The Sat. Morn. Post, Vol. 15 - Laura's B-day

My wife Laura celebrated her birthday this past week. She wanted to spend the day at Disneyland, and considering the folks over at Disney are allowing people to enter free on their birthday - the price was right. Earlier this year, I was able to take advantage of this wonderful offer on my birthday, as was our daughter Nina on hers. The other nice thing about the cost of admission (which by the way, is $72 per person for one park - either Disneyland or California Adventure) is that because our credit card points count towards purchases of anything Disney-related; we only had to pay $25 out of pocket. Only $25 for two people to get in to Disneyland. I think that's a bargain.

The down-side of this story is that it was a short day. We had to wait until the kids went to school, and then Laura wanted to go to breakfast. So we didn't get there until around 11:00 a.m., and we had to leave by 4:30 p.m. because Nina had her religious education class at 6:00 p.m. We couldn't miss this particular class because it was her turn to share something about herself with her classmates. It was also my turn to help out the teacher in the classroom. We made these commitments before we realized the date was also Laura's birthday, and before Laura told me she wanted to go to Disneyland.

On to the pictures. This one was taken just after we entered the park, and is on Main Street. I should mention that the whole park was decorated for Halloween.

The first ride we went on was the Pirates of the Caribbean. I didn't notice any Halloween decorations on this ride; it looked the same as always. Then we headed over to the Haunted Mansion, which was obviously given a face lift in honor of the upcoming holiday. Then we headed over to Big Thunder Mountain. While sitting on the ride (basically, a roller coaster that looks like a mining train) Laura had me take a picture of the two of us. You know this pose, I've show it before. I hold up the camera and point it at the two of us looking cozy. The problem is it's hard to aim, and I end up taking 4 or 5 shots to get one good one. Since I was unsuccessful in my attempts while sitting on a train - which began to move, making the attempt more difficult, we tried again after the ride. This time it was a success:


On the way over to the next ride, we stopped at a hat shop known as The Mad Hatter. Laura picked out a hat for herself, which is not pictured here, but will be shown in an upcoming post. Laura had me put on the hat pictured below just for fun:

We then headed over to It's A Small World. This past summer, Disneyland re-opened this ride after they had given it a full makeover. The hype was pretty big. I remember morning TV news reports covering the grand re-opening. The morning radio show I listen to broadcasted their show from the attraction the day it re-opened. I didn't see many changes at all. It was basically the exact same ride with those little dolls representing every corner of the world and singing It's A Small World in every language. There were a very few additions, some Disney characters added in where appropriate. Here's a picture of two:
After that attraction, Laura wanted to eat lunch. I wasn't that hungry since we ate a big breakfast, but it was her birthday and I didn't want to put up a fuss. She wanted to eat at the Blue Bayou, a restaurant inside the Pirates of the Caribbean. We didn't have reservations, and the wait was over an hour. We opted for a nearby restaurant in New Orleans Square. After lunch, as we were headed to Main Street, we stopped and took a picture with Aladdin and the Princess Jasmine.
We then had to make a decision. There was only enough time to do one more thing before we had to leave. I had suggested going over to Tomorrowland and riding on Space Mountain. I had heard radio ads that this was really fixed up scary for Halloween. Laura wanted to find the place where Disney sold annual passes. Guess what we did?

Annual passes turned out to be a bargain. One current offer allowed you to use the same day's paid admission as payment toward the annual pass, and Disney would bill you over the next 12 months for the balance. The least expensive pass was $144, and when you consider we have already paid half of that today, the monthly payments are $6. We were thrilled to find out that Disney considered the free admission to the birthday guest (Laura in our case) as a PAID admission. We also took advantage of the pre-paid parking. To get our money's worth on that $79 fee, we would have to visit the park 6 times in the next 12 months. That seems easy to do even with the blackout dates our passes have. So the bottom line is I will be billed $18.53 for the next 12 months for the privilege of entering either Disneyland or California Adventure as many times as we want and NOT ever having to pay for parking. That works for me.

Laura had a great birthday, and we had a rare daytime date together without any interruptions.

See you next Saturday morning.

