Picnic at the Park

Yesterday we planned to go to San Diego for the day to get a signature from one of Dan's clients and spend the rest of the day at the Zoo. It ended up that Dan didn't need the signature until a few weeks later so we wanted to scrap the plans for the day. The only problem is that we told the kids we were going. So we had to bribe them with a picnic and the promise that when we had to go back down to San Diego, we would pull them out from school.
SO .. I packed a picnic and we loaded all of the bikes on the car and headed to the park. We unloaded the bikes and ate our picnic then headed out for a bike ride. This is where all hell broke loose. It was about 89 degrees and the first 1/4 of the ride had some hills (which Emily refused to ride down... and Ashley refused to ride up). After the last big hill Reed simply refused to go on and Ashley literally threw her helmet. We stopped, had a huge yelling match in the natural wonders of the park and told the kids we were going back to the car. Little did they know we were doing a big loop and would be heading that way anyways. Of course, after we got back they said it was fun... but we will remember this one for a while. I am torn between dragging them out next weekend to do it again... until they get used to it... or just the two of us going from now on. I am afraid right now I choose option #2.

Box Fort aka. Hobo Village OC

On Thursday Dan told me that he wanted to build a fort for the kids out of cardboard after school on Friday. I 1/2 way believed him... but found out he was obsessively serious. I thought it would be impossible to find any cardboard boxes big enough and wasn't too excited about having a mess of cardboard in the backyard for who knows how long....

So after school on Friday, he picked up the kids and headed out to hunt for cardboard. He came home with a washing machine box from a appliance store (which he placed on the top of the car and held onto with his hand through the sunroof to get it home... an act that I argued was very dangerous and he argued wasn't). But I quickly got over my argumentative state when he showed me what he found out back with the trash......2 awesome leather Lane recliners! I have been looking for gaming/lounge chairs to put out in the garage to replace 2 bean bags and these were in great condition. I am assuming they were in the "Dolby" room or for a big screen display. Dan went inside and discreetly asked the one of the guys if he could take them and the guy said yes. As we sat in them last night.. it occured to us that we probably took off with the "Smokers Lounge". And someone is not going to be happy with the guy who said Dan could take them.

Dan worked for 4 hours on the fort and made each kid their own room. They had windows with plastic wrap and doggie doors. When I took a tour it reminded me of the "Hobo Village "underneath Las Vegas. They played in it until 10:00 and then were in it first thing this morning. They have taken pillows/blankets/crayons/dolls/lava lamps... and basically 1/2 of their bedrooms out into that Fort. I am dreading the yard clean-up after this one... but the kids are loving it... so thats all that matters..... right?

P.S. We looked up the chairs on Lane.com and they retail for $1200/each! SCORE!

Octoberfest

Frau Reed
Herr Reed

Last weekend we took the kids to Octoberfest in Huntington Beach. They have a little german village there with a great German Restraunt. We looked around in the little shops and had a really yummy german lunch. Then we bought some german chocolate....agggggghhhhhh......
There were dachund dog races and a band flown in from germany (that sang american songs). We went early, so once the crouds showed up... we were out of there.

Port of Long Beach

Today we went up to Long Beach for "Green Day at the Port" . The public was allowed at the shipping port to see operations up-front and look around. The premise was that the port is working to be as eco-friendly as possible. There was a train tour around the port as well as a harbor tour. When we got there both tours were out of tickets. So... after parking in a remote parking lot and riding a shuttle over to the port... we found out that we basically wasted our time.
BUT........ we never give up that easy.
We snuck onto the shuttle that took us to the harbor tour. ( At the base of the Queen Mary) And then Dan started (for lack of better explanation) "Networking for Tickets" . Somehow he was able to get all 7 of us (Ray was in town) on board a harbor tour. Now the Germans have a name for this type of person who can get all sorts of things given to them, get what they want when they want it, and get into places with out paying... it is called a "schlitzur". Dan is certainly one of them!

There were thousands of containers in port... The Port of Long Beach and Los Angeles recieves 47% of the country's cargo.

The Harbor Tour was an hour long and was alot of fun. It was interesting to see the port up close.

Speed Hump

No... it is not something that occurs at the doggie park... or after a young adult activity......

After the Benz was totaled in front of the house, we applied for a speed bump to be installed on our street to slow down traffic. Upon requesting the application, we were informed it is a "Speed Hump" not a "Speed Bump". (And we weren't so sure we wanted one of those in front of our house. ) Dan got signatures from 90% of the neighbors on the street in favor. Monday night was the hearing for the Traffic Commission. I went with the kids thinking we would be there max... an hour. We sat there for 2 hours. Then Dan came and relieved me so I could take the kids home and put them to bed. He was there 2 more hours. Even Emily (who is 8) pointed out on the way home that the "The guys kept asking the same questions over and over again and talking about the same thing over and over again". Proving once again how inefficient government is... on so many levels. ....Four Hours Later.....After hearing 2 pleas in favor and 2 opposed. The Commision denied the "Hump" but will put up more speed signs and paint (whatever that means). Hopefully whatever they do will slow down drivers. The guy that hit our car is being charged by the District Attorney for Criminal Reckless Driving. Dan has to testify at the end of this month at his trial.

Kitchen Faucet Fiasco

Corena peel'in potatoes, outside, using the hose.

Dan & Todd "Yeah um..we need a special tool...we can't fix it...or replace it...sorry...?"

Last Saturday my kitchen faucet started leaking.... so Dan started to repair it and found out it needed a new cartridge. I went to Home Depot and got a cartridge... but also went to Costco and got a new faucet....(ya know... just in case...) We were expecting company (The Traders from Seattle) on Sunday and I wanted the faucet fixed before they got here. Well... it wasn't. I must add, that it was no fault of Dan's. He tried all day to fix it, but it was one of those repairs where one thing lead to another... I invited the Traders to stay for dinner on the condition that Dan would finish fixing the sink. So he and Todd got to work trying to put the new faucet on...Turns out they needed a special tool. Regardless of the relentless nagging Corena & I did... we had no luck. So Corena and I made dinner "Camper Girl Style" with the hose from outside.

...............FOUR DAYS LATER..........

Well it turns out we needed a special cartridge from Price Pfister but they only mail out their parts like 2 times a month. So Dan drove there to get one piece and I drove there to get another two days later. Long -story-short... the faucet is fixed and I no longer have to use the hose to clean dishes or get the kids a drink of water.
Regardless of the sink... and the likely "White Trash" impression we left on them, we had a great time with the Traders and are bummed they live so far away.

Back to School 09'

This year everyone started a new school (with the exception of Heidi's preschool). The elementary school the kids used to go to got closed down (due to budget cuts....now this baffles me because we pay over 7K in property taxes on one house alone...????) So the girls started a new elementary school, ironically closer than their old one. The are in classes with their old classmates and they have a "cool playground" so they are content.
Reed started Jr. High. We are in a panic... now his grades actually will have some impact on his future. We are trying to figure out the whole Jr High thing blindly. He is loving it because his crush he had in 1st grade is now in his school. And he doesn't seem to have any problem attracting "the ladies". He has 8th grade girls randomly coming up to him asking him for hugs and furling his hair.......... Oh Hell! Let the parenting fun begin!