More of the Olvera Street trip

Well, Syd is much faster on the blog than I am. She posted some of the best shots and told the stories so I'll fill in a few more pictures. I took 96 pictures and 4 videos, but the videos aren't that good. I may post one or two later. We took the Metrolink to downtown LA Union Station, which is right across the street from Olvera Street. I had wanted to do this several months ago, but the girls got sick at different times so we had to postpone it, then Syd suggested we wait for Easter and see the annual Blessing of the Animals on the Saturday before Easter, so we did. The train took about an hour to get downtown, so we had time to sit and talk and enjoy the scenery. You know, Old Newhall, Sylmar, Pacoima, Sun Valley, Atwater, the train yards. Actually it was interesting, especially when we went through the three-mile long, 150-year old train tunnel connecting Santa Clarita with the San Fernando Valley. Chinese laborers dig it by hand from both sides of the mountain and the engineering was so good they met in the middle only a foot or two off target. The tunnel is a favorite hang out for teenagers, and suicidal people, and was built for older trains so it's a little tight and we had to slow way down to get through. You'd look out the window and couldn't really see much, but when you could you realized the wall was only inches from the window.

We hung out in LA for about 3 1/2 hours. The girls, all three of them, were good as gold and the trip was just great.

Getting on the train in Santa Clarita

Grandma and the girls enjoying the view.

Getting off at Union Station

Walking out of Union Station; I'd never been there before and I was surprised how stylized it was. They must have been restoring it for some time now. It was as good as anything I've seen back east.

We got to the street just before Sydney made it. Standing in front of the fountain.

Syd made it shortly after we got there. The girls have a way of making you feel like you're the most important person there.

The traditional Easter Bunny shot. Sade doesn't look very excited here, but she really did enjoy it.

Cardinal Mahoney proceeding to the blessing stand. I didn't know he was the one to do the blessing, but he was recognizable right away. He's looking right at me!

The Mariachi band that led the parade.

Cardinal Mahoney blessing the animals. They actually had a large group of various people go through before the public. I gathered from what they were saying that these groups go through every year. There was a family all riding horses, a group of Aztec warriors, various unusual animals (see Syd's photos), and guests, then the public went through. All kinds of dogs were the most prevalent (mostly chihuahuas. What a surprise in LA), but there were turtles, snakes, cats, lamas, rabbits, sheep, goats, you name it, it was there. The Cardinal had a tub of water and used what looked like an ostrich feather duster that he would dip into the water, then sprinkle (more like shower) the people as they passed by.

One of the Aztec warriors. There were about 8 of them. Click on the shot to see the details of the costume. I wish I had his shield in the picture too. This is all bead work and feathers.

The street was crowded, as usual and all the stuff they sell is the same junk as when I was a kid. We forgot to stop at the taquito stand at the north end of the street. It's about as famous as Tito's Tacos. We did eat at one of the restaurants on the patio where the birds were so used to people some of them came right up to Nayah's hand for food.

After Olvera Street we walked to China Town a couple of blocks away where grandma bought the girls some oriental fans. Not as much to see, but Sade and Nyah were kind of fascinated with some of the seafood. Extra tentacles anyone?

Waiting for the return train ride home at Union Station. Check out the old 1940's style seats.

The inside of Union Station. The art deco is fantastic. This is just one section, closed off to the public while they do some restoration work.

Check out the art work in each of the ceiling sections. I haven't seen anything like this since we went to the Salt Lake visitor's center last Christmas with Eddie and Carline. That was much better, but you don't see this around LA much at all.

These are precious. Cali is responding to Jeremy and trying to talk with him.

We had a great time and I don't think I'll ever forget this trip together.

Dad's Bronze Star

I was Googling our name and found this, the "United States Coast Guard Book of Valor". It lists all the CG medal winners during WW II. It appears to be done in chronological order and sub divided by states. If you scroll about 4/5 the way down dad is listed with the official statement of the award. Also listed in the same group are his buddies Scoles, Hopper, Beck and Nikolenko, all of whom, if memory serves, are shown in the newspaper photo where dad is getting his medal. Come to think of it, I think every one but Hoppr is with dad in that picture John found in the book, Iwo Jima Recon.