The Sat. Morn. Post, Vol. 13 - Nina's Birthday Party

Our daughter Nina turned nine a couple of weeks ago, and just as we've done in the past, we threw a birthday party for her. Since her birthday always falls near Labor Day Weekend, we opt to move her party to the Saturday after Labor Day. We learned years ago that few people show up on a Saturday of a 3-day holiday weekend. Our plan for this year was to have a backyard pool party and BBQ. We did this last year too, and it worked out fine. It also fit our budget, which is even more critical this year.

Well, our pool didn't cooperate. I guess I should say I wasn't diligent enough in cleaning the pool since we re-filled it back in June. We have an above-ground pool, and cleaning it is not as easy as a large built-in type that that has a large filter and vacuum system. The water is clean, and I keep plenty of chlorine in it, but it's the dirt that has fallen to the bottom along with the algae growing on the bottom and sides that make it look . . . less than desirable to my wife Laura.

Our kids didn't seem to care, as they swam with the little green stuff mixed in the water. But as Laura put it: "I wouldn't let my kid swim in a pool that looks like that if we were invited to a pool party." I therefore have to assume that all of the moms of the girls we invited will think the same, and the girls would then be trapped in our backyard with nothing to do.

So what did we do, you ask? We had the party at the new water park that opened in the city next to ours. Splash! is it's name, and it has a pirate theme. There are pools, slides, a lazy river, and all sorts of things to climb on - in and out of the water. There are tables with umbrellas throughout the park, and plenty of chairs - both the regular type, and the ones that recline back like a deck chairs. They even have an area for parties where you and your guests are covered by a canopy. So that's what we did - reserved a canopy for the day. After the morning football game was over, all the little cheerleaders played in the water park and celebrated Nina's birthday. It only cost a little more than what we planned, because we did not provide food - only a birthday cake and bottled water. Enough of the chit-chat, here are some pictures - this one is of the whole park:


Here's the birthday girl:


Here are most of the girls taking a break from splashing about to pose for a group picture:


This was a popular spot all day long, not just with the kids from our party, but many others. There must be something about steering a ship's wheel . . .


One of the many breaks from swimming to take pictures:


Drying off in the sun before presents and cake:


We're all in our places with bright shiny faces:


I was pleased to find the peace sign is still popular with the kids. So are High School Musical-themed gifts (the small bag in the center). Nina also likes McDonald's, the color pink, and journals to write in. Her friends know her well.


We gave her The Beatles Rock Band. Nina loves The Beatles, and she and Laura have been playing non-stop since last Saturday. I am a huge Beatles fan, and I am so happy that Nina has fallen in love with their music. Our son Brady, on the other hand, is not the least bit interested in the Beatles. That's his loss.


Did I mention this was a SpongeBob-themed party? Well maybe you noticed the party hats, table cloth and sand pail "goody bags" in the pictures above and figured it out on your own.


Here are some of the parents who attended:(l-r) Mina, Laura, Suzie, Amber (seated), and Michelle. Not shown is Nina's dad (me), because he's on the other side of the camera.




Oh, there I am, with my Honey-Bunny!



See you next Saturday morning.

The Sat. Morn. Post, Vol. 11 - San Clemente, part 2

Continuing from my post last Saturday morning . . . our family was on a vacation and we were celebrating my son, Brady's, 16th birthday. We took a weekend trip to San Clemente - a beach city in south Orange County, CA, about an hour away from were we live in La Habra, in north Orange County. As a matter of fact, our two cities are on opposite corners of the county. Enough of the geography lesson.

Brady is on a co-ed cheer squad called the California Allstars. Brady and his friends all met this year, and all (including Brady) are new to the squad. Last year, the squad won the 2009 World Championship. Brady only invited friends from his cheer squad to his birthday party (he did not invite any of his friends from school). The first to arrive were (L-R) Julian, (Brady), Tyler and Kiara.

Not too long after, a couple of others arrived: Chris and Jaylen, who are brothers, and who both cheer on the squad. They are new to the squad this year too. Once all the guest arrived, we took that long walk (nudge-nudge; wink-wink) across the street to the beach, and hung out for a while.

