LaLa Land (AKA: Traffic is a disaster, Boo Boo)

I went out to Los Angeles a few times this summer.  No, not to follow my dream and finally make it in pictures.  I went out to a friend's wedding, took in a NASCAR race at Fontucky, caught an Adam Carolla show (my third or fourth one, but who's counting) and went to visit the final resting place of my hero, Ronald Wilson Reagan.

The NASCAR race was a little bit of work and a lot of pleasure.  I was more busy shooting video for work than I was taking pictures, but here is a little bit of what I got for ya:

I also did the normal tourist things...  Went up to the Hollywood hills and checked out the walk of fame.

But, none of it compared to a beautiful plot of land on the hillside of Simi Valley.

I understand that many of us will differ greatly in our political beliefs.  That is not what this is about.  Ronald Reagan believed in America.  He never spoke a bad word about her.  She was the bright shining city on the hill.  No matter your side, right/left/don't care...  Having the person in charge of the country actually LOVE the country and not apologize for it is simply Presidential.  Ronnie was that.  Presidential.  Oh, and he toppled Communism and created a decade of prosperity.  But mostly, he loved his wife and his country.  Refreshing, no?

After spending an hour crying like a baby, I finished up at the Reagan Library.  It was time for something a little different...  Koreatown and Adam Carolla!

ESPN's Sports Guy Bill Simmons joined in as well as Jimmy Kimmel.  It was Ace's birthday and mine, so it was a pretty cool show.  Jimmy's gift to Ace was the T-Shirt...  Classy!

And so ended some lovely weekends in the City of Angels.  I didn't find it to be that so much.  Course, I aint never seen London.  And I aint been to France.  And I aint never seen the Queen in her danged undies as the fella says.

If you don't know what that is, you probably shouldn't be reading this blog.  All I know is we were gonna be on Radford, near the In-N-Out Burger.  That Double-Double Animal Style really tied the trip together!!

A month or so ago, my best friend Cam and our friend Annie came for a visit.  I also took my sister and nephew to Mexico for Cody's 16th birthday.  If I get around to it, I shall post it all another time.  Until then, you are pretty well caught up with my life.

My New Home (AKA: Just show us the pictures and shut up already)

Back in January, I moved into a new apartment.  My old one you might recall overlooked Puget Sound.  Now I am on the other side of Queen Anne and overlook Lake Union.  I have a full 180 degree view from the University of Washington to the north all the way through downtown.   Here are some pictures to acquaint you:

It really is a gorgeous view from my little apartment.  The kat likes to watch all the seaplanes take off from the lake below us.  Traffic in each direction leaving the place is a disaster, but its a small price to pay for living here.

Its also the perfect place to see the holiday light shows in town.  Here was New Year's Eve:

For the 4th of July, they pull a huge barge into the middle of my lake filled with cannons and black powder and gave me a front row view to some pretty cool fireworks!

And, while every day up here on the hill is spectacular, nothing really compares to dusk here.

The city seems to come alive when the sun starts to fade.  And seeing Rainier in the distance towering over town, reminding us one day it will blow and we will all be dead...  Its special!

OK, that is all I will bore you with from my place in Seattle.  I have done some travelling this year, and my next post will catch you up on some of that.