Observations

[larryJ]

A very close friend of my daughter-in-law is getting married in Texas this weekend.  She and my son and their daughter came here last night and spent the night.  We got up early and I took them to the airport.  We will have the baby for a day or so, then my daughter will take her for the weekend.  We get her back on Sunday night and my son and daughter-in-law will come pick her up on Monday.  Their flight was scheduled to leave at 6:30 this morning meaning we had to leave my house at 4:30.  No problems getting there and dropping them off and I had no problems getting back.  Then I got an IM saying the flight had been delayed until 8:45.  They just took off right at 8:45.  They are flying American Airlines and there was an article in the news this morning that American Airlines, in a recent poll, has the rudest employees and their on-time record stands at about 50%.  My son said it has to do with the recent bankruptcy and the pilot's union not being happy with the company.

So my lovely wonderful grandaughter, now two years old, is sitting here watching cartoons with me.  Such a doll!

Larryj

[larryJ]

As I sit here watching the sun streaming through my window, a sun that 20 children will never see again, I am sad.  Why such a thing could happen is beyond me.  Yeah, I know there are kooks and idiots all over the place, but this is just too much.  I am not putting my daily entry into "A slice of wry" because I feel that it is inappropriate to do so today, mostly because of my sadness at such a horrific event.

I sit here watching the sun come through my window knowing my children and my grandchildren are safe this morning.  I pray that they will have many more sunrises to see.  My 8-year-old, #1 granddaughter, is aware of what has happened and has had a talk with her mother about it.  They discussed the lockdown drills held at her school.  They discussed what to do if there was an emergency.  Why does an 8-year-old have to worry about dangers at school, a place where she goes to learn and to enjoy playing with other kids?  Does an 8-year-old know really what a "random event" really means?  I know that in her mind, she is thinking what if this happens at my school.  I know that she has been comforted by her mother and reassured that she will be okay and that everything is fine.  Children shouldn't have to be concerned about danger at school or at home. 

I am sorry, but this is just too much. 

Larryj

[larryJ]

We have been planning to make a trip of seventy miles out to an Indian casino near Palm Springs.  Something always comes up that puts that plan on hold.  However, yesterday, after our granddaughter was picked up, we were able to go.  After all these years in SoCal, I have never been to an Indian casino.  When we felt like contributing our money to a machine that makes noises like bells and whistles, we would go to Las Vegas.  We haven't been there in quite some time though. 

I put a limit on how much I plan to lose and once that is gone, it is time to grab something to eat and head for home.  Yesterday, for some reason, I just wasn't in the mood, but I still managed to make my donation in a timely fashion.  My wife's cousin managed to bring more home than she took.......not much, but some.  My wife was able to lose hers also, although she has a smaller limit to lose. 

As you know, I love to watch people and an Indian casino is a fun place to do that.  Unlike Vegas where you can lose your money faster, the machines at the casino were nickel and dime machines.  I still managed to lose my limit.  And the machines have got so high tech (or I have grown too old), it was hard to understand totally what I was doing.  So just push the button, watch the spinning reels and push the button and watch the spinning reels......yawn.  I was a little disappointed that there weren't more video poker machines, but I found one to lose money on. 

Gambling done, we moved on to the buffet line.  Yesterday was Mariachi Monday so there was a lot of Mexican food which is a favorite.  The food was good and the price was acceptable.  Then off to home.

Observatiion:  Cutsies (adv. meaning to get in line ahead of someone)...........while I was in line (maybe a 30 minute wait to get a table), there was a family in front of me.......a woman and three children, one of which was in a stroller.  After about 15 minutes, she took everybody and left the line.  About five minutes later, this Asian guy, maybe in his 50's walks up and stands in line in front of me, saying that he was with the woman with the stroller and her kids who had left.  Shortly after that he was joined by his wife.  I told him that I had been in line for some time and I didn't believe he was part of the family that had left.  He just said that they were holding a place for him and he expected them to return.  Of course, when all was said and done, the woman and her kids did not return and this idiot and his wife dined alone.  This did not cause a great delay in getting seated, but the fact that he just cut in was an irritation.  Some people!

sheesh!

Larryj

[larryJ]

A rarity in our neck of the woods............freezing temperatures!  Last night, it dropped to below 32 degrees, prompting my wife to cover a tree fern in the front with a blanket.  Tree ferns will die off fast if they freeze.  It seemed to have made it through the night.  Our friendly feral cat prefers to spend the night time outside.  I thought he might decide to stay in the garage last night, but he didn't.  He's one tough dude!

After three days of missing school because of the flu, our 8-year-old returned to class today.  She was happy to be back.  Tomorrow marks the last day before the Christmas break.  While we normally don't have the girls on Thursday, we do today as the other grandmother is off to Las Vegas to pick up a relative who comes here every year.  I took her to school this morning and then an hour later took the other one to her special speech therapy class. 

What with all this running back and forth, I pass several schools.  One is particular is a high school.  I noticed some of the kids were outside practicing whatever it is they were doing, sports or something...............wearing short sleeves and gym shorts!  I had the car heater cranked up to boiling.  How in the world could those kids stand it?  When I was in high school and was involved in any outside activity during the cold months, I always had on sweat pants and a sweat shirt.

Observation:  Are kids today tougher or dumber?  Or both?

Larryj

[larryJ]

We are back to very cold weather with the temps falling below freezing during the night.  Weather forecast calls for temps in the 80's next week, however.  I noticed yesterday that a wisteria plant that was quite huge has seen better days.  I am pretty sure it is not going to recover.

