Press Release Now Published!

The press release for the Downtown Huntington Beach Business Improvement District is now out. It was sent to the media on Tuesday morning for general release, and has been picked up by a few local sites.

http://www.hbnews.us/calendar.html

http://www.hbdowntown.com/ (click on the graphic for the chili cook-off, then the link to the press release)

http://www.huntingtonbeachevents.com/calendar.html (search for "chili" in your browser)

http://events.huntingtonbeachevents.com/?m=200805

We are excited to be working with the Huntington Beach Downtown BID, and want to thank Michael of Harley-Davidson of Westminster for making the introduction, and Connie Pedenko for the opportunity to contribute to the local community!

Surf City

After staying up so late to view the Lyrids, today was a wash. Fred is working on a pet project, which should pay dividends in the next week or two. Michael from Surf City Harley Davidson has been a great contact for us here in Orange County. It looks like we'll do a little bit of pro bono work for the City of Huntington Beach and probably turn that into some paid work - which is awesome!!

Fred will go to the meeting with the City next week, and I am confident that we will begin work right away.

The International Surf Museum in Huntington Beach is also interested in working with us on their newsletter, with the idea in mind that we can then assist with a multitude of items as needs arise. We met with Jodi on Sunday at a big event that they held at the museum, and it was wonderful to put a face to the name. We are aiming to get together with her very soon in order to iron out details.

Hot Date! The Lyrids

So we just got in from doing a bit of stargazing. Tonight was the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower, so Fred asked me out on a midnight date, complete with hot peppermint tea and the propane heater, to see what we could see.

The answer, as it turns out, is not much...at least not of the Lyrids (for more detail: Lryids Drowned in Moonlight Fred's excited because we are now, "intrepid and stalwart"). However, we had a blast with our binoculars and the telescope that Fred's parents gave us as a wedding gift. We each saw a few meteors cruise through as well, and enjoyed using different lenses to view the moon.

To me, the coolest part is seeing the things that you CAN'T see normally. What we'd learned before we went out was that Lyra has a double star in the form of Epsilon, just off of Vega...I know; it was all Greek to me before I started reading more about it. Anyhow, Epsilon is a double star with binoculars and a quadruple star with a telescope. Awesome. Looking at the dipper is amazing - even with just the binoculars. 

Anyway, it's the wee hours, but I thought I'd share the moment. It is truly awe inspiring to view the heavens using first your naked eye, and then progress to increasingly stronger lenses. For me, that begins with putting on my specs, and moving on from there. I feel like we discovered Lyra tonight, even though we had a meteor drizzle as opposed to a meteor shower. Mars is still hanging nice and red, although we seem to have lost Orion to the spring sky. Perhaps Fred will share with everyone the hilarious anecdote as to how astronomy maps had us both doubting ourselves on the basics of the compass!!

Been a while

This is just a quickie since we completely derailed. 

A ton has happened, but suffice to say that for the moment we are still in Southern California, and we were married on February 14. I am working for Surf City Harley Davidson of Huntington Beach, which is pretty cool. Fred is going to teach me the basics of riding a motorcycle so that I can take the Rider's Edge course sometime in the future and get my M1. "How?" I hear you cry. Well, he traded the Mustang for a motorcycle and there you go.

The photo here is from our wedding day. Well, more tomorrow, I hope. LOL

Back on track....

So, our adventures have taken us to some wild places. We have had some REALLY odd things happen along the way.

Another storm came and went in Huntington Beach while we were in New York (I will write more on that in a minute), and as I write this we are weathering yet ANOTHER storm.

What happened to "It never rains in Southern California"?

Well, I guess one major thing has happened that everyone can rejoice about - Me and Amy are officially engaged to be wed. I am positive that we will be wed in the next few months. :-) I asked her mother for her approval, and was almost instantly questioned about grandchildren. I did not have the heart to remind her that the minute we were married she would be the grandmother of 3 - the oldest being 13...lol

Life is good, we have a fairly decent routine going that has us up all day and sleeping during the night. We shall see how long that delicate balance lasts.

Back to the NY side of things. We were invited to NY to see some friends from the UK. The friends are a pair that happened to have lived there before, and know some of the city's top chefs personally. I must say, I still think caviar just tastes a little salty, but, I am beginning to understand these "foodies" a little bit more.