By the way, William Hopper was the son of Hedda Hopper, the famous, or infamous, depending on which end of the gun you were, Hollywood Gossip columnist of the 40's. He was also the district attorney who went up against Perry Mason in the television series. I remember dad saying that his hair turned white in a few weeks after a particularly bad fight.

Check it out. I know it's a long link, but when I tried to shorten it, it went nowhere.

**EDIT** I made a permanent short link for you Dad.
An easier way to help find the name would be to press control F (command F for Syd), type Gordon Risser in the search box and hit enter. -Eddie
http://tinyurl.com/d99jq5

Baby Blessing

Today we went to Jeremy and Kristy's ward to help bless little Cali. She was perfect. She never even squeeked. After wards we all came over to our house for a family dinner. All in all it was a great day.

Jeremy is such a proud papa, and a good one.

Look Eddie and Carline, I'm wearing the shirt. I love Jamaica Jaxx

I love this shot.

Have you ever seen anything so peaceful?

NEW ADDITION

I thought he'd have it up by now, but I guess he's pretty busy. Jeremy and Kristy are proud parents of a new daughter, Cali Sanoe Risser. I'll leave it to him to update his blog and give you the details.

Amgen Tour de California

The Amgen tour came through yesterday. The last several years they have ridden from Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita, and we have gone to the Town Center Mall to see them come in. It was great because they would come down Magic Mountain Parkway, turned right at Mc Bean, go past the finish line, then right on Valencia, then right again on Tourney Rd. They would do three laps then hit the finish line, which gave us multiple chances to see them go by. But this year they started at the mall and rode to Pasadena going through our valley, up Soledad Cyn through Acton by Jeff's house, up Aliso canyon to Angeles Crest Highway, then over the mountains to Pasadena. Bottom line, we didn't get to see much this year.

I really wanted to see it this year as Lance Armstrong is riding on his come-back for the Tour de France, for which this ride is a qualifier. Jeremy and Kristy and the girls were at her parents house and the race went up Bouquet Canyon right by them, so I went over there and we waited on the sidewalk till the peleton came by. It was fun, but really, really short.

First the sponsers cars come by. The SAAB sponser was handing out cowbells, the traditional noisemaker for bike races. We didn't see what they were doing till they started to leave, so we didn't get one, at first. But shortly after they left a man walked up to Nyah and gave his bell to her. After they went by, Jeremy wasn't excited about having a cowbell in the house with two highly creative and active daughters, so Nyah gave it to me. It now has a place of honor on my bookshelf. (I found out later that SAAB was selling the same bells at the starting line for $8 each.)

The lead cars and police went by about 5 minutes ahead of the riders with lights and sirens going, and then the riders came through with the television and photo motorcycles, then a long line of support cars. The whole parade lasted about 15 minutes, but the riders went by in less than 15 seconds.

I was so busy trying to get a good shot I never got to look at them. I tried to identify Lance from the photos but I can't make him out. I did think I saw Floyd Landis in it.

It was over in the blink of an eye.

By the time I got back to the house and got the on-line live video feed they were already miles up Soledad Canyon. I was especially interested in this part of the race because I ride this road so much myself, and even though I know how fast they are I couldn't believe how they were burning up the road.

In celebration of the whole thing I watched "The Triplets of Belleville" afterward. (Inside joke)

Waxing affectionate

Well, I'm sitting on the floor (because that's the only place I can find a plug for my laptop, which has a chronically weak battery) at the Dallas Ft Worth airport waiting for my connecting flight to Detroit where I will be having a preliminary interview with another car wash company I may want to work for. Sitting here reminds me of an old Paul Simon song, which I can't remember the name of, but where he sings of watching people at the airports, especially the babies and how they look at him with pure innocence, and I think about the lives of the people I see and how each of them are individuals with a fascinating story to tell, and I wonder about them and their families, what their stories may be. Some give me the impression of immense sadness and loneliness. Others seem so well adjusted and confident. Still others just seem to be moving ahead like walking through a rainstorm, just enduring the moment because they know the rain won't last forever. I know this is all just guessing and I don't really know what's going on with them, but it makes me think more about my own life.