The older kids tumbled on the sand, entertaining the people on the pier above. My daughter Nina, her friend Alyssa, and Chris and Jaylen's little brother and sister made sand castles and waded in ankle-deep water. Here the kids make a pyramid thing in the shadow of the pier.

Just the boys on the beach goofing around. I'm sure you don't recognize it, but the white house on the bluff above Brady's head was the a home of San Clemente's founder, Ole Hanson.

After much fun and sun, we were ready to come in to open presents and eat cake. One of Brady's gifts was several dollar bills taped together like a continuous string. Brady loved this gift a little too much.
Here are all of Brady's party guests (L-R) Chris (holding his baby sister Mya), Tyler, Julian, Kiara, Jaylen and Brady:

Here is Brady's birthday cake. Albertson's makes a great cake, and my wife Laura loves to order this particular one. We have ordered this same cake for several birthday parties - sometimes filled with fresh strawberries, but not this time.

We had a great weekend, and everyone who attended Brady's party had a great time. By Sunday morning, we were all pack up and ready to check out, and in about an hour's time we were back home.

Moving up to the present time, it's Labor Day Weekend, and that means I have labor to do around the house. Oh, that's right; I get to do that every weekend. Well at least this weekend I can watch UCLA play football, and I'm one week away from NFL football. It's the most wonderful time of the year. See you next Saturday morning.

The Sat. Morn. Post - Vol. 10 - San Clemente, Part 1

Hi there! This Saturday morning I'll reflect back to last weekend: our family vacation to San Clemente, where we celebrated our son Brady's 16th birthday. Thanks to my wife Laura's wonderful grandparents, Bertha and Gil, to whom we owe so very much. Bertha and Gil have a timeshare on the beach in San Clemente. They graciously allowed us to use it for the weekend to host Brady's 16th birthday party. If it were not for Bertha and Gil, we could not have had this wonderful family vacation and birthday celebration.

And it couldn't have been a nicer weekend. It was not blazing hot as it sometimes is in late August here in Southern California. And we didn't have to travel far. Brady's guests didn't have to go far out of their way either. Lets look at the pictures, shall we?

First up is the view from the balcony of our room looking straight out (west). This is San Clemente Pier:
This picture was taken from the same spot, but with the lens pointed a little to the right.
What you can't see in either of the pictures above, is the train tracks. Amtrak, Metrolink, and Coaster all share the tracks, and trains run frequently between 7:00 a.m. ish and 7:00 p.m. ish. It doesn't take long to get use to the bells at the crossing (which you can barely see in the top picture), but the train horns are somewhat louder.

Also, the two pictures taken above were actually taken on Sunday morning, the last day we were there. All of the remaining pictures in this post were taken on Friday, the first full day we were there. The morning cloud cover was so thick you would think we were experiencing June Gloom.

Laura loves taking pictures of the two of us, but by holding the camera herself - as opposed to allowing someone else to hold the camera and take the picture of us. She took 8 of these pictures, most of them cut off the top of my head from just above my sun glasses. This is the best of that bunch of 8 (in my opinion). I chose one where both of us had a nice smile, but doing so I had to pick one that didn't show what was written on my hat. I will not spell out the whole name, but the initials are UCLA.
Our daughter Nina brought a friend with her: Alyssa. Here they are sitting on the back of the life guard's jeep. We took a walk the Friday evening out on to the pier, and along the beach. It was noticeably cooler than during the day, and that June Gloom cloud cover only got thicker.

Here we have me and Laura taken by Brady. (see, my hat isn't chopped off). Laura is holding up my beer belly, as I am sucking in.

And here without me having to move an inch, we have the birthday boy, Brady, and Nina.

So this concludes the "family" portion of our vacation. The part 2 portion of my post will focus on Brady's birthday party. See you next Saturday morning.

The Saturday Morning Post - Vol. 7 - Family Pictures

This Saturday morning, I thought I would share some pictures of my family. After all, the name of my blog is Danny & Family. My wife Laura is the keeper of the pictures. That is to say she has the digital images on our family computer under her login, and she set up folders to categorize them. She also has a box of photos in our closet taken from our older camera - the one that used film. I don't have the time to look through the box and pick out any, and don't really want to scan them and put them on the computer. There are plenty to choose from on the computer right now. So below are some fairly recent ones.