Here at home things have been interesting as well. We have managed to pick up a sport that is designed for little rubber people that don't shave yet. It is called surfing. I swear I thought I used to be fairly athletic, I almost remember being athletic. This "sport" seems to be easy for some. Trust me, it is not. I have gained a serious respect for any and all of them. My first attempt to catch a wave introduced me and the board - and something that may have been the ocean bottom - numerous times. I can only say it scared me that first time, after that a wipe-out just seemed to be business as usual. The song never entered my mind while out there (too busy staying alive) but I am positive had there been an audience, they would have had one hell of a show.

I will not be giving up on catching a wave. I will get it and when I do hopefully we can capture it on film and I will look upon that picture as evidence that you can, indeed, teach an old dog new tricks.

Birding at Talbert Marsh

Yesterday we decided to get on the bikes and head to Newport Beach. Yes, we turned left on PCH instead of right...

It was a ride of a few miles along the pedestrian/bicycle path on the beach (where the surf was horrible, btw) to the Big Belly Deli for a late lunch first. Their sandwiches are awesome, but avoid the iced tea and the Pepsi! I stuck to pink lemonade and was satisfied with that drink, but the rest...trust us. Go for the food, and stick to water or lemonade to drink! I haven't dared try any beer there, on the basis of this: if their soft drinks are strange tasting...what are their taps like on the beer??

Anyway, after lunch we rode to where a trail goes along the Santa Ana River in order to check out the birds there. We saw quite a few killer sights - not least of which was the swan pictured next to this entry. Talk about unexpected! In addition, we saw several blue herons, one of which we watched fly into a nearby palm tree with a beak full of what I assume was stuff to make a nest. Or maybe food? Not sure - we'll have to look in Z's bird book this afternoon to see what it says about these herons and their habits. It was a sight to behold!

The bike ride wound up being quite a bit longer than we intended, since we rode all the way to Costa Mesa and back along the river, then back onto the beach path to head home. The trip still only took 2.5 hours, though.

Today we head over to my parents' house for Superbowl...in the POURING rain. Yikes. Not looking forward to being out in this weather. But at least we aren't expected to be running a half marathon like those guys down near the HB pier...Geez, with the rain and the wind, they are brave!!  X

P.S. -

Our new routine lasted two days. LOL  ;-)

February Is Here!

OK, so let's try to get this blog back on track. So much has happened since January 10th. We've been to New York, we've bought surf boards, been locked inside a surf shop (yes, you read that correctly), become officially engaged (Fred spoke to my mom, requested and received her blessing!), had our butts kicked by the Pacific Ocean and weathered several storms. WHEW!

So, school started this week and I've submitted my first assignment. There is a mix-up with one of my classes, so it looks like I am going to start out a week behind in that class (Photography). Therefore, I'm going to try and work ahead on the other one so that I can hopefully catch up more easily. I have enjoyed the first week, though, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the semester.

Watch for surfing photos to start coming out! Or at least of the killer setup we have with our bikes and boards.

Scared to post...

The reason my silliness has not been seen up here is; I was given some constructive criticism that made me take a day off.

After thinking long and hard about it I came to the only logical conclusion one can come up with, WRITE!!!

I have a need to write, be it online, on PC or even on my skin. I need to write. This is being clicked out at 3:15 am PST. I woke up this morning with a plan that I hope will help get me and my other half closer to our goal. Upon waking up we have an hour to screw around, then work begins for a full hour, then the rest of the day can be dedicated to writing or plain old screwing around!

I figure if I don't go to sleep until really late that might help. Bedtime is moments away!

Wish me luck!

The Day FLEW By Today!

I can't believe it is already early Thursday morning. I suppose with my doldrums yesterday, I didn't sleep well...5am saw me still awake and struggling with the Sandman. I did catch 20 winks or so, though, and all seemed much brighter today.

Fred and I went to my parents' house for dinner and Mom did a fantastic meal of her famous grilled chicken, salad to die for (mmmm....avocado), and brown rice. Simple, and yummy! Dinner conversation was vibrant as usual, then we all settled down to watch a DVD. We brought over the Robin Williams movie RV, and that was quite a laugh for all of us. In addition, Steve loaned us some nice binoculars to further our new interest in birding.

When we got home, Sherman was waiting for us. It was after midnight, so the poor guy had been on his own for seven hours. We knew he needed a walk, but he was quite skittish as we began our usual route. So instead of just looping around the resort, we walked across to the beach and wandered around down there for an hour. He had a great time, as did we. The waves were crashing, the stars were out, and the lights of the pier were visible in the distance. A bit of fog was rolling in, which only added a more in depth feeling of isolation to the already secluded atmosphere.

