Tommy's Boring Blog
The blog of the 30-something fag- November Edition 2004
November 27th

Where flakes are welcome
Now we enter the season known as THE HOLIDAYS- Those pensive, anxious days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is usually when I miss The east coast the most(more likely the ONLY time I miss the east coast)
Christmas lights look so strange when there's no snow around.
I wonder if California natives visit the east coast, and find it especially pretty, like I would expect them to, or do they think snow messes up the decor for them?

In 1991, I remember hanging Christmas lights on Uncle Don and Aunt Kay's Garage, using a step ladder that sat firmly on the clean concrete, wearing a t-shirt and jeans, sneakers instead of snow boots and completely incapable of seeing my breath and thinking to myself "My God this is strange- who are these people fooling?, I mean, what the hell is Christmas without snow?"
Since then I recognize the subtle shift in daylight and air quality that marks the seasons here, (I can defiantely recognize at least three of them) and have somehow succeeded in moving snow out of the picture of Christmas for myself.
Some day I hope to go home to New York for the Holidays, and remember what it used to be like, hearing the soft almost inaudible "puff" of snowflakes landing, the blinking colors of lights through drifts, the plastic reindeer smothered under all the white stuff.

I miss the sound of boots crunching through ice covered sidewalks, and the sound of tires mashing through slushy streets. The smell of the air after a blizzard, the sound of snowmobiles in the distance, and that great feeling of going INSIDE.
Maybe next year I'll make it back, maybe next year I won 't have too much going on, and I won't be so anxious about the thought of dealing with All those people, on overcrowded planes. I'll deal with the lines and the crowds to get that feeling of what Christmas is supposed to be,-WHITE. I'll spend all of 2005 gearing up, preparing myself to take a shot at it, just me and thousands of other west-coast transplants, yearning for our nostalgia. We'll fly thousands of miles at the worst time of year to travel, and packed in like lemmings we'll all be staring out our tiny little windows, 1200 feet in the air, noses pressed against the glass like nine-year-olds at Macy's, looking, looking until we see what we came for, what we left our Ocean and warm weather for. Starting around Idaho we'll finally see it dusting the ground like powdered sugar- at last, SNOW! YEah, I'm dreaming allright, but maybe this time I'll get my wish.
Enjoy your Holiday people, see you next month.

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November 26th, 2004

Honey-did you pack the Crystal Ball?
Bang and I have been experiencing something lately that comes around every once in a while for us. We have been doing more than completing each-others sentences, we've been thinking the same thoughts.
As Bang was lounging on the chaise lounge in my office yesterday, hanging out while I worked on important things like this Blog, I turned around and mentioned how I wish Mr. Coleman would just Move Out of his house, so we could get this whole Escrow thing over with and start MOVING IN already. Bang's eyes bugged out of his head, not simply because he was moments away from sighing the same gripe himself, but because it was the fourth time that day this "thinking-on-the-same-wavelength" phenom had occurred. Today was no exception, only we're a little less amazed by it, and half expect our periods to be syncronized.

Over lunch today, at a restaurant that we did not need to decide on, I was thinking about the Mayo house, and trying to think of an excuse to go there, just to look at it again. It's on the equivalent to peeling back the wrapper on a Chritsmas gift you found in the closet just so you can see it, visualize yourself owning what is yet to be awarded to you, living in the future. Knowing this behavior to be silly and self indulgent, I decided I wouldn't try to mask my weirdness from Bang, mostly because I know he feels the same way.
"Can we do a drive-by after lunch?"I asked him, before we both orderd Number 17 on the Pho Cafe menu, with 2 iced coffees
"Funny You should ask" He said, "I did a drive by myself today already".

How did I know that?

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The Amazing Kreskin
Reads Minds,
but cannot make heads or tails of Ikea Assemby instructions.
November 25th, 2004

Happy Turkey
Not quite sure how this happened, but we have no Thanksgiving plans today.
Nope, no turkey, cranberry sauce or mashed potatoes.
Seems during the camping trip, we talked with Alan and Joe about doing the day together, but we failed to notice they were talking about the day after.
Joes serving turkey tomorrow, but not today. Today their in San Diego with Family, like everybody else.
Bang and I are home, feeling kind of silly, and working on our move-out.
We're throwing away all the stuff we don't plan to pack next month, and dealing with all the poor choices we have for television entertainment today.
Guess it's a bust, but at least we're not working- not really anyway.

