold, and pretty much any other ailment that's not immediately life-threating: Ignore it. If you do think you are sick, tell yourself you are not. Pretend you are well until you really are. Just ignore any symptoms until they pass away or you do. Because death, as we well know, cures every ill, from colds to cancer, and the fit will survive.

Sworn in last Wednesday evening

2009-02-15T10:13:00.001-08:00

I am now officially a member of the Executive Committee of the Southern Nevada Group of the Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club. Boy, that is a mouthful. And so was the pledge we took when sworn in, but it is poignant and I thought I would share it with everyone here. We pledged to:

Explore, enjoy, and promote the wild places of the earth;
Practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources;
Educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and,
Use all lawful means to carry out those objectives.

I especially like the last line. :)

My first real task is to order materials for the table we are setting up for Earth Day in April. This year, we are breaking with traditions of the past and not participating in the event organized by the Hughes Corporation here. Businesses have been rather successful at hijacking Earth Day for their own purposes. Instead, we are leading a group of environmentally concerned organizations in our own event at the Clark County Government Center. We have one of the County Commissioners helping us out.

See more progress on: participate in Sierra club activities

2009 Begins

2009-01-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

My 2008 Christmas present to Kathy was an Alien Abduction on "the first day of the terrestrial year known as 2009." We left Las Vegas Thursday morning and drove about 150 miles north to the very edge of highly secret, top-security Area 51. I first added this to my places I'd like to visit in May 2006, and we almost got there in August 2007. But there's no leaving it to chance this year. We were off to UFO territory to start the New Year!

The special part of this trip was that Annie and Roscoe, Kathy's quadrupeds, were invited to join us. They behaved quite well, frequently marking the landscape along the abduction route so we could find our way home.

We reached the entrance to Extraterrestrial Highway (NV-375) about 1pm, then made a stop at the infamous black mailbox, which is not black at all and has mysteriously sprouted an alien growth on its side.

Our primary destination on New Year's Day was the Little A'Le Inn. We were not disappointed, as a family of obviously illegal aliens were there to greet us. We also noted that their saucer had required a tow to the Inn. Ah... the perils of intergalactic travel. Fortunately, the sign on the Inn's door proudly boasts "all species welcome."

Kathy and I had burgers and brews and chatted with the staff, owner Pat and her evening bartender Sandra. Later in the evening we borrowed a couple of videotapes, including a 1980's B-grade SciFi movie called Hangar 18, which seemed very appropriate. Then we took a walk to the highway for star-gazing, and we were very happy we did. The Milky Way was out in all its glory, and I managed to spot several constellations remembered from my Boy Scout days - Cassiopia, Ursa Major and Orion.

The night passed quickly. We broke fast in the Inn's restaurant, then headed off to the back gate of Area 51, where we were told the view was best. As you can see, there wasn't much to see. We snapped a few pix of the snow-clad outpost and its ominous warning sign, then drove back down ET Highway through Alamo, NV to Lake Pahranagat, the national wildlife refuge we had visited after our camping outing to Utah in 2007. Apart from thousands of waterfowl, we were the only visitors there on the morning of January 2. It reconfirmed our interest in camping there. We are definitely going to consider a reabduction in the summer. Nice way to start a new year, don't you think?

The Seven Spices

2008-12-23T12:30:00.000-08:00

This collection of my poetry should be ready to ship from the printer in Tennessee at the end of January. It has been more than 30 years in the making. Most of the poems were written in the 1990s, while I was living in Japan. A couple of them have been published elsewhere on their own, but this is the first time most of them have appeared in print.

I have mixed feelings about the book. Some of the poems reveal aspects of my character that I've since abandoned. Many of the people who inspired them are no longer in my life. But as I read through the poems again and again during the editing process, I decided that there is a lot to be gained by having them published. It will help me rekindle some of the pride and joy I used to feel when seeing my words in print. Sharing them will give others an opportunity to experience some profound moments in my life. It will also allow me to move beyond them.

Prepublication orders are now being accepted online. Single copies are just $7.95, with free shipping and handling. A nice way to start the New Year. Happy Holidays!

On the Campaign Trail

2008-05-24T19:24:00.001-07:00

I’ve become completely political. I mean 24/7. Up until May 6, I was still doing a little substitute teaching, but no more. I’m fulltime on the campaign trail, working to get my state assembly candidate elected. It was not the job I started out with back in February, nor is it the race I thought my candidate would be running. But in many ways, it is a better place to be. I’m more engaged, more needed, and more effective where I am right now.

As an example of how it’s going, Thursday we launched our campaign with a barbecue in a park, attended by several dozen supporters, two judicial candidates, a respected assemblyman, and the head of a local political club. A member of the local Teamsters union led the pledge of allegiance for us and a solar energy expert introduced our candidate with glowing praise. Yesterday we had coffee with the fellow who failed to win this election two years ago and got his views on what to do and not to do. Today we received the official endorsement of our state’s senior senator and the local constable at a union hall as we put together care packages for the troops overseas. You can’t get more politically involved than that.

I simply have not had time to blog the past couple of weeks because we were so busy with filing, campaign planning, attending events, getting ready for our kick-off party, setting up our database and website, ordering materials, signing up volunteers, soliciting contributions, phoning key contacts, preparing for endorsement interviews, getting briefing documents together, arranging meetings…. Seriously, I do not have time for anything else right now… not even following the presidential campaigns. And I love it!

Rarely do people get the opportunity to go this deep inside the political process. When there are closed door sessions, I’m inside the closed room, not out. I’ve brokered some power deals and played some strategic “games” already. This is the aspect of being political I dislike the most. I’d rather be knocking on doors and meeting voters. But politicking needs to be done, and it is something I am actually pretty good at.

For the next six months, the campaign owns me. It is good to be fully engaged and using the skills I’ve developed and training I’ve received over the years. All my experience is being put to use. It’s also good to be meeting all the “right” people, too. I could not possibly be “more political” than I am right now. All that’s left to do now is everything that needs to be done to claim victory on November 4th. The time is going to fly by very quickly, I just know it.

_{Note: The photo is of State Senator Dina Titus, running for Congress, the campaign I had originally hoped to be staffing. Although I’m not working on her campaign, she is strongly supporting my local candidate.}

See more progress on: be more political

April in Bloom

2008-04-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

I have not blogged for more than a month, and there is almost too much to tell. One of the nicest aspects of the transition to spring has been the amount of time I've been able to spend outdoors, away from this computer.

Yardcare has taken priority again, as the flowers we planted last year have suddenly come alive again and the grass seed so carefully nurtured 12 months ago is now fully rooted and growing like weeds.

I finally got around to learning the name of the flowering vine that thrives on the north side of the house. It's Periwinkle, and it is coming in lush and green with light purple blossoms.

We've got snapdragons, lantana, petunias, roses and dianthus in bloom. Even one of my cactii has flowered in the lovely weather we've been having, with highs in the 70s and low 80s and lows in the 50s.

With daylight savings time in effect, it's light out till late, so we can enjoy our barbecue once again. In fact, we've been grilling every weekend: mahi-mahi, sirloin steaks, swordfish, pork chops, lamb, and chicken. And we've stocked up on charcoal for the weekends ahead.

I still haven't fixed our bikes yet. Both of them have flat rear tires. But it's on the agenda, and it will be nice to cycle again soon.

One other way I've been getting my self outdoors is on the campaign trail, canvassing neighborhoods for votes and attending various rallies around the valley. I'm starting to get a nice farmer's tan as a result.

This is probably the nicest time of year to live in Las Vegas, except for the wind, which has been whipping up dust and pollen. Kathy's allergies have been especially rough on her this spring. She'll be happy when the mulberry trees stop shedding.

Spring Break

2008-03-17T12:17:00.001-07:00

The Clark County School District is on Spring Break this week, so there are no substitute teaching jobs available. I'm trying to work ten days a month, and I've only done six in March to date, so it could be a busy week for me after school recommences.

Much of the month has revolved around politics, as I've started working part-time on the Andrew Martin for Congress campaign. Telephoning, precinct walking, arranging Meet & Greet gatherings, and fundraising will begin taking upmore of my time as the political season moves forward. Last Saturday, I walked with the campaign team in Henderson's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. On Sunday, Kathy and I hosted 16 Democrats at our home to meet Andrew. Tomorrow evening, I'll be in Boulder City introducing him to local voters. On Wednesday I intend to participate in a Candlelight Vigil for the war dead, and this Saturday I'll be at a Pro-Peace Rally marking the 5th anniversary of the Iraq invasion. No rest whatsoever for the politically inclined in an election year.

All this activity has meant less time at home, and less experimentation with new recipes. But we did try kasha (buckwheat kernels) last week, and on Saturday we had one of our favorites: shrimp scampi with potatoes and asparagus, accompanied by a nice chardonnay. In fact, I picked up quite a few bottles of wine at our local RiteAid's Going Out of Business Sale last Thursday - $175 worth of merchandise for just $35. Too bad they can't go out of business every week!

Flood. Fiasco.

2008-02-24T10:31:00.001-08:00

We blew it. The Clark County Democratic Convention on Saturday 2/23 was a complete mess. (News article here.) The room the organizers had booked was far too small to hold all the 10,000 delegates, alternates and guests who showed up. The fire marshall threatened to shut the whole thing down. In an attempt to avoid that, the county officials tried to conduct early voting to move delegates in/out of the main convention hall, which had a capacity of only 5,000. Fights broke out. Metro police and additional security guards were called in. The DNC threatened to reduce Nevada’s delegates to the national convention if the process was found to be unfair. The convention chair, Bill Stanley (pictured above), called for a recess and to reconvene for voting at a later date. The motion was strongly voted down by the delegates, who had given up work and other obligations and traveled long distances, enduring long waits in line, to attend.

So the party leaders came up with a divide and conquer strategy. They split the attendees into two separate caucuses for Obama and Clinton, whose candidate representatives convinced their delegates to vote for a recess. The argument: some of their delegates were being left out of the voting process and they wanted every vote to count. The strategy worked. In a voice vote, the second motion to suspend the convention carried and everyone went home. No state delegates elected. No platform ratified. No business accomplished. It was a waste of time, money and goodwill.

My role during all this was as a staff volunteer. I worked in registration with the Credentials Committee from 7am till 10am. I collected first alignment ballots from the convention floor with the Voting Committee between 10:30am and 1pm. When it became clear that the whole convention was going south, I just went back to the hall to listen to the remaining speeches and talk to other volunteers and delegates. The only really positive aspect was Al Franken’s keynote address, which was funny, to the point, and a bit inspiring. Too bad he’s not running for office here.

By 4pm, most of the delegates had left, but I stayed around to talk to party officials and get their take on what had happened and what might happen next. The troubling fact is that they misplanned and booked a facility far too small. They didn’t recruit enough volunteers, either. Looks like we will be having a do-over in April sometime.

This fiasco could have been avoided if representatives of the Clinton and Obama camps had been in on the planning process from the very start, but the county party leaders tried to do it all themselves. Many are saying they should be held responsible for the chaos and step down or else be impeached. That would be a shame, since many of them are really good leaders, otherwise. But there are some bad eggs, too, and a complete house cleaning might do us good. As I’ve written before, a flood of change is coming. We can either ride it or get swallowed in its wake. On Saturday, the local organization virtually drowned. There is a lot of work ahead to set this right, and I intend to be part of the solution.

See more on: see a Democrat elected in 2008

Leap Month

2008-02-18T12:29:00.000-08:00

The month flew by, not just because it was short a day or two, but because we were quite busy, from politicking related to the Clark County Convention (see the entry above) to some special events. The latter included a delicious pre-Valentine's day lunch (white pizza)at Lake Las Vegas on Sunday 2/10, followed by a "chocolate tasting" at the SunPoint Hotel-Casino. We also gave Outback Steakhouse a second chance, and it fared somewhat better than our first outing last year. We've been trying out some new recipes at home with a little success, too. And Kathy has started shopping around for a new car, as her 1995 Saturn is nearing the end of its useful lifespan. That's her at Planet Hyundai, above. Could there be a second Korean-made vehicle in our driveway soon?

An Evening with the Association

2008-01-27T11:43:00.001-08:00

Over the past few years, my Christmas present to Kathy has been tickets to some future event, such as the Blue Man Group at the Luxor in 2005 and the Sopranos Last Supper in 2006. For 2007, I gave her four tickets to see one of the top bands of our youth, The Association, and last night (Saturday) was the night.

First we had dinner at Hennessey's Irish Pub downtown before driving up to the Cannery Hotel-Casino in North Las Vegas. Our tickets, which I had purchased through KSHP.com, were at the will-call desk, and they turned out to be great seats, just ten rows from the stage and smack in the center of The Club concert hall.

The crowd that gathered for the sold-out 8pm show was most certainly representative of our generation. The average age must have been 55. Kathy's cousin Margaret and her husband Alan joined us. They have been real friends to us during the past many months, inviting us to various events, so this was a nice opportunity to repay them a bit.

Three members of the original six-man band are still in the group: Larry Ramos, Russ Giguere, and Jimmy Yester. They played their top songs from the 1960's, leading off (and ending) with their former #1 hit Windy, and including Cherish, Along Comes Mary, and Never My Love, among others. They also played some classics by other bands they performed with over the years, from the Mamas and the Papas to the Four Tops and Three Dog Night.

Opportunities like this will not be around much longer. The sounds of the sixties are almost 50 years old now, and the musicians who created them are even older. As a sign of just how much time has passed, the band's current keyboard player, Jordan, is the son of their original bass guitarist, Brian Cole, who passed away in 1972. And Jimmy, the oldest member of the group, will turn 70 next year.

So it was a pleasant journey for us all down memory lane. The guys may have forgotten some words, missed some notes, and shown their age, but it didn't matter. It was all about re-living some cherished moments from a time when the world was, perhaps, a bit simpler. The audience remembered and sang along. Peace and love prevailed once more.

Afterwards, we waited to get some autographs on a group photo and the ticket stubs. I snapped Kathy's photo with the lead singer, Russ, as the clean-up crew folded chairs and swept the floor. It will be a night to remember for some time to come.

