Gonna Keep An Eye On The Mailbox (first day of school?)

Hi, my Darling,

I know it's late, but just in case you are awake, I wanted to tell you that I just now bought your record! Johan put up the Vaskula CDs for sale, which is what I wanted (just cause I'm old school, haha). Gotta have my music on a CD. But anyway, now you have been added to my collection. :)

I am figuring that you must be in the middle of travelling or maybe even have limited Internet access. I would have no idea how it works over there. Or maybe it's the same in Europe, too, I dunno.

I hope you are having a great weekend. All is normal and usual here, took Kobi to CSUN, etc. Super hot outside. Looking for new trails and weird places for Hundred Degree Hikes.......

That's all for now. I will write more later, at the usual time, tomorrow morning for you.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:40pm : Good Morning, my Baby! I am thinking that it must be a school day for you because Labor Day doesn't apply in Europe. In fact, maybe today is your first day of school. Are you still in Germany? I saw your Taya Iv post this afternoon, and since it was about photography, I am guessing you've been working on a project for school.

Not a lot to report here, but I look forward to finding something new to photograph in the next day or two.

Post when you get a chance. I Love You!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Busy Day, But Finally Home

Good Morning, my Darling,

Sorry I didn't check in earlier, but it was go-go-go all day today, first getting Pearl's car registered at the local AAA, then out to Glendale to take my sister Sophie shopping, then back to The 'Ridge to shop for myself. Then it was back to Pearl's at 4:30, and when I got off at 6:30, I drove up to the Northridge Little League baseball field to see Ticket To Ride, the local Beatles tribute band (whom I've mentioned before and have seen a bunch of times).

Then after that, my friend Dave F. called and wanted to go on a CSUN walk, so I did that too.

So, I am just now settling down after a busy day.

I am thinking maybe you were, or are still, travelling? Maybe en route from Germany to Italy? Just a guess. My other guess is that you are already working on a school project, and perhaps a video. I say that because of your post of Brian's picture with his camera gear. I was an old pic, posted a while ago by him, and so I thought maybe you posted it just yesterday as a means of communication, as in "camera gear" = "we are making a video over here". So that was my other guess, your first video project in Europe.

Well, I will post this now and then get settled, since I am just now coming home after being busy all day. I am gonna have something to eat, and then I'll be back in a little while at the usual time.

I hope you are having a blast! I Love You.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Corriganville (Good Morning)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I just saw your post of Stephane's photo, which looks pretty cool wherever he is. Everybody is out and about! I am gonna be, too. In just a minute I am gonna head over to Corriganville, one of my very favorites, just because I haven't been there in a while. I did some Googling and a few people say there are some caves there and I've never been able to find them, so I will try again today.

I am thinking of you, hope you are having a great time, and will write more tonight, which will be tomorrow morning for you. Thinking about you always, and will be especially when I am at Corriganville, because it's a Special Place from a Special Time (Fall of last year).

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

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:35pm : Good Morning, Sweet Baby! I trust you slept well and had sweet dreams. Are you still in Germany? Maybe part of the semester is at a school in Marburg? I guess that because they say it is a University town. So, part in Marburg and part in Florence.

It was super hot here today, 100+. I did go to Corriganville anyhow, cause for some reason I can thrive in the heat. Hiked all over the place, mainly looking for caves, but found nothing other than small holes in the sides of rock faces that I've seen before. Bird houses, perhaps. I had fun though, because it's an easy hike and I know the place. I didn't take any photos this time, but I will (of course, lol) as I discover new places and as the light changes as we head into Fall. I'm still kind of blowing my mind on what a Summer this has been.

That's all I know for the moment. Tomorrow I am gonna go visit my sister Sophie out in Glendale and take her shopping, but I will check in before I go......

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Happy Evening :):) (Guten Tag)

Good Evening, Sweet Baby,

While you are in Europe, I will refer to your time of day when I write. :) Are you still in Marburg? I hope you are having a nice time, and you may be out and about right now. Is Marburg in Bavaria? That's where Dad was a lot of the time when he was there. I will Google it.

Just a quick note for now, cause I am still at Pearl's and have to take her to the hair salon in a few minutes. I had a blast yesterday at the old refinery. It was creepy/scary on Tuesday, the first day I went, but yesterday it was creepy/fun! Just had to get used to the vibe, then I was good to go, lol. Now I've gotta find more stuff like it. Much Googling will be necessary; I'm running out of trails/open spaces/weird places. But there's gotta be more!

Well, that is all for now. Enjoy the German evening, and I will write more later on.

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:40pm : Good Morning, my Darling! Pretty cool, you get two days in one blog now, haha. I hope you are having fun and seeing many sights. Especially some castles! That's what I would love - all the medieval stuff.

We began our sixth year (omg) of the CSUN Cinematheque this evening, with a film by Powell & Pressburger called "Contraband". It was the kind of film that could only have been made in the 40s, very stylised and stylish - people are always dressed to the nines in films of that era. Great B & W cinematography, a Hitchcockian plot involving wartime espionage, and starring the great Conrad Veidt of "Casablanca" and "Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari" fame. This is the first retrospective where we don't have to read subtitles, though I am used to them, but it's nice to be able to focus on the whole screen instead of darting your eyes. And, I really love the Englishness of films from that era, so I am really looking forward to this series.

That's all the news for now. 'Twas super hot today, just a day to get regular stuff done. I stopped at Best Buy and got the new Opeth, which after a single listen sounds pretty fantastic.

Have an amazing day, my girl, and I will see you again in the late afternoon.

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Awesome!

Good Morning, my Darling,

That is a great picture of you, and now I know your location also. Wow, so you are in Germany! I Googled Marburg and in the Wiki for it, it says that it's a University town, so maybe it's part of your itinerary for UW. I hope you are having a blast there. Germany is high on my list of places to see, and if my Dad were still alive, he could talk to you all day about it. He was there during the war and fell in love with the place. One other thing from the Wiki on Marburg; they had a St. Elizabeth! So that is perfect. :) I am looking forward to more news and more pictures from your travels. This is an exciting time.

Well, I had to do it. I went back to that creepy old abandoned refinery today. Had to get the pictures I missed out on yesterday. I also hiked part of the Elsmere Open Space, down a creek bed for 3/4 of a mile. On the refinery property, I was looking for a historical passageway through the mountains, called Beale's Cut. It was carved by the U.S. Army in the 1870s, as the first route between the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys. I wasn't able to get close cause it's on private property now, but just being in close proximity was awesome. I'm done with Newhall Refinery for the time being, but it sure was an interesting experience.

I'm running out of trails in the area, at least ones I can drive to in 30 minutes or less. Gotta find more!

That's all I know for the moment, Beautiful Lady. Tomorrow will be a TCB kind of day, and then tomorrow night we will start our new semester of the Cinematheque at CSUN, with the films of Powell & Pressburger.

Have a great start to your day, and have a blast in Germany, and I will see you tomorrow.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Middleton? (I Love You)

Hey, Awesome Lady! Good afternoon or evening, not sure which. Are you by any chance still in Middleton? I ask only because your last couple of posts have "Middleton" in the text, and also you haven't actually posted anything saying, in essence, "I'm in Italy".

So, just wondering. Maybe I got the departure day wrong. I thought it was supposed to be last weekend. Anyway, if you are in Italy it's just about Midnight, so you may still be up. And if you're home, it's just dinner time.

I Love You in Italy and in Middleton!

After I dropped Pearl off at Golden Agers, I went for a Trail Tuesday trip to a place called Elsmere Canyon. It's in Santa Clarita, and close to Whitney Canyon where I hiked last Thursday. Well, sorry to say it was a bit of a bust. Elsmere was once supposed to become a landfill, which is a nice word for a garbage dump. Local residents prevented that from happening, which is good, but the place still has that type of look to it - old tires strewn around, junk here and there. Also, it's not a trail but an old road, and that road runs close to a freeway, so there's a lot of noise. It was weird, there were a lot of large pieces of cardboard set up against trees, cut in the shapes of castle turrets and painted to look like same. I guess maybe the place is used by LARPERS (live action role players). I've run into some animals on my trails, but no LARPERS yet, lol.

Anyhow, that's all for now. I'll have to find some excellent trails the rest of the week to make up for today, and you know I will. :)

I Love You! I will write more this evening.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:35pm : Good Evening, my Darling. You are either just waking up, or have maybe just fallen asleep (if still in Middleton). I hope your day was good either way, in either place! I did some Googling on that place I visited today, Elsmere Canyon, and one part I saw that I neglected to mention was an old abandoned facility of some sort. It was on the same section of road where I saw the LARPer props. Just off this road was a torn-down shell of what looked like a warehouse, and also a small building that looked as if it might have been a control room or central station of some kind. I knew there had been oil drilling in this area, but this place turns out to have been an actual refinery. Now I wish I would have taken some pictures, doggonit.

Here is a link with a few pics, to show you.


http://www.elsmerecanyon.com/tunnelarea/refinery/refinery.htm

I went through a freeway underpass there, called the Los Pinetos Undercrossing (just found that out by Googling), that was downright creepy. It was dark under there - at noon - and the ground was soft sand, and you could see what looked like animal tracks.

I think that's why I didn't take very many pictures, though I did take about five. I think the place kind of gave me the willies a little bit. But I will go back, at some point, and get some pics. Tomorrow I will see if I can find a new place, or if not I will revisit one of my favorites.

Wherever you are, I Love You and can't wait to hear the news!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Love, Italian Style (fun with time difference)

Hey, Sweet Baby! Good Morning! I get a kick out of being able to say that, lol. You may still be asleep, as it's about a quarter after seven am there, but when you wake up I wanted to say Good Morning. Tonight's song on FB also has morning in the title, and I posted that song mostly for the title only. Lyrics are kind of sad on that one, so they don't count. But the title sure does! :)

I hope you are getting settled in. I imagine it must be similar, at least somewhat, to a dormitory setting in a university, and I suppose that you are, in fact, at a university; once that has an alliance with UW. I trust everyone there is nice, and if you have a roommate or roommates, that they are nice, too.

