Traffic for 2005 July

(4) Sun Jul 03 2005 17:42 PST The voice of consumerism: So I have officially added Mayflower moving and Lowe's to my "do-not-shop there, even if under extreme duress" list. Both places know nothing about customer service.

We bought a fridge at Lowe's for next day delivery, requiring a four-hour stay-at-home committment. Well, we waited all day for a call, and the fridge showed up at 7:15 pm. Grr. By noon, wouldn't they have known that our shipment was slated for the last spot of the day? Of course they would. Did they call? No. Losers. As God as my witness, I'll never shop there again.

The move is a whole other story. Picked up a day late; delivered two days late. I had to help move in the piano (isn't that why we hired movers in the first place?), and the couch got ripped because they really didn't cover it very well.

But we love our place. It feels so spacious, and we have a piano! Our living room has vaulted ceilings and a skylight and a deck, so we can live off of natural sunlight.

Tomorrow we hit the beach, and then it's off to work I go!

Oh, and we saw the Newport Beach temple yesterday. We live soooo close. I'm lovin' it.

(1) Tue Jul 05 2005 16:08 PST My White is Red, so now I'm Blue: The DMV took under 2 hours for me and Susie to each get licenses and register my car. I am now the proud owner of California license plates. I only missed two on my driving test, one being about the allowable alchohol content. Go figure. I don't know the legal drinking limit, since I don't drink.

The fourth was fun. We hit San Clemente beach. I got a little burned on my feet and forehead, since I forgot my hat. That night we watched the fireworks on my sister's deck. From her hill, we could see the fireworks in San Juan Capistrano, Dan Point, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, and Ladera Ranch upclose. It was quite breathtaking and I don't care how cheesy it sounds, yes Mr. Greenwood, I am proud (and blessed) to be an American.

Tomorrow begins the first day of the rest of my life.

(3) Fri Jul 08 2005 21:11 PST Not again: I have about 30 passwords at EY. I wanted to complain about it, but to update crummy I have to use a password. Secrets, secrets, secrets.

Everyone at EY is happy I started early. There is so much work to do that I was there until 6:30 on my first day. But I enjoy knowing that there are lots of opportunities waiting for me; it's going to be a learning experience. Plus, with so much work, I can pick and choose more what I want to do. I can get discount movie passes and Disneyland passes too.

I am thoroughly enjoying having a pool, hot tub, valuted ceiling, skylight, deck (cuz the wireless connection is better out here), garage (even though half the time the buzzer doesn't buzz), and weight room. Actually, I haven't enjoyed the weight room yet, but I have enjoyed knowing I can use it.

One more week till the CPA exam. So tomorrow's a study day. If I am good all day, maybe we'll go to the OC Fair tomorrow.

Most of all I have enjoyed having a piano. I play every day to fill the void of TV, since we do not have cable. The trade-off is far superior, I must say.

Happy Birthday to Leonard tomorrow! What with moving, your present hasn't been purchased as of the present, but will presently be purchased and presented to you as soon as is presently possible.

Tue Jul 12 2005 20:59 PST Phew: I've survived my first week in public accounting. I've already adjusted to 12 hour days. I love being busy!

Sunday was an interesting experience. We are in the Newport stake, so the stake center is right next to the temple. But we are on the edge of the ward, so the building is about 5 miles away. Being back in a family ward is a bit of an adjustment. Though our stake is very well-to-do, our ward is the pauper ward of the stake. Lots of young, struggling couples.

But the unbelievable part of Sunday was the couple we sat next to in Sunday School. They are in their 70's at least, and were using a palm pilot for scripture study. I never thought I'd see the day. I talked to the brother during priesthood. He told me he bought his house in Costa Mesa in the 1960's for $36K, and it's now worth $700K. But he can't afford to move! This year for my birthday, I want Real Estate.

(2) Fri Jul 15 2005 21:33 PST Heard it through the grapevine: This girl at work told me the reason SoCal has no mass transit system is because in the 1930's or something, the Motown Five bought all the public transportation in LA and dismantled it to make people dependent on cars. They planned to do the same in other cities but lost the capital needed during the Great Depression, or something like that. Anyway, if it's a true story, it worked. Anyone concur?

I had swordfish today and wasabi ice cream. The former was ok; the latter still lingers on the palate.

The good news is Susie found a great job in just one week! For all those looking to for a decent job in a decent market (Sumana), consider the OC. We could be Disney buddies!

Susie read tonight that the Pope has basically put HP on the "list." I told her that can only increase its sales. She asked me what I would do if President Hinckley requested I not read those books. I told her I wouldn't. Big deal; so I don't read a book, or see an R-rated movie. There's more to life. But he would never do that. Josepth Smith said that "I give the Saints principles and they govern themselves." I still govern HP to be good reading.

(4) Sun Jul 17 2005 21:18 PST Californian or Bust: I was officially accepted into the ways of SoCal yesterday. My test went well, I feel. It is against the law for me to say anything about it so I'll just leave it with a simple wow. The score could be as late as October, so I'll just move on with my life and assume I passed. Financial is in four weeks; the terror begins.

We got our annual passes to Disneyland last night. We were there from 5-10:30 and did a lot.

In California Adventure, we rode Tower of Terror (Susie was complaining of heart attacks but I think she didn't cross over into the Twilight Zone), Bug's Life Land, Screamin California, Soaring over California, and in the Magic Kindgom hit Pirates of the Carribean, Big Thunder Mountain, and saw Fantasmic! Even though I've seen Fantasmic! 10+ times, I really enjoy watching people watch it for the first time. It's an amazing show.

