Happy New Year! :):) (2015) (2014 was pretty awesome)

Good "Eve"ning, Sweet Baby,

Just to wish you a Happy New Year, a half hour before it begins. Wherever you are, I hope you are having a blast and enjoying your New Year's Eve. We've still got over nine hours to go, but we'll soon be joining you in 2015. Man - it's freezing cold here! One of the coldest days we've had in a long time. I got half my walk out of the way, and now I am gonna go shopping cause I'm all out of veggies. I will check in again at Pearl's, but have fun, and you've only got about 25 minutes to go now.......

I Love You! Happy New Year!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

(back in a bit)

5:25pm : Now it's official -

Happy New Year, Sweet Baby!

You may still be awake and enjoying a celebration in whatever city you may be in, so have a blast, and as always, take a lot of pictures. I will be partying with The Kobedog and Black Kitty, we've got party hats and noisemakers and even a few firecrackers to blow off. :) I'll have to keep those two under control, as Pearl will probably be asleep by then....

I'll be back, either jusr before or just after Midnight, to join you in the New Year.

2015 will be awesome.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

12:20am, 2015: Happy New Year from Reseda, my Darling. All is quiet now, but at Midnight there were fireworks going off all over the place here in the 'hood. I kept expecting Kobi to freak out and wake Pearl up, but that's hasn't happened thus far. I didn't do much, of course, just watched the ball drop in New York City with Anderson Cooper. It's already morning where you are, which means you are watching the Rose Parade.

It won't start here, in Pasadena, until 8am tomorrow morning, but then, you are nine hours ahead of us. :)

Funny how time works. But - what an awesome year, 2014! Let's give it a High Five, for finishing school, for the discovery of the joy of hiking, and finding so many trails, for an awesome trip to Florence, to go to art school, to making videos, recording professional quality songs, to singing in choirs, to taking pictures, to finding beauty in all things........

This is what we looked for in 2014, and this is also what found us, as pleasant surprises.

Life is fueled by Intent, as you know, so head into the New Year with a wide open mind and heart. See the year as your drawing board. You have completed school, and having changed your major a couple years ago, you are going for what you want. Just remember that you are already doing it. 

And keep going.

Happy New Year, Elizabeth!

I Love You, and will see you in the morn (and then I will watch the Rose Parade too...) :)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

The Dog Food Is Not To Be Trusted (California Freezing)

Happy Late Night, Sweet Baby,

I'm at Pearl's. I think Kobi is losing his marbles, at least where his dog food is concerned. He basically barks at it every time I set it down now, as if he doesn't trust it. I tell him, "c'mon now, Kobe. Your dog food has always been nice to you. Why are you barking at it all the time now"? I suppose it's possible that it did something to him that I'm not aware of, in which case it would be sneaky dog food, picking on The Kobester when no one was looking, but somehow, that doesn't seem too likely. :)

Tonight, I tried moving the dog food bowl into the living room, figuring that maybe a change of scenery might help. He still barked at it, but then proceeded to eat every morsel, so the new setting may have helped.

Now to feed the Black Kitty. I will see if she wants to come inside again tonight, after the Kobester is asleep, of course. He'd have a fit if he knew she was in the house, and he might blame it on his dog food. Who knows what he might do then?

I like your post, my Darling. I hope you had another great travel day, and are seeing many sights, both the famous ones and ones you may not have heard of. Where will you be for New Year's Eve? It will be awesome wherever you are. It is super chilly here, has been all day, so I've just been inside mostly. Gotta put a sheet over the tomato plant to keep it from freezing. Pearl says that's an old Minnesota trick.  :) It'll be a gorgeous day for the Rose Parade, though. It always is.

Well, I will go feed the Kitty now, and then get things ready for our dinner. I'll bet you've had some great food over there (although I saw Paul's post, and you can have a ton of chicken wings when you get back. It's hard to beat those, no matter what country you're in).

I will write more at the usual time, and so............I send you Sweet Dreams until that time.

And you know................that I Love You So Much!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight + Six : All is quiet at Pearl's kitchen table. Made split pea soup a while ago, perfect for a cold night. The wind is howling outside. We will see if there is any snow on the San Gabriel mountaintops in the morning, as was forecast.

That's all the news for tonight, Sweet Baby. Just hunkering down inside, mainly cause of the wind. I hope you have a great day, and I'll see you in the morn. I'll be excited to hear about your trip when you get back!

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)

A Minute More Each Day (I Love It!) (Sweet Dreams) (House Kitty)

Good Evening, Sweet Baby,

I'm at home, off til 4:30. I like the picture of the morning sun in your post, and you know I love the solar new year. I was just saying to Pearl yesterday that we already have seven more minutes of light than we did on the 21st. Today it's eight minutes. And, it's approximately a minute a day for 182 days, which rules as we all know. I must reiterate that, while I don't love the early darkness of Fall and the beginning of Winter, I do appreciate the atmosphere it creates, for the Holiday season would not be what it is without all the lights, and those clear, black skies at night, filled with stars in many areas, and you can even see a few more in Los Angeles, too, at this time of year.

So, I love it all, but I really love the sunshine most and I know you do too!

I hope you had a fantastic travel day today. You are somewhere: Paris or Prague, Berlin or Munich or Vienna. Are you guys staying in hostels? That's what I figured when you said you were backpacking. I know people who have traveled Europe that way, and it's supposed to be pretty easy, with the Eurorail system and the availability of places to stay. Probably saves a ton of money, too.

Well, I am gonna head down to the library in a little while to return all my Christmas movies, and look for new ones. It'll be an easy, somewhat quiet week ahead, nothing major on New Year's Eve. But, it'll be fun! It's always fun to reflect on the passing year, and look forward to the new one.

I'll check in back at Pearl's. Enjoy the rest of your evening!

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

4:50pm : Happy Late Night, Awesome Lady. I am at Pearl's, feeding the 'Ster. Giving him his pill, too. Black Kitty is next. Gonna be a chilly one here tonight, mid-30s. Yow! Glad I already did most of my walk.

I hope you had another fun day, and wish you another one in the morning.

Sleep well and have Sweet Dreams! I'll write more at the usual time. :)

I Love You, Elizabeth.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:50pm : Good Morning, my Darling. Another first tonight - I had Black Kitty in the house. It is cold out tonight, as previously mentioned, and when I got back here at 10pm (that original return time has been reinstated), the Kitty was dashing around me in circles as I approached the front door. She was obviously excited to see me, so I left the front door open a crack to see if she'd come in, since Pearl and The Kobester had gone to sleep. To my surprise, she did. She was inside for a while, exploring as cats do, and then she wanted to go back out, so I let her. She does have the shed in the backyard, and she's got a little makeshift bed in there. I'd love to have her be a housecat, but I don't know if Kobi would go for it (probably not) and I don't even know if the Black Kitty herself would want it. But at least she now knows what the inside of the house is all about. "Wow.....so this is where you humans live. My goodness!"

Watched a movie earlier this eve : "A Most Wanted Man" w/Phillip Seymour Hoffman. A spy movie, anti-terror theme, set in Germany. Good stuff.

Have a great day, and I will see you in the morn. I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Singin' (Super Late Night Love)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I'm back from church. We actually got done at 12:30, but since we were early I figured it was a good chance to take The Kobester up to CSUN real quick. It's nice out today, sunny and fairly warm, but it may rain in a couple days, so I wanted him to get some exercise. We've got a whole new set of songs to learn, now that Christmas is over, but I think I'm getting better at not only learning them, but also at hitting the notes.

So what city are you in? Vienna? Paris? Berlin? I think you said in one of your posts, to a friend, that you will be back home on January 4th, so that means you've got about five or six days of travelling left. I'll bet it's been a blast!

Well, it's still super quiet in my building, and in town in general. I will go for half my walk before heading back to Pearl's, at 4:30, and I will go to the store, too, for bananas. Gonna need a new supply of movies as well, and also a new book. I finished "Revival" by Stephen King, and man..........

........it was really and truly scary. Creepy to the max. One of his best books ever, in other words. :)

I'll check in when I get back to Pearl's. I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

5:30pm : Hi, my Baby. Sorry about the super late night post. You are probably already asleep, but I send you Sweet Dreams anyway. I am still trying to get things back in order here, doing a lot of mopping and other cleaning and straightening. Neat freak, y'know. Anyway, sleep well, and have a great start to your week tomorrow morning, as you embark on the rest of your journey.

I will write again at 11:30. See you then!

I Love You, Elizabeth.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Back At Pearl's (late night music)

Hi, my Baby!,

Happy Late Night. I am back at Pearl's, getting things situated. It will take me a shift or two to really get back into the swing of things, after a week off. I love your post! I am the Sweet Baby in that one, and in fact in the last couple of posts. I love it! You are always my Sweet Baby, too, of course. :):)

I hope you had a great day. Mine was low key, I really didn't do anything except for play my guitar and go for part of my walk. It always takes me a couple days to wind down from the Christmas Feeling, and it was especially wonderful this year.

Well, I'd better get back to getting things organised here. The Kobester is going bananas. Gotta find Black Kitty, too.

So, my Angel, I will send you Sweet Dreams......

I Love You, Elizabeth! Sleep well, because you've got a great day ahead of you, and more travels as well. :)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

12:30am : Listening to one of my seasonal favorites, "Die Winterreise" by Franz Schubert. It has some very formal singing in German, and I love the sound of it, combined with the piano melodies of The Shoobster, who I think was as great as any composer. To me, this is the essence of composing and creativity.

Tomorrow morning is church and choir. Dunno what we'll be singing, but it will probably be less overall now that Christmas is over. It's a long morning, still, so I will be back at home by 2pm or so, and I will check in then.

I Love You, my Darling. Have a wonderful day.  xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Slow Day, Just Chillin', Literally, Cause It's L.A.Cold! (Sweet Dreams) (late night love)

Good Evening, Sweet Baby,

Not much is happening, but I wanted to check in and say hi. I hope your travels are going well, and that you are seeing interesting things in each city. It's gotta be pretty exciting. :) I am just taking it slow today, doing some cleaning around the pad. I'll walk down to Northridge Libe in a little while, before they close, to print up my Sparks ticket and also see if they have any movies. It sure was a great Christmas, and the Season leading up to it was very memorable. I never in a million years would have imagined I'd be singing in a church choir, but it just goes to show how amazing life can be when you keep yourself open to the possibilities.