I'll begin with a few taken on my Birthday back in January. Laura and I, along with our daughter Nina, went to Disneyland. Disney has this offer where the person celebrating their birthday gets in free. My birthday also happened to have fallen on Martin Luther King's birthday, so due to the holiday and so many people being off of work and school, the Magic Kingdom was quite crowded that day.

I don't remember why our son Brady didn't join us at Disneyland, but he did go to dinner with us at the Olive Garden. Here I am getting ready to blow out my candle on a piece of chocolate cheesecake I was given, and Brady decided to be a goof.

Next stop on our picture tour is right next door. Literally. Our next door neighbors are my wife's grandparents, Bertha and Gil. On Easter Sunday, we also celebrated Gil's 80th birthday. Here's the birthday boy, and his lovely wife:

Also taken on Easter at Gil's party; Laura with her sister Sara and her brother Sean:

Pictured here are four generations: Bertha, Tina, Laura and baby Olivia.

Here's a better picture of Olivia:

And finally a picture taken about a week ago. Laura e-mailed it to me at work, and the subject line said "Our Kids"

Well that's it for this week. See you next Saturday morning.

Time For An Update

Summer is nearly over, and there's been some changes around the household. Laura is no longer employed, but continues to seek a new job. This causes a financial challenge, as we were already on a tight budget. Laura has a little more time for her volunteer position as cheer coordinator for La Habra Pop Warner Football and Cheer leading.

Both Brady and Nina have celebrated birthdays recently, and have also started school. Brady, now 15 is in 10th grade, and Nina, now 8 is in 3rd grade. Both attend a tumbling class once a week, and both will soon begin religious education classes. Brady is less than a year away from receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.

In other birthday news, we recently celebrated numerous family birthdays at my moms house with a good ol' BBQ & pool party. Those celebrating birthdays included my mom, both my kids, a niece and a nephew (who are also brother and sister), and another nephew. Absent, but not forgotten, were another niece who lives out of state, and an uncle who took ill and couldn't attend.

Nina is also cheer leading for La Habra Pop Warner. I enjoy going to the games to watch her cheer, but also enjoy watching the games themselves. Today, the boys beat their opponent 39-6. Before the cheer and football season began, the city held it's annual Corn Festival and parade. The cheer leaders and football players marched in the parade again. In order for me to get the prime front row spot on the parade route I got there at 4:30 a.m. I was surprised to see people already holding their own spots along the route.

The Corn Festival was fun as always, and this year we brought home more goldfish. Two actually, that Nina won, and one other that her friend Frankie won. Nina's fish died by the next morning, and Frankie's died a few days later. They were buried in our back yard.

The D.O.M. ride season begins next week. We will be attending, but the days of going out on Friday morning are long over. We don't want to take the kids out of school, and I'm too busy at work to take a vacation day right now.

I'm still taking the bus once a week to do my part to help the environment and save fuel. I'm pleased that gas prices are not as high as they were when I started riding. I have changed my route to 3 different bus lines compared to what I used to take. This way it's slightly less expensive, and I get to leave work 1/2 hour earlier. I have yet to see knitters on the bus, but I still keep looking for them just to be able to report that to LA and Diane.

As far as sports go, I played golf for the first time in one year. In August I played in a golf tournament along with my mom, uncle and cousin. This is an annual event named in memory of my dad. And for my spectator sports (the ones I watch, not participate in) the Angels are doing great by winning their division; the Bruins started off better than I expected by beating Tennessee, but got SPANKED today by BYU; and the Chargers lost their first one, but will hopefully win tomorrow against Denver.

Finally, my prayers go out to the families of the commuters who lost their lives yesterday in that horrible train wreck in the San Fernando Valley.

