After a good night’s rest and breakfast at Tammy’s we headed north to Los Angeles. Peter had made an appointment to see the studio of internet personality Bill Whittle, but it was like a scavenger hunt, in that we could not get the actual address until we were within 20 miles of the studio proper….
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Sovang, UCLA and a family reunion
We woke up refreshed in our little Solvang hotel, and went out to try one of the many, many bakeries in the Danish village. Kelly (Scout) had never had a Napoleon pastry, so we took care to find one for her. Then we strolled past the shops. We found a Viking Cousin It scarecrow: And…
What I Will Miss About California
Dallas is the furthest known eastern outpost of California classic In and Out Burgers and Fry’s Electronics. After this, we are in foreign territory, where I sometimes don’t understand what the natives are saying, and they know I am a stranger. Even as I have my reasons for leaving California, there are some things I…
Why I Left California
And now as we light out for unknown territory, an interlude about what is driving me away Why from the Bay Area, with its perfect-for-me weather, beautiful sights, and vibrant culture, plus all the great experiences and friends I have here? There are a few things that I can’t fix, though I’d been hoping for…
Leaving San Jose and a Night in Solvang
It is my first night being homeless and I am now in central California with Peter and Scout. The last week was a frenzy of packing and preparation. I sold my car on Thursday. I canceled utilities. We threw and gave away more and more of what was left. And we threw a party one…
Berkeley’s Naked Guy and Columbia’s Mattress Girl: Roles that Lead to Madness
I have followed the stories of Columbia’s “Mattress Girl” with an increasing sense of horror. Regardless of the circumstances that led her to carry a mattress around her campus in the name of artistic expression, the fact that this led to national news was devastating. People eagerly fall into the roles that garner them attention…
A Day at a Supernatural Fan Convention
Peter and I have been fans of the TV show Supernatural since it first aired (after we’d seen a booth promoting it at Comic-Con in 2005). He has decided I need more fun in my life, so at Christmas he bought us Saturday tickets to a Supernatural fan convention in Burlingame (near San Francisco.) It…
In Defense of New Year Goals
Lately, I’ve been hearing negativity about New Year Resolutions, along the lines of “I always break them, so it only gives me an excuse to over-indulge at year’s end,” or “if didn’t start doing it earlier, why is the first of the year any better than any other day.” Peter and I look at it…
Gordon Ramsay’s BurGR
Peter and I have been watching the Gordon Ramsay shows for years, and we enjoy them. They’re reality shows, so you know they’re edited for maximum drama. But I always wonder if everyone else’s food is really as bad as Gordon Ramsay thinks it is. Sure, sometimes it is obviously bad, like when a cake…
Trapped in MARTA
Atlanta, Georgia has an excellent public transportation system named MARTA. If I’m not renting a car, it’s my way of getting around town. So on my last trip to Atlanta, we took MARTA directly from the airport to the Ritz-Carlton at Ellis and Peachtree, where we were staying for Gathering for Gardner. When we got…