It's gonna be an awesome New Year, too. You can count on it! In the meantime, continue to have a blast on your backpacking adventure, and continue to take pictures! I will check back in after I get back from the library.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

6:15pm : I am back from the library. I know it's the middle of the night, but I just wanted to wish you Sweet Dreams anyway. You may already be having them! I found a classic old World War 2 movie to watch, called "Is Paris Burning"?, about the German Occupation. So, if no dogwalkers call in the next hour or so, that's what I'll do. Then I'll go for the rest of my own walk after it's over, and try not to freeze to death, lol.

Sleep well, Elizabeth! I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

12:20am : Listening to the piano music of Schumann as played by Wilhelm Kempff, he of the magnificent tone. A really quiet day and evening, too. CSUN was deserted. The movie I watched was really good, typically epic as the war films of the mid-60s were, this one was three hours long and told the story of the French resistance, and how they eventually drove the Germans out of Paris. World War Two seems so ancient, and yet I remind myself that it ended a mere fifteen years before I was born.

Well, my Baby, tonight is my last night at home until January 22. I have a final sleep-in tomorrow. But, I have it down pretty good now, sleeping at Pearl's, and we will head into the New Year with that routine as the norm. Whatever needs doing, we will do, takin' care of business as always. And - as always we will have plenty of time for creative endeavors, in fact, 2015 more than ever.

See you in the morning, my Darling. I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Christmas At The Movies

Happy Late Night, my Darling,

I am just getting home from the movies. That's our Christmas tradition for many years now, ever since Mom and Dad have been gone. Today we went and saw "Birdman", starring Michael Keaton. I had no idea what to expect, but my sister mentioned that it was directed by Alejandro Innaritu, who has made such films as "Babel", Biutiful", and "21 Grams". Those films are all very serious, metaphysical even. "Birdman" was said to be a comedy, and having seen it, it certainly has comedic elements, but those are only part of a many-layered, brilliant film, which really doesn't fit into any particular category. Keaton will almost certainly get an Oscar nomination for best actor, and I wouldn't be surprised if the film itself gets a ton of nominations. It's really good. It's the acting movie of the year, and that's all I will say in case you want to see it for yourself when you get back.

It has gotten very chilly outside all of a sudden - the L.A. Cold is back! So, I will go for part of my walk now (or in a few minutes), just to get it out of the way.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas day, wherever you are in your travels. It will be something you will always remember!

I send you Sweet Dreams, my Baby. I will see you in just a few hours, about 11:30 to Midnight-ish.

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Merry Christmas Eve (Merry Christmas!) (Midnight Mass)

Good Evening, Sweet Baby,

I will be heading over to Pearl's in a little while, so I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas Eve before I go, and to say that I love your post and I Love You. You are my Baby indeed! I woke up to the sounds of the choir from King's College in Cambridge, England. Every Christmas Eve they do a program called "Nine Lessons and Carols" that is broadcast from KUSC, and I love hearing the readings and singing in those English accents.

I hope you have a wonderful evening. I should be back about mid-afternoon, my time, and I will check back in then.

I Love You, my Darling!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

4:40pm : I am back. We had a nice time at Pearl's, lots of food, pie for dessert. Kobi was wearing his new ceremonial Christmas collar. Still nice weather today, though a little cooler, and cloudy. I may stay up and go to the Midnight Mass tonight, but not sure yet. What I will do now, I think, is walk over to the church and see what time the earlier masses are, just in case. In the process, I will do part of my walk.

I wish you Sweet Dreams, my Sweetheart, and a beautiful Christmas morning when you wake up. Merry Christmas to your family as well. I will see you at the usual time, maybe just a bit later if I go to Midnight Mass.

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

4:50pm : P.S. I just checked the NORAD tracker, and it says Santa is over Denmark right now, so he's getting close to where you are. Don't go to sleep just yet........

12:35am : I am just getting back from the Midnight Mass at Our Lady Of Lourdes church, which I mentioned was Mom's church. It was quite a service. They have a new priest (at least new since I've been there last) and he is a powerful speaker. The place was jam packed, several hundred people, spilling out to the front steps. There was lots of music, too. It started at 10:30 and ended at 11:55, so then I went for a quick walk to the Oviatt and back, just to finish up my miles for the day. A very nice Christmas Eve all the way around. The Season means so much to me, as you can tell.  :)

I hope your Christmas morning is off to a good start, and that you'll have a chance to talk to your family and maybe your friends, too. I know it can get kind of hectic, and each family has their own way of celebrating the holiday - and unfortunately, I even know people who are down on the whole thing - but for my Sweet Baby, and for your whole family, I wish only the best feelings shared between all of you, for Christmas Day, and into the New Year. It's really gonna be good, and you know that when you feel it, what you feel is gonna be coming true!

Merry Christmas, Elizabeth! Have an awesome day.

I Love You So Much!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):) 

Up To Aliso/Orange Light (Sweet Dreams) (Santa)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I am slowly getting rolling here, but since it's another 80 degree day here (the weatherman was wrong), I think I might drive up to Aliso Canyon for a quick, easy pre-Christmas hike. I haven't been on a trail since early November, and Aliso's more or a walk than a hike anyway, and finally, I've gotta do some shopping up in that area anyway, at Trader Joe's. So, if I get to Aliso at 3pm and stay til 4 or so, then I can be at T.Joe's by 4:15ish, and back home by 5pm. Due to traffic and zillions of holiday shoppers, it might be a little later, but I'll check in regardless of the time. :)

You know what? I noticed something neat about your sunset photo in the German hills. In the lower right side of the picture, in a valley, is a small spot of orange light. It is not possible to discern the source, and it even looks a little like a fire, though it almost certainly isn't. It's likely just a reflection of the sun, but it might even be coming from electrical lighting, from a building perhaps.

But whatever it is, it's the kind of small detail that, for me, can "make" a picture. That was already a great photo, but now it's even better! I don't know if you put that in there on purpose or if it happened by accident, but it's really cool. :)

Keep shooting!

I will be back in a while, and will check in then. I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

5:35pm : I am back. It was really nice up there at Aliso, there is green grass poking up everywhere from the rains, and renewed plants. Still a trickle of water in the creek, too, but that'll be gone soon unless it rains again. It was awesome just to go, even though there wasn't much light for pictures. It weird because it feels like I did all that hiking a long time ago, even though it was just a couple months back. In the new year, I'll get my hiking legs back and try some of the old favorites again, and some of the steep ones like Mission Point, and then I'll look for new ones, too.

Well, Sweet Baby, tonight I will take it easy for the time being, watch one of my Christmas movies in a little while. Later I will finish my daily mileage at CSUN. Maybe one of the guys will come over with a doggie or two.....

I hope your travels are going well, and that you are having a blast.

Sweet Dreams, and I will see you in the morning. I Love You, Elizabeth.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

12:07am : I wound up watching "Miracle On 34th Street", which I had never seen before. It's a classic, of course, but never having seen it, I was a little surprised at it's condemnation of the commercialisation of Christmas, all the way back in 1947. I mean, I'm sure it's been commercial ever since the dawn of advertising, but it would have been audacious back in '47 for Hollywood to point that out. It seemed like a modern film, with the lead characters' cynicism toward Santa Claus. But, Santa wins out in the end, in a court of law, no less, and he also wins the hearts of the woman (Maureen O'Hara) and her little girl (Natalie Wood) who didn't believe in him.......

I always believed in Santa. When I was about six, I even asked my parents if I could leave some milk and cookies out for him, when he came down the chimney. They said okay.  :)

My friend Dennis came over earlier, with his dogs, and we had a nice walk at CSUN. It's still pretty warm out. Tomorrow at Noon I will go over to Pearl's for a pre-Christmas brunch, which we've been doing for the last few years. I will probably be back between 2:30 & 3pm, I am guessing, and I'll check in then.

Wherever you may be in your travels, my Baby, I hope you are having a great time.

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

At Home, Beautiful Day (gonna go to the movie + Sweet Dreams) (Interstellar)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I'm just hanging out at home. Slept in til almost 10am, been slow to get going ever since, though I did walk down to the Oviatt and back a little while ago, just for something to do. Man, this college town becomes a ghost town at Christmastime. Super quiet out. It's also about 80 degrees, which, if it occurred on the 25th, would make it a California Christmas which we sometimes get, i.e. like Summer in Winter. But, in checking weather.com just now, I see that the sun will still be shining on Christmas day, but it won't be summery. Gonna be chilly in the 50s.

I am debating right now whether to go see "Interstellar" at 4:30. Grimsley has been pestering me to see it. I'm not a huge fan of director Christopher Nolan (I thought "Inception" was just okay, but not great), but this movie does look pretty awesome, and I know it'll probably be out of the theaters after Wednesday, being that it's been playing since the beginning of November, and they've gotta make room for all the Christmas movies. So, I've either gotta see it today or tomorrow, and as I type I am still undecided. What should I do?

I hope your day was awesome, and that you are enjoying a nice evening. Are you still in Germany? Post when you can. :)

I've got about 90 minutes to decide if I wanna go to the show or not, so if I do, I'll post Sweet Dreams before I go. If I don't go, it'll be a little later, about the usual between 4:30 and 5pm.

I Love You and am thinking of you!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

3:30pm : Okay, Sweet Baby, I guess I am gonna go to the movie, cause there's nothing else going on, nobody is around. It's a long movie, three hours, so I'll be back around 8pm, then go for my walk as usual and then I'll be home. And I'll write again at 11:30 or so, as always. I'll be doing all this while you are sleeping, so I send you Sweet Dreams, and I'll see you in a while, when you wake up.

I Love You, Elizabeth! See you in a bit....