And the winner is...

2008-01-20T08:44:00.000-08:00

What a day Saturday was. We got up at 6am in order to be at the Sheet Metal Workers Union Hall by 7am to meet with Daniel, the field organizer for Hillary Clinton's campaign. As a Precinct Captain, Kathy had to pick up instructions and materials for our caucus. I tagged along as an interested observer and snapped a few pix. Excitement was high, as Clinton supporters came and went from the union hall with posters, placards, doorhangers, T-shirts, megaphones, visors, and lawn signs. There was a big day ahead as Democrats gathered in more than 500 locations across the state to express our preference for the next President.

We stopped for coffee and donuts at a little bakery before going over to our caucus site at Las Vegas High School. There would be no time for eating after that. At 8:30am, we arrived at the gym and began setting up tables and decorating our bleacher section. There would be 14 other precincts caucusing at the high school with us, several in the gym and others in the library, cafeteria, theater, etc., which would later prove a source of confusion for voters who were unsure of their precinct locations. By 9:15am, our area was looking really good, but before I could open it for registration, I had to drive to another neighborhood and pick up a temporary caucus chair, let's call her Ms. C, who had been trained just the night before. Apparently, the person assigned to lead her precinct had fallen ill.

At 9:45am I helped Ms. C set up her caucus area in the gym. Only one of three volunteers I had recruited turned up by 10am to help with registration, but already voters were starting to show up, so Kathy pitched in at the front desk. We began registration early, about 10:30am, and it's a good thing we did, because soon we were flooded with people needing directions to their caucus sites, wanting to register to vote, and signing in. But somehow we managed and by noon, I was able to call my caucus to order with 88 voters in place.

I gave a little pep talk about how everyone there had just joined "a conspiracy to turn Nevada Blue," then passed the hat for donations to the Party, raising over $200 to help support the Clark County Democratic Party Convention in February. I was then elected Permanent Caucus Chair by majority vote over a woman from the Hillary camp, who was in turn elected Permanent Caucus Secretary. We then separated everyone into preference groups, and after realignment, with a few voters leaving early, the result turned out 46 for Clinton, 34 for Obama, one uncommited, and one each for Kucinich and Edwards, which pretty much mirrored the vote statewide. We awarded six county delegates to Clinton and five to Obama.

I wish I could say it all went smoothly, but there were quite a few glitches. While I conducted our caucus, I also had to oversee another "orphan precinct" with one delegate, which went to Obama. I was so busy, I couldn't give much help to Ms. C, whose caucus ended up in the cafeteria and had huge problems, I learned later. There was considerable confusion in many of the precincts. In ours, for example, most of the Obama supporters left before selecting their delegates, with only a handful remaining behind. I phoned in the results and closed the caucus at 12:45pm, so it really only took 45 minutes. It just seemed like a lot longer.

By the time we cleaned up and dropped Ms. C back at her house, it was almost too late to go to Hillary's after-party, which started at Planet Hollywood at 1:30pm. As we headed over, we learned that the final results were pretty much in, showing 51% for Clinton, 45% for Obama, and 4% for Edwards. We got to the gathering a little after 3pm, but Hillary had already spoken, thanked her volunteers and left for the airport. We stayed long enough to have a beer and trade congratulations with other supporters.

To cap off the day, Kathy and I went over to the Las Vegas Hilton at 5pm, where her cousin had got us tickets for a charity wine & beer tasting: Splendor in the Glass. We were still wearing our campaign T-shirts, which attracted lots of conversations with attendees who wanted to share their own caucus experiences or trade political insights. Between the two of us, we sampled 33 different wines, Kathy concentrating mainly on whites while I tried the reds. Afterwards, we had a burger, hot dog and fries at the Deli near the Hilton Sports Book.

We finally got home about 8pm, totally exhausted, but glad we had stretched ourselves for this very special day. As we watched the news on television, we learned that nearly 116,000 voters had turned out for the Democratic caucuses versus about 45,000 for the Republicans. So the real winner wasn't a candidate at all, but the state of Nevada. We are now poised to turn this state BLUE in 2008.

Two Days Till Caucus

2008-01-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

The wait is almost over. On Saturday, January 19, at precinct-level caucuses throughout the state, Nevadans will indicate their preferences for the next president of the United States. I volunteered to be involved almost from the first day I heard about it back in March 2007.

I've distributed materials, attended training sessions, made outbound calls to voters, helped train other organizers, made financial contributions, conducted meetings, and (most recently) devoted many hours answering the phones and voter questions at the Caucus Headquarters. I've met all of the remaining candidates in person and I was at their debate last November. I've made all the preparations necessary to lead my precinct's caucus at Las Vegas High School the day after tomorrow, including the recruitment of four volunteers to help with registration, photocopying of signage, and the purchase of some patriotic bunting, streamers and banners to decorate our site. It's been an exciting process.

The one thing I had not done, until today, was take time to give some thought to my own preferences. So this morning I drafted party platform resolutions, expressing my personal positions on six specific issues: Social Security, Health Care, Global Warming, Education, War in Iraq, and Responsible Government. I intend to submit them at the caucus, which will get them into the appropriate committees in preparation for the county convention coming up on February 23. I'm hoping to be a delegate then, so I can have some voice in resolution selection, as well as on our presidential preference.

Oddly enough, I'm still undecided on who I'm going to caucus for. I liked John Edwards from the very start, but as the campaign has worn on, he seems less presidential to me, like he is trying too hard. I wish he had a bit of Biden's sophistication. He's serious, passionate, and committed, which is good. I wish the other candidates would pick up on his "no more poverty in America" theme. I like most of his ideas, too. But do I see him as our president? Less and less, I'm afraid.

So I'm pretty certain I'll be standing up for either Obama or Clinton. They both impress me as capable of the job. I buy into Hillary's claim that she's got the experience. She could hit the ground running. Yes, she can manage, but can she lead? I'm not convinced. She's carries some heavy baggage, too. And would nominating her galvanize Republicans? I'm not sure.

Barack, on the other hand, has got the vision I crave in a leader. He's got all the charisma the others lack. His positions on issues mirror my own pretty closely. But being able to woo votes doesn't mean he's ready to command. He's still green, untried as a leader. Would he be able to surround himself with a team of implementers? I have to hope so, but hope may be insufficient criteria for choosing our chief executive.

I've obviously still got questions. Selfishly, I know if I go with Clinton I've got a slightly better chance of getting elected as a delegate to the county convention. But befriending my Obama-leaning neighbors might serve my interests better in the long run, as they are much more likely to get on board when I start beating the drum for a Democratic congressional candidate post-caucus.

Decisions. Decisions. By half-past noon on Saturday, the unstoppable hand of time will have written its history and moved on. I'll have lots to report when next I blog here.

Focus on Food

2008-01-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

Both Kathy and I are committed to losing some weight this year. Diet and exercise are the keys, of course, so we are starting out the new year with some changes. The first of those regards meal planning. Kathy had tried the South Beach Diet before and liked many aspects of it, so we are planning our meals to contain fewer bad carbs, more fruit and vegetables, and much less beer - the bane of our weight-loss goals.

We ended the year with fasts. I did a three-day juice fast after Christmas to clean out my system, and it went very well. Kathy, because of her work schedule, chose to do a one-day cleansing using a chemical solution that patients use before colon exams. We both felt lighter and cleaner as a result.

Since the first, we've been digging through our combined collection of more than a hundred cookbooks and trying out some new recipes. From New England-style zucchini and red cabbage dishes to Texan beef tips and a Greek lamb fricassee, we've been having fun experimenting. We've been drinking lots of water, too.

Another aspect of healthy eating is portion control. I have a bad habit of going back for seconds, so I'm really making the effort to limit how much goes on the plate the first time and refrain from loading up again, no matter how delicious the meal tastes. Putting down the fork between bites is a good technique, too. I've read that when food is chewed more thoroughly, the brain gets the message that the stomach is getting full. Eating quickly doesn't allow the message to be received fast enough to inhibit the desire for the next bite.

Snacking has never been a big problem for either of us. Kathy likes popsicles and an occasional bowl of ice cream in the evening. I sometimes eat nuts. Neither of us is big on desserts, but I'll occasionally go on a cookie binge if they are around, so not buying them is the simple solution to that.

With the weather being cold and the football season winding down, it should get easier to avoid drinking beer. It's our beverage of choice, although I do like wine almost as much. Water is a good substitute, of course, and I'm going back to making pitchers of lemonade using Crystal Light so that there's always an alternative beverage around when I crave something with taste. Kathy drinks milk. Neither of us drink soda, although she likes to have original Coca Cola now and then, especially the bottled version imported from Mexico.

So we've got a good start on this resolution, and we can support each other in our diet goals as the year unfolds. More difficult will be establishing exercise routines. That's the next challenge.

Dynamite December

2007-12-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

We started the month off with a magic show at Planet Hollywood, starring the world's fastest magician, Hans Klok, along with former Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson. At mid-month, Kathy's company had their annual Holiday Party at Graziano's Pizzeria.

I spent more than a few evenings watching all of the episodes of HBO's series Deadwood - three full seasons - borrowed from the local library. During the days, I continued working on my novel, now at 63,000 words, and preparing for my first day of substitute teaching (see below).

Last Saturday, we invited Kathy's son Mark and cousin Margaret over for a Lasagne Christmas Dinner. There were seven of us all together, and we watched some football and exchanged some gifts, in addition to chowing down.
On Christmas Eve, my AOL Fantasy Football season came to a close and I ended up winning the championship in one league and finishing third in another. It felt good to set another ambitious goal and achieve it.

Politically, the scene here has been heating up as the countdown to Caucus is now under a month. I've volunteered as an Assembly District Leader, responsible for supporting more than two dozen temporary caucus chairs. Kathy's been trained as a Precinct Captain for the Hillary Campaign, and had spent some time knocking on doors in our neighborhood to get out the vote. I'm very proud of her efforts.

From tomorrow, December 26, I'll be going on a three-day Fast to cleanse my body and mind and prepare for the new year ahead. It will be an opportunity for reflection on the events of the year now passing, too. I achieved a little more than half of the 17 goals I set for myself in 2007 and only failed one. The others will carry over into 2008, a year I expect to be among the best ever.

Trial by Fire

2007-12-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

I knew I was in for it. I wanted to try my hand at substitute teaching before the end of the year, and I put it off till the last possible minute. So I ended up teaching a full day of 6th grade reading at an "at risk" middle school on the last day before winter break. What was I thinking?

I arrived at the school 45 minutes early, which was just about enough time to pick up the classroom keys and find the light switch. I exaggerate, of course, but not by much. I had to study the lesson plan, retrieve a stack of photocopied reading assignments from the repro office, get familiar with the attendance sheet, and orient myself (restrooms, lounge, attendance office, library, cafeteria, emergency plan, fire alarm, etc.) by 8am, when the first group descended on the classroom.

My going-in strategy was easy: Be firm, follow the lesson plan, and avoid any major incidents. I'm proud to say, I accomplished it, but not without challenges. Of the five classes I taught, with an average of 30 students per class, two were relatively well-behaved, two were rather rowdy, and the last one would have gone well, except an irregular dismissal schedule was announced, which threw the class into a bit of chaos.

I could have written up a number of students for eating in the classroom (candy canes, chocolate, cookies). I could have sent three class clowns to detention for pushing, shoving, hopping up and down, and cutting up in general. I could have confiscated a cell phone and an i-pod. But maybe my own memories of the last day of class reminded me that little learning can be expected on the last day of school. I used a tried and true technique to get the assigned work done: "If you don't want homework over the holidays, you need to complete today's work by the end of the peiod." That worked for the vast majority of them.

I was fortunate to have a prep period after the first class, which allowed me to regroup myself and get ready for four classes straight, one of which was split in two by a lunch break. Of 150 students, I can probably remember 10-20 of them by name. I feel a bit sorry for the "average" kids, since most my time was occupied by the best students and the troublemakers. On the one extreme an especially bright girl finished her work quickly and was bored. On the other, a boy insisted that reading gave him a headache and didn't read a word. I could relate dozens of little anecdotes, especially regarding restroom passes, broken pencils, and girls applying make-up. But one stands out.

A certain tall, black student was roughing it up with one of the class clowns in period four. At the end of the class, I asked him to stay a moment so that I could have a word with him. He was anxious to leave for his next class. I'm sure he thought I was going to scold him. But instead I said, "I've seen a lot of boys like you. You could be a leader in this class. But not if you let the clowns bring you down to their level. You're better than that. Why not be a leader?" I think it surprised him that I may have seen something in him that he didn't see in himself. I don't know if it will make any difference, but from here on, whenever I substitute teach, I'm going to make it a goal to identify at least one "at risk" student and see if I can inspire him/her to reach a little higher. That will make it all worthwhile, I think.

Also, I intend to do some serious reading before I go back to the classroom in January. I've picked up four books on Classroom Control from the library. Next time I teach, I plan to be armed with an array of techniques for managing disruptive behavior. Now that I have some idea what to expect, I don't think it will be as difficult from here on.

Month Well Spent

2007-12-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

It feels good to set an ambitious goal and then accomplish it. In November, I wrote 50,000 words of fiction within 30 days to be declared a winner in the 2007 National Novel Writing Month project. As I mentioned in my previous blog, it's just the start of my commitment to write another novel, but it's a good one. I'm planning to write at least 25,000 words more in December, and I'm looking toward April as the month when I'll be able to call it "done" and pitch it to a publisher.

So now, it's back the the "real world." Even though I was writing every day last month, I still managed to keep active politically, attending the Presidential Debate at UNLV and two caucus-related training sessions. As a result of my involvement, the Nevada State Democratic Party has appointed me as an Assembly District Leader. I'll be responsible for supporting temporary caucus chairs in 29 precincts, representing more than 15,000 voters. That means plenty of politicking this month and next.