I saw your FB post, that "Blunderbuss" got played on the radio. That rules! Right away, I am telling you, people are gonna be checking to see who made that video. Man, everything came together - coalesced - right as the Summer ended. Total synchronicity. So now the good vibes will be generating from your work, while you study in Italy, and when you come back all sorts of possibilities will have materialised for you.

Today was a simple day for me, just a movie this afternoon, "L'Atalante", a classic of abstract French Cinema from a director named Jean Vigo. He only made that one movie, and then died shortly after he finished it, in 1934. But it was really outstanding and I'm glad I finally saw it. Other than that, a normal day at Pearl's. I am gonna go finish my walk and will write more when I get back.

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:45pm : You are maybe just having breakfast by now. One thing is for sure, you are gonna have some great food while there. Right now, I am listening to the weird but enjoyable piano music of Aaron Copland. Soon, I will be winding down, so tonight I will wish me sweet dreams, and you a great day! And when I wake up, it will be afternoon for you. Most importantly, I bet you are loving Italy. Post when you can.

Have a great day, my Baby, and I will see you tomorrow (for me), later today (for you).

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

I Love You In Italy :):) (good morning)

Good Afternoon, my Darling,

I am back at Pearl's and writing a quick note to you just to say hi, and I Love You. I figure if you are in Italy by now, it's gotta be almost 2 in the morning, and you must be feeling the jet lag, and either ready to sleep or wide awake and wondering if it's still today or tomorrow. Or maybe you are still en route.

Just wanted you to know I am thinking of you, and excited for you when you get there! I will write more later, and tonight for me will be tomorrow morning for you. Everything is gonna be great!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:40pm : I am figuring there's a good chance you are there by now, so I will say Good Morning, my Darling! I wish I knew the Italian translation, lol. Today was just a regular Sunday for me, back at work and all. I hope to find a new trail or two this week, starting on Tuesday, but it will be hard to top the awesomeness of the past week's trails, and even going back to the Chumash caves that I found earlier this month. It's been amazing how the Summer has progressed, and I just can't get over it!

I will write more, once you are settled in and have a chance to post. I am guessing school probably starts a week from tomorrow; I doubt you would have flown in just hours before it was to begin. So, you will probably have orientation for a week, then the semester will start. Just a guess.

Post when you can, I'll be here!

I Love You, Elizabeth.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Triple Love (You Are There?)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I am just getting home from Pearl's birthday party. It was a great success, with 17 people, tons of food, and lots of nice cards and presents for Pearl. Kobedoggie was all dressed up in a colorful ornamented collar that made him look like a Court Jester, which he kind of is anyway. A great time was had by all, and I brought home enough leftovers to keep me busy for a few days. :)

So, are you up in the air? Still at home til tomorrow? I don't think you could be in Italy yet, due to the flight time, any stopovers, etc. So it's either up in the air or still at home til tomorrow. Either way I know you are having a great day, and I've been thinking of you all day and I'm still amazed and so proud of all of your recent work.

I am a little bit beached, having eaten more than usual, so I'm gonna stay in and relax for a while. Later maybe I'll go over to the Redbox while on my walk, but for now it's Chillin' Time.

I Triple Love You!!!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight : I am listening to one of Schumann's Lieder, which is a classical music version of a song, as opposed to longer format pieces. Lieder, at least the ones I've heard, consist of piano and a vocal, very often a soprano. I enjoy 'em, and especially the Mahler Lieder with Dame Janet Baker.

I had a nice evening. My friends Ono (Pat) and Dave F. came over, Ono with dog Boo, Freedy with his daughter, and we all went for a walk down to the Orange Grove and back. Tomorrow I get to sleep in, but I will be right back at it, as on a normal day.

Girl, you may be en route, or just about to arrive in Italy, or maybe just about to depart in a few hours, but just know that I am thinking of you now, and if by chance you are already there, I hope your dreams were sweet, as you may be 9 hours ahead of me, and therefore already awake, perhaps!

You are in the heart of the Renaissance.

I Love You. And, I will see you in the morning/evening!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Superb (what a Summer!)

Okay, my Baby, I am finally home! Sorry about not posting earlier, it was a long day with the plumbers finally finishing the krazy kitchen job. I had Chromebook 2 unplugged and in it's box because I bring it home with me on days off, so I couldn't use it. Then at 6:30, I had to go to the local airport "flyaway" bus terminal to pick up Pearl's daughter and a relative from Minnesota, and they got pizza for everybody, so I was there until 8:30.

But now I am home, and Girl : you know how when I first met you, you said you didn't wanna wind up in a cubicle?

It is now official that you don't have to worry about that ever again.

Elizabeth, your video is, once again, simply fantastic. My goodness, you are turning in pro-level work, in your music and in your videography. I mean, I am seriously impressed, and it's professional quality stuff, in both cases.

Now, I have to say that I love your opening shot, and you can probably understand why. I also love the video's subplot, or if that's not the proper word, then you can call it the dramatic interpretation of the music. Those are your friends in the roles, am I correct? Well again, everything about it is perfect.

And you know I love the location.  :)

That is one excellent video, Elizabeth. This Summer, with the work you have done, you have established yourself as a professional artist. Cubicles are officially toast.

A good song by Paul's band, good editing by you, good camerawork all the way around. And on top of that, it looks pro.

No easy feat, but you have done it. You have a one-two punch with the Vaskula song and this video. Quite a Summer's work, I must say. Now you can really go off to Italy and be excited about your future, and expectant about your upcoming studies there. I am super proud of you, but I always knew you could do this kind of work, and I bet you did, too.

I am just getting home, so I'm gonna take off my shoes and relax for a few, then finish up my walk at 10pm.

My goodness.........  :)

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:50pm : Well, Sweet Baby, what a week. And what a Summer! So many wonderful and interesting experiences for each of us, and it is still going. You are heading into late Summer and Fall with your Italian artistic experience ahead of you. Soak it in, and in the future you will distill what you have seen and learned and felt through your own personal perspective.

I don't know if you are leaving tomorrow or Sunday, but I will say Bon Voyage just in case tonight, and then if needed I will say it again tomorrow, lol. I have two sleep-ins this weekend, but really not a lot of time off because tomorrow is Pearl's party, which I will be both attending and helping with, and then on Sunday I get to sleep in again, but I will be right back with Pearl at 1pm, and I have to take the relatives back to the bus terminal, too. So it's more or less a usual schedule for me, but I get to sleep in both days. I will check in tomorrow before the party to say hi and see how things are going, if you have left yet.

Make sure and stay safe, call home every day, etc. And have a great time!

I will see you in the morn. I Love You, Elizabeth. Congratulations on all your achievements this Summer!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Quick Note From Pearl's (I'm Home) (perfect note)

Hi, my Darling,

I am writing from Pearl's once more, to let you know that I have to stay late again this evening. We finally got a plumber who can do the kitchen job. We let the other guys go. Anyway, a tile guy is coming this evening between 6:30 and 7pm (supposedly, lol) to drill the holes for the faucet. Then the plumber will install it tomorrow morning. I think we should have gotten a dentist to do the job, because it's been like pulling teeth, haha.

Anyhow, I imagine I should be home by 8 to 8:30. I Love You! Hope your day has been good. :)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

8:45pm : Good Evening, my Angel, I am finally home. It took the guy a solid hour to drill through the granite countertop to create the hole for the faucet. Granite must be hard as a rock! (lol?) But now, the plumber will come tomorrow morning and install the faucet, and the whole thing will finally be done.

While I was at Pearl's, I saw your Taya Iv post. Elizabeth, that is one of the kindest and most beautiful things you've ever posted for me. It was very heart-melting to read, and I want you to know that I feel the exact same way about you, and that is why I have been so excited about taking pictures, and going on my hikes (something totally new for me), and writing about the things I do, and everything else in the past couple of years - because in you, I have found a Kindred Spirit. I remember saying early on that you get it.

And there are very few people who do. In fact. I even wrote that the "It" that you get is indescribable.

Adam : "Elizabeth, you know something? You get it".
Elizabeth : "Thanks".

Now see, if you would have said "Get what? What is it that I 'get' "?, then it would mean that you don't get it. But you do get it, because you automatically understand. And that's what Taya Iv is talking about in that post (which you know without me having to tell you). And my Darling, you Get It. I knew that right away. :)

To comment a little further on what she said, I see the world as a beautiful place because every single day, the world presents itself to me that way. It's as if the world chooses the people who Get It, and it says to them, "Hey, look at this".

And then when the world sees how much you like what it has shown you, it shares some more of it's beauty, and it's wonders, and finally, perhaps it singles some of us out. I don't mean that in an arrogant or conceited way, it's just that many people, or probably most of them, don't notice things in the same way. Most people will appreciate a gorgeous sunset or a lovely day in the park, and in that way, most people do indeed experience the magic of life and the beauty of the world. But only a handful wish to dig deeper, and deeper, and even deeper.

"Show me more"?  
"Yes".
"Thank You, World. Thank You, God".

And finally, when you get to a certain point, you start to notice something. Yes, there is much beauty in the world, but there is something else as well, something you never understood before. You start to notice that life is not exactly what you thought it was, and the world is not exactly what you thought it was.

It's not just a cycle : birth/childhood/education/work/retirement/death, i.e. the act of being a modern human.

Those are just systems that have been created to supposedly make life easier, more structured, etc.

But what you notice as you go along is that there is something indescribable about life and the world that is both enormous and overwhelming, and both of those things in a good way. And while you can't describe it, you can still understand it fully on the inside, in your soul. It just doesn't translate into words And that's what I mean when I say, "Elizabeth - you Get It". You understand what I mean, and for that alone, you have been a Godsend to me. And for many other reasons, too, of course.

So what is it that we Get? Well, I can't describe it, but I like to think of it as a Promise.

A Promise of whatever you want it to be, so long as you are humble in wanting it and grateful in receiving it.