A friend of mine sent me a copy of a story that really rang true.

" And it's winter before we know it....
You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all...
And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams... But, here it is..the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise... How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? And where did my youth go? I remember well.. seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like... But, here it is...my friends are retired and really getting gray...they move slower and I see an older person now. Lots are in better shape than me... but, I see the great change... Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant... but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be. Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore...it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will..I just fall asleep where I sit! And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it's over...its over....Yes , I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done ,,,,,things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime....So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!"Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after."

Boy, does that say it or what? A couple of weeks ago Cherryl and I met up with my old high school friends, Bart Fenton, Scotty Brunton, Roger LeClair and their wives, Tawnee, Patty and Vickie. I really enjoyed the short time we had but the story above came to life. We're not kids anymore, and each of us has an interesting story to tell. (For those of you who remember them, here are some pictures. I don't know what happened to the picture of Tawnee)

Scotty and Bart

Roger and Vickie

Scotty and Patty

Lately as I lay in bed at night I think of how fast time is going now. Like President Bush said the other day, the days are long, but the weeks fly by. I'll be 58 this year. I could never have imagined it would come so soon. As healthy as I feel, I am starting to realize that it still may only be a short time before I pass to the other side, my time here is over and I have that personal priesthood interview with my brother Jesus Christ. The reality of his existence and literally, physically meeting him face-to-face is finally sinking in like never before. I'm not afraid of the meeting, but I have to wonder how much more I can do before it happens. (No, I am not having a premonition about crashing on my next flight.)

Sydney and I and her friend John went for a bike ride in the rain yesterday and as messy as it was I completely enjoyed being together just riding and talking. Now that the house is empty mom and I have time to talk and kind of rediscover each other. Life and raising a family can tend to take up so much of your time that it's easy to forget to take time to just be together. I'm enjoying this.

The bottom line is that I am just very grateful for my family and the ever present sense of eternal belonging; Cherryl and all the kids, mom and dad, brother and sisters and all the little grandchildren, nieces and nephews that are coming into my life, and I just feel a tremendous feeling of affection for all of you. The only thing that matters in the long run is God, family, love, service and doing the best you can. Families really can be together forever.

Current Score - Girls 4, Boys 3

I don't see the post on Jason's and Sarah's blog, so I will do it. Jason and Sarah are going to have a BOY! I'll let them tell you the rest.

Me, a Nazi?

I sent this to Letters to the Editor at the Signal after this happened last night.

I am pro Proposition 8. I believe very strongly that marriage is a time-honored and socially critical covenant between a man and a woman with the chief purpose of conceiving and raising children in a loving family environment, a covenant that has been gradually eroded and made to seem wholly irrelevant (till now) over the last 40+ years. I live on a busy street in my tract and have had 4 signs stolen from my front yard in 2 weeks. Many of my friends have had theirs stolen too. One house in my otherwise peaceful neighborhood was vandalized. I came home late this evening to surprise a young man posting a swastika and a lengthy accusation on the streetlight in front of my house accusing “Yes On 8” people of being hate-filled Nazi's. Being of German descent I guess I should have been outraged at this, but I spoke cordially with him for a while to let him explain his beliefs and figure out why he picked my house. He eventually admitted it was because of the “Yes On 8” sign on my lawn and he wanted to make a statement specifically towards me. If he had painted the very same message on my garage door it would have been a hate crime. I'm very concerned. This has become a common response by Prop 8 opponents. Slander and hate-filled accusations from the same group that tells us we should be more open-minded and accepting of those different from us. This is scary moral relativism in a most unsubtle form. Apparently in their minds any means seems to justify the ends, including vulgarity, slander and intimidation. Perhaps naively I left his paper alone hoping the contrasting displays may move those still thinking about it to carefully consider the means and methods of Proposition 8 opponents and where such justification could take us in the future.