Unfortunately, none of that activity pays the bills. I put my hunt for a day job on hold in November. My rainy day fund has been gradually dwindling. Next week I'm scheduled for a day-and-a-half orientation at the Clark County School District. My plan is to get licensed as a substitute teacher and work part time while getting my own publishing company set up on the Internet. If there is one thing I learned during the past month, it is how much I love the written word. I want to go back to making my living through writing, editing and publishing. Hopefully, the transition period from start-up to fulltime publishing will be short. Looks like another busy month ahead.

The Halfway Point

2007-11-14T08:03:00.000-08:00

I have devoted the entire month of November to NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month competition. To be a winner, all I need to to do is write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days.

I say "all" as if it is something rather easy to do. It is not. I had my outline finished before Halloween. I met with other NaNoWriMo participants, exchanged tips with previous winners, conducted preliminary research, and cleared my calendar. The latter included postponing a job training and cancelling a monthly political forum that I typically chair. I can honestly say I was well prepared for this.

But things happen as you write creatively. Characters reinvent themselves. They hijack the plot. They introduce complex relationships and subthemes. And most disturbing of all, they completely (and I do mean in every way) take over the author's life.

For example, I was driving home from my biweekly chiropractic session on Monday and quite nearly crashed into a car because I was so absorbed in some plot details that I failed to see a stop sign. When I get on a roll at the keyboard, I disappear so deeply into the story that I forget to eat, drink or pee. Locking oneself in composition mode for six hours straight without a break is not a healthy thing. My chiropractor noted some stress shifts in my spine caused by all the sitting and lack of exercise. Not good.

Nevertheless, I am committed to my goal. I've written a little over 25,000 words in two weeks. With 16 days to go, I'm right on pace. What scares me is that the finished novel will almost certainly need to be much longer than 50,000 words -- probably more like 80,000 or 90,000. So "winning" NaNaoWriMo has become secondary, a stepping stone toward my highest priority: To write another novel. That includes revisions and editing, as well as the first draft.

Goodbye December? We shall see.

Right now, my motto is "50,000 words in 43,200 minutes or bust!" That means no time for blogging. The keyboard is reserved for noveling the rest of this month.

*POOF* I'm gone.

Awesome October

2007-10-31T11:02:00.001-07:00

I met Hillary Clinton at a meeting of the Clark County Democratic Party Central Committee and attended a full-day training in grassroots organizing put on by the DNC. Kathy got a new job at a higher rate of pay than her previous one, and I was accepted by the county’s substitute teaching program (although I will not attend their orientation-training till early December). We celebrated Oktoberfest at the Hofbrauhaus with specially imported Bavarian beer. I finished aerating the lawn, watched the first season of Lost on DVD, completed the outline and basic research for the NaNovel I’m writing in November, and got a clean bill of health from my chiropractor. In the month ahead, I’m looking forward to LOTS of hours of creative writing, more time spent outdoors/exercising, losing some weight, and the relaunch of my publishing website. Onward, upward, and funward!

See more progress on: do something new and entertaining every month

Mr. October

2007-10-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

This is my month. I'm a Libra. And I have always enjoyed the transition from summer to fall. The cool air is such a welcome change. The sun seems to set at just the right time. Football season is in full swing, and baseball is wrapping up. It's an invigorating time of the year.

I celebrated my birthday quietly at home over the weekend. I really didn't want to go out. Instead, Kathy and I feasted on shrimp scampi, an array of imported cheeses, fresh fruit and a loaf of whole grain bread. I listened on Internet radio to Notre Dame win their first game of the year over UCLA, 20-6, which was a fine birthday present. And I joined a group of virtual friends for an online wine-tasting, centering on Austrialian Shiraz from the Barossa Valley. It was quite a treat.

Sunday brought a little ill luck - my car battery died, just a few months after its warranty had expired (of course). But Monday brought the best news of a long time, as Kathy found a new job. It's exactly the work she's been looking for, and it pays a little more than her previous position, too. She'll start on Tuesday, October 16th after spending a long weekend in North Dakota for her sister's wedding. So things are looking up.

I'm still going slow on my own job hunt. My application to the county school district is under review and I expect to get an invitation to license soon. The idea would be to substitute teach as a source of regular income, while creating an online publishing business that I can operate from home. I'm not sure I want to go back to a 9-5 situation. Juggling several projects seems to suit me, as long as I can make the cash flow work.

Anyway, this is my month and I am expecting some new and exciting changes ahead. Watch this space for updates.

As Summer Wanes

2007-09-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

Plenty has happened since my last post here. I've been very involved in the local political scene, attending several meetings of Democratic groups and the office openings of a couple of Presidential candidates, Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinich (pictured, left). We had dinner with an old friend of mine visiting from Michigan and spent a couple of evenings with Kathy's cousin, including a country-western concert at the Orleans Arena sponsored by radio station KWNR - The Double Down Throw Down (pictured, right) - featuring Whiskey Falls, Ty Herndon and others.

In preparation for autumn, we've taken down the play pool, switched all of our incandescent light bulbs to energy-saving compact fluorescent lights, rearranged our bedroom, and got a new mattress for the bed (pictured, below). Neither Kathy nor I are working right now, which has most definitely been a drain on our savings. She's a bit stressed by the job hunt. I'm actually destressed by the situation. In fact, I haven't been so relaxed in years, and my chiropractor confirmed it saying, "The lack of work-related stress has been really good for your body."

Progress on my new novel has stalled temporariliy as I search for ways to strengthen the main character/voice of the story's narrator. I've been taking an interest in fantasy football on AOL and playing some Scrabble on the computer to keep my brain active. Frankly, my life feels a lot like retirement to me right now, and I'm in no huge hurry to get back into the workaday world. I know I'll have to start generating some income soon, but I am toying with the idea of putting together a couple of parttime jobs and ghostwriting as my primary occupation. We shall see in the weeks ahead.

Play Ball!

2007-08-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Kathy got a call from a friend whose son had some free tickets for a baseball game. We had never seen the local team, the Las Vegas 51's (the LA Dodgers' AAA farm club), so we decided to have a go at it.

We arrived at Cashman Field just after 6pm and got a good parking spot. Then we made our way to the gate, where we each received a free mini-bat as part of "Fan Appreciation Night." Our seats were general admission in section 2, halfway between third base and the left field wall. We picked up a couple of cold beers on the way in, chose a row with a good view of home plate and the infield, then settled in on a couple of cushions we had brought along, well in time for the 7:11pm start.

Baseball is a slow-paced game that I enjoyed playing as a kid, but only watch now on television during the Major League playoffs or World Series. Neither of us had been to a live game in years. My last outing was in Tokyo a couple of decades ago, when I saw the Yomiuri Giants play and Sahadaru Oh hit one of his historic 868 homeruns, the world's all-time record.

Nearly 10,000 fans turned out for the 51's last Saturday night game of the season against the Tucson Sidewinders (AAA affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks). The early innings were sluggish, not slug-filled, with the visitors scoring first. Then Marshall McDougall, our leftfielder, tied it up in the fifth inning with a lead-off homerun high over the leftfield fence.

That was the only homer of the night, but there were lots of foul balls to be caught as souvenirs throughout the game. One bounced up just to our right, in fact. And that wasn't the only excitement for the crowd. After each home team at bat, bingo numbers were flashed on the scoreboard so we could play for prizes on bingo cards everyone had been given. And of course, what's a baseball game without hot dogs? Throughout the game, Kathy and I had one apiece and shared some fries and crackerjack. We took turns buying beer, too, and each had five before "last call" following the bottom of the seventh inning. In all, we probably spent close to $75, so even with free tickets, it was not a cheap evening.

In the later innings, our team scored three more runs, and we went into the top of the ninth leading 4-1. Kathy and I started making our way to the exit about 9:30pm, confident that the game would be ending soon. But the Sidewinders were not about to give up. They managed to score three runs and send the game into extra innings. Despite some dramatic opportunities, neither team scored again till the 12th inning, when McDougall pulled off an infield single with the bases loaded to win the game 5-4. After that, the lights were turned off for a fireworks display that was about as good as I've ever seen at a non-holiday event. We finally left the park about 11pm, tired but happy we had taken ourselves out - as the seventh-inning-stretch song goes - "to the old ballgame."

Fantasy Football Begins

2007-08-21T15:13:00.000-07:00

I've been reading about FF forever, and I love football, both college and NFL. But I never joined a fantasy league till this season. Today, I participated in my first draft through AOL Fantasy Sports.

I did pretty well in my rookie outing. I caught positions #2 and #9 in the selection order. The first manager to pick took the Chicago Bears Defense so I lucked out and got running back LaDainian Tomlinson, whom all the FF pundits have pointed to as the #1 choice. I narrowly missed getting Peyton Manning at QB, too, but I'm happy with younger brother Eli and one of my personal favs, Carson Palmer. I think I did well with tight end Tony Gonzales and kicker Adam Vinatieri. And my two defenses are both rated among the top five: NE and SD. On my last pick, I took an extra tight end, because Witten and Gonzales both share a bye in week #8. Here's my final roster:

1 RB - Tomlinson, LaDainian SD
2 QB - Palmer, Carson CIN
3 D - Patriots, New England NE
4 WR - Driver, Donald GB
5 WR - Moss, Randy NE
6 TE - Gonzalez, Tony KC
7 PK - Vinatieri, Adam IND
8 RB - Dunn, Warrick ATL
9 QB - Manning, Eli NYG
10 D - Chargers, San Diego SD
11 TE - Witten, Jason DAL
12 PK - Rackers, Neil ARI
13 WR - Branch, Deion SEA
14 RB - Droughns, Reuben NYG
15 TE - Graham, Daniel DEN

I'm not set on winning our 10-team league, just learning more about how to play and be a good player. After several attempts, I finally figured out how to rename my team (AOL's default is your email address). Go Vegas Vipers!

Choices, Choices, Choices

2007-08-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

Today I started the job hunt in earnest. It's a tedious process at best. Gone are the days when you sent off a photocopied resume with a typed cover letter in an envelope. Most employers have their own online forms. Even using cut-and-paste to speed up the assembly of an application, it can easily take a couple of hours to complete just a single one. One of them wants street addresses for references. Another wants fax numbers. Mailing addresses? Fax numbers? In an age of e-mail and PDF attachments? Sheesh.

Anyway, that's just me ranting a little. In fact, I feel quite good about what I accomplished today. I submitted two inquiries, one resume and one online application. The positions I've responded to could not be more different:

Campaign manager for a state senate candidate
Director of marketing for a college athletic program
Publications manager for a sports betting business
Substitute teacher for middle school mathematics

Okay, the last one was kind of a long shot. I haven't taught in a classroom in nearly 30 years. It's just that the schools here are sorely lacking in math teachers and the kids deserve the best education available. It's nothing I'd want to do full time, but if I could fill in now and then, it might be a win-win situation.

I'm still waiting on a reply regarding the editor/technical writer position I interviewed for last week. I was told that I did well on their written test and my portfolio was impressive. If I were in my 30's, I'm sure I would get the offer and I would take it. The question I have to ask myself is, "Will this take me all the way to retirement at age 65?"

I'm getting a bit old for job-hopping. But that doesn't mean I'm making "job security" my top priority either. I've never really had it, and I'm not sure I believe it exists. What I would like is something I'll feel passionate enough about, or that will intrigue me enough, to keep me excited about going to work each day for the next decade. With the exception of substitute teaching, all of the positions I've responded to have an element of that.

It will be interesting to see who comes back first with an interview request.

An Away Day

2007-08-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

Kathy and I have been talking about going camping ever since our trip to Blanco State Park in Texas last year. On Friday at 8:30am, we finally walked the talk and headed off to the Pine Valley Mountains, located in the heart of the Dixie National Forest in southwest Utah.

We got off Interstate 15 and drove the "back way" through Shivwits Paiute Indian Reservation, stopping for roadside tamales just outside Littlefield and a simple lunch at a country diner in Veyo. On the way, we saw the remnants of a terrible wildfire that destroyed much of the Joshua Tree Forest and marveled at the stunning red rock mesa along the Santa Clara River.

Arriving at the recreation area about 1pm, we were lucky to get a place for our tent. The best spots along the river's Left Fork were all taken, so we staked our claim at site #10 in the Pines Campground. By 4pm, all of the area's 62 campsites had been taken, and many were crowded with multiple tents.

The afternoon passed peacefully. At the Pine Valley Reservoir, we watched local anglers pull in a couple of nice-sized trout. We visited the Pine Valley General Store and got some ice for our cooler, then we hiked a little in the woods uphill of our campsite. The wind in the pines was the only sound to be heard ... that and the tapping of an occasional woodpecker or the chirring of grasshoppers.

Back at camp, we rested before dinner with a couple of beers and some potato chips, just watching the sun go down and enjoying the peace and quiet. Restful interludes like this are infrequent in Las Vegas. We tend to get caught up in our chores and errands, our projects and programs. It was nice just to forget the world of man and come back to the world of nature for an afternoon.

I grilled up cheeseburgers and toasted buns on the barbecue for our evening meal. Of course, we brought along all of the fixings, too. In a word, it was delicious. Why is it such simple food tastes so much better outdoors?

Then, as the sun dropped lower, I started a campfire in the site's concrete pit (pictured). Twilight in the mountains seems to last forever. Our neighbor from site #11 stopped by to comment on how peaceful our site seemed compared to hers. She came from nearby with her husband and four school-age children for their last summer outing before classes resume. She gave us some tips on other places to camp--all good information. Then, Kathy and I sat watching the flames and nursing some cold Miller Lites, till past 10pm. The night sky was perfectly black and salted with stars beyond the tops of the pines above us.

I wish I could say we slept the night soundly, but it was not to be. Our air mattress (a double), which served us well last outing, seemed a bit too small this trip. We forgot to bring pillows, too (duh), and had to make due with rolled up blankets/towels. Sometime after midnight, a couple of carloads of late arrivals joined the party camping next to us in sites #8-9, and even though they tried to be quiet, sound carries incredibly well in the forest; it sounded like they were right outside our tent. Also, getting up to relieve ourselves was a bit of a hassle. The outhouse was up a hill across the road from us and the night air was chilly. It was not the best sleep we've had.