We also ate pineapple ice cream from the Dole pineapple stand in the Tiki Room. Best ice cream I've had in months. We get free parking and 10% off food/retail there so if we go six times, the tickets are paid for. Susie is still glowing from the experience, so I have a feeling we'll go a lot more than that. And I thought I was the Disney freak in the family.

One California habit I refuse to adopt is coming to church 30 minutes late. If I were going to be that late to Sacrament meeting, I just wouldn't go. You've already missed the ceremony and the only pew space left is right in the middle of the chapel, inconveniencing many people to accomodate your tardiness. I just refuse to go there.

Visited with the Vans tonight, and of course, played Double Dash with Tyler. Since he's only 3, Susie and I do the races and just wait at the finish line so he can win. He's caught on to our little Ponzi scheme, and reminds us to let him win. He's so cute. Chad got HP 6 yesterday (we gave him a gift card and pre-ordered it for his BD back in May). I read 1.5 chapters and am already speculating. I have a feeling I will enjoy this one more than OOTP, which I didn't care for. We'll have to wait and see if I will enjoy it more than GOP, which so far is my favorite. Hopefully I'll get it to ease the pain of being a quarter of a century old come Friday.

(1) Thu Jul 21 2005 19:53 PST Definitions: Happiness is coming home to a rent reimbursement check, a rent deposit refund, and my new Charlie Brown checks!

Happiness is NOT going to a client's in Aliso Viejo and not getting home until 7:30 at night because of traffic and because your coworker, with whom you carpooled, won't take the toll road.

Since I live in Costa Mesa but work in Irvine, I drive past the "Welcome to Costa Mesa" sign on the way home each day. Population: 98,500. They need to update their sign to be 98,502! June gloom is over, and the heat is on.

(4) Sun Jul 24 2005 20:22 PST Relativity: I think it's hot here, but it's not. It was hot in B-town. Here it is very pleasant.

Rachel and mom think the 405 is bad news. It's only bad news from Santa Monica to LAX. After that, it moves really well (we got home in 2.5 hours, only stopping to enjoy the scenery in Westwood).

I think I'm reading HP 6 too fast because I am half way done with it in 2 days. So I made myself put it down. My in-laws probably think I'm lollygagging. BYW--Thanks for the book Rach (assuming it's still mine).

I enjoyed Gretel this trip more than ever before. She's the same Gretel--or is she? She still sheds too much though.

Jellybean didn't sleep with us; yet Susie wasn't sad because it meant sleeping through the night. I wonder where she slept?

But I had a fun weekend. I studied all the way there, all the way home, and about half of the time in B-town. The other half was spent sleeping in (something I rarely do), reading HP 6, visiting Rachel at work, and visiting with Grandma Rosie. She seemed very lonely and sad when we left. Yet she lives in a retirement castle. She must not find the company to her liking. I think if I were in there, I would take a book to the lobby to read just to be around other people, even if I wasn't interested in talking to them. Susie and I have resolved to visit her more often.

Today is Pioneer Day in Utah, meaning that tomorrow, no one in Utah has to go to work, and they get paid. While I have to go to work to get paid. Oh well. At least it's air conditioned there.

Sat Jul 30 2005 21:51 PST Poor Pumba: I had to work 6-11 this morning so I could have the rest of the day off at Disneyland for my 2nd anniversary. It was pretty hot, but we had fun. We got to go on the new and improved Space Mountain, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We also went on the Sun Ferris Wheel, which is really neat. I don't know how to describe it, but your gondola is on rockers and moves. That part freaks you out so much that you don't even notice how high you are! We also hit such classics as Matterhorn, Splash Mountain, and the newcomer Mullholland Madness.

Instead of parking in the Mickey and Friends parking structure, we got tricked into the Lion King parking structure. It was a joke. We had to walk a good mile to the park (no shuttle) and my car had to sit in the sun all day. The Timon lot has a shuttle, but alas, we were in the Pumba lot. Such is Pumba's lot in life, I suppose.

This week I get to go to an Angels game with a client, and the next CPA exam is looming over me in two weeks. The temple open house is in three weeks, and Disneyland comes whenever we can fit it in.

I read Chapter 26 of HP 6 tonight; no turning point my eye. Sure it's interesting; but a little self-control and life outside of the wizarding world pulled me back out of it. I'll probably finish it this week. I am thoroughly enjoying it, and have some interesting theories. One I told to Susie, and she was impressed I thought of it on my own.

Pet peeve alert: people who don't respond to email questions. Without going into a whole lengthy thing, it is a valid mode of communication that deserves respect. I've had a few people lately decide that my questions/concerns to them are apparently not important enough to require an answer. Why? Beats me. Even an email saying you don't know the answer/don't want to hear from me again would be better than the silence I face in the form of an empty inbox. That said, I'm going to bed.

(5) Sun Jul 31 2005 21:19 PST Beginnings, Endings, and Continuations: Finished HP 6 today. Let's just say the jury is still out. I guessed the half-blood prince too. I don't think it's fair that Rowling left this many questions unanswered, especially with Book 7 being so far off. And I kinda feel like the idea of seven books=equalling seven years at school is bunk. This book barely touched school (so much potential, what with the new DADA teacher), and who knows how much Harry will spend at school in Book 7, what with all he has to do. And the whole phoney Horcrux thing being left open is really driving me crazy. But I did like it immensely better than OOTP. Two enthusiastic thumbs up; fine holiday fun.

Today is my second anniversary. We celebrated it with my sister's family. Tyler had the whole day planned out before we even got there. He cried when we left, but I promised him I'd take a break next weekend from studying to visit him.

Sunday night. Work and life continue on tomorrow. It's always there.