Pride Cometh Before....

Last Saturday I went riding up Soledad Canyon Road towards Acton on my weekly bike ride. I was feeling pretty good. I had my heart monitor on and could see that my heart rate was low and that I was recovering quickly after each hill climb. I was coming back and as I started up the climb from Agua Dulce Canyon Rd to the Soledad tunnel I could see two riders ahead of me about half way up, and I could tell I was gaining on them. "Wow" I thought. "I really have improved." I didn't quite catch them before the tunnel and they went pretty fast on the downhill side, so I didn't catch them till the top of the next hill. When I did I kind of blew by them and thought smugly that they must be admiring how quick this old man is. I shot down the next hill, under the freeway at Shadow Pines and blew down the road subconsciously thinking to myself that they were dropping behind quickly and admiring my speed, if they could even see me.

I topped the next hill in good time and crossed Sand Canyon road when all of a sudden there they were, passing me. "Well," I thought, "I gave them a good pull and now I'll draft them.". But now I was having a little trouble keeping up with them. I pushed hard and stayed about 10 yards behind (drafting actually really makes me really nervous) as we crossed over the road by Anna Frieda and went under the freeway to the bike path. I passed them again as we went through the gate and noticed that one of them seemed to have a black knee-high stocking on his left leg only. "Kind of weird" I thought. (Regular bike riders only wear the short ankle-high socks and knee-highs are a dead give-away the rider is a novice) but this sock was only on one leg.

After about a half mile they passed me again and I looked closer and realized he had a carbon fiber prosthetic calf. Well, that was kind of humbling. This guy had half a left leg and he was pushing me. Now as I was riding behind him I saw he was sitting over to the right of his saddle and was moving kind of strange as he peddled. I looked closer and this time I realized that his left thigh was only about as big as my arm!! I had to laugh at myself for being such a big schmuck. (That's Yiddish kids, not a swear word.)The only reason I could catch him on the hill is because he was peddling with only one leg. That was REALLY humbling! Pride really does come before the fall.

Spewing Chunks

Cherryl, Kyle and I went to Utah the weekend of September 7th to See Eddie, Carline and Matix, and to be with GK and Suzanna to help bless little Van. I have a bunch of pictures but I left my USB connector at Eddie and Carline's so I have to wait for it to arrive by mail before I can download and show them off, but in the meantime we had an experience that I have to tell you all about.

Suzanna's family was having the wedding reception for her sister at their cabin up in Little Cottonwood Canyon (calling it a cabin is a little like calling a pavilion a tent; it's a real mountain getaway.)and Kyle and I went up to deliver some decorative lights. We had the dog with us and I was a little nervous about that because every time I have taken him in my car he throws up. Never once with Cherryl, only with me. She took him to Yosemite; 5 hours in the truck in and out of the canyons, up and down hills, never once. All the way to Utah, 11 hours and not even a hick-up. I take him down the street and he leaves a gift on the front seat. I should have named him Barfolomew.

Anyway, we're heading up 90th South into the lower bench. We had gotten some drinks when we left Eddies and I had just finished chewing my ice and put the cup in the holder between me and Kyle in the front seat when Woody comes up on the center console and sticks his nose in my cup, like he's looking for something to drink. I hear a small coughing noise and Kyle say, "He just threw up in your cup!". Sure enough, there it was. We both nervously laughed and commented on what a close thing that was and how lucky we were to have a cup, and that he used it. We pulled into a Walgreen's and I threw the cup in the trash can, and we went on our way confident
that we had dodged the bullet.

About a mile up the road we're now into the last houses and still about 2-3 miles from the cabin when Woody comes up and gets into Kyle's lap and sticks his head out the window, then pulls it back in and starts licking his nose and lips and salivating. Kyles says, "I think he's getting sick again!". I yell, "STICK HIS HEAD OUT THE WINDOW!!!. Kyle just barely gets him to the door when he lets loose with a bucket load. Kyle looks out the window and say "It's all over the side of the truck!" I had no idea till we got to the cabin and by that time it was dry as a bone and glued on tight. It was all over everything from the rear corner of the window to the end of the bed. I mean he must have stored up everything he had eaten for the last three days for this stunt.