At 8am, I got up and started a pot of coffee on our Coleman propane stove, then went to the outhouse to clean up and change clothes. Kathy got up about a half hour later. Neither of us were very hungry for breakfast, so I just had a little fruit. We chatted with a lady from site #9 about other camping areas--more good info. People are essentially quite friendly when you take them out of their city skins. By 10am, we had struck camp and reloaded the car, happy with our stay, if still a little tired from the unrestful night.

On the return trip, we chose a long way back through Enterprise, Utah so that we could tour some of eastern Nevada. The route we chose took us down 28 miles of dirt road through the northwest corner of the Dixie National Forest. The dust was so heavy, the car tires looked positively white by the time we emerged onto pavement again outside Panaca, NV. To commemorate the journey, I bought Kathy a souvenir T-shirt at the Panaca Market, "conveniently located in the middle of nowhere."

Our first destination of the day was actually located just a mile north of there: Cathedral Gorge State Park. What incredible landscape! It reminded me somewhat of Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudi's famous cathedral in Barcelona. But these spires and vestibules were all carved by nature. We hiked several of the caves and upward trails, took a lot of photos, and had a wonderful afternoon outdoors. How is it that in nearly a decade in Nevada, neither of us had ever heard of these amazing formations? More of this kind of exploring is definitely in order. I bought a Cathedral Gorge T-shirt as my keepsake of the visit.

All the hiking/climbing made us hungry, so we stopped in Caliente at the Knotty Pine Resturant for lunch. Kathy had the Philly Cheesesteak and I had a grilled chicken salad with bleu cheese dressing, along with a couple ice-cold beers. We drove around the little town to see the old Union Pacific Railroad Station, then headed down the Great Basin Highway toward Las Vegas.

En route, we spent about an hour at the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, "a waterfowl oasis in the desert." At the North Marsh, we saw what appeared to be some geese and one large bird that we were later told may have been a heron. We also saw a troop of Boy Scouts, camping and fishing on the southern shore of the Upper Lake, which we decided was the best place to pitch a tent. We also decided that this would be a great destination for a day trip or overnight in the fall when the migratory birds of the Pacific Flyway stop by on their way south. It's only 120 miles from Las Vegas and, again, we'd never heard of it.

By 3pm, we were on US-93 and heading home. The rest of the drive was uneventful, and we were happy to pull up in our driveway at 4:30pm, greeted enthusiastically by Kathy's dogs and with plenty of time to unpack and relax before dinner. It was a wonderful get-away, and we are convinced we need to do this more often. There are always plenty of excuses available for not getting outdoors more--the time, the money, the distance, the pets, the commitments to other activities. We just have to remember this trip, which was relatively easy and inexpensive, as an incentive to get out and explore. There's so much to be missed by limiting our fun times to the city.

Free Again

2007-07-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

As of 7/25 at 5pm, I became a free man once again. No more sales quotas. No more contrived schedules, mandatory meetings, or daily 8:08am conference calls. No more representing a business I had gradually grown to distrust. I have officially rejoined the ranks of the “self-employed.”

Despite initial feelings of bitterness toward my employers as I departed the company where I devoted myself fulltime for the past 20 months, today I’m taking a moment to count the blessing that have come about through my employment with them.

Working there:

Enabled me to develop many new friendships and a wonderful network of good people to know.
Taught me a great deal about entrepreneurship, while giving me an appreciation of the challenges of working within the system, especially as regards taxes, licensing and compliance with myriad government regulations.

Allowed me to reconsider my personal priorities, especially the priceless value of my time, my freedom, my relationships, and my integrity.

Helped me build a more secure economic base from which to launch future projects; I’m much better off right now financially and in terms of lifestyle than when I joined the company.

Gave me the characters and plot for my next novel.

I am fortunate, indeed. I’m shaking off any residual resentment towards them and focusing on the positive aspects of the relationship. It was a score of months well spent, and I am glad to be moving on. I foresee even better times ahead.

Energy Awareness

2007-07-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

The Live Earth concert extravaganza on 07/07/07 was a good reminder of our need to be more proactive in conserving energy resources and addressing the issues of climate change. I was one of the millions who text-messaged the organizers in support of their aim to combat global warming and causes of the Greenhouse Effect. Of course, it's easy to mouth the words as the songs of revolution are sung. Those of us who voiced our support for Al Gore's bold initiative would actually have to DO something if a real change is to take place. I knew that I needed to come up with some specific ways to contribute to the cause.

As a first step, I purchased a couple of $8.99 twin packs of low-energy, compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs yesterday and installed two in our home office/guest room, one in the livingroom where we read/watch TV, and one in the garage (pictured).

I’m quite happy with the color/intensity of the light and the lack of heat generated. I have only noticed one challenge so far: The higher the wattage, the larger the bulb (the 25W CFL, which is equivalent to a 100W incandescent bulb, is huge) so some of them will not fit well in existing fixtures. We’ll need to use lower-watt ones or else be content with bulbs that stick out a bit, such as in my desk lamp where I really need high luminosity.

In total, I counted up 26 incandescent bulbs inside our house and three outside. I think we can replace 16 of them over time, starting with the ones we use the most. That includes a couple of 3-ways, which are VERY pricey, so I’m guessing our investment will be about $100 over the next couple of months. It's a start.

Rose's Visit

2007-07-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

For the past two weeks, we've had a visitor. Kathy's 9-yearold granddaughter, Rose, flew down from Idaho on June 18 and has been our guest till her departure yesterday, July 3. We enjoyed coming up with activities for her, and I'm sure she is going home with lots of great memories, as well as a ton of photos and souvenirs.

Among the highlights of her visit was our Luau Party on Saturday, June 23. Rose helped with the decorations and made a 3-foot high Tiki God for us out of styrofoam and colored construction paper. The next day we went out for brunch at Denny's and then saw Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End at Sam's Town cinema.

During the week, Rose enjoyed playing with Kathy's dogs, Roscoe and Annie, and relaxing in a 10'x6' play pool we set up in back of the house. She did some scrapbooking with her grandmother's help, and drew several pictures to document her stay with us. I think she probably watched every Sponge Bob Squarepants episode on cable TV, too.

Her second weekend with us, we took her to the newly opened, 180-acre Las Vegas Springs Preserve. There is a interactive museum, The Origen, with everything from puzzles, films, walk-through exhibits, and even a simulated flash flood (which Rose witnessed twice). We went through the outdoor gardens and playgrounds, but passed on the hiking trails – at 108F, it was just too hot for a desert trek. We did, however, take a break in the library, where Rose read a book about desert plants and wildlife.

That evening, Rose spent the night with her uncle Mark, and I took Kathy out for steak at Tenuta Cafe at the Montelago Casino to celebrate her July 1 birthday. We managed to get tickets for the 8pm Three Dog Night concert at Lake Las Vegas, but a fire broke out in a nearby restaurant, Zinc, and the smoke was so heavy, the concert was cancelled. So Kathy had to settle for a CD of their greatest hits as her birthday present instead.

On Sunday, Mark brought Rose back for some barbecue, along with three other guests. We had shrimp and beef kabobs, fruit salad and potato salad, with key lime pie for dessert. Then on Monday, Rose's last night with us, we wanted to do something special, so we took her to the Venetian Resort on the Strip. First we toured Madam Tussauds wax museum, where Rose got to pose with Elvis, Johnny Depp, George Clooney, and lots of other luminaries. Then we had dinner at the Canal Shoppes food court, followed by handmade gelato at an Italian restaurant on San Marco Square. The real treat, however, was the 10pm show of the Blue Man Group. I got comp tickets through the Asian Chamber of Commerce, but the show would have been worth paying full price. Rose loved it, and Kathy and I never laughed so hard, even though we had both seen The Blue Man before when the show was at the Luxor. Afterwards, Rose got to meet one of the cast members in person, and he left a blue kiss smudge on her cheek – a nice souvenir from a wonderful night out.

Tuesday was Rose's send off at McCarran Airport. We sent her back to Boise with one more suitcase than she arrived with, and when she got home, her mom said she was a real chatterbox about her many adventures in Las Vegas, especially The Blue Man. Kathy is already starting to feel a little separation anxiety. Rose is a great kid, well behaved, smart, and creative. She's already talking about coming to visit again next summer, and you can bet we'll be glad to have her back.

A Party to Remember

2007-06-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

We started planning our Luau nearly two months ago, drawing up lists of people to invite, food to prepare and ways to decorate. On Saturday, June 23, the event finally took place, and it was everything we hoped it would be, and more.

The first guests arrived a little before 3pm, so we put them to work setting up tables and helping with the last minute decorating. We set up a play pool as our "drink oasis" full of ice, beer, wine coolers, soda, water, and the various beverages and bags of ice that our guests brought along. It was flanked by 100 pounds of play sand, colorful beach buckets, inflatables (a crab, an octopus and a parrot) and tiki torches, and shaded from the afternoon sun by a beach umbrella.

We also had a 6'x10' play pool under a large tarp and surrounded by reed beach mats, and inside it we floated a dozen water pistols. The idea was to have fun keeping cool, and if any of our guests' kids wanted to beat the heat, they could go for a refreshing soak.

The food worked out perfectly, and we started serving about 5pm. There were shrimp/pineapple pupus and cheese/crackers as starters, including some wasabi rice crackers that made a powerful statement. We served Oven-Roasted Kalua Pork in Banana Leaves and Barbecued Teriyaki Chicken as our main dishes, with deep-fried spring rolls and chicken long rice with mushrooms as the sides. There were two salads: a green salad featuring romaine lettuce, sesame croutons, snap peas and Mandarin orange slices with two types of Asian-style dressing, plus a cabbage salad that everyone raved about, with cabbage, green onions, celery, green peas, toasted almonds/sesame, and chunks of uncooked instant ramen in a special apple cider vinegar dressing. For sweets we had pineapple/orange Jello, fresh fruit (melon, grapes, bananas) and Hawaiian-style sweet potato pie.

For ambience, we provided several traditional Hawaiian music CDs, as well as a collection of Beach Boys tunes. Kathy's granddaughter, Rose, created a 3'-high Tiki God statue out of colored paper and styrofoam. I hung 50 colorful plastic leis and several life-preserver facades. By the time the first two dozen guests had arrived (almost everyone dressed in Aloha shirts or beach wear), the party was really rocking. By 10pm, silliness set in. A couple of guests got thrown in the pool and one torch got knocked over, but mercifully there were no injuries. Many lingered on till midnight, and one guest stayed the night, so I consider that the mark of a successful party... when no one wants it to end.

A Project Completed

2007-06-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

For the past month or so, I've been working on landscaping the front of the house. I removed / replaced masonary edgers, removed / replaced a brick walkway (above left), cleared and leveled two areas for decorative rock, and installed a drip system for the Desert Spoon and Spanish Dagger I planted last summer (below right). I had to do a lot of reading on watering/stonework using books from the library. It's been fun learning about desert landscaping, even if I have been a bit frustrated by pipe joints that leak and tree roots that make leveling the ground nearly impossible.

This weekend, the project came to a close. On Friday, the quarry delivered a ton and half of Desert Rose 3/8" gravel, enough to cover 210 sq. ft. up to 2" in depth. I was outside almost the entire weekend, finishing the xeriscaping. I weed-proofed about 200 sq. ft. of yard, shoveled and spread the gravel, mowed and edged the lawn, mulched fallen leaves and oleander blossoms in back of the house, and watered all of our plants, including our vegetable garden, which has suffered greatly from the triple-digit heat of the past week.

One of my friends, Stuart, came by Sunday to help finish up. We drank lots of water and took breaks to watch the US Open on TV in the shade of the garage. Despite our children being far away (mine in Tokyo, his in Florida), it felt like a great way to spend Father's Day. I have to admit, I sure had a healthy appetite by evening each day. And it's good to go to sleep physically tired, not mentally exhausted. Sometimes a working weekend is the best kind.

FIRE!!!

2007-06-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

At 8pm on Tuesday evening 6/12, two fire trucks arrived to put out a dumpster fire just down the block and across the street from us. They used a hook and ladder to spray water on the fire from up above. The hose was hooked up to the hydrant right in front of our house. It took nearly an hour for the smoke to stop pouring out. It seemed like everyone in the neighborhood was out on the street watching the firefighters, but our dogs/cats went straight into hiding when they smelled the smoke. Quite an event.

The next morning I drove past the aftermath. What a mess. It looked like an old mattress had caught fire, maybe from a discarded cigarette. There were charred remains all over the driveway and street in front of the house where the dumpster's owner lives. It was dramatic, in a way, but scary, too. I breathed a sigh of relief that it did not spread beyond the dumpster. Fire in a residential neighborhood is probably the greatest danger we'll ever face.

Getting Political

2007-06-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Kathy and I went to a rally for Barack Obama at Silverado High School (photo above, left). That makes the second Presidential candidate I've seen in person, having attended John Edward's town meeting at UNLV in April (photo below, right). For some reason, I did not get invited to Hillary Clinton's rally here last Wednesday, but I hope to hear her speak the next time she comes through Las Vegas, which I'm sure will be soon. And I've been invited to a dinner with Dennis Kucinich next Saturday. It's nice to be able to meet these candidates one by one. I'm starting to get a real sense of who they are and what they might do if elected.

The reason I'm on the A List for so many of these political events is my recent acceptance of the role of Organizer for the Las Vegas Democratic Meetup Group, an online forum of about 400 people who are actively involved in discussing issues and supporting the election of Democratic candidates. As the January 2008 Nevada Caucus approaches, this group will become more and more important in gathering contributions and votes. I'll probably hold off throwing my support behind any single candidate until just before the Caucus.

Busy Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

We went out for dinner Friday evening, ready for some fine dining, but we walked out of the Coachman's Inn when they refused to honor our Entertainment Guide discount card, supposedly good "anytime." Instead, we stopped by the Sahara Saloon and ordered our meal without discounts. As pub food goes, it was filling and the beer was cold. Kathy had a steak; I had the liver & onions. The cost, with tips, was $37. It's unlikely we'll go there again for dinner - the menu is rather limited - but we may stop by for brunch sometime to try their breakfast items.

