Car Radio (part 1)
1 Degree Above Normal
Theo’s in the back seat reading Plastic Man. Henry is up front with me. I’m driving them to school early. It’s Friday. I’m just back from NY and trying to get back into the flow of breakfasts, lunches and carpools. Henry’s angry because he doesn’t understand why we wont let him buy an iPod “WITH MY OWN MONEY”  before Christmas. We say there are many reasons; we just bought him a new phone which he proceeded racked up 14oo text messages in 3 weeks, we’d rather him play an instrument right now instead of just listen to music, and finally in trying to make things fair in our house this would be considered a major act of  ”UNFAIR!”
Henry turns on the car radio to his favorite station, 98.7- “Rock Nation Radio.” It’s usually tolerable. I can sometimes identify the names of a few of the bands. Actually, as a joke I always ask Henry if this is Green Day, Coldplay, Phoenix, or Munford and Sons. I’m usually be right about 98.7% of the time. Playing this morning is a song I’ve heard a million times about kids with pumped up kicks. It’s pretty catchy– a song that gets stuck in your head. Henry says it’s by Foster the People. He says it’s one of  the 1st alternative songs to go really big on the radio.
I turn on KXLU. It’s Loyola College’s station and it’s been around forever playing what I consider alternative music. I tell Henry that the DJs are students. He listens to a  song which we both like. The DJ comes on, There’s lots of dead air, giggling and early morning yawning on the air.
As we get closer to school Henry turns on my favorite station 100.3, “The Sound”. They play what’s know as “Deep Album Rock.” Creedence is on. Everyone’s happy. We pull up the drop off area and as they jump out of the car I wonder if the lyrics to “Up Around the Bend” will be playing throughout the day in my boy’s heads. Creedence stays on as I drive home, There’s a place up ahead and I’m goin’, come along, come along with me. Yeah!”
Re-enrollment
The Ocean Charter School re-enrollment forms were due the other day and current photos were needed of our boys. The printer was acting up so I got the Hasselblad out of the closet with some very outdated Polaroid film and lined the sleepy boys up on the porch before school. All hand held- 1/30 sec. @f/2.8
Top Row L-R Simon & Theo Bottom Row L-R Henry & Ollie
Back Home
Current Weather
A job well done in Miami. Bags, cameras, laptops, tower and monitor all packed up. The job is backed up and ready to ship. Rental car is returned. We’re trudging our way through security and then the unthinkable happens. One of the Cuban sandwiches we bought from Los Olas Cafe in Miami doesn’t make it through x-ray. I look in the bag and it’s true. Only one Cuban sandwich has made the journey. I ask the TSA guy behind the x-ray machine, “Where’s the sandwich?” He says, “It fell out of the bag and into the trash.” I look at him suspiciously. He gives me look that says, “Don’t mess with me jerk.” There’s mild rumbling coming from the people behind us and I decide to leave it alone. I’m going home.
All Packed Up
It’s Friday. Back in South Beach, the rhythmic shenanigans on the streets are probably in full swing. Here at home,  it’s the Hedgerow (Simon’s school) lantern walk. There’s 4 pots of homemade soup on the Coleman stoves, fresh bread and the kids  are singing and swinging  their homemade lanterns through the damp fall evening.
Simon on the Stoop
It’s great to be home. After 2 weeks of being away the garden has become overgrown and there’s a long list of things to do: fix the pine chest, make Ollie’s tooth fairy mobile, investigate funky smells coming from upstairs shower, repair doorknobs which have fallen off whilst children are slamming doors in fits of anger, repair piano bench, plane cabinet in sun porch so it doesn’t scrape on our new floors, clean wood burning stove, fix outdoor shower head, patch deck with Bondo, buy Applecare for laptop, work on Christmas card so it’s sent out before Christmas. Mainly the list consists of fixing things that the boys have broken while  I was gone. I start repairs and  checking stuff off the list. At Simons’ swim lesson, where whatever the instructor says to do, whether it’s float on your back or circle your arms over your head, he just bounces up and down in the pool with a huge smile on his face. That’s it. That’s all he does. I’m thinking one of these days he’s going to put it all together. I get a call from Debbie to tell me that Ollie has just broken an upstairs window. Sheez.
Before
They sort of know us at Economy Glass. When we moved in 14 years ago I watched one of their guys as he replaced  a cracked window in our living room. I asked questions and took mental notes not realizing that there were going to be 5 boys running around this old house (inside and out) launching projectiles and that repairing broken windows would become part of my job description as Daddy.