Before I take him anywhere with me again I'm going to have to invent some kind of plastic bag that goes over his head, that will let him breath, but traps him in his own gift when he bless me with his last dinner.

Next blog I'll tell how Matix tried to take up rock climbing when we went with Uncle GK.

Happy Anniversary again!!!!!

We want to wish GK and Susanna a very happy 2nd anniversary.

Love ya lots,
Mom and Dad

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Happy anniversary to the loving couple. 9 years down and an eternity to go! Love, Mom and Dad

6 degrees of separation, again

So I'm sitting in the LA Temple at the Baptismal Recommend Desk where all the people come in to do baptisms for the dead, and there's a brother about my age sitting in the lobby area near me waiting for some of his group to come out. We're just making small talk when he says my name looks familiar and asks if I ever lived in Fullerton. I tell him my parents did when I was born and he says, "Your dad blessed me when I was a baby". Turns out his dad had been inactive and was just starting to come to church again when he was born, and his father asked dad to bless him since he couldn't yet.

On top of that, it turns out he lives in Frazier Park just a short way from Carline's family and was at Eddie and Carline's wedding reception. Carline, his last name is Evens.

This is the third time since I started working at the Temple last November that a total stranger to me has recognized my name and had some story to tell me about how dad had an impact for good on their lives.

Raising Sand

Sydney took me to the Robert Plant & Alison Krauss "Raising Sand" tour concert last Tuesday at the Greek Theater and I want to thank her for a great experience. She also gave me the CD and typically I've been playing it over and over again to hear the words and stories and get it stuck in my head.

I had heard they had collaborated on an album and I remember thinking what a strange pairing this is; the Christian, country singer and one of the bad boys of rock and roll. But time has mellowed Robert somewhat and the blend is like Chocolate and Cherry, just flat good. Alison seemed a little shy on stage. I've seen her several times on Austin City Nights and she seems to be happy to let the band have more of the spotlight. She was the same way here, but her voice and fiddle smoked and Robert just puts on a great show. He is the master of the stage.

T Bone Burnett produced the album and played in the band. He also did several numbers in the middle of the show to give Alison and Robert a break. Besides the album tunes T Bone put together a blend of older songs with a new twist. If you saw "That Thing You Do" you remember how Jonathon Schaech's character wrote the title song as a slow ballad, but when the drummer Guy Patterson, played by Tom Everett Scott, got flustered on stage and increased the tempo the song took on a completely different flavor. Well they did this in reverse. They played Led Zepplin's "Black Dog" at about 1/8th the speed and "I'm In The Mood" about 1/2 speed. Only the hard core Zep fans recognized them early in the song. I didn't know what they were singing till the lyrics started. It was like a rediscovery for me. I hope they put them in an album.

The opening act was Sharon Little and if you've never heard of her it's because she just put out her first CD. I recommend you sample her stuff on the web. She has a smokey blues voice that reminded me of Janice Jopplin, but smoother - less raw. Check her out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD4bESDYj2g.

Before the show and after dinner at the new and trendy Kitchen 24 on Cahuenga (Syd knows all the hot spots)we had an unexpected treat when we went to Amoeba Records and the Watson Twins were performing live. Coincidentally, they were the backup for Jenny Lewis who was a member of Rilo Kiley. Dave Ford from Syd's video below was also part or Rilo Kiley. One more example of the six degrees of separation I guess.

Anyway, thanks little sis. It was a great evening.

New Puppy!!!

Ever since Kook died last January our pug Buster has been so lonely that his health has gone downhill, so we figured it was time for another dog to keep him company. Cherryl's birthday is this Tuesday so my mom and the kids all pitched in with me to get her a new dog.