On Saturday, we spent most of the day working in the yard. We dug up a long 12"-wide weathered brick pathway on the north side of the house and reset it as a 24"-wide L-shaped path leading to the gate on the southside. That was a LOT of work! But the finished walkway looks really good, and it's practical too. We are getting closer and closer to our goal of landscaping the front yard in time for our big Luau Party on June 23rd.

On Sunday, we went to the Palms Hotel Casino to try out their newly renovated Bistro Buffet. The omelets are still great, the champagne still flows freely, and there were lots of new dishes to choose from. Afterwards, we popped into Brendan Theatre to see Spiderman 3 in IMAX. Well worth waiting for! Then, we got home in time to meet our landlord, whom we'd asked to make some much needed repairs, such as plugging a leaky pipe under the kitchen sink, blowing out leaves trapped in the patio cover, and removing an old water purification system. We'd still like to have the swamp cooler in the garage fixed or replaced, but that may have to wait a bit longer.

On Monday we cleaned the backyard, tended the garden, and worked on our party list and invitations. Late in the day, I barbecued chicken kabobs complemented by some grilled asparagas with cheese. We turned on the misters and ate dinner on the patio - a nice slow ending to a long three-day weekend, not entirely restful, but certainly fulfilling.

Xeriscaping

2007-05-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

Ever since we moved into this house last June, landscaping has been an ongoing series of projects. I've got the front lawn looking really good (top photo) and Kathy's got a great start on the flower bed leading up to the front door. The next big project on our list (there are still half a dozen remaining) is to finish xeriscaping the little plot north of the driveway where I planted Desert Spoon and Spanish Dagger last fall (photo below). The plants survived the winter quite well. Now I need to complete the job, preparing the unworked areas around our palm tree and in front where the mailbox is.

This past weekend, I placed edgers around the area and began lining the ground with weedproof black fabric. I also removed our wobbly mailbox, reset it in the ground with Quickcrete, painted and capped the post, and planted petunias and rosemary to decorate it a little. Hey, this xeriscaping is a LOT of work! But it's going to look great when we finally get the decorative rock in and (perhaps) a small fountain near the garage. I'm thinking it will all be done by June 17th, just in time for our first party of the season: a Hawaiian-themed luau.

Cinco de Mayo

2007-05-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

It was a busy day here in Las Vegas. Kathy and I were up at 6am to be downtown for the 12th Annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Both of our companies sponsored teams, and this is the third year we have walked together. It was the biggest turnout ever, with more than 20,000 participants. Our jovial mayor, Oscar Goodman (pictured above next to fellow fun-lover Ronald McDonald), was there to see us off at the starting line. Parking was difficult to find, and although we only walked a mile officially, I'm sure we covered at least four more getting to/from the car.

After the race we went out to the spring San Genaro Feast. It's a semiannual Italian food festival, and we enjoyed strolling by the many exhibits and food stalls. There were carnival rides, a stage with amateur performers, and several home spas on exhibit (still out of our price range). Lots of participants from the morning's race were there, wearing their team T-shirts as we did, and by 1pm it was starting to get crowded.

For lunch, we had Miller Lite on tap and sampled a number of tasty dishes, including a wonderful eggplant parmesan from Marc's Italian Steakhouse. We also enjoyed lamb kabobs with pita bread, and Kathy had a soft ice cream cone for afters. The only disappointment was the lobster ravioli we paid $11 dollars for at Jr's Italian Seafood booth. Not only was it rather tasteless, the scampi sauce was lacking in garlic and there were only five small pieces, which makes it the most expensive ravioli I've ever eaten.

As a souvenir, I bought a customized license plate frame: American by Birth - Democrat by Choice. The husband and wife team, Paul and Lee, who made it for me are both cancer survivors. Kathy saw a couple of nice blankets she liked at another booth, but they were beyond this weekend's budget.

We got back home about 4pm, tired from all the walking, so although we had talked about going out for Mexican food for dinner, we decided to stay in and have leftovers instead--the last of the corned beef and cabbage--while watching TV. We missed the live running of the Kentucky Derby and caught the highlights on the news along with the results of the Mayweather-De La Hoya fight held at the MGM Grand in the evening. All in all, it was an eventful day and a nice change from our stay-at-home-with-yardwork weekends of the past few weeks.

Fire Up the Barbie!

2007-04-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

I fully intended to buy a new BBQ grill last weekend, but several "signs" convinced me to wait. First, the barrel grill I thought I was going to buy was out of stock at the shop that advertised it on sale. Then, our Sunday dinner guests cancelled because one was sick (it was to be our first use of the new grill). Lastly, I found another grill I really liked, the Kingsford 3000, at Bass Pro Shop, but unlike many of the other models there, it was not on sale. I decided to wait, hoping the price would be discounted in the next week or so. One way or another, I swore I'd have a new grill by Cinco de Mayo.

Well, as I predicted, Bass Pro Shop put the grill I wanted on sale last Monday. I picked it up on Thursday and saved $30. Yesterday I assembled everything (had to purchase 15 metric bolts at Home Depot, because parts were missing from the package). Today, I'll load it with charcoal, fire it up, season the cast iron grills with Crisco, and use it this evening to barbecue lamb and vegetables. This will make such a difference throughout the rest of spring and into summer/fall. We really enjoy food cooked over charcoal, and as you can see in the photo, this grill is a big step up. Our old grill is the one on the right.

Garden of Weedin'

2007-04-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Kathy and I are getting ready to plant a garden along the south wall of the house, which is a bit shady and should be well protected from the direct summer sun. This will be the first garden we’ve attempted. I want to try some Asian varietals, like Bok Choy and Japanese onions, but we’ll also plant traditional garden vegetables and maybe a few herbs. I’ve got some poultry fencing to keep the damn pigeons out, too. Should be a fun project that will get me outside on weekends and hopefully bear fruit… er, veggies… in the late summer/early fall.

43T Invasion

2007-04-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

On April 14, a dozen or so visitors descended on Las Vegas from all over the USA and Canada to participate in a 43T Meetup at Treasure Island. It was a nice evening out for me and Kathy, although one of the guests, Snickerdoodle MacBear (pictured), partied a bit too hard. Otherwise, we enjoyed making some new friends and hope to catch up with many of them again at the next meetup, tentatively scheduled for Albuquerque.

Quality Time

2007-04-03T00:45:00.000-07:00

I spent a full week visiting my daughters in Tokyo at the end of March. We went to the park one day to see the cherry blossoms and to tour a green house full of exotic plants and trees. Another day we ordered a pizza together. And we also colored some Easter eggs…a very unJapanese custom.

My elder daughter had to work several of the days I was there, so I spent more time with the younger one… bowling, visiting a temple, and trying out the rides at a small amusement park. On the final day of my trip I took the older one out to eat at the Hilton Hotel, where we enjoyed a Strawberry Dessert Buffet, complete with a chocolate fountain for dipping whole berries and all manner of strawberry delights, from cheesecake to mousse and ice cream.

Although I cannot see them often, we certainly do make the time together count. I can’t remember laughing so much or feeling so close in a long, long time. I’ll miss them a lot till the next time we can get together, probably in another year or so.

We did Erin proud.

2007-03-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

The St. Paddy’s Day parade in Henderson was a memorable occasion, with marching bands, minicars, ponies, dance troupes, military and police troops, clowns, church groups… 120 entries in all. It lasted nearly three hours. Carrot Top was the Master of Ceremories. Our little group with a decorated pick-up truck and two Harleys wasn’t the largest contingent, but we were certainly popular with the kids as we tossed balloons, beads and T-shirts to spectators along the parade route.

Afterwards, Kathy and I tipped a few Miller Lites at Two Gals lounge, then we grabbed a green beer at Ellis Island before heading off to dinner at Hennessey’s Pub downtown. We sat out on the second-floor balcony to watch the passersby below as we quaffed five pints of Bass Ale each. It is so good on tap. And while I had fish & chips, she savored what the pub calls a “steak popsicle”—beef kabobs marinated in chimmichuri sauce and grilled over an open flame. Ah, were we in heaven? Yes! And surrounded by some of the nicest party-goers, too, as the sound system blasted out gaelic tunes. Never mind the stratospheric bar bill. It was a day and night well worth the extra quid.

Lots going on

2007-03-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

Apart from the usual 8-to-5 and spending most my free time campaigning in Boulder City, I've managed to squeeze in a few other activities during the past week, such as:

See a Wranglers hockey match (we lost to Texas 4-0)

Try several new restaurants in Boulder City

Weed, edge, fertilize, and water the lawn

Sleep an average of five hours a night

Admittedly, I'm tired, and I'm starting to really look forward to my Japan trip coming up at the end of this month. Just eleven more days till I fly.

Team Collins

2007-03-06T23:07:00.000-08:00

If I have not been blogging recently, it is because my free time has been consumed by the Collins for Council campaign. Last weekend we were knocking on doors in Boulder City neighborhoods, canvassing for votes and putting up signs. I forgot to wear a hat and got a bit sunburnt. Won't make that mistake twice.

Primary Election Ahead

2007-02-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

My good friend of 18 years, Dean Collins, has thrown his hat in the ring for the Boulder City Council. There are two vacancies coming up and ten individuals have announced their candidacy, including one incumbent. For Dean to win, he'll need to be among the top four highest vote getters in the April 3rd primary, then be among the top two in the general election in June. It's going to be a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. You get to meet some of the nicest people campaigning. Elect Dean Collins!

Super Sunday

2007-02-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

I had an invitation from Ellis Island to attend their Super Bowl party for free, so Kathy and I spent Sunday afternoon there, drinking microbrew, devouring hotdogs, chicken wings, and roast beef. I lost $5 betting on the spread, but won $60 on the slots. Kathy got us some XLI branded T-shirts as souvenirs, and she won a Miami Dolphins cap in the halftime door-prize drawing.
Being a Hoosier, I didn't mind seeing the Colts grab the Lombardi Trophy. Dungy and Manning deserve their new rings. But back when I lived in Indiana, the Colts were in Baltimore and Chicago was the closest NFL team. I've always had a soft spot for da Bears. Now, except for the Pro Bowl, the football season is over so my Sundays will be available for activities other than tubing.

Magic & Comedy

2007-01-27T12:26:00.000-08:00

Last night I took Kathy to see the Amazing Jonathan show at the Sahara. He's billed as The Madman of Comedy and Magic, and the tag applies. He's pretty far out there. The show was much more comedy than magic, almost a stand-up comedy act. His assistant Psychic Tanya was a hoot. I wish we had seen more of her on stage ... kind of a blonde Betty Boop. AJ does a lot of sick humor and practical jokes, and the routine is VERY adult, but he does keep the audience laughing, and guessing. The poor guy they chose as a "volunteer" from the audience to assist in the act was up on stage for what seemed like a full hour. I'm not sure I'd recommend this to first-time visitors to Las Vegas. There are much better magic shows in town, and good comedy acts abound, too. It was, however, a nice break at the end of a very long, hard work week. I enjoyed the diversion.

Long Trip Ahead

2007-01-20T15:38:00.000-08:00

It's time to visit family. I've booked flights on Northwest Airlines that will take me to Japan and Hawaii, from March 22 through April 2. I submitted my request for time off from work on Friday and it was approved, so the stage is set for a 12-day trip covering more than 12,000 miles. I'll be flying out on Thursday morning from Las Vegas, changing planes in Seattle and arriving in Tokyo on Friday evening. Then I'll have a full week to enjoy with my daughters, whom I have not seen in over 14 months, before flying off for a visit with my Mom, whom I haven't seen in more than three years. My flight will leave Narita on Friday evening and arrive 12 hours earlier that same day in Honolulu. I'll have the full weekend there before my next flight leaves late Sunday night to connect me in San Francisco with a return flight to Las Vegas. I should be back early Monday morning and have a full day to rest up from my travels before going back to work on April 3rd. At last my new passport is going to see some use.

Massage Therapy

2007-01-11T07:42:00.000-08:00

Last evening I took Kathy to the Las Vegas High-Tech Institute, where we each had a one-hour Swedish massage. She had never had a therapeutic massage before, and it has been years since I last did. The two novice therapists who worked on us were nearing the end of their 18-month training and both were very professional. I had a lot of work done on my back and shoulders. Kathy said she enjoyed the foot massage portion most. It was so relaxing, we nearly fell asleep. Because it is a school and not a business, the charge is just $25 per hour. This is something I’d like to do more often. We were both visibly more relaxed afterwards. It’s a great stress reliever.

Happy '007

2007-01-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

Wishing all of our friends
a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year.

Taj & Kathy

Bada Bang!

2006-12-31T09:57:00.000-08:00

Last night Kathy and I went to Krave's Harmon Theater for the Soprano's Last Supper. The only thing I knew about it was that the food was supposed to be good and the show a lot of fun. No specifics.

Well, it turned out to be a party worthy of a New Jersey crime family. Here's the official line:

Join the Baritone family in a wild satire of the smash-hit series about the culture of an Italian-American mafia family. The show, which includes full dinner and dancing, has the audience sitting in on the mafia commission, getting inaugurated into the Family, and gambling with laundered money.

Tony Baritone, a.k.a T, leads wiseguys, The Feds, and the goyles into a whirling and hilarious plot. His wife, Carmela, knows he is unfaithful and his children are growing apart from him - but The Don struggles to regain closeness with his family and avoid getting pinched.

Everybody was there from the (unaffiliated) HBO hit TV series, even Dr. Melfi (the Psychiatrist), who got more and more tipsy as the evening wears on, till she did a little striptease on the stage. We were VERY fortunate (did my $5 tip to the general manager help?) to be seated at a table smack in the middle of the mayhem, where we were joined by three of the cast for dinner: Paulie, Christopher and Adriana.