It's a Promise, I think, but it has no ending, because if it ended, then it would be over, and the wonder would be gone. Humans need Wonder, as much as they need Love.

So I think that's it. I think what we "Get" about life and the world, is that there is a Promise for those of us who notice all these things the world has chosen to show us.

It's a Promise that is never fully answered, but is always being fulfilled. The more you seek it, and want it, the more it will promise and fulfill.

That's all I know for the moment. I am gonna relax for a few and then finish up my mileage. I went for another nice hike today, in yet another new canyon, and I will tell you about it at the usual time later on. I Love You, my Darling.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

(back in a bit)

11:40pm : Listening to Chopin. In between all the waiting around today, I had a chance to drive out to Santa Clarita for the third day in a row, to visit Whitney Canyon which is located just off Sierra Highway. It's a 20 minute drive, as always. These hikes are all in that radius.

Whitney Canyon had some of that same ghostly feel that East Canyon and especially Rice Canyon had. The interesting things about Whitney - a place I only today discovered via Google - is that much of the trail runs along an old creek bed, so you couldn't hike it if we ever had a rain. I went about a mile and a half in, my usual distance, and when I got way back there, it was just this skinny little trail with rocks of all sizes underfoot, and reedy foliage surrounding closely on both sides. I truly felt out in the boonies.

The other thing about Whitney Canyon is that it has oil under the ground, and you can see that in the stained color of some of the rock formations. I think Chevron used to have a drilling facility in the area, but it probably closed up 50 years ago. A great little hike, all in all, but a creek bed hike rather than an ascending hike up a hillside. I saw a deer again, too, so that was pretty cool.

I hope your day was good, too, and now the hour is getting closer. Are you leaving Saturday or Sunday? I know you will post something in that regard, so I will find out then. Pearl and I just saw a Rick Steves show on travelling in Italy, and I thought of you...........

Elizabeth, in the song "Hourglass", there is a note you hit at approximately 0:40 that is just fantastic. Right there is the purity in your voice that I've spoken about in the past, and in that moment it is at it's peak.

Just so you know....  :)

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

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Rice Canyon (sweet dreams)

Hi, my Darling,

I am home. In what is now a long-running comedy routine, the kitchen guys did not come again today, nor did they even call back to answer phone calls from both myself and Pearl's daughter. I think there must be something wrong at their company, although the cabinet and countertop work they did is very nice. But they have a huge problem with their service and professionalism, and so tomorrow morning Pearl's daughter is gonna call another company to finish the job. The current guys can send a bill for whatever is owed up to the last actual work they did, and then we will be done with them. Hooray! :)

In the late afternoon I went for another nice hike, on a trail called Rice Canyon that is an offshoot of the East Canyon trail I took yesterday. Both trails begin at the same trailhead and then split off. East Canyon was pretty nice, and the end part is a steep ascent to the top of a mountain. So about half of it is more for the workout rather than the scenery. But Rice Canyon is a whole 'nother ballgame. Man, it was ghostly in there, but in the Friendly Ghost way of nature. I was the only one back there (of course) and I went about a mile and a half in. This trail also ascends to the top of the same mountain, but by a different route that climbs more gradually. And boy does it ever have some great shady spots, with lots of Sprites and Shadow Gremlins and all the things I like! :)

It's one of those places where the wind whispers through while a lone bird is hooting in a tree somewhere.

It was a nice way to relieve the stresses of the week, with the kitchen fiasco and stuff. 25 minutes in the car and I'm in the middle of nowhere, all by myself. :)

Naturally, it'd be even better if I could share it with you.  :):)

I hope you had a nice day too, and it won't be long now until you are on your way to Florence!

Tonight is like last night: since I already hiked 3 miles, I only have to do two more, a piece of cake if there ever was one. So, I am gonna hang out until 10 or 10:30, read, do some dishes, etc. and then finish off my mileage later, with a quick walk down to the grove and back. But for now I am here.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:40pm : Just checking in to wish you sweet dreams. It was a good day, all in all. I hope it was for you as well. I Love You, Elizabeth.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Tuesday Morning Love (trail time) (at Pearl's) (guesses) (ageless)

Good Morning my Angel,

I am just getting to Pearl's, and she is still asleep so I have a chance to say hi. I just now saw your post and I love it. Yep, hopefully it will be a Trail Tuesday, and I say "hopefully" because we are still waiting on that doggone kitchen man to install the faucet and finish the job. It shouldn't take long, though, once he does get here (assuming he ever does, haha), and so I should have a chance to get out there to one park or another, even if it's a little later in the afternoon.

I sure am glad to hear from you. That makes it a wonderful day already! :)

I Love You So Much, and I will check in again when I know more about what's going on with the kitchen.

I wish you a wonderful day as well, my Baby.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:20pm : Okay, Sweet Baby, it will be a Trail Tuesday after all (and I just now saw your Ian Atkins trail picture, so that will be me in a few minutes). The kitchen guy finally called and he is coming late this afternoon, so it's perfect timing all around. Not sure where I am gonna go yet, but I guess I'll find out when I get there.

I also saw your Humans Of New York post, about the Congo, and because it's a different kind of post of you (although I know you agree with the sentiments in that man's message and I do, too), I think maybe you meant that post for me, and there are some bits and sentences of text that seem to stand out. I will look at it again when I get back, and write more later, perhaps this evening, but if anything is wrong, we will fix it.

I Love You, that's one thing I know for sure!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

(off I go, back in a bit, 2:30ish or so)

5:50pm : Hey, my Baby, I am writing again from Pearl's. Tonight I am gonna be here a little bit later, because - get this - the kitchen guy is finally coming, but he's coming between 6 and 7pm. I don't think it'll take him too long to put the faucet in, once he gets here, but I might not be home until 8 or so. I'll check in when I get home.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

8:15 : Hi again. I am finally home, and..........the kitchen guy once again did not show up. Lol, I know. It is now an Official Fiasco. We are supposed to have a 90th birthday party for Pearl on Saturday, with 17 people, and at this rate we may or may not have a kitchen sink to use. Thank God for paper plates! :)

Well, my Darling, at any rate I am home and it was basically a good day. I had a very nice hike in East Canyon, which, as I said on FB (in a photo caption), is right down the road from Towsley Canyon, where I went a couple weeks ago. I didn't take a ton of photos today, cause my battery was low and also I was new to the place, but I got a couple good ones. I hope your day was good, too.

About the Humans Of New York post from this morning, when I look at it, I see that if you take out all the references to food, the rest of the text could easily have been meant as a message to me, from you. The only thing is that I don't know exactly what kind of message, so I don't wanna speculate too much. If you want to clarify it for me, that will help. I could make a few general guesses as to the meaning, but I don't want to go into any big analysis, considering all that I've written in recent weeks. Anyway, here are a few general guesses.....

The first sentence that draws my attention is "it is not good for people to see us like this". Does that mean the post was about your Mom or your folks? I have no idea, of course, but I have been hoping that you haven't gotten into any trouble over the whole hacking issue and everything that I wrote about it. I mean, I am sorry for even mentioning it again, but I don't know if your Mom ever read any of my blogs. If she did, I suppose she could have read everything I wrote about the hacking, and maybe you took a lot of flak for that, for being the one who pointed it out to me, even if it was inadvertent. I hope I am wrong about that, about you being in trouble with your Mom. All I wanna do is drop the whole issue, and I would hope that whoever hacked me would want to drop it as well. After all, it is not me who is in the wrong there. But just to drop that subject and move on, that is my only guess about that first sentence in the Humans Of New York post : "it is not good for people to see us like this". The thing is, there isn't much more we can do. I mean, we already avoid talking directly.

If anybody besides you reads this, all I would say is that I'm a good person, and to really find that out, the best way would be for anyone to e-mail or call me. My numbers are readily available and I would be happy to talk about anything anyone would care to talk about. I can understand a parent being upset about the age difference, and also that I'm "on the Internet". But as far as that aspect goes, I think I've been corresponding with you long enough now for you, and Mom or anyone else, to get a pretty good idea of who I am and what kind of person I am. In other words, at this point, no one has to worry that I'm just the proverbial "some guy on the Internet". As for the age difference, I've said a bunch of times that I can't help the year I was born. We're both adults, and you were an adult when I met you. But the bottom line is that I've always tried to be a gentleman, and would (and will) always be a gentleman as far as Elizabeth (you) are concerned. The last thing I am is a creep, and a parent could ask anyone who knows me. Ironically, I truly believe that if your Mom ever did talk to me, or meet me, she'd probably end up liking me. But because I understand the concern over the age difference, and the Internet thing (even though I've known you for two and a half years now), I would just say, to your Mom or anyone else who has read anything I've written : "All you have to do is write or email or call, and I'd be glad to talk to you, and also to listen to you".

So that's the end of story about that first sentence in the Humans Of New York post.

The second thing that draws my attention is a similar sentence:  "It is not good for us to see ourselves like this", and one that follows : "It gives us no dignity".

If those sentences are meant for me, as part of a message, all I can say is I agree. I haven't really minded using this form of communication, at least up until recently, because I have realised that your folks may not approve of me and you, and you hinted as much back in early 2013. So I have always figured, "well, I wish we could talk directly, but because you are living at home we will continue to do it this way, with symbolism. I didn't want you to get in any trouble because of me. I also know it's not easy to have your own place to live in this day and age, with expenses and life the way it is. That's why I wrote several times over the past 18 months that I put no timetable on returning to direct communication. I figured the symbolic way was working, and that it was keeping the peace for you at home, and that you would decide when it was best for you to contact me directly again. But then came the issues of recent weeks, and things got thrown for a loop, as I've said.

So that's all I really wanna speculate on for now, unless you want to clarify any further what the problem is, if there is a problem.

For my part, I apologize to you about my recent diatribes and whining/complaining about Johan, and even my long blogs about the hacking, though in that case I have to defend myself and say that it was understandable that I was upset.