This is Buddy. He's a Papillon. He's a miniature and will probably never get any bigger than 8" high at the shoulders and about 6-8 pounds. They're supposed to be in the top 20% for intelligence (which puts him WAY beyond Buster even as a puppy _ no nose, no brain as we say here). We all came up with names, Binky, Binkley, Berkley, Napolean, Cocoa Puff (?), Gizmo, Furball, etc. No one could agree. Then someone said lets call him Buddy cuz he's Buster's buddy and it seemed to stick. Buster is acting younger again, playing with him, so it seems to have worked.

He turned 8 weeks old yesterday and it's like they say, we have a new baby in the house. So now we get the joys of cleaning up after him when he has an accident, potty training, waking up two or three times a night when he does, special food, teething, the whole nine yards.

A Night with Leon Redbone

I've been meaning to get this on for a while now, but I've almost forgotten how to post a blog. Good thing this is so user friendly.

Last November I was surfing the web and started pulling up names of old music groups and performers I used to listen to more than I do now; groups like Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks, Gerry Rafferty, Allan Parsons Project, and I remembered Leon Redbone. He was very popular in the late 70's to the early 90's. He was a frequent guest of Johnny Carson and appeared on SNL several times, but hardly any of the kids know who he is today and he has mostly a kind of cult following now. I checked his website and saw he was going to be in Temecula April 25th. I've always enjoyed his music and voice and at only $20 a ticket I couldn't pass it up. Kayla lives there so I got tickets for Cherryl, me, Kayla and Kayla's boyfriend Jason.

Anyway, the day finally came and Cherryl and I hopped into my H4 Hummer Escape Pod (my bright yellow scion xB) and ended up spending 3 1/2 hours on the freeway to go 120 miles to Temecula.

(Here it is for those of you who haven't seen it yet.

Cherryl refuses to drive it. It's too yellow!!!)

It turned out pretty nice ride though. Stuck in the car for so long Cherryl and I got to talk more than we have for a long time. We picked up Kayla at the Shigley's house (old friends from Canyon Country 1st Ward) where she lives then went to get Jason at his parents palatial house in the mini ranch area (really nice place) and went to Old Town where the theater is.

We were hungry so we went to Sweet Lumpy's BBQ down the street. Great food! Cherryl and I shared the sampler platter and it was perfect. The rib meat literally fell off the bone, and the people treated us like we were the only customers they had even though most of the tables were full.

After dinner we walked to the theater along the western board walk checking out all the old buildings and old people walking around. It never occured to me that other people were checking out the old guy (me) walking around too. It was life looking back at me. The Old Town Temecula Community Theater was built just a few years ago.

The outside looks like the rest of Old Town, with a definite western flair,

The theater is small and intimate and the inside is very modern.

Our tickets were right in the middle, 9th row, which put us right behind the sound booth in the bottom left corner. The only thing on the stage was a very large, oversized, old style microphone (He calls it Big Mike), a stool and a piano. We got in early and as I was watching everyone else come in it occured to me that Cherryl and I were some of the youngest people there. Kayla and Jason were the only ones their age.

I think most every one was either a music teacher, music professor or something simialr. They all looked like musicphiles (is that a word?) of some kind or another, and when he came out they all got very much into his music. Because of his style it was a little hard to understand him sometimes, but it was a lot of fun. He and his piano player played and sang for an hour and a half including the encore. I took three pictures with my cell phone camera but they turned out too small to post. Anyway, most of you have never heard of him even though you have heard him (he sang the duet "Baby It's Cold Outside" with Zoey Deschanel in "Elf"). Quoting from Wikipedia; "Leon Redbone is a singer and guitarist specializing in interpretations of early 20th-century music, including jazz and blues standards and Tin Pan Alley classics.
Recognized for his trademark Panama hat, dark sunglasses, and bow tie, Redbone first appeared on stage in Toronto, Canada in the mid-1970s. Virtually nothing is known for certain about his background or true identity. Redbone has been called "the most famous non-famous American musician". Redbone has released approximately fifteen albums and earned a sizable cult following who will travel significant distances to hear him perform. His concerts blend performance, comedy, and skilled instrumentals. Recurrent gags involve the influence of alcohol and claiming to have written works originating well before his time (as part of the mystery of his true age). "

Here's the program:

I haven't learned yet how to upload video links, so here's a link to one of the videos where he appears on Johnny Carson and plays with Doc Sevreson. It's the only time I've ever seen him without his panama hat or white fedora. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziucmWCzcl0&feature=related

Solvang Century.... We Made It!!!!!

