Rolling along with the earthquake

By the time that you recognize that it's an earthquake, it's over. With today's technology, you can turn on the television and the local news station is already covering the event. They were able to report on size (5.6 downgraded to 5.4), the location (Chino Hills outskirts of LA, 110 miles N of San Diego) and any damage (little, water mains mostly.)

At the time (11:42am Tues), I was at work on the computer at an elevated desk on a questionable Ikea stool. By the time you've acknowledged that the screws aren't coming out, a big truck is not driving by, you have a few split seconds to enjoy the rolling sensation of this earthquake. It's not like being in a car on an overpass. Well, they could be like that, but with this it was more of a rolling, undulating feeling, not so bouncy.

I've experienced a few quakes since moving to San Diego and they've all had their slight quirks. Driving on the 163, it felt like you were a little disconnected from the road for an instant. "I feel the earth, move, under my feet . . ." Sitting on the futon in a second floor condo, it seemed like I could see a wave of vibration making it's way around the walls of the living room. It was the middle of the day and I was completely lucid and sober!

Larry said the cats were not phased in the least. They just continued on with their naps. Cappuccino is very handsome and you can't photograph an earthquake. So here you are.

Visit from Oregon

Reba's nieces, Halley & Natalie are down from Oregon spending a whopping 17 days with their auntie. They came over for a swim on Sunday and had so much fun. They were laughing and swimming and playing and splashing. By the time they got out, it hit them; they were tired. They do hope to have time for another visit before they leave at the end of the month.

20 Years

Larry says he can't imagine doing anything for 20 years. Hard to believe that much time has gone by since we said "I do." But then I love Larry more and more each day, so I'm bursting with happiness.

The most important thing is to be kind. I have not found an occasion or situation where the Golden Rule doesn't apply. Want someone to respect you? Respect them.

We didn't do any big traditional thing like take a trip or even go out to eat (two things Larry is not very fond of and I can respect that) because we just bought a house. Living in southern California is permanent vacation. We like to celebrate on the eve of holidays, so we ordered take-out. We eat salads most nights and our heirloom tomato provided us with a heart-shaped fruit for the occasion. This particular variety is named "Mortgage Buster". Maybe as we improve the soil, it will bear an abundance of fruit, similar to 20 years of marriage. Awww!

Happy 4th of July

OMG! This is the best picture of Larry ever!
Can I have some of your eye-openness?

At 6pm, we walked over to Lake Murray for their July 4th Music Fest and Fireworks. We met Cynthia & Patti with Angel & Dylan and walked around the lake to get to the community park where they had a big sound stage set up. We caught the last band, Liquid Blue, who performed a wide variety of covers from Madonna to Led Zeppelin. Toward the end of the concert, we started walking back to catch the fireworks and have a shorter walk home. The dogs weren't too bothered by the fireworks. Angel is so old she's probably a little hard of hearing. Dylan was nervous at first, but then he settled down and watched the show.

Bamboo Power

You've got to love pure random chance. I was in Hillcrest and thought I'd swing into the Trader Joe's nearby. Half of the parking lot was being repaved, so I took a different route out and passed by this van.

This traveling billboard for bamboo brings me back to macaroni mosaics and wanting to decorate my own cars and bicycles. I want to know if it whistles while traveling down the 805? Visit his website for factoids on bamboo.

Under Sixty Saves

Pictures taken from a car never come out well, but you get the idea. This picture was taken two weeks ago at the height of the current fuel prices. At the beginning of this year, I was paying $3.539 for a gallon of diesel. That's an increase of 146%. Still, I'm not complaining.

Remember back to the 1970's: Long gas lines, "Out of Gas" signs. I wasn't driving then, but I got the message: conserve. Back then, I remember slogans like "55 Saves Lives". Well, it turns out that it also saves fives too ($$$).

On May 28, 2008, the Wall Street Journal published a little column, Me & My Car, where columnist Jonathan Welsh answers readers' questions about automobiles:

Q: To obtain the best gas mileage, what is the optimum speed one should maintain on an open highway? I've heard all sorts of answers.