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November 24th, 2004

Just call me SUE
Yesterday being National "No-more-Mr. Nice-Guy" day for me, I went before the judge with Joe Ryan to try to get this crap settled once and for all!
You can read all about why I was in small claims court by going into the archives for last year, or suffice to say, the dumb-ass Joe had an accident with the Van. He felt that since he was doing me a favor, he shouldn't be responsible for the cost of that damage, that I should just say "Thank You" and be on my Merry Way.
I felt otherwise, and sued his ass.
The judge asked him to tell her why he felt he should not take responsibility for damage he caused, and before he could finish babbling in front of her about his twisted take on it all, she dropped the gavel and decided the case in my favor.
"$301 for the plaintiff, plus court costs, paid in increments of $50 a month until paid in full " That's funny, that's exactly what I had asked Joe to do. He'd rather pay me $.05 a year for the rest of his life.
Of course, Joe stormed out all pissed off, and I don't blame him. Judge Judy barely gave him a chance to explain how his own version of reality applied here, and I was really looking forward to hearing that part. I just want to understand that's all.

O.J. bedamned, justice was served!

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Happy Birthday MC
Today would have been Mary Carolina's 26th Birthday .
Not to be Morbid or anything, Just thinking about her, that'all.




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Joe, you are an Idiot!
November 19th, 2004

Where's Winslow?
It's kind of weird, but sad mostly. I can't seem to raise my buddy Winslow anymore. I have tried setting up lunch dates, Instant message-ing him, phone calls and email and yet, I can never seem to reach him.
He found a new job with some company over the last few months, and he's been too busy to connect during the day anymore. I suppose if I was working a day job, I would have no time for goofing off either, I guess I just plain miss him. Winslow, if you're reading this, drop me a line, it would be great to talk to you! I have so much going on, and I'd really love to share it with you.

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November 18th, 2004

Me and My Big Mouth
I made a huge mistake last week, bragging to my buddy Alan that I have an extremely strong immune system.
"I never get sick!" I told him, smugly,"I don't remember the last time I had a cold, no wait, yes I do! It was from a flight to NY last year!"
Within 48 hours I had a throat that looked like hamburger and I was caughing up little green men in pin-striped pajamas.

It's been 7 days and I'm still a honking goose in the shower in the morning, and at night I'm wheezing, and gasping for air. Fed up, I saw Dr; Kam this morning, and the adjustment to my middle vertebrae should free up some of the congestion.
NOTE:Do not take your health for granted- each day you spend without pain, discomfort or illness is a blessed one, unless You LIKE cough syrup with codine, then hell, more power to you!

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Mmmm. . . .Codine!
The End of an Era
Kay Peters, 1927-2004

My Mothers Sister, my aunt Kay, died in her sleep last week of heart failure. Her Husband, Uncle Don died in 2003 of Cancer.

Don and Kay traveled out to California from New York in a converted school bus with all their kids (9 I think) and started a new life in California in the 1960's. In the family they were infamous as the west coast Parents, welcoming any transplants from New York into their home, and providing them with work until they get on their feet. I was no exception. I worked form Uncle Don in 1991 with Sean, and together we earned enough money to get our first apartment in Hollywood.
Every family has photo albums packed with images of visits to California, fishing trips Disnyland and Las Vegas with Kay and Don. My parents went out to see them in 1977, and I remember it well as being a very big deal. I will miss their parental nature and their eternal giving hearts- it truly is a sad day for our family.

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For Images of my Amazing Family, Click Here

I don't wannna hear it!
I can't tell you how disgusted I have been with bloggers I've visited, where the first line on the most current dispatch is "Sorry I haven't been keeping up with this blog for a while" but now I have to cut 'em some slack. I have been MIA for 30 days or more, and this blog is in a sorry state. I'm going to attempt to fill it in as if I have never been away, and you the reader simply needed to click "refresh" one more time to get the latest version.
Yes, that is totally my style, work hard to make you feel like it is all your fault.
Fact is, Bang and I have been doing the dumbest thing any couple can do in the current economy and real estate market, we're house shopping, and it's been taking all of our time.