This is no supper for the fainthearted or wallflowers. Foul language abounds, as do ethnic jokes. Audience participation is mandatory. If you don't get up to dance or join the conga line, you're likely to feel the muzzle of a gun at your ribs. Not everyone will applaud the theatrical aspects of the show (see a Review here), but if you just put on your party mood and let go, it's impossible not to have a good time. The show doesn't occur on a stage. It happens everywhere in the theater for two full hours.

The meal itself started with a delicious caesar salad, antipasto and bread, already on the table. There was balsamic vinegar and olive oil for dipping. When it came time to head for the buffet, our table had to first be "released" by one of the Baritone Family members. While we waited in line, we chatted with wiseguys from the cast. There was chicken in a cream sauce with chives, a cheese-heavy lasagna, rigatoni tossed with sausage, spaghetti with a choice of three sauces, zucchini and tomato, thin-sliced roast beef, ice cream, pastry, brownies, cookies ... and all of it was gourmet quality in addition to being plentiful. My only complaint would be the price of the drinks: $6 for a domestic beer and $9 for a glass of wine. We also paid $20 for a souvenir photo. But hey, ya gotta do da right ting!

In total, I figure we spent about $110, but it would have cost $280 if we had not had a special VIP guest certificate from KSHP.com. This was a wonderful treat and a great way to end the year. It's also got us excited about trying the other dinner theaters in town: Tony N' Tina's Wedding at the Rio and Marriage Can Be Murder at The Egg & I Restaurant.

Party Time, Vegas Style

2006-12-21T12:08:00.000-08:00

December has turned out to be a month of endless celebrations. It started with Kathy's company's Christmas Party on 12/02 at the Four Seasons Hotel, included a Bonenkai (year-end party) with the Japan-America Society at the Rising Sun Restaurant and a Holiday Mixer jointly sponsored by three chambers of commerce at the Venetian, continued through two different weekend get-togethers at the homes of business colleagues, and culminated in my own company's Holiday Party at the Riviera Hotel on 12/16. But the December celebrations are not over yet. In addition to a couple of nights out for informal drinks with friends, on 12/20 I played Santa at the Walnut Recreation Center for the Asian Chamber of Commerce.

This weekend we are having Kathy's son and couple of friends over for Christmas Eve dinner. We have reservations to see a show on 12/30--the Soprano's Last Supper at Krave's Harmon Theater. And I've already booked our New Year's Eve dinner at Ellis Island Casino, where we intend to greet 2007 with champagne and lots of noise. I hope your December has been full of good cheer, too. May the year ahead bring you love, peace and abundance. Happy holidays!

Home Gym

2006-12-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

I’ve had memberships at Nautilus, Tipness and Gold’s Gym. I’ve worked out during lunch breaks, after work and in the early morning. I’ve jogged. I’ve swum. I’ve worked out on treadmills and stationary bikes. I’ve pumped iron. At one point I had a personal trainer set up my routines and she even worked out with me a day or two a week. I’ve used computerized progress tracking and followed workout plans set by fitness experts. I’ve been in shape, out of shape, back in shape, and grossly out of shape.

The only thing that works to stay in shape is a regular exercise routine. I broke from mine three years ago after a knee injury playing tennis. I let myself go and gained 50 pounds.

Gyms provide equipment and space for working out. The expense of membership repesents a commitment. So I’ve applied the same thinking to creating a personal gym in our garage. The cost of the equipment is about what I’d pay for an annual membership, so I’m committed. And I’ve created the space, so there is now nothing left to do but devote the time.

I started on Thursday with 10 minutes of aerobic exercise and repeated it on Friday. This weekend I’ll increase it to fifteen a day, and on Monday I’ll sart using the weight bench, too. I’m going to get into the fitness routine again, a day at a time, and slowly so that I avoid injury. My chiropractor is helping me create some routines. Now I can turn my attention to a healthier lifestyle.

Holiday Season Begins

2006-12-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

It has been a very, very busy weekend. Friday 12/1 being payday, and Kathy receiving her annual bonus too, we went after work to Ellis Island to cash our checks, have a beer and play a bit. I won $25, which was a great way to start December.

Next we drove over to Desert Passage at the Aladdin Hotel/Casino to have dinner at Commander's Palace. We sipped wine, dined on delicious Creole cuisine, and reconfirmed our belief that great restaurants really are worth the extra cost of a meal.

Saturday began with a whirlwind shopping tour, starting at Burlington Coat Factory in Henderson, where I picked up a sports coat, a shirt and two ties I'd put on layaway. Kathy picked up some Christmas decorating items next door at the Dollar Store and pumped into a former coworker whom she hadn't seen in three years.

Then we were off to K-Mart on Sunset to pick up the barbells, dumbbells and floor mats I'd put on layaway there. Many of the store's clothes were on sale for 50% off, so we also shopped for new jeans for ourselves and some gift items. Afterwards, we had lunch a Yorky's Pub nearby, where Kathy claimed she had the best patty melt in her life and I had the steak special.

Next we stopped by the bank before heading to the Boulevard Mall's Christmas tree lot, where we picked out a six-foot Douglas fir to decorate our living room. We made one more stop for Kathy to pay some bills before I dropped her off at a nail salon near our house. While she got a manicure and pedicure, I drove home and unloaded the car, then took it to Terrible's to get it washed. I also bought an outdoor extention cord and a wall clock for our garage at Big!Lots on Nellis, and two cases of water and beer at Albertson's on Charleston.

I picked Kathy up about 4:30pm; we showered and changed, then drove off to the Four Seasons Hotel for her company's annual Christmas party. The food was much better this year (sit-down, not buffet) and the ballroom was completely swathed in red fabric in celebration of Desert Radiologists' Ruby Anniversary (40 years). We chatted with Kathy's coworkers, drank more than a little wine at the open bar, and danced to songs spun by the DJ and a couple of great karaoke numbers by a colleague, Bob Carter.

The party continued till midnight, and like last year, we were among the last to leave. The shuttle service to the parking lot stopped at midnight, so the doorman got us a stretch limo to drive us to our car: that's the kind of service you might expect from a true four-star hotel.

Today, 12/3, we slept in a bit (me till seven, her till eight). We have to pick up a TV that one of Kathy's coworkers is giving away, finish the Christmas decorating, install the gym equipment in the garage, and I am hoping to check out the Tai Chi class nearby (though I do feel a bit sluggish after last night's carousing). It looks to be a very busy month at work and at home.

Drywall Repair

2006-11-20T07:20:00.000-08:00

I borrowed four tapes/DVDs on drywall repair and wall treatments and taught myself how to fix a nasty hole in the wall of our garage. I also stripped off all the old, ugly wallpaper, then patched cracks and nail holes across the entire surface. Now I'm applying a coat of primer to the wall in preparation for a fresh coat of white latex paint. This is a three-weekend project, and it is turning out to be much easier and more fun that I thought it would be. It just requires the proper tools and a good "instructor." I love the public library!

Fish Day

2006-11-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my company held an all-afternoon event called Fish Day. It's based on the Fish Philosophy, aimed at building team spirit by putting employees through some fun, if somewhat silly, competitive activities. The idea is to loosen up and play more.

We wore colored Mardi Gras beads and "fishy" caps and T-shirts. In one activity, we had a relay passing along dozens of strands of uncooked spaghetti that had to be placed in a teammate's hair. There was a lot of laughter and good-natured joking around. It did not seem like an office anymore at all...more like a playground.

Typically, I do not look forward to these events. I did not join the company to "have fun." I'm in sales, and any time away from the selling process means less opportunity to earn money. But I also know it's useful to let my hair down and bond with the rest of the staff. The company functions better when we are truly working as a team, as friends not just coworkers. So I participated, and I think this time I did a little better job of going with the flow of zany antics. There is, after all, a child in each of us, aching to come out and play.

In the evening, the company had also arranged for us to see an ice hockey match. We had a special section (The Ice Box) near one of the goals where food and drinks were served. I took Kathy along and we had seats right next to the glass. Our local semi-pro team, the Las Vegas Wranglers, took on Phoenix and we lost 4-2. But we did have a good time, clapping, shouting and cheering on the team. The Duke, the team mascot (pictured), paid us a visit, clowning with the sons and daughters that some of our staff had brought to the match. It was relaxing day in its odd way. Now, I intend to follow it up with a relaxing weekend.

Democracy at Work

2006-11-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

Back in June, after two years on a waiting list, I was trained as a volunteer Clark County Election Official. My assigned function was Computer Clerk. I worked at the polls during the primary election in August, took another training session in October, then worked from 6am till 8pm at the polls for the General Election on November 7th. It was a wonderful learning experience.

I learned about the tremendous dedication of our community volunteers, who worked all day so that others could exercise the freedom to vote. I heard both loud complaints and high praise from those who came to our polling station. I saw 10-yearolds students express their first interest in our political process. I saw 18-yearolds and newly naturalized citizens cast their first-ever ballots. I saw people in wheelchairs, using walkers, on oxygen pulled along in tanks, all making the effort to participate directly in choosing those who will govern in the years ahead. I feel much more closely connected to our democratic form of government as a result.

See more progress on: Never stop learning

Lose a Pound with Your Hound

2006-10-29T13:46:00.000-08:00

We got up early on Saturday morning to take Kathy’s two dogs, Annie and Roscoe, to an event at UNLV sponsored by Heaven Can Wait animal sanctuary. There were tent stalls with lots of goodies, from T-shirts and bumper stickers to a dog wash and a fortune-teller doing Paw Readings.

At 10am, to the tune of Who Let the Dogs Out, we took off on a two-mile walk along with dozens of other canine caregivers. Every breed on the planet must have been represented. It was a beautiful day and quite a turn-out. After the walk, there were exhibitions, such as frisbee-catching champion and a tennis ball relay. It was good to get out.

I spent most of Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning outside, too, doing yardwork. I raked, fertilized, overseeded and watered the lawn. I planted seven desert shrubs. Kathy and I raked up oleander leaves and filled a couple of pumpkin-head plastic bags to decorate for Halloween. We swept and washed down the back patio, then I installed some brick edging around the ivy planter on the north side of the house. I’m tired now, but it’s been great weekend out in the fresh air.

See more progress on: spend more time outdoors

I've upped my game

2006-10-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

During the past month I gave a $20 campaign contribution to a political candidate I support; raised over $500 in donations for the American Heart Association; gave $5 to a friend who was collecting for the March of Dimes; contributed $114 to my alma mater’s alumni directory publishing program; donated seven boxes of clothes and household items to Goodwill; and spent four hours helping our local National Public Radio station with its fundraising efforts. In fact, I took calls worth over $3,000 in pledges for the station this morning.

As a rare treat, our KNPR volunteer group was paid a visit by a visiting VIP… none other than former U.S. President Jimmy Carter! Talk about charitable people… Carter is an absolute role model, a true humanitarian and a great philanthropist. He even took time to have a photo taken with me. Wow! I was truly honored.

So now I’ve made donations to nonprofits (money, time, goods & services) a fixed part of my monthly budget/routine. I feel I’ve made charitable giving a part of my mindset, which is perhaps the most important part. Oddly enough, I’m also finding that the more I give, the more I gain (like the Carter visit). Even the financial outlays have been within my means. I therefore declare this goal complete and, of course, the charitable work will continue.

See more progress on: be more charitable

A Weatherful Weekend

2006-10-15T23:20:00.000-07:00

Kathy and I got up early on Saturday to participate in the annual Heartwalk sponsored by the American Heart Association. We arrived at the UNLV registration area about 7:45am, just ahead of a huge thunderstorm and had scarcely enough time to walk around the exhibit area before the downpour began. Fears of lightening strikes forced cancellation of the walk, so we went out for breakfast before heading home.

Since we had some extra time, we decided to explore our neighborhood a bit by car as the rain let up. Just two miles to the east, we discovered a relatively new community center with exercise facilities: Hollywood Recreation Center. They have a park, a gym, classrooms, and a nicely equipped training room, with treadmills, weight stations, etc. The cost of a membership is just $80/yr for adults. And we can save another $10 because we are Seniors (defined by the Parks & Recreation Services as residents over 50).

The rest of the morning and early afternoon we spent cleaning out the garage and roasting a turkey. I also did a little more yardwork once the rain abated, and completed my second big project, edging the front lawn. So we had plenty of outdoor activity on Saturday, despite the rain.

Then, on Sunday we drove out to Sunset Park for the annual Age Of Chivalry Renaissance Festival. It was quite crowded, but a lot of fun. Plenty of exhibits, tent shops, entertainment, music, food. Lots of animals, too—ducks, geese, horses, greyhounds, trained parrots. We even saw a wild gopher digging holes. All day Sunday the weather was perfect, sunny with highs in the 70s. My only regret was that I forgot to ask about the Senior Discount. I could have saved $5 on the admission. Having just recently turned 55, I’m still not used to being eligible for special consideration.

Anyway, it’s good to be spending more time outdoors on weekends. This is a habit we will most definitely keeping.

See more progress on: spend more time outdoors

My birthday present

2006-10-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

Today Kathy and I went to Chinatown to get the wok she promised me for my birthday (pictured). I think she originally had Williams-Sonoma in mind, but I told her I wanted the real deal: a carbon steel, restaurant-sized wok made in China. The store we got it at had just one on the shelf, as if it had been waiting for me. We also got an aluminum lid, a pair of 18” cooking chopsticks, a wire ladle for deep-frying, and some peanut oil to season the surface with. I owned woks in Malaysia and Japan, so I know quite a bit about taking care of them. But I was appreciative that the Chinese salesman gave me two pages of instructions on how to prepare and care for the wok. It measures 16” in diameter and is 6” deep, cost only $13.79 (made in Taiwan). It will take about a week to get it properly seasoned before using it to cook with. I’m already looking forward to my first stir fry.

See more progress on: season my new wok

A new yard project

2006-09-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

We’re going to put 40 feet of edging along the front lawn, separating it from the yard next door (which is mostly weeds, except where our grass has grown over). Last Sunday we bought the 20×24” red brick scallop that we need and a 3” trenching shovel to set them in line. Then I got the idea to paint them, so I went to Lowe’s paint department and got some suggestions. Today I’ll buy primer and masonry paint, although I’m still torn between two colors: Artic Breeze (kind of greyish white) and Moondance (a very light bluish grey).

