It rained for five days in a row and this is our reward. I took this picture from the patio outside the break room at Edmunds.com. It's amazing how even the telephoto lens on my little point-n-shoot camera collapses the distance between the photographer and the subject. The highest peak you see is Mount San Antonio, known locally as Mount Baldy, which is 10,052 feet. We don't get many views like this so we have to savor it. Many people don't even know there are mountains around Los Angeles because we can't see them often. A friend has a funny saying: "Oh look! They put the mountains up today."

Racing School in the Desert

Every year we have to go to driving school so we can get a break on the Edmunds.com insurance. We go to a track north of Lancaster (where the space shuttle lands) and drive these modified Toyota Celicas. They have cages inside, a stiff suspesion and LOUD exhausts. Yesterday it rained so we were skidding all over the track. Luckily, no one crashed into each other. But the end of the day my ears are ringing. This is a picture of me with my helmet on, waiting to go out onto the track.

About Families and Hospitals

Yesterday I had to have a colonoscopy and I spent a lot of time thinking about Mom and what she is going through. When you check into the hospital they take complete control of you. They take your clothes, your valuables and your dignity. And once they put that IV in your hand you can't even run away. I was dreading this "routine" examination ever since I turned 50 and my doctor started brow beating me to do it. Vivian helped me prepare for it by getting jello and the other things I was still allowed to drink. Then Drew and Tony drove me to the surgery center (yes, "surgery," even though I'm completely fine!). The nurses were very nice and it didn't really hurt since I was under a twilight sedative. The first thing I remember when I woke up was Drew and Tony walking in and looking a little nervous at seeing their Dad flat on his back in a hospital gown (Vivian was at work so she couldn't come get me). I was trying to be really alert and cool but they later told me I referred to the nurses as "librarians." At home, I lay on the couch napping while they brought me coffee and a raisin toast, soup and later a delicious buffalo burger. Having my family helping me put my mind at rest. I know that Dad, Kat, Pete, Jack and Kristin are doing this for Mom, too, as she works her way through this difficult time.

Happy Birthday to Me!

I'm 58 years old which is somehow unexpected. It seems when I last checked I was about 41. The only thing I've learned about growing older is that there is nothing at all you can do to prevent it. I've also learned that life becomes more precious as there is less of it. I'd say the past five years have held some moments of joy and peace that my earlier days didn't contain. And there are many more years to come. Thank you to my wonderful family for all the gifts, cards, calls and birthday wishes. And here is a picture of me taken by Drew with a camera I got as a present.

Once, These Were Just Hills

As we hiked around San Francisco I let my mind dwell on the fact that once these hills were just hills. If I could go back and gaze at that scene of natural beauty, would it be more rewarding than what greets the eye now? I decided that no, this urban landscape, created by humans, was vastly more interesting to look at. It's the complexity, the interconnectedness, which is so amazing. There is so much to look at, so many shapes and shadows, so many different purposes for the structures: houses, offices, monuments, freeways and bridges. I could spend a long time watching the clouds move about this landscape, changing the light and shadows. Take a moment, enlarge the picture, and visit this place yourself.

Each in His Own Way

We visited Audy this weekend and she said that Tony was "cute." I told Mom this when I talked with her in the hospital. She thought it over and replied, "Drew is handsome and Tony is cute." I took this picture of them riding the "Muni" in San Francisco this weekend and all I can say is I'm very proud of them both.

The Mighty Pacific Ocean

Last Saturday we took Pete to Point Lobos where the surf was crashing on the rocks and running off in foamy riverlets. Every once in a while there was a deep boom as a huge breaker pounded the boulders. I took a dozen pictures and they were all impressive. But this one really knocked me out ... and I can't really say why. Of course, it isn't important to analyze and put such things into words. It will just be a mystery. Like art, like life, like the powerful and frightening ocean.

Steve's emails from India

It's amazing to get pictures and emails from all the way on the other side of the world. Here is his email from Sunday: "Made it to my place in Bangalore on time. I’m not tired at all because I did a lot of cat naps and I’m pumped to get out and take pics. My apt is really a 5 star hotel, washer, dryer, safe, kitchen. Driver almost hit a dog coming from airport. He drove really crazy and honked every time he approached a car or truck, good fun." Today he wrote: "I hope this goes through as email has been giving me headaches. I’ve had an eventful weekend at a few really colorful markets. One of them is unbelievably intense and crowded,but it’s the India I wanted to see. I went back a second time and found so much more as its huge. They’re hundreds of flower vendors so very colorful. I’ve been riding auto rickshaws all over town for about a $1 each ride. Traffic is real bad and air is pretty bad, Its hot but not humid. I’ll try t o send some pics after this goes through. How is Dix?"