Well, we made it. This years ride was about the best weather we've ever had. I don't think the temperature ever got over 72. What wind there was was only in our face for about 10 miles coming into Santa Maria, then it was at our back all the way up the canyon during the long climbs and up the steep hills.

Cherryl and I left Thursday evening after I got home from work and checked into the hotel only to find out they had mistakenly put us into Syd's room for that night, so the next morning we had to move to our usual room.

Friday Cherryl and I went to Pismo Beach and walked out on the pier to watch the surfers. It must have been very cold; every one of them had full body suits on and some had caps too. But the waves were big and the swells were coming in faster than I can recall ever seeing. Friday night we met up with our friends Bill and Lynn Reynolds and went to register. Syd called and she was with her friends Bob and Chris (nee' White) Bloore. Syd went to school with Chris, and Bob has the distinction of having lived in the Santa Clarita Valley 1 year longer than I have. But he was only 2 or 3 when he moved there, so I have more "Old Time" memories than he does. As it turns out though, Chris, Cherryl and Lynn all went to Chase Elementary school in Panorama City when they were kids. Lynn was even in the same classes in high school ad Cherryl's sister Laura.
But I digress. The next morning it was a little foggy when we left, but after an hour the fog burned off and it got warm enough to take off all the extra layers. Bill has been riding for years and years and even though he'll be 60 next year he can still do the 100 miles in under 6 hours. As it turned out Bob is a big bike rider too so they stayed together and Syd and I went along at our own pace.

The long and short of it was that the ride was beautiful, good company and no accidents or flats. We took our time, Bob and Bill waited for us at each SAG stop and we got in about 2:45 feeling good and with enough energy to race for the finish line. We had a big dinner at AJ Spurs where the waitress tried to corrupt me by giving me a Long Island Ice Tea instead of the Raspberry Lemonaide I asked for. I didn't notice till I took a sip. It tasted like Nyquil. How people enjoy it is beyond me. I guess I have to hand in my Temple recommend now.

Here are some of the pictures we took.

From left to right, Bob, me, Sydney and Bill


This didn't come out near as pretty as it was. The sun is just coming up, the fog is burning off and the low clouds are in the hills in Santa Rosa Canyon.


This is a typical SAG stop where we can get fuel and drink and other necessities. Too bad I lost the picture of Syd coming out of the Kybo.


This is Syd as we went by the Foxen Winery. This ranch house is about 150 years old and way up in the wine country. It's about 25 miles from Santa Maria and in the old days was probably a days ride from anywhere.




This is just some of the beautiful country we rode through. I only had my cell phone camera so the pitcures aren't as good as they could be, but you can get the idea.


I call the the throat of Hell. This is the steepest climb in the ride. It hits at mile 86 and is 3/4s of a mile long at a 7% grade, after 14 miles of constant 3-5% grade. It's steeper than it looks and is only the first of three such climbs at the end of the ride. The one after this is known as "The Wall", then there's Ballard Canyon/Chalk Hill Road that's shorter, but just as steep. That one was part of this years Amgen Tour of California, Stage 5 time trials.


Bill took off and left us after the last SAG stop and beat us all by about 25 minutes.


Us coming in. I was really ahead of Bob and Syd, but I wanted to be a gentleman and good friend so I backed off to let them come in first. I also know Lance Armstrong personally. He's a very good friend. Really.


Me in my "Doo Rag". I had to educate Cherryl about what a Doo Rag is. She thought it was something you used after you did your business in the bathroom.


Eddie, GK, California is calling!!