The plan is to dig the trench Saturday morning, paint the pavers in the afternoon, and lay them on Sunday morning. The sod I remove will be used in a bare area I didn’t seed during the summer. This is Phase One. If we like the result, the next project will be to paint/replace the stonework around the mulberry tree in the front yard. Ambitious, aren’t we?

See more progress on: spend more time outdoors

San Gennaro Feast

2006-09-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

We spent far too many weekends inside the house this summer as I worked on my book editing project. Last Sunday, Kathy and I decided to get out, so we went to the annual Italian food festival, San Gennaro Feast. This year, it was held in the parking lot of the Grand Canyon shopping center. There were arcade games and carival rides, live music, vendor booths, and lots and lots of food stalls. Kathy got her spine checked out at a chiropractor’s stand. We bought some balsamic vinegar and olive oil dipping sauce from a particularly animated vendor out of Napa Valley. The beers were four bucks apiece, but we had a few as we strolled the grounds and muched on garlic fries before settling in for a real meal: lasagna and cheese-filled ravioli for her; tortellini in mushroom sauce and eggplant parmesan for me. A special treat was a stop by an artist’s booth to have our caricatures drawn. I think he caught us, don’t you?

Today we got out to the Fall Home Decorating and Remodeling Show at Cashman Field. That included quite a bit of walking. Lots of landscapers on hand, and (no surprise) the same Napa Valley dipping sauce vendor. Ha! I also saw one of my BNI buddies, Ray from ServPro, and a guy I met at a dinner mixer a couple of weeks back. He works for Culligan. It’s certainly a small world. Tomorrow we’ll get outside again, to the Annual Greek Food Festival. The weather has been just beautiful for the past week. I’m glad I no longer have to spend it primarily working at the computer indoors.

See more progress on: spend more time outdoors

Fundraising

2006-09-16T18:07:00.000-07:00

I’ve set up two Heartwalk Teams. So far, I’ve only got three others walking with me, but we’ve already raised over $200 in donations at the office, and I’ve got pledges for about $30 from members of my BNI chapter. Now I need to send out emails and really start soliciting support. Anyone who wants to make a donation can do so online by clicking here.

See more progress on: be more charitable

How I met Francis "Fran" Asbury Tarkenton

2006-09-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

He was in Las Vegas 9/11/06 for a conference and I attended a lunch at which he was the featured speaker. He’s very motivational. It was like listening to a halftime pep talk from a business coach who has been everywhere and done it all. At age 66, he’s still a dynamo. I’m honored that he took a moment to pose with me for a photo.

Learn more about Francis "Fran" Asbury Tarkenton

Done!

2006-09-10T22:28:00.000-07:00

I just burned the CD-ROM for the printer, containing the 246-page final text and the cover, which turned out very well. I don’t think I’ll get in trouble for posting an image of it here. It’s done!

See more progress on: finish editing this book

Labor Day

2006-09-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

It most certainly was a weekend of labor, culminating today in the completion of the editing of the basic draft of the book I’ve been working on since May. It weighs in at a hefty 85,870 words, with 48 historical footnotes, 31 pages of photos, and a 30-page Appendix.

All that remains now (I say “all” tongue in cheek) is the insertion of photo captions, scanning of 15 charts, receipt of a client-written introduction, page layouts, cover design selection, client approval, submission to the printer, proofreading of galleys, final production, binding and delivery…and we still have five weeks to wrap it up.

Oh, did I mention there isn’t a title yet? But at least I’ve done the hardest part, turning more than a hundred thousand words worth of transcripts collected over a 15-year period into a tightly edited, very readable narrative.

So the ball is out of my court for the moment. I’ve popped the tab on a Miller Lite, and I’m going to take a well deserved break. Tomorrow, it’s back to my day job. Then next weekend, maybe I can wash the car, watch Notre Dame football, fire up the BBQ, and spend some quality time with my significant other like most non-editing folks do.

See more progress on: finish editing this book

Envy

2006-09-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

Back in July, I gave Kathy a birthday present that included a $100 gift certificate to Envy – The Steakhouse. Tonight we put it to work, and what a memorable meal it was.

To get us in a proper dining mood, we ordered wine. The restaurant was temporarily out of the Tavel Rose that Kathy wanted, so they suggested a Riesling, which was excellent—sweet with a delicate floral bouquet. I asked for a Merlot, and was offered an Argentine Tikal Malbec for comparison. When I tasted the two, it was clear that the recommendation was the better. “Fill the glass!” I said. And she did, just like I might pour it for myself. (BTW—The wine list included some real rarities, such as a 1912 vintage priced at $2,050 a bottle!)

We loved the bread they served—a whole grain loaf with chopped pecans embedded, which came sliced in a small basket with a sprig of sage. The butter served on a side dish was also garnished with sage. It was tempting to make a meal of the delicious stuff, but we showed restraint.

For a starter, I ordered the Tuna and Crabmeat Dynamite. It was a cake of fresh crab flakes marinated in olive oil and spices, topped with bits of tuna sashimi, caviar and herbs. Kathy adored the crab, although she passed on the fish items. Not her taste. More for me then, and you can bet we sent nothing back.

As a main course, she had the Petit Filet Mignon with a baked potato on the side. I ordered the Tuscan Veal Chop smothered in olives, lemon, garlic, roasted tomatoes and capers, accompanied by Crimini Mushrooms sauted in port wine. The sauces alone were to die for, and the meat was done to perfection. We tasted each other’s dishes, of course, and I’d be hard pressed to say what was better—it was all divine.

And even though we didn’t try it, we were served a small dish with three varieties of salt: sea salt, Australian river salt, and a Chardonnay salt that had been stored in oak casks. My word, what wonderful extras.

We lingered over every bite and left nothing but a stripped bone and some potato skin for the server to carry back. Of course, we had to ask about dessert, and the selection was heavenly. Kathy got the Molten Chocolate Cake with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. I toyed with the thought of the Banana Bread Pudding topped with Caramel and Kalua, but my commitment to cutting calories got the better of me. I settled for a taste of her dessert, and believe me, it was Death by Chocolate.

How good is Envy? Well, the veal I had will be featured in the Novemeber issue of Bon Apetit magazine, and the restaurant has been touted as one of Las Vegas’s top five steakhouses since it’s opening about two years ago. Five stars do not do it justice. Excluding the tip, but including tax, our meal came to $128.22, and it was soooo worth it. Now we have vowed to add a five-star restaurant to our dining-out plan every three months. We eat well as a rule, but you just can’t beat top quality.

See more progress on: try a new restaurant each month

Grow Grass, Grow!

2006-08-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

The kind of barren spot in the middle of the lawn (photo above) really looked much worse three weeks ago. It was just gray dirt. You can see the bits of green showing through. I’m pretty happy with the way the seed is sprouting. I was watering twice a day, 6am and 8pm, but from now I’ll move to evenings only. There’s still lots of moisture in the ground and the nights are getting cooler. I may mow the old growth this weekend. And I need to start weeding. With the new grass comes new weeds, it seems.

I have to admit, I really am getting a kick out of working on this project. There’s so much more yardwork to be done to get the house looking like we want it, but a nice green lawn in front is important, because come November, we want to really decorate the front for the holidays… maybe a row of big candy canes leading up the walk to the front door and a wintery motif on the lawn.

Disappointing Diner

2006-08-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

Saturday was Kathy’s first night out since her surgery and we wanted to try someplace new to eat, nothing fancy. I suggested Johnny Rockets, because I had been to their Tokyo location and enjoyed it, and we had a discount coupon in the Las Vegas 2006 Entertainment Guide.

We arrived about 7pm and took a booth near the front. It was not crowded, probably because the students from nearby UNLV are not back on campus yet. The decor was replicated “soda shop fifties” and the menu as expected: burgers, fries, onion rings, salad, chili, malts, shakes, pies and sundaes. Our waitress gave us three nickels for the jukebox, but our music selector was broken, so I lost one coin and had to use the selector at the next booth to call up Del Shannon’s Runaway and the Crystals’ Da Doo Ron Ron. From there, it was all downhill.

The food orders came very slowly, with our fries/onion rings (which were hot and tasted okay) served long before our burgers. The waitress painted a smiley face with ketchup in a dipping dish and got Kathy a refill for her Coke, but she never brought nor asked me if I wanted more ice water. She never mentioned deserts, either. In fact, we scarcely saw her throughout the meal.

When Kathy’s American burger arrived, we’d already finished the side orders, and her bun came with ketchup and mustard on it, something even McDonald’s knows better than to do. People have their own tastes. Kathy doesn’t like mustard (or pickles) and prefers to do her own “doctoring” of a burger. Guess we had to be very specific when we placed the order. Our bad.

My Onion-n-Mushroom Burger with melted cheese would have been fine, except the grilled onions were very oily. The bill came to $16.23, including our discount (one burger, $4.95); I left $18 on the table to include a small tip for the not-so-good service. If I compare this with my experience at Red Robin earlier this year, Rockets would lose on food, service, and atmosphere, and perhaps tie on price. And Red Robin serves alcoholic beverages, another plus in my book. Kathy said she would have preferred to go to In-N-Out Burger.

We left without hearing Del Shannon. And the staff never did sing or dance, which was one of the highlights of my experience at JR’s Tokyo location. All in all, the best I can say is we did not leave hungry, but we won’t be back.

See more progress on: try a new restaurant each month

My poor darling

2006-08-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

Kathy went into Sunrise Hospital for surgery on Tuesday, August 8th. What started as a pain in her abdomen while putting some dishes away on Sunday was diagnosed on Monday as a "vernal hernia with umbilicus incarceration" (I think I got that right). In lay terms, the muscles lining her abdomen had developed a hole or rip and some tissue from inside popped out and got trapped. We could feel a little knot, about the size of a quarter, beneath the surface of her skin.

Her surgeon did an excellent job explaining the procedure and the urgency of getting the hernia taken care of right away. On Tuesday, he implanted a piece of mesh over the rupture after popping the stuck tissue back in. The incision is small, more like a hole than a cut, and he stitched in a drainage tube that connects to a vaccuum bulb Kathy has to empty of fluids three times a day. The entire procedure, from check-in to check-out took about seven hours, although the surgery itself may have lasted only an hour or so.

Now, Kathy is resting at home, wearing a girdle-like wrap, while taking antibiotics and prescription pain relievers. Today we got her some books and CDs from Sunrise Library so that she doesn't go stir crazy. It's no fun being bedridden. Although she can walk some, and she is even supposed to do so, she can't bend over or carry anything heavier than ten pounds, so most household chores are out. On Monday, she'll see the surgeon once more, have the tube removed, and hopefully get off the meds.

One concern she had was missing so much work. The doctor suggested two weeks at home recuperating before returning to her job. She only had about 40 hours of accrued leave time, and it would be hard to go a full week without pay. She was thinking of trying to return early. But then a true friend stepped forward. One of her colleagues, who had about 200 unused hours of paid time off, gave her 40 hours as a gift. Now that's a real friend in need, a real friend indeed. We owe him a big one.

I'm doing as much as I can to make things easy for her during her recovery by shopping, doing chores, adjusting her bandages, and trying to cheer her up generally. Truth be told, I don't think I'm a very good caregiver. I hate hospitals, doctors, waiting rooms, pharmaceuticals, and pretty much anything related to medical treatment. I've never spent a night in a hospital or had any kind of surgery, other than some stitches. I avoid prescription drugs.

I really hope Kathy recovers quickly. I know she misses her mobility and so do I. On the positive side, her problem got caught and remedied before it became an emergency. To those who read this and know Kathy, send her a get well wish, please. I know she would appreciate it.

~ V ~

2006-08-07T07:19:00.000-07:00

Kathy's sister Carol came with her boyfriend Steve to visit us from North Dakota this weekend. I barbecued garlic-buttered shrimp and herb-marinated lamb chops for them on Sunday afternoon while we sipped some chilled wine on the patio. Imagine, Steve had never tasted lamb. Before we finished, he was practically gnawing on the bones.

As a return treat, they offered to take us out on the town in the evening. We got tickets to see "V - The Ultimate Variety Show" inside Desert Passage at the Aladdin Casino & Resort.

I was not expecting much--just the usual mix of magic, comedy, impressions, and sequined showgirls you get at most of the tourist shows. Boy, was I wrong. This show had it all and then some, from a hilariously gay emcee who did slight-of-hand tricks to mesmerizng robotic dancers and a pair of incredibly versatile Russian gymnasts, Yuri and Nikolai.

Two special treats were acts by comedian Russ Merlin of Tonight Show fame, and magician Nathan Burton, who appeared most recently on NBC's America's Got Talent. They had us laughing, clapping, up on our feet, and gasping for breath: "How in the World do they DO that?" New, fun, fulfilling... you betcha! It was a great way to kick-off August. And if you come to Vegas... see V!

T.G.I.F.

2006-07-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

Friday was a busy day. I had to meet two clients, attend three staff meetings, cash my paycheck, pick up my new glasses, and get to a potluck bridal shower by 5:30pm with some food I had prepared in the morning (spinach dip in a sourdough bread boule). Like most busy days, it would have been fulfilling and new, but not necessarily memorable.

Then Kathy called to say she had heard on the radio about a free concert at the Railhead with Raul Malo (formerly lead singer for the Mavericks). I got home about 7pm, changed, and we got to the venue just before the show started. There weren’t many seats left, but I managed to befriend a couple who had two spare chairs at their table near the stage. Lucky!

What followed was pure heaven. Malo has tremendous vocal range and his voice is uncannily similar to Roy Orbison’s. He had the house swooning. Afterwards, Kathy wanted to get his new CD You’re Only Lonely and have it signed outside the Railhead, where Malo stood for nearly 40 minutes, signing autographs for well over 100 fans. We were fortunate because although they ran out of CDs to sell, Kathy was able to talk a lady who had bought three of them into selling her one. While the line of fans shortened, I chatted with the band members a bit and learned that they’ve got two more CDs coming out soon, a Christmas album in late October and a new release of some old standards next March.