Pete flew into San Francisco Wednesday night and stayed for four nights. We're house sitting for Steve while he is in India so Pete saw Steve for a night and a breakfast. After we dropped Steve at the airport we took Pete to see the Golden Gate Bridge (lost in the fog) Coit Tower (cold and windy) and Russian Hill (filled with intricate walkways winding to an amazing summit). On Friday, the clouds parted and we played golf on Steve's local course. Saturday Pete and I ran on the beach and then drove to Point Lobos to watch waves crashing on the rocks. Pete generously treated Vivian and me to a wonderful dinner in Carmel. It was great to see my brother and now the house seems too quiet.

I'm Becky and I'll be Your Server Today

I'm very sensitive to the service I get in a restaurant. Yesterday we ate in Balboa Park in San Diego and Becky was our waitress. She wanted to know how our day was going. She was very interesting in knowing where we were from. And when she poured coffee she shielded us from potential splashes with a napkin held behind the cup. When she saw my camera on the table she volunteered to take this picture. She really was a very nice person. But there was a point at which I wanted to say: "Enough already." The only thing I know about service is that too good is better than bad.

A Day in San Diego

Today Vivian and I drove to San Diego so I could do several interviews with "Consumer Bob," a reporter from NBC Channel 4, about the Toyota recalls. I avoided making any references to the wonderful movie "Anchorman," which took place in San Diego, and did make some excellent points. See how riveted the reporter is? Actually, he was a great guy and guided us to the Prado restaurant in San Diego's amazing Balboa Park. We ate outside and then strolled around among the trees, museums and people enjoying the park.

The Indifference of the Ocean

Saturday night we watched this amazing documentary called "Deep Water." In 1968 they had a race to see who could sail around the world alone. I won't spoil the ending, which was epic, but in the film they said that when you are alone on the water you realize the ocean is completely indifferent to you. The next morning we walked to church (yes, walked the 8 miles round trip) and a verse from a hymn stunned me. It seemed to condense the human experience into single line. "Time, like an ever rolling stream, soon bears us all away, we fly forgotten, as a dream, dies at the opening day."

Rainy Day LA

The last week has brought rain almost every day. Palm fronds are lying all over the street. Storm drains are backing up. Our swimming pool is brimming. I asked Tony how I could capture this in a photo to post on my blog. "Rain drops on the window," he quickly answered. I shot a bunch of different pictures but he was right, this is what we've been seeing for what seems like a long time.

Urban Hiking

Usually we drive hundreds of miles and then hike in the wilderness. But recently a friend gave me a GPS hiking unit that tracks the distance I walk, my speed and elevation gain. I love data -- and it's motivated me to develop some "urban hikes" that leave right from my front door. Yesterday, we did one better. We took light rail from Long Beach to Hollywood then walked into Griffith Park and along a hiking trail up to the observatory. Along the way we saw runners, families and dog walkers. The observatory was jammed and the exhibits were great. My favorite part was a handwritten sign: "Restrooms located near moon exhibit." We walked back into Hollywood and had coffee and pasteries in a hip cafe packed with Mac laptoppers. The ride back on light rail from Hollywood was under an hour! Now for the data: 4.3 miles hiked in 2 hours with 600 foot elevation gain.

Locally World Famous

I love corny sayings like "Locally World Famous." That's one of the reasons I like Chuck's Coffee Shop. The other is that Chuck is usually there, welcoming you, shaking your hand, offering you coffee, asking how your life is going. He had a sailboat named "The Weasel" and that's where he invented his omelette filled with chili and cheese. Someone told him it was so good he should open a coffee shop. So he found this odd-shaped place in Long Beach and now it's packed every Sunday morning. When I go to Chuck's I feel good about life because it's filled with ordinary people and a warm sense of community. No wonder it's "Locally World Famous."

Who Are These People?

Over the holidays we went through old photo albums to send them off to be scanned. Looking at old photos puts you in a funny, dreamy, kind of sad mood. This is an average picture I pulled out of hundreds. It was taken in 1992, 18 years ago, when I was 39. Now I'm 57. It's too easy to say, "Where does the time go?" Instead, I try to tell myself, "You had that time -- and now you have this time. Live it fully. Don't spend a lot of time looking back." But a little edge of sadness remains as I wonder what it all means.

Sunday at the Farmers' Market

Sunday mornings we like to ride our bike to the farmers' market. We buy eggs (cage-free), oranges and fresh veggies. This morning I bought a piece of baklava for $2 which was dripping with honey. Mostly, though, I like it that when I hand over three bucks for oranges it goes right into the farmer's pocket. No distant corporation siphoning off a slice of the profit and taking that money out of the community. What if farmers' markets grew to the point that they put the mega-supermarkets out of business?