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

12:30am : Wow. That was some movie. One of the biggest deals in sci-fi since "2001", I think. There's so much happening in this film, and I could spend a lot of time writing about it, but my recommendation is just to see it, even if you're not a sci-fi fan (and I know you like "Star Wars, so you are a fan). This is one majorly weird and different film, and I think it's Christopher Nolan's first great film. That's all I will say for now, no spoilers. He is really helped out by his actors in this one, who help sell his sometimes disjointed ideas. Still, an enormous film.

That's all I know for tonight, Awesome Lady. I will see you in the morn.

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Singing + New Trail (Sweet Dreams) (a good day)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I love your photo! What a beautiful scene in the German mountains, and you captured several "layers", which reminds me of one of my shots from Simi Valley. I like the different blue tones in your photo; they really describe the feeling of the location. I bet it was pretty chilly up there. Now you will have to stay an extra day or two, so I can meet you and go up the same trail. You know how I'm always looking for new trails to hike? Well, it looks like you've found one for me. :)

Our Christmas program was this morning, and I enjoyed it. We sang four of the songs we'd been rehearsing, plus "O Come All Ye Faithful" and three lesser known hymns, and then the grand finale was the Hallelujah Chorus. A lot of singing! I'm getting better at it, though I could hear my voice cracking on some of the high notes. Hope I was the only one who heard, haha. We won't be singing on Christmas Eve cause they will have a children's choir then, so maybe I will go over to my Mom's church - the Catholic church just across the street - and sing along with the audience there at Midnight.

I'm a Singing Machine now! I can't be stopped.  :)

I hope you had a blast today, and I liked your other posts, too, my Deer.......I mean Dear.

I think I will go for half my walk now, or in a few minutes, just to get it out of the way. All is quiet in my building and around The 'Hood. CSUN is entirely empty, I've had the whole 360 acres to myself the last few days. It's been my "backyard" since I was 8 years old.......

I will check in again at Sweet Dreams time.

I Love You, my Baby.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):) 

5:30pm : The wind is really howling outside, the notorious Santa Anas. Thank goodness we had those rainstorms, which should prevent the type of wildfires we often get at this time of year, especially in times of drought. Not a fan of wind; my least favorite weather phenomenon. But walk I must, and my friend Ono might be bringing his doggie over, so I will proceed regardless. I got my apt. all nice and neat, just the way I like it, and I've got movies for later on. I'll bet you have a fun day planned for tomorrow. Where are you gonna be on Christmas day? Any special plans, for then or Christmas Eve? I know you will make the most of it, whatever you are doing.  :)

I will send Sweet Dreams now, for good sleep. I will probably read my Stephen King book for a while, then see what is happening with the dogwalk.....

I Love You, Elizabeth! See you in a few hours.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight + 20 : Good Morning, Sweet Baby. Writing a few minutes later than usual, as my body automatically reverts to it's normal cycle on days off. I am tired, though, and tomorrow will be a real sleep-in, probably til about 10am. It's super quiet here. Ono never came over, so I watched a movie. I had a free code from Redbox, so I got a sci-fi flick called "Edge Of Tomorrow" with Tom Cruise. It was better than the average Redbox movie, but still - the rapid pace and the high octane CGI effects had me close to epileptic seizure, haha. For the upcoming week I will wisely stick to my Christmas movies.....

I forgot to mention we had a professional percussionist play with us this morn, in church, with bells and kettle drums. Really fun.

Have an awesome day today, take lots of photos, post 'em if you can, and I will see you when I wake up.

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Home For The Holidays (Sweet Dreams & Solstice) (new music)

Good Evening, Sweet Baby,

I am at home, and I am off now for a week. Really was swamped there for the last couple days, but now I can relax and get my bearings back. I have three classic Christmas movies waiting for me at Northridge Library, and I will watch one per night : "Miracle On 34th Street", "White Christmas" and "A Christmas Carol" (the classic 1951 version). Got seven sleep-ins coming, too, although I will get up tomorrow to go sing in the Christmas program at Pearl's church. That's not too early, though. I don't have to be there til 9:45am. So, a nice week ahead, and to really enjoy the days leading up to Christmas. Last night, we did go see the lights. Everybody had fun.

I'll bet it is beautiful in Germany! Is it all lit up at night? I imagine it is.

I hope your trip is off to a good start. I know you might not be able to post as regularly while travelling, but check in when you get a chance. I'd love to hear how it's going. I will post as usual, and now that I won't be as busy for the coming week, it'll be easier. The only other thing I've gotta do today, besides my usual walk, etc., is go pick up my car in a couple hours. It's getting two new front tires.

You've heard the song, "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth"? Well, my car sang me that song a couple weeks ago, only it changed the lyrics to "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Tires". So I said okay, and called Santa........

I will check in later, at Sweet Dreams time. Enjoy the German evening!

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

4:40pm : Happy Late Night, my Baby. I got my car back. Turns out it needs some front end work, which I already knew - it's an old car (a Nissan Sentra, can't beat 'em for durability & reliability) - but for the time being I'll just get the brake job they recommended, and decide later if I wanna have the rest of the work done. I've got another year until my next smog check comes up, and I might just try to squeak by, wait and see if my car will pass smog yet again (always an iffy proposition), and if it does, then I'll have all the rest of the work done.If it doesn't, then I won't have spent a ton of repair money for nothing, and I'll just get another car. But for now, I will get the brakes done. Gotta have brakes, lol.

It's weird being home, haha. This has been just a little visiting place for me for the last three weeks. But tonight I will reacquaint myself, get some reading done. Watch a movie.

I like your post on the Solstice. While I've gotta admit, I'm not a huge fan of the early darkness of this time of year, nor the quality of light in general, I do like the cool, crisp nights of the season, with all the houses lit up. It is indeed a balance of light and dark here on Planet Earth. I'm a bit of a Sun worshiper, lol, but it wouldn't be Christmas if the sun were out til 9pm, and there is something about the early nights that bring out the feel of the season.

But now, for us Lovers Of Light, we will get approximately an extra minute per day for the next 182 days, totaling a little over three hours worth. Hurray!

I hope you are having a blast. I will be back at the usual time, 11:30pm or so. Now I send you Sweet Dreams, and good wishes for tomorrow's explorations.....

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight : I am really liking the few tracks I've heard from this band The Amazing. Not sure I'm crazy about the name - when you call yourself The Amazing, you literally cannot put out a crummy album. What're you gonna do, have a lousy album and yet you're still The Amazing? So, to have the gumption to call yourself such a name, you'd better back it up, and even then I'm still not crazy about the name.

But, the songs I've heard, I do like, especially the nine minute one I posted. The guitar bands that are bringing back melodic guitar music are not vituosic. The players don't have the chops of the legendary guys, but with the best of these bands, they do have a good sense of how to build a song, melodically and dynamically. Sonically, too. They know how to get the best out of their sound.

At any rate, a nice new discovery. Dunno if it'll stand the test of time, but for now they sound good. :)

I hope your morning is off to a good start. When my morning begins, I will head down to the church to sing in the Christmas program. It will be fun, and I am looking forward to it.

I will let you know how it went, and will check in when I get back, about the usual time.

I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Driving & Lights (also Sweet Dreams)

Good Evening, my Darling,

Happy Late Night and Happy Friday, too. I see you are now gonna depart for Frankfurt, so I had jumped the gun yet again, lol. Now I'm back on track. :) I also like the gallery pic of you with your photographs. You will have quite a portfolio by this time. You are doing excellent work and you will add to it as you continue your trip.

Today was non-stop driving, first to the west end of the Valley to take Kobedoggie to the vet. She said his heart murmur is a little louder, but basically - because his activity level is still the same, and his appetite, too - he doesn't need to go back for another six months. Right now, he's barking at his dog food again, so he might need to see a psychiatrist, but that's another story.....  :)

Then I drove out to Glendale, which is all the way at the east end of the Valley, to take my sister Sophie shopping. And now, for my final trip of the day, I will take both Pearl and the Boy up to the north side of Northridge, near the Granada Hills border, to see the Christmas lights up there. They have a mini-Candy Cane Lane there. On the way back, we will drive to a street in Reseda, called Yolanda Avenue. They have a light tunnel there that runs the length of the street, all along the sidewalk. It's really pretty; all white lights.

So, here we go. I will be back at 11:30. Have an amazing first day of your trip, starting tomorrow morning!

Sweet Dreams, my Baby.

I Love You, Elizabeth.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Busy Thursday Love (xoxoxoxoxoxo)

Hi, Sweet Baby,

Happy Late Night. Now I am pretty certain you are on the road, and at this time of night you must be checked into a hotel in whichever city you are visiting. I hope you are having a blast. Today was busy, with Pearl's hair appointment and taking Kobi to Le Groomer. Lots of driving in traffic, mostly. After Saturday morning, I will have a full week off, though I will be going to the church on Sunday morning to sing with the choir. But it'll be nice to chill for a few days, maybe go for a pre-Christmas hike, weather permitting.

Not much else to report. I send you Sweet Dreams for now, and I'll see you at 11:30pm.

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight : Good Morning, my Darling. It's chilly in Pearl's kitchen on an L.A. Cold night. I made spaghetti a while ago. Before that, my friend Dennis came over with his dogs for a CSUN walk. Tomorrow will be lots of driving once again - first, way out to Woodland Hills at 10am for Kobi's appointment with his heart specialist. As far as I can see, he's doing great for a 15 year old guy.

After that, I will drive out to Glendale to take my sister Sophie shopping. Lots of driving again, but I will check in when I get back.

Have a great day. I Love You.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Sparks (Sweet Dreams)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I am at home, taking a break from the busy Holiday schedule. I got my Sparks ticket this morning, so I am pretty stoked about that. Sparks are probably not well known nationwide, but they have always been big here in their hometown, and also in Europe, especially in England. They have been around for almost 45 years now, and when they came out with an album called "Kimono My House" in 1974, they made quite a sensation. It's one of my Top 15 albums of all time. What do you call Sparks? Glam rock? Eccentric pop? Hard rock? Rock opera? They are all those things and more. Live, they are as good as any band I've ever seen, right up there with your Judas Priests and your Van Halens. And this time they are gonna play the entire "Kimono" album live with an orchestra So, off to the show I will go.......