A New Arrival

Yesterday, Laura's Brother (Sean) and his wife (Reann) had their baby. We were very happy to hear the news, and I'm pleased to report that both mother and daughter are doing fine. I don't know what it is about our families and their pattern of having babies in August or September, but the trend continues. I guess it would be more accurate for me to say "I don't know what it is about our families and their pattern of conceiving in November and December, but the trend continues."

Lets have a run down, shall we: Niece Anna (8-21-1990), Nephew Timothy (8-21-2003), our son Brady (8-22-1993), my mom Norma (8-31-1938), our daughter Nina (9-5-2000), Niece Christine (9-15-1994), newborn Niece Ava (9-17-2007), Niece Kira (9-??-1999), my grandfather Joseph (9-16-1909), Laura's grandmother Bertha (9-25-1935), aunt Grace (9-28-1921), and uncle Gilbert (9-30-1942). There are also three family wedding anniversaries during the months of August and September.

Needless to say, trying to plan a child's party is very difficult because some of the kid's birthdays are so close that parties are sometimes booked on the same day. Here's what we started doing a couple of years ago. We have one family party where all the family attends and brings gifts for all the kids celebrating during the those two months. Then, each of us have a 2nd party so that each kid can invite their friends. (Family is invited too, but it's understood that they don't bring a gift to that party.) It's also understood if some of the family can't attend that 2nd party because they have another party to attend for one of the others celebrating a birthday. It's confusing, but it works.

Since most of the kids celebrating their birthdays are on my side of the family, my mom hosts the family party. She gets birthday presents too since her birthday is during this time period as well. If your birthday was in August or is in September - Happy Birthday To You!

Happy Birthday Nina

Nina turned 7 years old today! Here she is with one of her very best friends, Frankie. Okay, so this picture was taken months ago when she was closer to six than seven, but I thought it was cute how they were behind a planter. It captures the playfulness that she has. On some other day I will post a picture that captures the grumpiness that she also has.

A Couple Of Updates

Saturday's golf tournament (the Carlos Aguirre Memorial) was fun. I really enjoyed myself, and my mom, uncle, and cousin had fun too. It was not as hot as we expected; only 90-ish. I didn't shoot as well as I would have liked to. Out of embarrassment I will not tell you my score, but I will tell you it was over 100. Considering I haven't played in a full year, and the difficulty of this golf course, it's no surprise.

There were a couple of memorable holes that I will share with you: Number 5, a par 5, dogleg right with water at the beginning and the end. You need to hit a shot that must carry over water in order to land on the green. The last four years I did not play this hole very well. This time I hit a good drive and a good 2nd shot. I knew I couldn't reach the green on my 3rd shot, so I hit short of the water. My 4th shot needed to be about 75 yards to the center of the green. I purposely selected a club that would easily carry the water (I've been in the water 3 times before). Oops. Too much club. I flew over the green, and then my ball bounced on the cart path and flew over a block wall into the street. I took the stroke penalty (but not the distance as the rules called for). I still had to chip on the green and putt out. I took an 8 - ouch.

That was not the worst hole I played, but I wont bore you talking about them. A hole that started off promising - number 8, a par 4, straight and not too long, I actually landed on the green in regulation. (That means my 2nd shot landed on the green, and I was putting for a birdie.) Oops. I 3-putt for a bogey 5.

The 18th hole was one of my better ones. A long par 5, with an elevated tee; you must hit into a valley and work your way back uphill to an elevated green. Did I mention the water? A stream with little waterfalls and pools, descending from the front of the green to the fairway from right to left. I hit a good drive and a 2nd and a 3rd shot. My 4th shot was the approach to the green, less that 100 yards which had to carry the water. It landed on the green close enough for me to 2-putt. I took a bogey 6. In total I only had 4 single bogeys. No pars, everything else doubles or higher - ouch.

Laura continues to improve, and has been back to work for nearly 2 weeks. Thanks again for all the well wishes and prayers. She is coaching Nina's cheerleader squad, and they are practicing for opening day ceremonies. Laura had a run-in with a couple the girl's parents. 3 girls have been showing up late to practice, which affects the other girls on the squad. Laura talked to the parents after practice last night, and they didn't like it. It got ugly, and Laura had to call one of the league officers to step in. The bottom line is if the kids are going to be late (or absent) Laura wants to know before practice starts. Also, if the parents are going to briefly leave the practice area (parents are required to stay at practice at this age group) to go to the snack shack, or the restroom, or to stretch their legs; just let Laura know. That way if there's an emergency, Laura will know where to look for the parent(s). No big deal, but these bitches really gave Laura a bad time about this very reasonable request.

