The video is now available for viewing by clicking here.

It’s a little dark, but hopefully you can get an idea of how special this place is. I have a couple more videos to work on that I will post soon.

…Steve’s birthday, as his big day brings us to the end of birthday season. Happy birthday, li’l brother, I love you and I’m proud of you too!

Well, last weekend was the big one for Steve and Denise – moving day! They had moved almost everything on Friday, so all that was left for us to move on Saturday was the furniture, appliances, and some leftover stuff. Steve got a big U-Haul so we were indeed able to do it in one load. I’ll bet it surprised him how full the truck was when we were ready to go. Anyway, we were ready to roll to the new place by about 1:30, and done unloading by 3 or so.

As to how nice the house is, they weren’t exaggerating about how wonderful it is. It’s going to be a fun place for them to live in, and I’m so happy for them. I promised to have the video I shot posted today, but I managed to forget the files at work today, so that will have to wait until tomorrow. See you then!

It’s been a very busy week at work, hence all the empty chair shots on the webcam these days. It’s political season, and all the candidates are sending lots of mail in time for the primary election on June 6. Our photogenic mayor Antonio Villaraigoso is pictured on a lot of the fliers, seeming to endorse all the Democrats running for office in the area. For some reason, all of our work is for Democrat candidates, not a Republican in the bunch. A lot of candidates are sending absentee ballots to their prospective supporters so they can vote by mail. My job is to take the voter information (which the candidates get from the Registrar of Voters), use some software tools to fill in as much information on the absentee application as is given us, then address it and mail it on its way. Today we’re printing 50,000 pieces that has to mail ASAP, of course. The nice thing about political mailing is that they pay top dollar, and they pay in advance.

Tomorrow it’s off to Steve and Denise’s for moving day. He’s actually moving some stuff today, and the rest tomorrow. He decided to heed his big brother’s advice and rent a U-Haul so we can do it in one trip. Can’t wait to see their new house!

Wow – a Dodger game with Carol on Thursday, then Friday she took me out for my birthday dinner at Crustacean in Beverly Hills. As you can probably guess, seafood was the order of the day, as I had a whole cracked and roasted Dungeness crab in garlic sauce – fantastic! (how could it not be!). Kind of a fancy-schmancy place, but the food and the company couldn’t have been better.

Then bright and early Saturday morning we headed north to Modesto for the family birthday party. We stopped on the way up the valley at the Sun Maid Raisin Store – sort of a tradition with me, just so I can stock up on t-shirts and whatnot. This time I got a ballcap and the de riguer 7 lb. box of Thompson seedless raisins. Then on to Modesto for a really great time with most of the family – Mom, Steve and Scott, and of course Karen Roy and Nick, who hosted, along with Carol. The house was festooned with crime-scene type tape and other decorations announcing my fiftieth – even the neighbor got into the act (“Happy Birthday, you old fart!”). I got a baseball cap with a few slogan buttons and a bicycle horn attached, as well as a cane that squeaked every time it touched the ground – it also had a horn.

A delicious tri-tip sandwich lunch (expertly barbecued by Roy) followed with potato and fruit salads, and then a big birthday cake. It was fun (and a little bittersweet) going through some boxes of photos that Mom had dug out, and getting the inside scoop on some family history as well.

Sunday morning found us at the Country Bear restaurant for a wonderful breakfast, followed by a round of miniature golf at FunWorkz – I think we all might have gotten a little sunburn from that. Then it was time to head back home – exhausted but thrilled and humbled by all the attention – but after all, you only turn 50 once in a lifetime.

Your turn next, Laurie! Sorry you and yours couldn’t make it – we missed you. But Happy 27th Anniversary to you and Guy – you had a great reason!

Last night Carol and I went to my first baseball game at Dodger Stadium. Her friend Ted couldn’t use his tickets, so he passed them along to us. They weren’t playing the Giants, alas, but the San Diego Padres, so I had great fun in cheering on the Pads amongst all those Dodger fans. The seats were quite nice, just beyond third base in the first row in the Loge section; even had a few fouls come in our general vicinity. Had my first Dodger Dog (underwhelmed) and still much prefer Pac Bell/SBC at&t Park – much better views and the garlic fries are better there too.

Tomorrow: off to Modesto for the weekend.

Best wishes to my nephew Scott – today is his birthday, and if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll be there on Saturday.