But about Johan, I apologize. It was a combination of simply not knowing what the deal was between the two of you, and also not being able to ask you directly about it. You are a very beautiful girl, and very popular, and that is not always a great combination, and here I am gonna sound just like your Mom, lol : it's not always a great combination because there are a lot of guys out there who are jerks, or worse, or who only have one-track minds. I have already written a lot about how the Johan situation seemed hidden or secretive to me, because his FB is privatized and I could not see what was going on. So naturally, it made me worried and jealous. I just ask you to please put yourself in my shoes for that, and theoretically reverse the situation. Wouldn't you have felt the same as I did?

Well, at any rate, I am not upset about Johan anymore, and I've already stated that too.

So it's all good from my perspective, but those are my two general guesses about the Humans Of New York post. Is it about some issue with your Mom? Or was it a statement about the troubles of late, and all my writing and complaining about it all? Those are the only two guesses I can make for the moment. And I agree that we should not have to hide this way. "It gives us no dignity" as the man said.

I mean, everybody knows about us anyway, right? I mean, your folks know. And at least a couple of your friends seem to know, Tina for one. Ideally, we can get all this stuff worked out and talked about and out in the open.

For now, just let me know if I got the Humans Of New York message wrong. Or if you want to clarify it, that's good too. Or even if you don't. I just want you to have nice, happy and positive days heading into your trip to Italy. So any way I can help to make that happen, just let me know. :)

I want you to have a wonderful experience, and I know you will.

I am getting a late start tonight, so I will finish up the day's mileage at 10pm or so. I already did about 3 miles on my hike, so only a couple more to go.

I Love You, Elizabeth. I will check in later at the usual time.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:45pm : Just to say goodnight and wish you Sweet Dreams. Something I know from experience is that things tend to work out for the best as long as you aren't adversarial toward people and. as long as you believe in yourself and what you want your life to be. It's funny because inside, I can feel the 17 year old me, the 21 year old me, the 29 year old me, etc., and they're all me, talking to me all the time. That's another thing you've gotta do, especially as an artist expressing yourself, is to listen to your various selves, from various times in your life. The idea of a number, as far as age goes, is kind of absurd from the standpoint of self. Oh, we use it to measure everyone, and it's all we've got as a reference point. To use the title of the new Mastodon album : "Once more around the Sun (we go)". We measure our so called age by how many times we've gone around the Sun while riding on the Earth. And that's okay, because it's all we've got to measure by, and we humans love to measure.

But to the self, the inner person in question, the idea that he or she is a certain age, and is therefore identified by that, is kind of ridiculous. Because as I say, the years go by, but you are still hearing your 7 year old self, your 35 year old self, your 19 year old self, and every moment of your self in between.

You are all of it, all of that time , and it is constantly adjusting itself. Your time frame of reference changes, according to moods and memories. And according to your inner voice. Always listen to it, and take note of your memories, your special moments and good things. Own those things.

They are your tools as an artist and a human being. Own your Inner Child as well.

Normally, I can't stand New Age terms, lol, but that is a good one.

That's all I know for tonight, Sweet Baby. I Love You and things are gonna be fine. I will see you in the morning.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Monday Night Love

Hi, my Baby,

I'm just checking in as usual. I've been home for a little while. It was kind of another long day at Pearl's, because the kitchen guy still didn't come. I finally came home about 2pm and watched a movie from Redbox, called "Joe" with Nicholas Cage. It also stars the kid from "Mud", and it's in that same general vein - i.e. dysfunctional Southern backwoodsers, but "Mud" was also kind of an adventure story or coming-of-age. "Joe" was just plain grim and depressing. Other than that, it was a good movie, lol.

Well, you are probably busy getting things done before Italy. For me, the usual schedule. Right now I'm reading my LBJ book, which is pretty fascinating stuff.

That's all for now. Say hi if you get a chance.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Italy? (Sunday Evening Love) (xoxoxo)

Good Afternoon, Sweet Baby,

Wow, is it time for Italy already? I knew it had to be coming up pretty soon, and now that I think about it, CSUN is gonna be starting their semester a week from tomorrow, so Fall is here as far as school goes. You are gonna have a blast, but also an amazing experience from the immersion in a place of so much art history.

Man, I wish I could go too! But we can go back in the future, and that way, you can show me around.  :):)

So when you go (next weekend?), I will still write on the same schedule, I guess. It is nine hours difference, I think, and so if I am writing at 11pm, that will be 8am for you. Or if I am writing in the afternoon, say at 2pm, that is 11pm for you. So it's not too big a difference. Same thing on FB. And you will be there, I am again guessing, until Fall semester ends? That's usually about the first or second week of December. So you will be back for the Holidays and the New Year.

Well, it will be amazing. You can post lots of pics so I can be there vicariously, lol.

Today is just usual Sunday stuff. Very hot out now, so I am gonna camp out inside with the air conditioner running until it's time to head back to Pearl's.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

7:20pm : Just checking in to say that I'm home. A usual night, more or less, with walk at 8:30. I finished my Stephen King book (really good as always with him) so I may stop by the Redbox to see if they've got anything worth watching. I hope you are enjoying your Sunday evening. :)

I will write more at the usual time. I Love You, Elizabeth.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:40pm : Just writing to say goodnight and sweet dreams. I hope you had a nice day.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

I Get It (home) (xoxoxo)

Good Morning, my Darling,

I am still at Pearl's, waiting for the kitchen guy to come and install the faucet, which should be the final order of business with the whole thing, so yippee on that score. :)

I just wanted to say that I saw your posts just now, and I think I get you, in relation to all my questions of last night. So we are back to my original theory about the whole thing. They always say to stick with your first impressions, right? So there we have it, and I stick with what I originally wrote a couple weeks ago, about Mom, and not being mad at her, etc. It just stressed me out, coming at the same time as the Johan thing, and not because of the music in his case, but because I thought he might be in the process of becoming your boyfriend.

But, if it's just Mom, then I forgive and say God Bless, because Moms don't have it easy, they have a lot to deal with, and there is no doubt - at least from my perspective - that your Mom loves you, thinks you are awesome, and is also a hero for you and your brother (being a single parent) in a lot of ways.

So the heck with the whole hacking issue, other than what I have said about me being aware of it.

As for Johan, God Bless as well. Just so long, lol, as he is not in the process of becoming your boyfriend. If he ever was, all you would have to do is let me know and I would understand (even if sad about it).

Having said that, I want to order a CD as soon as they are available. :) I can't get over your voice, it just really sounds incredible.

So that's all I know for now. I have to run a couple errands for Pearl before the kitchen guy gets here, but I don't think my sister is coming over (too hot in the Valley for her), so I will basically be around all day, more or less, on one Chromebook or another.

I Love You, Elizabeth. Thanks for clarifying (or re-clarifying) things for me. It's a good day.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

(back in a bit)

6:50pm : Hi, Sweet Baby, I am home. It was a long day, waiting for the kitchen guy who never came. Seems to be par for the course with service these days. The plumbing guys were the same way when we had that front yard emergency last April. They'd work a day, then skip a few, then work again, and you never knew when they were coming back. Well, hopefully they'll finish it up Monday.

I hope your day was good. I'm just gonna relax for a while and read my book, since I didn't get any reading done earlier. Then my walk at 8:30 or so. I Love You So Much.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

(back at the usual time)

11:45pm : Not much to report, other than it was pretty much a typical night. My friend Dave came over with his daughter for a walk down to the orange grove. Other than that, I've just been reading. I hope all is well with you and that everything is okay at home. That's all I really know right now. Tonight I am really tired, though I will be up for a little while longer. I Love You.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Friday Afternoon Love (confusion)

Good Afternoon, my Angel,

Happy Friday. :) I just wanted to check in and say hi. The kitchen guys are not working today so I'm at home, but I will probably head over to Simi or Santa Susana in a little while to get in a quick Hundred Degree Hike (lol) before going back to Pearl's. Really I'm always just looking for pictures, but they are getting harder to find because I've been to so many of the locations. That's why I've gotta keep looking!

I hope you are having a good day.

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

(here for a little while then back at 4:30)

11:55pm : I'm sorry to write so late, but I guess I'm still confused. Elizabeth, one thing you should know is that I love you and would do anything for you. I try to convey that every day. But I am just not getting the communication, not understanding your messages. On the one hand, the Taya Iv post was clear and beautiful. But then you followed it with three straight Brian Kaufman posts. So I get confused, because - while I know he is your friend, and of course I wish him the best of health - in the context of what has been going on, and what I have as recently as last night written about, i.e. the hacking, I don't know if I am supposed to infer something from those three posts, or what. I took it to mean something because they happened all in a row.

I have come to read and understand your posts in a flow, like a symbolic language. I've been doing it for two years, and I've gotten good at it, which I've stated before, I realize. But these anomalies jump out at me. To cite a fairly recent example, there was the F-You Japan post, which kind of started this whole debacle. Lately, from my vantage point, it appears that the flow that I speak of has been disrupted. Yesterday there were the somewhat uncharacteristic (from an Elizabethan standpoint) birthday posts to your friend. Then there was the Taya Iv post, which seemed more characteristic, or rather, entirely so, at least as far as our communication goes. And then today, three straight Brian posts. After I wrote about hacking last night. And so I don't know if you meant to infer something by those posts or not.

I know Brian is a tech guy. I mean, I don't know that, but from what I can see it appears so. I am seriously unnerved by what's been going on, and last night I mentioned it again, and then today : three straight Brian posts.

In the past, when you wanted me to get a particular message about your Mom, or your folks in general, you used the same tactic : multiple posts on the same day with a "Mom" photo, or word, or otherwise parental subtext in them.

So what am I to infer today? Anything? I truly have no idea.

I obviously don't know your friend Brian at all, but just using basic reasoning, it's hard to believe that you are inferring that he's been hacking me. I mean, why would he, or anybody with a good career and a wife/family involved, risk something like that? Plus, he seems like a good guy.

So it makes no sense whatsoever.

And if it makes no sense, then what is the significance of those three posts? Besides that Brian is your friend?

The whole problem here is communication, and all I am trying to do is improve it.