Brady is about two weeks from starting high school. He's also helping Laura plan his birthday party - a late night bowling party. This time of the year is crazy due to so many family birthdays. Complicating that is back to school, the start of cheer (football) season, and the start of our off road club riding season.

Finally, work has been very busy lately. I don't want to talk too much about work, but it does factor into my life. As I say on my profile - it's a necessary evil.

June Birthdays and Anniversaries

Well it's the last day of June and I almost forgot to give a shout out to family and friends celebrating birthdays and anniversaries. Actually, there's only family this time around, and there's only one birthday this month.

Brother-in-law Louis, who celebrated his back on the 5th. Happy Birthday Louis!

As far as anniversaries, this topic is a little more sensitive. As long as I can remember, I've always told my grandmother that I was thinking about her on the day of her anniversary. Her wedding anniversary is on the 24th. Last Sunday, just like every year, I wished her a happy anniversary. And, just like every year, she was very happy that I remembered.

I've never asked a lot of questions about my grandparents. I don't know if they were legally divorced or just separated. My grandmother has always gone by her married name. What I do know is that my grandfather died many years ago, and I have few memories of him. They are fond, cherished memories, but they are few. I guess it's time to ask my mom.

Speaking of my mom, I wished her a "Happy Flag Day" back on the 14th. It was always easy for me to remember my parents' wedding anniversary because it fell on Flag Day. Well ever since my dad died back in 2000, my sisters and I have wished my mom Happy Flag Day on June 14th. By the way, my parents were happily married 42 years at the time of my dad's death, and would have celebrated their 49 anniversary this year.

So that's it. (Well, for the exception of my anniversary at work. 22 years on June 3rd. Wow.)

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

May I Have Another?

Another month, another mortgage payment. Another birthday post, and a shout out to all you mothers. And a small change to my blog. Yes, I have changed my profile picture - thanks for noticing. For some reason Laura likes this picture of the two of us. It was taken in March of this year at Dumont Dunes. Thanks to Laura's steady hand, she was able to take this picture herself. I'm not thrilled with the goofy smile on my face, but what the hey.

So who do we have celebrating a birthday in the month of May?

My Good friend Janeen - On the 4th.
Janeen was one of my closest friends in high school; not a romantic interest, just a really good friend. Our history teacher (Mr. Hughes) called Janeen "Gabby" and called me "Ear of Gabby".
Good times!

My Grandma - On the 6th. This is her 96th!
Taft was president the year she was born. That was 16 presidents ago. The Great War (later called World War 1) had not yet been waged when she was born.

This coming Sunday we're gathering at my mom's house to celebrate. I'll take some pictures and add it to this post later.

April Birthday Wishes (ammended)

Time for my monthly shout-out to all of my relatives and friends celebrating a birthday or anniversary this month. I've added to the list since the original posting.

Cousin Michael - on the 1st

Grandma - on the 2nd, but not a birthday (that's next month). My grandmother celebrates her saint's day. I don't know if this is a tradition in Mexico, but the only person I've known (or even heard about) who celebrates a saint's day is my grandmother. Now in our family we've always accepted this, and remember to acknowledge my grandmother on her saint's day. More about this topic later.

Nina Lolita (Aunt Dolores) - on the 7th

Laura's Grandpa Gil - on the 11th. Gil (& wife Bertha) are also our next-door neighbors.

Sister Donna - on the 19th

Nephew Henry - on the 20th

Diane - a regular reader / commenter of my blog - on the 28th. (It's because of her comment on this very post that I know her birth date).