I hope you have had a great start to your trip, and I will be excited to hear how it is going. It looks like the rain is taking a break for the time being, so I will go for half my walk now, and half tonight. I will check in back at Pearl's at 4:30 to 5pm. See you in a bit!

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

4:55pm : Happy Late Night, Sweet Baby. Whether Prague or Paris or Berlin or Vienna, I send Sweet Dreams for a good night's sleep, and more exciting adventures tomorrow. We have one last batch of cards to write here at Pearl's, and then we're done. So, having fed critters, now I will address envelopes.

I will see you at 11:30pm. :)

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Ancient Church! (Sweet Dreams) (rainy night music)

Good Evening, Sweet Baby,

I see you did it! That was quick. And, it's a beautiful church you visited, truly magnificent. I trust you heard some awesome organ music, too. :) Seriously, though - man, the churches of Europe are truly spectacular, true Houses Of Worship. I thank you again for posting that picture right after I wrote about it, and I do indeed hope you get to see one such church - or more! - on your trip. Has it begun yet? Any minute now for sure.

I also really love that Babylonian music. Again, as with the churches, you can really feel the spirituality in that music, in her voice, in the language she is singing in, and also in the repeated melody line, which acts as a drone/chant. There was such a clear connection, I think, in ancient times, to the God they were praying or singing to, and even if the lyrics refer more to human conditions and situations, there is still that spiritual element, that direct connection.

Awesome stuff, and on a side note - it's gotta be mentioned - that the music is Baby-lonian. That must not go unnoticed.  :):)

I am home for a little while. Just brought Pearl back from Golden Agers. At about 3:30 I will leave, to stop at the Post Office for more stamps for Christmas cards. Pearl's got a lot of relatives. Also gonna stop at the store for oranges and bananas. Then I'll be back between 4:30 and 5pm, to check in for Sweet Dreams.

I hope you had a wonderful day! I will keep guessing when your trip will begin, lol, and I'll get it right eventually.....  :)

I Love You, my Baby.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

5:10pm : Happy Late Night, my Angel. I am doing the usual, feeding hungry critters, making tea, sorting mail. Pearl gets a ton of mail, solicitations from all kinds of charities. Some are legit, many are not. But once you get on those mailing lists, you get an avalanche of mail every day. So I help her sort it, to avoid scammers.

We will do more Christmas cards in a while, too.

I hope you had a great day, and that you're enjoying the Christmas season as much as I am.  :):)

I know you are......  :)

Sweet Dreams, and I will see you in the morning (at 11:30pm), somewhere in Europe!

I Love You, Elizabeth.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

12:35am : I am listening to Spanish organ music, after searching Youtube for a while. The Spanish sounds similar to the French organ music, except more somber and less hymnal. I am on tour with you in Europe, and I am taking side trips in search of unheard music.....

I will meet you at the hotel for dinner.  :):)

For now, it is time for Sweet Dreams of my own, on a rainy night.....

I Love You, Elizabeth.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Still In School? (paradiso)

Happy Late Night, Sweet Baby,

I guess maybe you aren't en route yet, after all. I did take your first post, about the eagle, to mean that you "couldn't talk", as was indicated in the text of that post. Hence, I again thought you might be travelleing, if indeed that was what you meant by that post. But then I saw your other posts, and I thought you must still be near a computer or some kind of access, and I thought maybe you are still in school, at the very end of the semester, or close to it.

At any rate, I am super happy to hear from you! We are gonna do more Christmas cards here at Pearl's. We only do five at a time, cause it's easier that way, and we are almost done with all the out of state ones. Later in the week we will do the local ones, which reach their destination overnight.

I am changing all the lyrics to our Christmas songs to Kobedog lyrics. I am trying not to be sacrilegious about it, but it's just something I've gotta do, when I am here singing to the Boy. I will remember to sing the real words this Sunday, I promise. :)

Chilly here the last few nights, more rain coming tomorrow and Wednesday. I hope you have great weather for your trip - wintry, yes, but not stormy or too cold or anything. I hope they have some awesome Christmas lights and displays in Vienna and Paris and Prague, and I bet they will. Beautiful Christmas trees in town squares, and things like that. Man, I would love to visit some ancient churches to hear some organ music at this time of year, preferably at night with Christmas lights everywhere. That would be mega. So, you've gotta do it for me, lol. Visit a church, a really old one, and listen to some music. And take some pictures!

Now I'd better get back to helping with the cards, my Baby, but I send you Sweet Dreams for good sleep. I will be back again at 11:30, and in the meantime I will be watching over you, and sending you lots of love.

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)

12:15am : Good Morning, my Angel. I am sitting at Pearl's kitchen table, my new late night perch. I had some split pea soup a little while ago, and it is helping to keep me warm. I saw your comment about "Cinema Paradiso", and you know I love that movie too! "Il Postino" is another one. The thing is, I love romantic movies, and I am gonna protest, lol, the idea that all films in this genre are "chick flicks". It's not true. I am one guy who loves classic romantic films, and I have seen a ton of them. So if you ever need any recommendations, let me know.....

And then we'll watch 'em together.

And "Cinema Paradiso" ranks at the top, for sure.

By now, you must for sure be gearing up for your trip. I know I keep jumping the gun, but by now.....

...well, it's gotta be time. Let's say that your trip will be a live action romantic movie, with many locations, and with me in a lead role too, even at a distance. I am watching the movie, and I am also in it, just like in "Cinema Paradiso".

I will go to sleep soon, and join you wherever you are.

I Love You, Elizabeth. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Hallelujah (it will be amazing)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I am home from church. They've got us singing the Hallelujah Chorus now, easy at the beginning, extremely difficult when it gets to the staggered vocal lines. All these people in the choir read music; I don't, so a lot of times I lose my place. But, I am getting pretty good at the songs I already know. Next week is the big Christmas program, so even though it's an off day for me, Pearl-wise, I will still show up to sing. I've gotta admit, I'm enjoying it.

Whouda thunk? :)

Sundays are really a full day now, with little time to spare, at least until night. For now, I will hang out here until about 3:30pm, then go for half my walk. You are no doubt getting ready for your trip. Which city are you gonna start with? It will be a blast! :)

Well, that's all for now. I will check in again from Pearl's.

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight : Good Morning, Sweet Baby. I am thinking you might already be en route to your first destination. I imagine you will be travelling mostly, if not entirely, by train. Take lots of pictures and post when you can. I will follow your lead but will also write on a more or less regular schedule as always.

Have an amazing trip! I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Saturday Christmas Spirit (Sweet Candy Cane Dreams) (sleepy midnight love)

Good Evening, Sweet Baby,

I am just getting back from half my walk. I'll do the other half tonight. This morning, I took Pearl & Kobi to Lake Balboa. A little chilly there, but beautiful - hundreds of coots and many gulls - and it was also good exercise for those two. My sister didn't come over, so I will now go shopping by myself. When I get back to Pearl's at 4:30, I am gonna try to take her to see the Christmas lights at a place called Candy Cane Lane. It's a neighborhood in Woodland Hills (yet another Valley town nearby) where there are several streets with highly decorated houses. The people there have been doing Candy Cane Lane for decades, and it's kind of a tradition to go see them. Sometimes it's a little tough to get Pearl motivated in the evening, especially when it's cold outside, but this morning she sounded excited about going, so we'll see. If we go, I will check in when we get back, between 5:30 & 6pm. I know it'll be super duper late, but you can still receive the Sweet Dreams subconsciously, in your sleep. :)

I'll bet you are getting ready for your trip! It's gonna be mega. What a way to finish up your Art School experience, and at Christmas, to boot!

Enjoy the rest of your evening, and I will see you, perhaps in your sleep, when we get back from Candy Cane Lane.

I Love You, my Awesome Artistic Lady!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

6:15pm : Okay, my Darling, it's super late - the middle of the night, in fact - but I bring you Sweet Dreams, straight from Candy Cane Lane. The lights were quite beautiful, dazzling in fact. Many cars were lined up to see all the houses. There were mangers, wise men, angels, snowmen, wreaths and candy canes galore. Kobi came with us, and now he wants to decorate his crib with lights, so that all the dogs in the neighborhood will drive by........

I will be back in just a few hours, at 11:30pm. I Love You, Elizabeth!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight : Sleepy again tonight. My friends Dave F. and Dennis came over for a walk this evening, but nothing much else to report. Choir tomorrow morning. I'm still adjusting to my new schedule and nighttime environment, but all is basically well. See you in the morn, my Baby. :)

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Final Finals? (Sweet Dreams) (all is calm..)

Good Evening, my Darling,

So, it may be appropriate to say TGIF today, if finals are all done. If not, you must be getting pretty close. On the one hand, I'm sure it's always nice to be done with the pressure of a final exam or project, but on the other hand, I know you have loved your whole experience in Florence and at the art school, so being at the finish line may feel a little bittersweet. I hope it feels mostly good, though.  :)

And, I'll bet you made some lasting friendships, and also, one day you (we!) can go back to visit.  :):)

But if you haven't finished up yet, at school, then continue to enjoy every moment! Then will come your two week trip.

Boy, we had another ton of rain fall last night. I came out front this morn to get the paper, at Pearl's, and a tree on the side of her yard had fallen over into the street! It had been a dead tree for about a year, so that probably had something to do with it, but it was pretty good sized, and it is completely blocking the street! Good thing no cars were parked there, and that no one was driving past as it happened. I could see that there were plastic sawhorses set up around it, so the city traffic department is aware of it and will send a crew out to saw it up into pieces and truck it away. Anyway, bring back the drought! I've had enough rain to last me a while.......  :)

I am at home and will be here for about another hour, til 3:30. Then I'll leave a little early, to go to the store before going to Pearl's. I'll check in when I get there. Enjoy the rest of your evening!

