Greetings from high above Phoenix, AZ. I have just departed Phoenix on my way to Washington, D.C. A CIR convention starts this evening.

But as I have a bit of time, I thought that I should catch up on some loose ends. Mainly, updating my blog, finishing up a presentation for work, catching a little sleep, and playing a few games...maybe chess, maybe sudoku.

Michelle and Marianne:

I have had a great time after returning from Florida. My sisters Michelle and Marianne arrived the following day for a week's visit. We were saddened to discover Deborah and her family would not be joining us because of illness. We did make due however.

Our vacation together was fun. Here’s some highlights:

1. The Price is Right. I’ve been a fan for years. Perhaps this is best evidenced by a computer program based on TPIR that I created in Jr. high school. I confess my inconsistency in watching the show, but I have enjoyed it. I’ve offered to take my family to the show whenever they came out, and Marianne and Michelle were the first to take me up on that offer. We didn’t know that the tickets were rather meaningless. We didn’t have reservations as we thought. We arrived at the said time, but didn’t get in the first taping of the day. Apparently large groups get priority over reserved tickets. I guess some people had arrived 4 hours before the designated time.

Well, we waited and made it in for the second taping. Ironically, our show should air today. To our disappointment, we didn’t get called down to contestants row, but we did have fun and made a new friend in a wonderful, retired woman whom we sat next to.

I did learn a bit about attending the show. Plan to attend the afternoon showing. It’s less busy and you’ll get in; You avoid LA’s morning rush hour; and if you don’t get in, you don’t need to wait around to see if you’ll get in the next taping.

Please don't forget to vote for your favorite Price is Right Game on this week's poll.

2. Disneyland. Doesn’t everyone love this place. We had a fun time. We mostly rode the adult rides, and it was fun. Space Mountain is my fave; Indiana Jones is Marianne’s fave, and Michelle’s fave is probably the Haunted House. We also enjoyed Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain, and the Matterhorn. Here’s a picture of a couple of kids on Buzz Lightyear’s ride.

3. Angels Baseball. In reality, we are all NY fans. I’m a Mets fan, and my sisters are Yankee fans. But since no NY was scheduled to visit LA during their trip, we got tickets to Oakland vs. Anaheim. As always, a night at the ballpark was fun.

4. Hollywood Boulevard. Despite multiple trips to SoCal, my sisters had never walked Hollywood Blvd (a.k.a. the Hollywood Walk of Fame). We ventured down for an afternoon. Marianne got spooked. Granted, we didn’t want tickets for a taping for America Gladiators, especially from dudes in a less-than-impressive Spiderman suit or a Sponge-Bob Square Pants. In the end, we did visit the Kodak theatere, the Chinese theater, and stop in souvenir shops.

5. The Beach. Any trip to SoCal could be incomplete without a trip to the beach. Marianne and I hit the boogie boards and threw the frisbee while Michelle soaked up the sun. Marianne was also dying to be covered with sand, so Michelle and I did our best. She objected when we tried to cover her face; maybe next time.

6. Little Tijuana and Little China (and little Phillipines and little.....) We had a great time on Olvera Street and in one of the walking areas in Little China. Michelle suggested that they get some toy accordians. I’m hoping I’ll be available to hear their first concert after a little practice.

7. Others: The Getty Villa, In-and-Out Burger, The Glendale ward including with a surprise Sunday school lesson, and games (i.e Settlers of Catan). Let’s just say we had fun.

For my Mom:
So, now it’s a week late, but I’d like to dedicate this to my mom. We recently reflected on my childhood rearing. Here’s a few highlights:

One morning during my years in elementary school, my mother had told me to make my bed before leaving. I was heading out the door, when she asked if I had made my bed. I told her that I had not, and put up an argument. She won, and I marched downstairs., but instead of performing the task, I ran downstairs and then right back up. She asked if I had made my bed. I lied and left for school. To my surprise and embarrassment, my mom came to my classroom, and announced that she needed to take me out of class for about 15 minutes. She marched me home to make my bed and promptly returned me to school. You imagine I never tried that again.

Like most children, video games, computers, and TV were exciting, and I was less enthusiastic about reading. However, my mother felt strongly about reading and would give us a book every year for Christmas. At first, I was surprised, because it was not something I usually requested from Santa Claus, but over the years, I got used to expecting an unknown book. Most of the time, the book would sit on the shelf for months, until she insisted I read it. I appreciate my mother’s emphasis on reading, because it has helped me appreciate it and discover great stories and ideas, and take time to enjoy good literature.

Sports:

MLB:

So, I wrote that on the way out to D.C., but I’ve returned and now I’m intent on publishing this blog. I just wanted to tell you about my Mets. I’ve been fortunate to be able to attend several major league baseball games. My friend Dan attended the Mets/Dodgers series with me, and although the Mets struggled here in LA, they were still fun to cheer on. The Rasmussen’s also came down from Visalia to attend the Dodgers/Cardinals game. I’m still waiting to catch a homerun, but its been fun watching the best in baseball. (P.S. I hear Pedro Martinez will be back on the mound come Tuesday against the Giants. Go Mets, and welcome back pedro. We’ve sorely missed you!)

NBA:

To my beloved Utah Jazz, I congratulation them on a fantastic season. I was sorry to see them not beat the Lakers, but they gave the Lakers all they could handle. Despite losing in the playoffs, it was a great year: 54-28 is a great record, and we played tough. I can't wait for another good year.