It was a good day today, and I'm looking forward to a decent morning's sleep before starting the new Fred & Amy Regime of, "mess around for one hour over coffee, then do chores around the house, then run errands, THEN write the rest of the day."  Let's see how quickly, "Write the rest of the day," skips up a level or two in that priority list, ay?  ;-)

Best Laid Plans

Arg. Today seemed like a good day and then this NY trip for next week is still hanging over my head...and the fact that it's bloody cold back east somehow escaped my attention until last night. All my winter gear is in storage in the Bay Area, I'm in Orange County, and I think you see the logistics issue.

I've got another logistics problem with my courses for school, which I'm hoping we can sort out but otherwise I am going to have to make some additional decisions there, too. 

Not the best day today, but there's always tomorrow.

Yes, REALLY. Cold food.

You're not going to believe it, but we went out to dinner tonight and sure enough, Fred's skewer of steak in his li'l sampler meal was cold. We got a new steak skewer and paid for our meal, though. :-)

We were sitting near yet another interesting (in the kindest sense of the word) bloke that worked for the Hilton on PCH. Not only did we get the joy of listening to him regale his friend with stories of dubious authenticity, but I got to watch her put on make-up every five minutes. Compact the size of a small dog, no joke! In the end, he asked that his meal and drinks be comp'ed because of the volume of business that he sends to the restaurant from the Hilton...and sadly the manager would only comp the meal but not the alcohol. He paid the $28 mumbling, "I am not going to complain about it since it is only $28, but I will stop sending business here, since I can just send them to Duke's or Sparks."

What is up with these people? You got a free meal, you've probably received MANY free meals and drinks, and on a day when the manager decides that business is a bit slow and that it may look bad on his bottom line to have too much comp'ed, you take it out on the waitress? Poor taste, poor manners, and very low brow if you ask me.

We made a point of having a bit of a laugh over it with the waitress and guess what - we received a gift certificate for a free appetizer on our next visit, and 25% off our bill total. Being nice does get us somewhere! Hurrah!

Makes me glad that we didn't have the food fight that nearly broke out. ;-)

Good Morning!

We made it through the storm with minimal issues. I have been reading reports online of the damages this storm has created. It has been terrible. I am currently sitting here with a fresh cup of Peet's, looking forward to my day of repairs. I can only imagine how it must be for those who have lost their houses in this storm.

As for the rest of the team, they are both nestled in bed relaxing. I have the heater set at 72 degrees and the radio playing country quietly. Sherman has popped out to let me know he is up, Amy, not so much as a peep. :)

Lazy Sunday

Today we just hung around...left the house to go get coffee and ate at Ruby's in Costa Mesa. Wow, did we see someone doing a scam there! Let me tell you the full story...

First off, Fred had noticed that the guy in the booth behind us had gone to the bathroom several times in less than 30 minutes, which was odd in and of itself. Both of us had also noted that although he was dressed a bit like he was a homeless man, but then he wasn't - clothes a bit too new and his manner was one of someone that is "in" society as opposed to "out". 

Anyhow, so the guy has ordered several beers and eats half of his meatloaf and potatoes dinner, then sends it back as, "too cold." This guy is everyone's best friend, and was extremely polite when sending the dinner back, and chummy with folks in the neighboring booth. So, he then gets the waiter to bring him a new dinner, eats a bit more of the NEW dinner, then gets up, walks over to the counter and asks for a doggie bag for it. He then proceeds to the bathroom again, loiters about until the busboy has bussed the table, and then walks back lamenting, "hey, I asked for a doggie bag for that!" LOL

This con then went to talk to the manager and not only did he get his dinner and beers for free (speaking of which, he never even touched his check on his table), but a gift certificate for his next visit! Holy cow! Fred and I were amazed, since the second we heard him sending his meal back and chatting up all his neighbors we knew he was a 2 bit con. But I guess it's easier to eat the $30 or so and get him out than to argue.

Maybe my next burger will be too cold.  :-)

A thief in the night!!

OK, not a thief, but a dessert stealer has made his way into our rig. I searched high and low and could not locate the thief. Someone went and ate Amy's Napoleon and Cannelloni and had the nerve to actually leave the box sitting out. Amy was more fruitful in her search however.

The thief had apparently left crumbs on my shirt!

Yes, I ate the sweets. I was having a sweet tooth moment. I am such a child when it comes to desserts. I know this and so does Amy. I however do not get a "Get Out Of Jail Free Card" on this one. I need to find a way to rectify this, I am completely ignorant how to do so. Any suggestions?

Storm Weathered

Well, last night, although rocky, ended up being a non-event as far as the rig was concerned. Whew! We lost a single light bulb, and that was it.