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

4:50pm : Happy Late Night! I'm at Pearl's. They already cleared the fallen tree out of the street. Now it's in pieces at the curbside. City services are quick, at least on something like this. I am gonna help Pearl with some more Christmas cards before dinner, so I will send Sweet Dreams, my Baby, and a hug and kiss for good sleep, and I will be back, as always, at 11:30 tonight. :)

Sleep well. I Love You, Elizabeth!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:55pm : Good Morning, Sweet Baby. I'm sitting at Pearl's kitchen table, browsing Criterion movies at Amazon, looking for Christmas sale prices. Got KUSC turned down low on the radio, all is quiet in the house. Nothing is stirring, not even a mouse.........(nor a Kobedog).

Wait a minute! That part doesn't happen for another twelve days.....get your dates straight, Ad.  :)

It looks like the rain is over for the moment, so that is good. I am tired again, but hopefully sleep will be plentiful. I will see you in the morn, Nice Lady.

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Late Thursday Afternoon Love (films)

Hi, my Darling,

Another busy one today, which is why it took me so long to post. Pearl was at the hair salon for a long time, getting a perm, so I just got home a few minutes ago. I took the Kobester to Reseda Park in the interim, to see the Canada Geese. It's still not raining, but tonight it's supposed to pour, and then all day tomorrow. Tonight is the final P&P film for this semester's Cinematheque. Actually, this one features only one "P"; director Michael Powell. He and Pressberger had stopped working together by this point. The movie is called "Peeping Tom", and it's supposed to be a classic, and also extremely creepy. We've really had a great year with the CSUN film retrospectives, starting with last semester's Satyajit Ray series, and now with Powell & Pressburger, which has been my favorite series so far.

I see that you guys are gonna start your trip soon. It looks like an awesome itinerary. You asked for suggestions, and I'd of course say London and Liverpool, but it looks like you are staying on the Continent. I am glad you are going to Prague! That's supposed to be the most picturesque Old World city, and also Vienna will be awesome, home to Mozart and Mendelssohn and so many other composers. Go to an opera at the Vienna Opera House! I know you'll probably only be in each city for a couple days, but you never know......  :)

I guess you are still doing finals, now, because you say your trip will start "soon", so post before you leave if you get a chance. Because I got a late start today, and because it's already Late Night, I will send you Sweet Dreams now, and also lots of love, and then I will write again when I get back from the movie. When I get to Pearl's, she's probably gonna want to do more Christmas cards. We're doing all the Minnesota ones first.

We need to send one to Wisconsin, too.  :):)

Or maybe to Prague.  :):)

I Love You, Elizabeth! Sleep well, and I'll see you after the movie, around 11:30pm...

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:55pm : Good Morning, my Baby. Well, that was quite a twisted little movie! Kind of a British "Psycho", in a way, and it is interesting that both films came out in the same year, 1960. "Peeping Tom" is a real surprise, coming from Michael Powell - he of "The Red Shoes" and "A Canterbury Tale" - but it does have all his cinematic and technical trademarks of detailed settings, color schemes, involving camera work, and getting the most from his actors. But this film is a straight-up horror film, with slasher film elements. I won't give any spoilers, but the ending is classic and truly weird. Available on Criterion.......

And so ends another year at The Armer Theater at CSUN. We've been doing it since 2009 (hard to believe because of the weird fluctuations of the passage of time), and so far we've seen retrospectives of Jean-Luc Godard, Federico Fellini, Luis Bunuel, Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, Michelangelo Antonioni, Francois Truffaut, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Satyajit Ray, and Powell & Pressburger. Over 150 films total. Next up, in January : the films of Yasujiro Ozu.

Super tired tonight. Hope to get some sleep, and then tomorrow there are no appointments, so I can have an easy day.

I hope it was a great day for you as well, and I will see you in the morning.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Later, Possums (late night love after writing Christmas cards) (Reading King, scary)

Good Evening, my Baby,

It's another busy one here today. We had the Terminex guys at Pearl's house yet again. I don't know if I mentioned all the business about whether or not there were possums in her attic, but anyway, the first inspector said there were possums, and then another guy came out to do a follow-up, and he said there were no possums, and that the first guy had been mistaken. So then Pearl's daughter called to cancel the whole Possums-In-The-Attic deal. But then the first inspector called her back and insisted there were indeed possums in the attic, or at least there had been at one time or another, so today they came out and cleaned the attic, and then blew a layer of possum-resistant insulation up there, which will not only keep future possums from getting any ideas, but will also conserve heat in the house, which will be great now that the dreaded L.A. Cold will soon be upon us. Whew!

I loved the Chriselle Lim post and photo, and it really cracked me up too. :) First of all, she knows about the dreaded L.A. Cold, haha. Second, she's wearing your sweater! I tell ya, you never know what's gonna happen next around here, lol. That is an excellent picture you took of Hannah also. I haven't seen it before, and I guess you must have taken it last Winter? But yes - great skin tones, good framing, nice quality of light, and you always capture your subjects in good expression. You make people look photogenic, and even if some subjects may be photogenic anyway, it's still not easy to do, and you make them all that way.

Well, I'd better get rolling in a few minutes, or at least by 2pm. Gotta hit a couple stores, get some Christmas cards and stamps for Pearl, go to Trader Joe's for salsa......

I'll check in when I get back to Pearl's at 4:30pm. Enjoy the rest of your evening. :)

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)

5:30pm : Hi, my Angel. Sorry I'm so late! I was helping Pearl write Christmas cards, but we are all done for now (more tomorrow), and so I wanted to send you some late night Sweet Dreams. It's starting to cloud up here, and we are supposed to get another drenching rainstorm between now and Friday night, so I will go home at 6:30 and get my walk done, hopefully before it starts. Then maybe watch an X-File before coming back to Pearl's at 9:30. I hope your finals are going well, and also that you had a good day. Sleep well and I'll see you in a little while.......

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight : Good Morning, my Darling. I am sitting at the dining room table, reading the new Stephen King book, "Revival". Man.......he's really on a roll with his last three books, and especially this one, of which, when one gets about 50 pages in, the meaning of the title becomes clear. It's funny about King, because he is the most gruesome writer in America, and possibly the world, and yet he is also one of the most popular authors of all time. I think it's because of his deep understanding of human nature. He's a horror author who just happens to also be the world's greatest psychologist.

Tonight, my friend Dennis came over with his dogs, and we went on an Orange Grove walk. Other than that, I've been a little tired from not getting much sleep before the Terminex guys showed up this morn, so I will hit the sack in a few minutes.

Best wishes for best results on all your final projects. I will see you in the morn, my Angel.

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)

Honeymoon :):) (to the show we go) (back from the show)

Good Evening, my Angel,

I love your post! Since we just got married, where should we go for our honeymoon? Since it's gonna be during Christmas, I say we find a little town in England for a Classic Dickensian Christmas. Or maybe a German or Czech village with a similar setting. A place that feels as if it were invented just for Christmas. You can scout the perfect location while you are travelling after finals are over, and I will join you there. :):)

I am home for a short break after picking Pearl up from Golden Agers. Tonight I am going to see Opeth at the Hollywood Palladium, a legendary venue but not one of my favorites because it turns into one big mosh pit at heavy metal shows. I haven't actually been there in close to 30 years, but the last time I was there, was for the infamous Slayer riot, which I think was in 1986. You can Google it to see what that was. Just Google "Slayer" + riot + Hollywood Palladium, or something like that, and you'll see why I don't like the place. But, it's 30 years later, and I think Opeth will draw a slighty more civilised crowd than Slayer did back then. At any rate, I'll just stand in the back, just to be sure. And, I can't wait, cause it's Opeth, and they are always great, and the last two times I saw them, last year, were among the best hard rock shows I've seen in quite a while, so tonight should be no exception.

I will write when I get back to Pearl's, which will probably be between Midnight and 12:30am. And, I will also check in when I get to Pearl's in a little while, at 4:30pm. It's a beautiful day today, about 80 degrees. I think I'll go for half my walk now, just so I get at least some of my miles in.

See you in just a bit...........wife.  :)

I Love You, my Sweet, Sweet Baby!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)


4:55pm : Happy Late Night, my Darling. I am at Pearl's, doing the Feeding Thing: first the Kobester, then Black Kitty, then finally Pearl & me. Before dinner, I always enjoy a cup of tea, which I am sipping right now. Soon I will leave for the Opeth show, via the Metro Red Line subway, as always. Didja Google the Slayer riot? It should be noted that, though I was there, I was one of the people running away from, and not participating in, said rioting. Although I'm sure that goes without saying! You know, I love hard rock and metal, but I was never much of a Slayer fan. Just the one album, really, "Reign In Blood". That one's a classic, but other than that, they don't do much for me. I was more of a Metallica guy.......

Wow, Sweet Baby, I am missing my hikes! Haven't been on one in........what? Three weeks? A month? Everything's kinda been up in the air for a while, and we had Thanksgiving, and then rain. But I will get back out there before the end of the year, guaranteed! Of course, major hiking season, for me, is in the warmer weather. But I am missing it already, and I wanna take some pictures asap. :)

Well, I will get back to the Feeding now. When I get back from the concert I will write more. You will be there with me in spirit. Sweet Dreams as we go..........

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

12:45am : I am home, my Baby. I actually got home a half hour ago, but had to make some rice first cause I was hungry. :) It was a short set by Opeth, only 75 minutes, and I should have thought that would be the case, because it is a co-headlining tour. The only thing is that I've never heard of In Flames, the other co-headliner, and so I just thought, well, In Flames will get an hour and Opeth will get 90 minutes. There was a third band, too, somebody called Red Fang, but again, I've not heard of them, and they probably played the requisite 30 minutes given to the opening time slot. Opeth also played no encore, and I think I've only seen that happen once or twice in all my 40 years of concertgoing. I am trying to Google a setlist, but so far nobody has posted one yet. I think they played 8 songs.

Now, don't get me wrong - it was a power-packed 75 minutes, starting with two new songs that sounded incredible live. The songs that followed were mostly taken from the older death metal material that Mikael has sworn off for the future of the band, but of course the audience wants to hear those songs live, and Opeth delivers.

