It has come to my attention that some people are under the misconception that we do not have four seasons here in Southern California. However nothing could be further from the truth. While I do submit that we don’t have the traditional four seasons of spring, summer, fall and winter. We do have four seasons none the less.  In fact this week is the turning of one season to the next. While I know most of you are thing it is change from summer to fall. It is actually changing from summer to fire season. Currently a good portion of the San Fernando valley is ablaze as well as it’s little brother burbank. 

Maybe I should explain our seasons. Unlike typical seasons, ours are not dictated by time but conditions. We have the rainy/flooding season, summer, fire season and earthquake season. Interestingly enough we can have several of the seasons going at the same time. If you have the latter two occurring at the same time, we call that shake and bake.

One of the factors about living in LA exciting is because of the “seasons” we have, we can’t get insurance for any of them. If you live in a fire area, you can’t get fire insurance, and because a fire will surely come and burn away the vegetation you can’t get flood insurance, because in the next rainy/flood season the water and mud will take out the house the the firefighters just months ago worked so hard to save. Of course if the house survives the fires and the floods their is always the earthquakes. And so continues the Southern Californian circle of Life and Inflated Real Estate Prices.

With that being said, I would take a rainy/fire/earthquake over a hurricane or tornado any day. My heart really goes out to those people in New Orleans, and Mississippi, who haven’t been able to go back to there homes, or even worst have no homes to go back too.

Something I’ve always found interesting about Southern California is new years day. Somehow it always works out that it is sunny and beautiful, even if it is a bit on the cool side (50 degrees or so). So when people in states that have winter are watching the rose parade on TV, it looks like the ideal place to live. An so the seasons continue.

My beautiful Wife sent me a photo that does a pretty good job of summarizing my day so far.  

So my brother J started a blog. I had to mention it, because he is just darn funny, and is jumping in to this "being online thing" with both feet. He's using Yahoo 360 which seems to be a very nice service. Check out his blog, it is sure to crack you up.

Yesterday I blogged about the weekend, and there was quite a little bit about the "Mighty Hunter" well, My Sis posted a "copious amout of pictures" of the old boy. I sure miss him.

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything. Last week I was on vacation and this week, I was overwhelmed getting back in to work mode. Not only that but my trusty Dell D800 laptop decided that I had been working it to hard and it took a vacation as well.

So last week was my first vacation in a while. I took time off to get a break from work and to spend some time with my Cousins from West Virgina. It was a great time. So here is a Day by Day break down.

Disneyland on Monday (Talk like a pirate day). My Sister, Dad, Mom and Cousin dressed up like pirates of all things. I in my weak attempt to join in the realvery wore my pirates of the Caribbean shirt. Brother J went and looked slick as always. However I did have my camera slung over my neck for that authentic tourist look. We had good time. First ride we hit was the newly redone Space Mountian. It is fast and smooth and has amazing visuals. Being that I had been on the ride before, I knew where the camera was, so without letting anyone know, I snuck my sunglasses back on and smiled big for the camera. Everyone else had either a surprised look, a loving the speed look or a white knuckle look, and there I am with my glasses and a big smile. I'll have to post the picture later. We hopped between Disneyland and California Adventure all day. Funny enough we saved Pirates for the last ride of the day. As we got out of the ride, that is when all of the thunder and lightning started. It was actually quite beautiful. Better then the fireworks if you ask me.

Tuesday, was the "doctors" appointment. Which I found out that sometimes the boys will get an infection from time to time. Of course I didn't know this because most men will talk about sports and women's anatomy with fervor, yet little things like health issues always seem to fall to the way side. After that it was over to my brothers to play video games with him and my cousins. There is nothing like four controllers and artificial engine sounds, and screeching tires to bring you closer to your family.

Wednesday was a little rough. Poor Rufus...well he had pneumonia, and couldn't hardly breath on his own anymore, so we had to put him down. The poor cat survived countless fights with other cats, losing an eye, losing his vision in that eye, and in the end it was pneumonia, that got him. I miss that old Cat. We had him since 1987. He was with me when we heard grunge rock for the first time. I do have to say he called it right, when he said that it was a fad. Dad came home early from work and when with me, which I appreciated. That was really hard to do, and I wore my sunglasses the whole time, so they wouldn't see me tearing up. But I think they did anyhow. Sis has a post with a picture of the old man.

After he lost his eye, we all started calling him the old man. Before that he was know as the mighty hunter. He was an outdoor cat for most of his life, so he really was a mighty hunter. The amount of birds he caught was astounding. Once he sat on the fence between our yard and the neighbors that was covered in Ivy and just sat and waited, then as a piegon flew by he jumped up and took the bird our of the air.