Elizabeth, believe me, I know that -somehow and in some way - you had serious restrictions put on your ability to communicate with me, back in September 2012. Something serious happened, that much I am aware of.

Still, we got over that hurdle and everything was good for a long time, mostly anyway. There's just been the Johan thing, and the hacking thing, and both have happened, or been discovered, very recently. With Johan, that's a totally seperate thing, something I can understand and deal with, and of course it was fantastic to hear the recorded results, to hear the beauty in your voice and the extent of your development. I was gonna write a little bit about the Johan aspect, in an effort to improve communication, as I said yesterday. But overall it's not a huge deal. The communication, and the resultant misunderstandings, are what the problem is.

I want to dispense with this whole hacking issue, so here is my take on it, as of now : It's apparent I got hacked. I don't know the extent, but being computer illiterate, I have to assume it could have been all the way, which is why I put paper over my Chromebook lenses. I don't know jack about computers. So, I even wondered, "could a person even see what I was Googling"? and I typed a few sentences into the Google search engine, sentences like you might state in a conversation, or as simple statements. I have no idea if hacking can achieve that result, of actually being able to see a person's search engine entries, but this affair has gotten me so unnerved about all of this, that I thought that anything is possible, computerwise, to an expert.

What I have learned from reading the new Stephen King book, is that once you open your computer in the morning, everything is a potential two-way street. If a hacker is good enough, everything you do on your computer is available to him. That is how the top hackers get government secrets and the like. But it's oh-so-dangerous for the hacker, and that's why none of this makes sense. It doesn't make sense that your folks would hack me, and risk everything they've ever worked for; it doesn't make sense that any of your tech friends would hack me, including Brian, and again for the same reasons.

Why risk everything to hack me? I am nobody special. It doesn't make sense. And yet, the apparent fact is that I was hacked. And I did my Google search "write a sentence" experiment to test it. But I'm still confused.

So, my point in all of this is that I cannot do anything about the hacking. I mean, I'm not gonna call the FBI or anything. If something had actually happened, like something stolen or my FB deleted, or anything changed at all, then I might have. But nothing has been. So apparently, this was done simply to spy on me, and to what extent I don't know. Last week, I speculated that maybe it was just a hack into my FB - a simple hack. But the truth is that I don't know.

To continue with my point, because I can't do anything about it, and because I am not gonna do anything about it, I just want it to be overwith. I don't want to think, or talk about, hacking any more. The time I have spent with this issue is ridiculous. I will say one last time : if somebody hacked me - and it looks like somebody did - then they need to stop right now.

That's all. If it stops, no harm done. If it doesn't stop, then eventually there will be a problem. The mistake a hacker would make would be to assume that, just because I am computer illiterate, that I don't know what's happening. 

What I am more interested in, because I do love you and I want you to be happy and live your life according to your dreams and visions, is communication.

Elizabeth, I love you, believe it or not, and I have been hoping to eventually have something resembling real communication with you. It can come in small increments, but I am hoping we can start somewhere, so I am not constantly guessing and being thrown off track. I know something major happened in Fall 2012, and I imagine that you had to deal with some pressures and perhaps consequenses. But we can move past all of that, if you want to. Then one day, hopefully soon, we can talk directly again. I was gonna blog about all of this - returning to direct communication via increments - but I keep getting sidetracked by not understanding your posts of the last couple days, and if they relate to the hacking issue or not.

So for tonight, because I cannot keep straining myself in this way - I simply can't, because of my schedule - I will just summarize by saying that I love you, I'll write off the hacking so long as it stops (and I will know if it has stopped or not), and I hope to improve communication so that I can feel I am a real part of your life and not just a guy sitting on the sidelines.

Anyway, you know me, you know my heart, you know that I love you, and that basically, everything is good. So let me know what you can, as pertains to what I've said.

Thanks. I Love You and will see you in the morning. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Are You There? (hope so) (trying again)

Elizabeth, are you there? If so, and if you read this in the next few minutes, would you please respond on FB? Any post will do, just to let me know you're there. I'm having a bit of a rough day, just because I'm a little confused by your posts. It feels like something is wrong again, and as always, all I have to go by is a gut feeling. So I just wanted to ask you about it. I hope you are there, and that you will respond as soon as you can. I'm just trying to make things better by communicating.

I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Adam

9pm : Hey, Awesome Lady, have you read this post yet? I can never tell because of the ineffectiveness of the page view counter. Anyway, if you have read it, could you let me know? Thanks.

11:45pm : Well, I guess you either didn't read any of this or just didn't feel like responding. I don't know. It was a confusing day for me because something feels wrong. Your posts to your birthday friend seemed to contain an "in your face, Adam" element to them. They were nice birthday messages on one hand, but they also did not seem like the kind of messages you normally send out. So something is up.

Elizabeth, I am very concerned about the hacking. Ironically, in reading the King book, I am learning about all kinds of things like "slave programs" where a person basically attaches their computer, even from a remote location, to another person's computer and can read and operate it as if it were their own. In the book, the antagonist is a computer expert.

I am wondering why today felt the way it did. Maybe I've got it wrong, but it felt like you were mad at me. Intuition is a very strong sense, you know. Anyway, what I am trying to do is to make things better, and to improve what seems to be a deteriorating situation of late. To do that, I need to communicate with you.

In my blog yesterday, I referred to wanting to "add a few thoughts" to what I wrote, and I was gonna do that today in an effort to improve communication. But then that got derailed by what I perceived to be the birthday wishes that also doubled as perhaps sarcastic messages to me.

The bottom line this time is that none of this is any good. The hacking (whoever is doing it), the confusion, the misunderstandings. It's a deteriorating situation, and I hope you want to communicate with me and fix it.

It's very, very hard for me when these things happen, because I can't sleep at night (literally), and then I have to go to work early in the morning and I am very stressed out. It's no joke. That is why I was hoping you would read earlier this evening, so we could talk about today. This method of communication we have is very good when we use it positively.

I said the other day that I need for things to be on an even keel in my life, and it's really true. I work as a caregiver and I can't afford to be stressed out. It's too hard for me to try and always guess what you mean by messages that seem to have an underlying context.

So please try to post as soon as you can. I will be up for another half hour or so (or perhaps all night if I can't sleep). When I say that I always wanna know what you think, what your opinions are on things, I mean it. That's what communication is all about. But it involves two people, not just one, and most importantly, it is an ongoing thing. People who care about each other, who love each other, communicate every day.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Sounds Fantastic! (sweet dreams)

Wow, girl. Your voice sounds absolutely fantastic! You sound like a 100% professional singer, straight up. I thought it was gonna be different, some type of metal or heavy rock, so the style is a surprise, but it's an excellent song. Your friend is a talented guy.

You are gonna get a lot of notice for this, and if you are still in contact with Neige, you should make sure he knows about it if he doesn't already.

I am extremely impressed! :)

Are you guys a duo? I ask because of the photo on the Bandcamp page. I thought he had a black metal or folk metal band, but from the photo it looks like just you two guys.

Big congratulations from me. You are making waves on several fronts, to mix up a metaphor, but as I say, you can - and will - generate some notice from all of this.

Just for the sake of being honest, and the sake of communication, I still can't say I'm thrilled with the whole Johan thing. Not the musical aspect, because it sounds fantastic. But anyway, you say I am "Gluten Free" in that respect, and I will take your word for it.

I might have a couple things I want to add, perhaps tomorrow, again just for the sake of communication, but I just need to process them first, so I can best articulate what I wish to say. Don't worry, it won't be a big diatribe. It mostly just has to do with communication and the future. But this is your night, and it's a good one. In fact, it's awesome.

I will write more later at my usual time.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:35pm : This time I am listening to a Mozart concerto posted by Dr. Farrell, featuring one of my favorite classical pianists, Maria Joao Pires. Earlier today I watched a classic thriller from 1945, called "The Spiral Staircase". Great b&w cinematography in that one, and atmosphere, acting and story, too. I waited around for the kitchen guys to call but they never did. I hope they get the job done soon.

Well, Talented Lady, what a day! I remember telling you way back when to stick with your singing, and I am glad you did, because now you - and everyone else - can hear the results. I have said all along that you have a beautiful voice. I heard it right off the bat.

Others will hear it, and it will have a ripple effect, mark my words.

Tomorrow I actually am expecting the kitchen guys to call, and come over, as they didn't do it today. If they do, I will have to be there until they are done, but I have Chromebook 2. At any rate, I will be around at one place or another.

Sweet Dreams, I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Beautiful (reading) (music)

Hi, my Darling,

Yeah, I have to say, that video is really beautiful, both visually and musically. Really nice work. I think I recognise the location (if it is a single location), because it looks like the same place where you took the picture of Stephane's sister, where she is sitiing down by the side of the trail, looking away from the camera. Is that the right place? Well, the images and music work very well together. Is the music part of a longer piece? If so, I'd love to hear it, and if not - then you've gotta work it into a longer piece because it's just a wonderful melody. You say you shot this video in June, so I guess you just now, or recently, got it all put together for posting. It's excellent work, Elizabeth. I am glad to see it.

You know, we have a tree at CSUN that's similar to the one in your video that's making the "snow". I don't know what kind of tree it is, but it blooms these big white puffs of what looks like cotton, and when the wind blows, they break up into smaller puffs, very similar to the one in your video.

I just got back from Simi. While Pearl was at Golden Agers I made a quick trip back to the Yosemite Street site of the Chumash Caves. When I was there the last time, I saw another large rock formation while I was leaving and I made a mental note to return and check it out. Today I did, and I found one more small cave. I also stopped at Lilac Lane on the way back, and went out about 1/4 mile on that trail. It's almost all cliffside, so I will go back when I have a proper pair of hiking boots. So it was a Trail Tuesday, but more of an exploratory one than one with major hiking. I'm gonna look at my pics and see if I have anything interesting to post. Then it'll be time to head back to Pearl's.