After
The window is fixed . It’s starting to rain. Theo and Henry just got home from a watching a touch football game between their school, Ocean Charter and their old school Westside Waldorf School. They battled to a 28-28 tie. It’s Cheeseburger night. Ollie lost his playdate with Elijah for breaking the window. Halloween is right around the corner and I’m taking Theo to Disneyland for the 1st time on Friday. It’s good to be home.
Tennis, Tacos, and a Table
Henry is home from school today. He had an allergic reaction to shrimp last night so Debbie took him to the emergency room. They were there till 11:30pm getting an IV drip , watching ESPN and Malcom in the Middle. He is feeling fine this morning, just a bit tired from the late night at the E.R. We got a couple of errands to do before the pick up train begins at Ocean Charter School.
First stop is Westwood Tennis. This store in the heart of Westwood is great. It’s all about Tennis, that’s it. Henry is getting one of his racquets repaired and he wants to demo a new racquet. His birthday is coming on June 15 up you know.
The Back Door
We enter through the back door which is lined with boxes of tennis balls. The rest of the store is basically racquets and more racquets with and occasional animal mounted on the wall.
Why is this in a tennis store?
Next stop is to drop off our dining room table to be refinished. We’ve had our Heywood Wakefield for close to 16 years and it’s due for a face lift. In the meantime we’ve brought out a small folding table. We will see how this goes for the next couple of weeks.
A table for 7?
After picking up from school it’s snack time. The perfect snack, in my opinion is a taco. Right near Ocean Charter School is a really good place, Taqueria Sanchez. Good carne asada and great carnitas- you can’t ask for anything more. A good sign for a taco place is the sighting of a gardener’s pick up truck parked out front. These guys know where to eat. And sure enough…
A sign of good things to come
The salsa bar is also a nice touch in any taqueria. It gives the boys the freedom to choose their own salsa. Sanchez’ even has spicy carrots along with an excellent salsa roja and guacamole.
The Taco Bar at Sanchez
Carnitas Taco
So where are we going. Good question. We are going home. Ahhhh home. I’ve been away for the past couple of weeks on shoots in San Francisco and Mt. Hood, Oregon. So sitting elbow to elbow with my family is a good thing.
It's (was) Raining, It's (was) Pouring
It’s Saturday morning. Debbie and Sam left the house @ 6:00am for a tennis tournament in Santa Barbara. Simon has found his way into bed with me. He keeps kicking off the covers. I notice that it’s cold. Real cold. The sun’s out but it’s cold. The week full of heavy rain, wind, and hail appears to be over. We plowed through about 1/4 cord of firewood and I’m wondering where have all the umbrellas that we used to own have gone to.
Simon Picking Up His Brothers at Ocean Charter
Like many things these days, severe weather in southern California is short lived. We got a busy schedule today. I just hung the laundry on the clothesline and my hands are cold.
The Stairway to the 3rd Grade
Ollie and Theo are playing The Game of Life (Simon is just watching) Henry is holding his own sports center by checking the scores from The Australian open and last night’s basketball scores while talking to lord knows who on the telephone.
Ollie's Froggy Boots
At 10:30 Simon is going to the park to play with his friend Sookie and her Omi. I’ll pick some cerviche’ up at La Playita for lunch and drop Theo and Ollie off at Riviera for tennis. Henry and I are going to Pauley Pavillion to see UCLA play Washington St.
To Splash or not to Splash...
Later on tonight Henry has his own basketball game. He’s plays at Penmar Rec. Center and is on the Bruins. They are 0-2 but just got a new kid who is 6′- 3″. I got this strange feeling their team is going to win tonight.
Henry and his Bruins
Dinner last night was homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. I wanted to pick up some cheese at Andrews Cheese Shop, get some coffee beans and a bottle (or 6) of wine. Lately,  I’ve been buying my coffee beans at Terroir Coffee. Today I’m off to Intelligentsia Coffee in Venice. My cardiologist has suggested that I only have 1 espresso a day but I indulge myself  and go for #2.
A Cup of Intelligentsia
When I leave the coffee shop I see a rainbow towards the east and decide to use it as a sign and head west to see the beach after the storm. The parking lot is flooded and empty. The storm seems to have come and gone leaving a wind swept sea and crisp clean air.
A Puddle Picture
The waves are pretty big but blown out with no shape whatsoever. It’s nice though to take a few minutes and watch, to take it all in and take a few pictures.
Bay St. After the Storm
The beach is great what can I say. Rain or shine. The closer you get to the waters edge the closer you get to nature and yourself. Time is up. Time to start picking up the wee ones. First stop- The pool to pick- up Ollie.
Ollie Taking a Plunge
