’04 August (first two-thirds)

August 19

Yea!! Hurray!! Another Baaaby! Remember that shot in Yosemite of the beautiful pregnant bride and her handsome proud groom? Here he is, the baby, a person now and four weeks old!

Alex and Ethan. Alex was determined to name Ethan Chagall but cooler heads prevailed.

Alex spent a lot of time pointing to Ethan and reminding us all ‘I made that… I made that…!’.

Baby sounds, and women gather as pins to a magnet.

And then there’s this… Awwww, he wants his MOther.

August 17

I copied a ‘make an Old West portrait’ technique out of a magazine and then it looked so wan I just plopped a filter right over the top. Even with all this mucking about I couldn’t erase the total loveliness of dear Sandy and Nancy.

(pssst S-N tell me if you hate it and it’s Gone…)

And even More mucking about. This one included ‘diffuse glow’ and ‘extract’ and ‘background fill’ not to mention all what all I forgot. That bluish color is supposed to be black. Pretend. Angela took the original photo with my camera because she had run out of film…

Hello Ladies! Monday Night!! Becky’s friend and lifesaver Becky was here for a visit and since Becky tells Becky EVERYthing, she knows all about us and despite that, she really wanted to meet the gang.

Ruth was out of town and Marija too, who was in Croatia to pick me up some homemade slivovitza.

I need to get a real flash, oh goodie, another thing to haul around, as that little baby flash that pops out of the camera just doesn’t do it for these crowd scenes. Or is it me?!? Oh no!

Sunday was Gideon’s birthday party. Happy Birthday Gideon! This is Gideon and both his grandmothers. What a lucky guy!!

August 13

Angela and I had a date to go out for a photo-op today but Lucas and Betsy’s baby came early and Angela asked ‘can’t we go see the baaaby?!’. Of course!

Big Brother Xander’s parents and his new baby sister, twenty three hours old here.

I quick grabbed this shot because she was opening her eyes! Hi baby girl! Welcome to your world!!

We went down to the nursery to see all the other babies. Betsy thought that twenty six were born that day. I’ll be 85 before they’ll be paying my social security.

The guy in the red shirt is the husband of Betsy’s roommate. They had a boy. Guess what they’re doing now… Right after this picture they pulled the drapes.

Oh yea, Babies!

Back with OUR baby, obviously the cutest of them all, and so good natured too, you can tell, and really really smart and so advanced for her age.

What Betsy said at the onset of very early labor, two weeks early actually: ‘But wait, we’re not ready!’. We spent a couple of hours doing a quick tidy-up and Lucas gave us all the most extravagant gifts in thanks.

Now when they have the baby shower next weekend as previously scheduled, everyone will get to admire the baby!

August 11

Yesterday’s outing to Magic Mountain. On, I will add in amazement, the Hottest Day of the Year. That’s right. Like about 142 degrees or some such thing. I held up fairly well and only once for about fifteen minutes was convinced the guys would have to check me into the hospital.

Those are indeed feet sticking straight up in the air as the riders balance on their heads.

To think that years go by and no one dies. In one of the lines we were chatting with some kids in front of us who allowed that the ride we were waiting for was just like Thunder Mountain at Disneyland except that this ride hadn’t killed anyone yet.

Magic Mountain definitely doesn’t have that fanatic commitment to cleanliness you like to see as you are about to be hurled through the air, on your head, 100 feet above the ground, and many of the rides could use a nice coat of paint, still it was great fun and I would not hesitate to go again.

Perhaps because as it was the hottest day of the year the park was not at all crowded and the people who were there were all friendly, polite, and enjoyable and pleasant company for line-standing companions. Even in the evening the huge scary crowds of roving youth who used to plague the place were not in evidence.

Hang on! (I only do ‘harness’ rides in a marginally successful attempt to avoid whiplash.)

To Ken’s continuing disappointment Superman was closed again!

For the last ride we did Log Jammer, me in front, and so then soaked and exhausted we took Bill out for his birthday dinner.

This picture is practically pornographic and I think those builders did not do this accidentally.

August 7

Giuseppi, welcoming his guests to Valentino. Sigh.

Piero was there too. We always get wide open arms and plenty of yummy Italian kisses, the best table, the top servers, because we’ve know these guys for years. That they now have a Valentino menu on the Crystal ships doesn’t hurt either!

It is lovely in there with an inviting warm formality that makes you feel like good people respect you and your good taste and think you deserve a really fine dining experience. Talk about professionals!

August 5

It’s my Thursday at Mom’s and this guy bold as you please was playing King of the Mountain at the bird feeder. Windy says she blows him off the perch with water from the hose but until you actually turn On the water he doesn’t budge!

August 1

I sure had some fun yesterday! Cynthia came over in the moring and put together the cabinet for the hall then we went out to see the Reception Site.

The Reception Site includes another section like this, more on the left, more big trees and a wonderful expanse of lawn. Picture it without those RVs and your eye will pass by more big trees and more lawn and not to forget the easy access restroom! It is perfection and the caterers were cool and stylin’ in a way that made Darryl and Angela comfortable and happy. Tick!

(It was actually darker under there and the lovely glowy light from the handsome battery operated lanterns will be quite Fab…)

This is looking out from the last set of tables toward the parking on the other side of the big lawn. Saturday some dog show folk had reserved the space. Last time we were in Balboa Park we ran into the model airplane crowd. A lot of committment and a lot of cash gets absorbed in Balboa Park activities!

We were Darryl, Angela, Cynthia, Aunt Jean, Liz and the two potential caterers.

I’m sparing you the other eighteen pictures of dogs and their owners…

…because here she is again having just finished the course. The dogs seemed pretty casual about the whole affair but the owner/trainers were working Hard – running the course, instructing and cheering their dog, back and forth, jump up, crouch down, run run. I was exhaused after just watching.

And speaking of dogs, Burt just lost his dearly loved member-of-the-family pet dog. Charlene was up with the grandkids so as a hopeful distraction he came over and we went to the pier for some pic snapping.

Kids. Notice the checkered Vans which is what made me stop in the first place. My kids loved checkered Vans.

The one sitting down on the wall was Organization Man to the others, to keep the show hopping. ‘Yo, you’re next, let’s go, hit it, photographers waiting.’ Check out that argyle sweater. Waaay fun!

They were pushing one of those tandem baby carriages with two babies who could not have been much more than 9 months apart. They were beaming adorable magnetic parents. They were cuter than the kids.

From Burt. Me: ‘me me take my picture take my picture.’ We didn’t consult the Palm Reading Tarot Cards Psychic this time…

Another slice ‘o paradise.

The price we pay for paradise?

Touristas.

More. Looks like the set of the latest Spiderman movie doesn’t it.

Oh No No WAY! But YES!! Scott and Sanae! We haven’t seen each other in Years. Yowza! Back from Japan, settled in Pasadena, working steady. Yowza! Then Scott and Burt, both being in the sound editing racket got to say ‘do you know so-and-so?’ ‘of course, friends for years’ ‘do you know so-and-so’ ‘of course, worked together last month’ etc. etc.. ‘It’s a small world aaafter all.’

Burt-o!