This evening I took Jennifer and George to Salsas. She had not been to Salsas before and she liked the place. Jennifer, George and I then went on the art walk. There were some nice pieces this time. My favorite was pieces by Nic Noblique. I really liked the curves and fluid motion of his pieces which are made of steel. I even got to sit on one of the pieces which is a chair. It was surprisingly comfortable.
This evening I went to a party hosted by Jennifer's professor in charge of her lab. It was fun to hangout with a different group of people. Her professor is like a renaissance man. He is a science professor, architect (he designed his kitchen), a musician (he plays guitar in a new rock band he recently formed) and a beer maker. It was also fun seeing Jennifer interacting with people in her native environment.
I had to wake up at 5a to catch my flight out of Boise at 7:35a. When flying east you have to get an early flight in order to get home at a descent hour. Since I have a meeting tomorrow I wanted at least an evening to get acclimated at home again. I said my goodbye to AD and JK and Mom and DD took me to the Boise airport. It was a long flight. I had to fly to Atlanta, Georgia before arriving at the Houston Hobby airport. George was nice enough to pick me up at the airport. Went to my apartment and said hi to it after about 2 weeks of not seeing it. We then went to eat at Salsas since all I had today was airplane food. I am home again and it is nice to see the ocean again.
We had lunch at Wingers. A 1950's style restaurant. Today AD took us to Treasure Valley Community College which is the college he will be working. He has a cool and diverse gig. We will be teaching English, Speech and be the community theater director. We showed us the nice size theater and his new office. As my Aunt Bonnie would say, "It is pretty spiffy." AD and JK went off to get things done and Mom, DD and I walked around the museum in the Cultural Center on campus. It is a very good, very well done museum. Then back to their home had pizza delivered (can you tell we like pizza) and ate the cake Mom, DD and I got for there housewarming. I showed AD my pictures of the travels I have taken this past year. Now to bed for tomorrow I go back home.
The moving van showed up this morning and Mom and DD were there to help. I stayed at the hotel and slept in. I have already had the moving experience 2 times in 2 years. We ate at a restaurant where there is all you can eat pizza. We then all hung out at their house and I helped AD set up the 2 most important things: The music studio with the computer and synths and the entertainment center with the tv, dvd player and the surround sound system. AD, like myself, is all about making sure those 2 important things work. Especially the studio since we are both music composers. This evening we had pizza delivered and watch a videoed episode of Star Gate.
Our trip takes us from Utah
to Idaho
and finally Ontario, Oregon which is in Eastern Oregon.
On our way I saw these summits or mountains with plateaus.
I got to see AD and JK's nice looking house. It has 2 bedrooms, a basement, an extra room in the basement and a big front and back yard with roses, fruit trees and a vegetable garden. We all ate at the Country Kitchen restaurant and then all hit the bed after a long time on the road.
We left LA at 4a. Ya it's early but we had to do it for 2 reasons. The 1st is obvious, the only way to avoid the morning rush hour (we should call it rush morning) is to leave real early. The 2nd is that we will be driving though the desert and wanted to travel through it during the cooler part of the day as log as possible. The destination is Ontario, Oregon where AD has a college gig and JK has a Kindergarten gig. We made a stop in Las Vegas and had the brunch at the Excalibur. Mom really likes Star Trek but she is not really into Las Vegas and will never really stay there so we thought today would be a good time to take her to the Star Trek Experience at the Hilton. We did both the Klingon and the Borg experience. They were fun. Then off we went to Salt Lake City with some great scenery on the way.
Pine Valley Mountains
In Utah we saw a rainbow
and a nice sunset.
So we came from California
though Nevada,
Arizona
and Utah.
It was about a 15 hour drive and took all day but we finally made it.
Today I went to eat lunch with my friend Liz and new Ruby's that just opened up on 2nd street. Then went to Nana's to hang out and visit. Of course during the conversation hockey usually comes up. She is a major hockey fan, even more that I am. When I still lived here we use to go to the Ice Dogs game. At least one time during the game she would yell out something that players are doing wrong and I would die laughing. I still have the paw and the stuffed dogs they gave out before the game.
Mom was at Adam's place watching the movers pack the truck. They then called me up and went to Pancake House. I wanted to see two of the places I used to go to calm down and think so I had Mom and DD come with me. They are the Reef and the lighthouse. The Reef is a park area near the restaurant called the Reef and the Queen Mary. Across the water is a nice view of Long Beach.
We then went to my lighthouse. The lighthouse is on Point Fermin in San Pedro. The lighthouse is in Victorian style.
I had been taken there since I was little by both of my parents. During my college years I when there many times with my friend John. It is a nice view of the ocean and you can hear the waves crashed against the rocks. Just before I left to Marin a couple of years ago, the lighthouse was in the process of being restored. Now is looks really good and I finally have good pictures of it. We then went to eat at Hoff's Hut with AD and JK.
Today my brother Adam came over. I showed him my pictures and played my new music pieces and he played his new videos and new music pieces.
Then DD, Mom, AD, JK and I went to Souplantation since they will not have one where they are moving to.
Today was more family world. I had a nice long lunch with Mom at Pancake House followed by a walk around the Hallmark store. Then dinner with AD, JK, DD and Mom at Souplantation which is another of our local hangouts.
Here are this week's Tonight Show Headlines.
Headlines
One of my favorites this week.
Today Kimberly and I did some music together. We then had dinner with her friend Jenny. (Ya I know. A lot of Jennifers around).
Got up late and relaxed around the house until DD came home. We then talked and hung out in front of the tv. Then my friend Kimberly came by to take me out to dinner for my birthday. She took me to Ruby's on the end of the pier in Seal Beach. It is a great view and it was our local hangout when I lived here. I watched the sun set behind the hills of Palos Verdes.
Today the family went to the buffet at El Torito to celebrated 3 things. The 1st it my birthday, the 2nd is Nana's (my Mom's mom) birthday and 3rd was AD and JK's going away lunch since they both got a gig in eastern Oregon and are moving up there next weekend. At the lunch was myself, DD, AD, JK, Mom, Nana, Bonnie (my Mom's sister), Carol (JK's Mom) and Theresa (JK's sister). It was great hanging out with the family. I then went to Nana's house and showed Nana, Bonnie, Mom and DD pictures of my recent trips and played a recording of my new age style piano pieces.
Today I flew back to my hometown which is the LA area, specifically Lakewood. DD (my dad) picked me up from the airport. We then went to eat at Claim Jumper since there are not any in Houston or Galveston and it was (still is for the rest of my family) one of our local hangout restaurants. Then went to my old house and played my piano. It is the piano I grew up playing since I was 3. Then went to Hof's Hut with AD (my brother Adam), JK (his wife Jennifer which is a different Jennifer than the one I am dating), DD and Mom. It was nice to hang out with my parents and brother again.
Today I went up to my Honda dealer to get my license plates for my new car. I got Texas license plates before for my old car so I already went through the shock of being sucked up into Texas world. After they put my plates on, George took me to BJ's for by birthday.
On Wednesday, I took Jennifer to Fung's Kitchen for her Birthday, since her birthday is on Saturday and I will be in California then. That is still a really good Chinese food restaurant with a great atmosphere.
On Thursday, Ron took me to the nice Italian restaurant Luigi's.
I like multi celebrations of my birthday.
