November 1957

I found an old advertising trade magazine in one of my dad's boxes and was quite interested in one of the handsome salesmen at the ABC version of XETV. My dad was a manager of XETV in the late 60's, early 70's, but this article showed him in a prior postition. If you read carefully, you will know he had a lovely model wife (not my mother) and a French poodle named Charlie (never our dog). Written almost exactly 4 years before I was born, I wonder of the sequence of events that lead up to October, 1961. I know some of the details, but it's still interesting to speculate.

Amo il caffè!

Everyone knows I love a glass of dark, full bodied wine, sparkly champagne, or a perfectly chilled cosmo. But the drink that must top them all is the frothy cappuccino I make every morning. Assolutamente necessario!

Quatro de Mayo

The new neighborhood Mexican restaurant is getting ready for Cinco de Mayo a day early. When I passed by yesterday -nothing. Today the place is loco with balloons and flags. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

30 years later

I was a teenager when the Rubik cube came out the first time. I remember standing around at the YMCA pool trying to "get" one side, and shaking our heads with wonder at the whiz kids we saw on tv who could twist and turn and finish in under a minute. Fast forward to a few present day whiz kids. It started with Sam - he taught Daniel, who in turn taught Jordan. Now half the fifth grade class is consumed with the Cube. And thanks to a patient student, I have finally joined the whiz kids!

Helpful, but not useful

Cats think they are helpful, but they are often mistaken. Darby likes to lend a paw with whatever we do - wrapping gifts, making the bed, folding laundry - and he would probably argue that we under appreciate his unsolicited assistance. Today, my selfless, generous kitty thought my life would be easier if he offered to help hem a pair of pants. Swatting the thread, digging around the waistband, and stuffing his furry head into the leg to take a catnap is Darby's idea of helping out. Thanks for the kitty help.

Thanks again, Karen!

Wine tasting in Temecula, part 2. Mt. Carmel teachers, assorted husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, and others all pile into a party bus and head out for a day of wine tasting, lunch, and general fun. We started at LongShadow, an old favorite with outdoor tasting, horses, and a hilarious bartender. We moved on to savor the view and delicious sangria at Faulkner and finished the day with a picnic lunch and more tasting at Maurice Carrie. Weather was perfect - 74 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, and snow on the mountains in the distance.

SDJA

Sports Day at my school is a lot of fun - Kindergarten through 9th grade are divided into color teams, each one representing a city in Israel. We go to "stations" where the kids compete at events such as tug of war, capture the flag, and obstacle course. Points are added and a winner color/city is announced at the end. An enormous trophy is awarded, but the big prize is the year of bragging rights. The soccer, football and baseball fields at SDJA are a huge source of pride, but I like the ocean view off to the left.