Today I spent a bit of time creating a new "Migratorial" logo with limited success since I accidentally saved it as .tif instead of .gif. Oops. Non-Mac users were screwed. heehee  I'll change it and it'll be fine...

The storm has blown over to a large degree, and although some of my family had lost power up in Northern California for a bit, none have been impacted greatly. Yay, Fam! Fred and I are getting more and more of our ducks in a row, which feels good for our upcoming trips. Currently, we are hoping to sort out our vehicle situation such that we can get Sherman to his babysitter (thanks, Brenda!) for a trip to NY (thanks, Nicole!). That's it 'til tomorrow!

One line item added!!!

We fared very well through the monster winds that ravished the coast line, save one thing. When hot light bulbs meet cold water, well, they go pop. So, I only have to replace; a simple light bulb.

Sirens were blazing through the night and the house was in a constant state of earthquake. I was online checking the weather updates all night. The wind gusts were reported to be upwards of 45 miles an hour. We felt every single one of those too, due to the fact we live with no buffer from the onshore winds. I was really worried that our recently attached awning/screen room would become permanently detached during the fierce winds. Amy has lovingly dubbed our screen room "The Half-Way House." It is equipped with heater and lights (save one) and it is quite the talk of the resort. Best RV was the retailer we used for that specific purchase, they seem to have the best all around service for those type of things.

I am off to do some shopping today. We are almost out of Peet's, and I have a light bulb to purchase.

Stormy weather ahead

So the Mustang lived another day. The car just keeps on trucking right along. What can I say, its a Mustang. Her days are indeed limited. We seriously need to secure a better vehicle.

Some freak storm is downing the coastline of California. Oh, did I mention we are on the coast line? Huntington Beach to be exact. I hope and pray that we make it through this storm with minimal problems. I already have a laundry list of items to repair, I am hoping this doesn't add even one more line item.

The dog is doing good, Amy is having a blast and I must admit, there is nowhere else I would rather be. :)

Big Storms Starting Today

Today a big storm has blown in. Actually, it's three storms all converging on Orange County, apparently. The rig is in earthquake country, for certain. Every now and again the whole house just rocks.

So, I've done what any self-respecting writer would do, and that's open a bottle of Chianti and settled in to wait the sucker out. With the new room outside (here's hoping our makeshift anchors hold it down!) we have a warm place to smoke, albeit blustery. The dog has food, and so do we, so we can hang out for a while.

We managed to make a successful run with the 'tang today, we blew a fuse but Fred could fix that with both hands tied behind his back. Or. Um. Well, you catch my drift. I guess he could've told me where to put it. heehee

Life is good.

Tis the season...for repairs???

Being that my specific part of the duo is the master of all things mechanical, I get to be the one that figures out all those fun repairs of our home.

Today I mastered the delicate science of the, "pull down shade". This has been a lost art for at least the last 200-300 years or so. A very hard science to understand, even to masters of the arts such as myself. We have had a pull down shade that has been limp at our front door since, well since we got the rig. It has been more of an annoyance than a hindrance. It does not get in the way or help anything else to operate. Just sits in the way and looks shabby. So I took it upon myself to tackle the task of fixing the beast. Turns out I was able to make the repair in less than 5 minutes. This made the other half ask,

"So you going to fix my fridge now?"

UGH!!! I seriously don't think that repairs of certain things can be followed by others. I mean, seriously, I just learned a lost art for Peet's sakes!!!

I will have to get that fridge going sooner than later I suppose. Wish me luck, no, wait, I don't need that. I need to get us a reliable vehicle so I can make constant runs to Home Depot!!!

Very Early on Day 4, 2008

Happy New Year! This post will mark the opening of the Migratorial blog. Fred and I are still in Huntington Beach, and plan to be here for a couple of more months. We have had further trauma with the Mustang giving us some trouble starting yesterday...errr...well, on Wednesday. Yikes. We really need to sort out a new vehicle soon!

In better news, Fred has managed to fix the problem that was causing our front porch light not to work! Yay, Fred! Plus, we have added a room to the rig - we had Rob out from Best RV to re-install the awning (the arms they'd sent him to install in mid-December were too short) and put up a screen room. It's given us a lot of flexibility outside, and really allows for peace of mind when it comes to the patio.

We still have a mystery problem with both the fridge and the water heater, but one-by-one the one thousand. That's the point in staying in these warmer climes whilst we sort out the new abode. Fred and I hope to be able to head out to Joshua Tree in February, so let's hope we have our Maintenance List down to only minor things by then.