After Kathy got her CD autographed and had a photo op with Malo (they're pictured above), we grabbed a couple of Miller Lites at the bar and decided to stay for the 11pm set with local band Yellow Brick Road. I had heard them several times before, but Kathy hadn’t. They do mainly 70s and 80s classic rock tributes, from Led Zepplin to Van Halen, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, and even the late Beatles (I am the Walrus) and the Rolling Stones. We didn’t dance, but we certainly enjoyed the show, and Kathy was very impressed.

It was a great night out, totally impromptu and totally new and fulfilling. Every now and then, we’ve just got to grab the moment.

Here Come the Irish!

2006-07-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

I just heard on the radio this morning that Notre Dame is ranked preseason #2 in the NCAA football standings. Yes! Ever since I lived in South Bend, IN as a kid, I've been an Irish fan. They haven't won a national championship since 1988 under Lou Holtz. Maybe this is the year.

After ten hours...

2006-07-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

...basically an entire day in front of the computer screen, spending my Sunday working on a behind-schedule editing project, I'm just too tired to blog. Kathy and I finally escaped at 5pm for pizza at Barley's Casino and Brewing Company. When we got home, I tubed it a bit with Big Brother 7 All-Stars and switching back and forth between USA's The 4400 and HBO's Deadwood. One last can of beer and I'm going to bed.

Housewarming

2006-07-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out how use Flickr. It’s pretty neat. That, plus the camera function on my new cell phone, will allow me to illustrate my blog and entries on 43T with original pix instead of “borrowed” images. Neat. My first Flickr project was to document our new home in Las Vegas. A description of our housewarming held yesterday (7/15) follows in the comments section below.

Settling In

2006-07-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I got some work done on a editing job I've been putting off. When I took a break to go shopping with Kathy, we were in for a little adventure. My car battery died while parked in the lot in front of the shops. Batteries do not endure Las Vegas heat well. What should last five years often doesn't make it past two, and this is the second battery I've had to replace in six years. There was a mix-up getting roadside assistance and we had to wait nearly an hour in 100-degree heat. At last we got a tow to the dealer, which was of course closed on Sunday. I asked the tow driver to call us a cab through his dispatcher before he left. After waiting nearly 45 minutes, we decided to walk to a bar nearby, the Sahara Saloon, where we could call a taxi ourselves. At least there were cold drinks and air-conditioning. We watched a replay of Andre Agassi's final match at Wimbledon while waiting. One hour became two. We had to call the cab company three times before they finally confirmed a car was coming. In all, we spent nearly four hours waiting around. The day was pretty much shot.

Monday morning I went to the dealer early and was first in line for service. They had to locate a battery, test it, install it, which ended up taking three hours and costing me about $170. Sheesh. Monday was supposed to be a work day, but the morning was shot. I spent most of the afternoon entering numbers from a hardcopy payroll array into a spreadsheet for one of my clients, a task that would drag through the rest of the week, as it turned out.

Tuesday was Independence Day. I got some editing work done in the morning, then Kathy and I went to her son Mark's house for a barbecue in the afternoon. Kathy made brownies and baked beans, I made spinach dip in a sourdough bread boule decorated with a flag. Mark grilled chicken and sausages. His girlfriend Pam made some very good potato salad and a cake. We watched Hoodwinked on their DVD player while we stuffed ourselves. Got home in time to see the kids in the neighborhood shooting off fireworks. The dogs didn't like that much, but it's only once a year.

The rest of the week was all about work and it was a short one. I didn't log any new sales but had a couple of very good meetings that should lead to contracts next week. I went to my 4th Tai Chi lesson on Thursday, making pretty good progress and trying to practice a little everyday. On Saturday we did a little shopping for the house at Lowe’s. Got a misting kit to put misters up on the patio for our housewarming next week and also a vent hose for the dryer. Gradually we are getting the new place looking like we want it. It has not been the easiest move I’ve ever made, nor the least expensive, but probably the best.

Happy Birthday!

2006-07-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, July 1st, Kathy and I celebrated her 50th birthday. We started the day with brunch at Barley Casino's Brewer's Cafe, which was not quite up to their usual standards, but certainly a nice alternative to cooking and doing dishes. The casino gave us each a 2-lb. apple pie as an Independence Day gift.

After a little grocery shopping and stopping by the house to shower and change, I took Kathy out to see Menopause: The Musical at the Las Vegas Hilton. It was a scream. We both laughed hard; there was so much truth in the lyrics of the songs, which were parodies of hits from the 60's and 70's. You can imagine how they rewrote the theme to Saturday Night Fever. It was hilarious.

Afterwards, we drove up to the Cannery Casino for a couple of beers, some tortilla chips and bean dip, while we waited for the doors to open on the day's main event: Brian Wilson in concert. I first saw him perform in 1970 in Washington, DC with the Beach Boys, and Kathy had seen him in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl in 1987. His two-hour show last night was a real treat. Although Wilson’s lost some vocal range to age and he now needs to use a teleprompter to help him with the words, he still rocks the house and the band he’s put together is nothing short of Beach Boy caliber. They sang pretty much the entire Pet Sounds album and more. It was a romp through the 60’s and 70’s neither of us will soon forget.

As a final gift of the day, I gave Kathy an envelope containing a $100 gift certificate for Envy, one of the city's best new steakhouses. Happy Birthday Kathy, and many, many happy years to come!

Computer woes

2006-06-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

Ever since the move, my home computer has been down. I had a colleague, who is a computer professional, take a look at it and he said the mother board is dying. Ten years old and an orphan. I removed the hard drive and tried installing it in another PC I had, but that didn't work. This weekend I'll try installing it in Kathy's computer as an auxiliary hard drive and see if I can access the files that way. Silly me, I usually back up everything once a week, but in the weeks leading up to our vacation and move I neglected to. There are a couple of files I really need to be able access, and I'd like to copy my email lists from Outlook.

The good news is that I've not been without a computer entirely. The laptop I've been using at the office comes home with me on weekends, and today I managed to hook it up to my old PC's keyboard, mouse and monitor. The Ethernet connection through our cable service/router is working fine. It "feels" like I've still got the desktop. The difference is that those files and addresses are missing, as are some bookmarks, and I do not have free and easy access at home during the week, hence my decrease in blogging activity.

Ah, the joys of the wired cottage.

Lesson One

2006-06-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I attended my fist Tai Chi lesson. It was a good start. We started with breathing and some basics about physiology, then practiced the basic stance and a couple of simple movements, the primary one being Ward Off. I noticed immediately how weak some of my leg muscles have become. It’s going to hurt a little in the beginning weeks. What I liked most about it was the pace. Not too much, not too little. I could feel it when I was in balance and out of balance. It’s very clear that doing Tai Chi will affect other aspects of my life, as I had hoped. Just being more aware of the mind-body connection is good. I’m looking forward to pacticing at home till my next private lesson, which will be every Thursday at 4:30pm. The single step that begins this journey has been taken.

See more progress on: learn Tai Chi

We're in!

2006-06-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

The official date of our move was June 4th. At least that was the first night we slept in the new house. We spent the better part of Saturday (6/03) packing and taking carloads of boxes over ahead of the movers. And it’s a good thing we did. No move ever comes off exactly as planned. Some highlights:

Kathy had wanted to take her three cats over a day ahead of the movers. The idea was to allow them to explore and acclimate before chaos arrived. We finally got them there around midnight. We checked to ensure that all windows and doors were sealed, including the doggie door in the dining room. The next morning, we went to unload one more carload of boxes and discovered one of the cats was missing. We looked everywhere. There was no way she could get out, but she was not to be found.

The movers arrived three hours late. We had to load up all the furniture we had been using in the apt. and stop by my storage unit to pick up all my things that had been stored for the past year, including a queen-sized sofabed, dining set, and dozens of boxes of household items. Everything barely fit into the truck and my SUV, but we squeezed it in…just. It took us five hours to complete moving everything, about two hours longer than expected, which put us over budget $150 and meant we couldn’t have everything in place for our first night in our new home. We resolved to sleep on the mattresses on the floor rather than struggle to put the bed together at midnight.

While the movers were going in/out, Kathy locked the two cats in the guest bathroom with their food, water and a litterbox. When the movers left, she opened the door and to our great surprise, there were three cats! The missing one reappeared like Houdini. Of course, we were happy, but where had she been? I discovered how she had returned…by crashing through the air vent above the middle of the bathroom. The food, water and her two buddies must have convinced her to come down out of the air vents, but we could not figure out how she got in there in the first place. It’s still a mystery.

As is the whereabouts of dozens of items we packed and moved, including our new front door keys. Fortunately, we have two remotes for the garage door, so we’ve got access till they reappear. We are gradually finding things we boxed up. But not my cell phone, which I am sure was stolen. And only one of our two computers is working. Mine seems to have lost communication with its keyboard. And we missed the first two trash pick-ups, so there is a LOT of garbage going out Tuesday night for Wednesday morning’s pick up. I sorta miss our old dumpster.

Amid the chaos, however, we are pretty happy with the new place. We’ve got a lot more space. The backyard/garden is a real treat. Now that Kathy’s two dogs, Roscoe and Annie (pictured above, as sketched by Shawn Bonney), are with us, it feels more like the place is really ours. I barbecued on Sunday—lamb chops marinated in lemon pepper vinegarette, veggie kabobs with zucchini, mushrooms, red peppers and onion, and some couscous. Today I installed a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and repaired the broken strike plates for two of the doors (pantry and garage). There is still a whole bunch to be done, but we’ve decided it will not take more than a month. We’re scheduling our official housewarming party for July 15th and inviting about 20 couples. At long last, we are in!

See more progress on: move

Ready to go!

2006-05-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

Friday was payday and we’ve allocated the remaining funds for our long vacation trip. We are going to be traveling as if this were the Amazing Race, putting money in envelopes for each leg of the journey ($180+gas LV-Tucson, $190+gas Tucson-El Paso, etc.) and giving ourselves specific goals (tour the Biosphere 2, eat an original chimichanga, buy a bottle of Kalua in Juarez, etc.). We’ve got our pit stops picked out all along the way and paid for in advance. All that remains now is packing up. We’ve got a list of some items to buy, like a ground tarp, disposable cameras and flip-flops (nothing critical). Otherwise, we are ready to go, and very much looking forward to being on the road. Sunrise next Friday is our launch time.

See more progress on: Tucson

Could this be it?

2006-05-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

Since our little house-hunting disappointment on Wednesday, Kathy and I have been culling potential rental homes off the Internet. We came up with seven candidates. By Friday, two of them were already off the market. That’s how fast housing goes in Las Vegas.

One place we saw online and liked will not be available till May 19th, so we took a drive out there this morning. It’s in a gated community, so we waited till someone with an access code drove in, and we just followed him through the gate. It was pretty easy to find the rental property, a corner house that appears to be about two years old, if that. A U-Haul truck was parked out front, a clear sign that the current occupants are in the process of moving and explains why it can’t be viewed yet.

Across the street with a beautiful backyard view of Sunrise Mountain was a similar house with a For Lease sign in the front yard. It looked empty. We wrote down the number for the real estate agent, planning to call on Monday (their office is closed on weekends). So that made two good candidates. We had two other houses north of that area to look at too, so we drove off map in hand, confident that we had at least a couple of prospects.

As we were heading north, I suggested we just drive through a few older neighborhoods and see if we could spot For Rent signs in front of any likely lodgings. We saw one. Then another, noting down numbers to call. Then Kathy spotted a third one with two shade trees, a mulberry and a palm, in front. She called the owner on her cell. The price seemed right and it was available for move-in. We asked for a viewing in an hour, then we continued north to our original destinations.

One of the houses we wanted to look at was on a corner. It looked okay from a distance, but close up we could see a line of pidgeon droppings in front of the entrance. The backyard was all dirt and on a slope. What turned Kathy off was the two-story houses nearby which commanded a view into the yard and great room. No living in a fishbowl, thank you. The second location was a two-story unit in a neighborhood we didn’t like as much as the previous ones we’d seen. We scratched it off without even getting out of the car to poke around. Back south we went.

While waiting to view the shade-tree house, we came up with a strategy. If we liked the interior, we’d see if we could negotiate terms. That became plan A. If the owner refused to negotiate or if we didn’t like what we saw, we’d make the two units in the original gated community our Plan B, and the two drive-bys we’d seen our plan C. We could continue to surf the Net as Plan D.

The problem would be if we really liked this Plan A place. We could only afford to put a little down, since we are going on vacation the end of May and don’t want to dip into reserves. Would the owner be willing to wait till we got back in June? Would $500 be enough to hold it? We started to get a little impatient while waiting under the trees.

At last, the owner and her husband and two teenage children showed up. She didn’t speak much English, but his was passable. No sooner had we set foot inside the front door then another couple and their son showed up to view the place too. So there were nine of us on the tour altogether. Was it going to turn into a competition?

I’m making a short story long, I know, but it was a bit dramatic. In the end, the other couple didn’t think the place had the value they wanted for the asking price. It’s about 25 years old. All the rooms have to be painted. New carpet is needed in the livingroom (which is a bit small). There’s some yard work required too. But the backyard is completely shaded by flowering trees, the master and guest bedrooms are huge (as are the closets), and pets are welcome. There’s a fireplace flanked by built-in shelves, a breakfast nook, lots of kitchen counter space, a gas range, large fridge, two-car garage, a separate laundry area, pantry, linen closet, and, of course, the shade trees that attracted our attention initially.

We discussed the need for some improvements and the timing. The owner agreed to everything. She just requested a $100 pet deposit in addition to half the security deposit to hold the place till we can move in the first weekend in June. Unless something comes up in the next two days, we’ll put down $600 on Monday afternoon and sign a two-year lease. Could this be it? It certainly looks like it, and we’ll soon know for certain.

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