I mean, do they ever! Grimsley remarked last year that, between Frederick the lead guitarist, and Mikael (an incredible guitarist himself), they have the best live guitar sound of any current band. I agree. For this kind of music, the dynamics are extraordinary. By contrast, a band like In Flames, while tight and highly professional as all big touring bands are nowdays, lack dynamics entirely, rendering their sound one big metal mush. Too many bands sound like that, most in fact, and so Opeth stands out. They are precise to a fault, dynamic when playing at full blast, and they can switch gears in mid-song to include, and play clearly, the folky and jazzy elements Mikael incorporates in his compositions. They are just an awesome live band, although more like the Pink Floyd of heavy metal, rather than performers like Judas Priest. They don't do much on stage, but they have a pretty good light show, and Mikael is a comedian between songs.

The Hollywood Palladium wasn't too bad as a venue. It was packed, and there was a mosh pit in the middle of the floor, but there is also a balcony, so I just went up there and stood against the railing, and I could see perfectly the whole stage, from just a little off to the side.

Before going in to the show, I walked down Sunset Boulevard to Amoeba Records, because I had two hours to kill and didn't wanna see the opening bands. It's a huge used records store, one of the last in all of Los Angeles, but they have tons of stuff and it's fun to browse.

All in all, a good concert and a good night, and an easy trip on the subway.

Have a great day, Sweet Baby, and I will see you in the morning!

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

The Best Yet (Excuse Me, Ma'am) (the inspiration for early music)

Good Evening, my Darling,

Are you still in Ireland, or back in Florence? Either way, I hope your week is off to a good start. I am at home, but in a few minutes I have to take Pearl's car over to the tire shop. I noticed it has a bolt or screw stuck in one of the rear tires. I don't know how long it's been there, maybe not too long or I probably would have noticed it earlier. The weird thing is that it doesn't seem to be leaking any air, so maybe it's sealed off or just stuck in the tread. I wanna make sure, though, so I'll have the tire guys look at it and pull it out, and if it needs repair then I think they can just put a plug in it. I don't think it'll need a new tire.

Gotta stop at the library, too, and a couple of stores, then back to Pearl's from 4:30 to 6:30. How are things going at school? You must be getting close to finals, if they have finals. I'm sure you'll be doing some kind of final project. And then when does the semester end? Probably before Christmas, I would think, so maybe two more weeks? Well, I hope that, even during the rush and excitement of putting together a final project (if you have to do one), that you have the most wonderful time of your whole Italian experience, and that you really soak up every last detail of your stay in Florence. May your last two weeks be your best, and during the Christmas Season, too. A time you will always remember! :)

I guess I will head out now, to go to the tire shop and then run those errands, but I will check in when I get back to Pearl's at 4:30.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

(see you in a bit)

4:40pm : Excuse me, ma'am? Would you happen to have seen a young woman earlier today? It was just a little while ago in fact. I believe she was in Ireland. Long blonde hair, was wearing a white knit sweater with a wide neckline?

What's that? You say you did see her?

Well, will you do me a favor? If you see her again, would you tell her she's gorgeous?

You will? Oh, thanks, ma'am. Thanks very much!

Oh.....what's that? You agree with me? Well, of course you do! Who wouldn't? :)  ///

Oh, hi my Darling. I was just asking about you. :) My goodness, Sweet Baby, that is one incredibly beautiful picture! You look amazing, quite a contrast to the apparently barren landscape of the Giant's Causeway, which I will have to do some Googling on, as I had not heard of it prior to your photo. I am glad you had such a great time, and I knew you would. Ireland is said to be one of the world's most picturesque and amazing places. I am looking forward to seeing more pictures, too. I see, from one of your friend's posts on your FB Timeline, that it is indeed Finals time back in Florence, and I know you will knock it out of the park as always.

I will post now, and then feed the Black Kitty. Kobester will help. He always gets a little bit (half a spoonful) of cat food, just so he won't feel left out. Man, does he love cat food. He'd eat it exclusively if he could!

Sweet Dreams, my Beautiful Honorary Irish Lass.......  :)

I Love You and will see you at 11:30pm (i.e. morning for you).

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):) 

12:20am : Good Morning, Sweet Baby. I am listening to ancient vocal music by English composer Thmas Tallis. It's hypnotising because there is always a drone note, an anchor. Much different than the later polyphonic choral music, which moves because it has melody as well as harmony. But the drone, or anchor, in ancient music, keeps it from moving. It has harmony but not melody. Still, it's awesome in a spiritual sense, and in the context of church music in which it was composed. There must have been an incredible sense of calm, and focus, in that era, for a composer to have come up with such a sound.

Sounds reflect eras. I know there was already a technical aspect to early chant music, even 500 years ago, but I also think there was some very amazing pure source of inspiration present at the time. It sounds like what we imagine Angels might sound like. Imagine a composer hearing such music, or comprehending such music in moments of inspiration, and that he could understand - and connect with - where it came from. Such was the ancient church, I believe - a place of purer connection with God and the Angels. Purer due to the quiet of the age, which is apparent in the early music.

I am sleepy this eve, but I got a new Stephen King book, "Revival" from Northridge Libe, so I am happy. Only 25 pages in, but I'm already hooked. SK is a constant in my life for almost 40 years now.....

That's all I know for tonight, my Angel.

I Love You and will see you in the morn.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Fun At The Granada Hills Christmas Parade (choirs and cultures)

Hi, my Darling,

Happy Late Night. Man, a super busy day today. Non-stop since 7:30am. First was church, with extra practice for the Christmas program. Some of the songs have notes I can't reach, haha, so I have to lip-synch those parts. :) But, overall Ithink my voice is getting a little better.

We were at church til 1pm as always, came home to get the Kobedog, and then drove straight up to Granada Hills (the town north of Northridge) to watch their annual Christmas Parade. Just now we are getting home. The parade is about 2 1/2 hours long, with a band from just about every school in the area, tons of Cub Scout, Boy & Girl Scout Troops, Veteran's organisations, custom car clubs, dance groups, Mexican horse riders. We saw some gorgeous horses, with long manes, beautiful like long hair on a girl. I had never seen horses like that. We also saw the Labrador Guide Dogs that are always there every year. There must have been over a hundred entries. Pearl had a blast, so that was great. I am gonna be tired later tonight, lol.

I hope you had a wonderful day, and I really loved your posts. Of course, I couldn't agree more with the Sophie Miller post. It's everything we always talk about. And you are always my Sweet Baby. In a few weeks, it will be really neat to look back on this year, and to look at all the things we've done, and how this philosophy has manifested in our lives. You will see how your intent manifested itself. It's really a trip how that works - and it does work, no doubt about it.

Right now, I am gonna go feed the Black Kitty and also water a few plants before darkness descends. I already fed Kobedoggie, but he's still barking anyway. He's the boss, so it's no surprise.

I will write more at 11:30pm. I send you Sweet Dreams for peaceful sleep, and also lots of hugs and kisses.

I Love You, Elizabeth! See you in just a little while.....

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight : Good Morning, my Beautiful Girl. I am once again looking for Youtubes of the choir songs we are working on for Christmas. Now, I posted the John Rutter "Christmas Lullaby", and we obviously aren't in the same league as that choir, but you might as well make it as good as possible, and we already have some pretty good soprano singers. It's a really small choir, 12 people tops, when they all show up. Now I know why the choir director was so insistent that I join, and now that I'm in, I wanna sing as good as I can, so I am looking for the best versions of each hymn.

Are you back in Italy or still in Ireland? Maybe back, as you have been able to post more often. Probably a huge contrast, Italy and Ireland, in cultures, landscape, and so many other ways. It's amazing that Europe - which includes Ireland (strange, eh?) - is so varied in culture, and that the tribes that preceded the civilizations there - Goths, Huns, Celts, Angles, Saxons and more - left such a mark on the societal structures, which endure to this day. In America, even though we have many, many cultural variations, they all seem to blend, at least to a degree. I mean, Louisiana is very different from California or Idaho, which is different from Alaska. But they all are homogenised by the United States, whereas in Europe - at least I imagine it this way - Ireland is completely different from Italy or Germany, entirely different entities all, even though they have just begun a continental unification called the EU.

In my geography and history class at Cleveland High School, we learned about the 12 tribes of Europe, and how they moved around, and it's amazing to me that those cultures did not blend in the same way as did the American culture. Now, I know it's all developing a degree of corporate World Culture; you can find strip malls in any country in the world now, pretty much. But you know what I mean.

And that's why I hope you have been able to tune in to what is ancient in the places you have visited, to feel the essence of the original founding cultures. They are still intact in Europe, and really in America, too, if you just look for the details. I find details in the landscape, which never changes, or changes very little. That is where you sense the real history of a place, in it's landscape.

That's all I know for tonight, my Darling. Here's to a great week ahead!

I Love You, Elizabeth.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Sweet Babies! (two of 'em) (late night sweet babyism)

Happy Late Night, my Darling,

I love the picture of the Sweet Babies you posted! That's us, of course. :):) They are standing in for us until we can take our own Sweet Babies picture, lol.

I'll bet it is a beautiful eve in Ireland, or Eire, or the Emerald Isle, among other inspiring names. You must be having a great time there, and I can't wait to see some photos. Today was kinda busy here, doing some cleaning at Pearl's, then out to the Northridge Mall to look for Christmas cards and also to pick up some jeans I ordered online from JCPenny. I always get Lee jeans. I find 'em a little more comfortable than Levi's, and they're just as durable and not as expensive. I got two pair black, two blue, and one copper colored. Oh boy! :)

Now I'm stylin'.

It was nice out today, about 70 degrees, so I went for half my walk, and I'll do the other half when I get home at 6:30. Then back here at 9:30. I will write you again later tonight, between 11:30 and Midnight as usual. Right now, The Kobester is grumbling at me........wait, now the grumbles are turning into barks....so I'd better feed him. I'll post now, and send you Sweet Dreams, too, all the way to Ireland.

I Love You, Elizabeth! Sleep well, and I'll see you in a little while.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:50pm : Good Morning, my Angel, and Happy Sunday. I think it would be wonderful to experience a part of the Christmas season in Ireland, or England, too. Anywhere in the British isles. The whole "thatched cottage" thing, with snow on the rolling hills, really sets the scene. I am guessing you will be back in Italy soon, to finish up the last couple weeks of your semester? Assuming the semester will end before Christmas, of course. You will probably be working on final projects, I imagine, and you will knock it out of the park, as always.