Thursday, well we went to the beach. We went to Will Rogers state beach so that we could pay too much for parking. It was nice, My cousins fed the seagulls bread and they ate it all. Again, I had the camera around my neck for the perfect tourist outfit. We had lunch at some place on the pier. Then the traditional two hours drove home in L.A. traffic.

Friday, well, I finally had to do chores. Change the oil in the car. You know the kind of stuff you have to do. However friday night, we watched Winged Migration. This is a stunning film, I highly recommend renting it.

Saturday was the big BBQ. I think we went though a whole cow. Can't remember much else because of the food coma.

Sunday, While doing some yard work got stung by a wasp, and had my arm swell up. So I road the antihistimine roller coaster of sleep and drowsiness for the rest of the day. I'm planning on using this later to get out of more yard work.

Well, my vacation officially started Friday night. Which also happened to be the same day that my Cousins came into town. So Friday night we got together for a little bit just to say hi. You see I took my vacation to correspond with theirs.

Saturday we went to the races. The Saturday night races at LACR is a great thing to see. You get see the future motorcross starts as well as some of the veterans ride. My favorite part was watching the kids race. These little kids not only have skills but heart. One of my favorite announcements was when the announcer was reading off the name of the rider and their sponsor (Yes, these 8 year olds are sponsored). The one that got my attention was ‘Little Timmy’ being sponsored by “Grandma”.

It was nice to see motorcross being such a family sport. The races started with the youngest and then went to the veteran and then to amateur classes. So the kids would race first, which meant the Dads and Moms would be in the stands cheering for the kids. Then after the kids would race, and then the kids would storm the stands still all decked out in their race gear and would cheer for Mom or Dad as they raced. It was really kind of heartwarming.

Two of my three Cousins from West Virgina are in town this week and I am so excited to see them. I haven’t seen C since I was 17, so it’s been a while, and J it’s been at least three or four years. I’m sorry that D couldn’t make it out, I would of loved to see him too. It amazes me how it works with my Cousins, we can go years without seeing each other, and we just start up where we left off, like we just saw each other last week.  I’ve taken the week off so that I can make sure to make the most of their visit.

In other news, I finally got the results of my manogram. Good news is it isn’t the big C, the bad news is, they don’t know what is going on. So next week, I’ll go back to the doctor.

It kind of a been stressful weekend. Thursday morning I was having some "Male problems" (I'm not talking about commitment issues either), one of the boys was acting up. So it was worrisome enough to make me go to the doctor. That was a little tough, the doctor poked and prodded and grabbed me in such ways that we are now considered married in 12 states. (no dinner or anything, men are so grabby). After that little ordeal, he orders an ultrasound, or as a friend likes to call it a man-o-gram. Of course they couldn't fit me in until Monday. So the good doctor gives me something for my nerves, because I would have been freaking out all weekend long otherwise.

Since The Little Boy's Disneyland annual pass was going to expire on Monday we took him on Sunday. I don't think I've ever been on so few rides. Turns out, that when you are on "something for your nerves" and hurt, it's a small world is a pretty damn good ride. We also descovered a new character at Disneyland, "Capt'n Cranky". We've even got photographic proof.

Yesterday was the man-o-gram. I think the most interesting thing about the experience is all of the little rooms they make you wait in. Three of them to be exact. You just wait, they call your name and then you go to another room to wait to be called. Finally Andrew came for me. Andrew was about 6 foot tall, dark hair, and eyes, and sounded as if he was from eastern European descent. Andrew asked that I step behind the current and remove my clothes from the waist down. I involuntarily shouted out where my grandma hides her money. He asked me what I said, and I replied "nothing". Then he had me put the gown on, and lie on my back on table. I complied. Then he dimmed the lights and turned on some smooth jazz. I have to admit this bothered me a bit, but it is only a test I tell myself don't get up and run down the hall, (the gown that was opened in the back was one of the deciding factors.) After twenty minutes of the procedure which felt like two hours, Andrew said I was done, and that my doctor would get the report in two business days. He wished me good luck. Which I took to mean, there wasn't going to be that awkward moment when he asks for my phone number, and I'd have to explain to him that I am already married to the doctor.

So I am back at work today, trying not to think about the test results. And hoping the doctor will call me in a couple of days and just say it's some sort of infection caused from sitting on my butt too much and not the dreaded "C" word.

Update: It was just an infection. Not the "C" word. Yeah!