A: While each vehicle performs differently, a rule of thumb for maximizing fuel economy is to keep highway speed to 60 mph or less. According to the EPA, exceeding 60 mph severely hurts the fuel economy of most vehicles. The Agency says "each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.30 per gallon for gas." Several tips on saving fuels appear at fueleconomy.gov.

Speed limits, actually Speed MAXIMUMs, posted on San Diego freeways are 55 for trucks and trailers, 65 for all other vehicles. My commute to work is only three exits on the 8 freeway. I set the cruise control for 60 and keep to the right lane. Many people are speeding past me. It's also amusing to see commercial trucks passing me when their maximum speed should be 5 mph less.

I waited to write this post until I went a full tank with this experiment, testing my fuel economy when I kept my highway speed at a maximum of 60 mph. It improved from 40 mpg to 46 mpg. I got 15% better gas mileage. My diesel VW Beetle is rated 42/49 mpg.

My first car, a 1986 Subaru hatchback, got 35 mpg and there hasn't been much improvement in the two decades since. Americans have started to conserve which can help stabilize prices. They aren't doing all they can. It would be premature to start drilling in protected areas. Would that be the last frontier? And then what happens when those supplies are exhausted? Permanent "Out of Gas" signs with new technologies lagging behind once again.

Compass Lake Block Party

This is the second year that the neighborhood signed a permit to close off the street for the day. They set up grills, canopies, chairs and tables in front of 3 or 4 houses for the block party. Their kids have a lot of energy or the sight of a bouncy house brings it out. We had rain the day before and even sprinkles this morning, but the day warmed up and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, it was another beautiful day in San Diego.

They arranged for our local fire station to make a visit. This is the 1,925th fire engine that the city has purchased (I asked about "1925" on the back; the department was established in 1889.) This truck is outfitted for home and brush fires as well as emergency and rescue at Cowles Mountain. There are two engines at our "34" station. After getting the tour and hefting one of the fire hose nozzles, I am very impressed with their knowledge and strength.

Beautiful Day

Wow-wee! We had three days of 90+ degree heat. Sure, it's dry heat, so it REALLY feels like an oven. The kitties managed to find cool spots, but they were still instinctively drawn to the sun and the slider. At least Ccino had the good sense to lie in the shade under his canape.

One day later and the temperature was PERFECT. I had the car window down and realized how really beautiful it was. The temperature read 72 degrees. It was perfect! Our backyard is loving it too. The star jasmine is flowering and permeating the air with a sticky-sweet flowery scent. The nasturtiums from seed have a yellow and a red-pink flowers. The bird of paradise put up a flower. Tropical scents, colors, and shapes!

Happy Father's day

Happy Mother's Day! But I didn't get a mother's day photo. No mouse clutching a violet left on my back stoop. No other cat presents found in the house. It was a nice, quiet, relaxing day of little work. Eat, Nap, Play (or take a few walks, as we did.)

We've made up the word "Napazol" which is the spinal fluid in a cat which causes them to sleep 18 hours a day. When there are a few cats around us, we often succumb to the ambient Napazol.

Mother's Day update: Later in the day I did find a present on the bed. Wooster carries this fluffy tufted toy around in his mouth and makes that "mewling" sound. Usually it just makes it to the bedroom and each day I take it back out to the living room container of cat toys. Today it made it up on the bed. Sweethearts.

Early Squash in the Mist

When we see tomato plants in the garden centers we get excited. While we may not fully understand the growing seasons here in San Diego, if it's in the garden center it must be okay, right? That day in April we bought some tomato plant seedlings and some packets of seeds.

I planted two hills of squash but didn't label them. One hill has three plants the other has only one. Larry was wondering which was which (summer squash or zucchini) and I said we'll just have to wait and see. Here it is the beginning of May the the three-plant hill has the yellow summer squash. We got some rain last night and it is misty this morning. Still, it's been very dry here for the past month and we collect the shower water to water the plants.