The Great Book Deal
Recently completed work on the Values Of The Wise website and book illustrations.
The launch party was hosted by Stanley and Ruth Weistrech at the Solano Beach mansion. The book is a large volume of quotes and I had the pleasure of creating the chapter illustrations. I was one of several people who got their names printed on the book cover- how nice.
The party was huge and I was invited to stay afterwards and regail the creative staff with my whit and musical talents. Jan and I left before we got too drunk.
Check out the site: http;//www.valuesofthewise.com

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Hold the Mayo
It all started with a visit from our friendly, previously invisible landlord, who decided he wanted to spend some time bonding with the property he has been ignoring for 7 years (yes, that's not a typo, 7 years)
This freaked me out, because I suddenly was reminded that I'm a renter, and the whiplash from my snap back to reality was a painful reminder that I have no say in what color this building will be painted, among other things.

Bang and I had a realtor the next day, and assuming what our price range was, started driving through affordable areas and looking. It's amazing the size of the price tag people put on lots of garbage, and dirt. Every time we went out we came home depressed, because the affordables were in such horrible neighborhoods, and in such awful condition. When our mortgage broker showed us what we could expect to afford, we shifted gears, and found a faboo place right away. A Spanish style house on a tiny lot in Mt Washington. We saw it Saturday at 1 p.m., made a bid Saturday at 3 p.m., had the offer accepted 5 p.m. Sunday, Halloween. The house is on a street called MAYO, on the corner of San Rafael. It's cute, 2 bedrooms, and virtually DONE, so were quite happy.
We're deep into the Escrow thing now, with all inspections done, and requests for repair honored. It's meeting all of our criteria, with a few hurdles handled, so it's looking like a done deal. Yay- we so happy- Escrow closes December 15th, so look for updates on this blog weekly as we start the moving process November 20th.

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Getting all Campy
I like to spend time in the great outdoors as often as possible.
Not because I generally feel like the rugged, outdoorsey type, heavens no. I need to justify the $200 I spend a month on this 28 foot RV and my subscription to Outside magazine.
Bang and I joined two other couples for a camping trip to Los Padres National Forest recently.(No, None of us really work, we just have fun all the time- Don't tell our Mothers).
Kris and Alex were in their vintage VW camper, Alan and Joe tented it, and Bang and I (of course) took the big Purple RV. The features of a working oven, a thermostatic furnace, working bathroom and shower were not lost us, still we considered the trip "Roughing it" because the L.A. times won't deliver the sunday paper to site #35, and we had to percolate our own coffee (ugh!)

I was a bit worried about getting the right digital signal in order to post my world Wide work, but I found a sweet spot on top of the RV with three strong digital bars of signal, so I was able to post my pages on Sunday morning without a problem.

We took turns cooking, hiked, played dominoes, swigged beer, celebrated a birthday, went wine tasting, sang around the camp fire, joy-rided on the scooter, visited Solvang, had dinner in a 110 year old stagecoach restaurant, saw a dead body and generally had a very good time. I think Rusty had more fun than anyone else. Bang came in second.

Pictures posted HERE, check 'em out!

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No More Mr. Nice Guy
I'm not necessarily proud of this, but I'm taking someone to court.
I've always felt we live in a sue-happy nation, but recently I've learned that litigation is often the only tool a person has when he feels he's been taken advantage of, and needs help.
Last year, Joe Ryan mashed the fender to my 89 Vanagon, and I have had extreme trouble trying to get this guy to pay for the damage he did.
I decided since it worked well for others, I was going to try my hand at small claims court, and get some experience in the matter. I have a long history of getting walked on by friends who take advantage of my giving nature. This is the first step I'm taking to show I won't be ignored, I won't be a doormat. My case goes before the judge Nov. 22, I have my folder of facts, my witness and my crime scene photos. I'm watching reruns of Matlock to boost my courtroom confidence. Let's hope I have some way of collecting if the case is decided in my favor.

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For images of the house outside
click HERE

For images of the Interior
click HERE