I love your video and your music! And I Love You too!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

10:05: Good Evening, Sweet Baby. I just finished my walk. Been home all evening reading three different books - "Mr. Mercedes" (which like all SK, ain't for the squeamish), a book about LBJ and the Kennedy assassination, and an online book by Peter Robbins (who co-authored the tremendous "Left At East Gate") about the Rendlesham Forest Incident. Interesting stuff all the way around. I am also battling crickets yet again, and will have to break out the dreaded Raid tomorrow. It will be a good day to do it, because I'll probably be at Pearl's for much of the morning and afternoon if the kitchen guys come back. They did not come today, which was why I had a chance to visit the caves again.

I will guess that all is well on the home front. You have probably just been busy with various projects, and especially your videos. Right now I am gonna eat something real quick and then I'll be back at the usual time.

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:35pm : I am listening to piano music by Zoltan Kodaly, a Hungarian composer known for orchestrated works. It's relaxing but with a few bombastic moments. I've gotta say again how much I love the melody that went with the images in your video today. Really top-notch stuff, Dear Lady. I don't know if it's recent or not, but if it is, that means you are still composing - and you should be. I mean, far be it from me to ever use the phrase "you should" (at which the late Mr. Davey famously stopped listening to any given conversation), but in this case, you really should keep writing music.

When you get the chance, of course, because I know how much time it takes.

At any rate, it's beautiful.

I saw earlier your post of your friend's picture. He is playing a flute (or pipe), and dressed in medieval clothing. It reminded me of Blackmore's Night. You may or may not like their music, but you would probably like their overall trip. Not officially pagan, but certainly in that vein. They started out very Rennaisance and have grown more and more nature oriented. Of course, Ritchie Blackmore is my all-time #1 favorite musician, from Deep Purple through Rainbow and up to now, with BN. He's almost 70 but can still bring it on guitar, and has written much great music.

That's all I know for tonight. I Love You and will see you in the morn.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Hope All Is Well (picture) (thinking of you)

Hi, my Girl,

I am just getting home and am wondering how you're doing. I think everybody was blown away by the Robin Williams news, such a sad story. He was around for such a long time, and made everybody laugh, and did so many different roles in so many different types of movies. Truly one of the biggest stars and talents in entertainment history, and for a while in the 80s and 90s it seemed like he was everywhere, all the time. And he was always on, which must have been incredibly difficult to do at times, given his bouts of depression. Very sad news indeed, but I guess he just went as far as he could go in life, and this was it.

I hope all is well with you. I have been concerned, even though I'm sure you have been very busy with your video, because we did have something go down last week that was fairly dramatic, or significant, or whatever you want to call it. The only post I have seen from you since Friday morning has been the Hannah pic. I figured it was just an ordinary "face value" FB like, but since it's all you have posted, I took a second look. If there is a message, the only thing I can guess is "mom", because there's a mom (Mrs. Barry) in the pic. Or maybe it's just an ordinary "like" by you.

I guess I shouldn't speculate any further for the moment, but if you get a chance, please let me know how things are going. I'll take my walk at the usual time, 8:30. Other than that, I'll be here.

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

8:25pm : Well, my Darling, I see your post, and I saw that you posted it right away, just after I posted this blog, but I can't figure out an exact meaning. I can see that it's a dark picture, even if scenic and beautiful. Besides the geese, it's dark clouds, a stormy looking sky. So I guess you are trying to tell me something, and I am worried that it's not good. I will go for my walk now and think about it. I am thinking about you as well. Whatever is going on, I'm with you and I Love You. Back in a little while.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox  :):)

P.S. Maybe you just mean the Robin Williams news?

11:30pm : I guess it's just a sad day, I don't know what else to think. Today was also my sister Sophie's birthday. I am glad we will celebrate it at a later date.

Besides the sad news, remember that tomorrow is always a new day. Sounds like a cliche, but if anything is wrong it will pass. I have no way of knowing, of course.

I'm thinking of you, Elizabeth. I Love You and wish you Sweet Dreams. Communicate with me if you can, and if you want to.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Sunday Evening Love (sweet dreams)

Hi, my Darling,

I'm just hanging out at home. A typical Sunday today, and no workmen at Pearl's house, so I was able to come and go, take the Kobester to CSUN, all the usual stuff. Looking for new scenic areas to visit, too. I wrote down all the ones I've done so far and it was 15, though I think I haven't remembered them all. I hope I can find some more good ones. Don't know if I will be able to do any this week, at least not until the kitchen is done, but I am looking forward to it.

Tonight is the Paul McCartney concert at Dodger Stadium, but as I told my brother, it would be a fiasco to have tried to go down there without a ticket. Traffic alone would have been a nightmare. I think Paul will tour til he's 80, anyway, so I should have another chance or two to see him.

I hope your video is coming out to your satisfaction. :)

Tonight I am gonna do all of my walk, I can't keep slacking off, lol. My friend Ono is coming over with his doggie at 8:15, so I'll do half with him and half on my own, later on.

I will be back and write more later. I Love You!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:45pm : I hope you saw the Supermoon tonight. It was rising in the sky while Ono and I were walking his dog. Pretty spectacular. Now I am listening to Glenn Gould. Haven't heard from you all weekend, so I hope all is well at home.
I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Saturday Evening Post (ha! get it?.....aww, shut up Ad) (low key night)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I am home. Today was a long one, I was at Pearl's practically all day because of the kitchen remodeling. My sister came over and we got some quick shopping done, but other than that it was all about the remodel. I will probably be there most of the day Monday, too, and maybe Tuesday, but with any luck the whole thing will be done by then.

So now, I am just gonna chill for a while before going for my walk. Read some SK.....

I bet your day has been equally busy in a different way - with your video. You are now a professional videographer! I am excited to see the results. :)

I will be around til at least 9, don't think I wanna go for my walk any earlier than that, and I may try to do it all at once. I'll see how I feel. But basically I am back to usual evening schedule.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:30pm : I am listening to Bartok "Mikrokosmos", simple yet oddball little pieces, and relaxing in a strange way. Not a lot to report tonight. I only wound up doing half my walk. I blame tiredness from first day back on early wake up, but I also blame Stephen King. "Mr. Mercedes" is yet another page turner.

I hope everything went well today, though I am sure it did. :)

I will see you in the morn, Sweet Baby. I Love You!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Happy Friday, Awesome Summer (aliso) (I Love You) (sweet dreams)

Good Morning, my Darling,

That is an awesome photo this morning, of the rotation of stars. Man, that is one thing I wish I could see : the fullness of the night sky. I've never really seen the stars except for a handful of times in my life. Well, there's another reason for me to visit Wisconsin!

Today, my last sleep in for this period of days off. Sorry about the little tirade late last night, about the password stuff. It's just frustrating that people would do that kind of thing, but I suppose it's (unfortunately) part of human nature. I was tired last night when I first saw it. Now that I look more closely, it describes levels of difficulty for a program to guess a password. I, of course, have no idea what "bits of entropy" are, other than digital possibilities (ie. letters, numbers, characters) a program must run through to exhaust, and therefore guess, a person's password. I should probably change mine more often than I do. It's something I would never have given much thought to.

Anyway, I am not a person who is much for secrecy and all that Scorpionic stuff.

At any rate, it's another day, a new day and a good one. We have been having a ton of good days and each one is a tremendous blessing. I am gonna hang out here til perhaps 2 or 2:30, then head out to Santa Susana for one quick trip before going back to Pearl's. And we will get back into the swing of things and continue to enjoy the Summer! I had fun on my little trip to Hollywood, too.

I Love You, my Sweet Baby!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

5:55pm : Hey, my Darling, I am writing from Pearl's just to say that I am gonna be meeting Grimsley up at Aliso Canyon when I leave here at 6:30. So, it will be the usual drill, a walk through the park and back, and I'll be home in the 8:45 to 9pm range. And, I will check in then. I am guessing you are working on the Good Morning V video, so continued best wishes on that. See you when I get back from Aliso.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

10:10pm : Hi again. I've been home for a little while, just been reading my book. We had a nice walk at Aliso, though it gets dark a bit earlier than it did when we were first going several weeks ago. I also went to Santa Susana, by myself, at 3pm for a quick hour before I headed back to Pearl's. Everything is in a bit of disarray there because they are putting in all new kitchen cabinets. Gotta improvise until they are done.

The Kobedoggie was glad to see me, as was Black Kitty, and vice versa. That will be the end of extended days off until perhaps Thanksgiving or Christmas, but we will still get a ton of stuff done (me and my Sweet Baby, that is!) on the afternoon breaks of regular work days. In fact, that is how we've made some of our most awesome discoveries : just in between.

The Inbetweens have been good to us, in all kinds of ways.  :):)

I am guessing that "between" Santa Susana and Aliso, I probably did four miles already. I am debating whether to just call it good, or to put my socks & shoes back on and go for a quickie mile around the block or to the Oviatt and back.

I think I may opt for the former! Almost fell asleep while reading, anyway.......

I hope your night has been good and that the video is coming along well. I am just gonna stay in, I think, and I will check back in to say goodnight at the usual time, back on regular work hours.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:45 : Listening to Dinu Lipatti, for me the greatest ever. His recorded output is slim, because he died at 33, but what is available is sublime.

Back on work hours, and just as my body immediately adapts to it's natural cycle when I get days off, so must it re-adapt to the earlier waking hours of worktime. No biggie (but boy do I love the sleep ins! If I were reinventing the world, and work schedules, the workday would start at noon, haha.) However, there is much to be said for mornings, and the feeling of getting a ton of stuff done before noon.

Either way, it's a good deal. If I was one of those guys who could adjust to either schedule, and fall asleep at 10 or 11 on work nights, it'd be no problem. But I am, and always will be, a Night Person.

I hope your day was good, my Darling. That's all I know for tonight.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Late Morning Love :):) (To Hollywood) (back home) (passwords)

Good Morning, my Beautiful Angel,

I am glad to see your posts this morning! I take it that all is well, then, except I also saw the Hannah post, and though it's probably none of my business, if she has lost her Dad then I am very sorry to hear that. I do remember that I made a comment, to you right here on Blogger, about a photo of her and her Dad that you posted a long time ago. In it, she was just a toddler (I think), but he was holding her and he had her all decked out in cool sunglasses, and the picture made an impression enough on me to remark on it. It was one of your posts representing a "my Baby" message, and it was really cool. Anyway, I am sorry to hear the news.