Tomorrow morning will be choir, then I wanna go up to Granada Hills (just a few miles away) for the annual Christmas parade. I've posted pictures from past parades, they are always fun, and very hometown oriented.

That's all for now, Sweet Baby. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday morning and I will see you in mine!

(My Sunday morning, that is)

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Super Happy (Sweet Irish Dreams) (Late Night Love)

Hi Elizabeth,

I saw your post just now, and I'm very much relieved. Thank you. :) I just guess, as before, that because of travel or technical issues that you weren't able to post for a while. It's just cause this is the only connection we have that I get so worried.

Well, I am super happy to hear from you! I don't know if you are in Ireland or Italy, but I hope you had a great day and are enjoying your Friday evening. I am at home for a little while, and then at 2pm I will go for at least half my walk so I don't have to do the whole thing tonight.

Today and tomorrow are pretty easy days, with most of the afternoons and early evenings off. I can't wait to "take a hike" again, haha, as soon as the trails dry out a bit. We really got drenched with rain, the first day was a record breaker. And, as always I am enjoying the Christmas season, with the music and lights and good feelings.

I am am beyond happy to hear from you. I Love You So Much, Elizabeth.

I will check in when I get back to Pearl's at 4:30. Tons of love.......

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

4:50pm : Hi, my Darling. I'm at Pearl's, gotta go to the pharmacy in a few minutes to pick up prescriptions. I just wanted to send you Sweet Dreams, as always. If you are in Ireland, I hope you have an absolutely amazing time, and also that you really soak up the ancient feeling there. You know, while you are there, you could write a short poem, or just a few lines of words, or even a song or melody. Something late at night, perhaps, that won't get in the way of your itinerary. But it would be neat to do, just so that all your life, you will have something you wrote while in Ireland, home of many great poets. :)

Well, it was great to hear from you today. I will write again later tonight at 11:30.

I Love You, my Angel.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight : Writing from Pearl's kitchen. Gotta keep the heat running; it's cold in here. I am used to the small space of my apartment, which is easy to heat with just a space heater. The L.A. Cold has arrived, and I'm a wimp, lol. I've got plenty of time to read here, so I am browsing a book called "Sinister Forces: A Grimoire of American Political Witchcraft" by Peter Levenda. I say browsing rather than reading, because - while it looks interesting - it seems pretty convoluted. The book I just finished reading, "Dr. Mary's Monkey", was a complete mindblower, and was told straightforwardly as a story, without a lot of academic posturing, so I may or may not delve into the Levenda book. It's weird how time seems to run slower here at Pearl's, at night. If I were home staring at 9:30, the time until Midnight would pass fairly quickly. Here, it seems much longer. Time is, in part at least, how you perceive it, relative to your surroundings.

At any rate, that's all I know for now. I'll be awake for another hour or so, then up tomorrow morning as usual.

Have a great day. I Love You, Elizabeth.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Sweet Baby? (CSUN movie) (Please Let Me Know)

Hi Elizabeth,

Just wondering if you're still there. It's one of those times when I worry, you know I'm a bit of a worry wart. I figure you've either gotta be travelling, or working hard on a project, or something is wrong. I sure hope it's one of the first two things, but even then, I thought you had an iPhone or something you could post with?

You certainly don't have to post every five minutes for me, and I know you know that. It's just that, when several days go by and I don't hear anything from you, it makes our whole situation feel very tenuous to me, because I have no way of knowing what is going on. I just have to guess.

So, please let me know how things are going, as soon as you get a chance. If you are in Ireland, I hope you are having a blast. We had two days of non-stop rain, but the Sun may be starting to come out. Hooray!

I'll be around, on and off, for most of the day until CSUN movie time at 7pm. Right now I'll be here (at home) until about 1:30. Then I'll go pick Pearl up from the hair salon. I got my hair cut, too, this time. :)

I Love You and I Miss You and I'm Thinking About You.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

5:45pm : I know it's super late. whether Ireland or Italy, but I just wanted to say that I am going to the CSUN movie at 7pm, as always, and then I'll be back here at Pearl's afterwards. I know you'll be sound asleep by then, but I'll write more at 11:30 as usual. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:55pm : The main thing is that I hope you're okay. I hope everything is okay with your Mom, too. I wrack my brain when these things happen, it's very hard for me. I don't know what else to say, except please post something, if you can. Maybe you can borrow someone's iPhone or something.

These things are very difficult for me, because it feels like I am just a guy on Facebook, as if I've known you all this time, and have loved you, and then the connection is shut off all of a sudden, after almost three years and all that communication. I will keep trying, assuming that you aren't able to post for some technical reason (i.e. no iPhone or whatever), but if it's some other issue, won't you please let me know? I have always communicated with you, no matter how busy I've been, so please Elizabeth, let me know if you are still with me, and if you want me to keep writing or not.

Thanks.

Ireland?

Hi Elizabeth,
Is everything okay? I ask because you haven't posted much for the last few days & nothing today. I know you are getting ready for Ireland, and maybe you are already en route. But, if it's anything else, just let me know. I hope you are feeling well, too. :)

Today we had the kind of all day rainstorm we used to get in Wintertime, before the drought years. Most rain we've had since 2010, and more coming tomorrow, so they say. Too much mud for hiking, so I was inside all day, reading mostly. I am getting the hang of the night shift. Tomorrow morn, we have the Terminix man coming between 7 and 9am to start on the termite problem.

I sincerely hope it's closer to 9 than 7, lol.

Anyhow, I am thinking about you. Post when you can.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo 

Triple Love From Home (Happy December Late Night Love) (Good Morning Love)

Good Evening, my Baby,

I am at home, off til 4:30. My apt. is now like my little vacation pad, haha. I am starting to get the hang of the night shift thing, i.e. what to bring with me, keep it to a minimum, etc. I slept pretty well last night. The rain is over, for today at least, so Pearl & Kobedoggie and me were able to go for a full walk. I think it's supposed to rain tomorrow and Wednesday (the horror!), so I don't know what will happen to my hikes. I didn't go last week because of the holiday, the trip to the Huntington, etc, so I kinda do wanna do something, even if it's minimal because of the rain. I don't wanna go out on muddy trails or, obviously, climb any mountainsides, but maybe a trip up to Aliso might be in order. It's a flat, easy trail, and I might be able to get some neat pics as a result of the rain. We'll see tomorrow.

I hope your day has been good. What day will you be leaving for Ireland? Thursday or Friday maybe. Is it part of your school agenda? That's pretty cool that they take you guys on so many road trips. I see your Nutella post, too, lol, and I knew that was a big thing in Europe, but probably especially in Italy. Does it come from there? All I know is that it would be Kryptonite for me, haha. It's peanut butter mixed with chocolate, right? Or something to that effect. It's one of those things, like a block of cheese (any kind) or a jar of regular peanut butter, where if I buy it, I'm gonna eat the whole thing probably in one sitting. :)

Those are some of my Kryptonite foods. Others are potato chips, ice cream, chocolate bars. So yeah, if you combine peanut butter and chocolate, that's two of my major weaknesses right there. Like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!

Well, Sweet Baby, I am gonna get situated here. I have to re-learn my routine, lol. I'll probably start doing at least half my walk during the day, at least for now. Right now I'm just gonna relax, check Amazon for Cyber Monday, write my rent check for December, and then hang out some more! I'll be around more or less til 4:15. Enjoy the rest of your evening!

I Triple-Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

5pm : Happy Late Night, and (I forgot to say earlier) Happy December! Boy, the time always flies by once you hit Halloween. The next thing you know it's Thanksgiving, then Christmas, and then the New Year. I love this time of year, though, and I know you do, too. So, here's to a nice month and a wonderful Christmas season. I hope you had a great day, my Darling. Probably pretty busy, I bet. It's that time of night, so I send you Sweet Dreams and lots of love, and I will see you later tonight at 11:30.

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:45pm : Good Morning, Awesome Lady. I'm sitting here at my new late night headquarters, Pearl's kitchen table. I've got KUSC on the radio, so that's another part of my re-creation of home. :)

I saw your post for Good Morning V. That is pretty cool that they're opening for Y&T. Those guys have been around for a long time, probably 30 years or more. They are supposed to be pretty good live, and they have a loyal following, so it's great exposure for Paul's band, and maybe he knows those guys from his days in Last Crack. But it's also good for you, cause the more GMV plays, the more people will see them live, then check them out on Youtube when they get home, and then they will see your video. So, hopefully many more shows for the guys, and on good bills like the Y&T one. :)

Well, I will browse Amazon for a little while longer in a last ditch attempt to find deals on movies I've never seen - Westerns, Sci-Fi, War Films, Film Noir and Horror being the genres of choice, or at least my first choices, cause I like musicals too, and other stuff. Like pretty much everything, so long as there's no Sandler or Danny DeVito or Ah-nold or.........well, you know. ;)

I hope you have a great day! You're probably gearing up for Ireland. You are gonna have an amazing time there, an Artist's Paradise, certainly from an inspirational standpoint.

It's supposed to be pouring rain here starting about noon tomorrow, so I don't yet know what my prospects are for photography. If it's not a complete downpour, I may try for a few shots up at Aliso.

See you in the morn, Sweet Baby! I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Home From Choir (xoxoxoxoxo)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I am at home, back from church and choir practice. I slept pretty good at Pearl's, considering the unfamiliar setting and different bed. One good thing: I don't have to drive over in the morning. I wake up and I'm there. So now, my apartment is more like my "hang-out pad", a place to chill for a couple hours here and there, lol. It's raining today - an extremely rare occurrence! - and I know we need it (desperately in fact) but I'm so used to it not raining that I hope it stops soon, lol.

I'll be here for about an hour or so, then I've gotta go do all the shopping I didn't do yesterday because I was at the PowWow. I hope you had a great day and are enjoying your evening! I will check in again when I get back to Pearl's at 4:30.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

5:05pm : Happy Late Night, Sweet Baby. I'm at Pearl's. The rain finally stopped, so I think I can get my walk in later. Yipee! I just wanted to wish you Sweet Dreams. I will write more at 11:30.