It was in January 1965 that I made the decision to move to SoCal.  That means I have spent more than 2/3 of my life here.

Sometimes I am the last one to "get the memo."  On Tuesdays it is our turn to take care of the oldest granddaughters.  The schedule is that they arrive here at around 7:30.  At 7:40 I load them in the car and take the oldest one to school.  That is a 15 minute drive and her school starts at 8:00.  This morning at 7:35 I went out and started the car so it would be warm when they arrived.  I waited until 7:45 before trying to call my daughter to see where they were.  It went to voice mail.  I called their house.  It went to voice mail.  I had visions of them being in an accident.  I had thoughts that they might have overslept.  I called my son-in-law and was informed that he was off work today and that he and the younger granddaughter both had dental appointments.  It appears that everyone was "in the know" about what was going on............except for the guy that has to get the girls to their appointed places.  I should send them a bill for the gallon of gas I wasted getting the car warm.  When my wife awoke, I mentioned to her that I had not known about the change.  She did apologize for not telling me.   

That said, and everyone is now cognizant that they might want to tell me what is going on, my daughter did call tonight and inform me that she has jury duty and will be able to take the girls to school and I can pick them up.  My daughter-in-law and youngest granddaughter are also scheduled to come by for a visit.  I'm happy about that as I have not seen them since Christmas.   

And on a sad note......one of the men I worked with for 34 years at the LA Times has passed away today.  Apparently he was very ill and was on life support only until his son could come from out of state to see him.  Once he was here they removed my friend from the life support and he passed.  This was a man with a great sense of humor similar to mine and we share many laughs.   

And with that it's off to bed.  Good night all.

Larryj

[Diane Amberg]

I'm sorry about the loss of your friend. It's hard to lose people we care about. Hang onto those good memories.
Now about your wisteria. Is a Chinese it like ours? Ours lose their leaves but come back every year.Don't give up on it. It may come back in the spring.

[larryJ]

I don't know the ethnicity of the wisteria.  I will wait and see what happens.

Larryj

[Ms Bear]

I wouldn't mind if my wisteria died, it has taken over a huge area of my yard and it and the blackberries fight over climbing rights.  It is pretty when it blooms though.

It is cold here tonight and I am so ready for warm weather.  Hope everyone else is staying warm.

[Diane Amberg]

It wouldn't mind being cut back hard if it's getting too ambitious. Is it on a fence or trellis? Ours tries to take over a dogwood tree if we don't make it behave.

[larryJ]

After a few days of beautiful weather, we are now getting two different low pressure systems.  One passed through yesterday and the other one began today.  Southern Californians are sooooooooooooo diverse.  There are those who are dressed warmly although this system is more tropical rather than artic.  But it is still cold......for us.  I went to the store today wearing a hooded sweatshirt and on my way in, I saw a man about my age coming out pushing a basket dressed in a short sleeve shirt and walking shorts........and it was raining.  I took my oldest granddaughter to school at 7:45 this morning.  It was raining but not hard.  As we drove past the local high school, there were kids walking to school without sweatshirts or jackets and no umbrellas.  Arriving at the school, I noticed kids walking in dressed the same.......short sleeves and shorts.....accompanied by their parents dressed the same way.  I'm thinking, "Hey, you might not be cold, but I bet that kid is."  Oh well, back to the 70's and 80's next week.

Observation:  We all know that communication is a key part of marriage.  There could be a lot of communication, but how it's delivered is a bigger key.  We have a daughter who is not prone to say "thank you" very often as she feels it is understood that she is thankful for whatever we do for her.  She does say it on occasion.  Point here......Today, #2 was sick and throwing up and did not go to pre-school.  She did ride along when I took her sister to school.  Once back home, I got ready for my dentist appointment and my wife got up to take care of the little one.  Although she has been very ill the past week, she felt well enough to take care of #2.  I went to my dentist appointment, stopped at the store, and then picked up #1 from school.  As is normal, my wife spent the rest of her day just taking care of the girls.  Our daughter came and took them home.  After they left, my wife re-entered the room and said, "Thanks for taking care of her."  Now........my first instinct here is that what she said was sarcastic as she was with them all the time today.  I asked her to repeat it and she did.  I didn't respond and she left the room.  Confused, I followed her and asked, "was that meant to be sarcastic?"  She said, "No, our daughter actually said, 'Thanks for taking care of her.'''  AHA, now I got it.  The communication breakdown here.........She should have said, "Our daughter actually said, 'thank you for taking care of her.'  She never says thank you."  So see, it's how it's delivered that makes the difference.

Another example.......on Tuesday, she and he cousin went to pick up the girls from school.  For a while now, she has been telling me that I must be hard of hearing or my phone is lousy because you can't hear anything on it.  So when they are on their way home, she calls from her cell phone to the house phone asking me to prepare some sausage dog for the girls and that they will be home shortly.  I asked her to repeat it.  Big mistake, I guess.  I fixed the sausage dogs, poured the milk and when they came through the door, she said, "You have a lousy phone, you can't hear anything on it."  My response, "You called me on the house phone."  Her next statement............"Well, maybe you should get your hearing checked."  I guess I will.  But I think it should have gone this way........

"Hi, thanks for fixing the girls the sausage dogs.  Maybe it is my phone that is not too clear.  But I still think a hearing test should be done."  Delivery is the key.  Lessons to be learned.

Life is good.

Larryj