I guess all is well, more or less, at your house? I hope so. I may be going to a concert this evening. Back in May, I had bought a ticket for this date to see Hilary Hahn, who was gonna play the Hollywood Bowl tonight. But about two weeks ago, they sent out emails from the LA Philharmonic, saying that she would not be playing the concert, due to an injury. It seems she has an inflamed muscle, probably from playing all the time, so she is not playing any shows for six weeks, including tonight. The policy of the LA Philharmonic is that when you buy a ticket, you are buying for the concert itself, not simply for the guest performer. So, no refund. They have replaced her with a young lady I am not familiar with, and I'm sure it'll be a good concert anyway, so I will probably still go, I'm just not 100% sure yet. It's either that or just eat the ticket.

Also, Shakespeare By The Sea is performing again tonight, in another park located very close to Los Encinos where we went last night. Man, I'd love to go to that, "A Midsummernight's Dream".

Doggone it when two things happen at once. (Yeah, I know : "some problem, right Ad").

Well, anyway, for right now I am just gonna hang out, read my Stephen King book, and I may head back to Santa Susana in the early afternoon. I will decide all of it once I get going.

Elizabeth, if you look at the Sophie Miller photo you posted earlier this morning, there is a comment right under the beautiful picture of mountains, sky, and sunflowers. It's the first comment I can see, right under the picture.

I agree with that comment!

I sure do love you so, so much, my Darling. Thank you for loving me.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

(I will write more before I go anywhere later on.....)

4:50pm : Okay, Sweet Baby, I decided to go to the concert. I paid for the ticket so I might as well use it. I also decided to skip Santa Susana today and try to get to Hollywood a little early instead, maybe to take a few pictures at the Hollywood and Highland area of town, just for fun and something a little different. That corner is where they have the Kodak Theater, or whatever it's called now, where they do the Academy Awards. That's right where the subway lets out. It's a major tourist intersection, and kinda fun. So, I am gonna leave here in a few minutes, at 5:30, and if I can get down there by 7pm, that'll give me about a half hour to walk around that area. Then, I'll walk up Highland about a half mile to the Bowl and go to the concert, which starts at 8.

I am guessing it'll run to about 10pm, then I'll walk back to the subway, get off at North Hollywood station in the Valley, and it's about a half hour drive back to Northridge from there. I should be home no later than Midnight. Late, I know, but I will write anyway.

I Love You, my Darling, and only wish you were coming with me. But I will do what I've been doing for the past two years at concerts : I will think of you and imagine you there.

I will see you when I get back, if by chance you are awake.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight : Hi, my Darling, I'm back. I actually got home at 11:20, made great time on the trip back from North Hollywood after I got off the subway. You are probably asleep, but if you are still awake perchance, I posted a few photos on FB just now, just for fun. Many tourists down there in the Summer. The concert was really good, with a violinist named Alina Pogostkina who was quite good as well. The LA Phil also played an hour long Mahler symphony. It's a trip to watch a full orchestra play through so many musical themes, with all the dynamic changes, and do it seamlessly. All in all, a fun night down in Hollywood, and an easy trip there and back. I am gonna get situated here, eat something real quick, and then I will check back in one final time before I turn in for the night. Don't stay up, though, just on my account. Sleep if you are tired.

The important thing is that I am back home and I Love You!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

1:10pm : It is late for me, super late for you. I see your two posts from earlier this eve. The Discover Wisconsin photo is gorgeous. I would love to discover Wisconsin. When I look at the landscape up there, everything looks so..........what is the word I am looking for?

I am not sure how to describe it, but it would have to do with the lakes and the Ice Age from whence they came. Your landscape looks carved, scupted. Serene and cool. Deep, because of the water.

I would love to discover it! And we will discuss that possibility one day soon, when we are talking openly once again. :)

I also saw your "like" of Brian's password related post. I don't know if that has anything to do, or is a reference to, the situation that has taken place this week, but I am aware that there are computer programs that can figure out and steal just about anything.

I have heard about "computer gangs" in Eastern Europe and Russia who run all kinds of programs to try and steal stuff from people, credit card numbers, bank accounts, etc.

First of all : what a bunch of A-Holes.

Secondly : what a bunch of losers.

Can you imagine, sitting there all day, doing something like that? It's like being a bug and having the brain of a bug, buzzing away, hypercalculating, looking to steal some paltry sum, some useless information, because the banks protect all this stuff.

Can you imagine the life of a person who would sit there all day as their programs run, trying to scam somebody, or peep into their life?

It's a sorry way to be. I will say no more because I have already said a lot, but I just mention it because you posted Brian's post and I don't know if it has to do with me, and my passwords, and the possibility that my computer was hacked as we talked about earlier this week.

My point is this : if a person is determined to hack me, go ahead. There would be little I could do to stop such a person because I know nothing about computers, except how to use the Internet.

If a person wanted to steal my passwords, knock yourself out.

But isn't that pathetic? Aren't all these people who sit there and run their little programs on their computers kind of lame? I think so.

I mean, if you are gonna be in a robbery gang - be a dirty rotten criminal - do it big time, like the guys who did The Great Train Robbery. Don't sit behind a stupid laptop, running a silly little program to steal passwords in the hope of getting a few bucks, or spying on a person to see if they are The Devil or not.

Do something worthwhile.

With me, what people should know - must know if they are gonna waste their time - is that I couldn't care less. I don't live and die by the computer age. I don't have gadgets, I don't give a hoot about gadgets. I don't know how all of these things work, and I could not care less.

I'd rather do something that I find interesting, and I have a myriad of things that fit the bill.

Electronic gadgets, in this era of trickery-by-arrogance, is not something that interests me.

A lot of people seem not only interested in such stuff, but hooked. Gadgets are the new addiction. Electronic trickery is the new high.

I am glad, and blessed, that it's not a part of my life.

Anyway, my Baby, that's all I know for tonight. I don't know if that post had anything to do with me, but those are my thoughts. I basically have no power to keep a computer wizard at bay, but if anything like my bank account was ever intruded upon, I know the link to the FBI. I only mention it to be on the safe side.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Hamlet (picture) (I'm back) (all is well?)

Good Afternoon, my Darling,

So how are things going? I hope everything is okay. I'm at home and will probably be here til about 2:30, maybe 3. Then I am gonna go get my oil changed and probably head over to Santa Susana from about 4 til maybe 5:30 or 6. This evening at 7 I am gonna meet Grimsley at a park called Los Encinos. It's at the south end of the Valley, in a town called Encino, about 6 or 7 miles from Northridge but in a different direction than Chatsworth and some of the places I usually go. Anyway, it's a historic park with a famous old adobe house, I think it's the second oldest house in the Valley. I have a picture of my Dad sitting in front of it, on my Flickr. Anyhow, all of this is to say that they are holding an outdoor staging of "Hamlet" tonight, on the grass, and because Grim suggested it as "something to do" and because I have never seen Hamlet in any form, play or movie, I thought it would be fun to go. I don't know if I will drive there straight from Santa Susana or stop at home first, but I will basically not be home too much from about 2:30 or so, until about 10pm tonight.

The play is supposed to run two hours, and then with a little traffic, getting out of the parking lot, etc., I should be home about 9:45 or so, give or take. But for now I'll be here a while.

I Love You and I'm thinking about you, and I hope you are having a good day, and that all is well.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

3:35pm : Hi, Elizabeth. I am back home for a few minutes before going to Santa Susana. I did get my oil changed.

I saw your picture of the mountains outside Quebec City, a peaceful looking place. I hope it is still okay if I "like" the pictures you post. I guess it can't hurt, right? I mean, everything is out in the open now, and I've been pressing "like" all this time anyway. Everybody knows me. Anyway, I like your picture!

And, I hope you get to go back to Quebec.  :)

I am sincerely hoping, also, that everything is okay at home. Please let me know, if you can.

Gonna head out to Santa Susana in just a few minutes, then to Los Encinos for "Hamlet" after that, and I'll be back home before 10pm. No worries because either everything is good now, or it's going to be.  :)

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

(back later)

10pm : Hi, my Baby. I just wanted to say that I'm back. The play was incredible, by a company called Shakespeare By The Sea. I'm gonna go for my walk now, just to get it out of the way, then I'll come back and tell you some more about it. I hope all is well.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:40pm : Well, "Hamlet" was quite an experience. I'd never seen a Shakespeare play before, unless it was on a field trip in first grade or something, but of course I was aware of the prodigious dialogue. I have to admit, it took me about 20 minutes into the play until I could get the hang of understanding it, because (as I'm sure you know) it comes out of the actors' mouths in a rush. And, it's Shakespearean dialogue, very wordy, formal and in a style of English that we aren't used to hearing because it isn't spoken anymore.

The stage was small and simple, like an old wooden stage you might have seen in Shakespeare's time. There were no props to speak of, just some swords and the famous Skull of Yorick.

Absolutely fantastic acting. I hope this troupe comes back, because I will see them anytime. Grim and I wound up in the front row, as it seems we always do. There were some chairs up there that nobody claimed, so we sat in them. I could go see one of these plays every night, really excellent and a great event for a Summer night.

But the main thing is that I have been thinking of you all day, and I am sure hoping that everything is okay at your house, or as okay as it can be, under the circumstances. I guess the degree of "okay" would depend on if anyone besides you reads these blogs. If your Mom read(s) them, or read anything I wrote in the last few days, then she knows that I discovered what was going on. If so, I hope she was able to keep a level head about the whole thing and not get upset with you.

I am just gonna write the whole thing off, and I hope she does as well. It's really the best option. You see, I've just been going along, writing my blogs here for the past 14 months, and I was more or less blissfully unaware of any problem at your end. Another thing is that, on FB at least, I wasn't much of a presence on your profile. I haven't really posted much on your page since 2012. Other than "like"ing your photos and your occasional update, I don't say much on your FB. So Mom couldn't have seen me much there, and therefore, could not have had too much to be upset about. So maybe it has been these blogs, I don't know.