Also on the 28th - Nina Lolita & Uncle Gilbert's wedding anniversary. Let me comment on this particular anniversary, which is my aunt & uncle's 45th. The actual date of their wedding is April 28, 1962, and it was the first wedding I ever attended. I, of course, don't remember a thing; I was only 3 months old. My mom has mentioned to me on numerous occasions that she can easily remember how many years her sister Dolores has been married because it's the same number of years that I am old.

I thought it would be cool to think about that date (4-28-62) and mention a few things that were current back then. So here are three things I came up with: My parents lived in Los Angeles and only had two small kids; President Kennedy was in the White House; and the Beatles were a small club band in Liverpool, England, and not yet heard of in the USA.

How times have changed!

Look Who's Blogging Again

Just in case you were wondering . . .

No, the author of this blog did not die.

No, the author of this blog did not give up posting on his blog.

No, the author of this blog didn't give up blogging for Lent.

Yes, the author of this blog has been a very busy boy.

I've been so busy with family commitments and work that I just haven't been able to dedicate any time to this past time I enjoy. I've even had to drastically cut back on reading some blogs that I used to on a daily basis. Those that I still read I don't even comment on any longer. Not that I don't want to, but I just don't have the time.

My sincere apologies to my family and friends whom I missed sending birthday wishes to (via this blog) during the month of February. Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a belated Happy Birthday!

Brother-in-law Scott
Brother-in-law Dan
Cousin Michelle
Dear friend Vera
Dear friend's daughter Stephanie

Let me also share with the whole world what I gave my lovely wife for Valentine's Day: A Tiffany ring, and red roses - hand-delivered by me.

So thank you for checking in and reading my post. I hope to post something more often.

Things In Common

What do Robert E. Lee, Edgar Allan Poe, and Janis Joplin have in common? And what do I have in common with those three very different people from many years ago? The same thing I have in common with a couple of co-workers of mine.

All of us were born on this date: January 19th. So Happy Birthday to us!

Robert E. Lee - 1-19-1807 to 10-12-1870
Edgar Allan Poe - 1-19-1809 to 10-7-1849
Janis Joplin - 1-19-1943 to 10-4-1970
(I wonder if the above dates mean anyone born on January 19th will die in the month of October)

I used to have 3 co-workers who shared the same birthday as I have (Vince, Ray and Tom), but one left the company. That person (Tom) was actually born in the very same hospital as I was, but just a couple of years before me. What a coincidence, huh?

On a related topic, from the classic TV show "I Love Lucy", Little Ricky was born on this date in 1953.

Happy Birthday, Diana

As I mentioned in my last post I will be acknowledging my family (and friends) on their birthdays by giving them a shout-out post of their own. Today is Diana's day.

Diana is my older sister, and I don't think I've adequately mentioned her on this blog before. What I mean by that is that I've mentioned her, but because of where she lives, she's absent from the various family gatherings described in previous posts. Absent in person, never in spirit. Diana lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband Scott, and their two kids - Anna and Henry.

Here are a few fun facts about Diana:

• She was the first of my immediate family members to work at Disneyland
• She was the first one of us four siblings to graduate college and get married - in that order
• She was the first of my sisters to meet her spouse at Disneyland (note: she was not the only one to meet a spouse at work; all four of us did)
• Us three younger siblings followed Diana's footsteps in various ways over the years: We all joined band in High School; we all went to Cerritos College first, then graduated from CSULB; we all got married in the same church
• Diana remains the only sibling to move out of state
• Diana remains the sibling who has traveled the most and the furthest

I miss seeing Diana on a regular basis. Diana, Scott, and the kids visit our mom and Scott's mom every Christmas. So in a couple of weeks we will all be together to enjoy each other's company. Until then, happy birthday from your favorite brother. Love, Danny.

Happy Birthday, Papa Kirk

Today would have been Papa Kirk's 75th birthday. We are celebrating his birthday (as we have since he left us in 2000) by visiting his grave site this morning, followed by breakfast at Barragan's.

I've written about Papa Kirk a couple of times, which you can read here and here.

We miss you and we love you, Papa. We hope you're playing plenty of golf in the big course in the sky!:)

I don't know why I haven't thought of this before, but starting today I will be posting a birthday wish to my family members as their day rolls around. Today is Papa's day.