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)

At The PowWow (Sweet Dreams) (at Pearl's)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I have been over at CSUN for the last couple hours, watching the annual PowWow. Many different tribes are represented, lots of dancing, songs and drums, it's pretty awesome. I watched them make what they call The Grand Entrance, which is where all the representatives from the different tribes parade into the dance area in full costume. The colors and design patterns of the clothes are really something to see. The headdresses. I didn't bring my camera because last year the MC asked me not to take pictures, which I was doing during one of the dances. But this year, all kinds of people were snapping away, so go figure. :) The news was there, too, so I'll check out Channel 7 at 4 to see what they show.

I am back on the job at 4:30, and this will of course be my first night at Pearl's. But, I'll be home from 6:45 til 9:45, then back at Pearl's by 10pm. Right now, I will do a few dishes, have a snack, and then maybe walk back over to the PowWow for a little while, cause it's just across the CSUN parking lot from my apt., just north of the Oviatt. It's five minutes away.

I hope you had a great day, and I liked your posts from this morning. Beautiful pictures, and the earrings too! That style would look great on you of course. :)

I will check in again when I get to Pearl's. It'll take me a couple minutes to get situated, feed The Boy and hook up Chromebook 2, so it might be around 5pm (late I know), but I will check in regardless.

Cause I Love You, my Angel. See you in a bit.......

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

5:05pm : Hi, my Angel. I'm back at Pearl's, getting situated. Gotta bring stuff, little by little, that I'll need, like my books, maybe an acoustic guitar, my blaster (so I can listen to CDs on headphones). Not too much stuff, just essentials for night. Like I say, it's really just the same as before, only I sleep here instead of at my apt. But I'll be back and forth each day, just like I've always been.

I'm glad you had a nice birthday. :) Now we will head into the Christmas Season, and it will be a wonderful holiday time.

For now, I send you Sweet Dreams, and I will write again around 11:30pm just like I always do!

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:50pm : Good Morning, Sweet Baby! I am writing from Pearl's. The last time I was here at night was in October 2010, about six months after I started. Can't remember the reason I slept over that time, but it was something minor, but anyway, that was the time when I first met the Black Kitty, when she was a kitten and The Kobester chased her up a tree. I had to get her down, and it took all afternoon with a ladder, and I wound up writing a Myspace blog about it. The Kitty wasn't much bigger than a hand back then. But anyway, it was the last time I was here, writing at night.

The only thing that's a little difficult about being in a different place at night, for me anyway, is trying to fall asleep. One great thing about my apartment, tiny though it is, is that I can usually fall asleep within minutes. Not sure that will happen tonight, and it may take a few nights, but I'll get used to it.

I see from one of your birthday comments that you are going to Ireland. That is gonna rule! Man, that's one of my first destinations when I finally do some travelling, the Emerald Isle. So much history there, and mystery. So green and beautiful, and old. I hope you get to see a castle!

Tomorrow morning will be church and choir from 9:30 til 1pm. A lot has changed in the past few weeks, lol. But I am having fun learning the Christmas songs. I will try to check in before we go to church, but if I can't, I'll see you at around 1:30pm tomorrow. Once I get the hang of this dual residence thing, it'll be smooth sailing.

I Love You, Elizabeth, and I will see you tomorrow.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)

I Love You On Friday Night :):) (Sweet Dreams) (road trip?)

Good Evening, my Baby,

I hope you are enjoying your Friday evening. Is there Black Friday in Italy, lol? I am almost certain the answer must be no, but just in case there is, I hope it is not too hectic. :) I slept in and feel well-rested, and just went for a nice walk down to the Oviatt and back, to get warmed up for the day and back on track, since I didn't have a walk yesterday. I don't usually engage in major Black Fridayism, but sometimes I do go over to Best Buy in the afternoon, just to check the dvd bins for good deals. If I go today, it will probably be around 2:30 or 3pm, and I will once again walk. It's nice to stay out of one's car when possible, and it's only a mile and a half to Best Buy.

Well, the new arrangements for Pearl's will start tomorrow night, and we're just gonna ease into it. Pearl's daughter Helen says that I can go home at 6:30 as usual, and then come back at 10pm to stay the night. That's not so bad, and I can still have a chance that way to go for my walk, or watch a movie. I can still go to the Thursday night movie at CSUN. So, I'll kinda be back and forth all day from Pearl's house to mine, but it's already pretty much like that anyway, so all is good. Helen says it will take about a month or so for the insurance claim to go through - to see if Pearl is covered for a night person - so I will be doing it for the near future, and maybe I will wind up being the permanent night person after that, too. We'll see. But for right now, one step at a time, which is always the best way of doing things in any situation.

I will check back in around 4-4:30 for late night Sweet Dreams. Enjoy the rest of your evening!

I Love You, Sweet Baby!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

4:25pm : Happy Late Night. I'm just hanging out, reading and listening to music. I never did walk out to Best Buy, but I did do half my daily miles on a CSUN walk. It is beautiful day outside, and the campus was empty and quiet. Instead of shopping in person, I figured I can just browse online to see if there is anything I really want, and right now I can't think of anything. I hope the remainder of your evening was nice, and I send you Sweet Dreams for when you do go to sleep. It's a slow day here, nobody around, so I'll probably watch a movie or maybe some college football if there's a game on TV.

I'll be back at the usual time tonight, my Angel. I Love You.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

12:05am : Good Morning, my Baby. I am thinking you might be on a road trip with your school, or otherwise travelling/camping, etc. Tonight will be my last night of sleeping here in my apt. for at least a few weeks, so I am just figuring everything I will want to bring with me to re-create the home atmosphere. Most definitely a radio, so I can listen to KUSC at night. My guitar. Some books, dvds. Aww heck, I'll probably just figure it out night-by-night. And, our communication will be exactly the same, same times of day too. By the time I get back to Pearl's each night at 10pm, she will be either already asleep or close to it, so it will be easy to get my routine down. Everything is gonna be good.

I will be awake until about 1:30 to 2am tonight, cause I get the one last sleep-in, and then tomorrow I go back to Pearl's at 4:30, so I am still off until then. Post if you get a chance.......

I Love You, Elizabeth! See you in the morning.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Thankful For You (Sweet Dreams for a Great Day) (late night love)

Good Evening, Birthday Girl,

I hope you've been having a great day. I am just starting to get rolling here, but I've got plenty of time before I have to be at Pearl's at 1pm. I will be the Master Of Pies, bringing not just the Dutch Apple and Coconut Creme I picked up at Marie Callender's, but also a pumpkin pie I got yesterday afternoon at the Delicious Bakery down the street. That's actually the name of the place, and they live up to their name. :)

My brother-in-law Nico (Vickie's husband) will be bringing his homemade Habanero Chili Salsa, which he makes every year to see who is more macho when it comes to eating hot stuff. It usually winds up in a tie, lol. We will have a nice time, with good food, and then later we will take Kobi for a walk. Hopefully he will try to steal a bone out of the trash bag like he did last year. :) I love that doggie.

The guys, especially my nephew Ali, will wind up watching some football, and me being one of the guys, I'll watch some too.

I should be home around 5:30 and I'll check in then, even though I know it'll be late there. Right now, I'll be here til about 12:30.

Mostly I'll be thinking about you, my Angel. Today is your day. I am so thankful for you.

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

(see you in a little while)

6:15pm : Hi, my Darling. I got home a little later than I thought. I know it's the middle of the night but I just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday one last time, cause it's still the 27th here, and I wanted also to send you Sweet Dreams. We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner at Pearl's. I am super full, so I'll just relax for a bit and maybe even take a nap. But I'll go for my walk later and also write again at the usual time.

This is a great day, I think. I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)

12:05am : Good Morning, Beautiful Lady. Wow, I couldn't believe it, but when I woke up from my nap it was almost 9pm! I fell asleep, lol. I suppose that's the traditional thing to do, though, after a Thanksgiving meal. Then Grimsley called and we talked for a while, so I never did go for my walk. I guess I can miss it for one day. I always cut myself a little slack at this time of year, haha, if I eat too much, or too much of stuff I shouldn't eat (like lots of pie!), or if I miss a walk here or there. So no biggie. Then I'll get right back to it starting tomorrow.

Well, my Sweet Baby, it looks like there is gonna be a change in my work schedule. Apparently, Pearl fell down the other night while her daughter was there, so she wants to have somebody with Pearl at night from now on. She is gonna see if Pearl's insurance will cover a nighttime person, just someone to be there while Pearl is sleeping, etc. If the insurance covers it, then there will be two of us - me in the daytime as usual, and the new person at night. But if the insurance doesn't cover it.........well, I volunteered to try and do the whole thing myself. It probably won't wind up being that extreme, with me 24/7 at Pearl's, because even if the insurance doesn't cover a second person, there will be ways to work things out, and I could always get my sister to sub for me if I wanted to go to a concert or something.

Anyway, I didn't want to jump the gun, but it's still my job, so I did volunteer for the whole thing, but I said "let's just take it one day at a time and see what happens". So, starting Saturday night, I will be sleeping over at Pearl's. Her daughter seems to think the insurance will cover a night person, so it might only be a few nights, or maybe a week or two for me at night, until they find someone. But no matter what happens, not much will change because I'll still have my Chromebook over there, and I'll still write and post like I always do, at the same times like always. And, I'll still go for my walks and do all the things I do. It's just that I might be based out of Pearl's house for a while. We'll know more when we see what the insurance covers. For now, one day at a time is always the best way to look at the situation, and any situation really. The bottom line is that I think some supremely good things are gonna happen for you and me in the coming year, so get ready!

I am still full from Thanksgiving dinner, but I'll probably have a snack before I go to sleep. Maybe another piece of pie! :) My goodness, Ad..............

I hope you had a wonderful birthday and Thanksgiving, Elizabeth. I will be up til about 2am, and then I will see you in the morning.

I Love You So Much.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)