I wish I knew the severity of things; does your Mom hate me, think poorly of me, think I'm just a nuisance? The thing is, I have always tried to keep a low profile. I don't IM you, I don't post much on your FB, except "like". What I do is to communicate via this blog, and I don't forward it to anybody. The only way a person can read it is if they come to me, to my blog, i.e. my page. And I'm not twisting anyone's arm to come read what I write.

I don't get the feeling that your Mom could have been truly upset for such a long period of time, over two years now, because that would take a sustained effort, and I'd think it would have manifested itself much sooner than this. Like I said the other day, you have seemed generally happy all this time, with a few normal ups-and-downs, and I don't think you could have been so cheerful, and enthusiastic in your posts, had Mom been upset with you (because of me) all this time.

So maybe the whole thing was lower-key than I am imagining, and it only blew up because of your mention of the Lillian request, and my resulting discovery of what was going on. Maybe before that, things were just kind of going along, with Mom aware of me (by whatever means, as we have talked about), but not generally freaking out on a daily basis about our relationship.

Well, I don't know any of these answers, so I will leave it at that. I am an easygoing person by nature.

Before I went to the play, I went to Santa Susana for an hour. It was just a walkthrough today, not a lot of picture taking or high climbing. But you can always feel The Spirit out there, and that is always so refreshing.

Please let me know if all is well. I Love You, Elizabeth. I will see you in the morning!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxooxoxoxoxox  :):)

An Awesome Day (picture) (the system)

Good Morning, Elizabeth,

I just wanted to say that it's a good day and remind you and everyone that all is well. I hope it is for you guys, too. I was up late, so I am just getting started. I may head out to Santa Susana a little later on (2 or 3), but for now I'll be here. Still gotta do the oil change, too, but I may postpone that for another day.

That's all for the moment. Have an awesome day, we all deserve it! That goes for everybody.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

(back later but home for now)

3:20pm : Hi, my Baby. I saw the photo you posted, and it is beautiful - my kind of place! It's our kind of place, the kind of place we will visit to see a beautiful sunset.

I hope all is going well. Just hanging out for the time being. I Love You!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

P.S. I forgot to say that I saw your earlier post, too - Humans Of New York. I think I understand, but all is well. As long as things are good for you (and everyone else), I am happy.  :)

Midnight : Good Evening, my Girl. Sorry I am writing so late, but I got caught up in reading "Mr. Mercedes". Always hard to put a Stephen King book down. Also, I've said before and it's so true - I am a night person who reverts to his natural wake-and-sleep cycle as soon as I get a few days off. Work hours are work hours, but if it was up to my body, I'd stay awake until about 2am and get up about 9:30 or 10. :)

Earlier this evening I watched a great Western from 1948, called "Yellow Sky". It starred Gregory Peck, Anne Baxter, Richard Widmark and a lot of great character actors from that era. It was shot in b&w, and the extraordinary cinematography was done by a guy named Joe MacDonald. I don't know if I already mentioned a location here in California called the Alabama Hills (located 200 miles north of the Valley), but I have seen a couple movies recently that were shot there. Incredible rock formations, which I love, lol. And, I love black and white. Not for everything, but in certain situations it distills the image, allows the mind to focus on the image rather than the color. Black & White is pure light and shadow. The "color" is the grey scale.

I didn't do much today, just kinda got my bearings back. We got thrown for a little bit of a loop there. I am going to have to sort of follow your lead in the immediate future because I don't know what's happening at your end. I speculated that your folks could have read Myspace at the beginning of all this, so maybe they have this Blogger link, too, I don't know. Reading the blog, if they (or anyone for that matter) had the link, would not be spying because I posted it at FB when Myspace went under.

Anyhow, all that stuff aside, I have always written from the heart, and openly. I started way back in 1999, on a site called Delphi (now defunct), and my attitude then was "Please Read"! I wanted everyone and anyone to read what I was writing because I wanted information about 1989. Then I went to Myspace in 2006 and wrote extensively about that situation. I wrote the material for a book, though it would have to be edited down.

There are things that happen in this world that people cannot fathom, if they either do not experience such things for themselves, or if they have no interest in such subjects and therefore do not study them.

Not alien abduction or anything that seems connected to a New Age crowd - joiners - people who are seeking something.

I wrote all those years about something specific. A specific event, or series of events that comprised one very big event.

Elizabeth, you are an intelligent woman, and so I tell you this : many people, most people, almost all people, do not understand what really goes on in the world, where the gears are located, who shifts those gears.

In America, we have a system of education, in which people are systematically educated. In this system, a person of intelligence and ability can rise to a high level in a chosen field, but even if that field is a rarified area of science, or business, or whatever the case may be, that person will be highly educated in that field, but they will still have no idea what is really going on in the world unless they make a lifetime study of what is really going on in the world.

Not what the news says is going on. That is a symptom, an "end result". For example, all the fighting in Israel, in Palestine - for decades now - is an "end result", of long term policies and secrets that only few know the truth of. And yet, the "news" presents it as "something that is now going on". "There is fighting".

Yes - but why? That is something we are not told, or if we are, we are given surface level information from the "news". Ditto our educational system.

What is really going on is hidden, to all except those who are willing, or feel the need to, make a study of it.

I have had no choice to make such a study myself, after what happened in 1989. It's why people think I'm weird, lol.

When we hear about Gaza, and Ukraine, and missing airplanes, and all the crazy stuff going on, we wonder, "doesn't anyone have the answers"? Of course there are people who do. They just don't want to disclose those answers, or the information about what caused the problem in the first place, to the public.

And that is because "the public", to them, is just "the public".

And the public mostly just goes with the flow and does not ask questions. Or if they do ask questions, they ask them from the perspective of the system : their education in that system, and the news system from which they receive their daily "information".

Blue collar people are too busy trying to make ends meet, and also they may not have the level of comprehension necessary to understand such affairs, even if they understand the general "gist" that the powerful are largely corrupted.

Then there are the "educated", those who have been through the system. They are the career people, and they work hard and help the country to prosper financially and structurally. But the mistake with the educated is that they are certain they know "what is happening".

They are up on all the politics, financial matters, social matters. They follow "what is going on".

But the only way they know to "follow what is going on" is through a system : the American system of education (which begins at kindergarten and extends through Phd.), that conditions them to follow that system for all of their informational needs, throughout their lifetime.

And so many people, educated or otherwise, depend on a system for reassurance.

They lose the ability to think for themselves, or more importantly, they lose the confidence to think for themselves.

And it doesn't matter if you are educated at the highest level, with a phd., or if you are a simple blue collar worker, or even if you are illiterate; once you give up your autonomy, and begin to rely on a system for your "life information", you have reduced yourself to part of an equilibrium, or an equivalency - a lowest common denominator.

That is because there is an elite in this world, and to them, it doesn't matter if you are Phd or blue collar illiterate. If you don't know what is going on, you are just part of the general public.

Now, that is fine, because as I have written, and as I believe, most people just want to live their lives. They want to be good at whatever they do, and they want to provide for their families, and they trust in this country to provide those opportunities for them. People are not generally caught up in class warfare or politics, or even news.

But then there are some people - just a few - who have little choice. That is because some of us have been given a glimpse - through no wish of our own - of what is really going on behind the scenes.

What is going on behind the scenes involves a true knowledge of history, which probably few know, and which the entire human race has a right to find out. It involves technology, and not just the "public consumption" technology of NASA and modern science.

True knowledge involves Things Hidden, because that is what has happened, things have been hidden from the general public, from Phd's and workers alike. Human beings lived mostly agriculturally until about 300 years ago. 150 years ago is when things really began to step up, and since that time, all kinds of discoveries have been made that have been hidden from the public. Phd's think they are "in the know" because they've been to university, and blue collars jab at conspiracy theories or just go with the flow, but meanwhile, the things that have been hidden remain hidden.

And that is because there has been, over the centuries, a very concerted effort to ensure that these secrets of world history, and archaeology, and science, remain hidden.

That way, only a few will have such knowledge, and therefore only a few will truly control things.

And that describes America, and the developed world, for much of the last three centuries, and especially the last 150 years.

The problem, in this "information age" we are currently living in, is that many people who have been through The System, and are therefore "highly educated", believe they know what is going on as a result of that. And they do know what is going on, at "ground level". At a level that allows them to live their lives.

But the problem with education through the system is that it causes people to form "opinions" about any given subject, though these opinions come from surface level knowledge, transferred through the American system.

The "opinions" everyone has nowdays are what is causing so many problems in this Age Of Too Much Information. Everyone is an expert on everything, and it has all caused an overload.

I have looked for alternatives - alternative sources of information - to help me understand the things that have happened in my life. I have also written bluntly and frankly about those experiences. I have learned a lot in my studies, though I would not expect that anyone would understand such things automatically, without an open mind at the very least, or a lengthy study at best.

What I believe would do the American public a service, however, is if everyone would stop relying on the system of "education" as a be-all and end-all of truth. What it actually is, is a system of facilitation.

It makes people adept at a task or knowledge of a specific area that is productive to daily society.

But it does not give them any knowledge of what is going on behind the system itself. In that way, everyone within the system is dictated to by the system.

The problem is that some believe the educational system has given them all the answers, and therefore, they feel they know best what is good for others, and for society as a whole. And when that happens, a sense of certainty results. Certainty about matters in the world, like politics, religious matters, etc. Arrogance can result from that.

And that is why we have such a divided world, and why so many people are fighting, and suspicious of one another. It's because of a system that gives us the ability to function in the world, from blue collar all the way up to phd, but never tells us what the world really is, or how it got to be this way.

Conventional history, and the news, pretend we are stumbling along for the answers, but in truth, there are some - an elite - who already have them. And they have a system to keep everyone else, the general public, from ever wondering what those answers are.

That's all I know for tonight.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)