Trip to Orange County and San Diego Zoo

Wow, my first vacation in about a year! Last year at this time I was driving back from L.A. in a rented U-haul listening to Mexican music with a sofa in the back. This time we flew down to John Wayne airport and then rented a car. First leg of the trip was pretty uneventful. I am the type that waits until the last minute to pack and why not? All I need is some clean underwear, t-shirts and socks. Pants can simply be worn and reworn until they disintegrate off my body.

We arrived Thursday late morning and proceeded to rent a car from Hertz. Lucky for us the counter was pretty empty and there were lots of cars. I chatted it up with the clerks at the counter and we ended up with a free upgrade to a nice Subaru Outback. Yea! That was much better than the little, tiny Hyundai we had reserved. Now out on the open road of the 405, if you could call it that, our first stop was lunch. I hadn't eaten breakfast and my stomach was growling. Westminster has the largest Vietnamese population in the entire U.S. and offers visitors an overwhelming number of small cafes selling Fuuh. I don't think I spelled that right but it means rice noodle soup in large bowls with fresh vegetables on the side that you throw into the soup and mix while the soup is hot. It didn't take us long to find one. Simply got off at Magnolia Blvd and headed east a couple of miles. Restaurant was one of those hole in the walls where nobody speaks any English. That's the kind I like. Mmm that was good! After slurping downthe soup we rolled ourselves over to the bakery next door for some dessert drinks and croissants. Next stop was Aquarium By the Sea in Long Beach. The regular price is over $45 which is a little pricey to watch fishies swim around in giant tanks. Thank the wifey for finding out how to get half off. Just go to any Long Beach library and take out a book. Show the receipt at the ticket booth and get 1/2 off. Simple as that. The library is so used to out-of-towners coming in to do just that, they took out the book for me and then returned it just so I could get my receipt. Lovely.

Long Beach Aquarium was really worth visiting. No, it's not as large as the Monterey Bay Aquarium but the exhibits were designed and laid out very well. It was educational and entertaining for all of us and pumpkin really enjoyed the whole experience. Monterey Bay had a lot of jelly fish but Long Beach had big sharks swimming in a pool in the back. They also had more exhibits that allowed visitors to actually touch and feel the creatures. In case anyone is curious, stingrays have skin as smooth as butter and sharks have rough skin. They also had a walk thru bird enclosure where I carried a small cup of nectar and these small birds instantly flew up to me and perched right on my hand while they drank out of the cup. If I can salvage the video it gets more exciting as 3 or 4 birds flew up and landed on me , some on my shoulder and some walking up and down my arms waiting their turn to drink.

A couple of hours later we were getting tired. It was time to go to Nana and Papa's. Since my dad is permanently disabled we really couldn't stay overnight. Instead my mom made a salmon dinner and we stayed and talked until about 9:30. They live in a gated retirement community in Mission Viejo near the corner of Olympiad and Jeronimo.

We spent the night at Laura and Michael's house which is just a couple of miles away in yet another gated community. That's how it is down there. Everyone wants to lock themselves away from the outside world to keep the riff raff out. Mission Viejo is an affluent Orange County community surrounded by other affluent communities such as Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel. Okay, I am going to digress here to get some stuff off my chest. Mission Viejo is a very Republican area, similar too Placer County. And surprise, surprise, both Laura and Michael are right of center. Sorry, that was an understatement. They are way out in right field and adhere to a very rigid, ideology of the world that makes it difficult for the rest of our family to relate to. And BTW, this is not at all a condemnation of conservatism. The Republican party before it was taken over by the religious right was the party of fiscal restraint, a strong military and limited government. But today the party of Lincoln has morphed itself into a frightening brand of neo-conservative ideology mixed with religious fervor that is hostile to science and threatens our democracy and civil liberties. And for the life of me I can't figure out how any rational minded person could swallow such crap. I really can't. This is why I can't figure out how someone as intelligent as Laura ended up embracing this nutty idea that unbridled capitalism cures everything. In other words, all economical, environmental and social problems can be solved by private companies operating in a completely free market without regulation and the only purpose of government is to provide national defense. I would like to know what society exists on this earth that has successfully implemented this type of ideology. And the operative word here is successfully. I challenge anyone reading this blog to give me even one example.

The truth is that it is just an ideology. It isn't even a theory. Like a religion, it lacks scientific support either in the form of hard evidence, corrobative statistics or even common sense rationale that would give it legitimacy. Instead, it brings out the worst in the people that gravitate to its message of exclusion and division. Whether it is spewing out hateful invectives against gays, liberals, Mexicans, Blacks and anyone else perceived as unpatriotic, lazy or just different or simply bemoaning the existence of the welfare state, as they refer to it, there is just no reasoning with its followers. I liken it to Scientology or some cult because like a cult, it shuns and belittles reasoned arguments and asks people to simply blindly follow it because it is the right way. How much better the world would be without government they constantly remind us. Excuse me, but government does serve an important purpose and if you want to live in a civilized society there is a need to help those that are unable to help themselves. Every government in operation right now represents a mix of political policies, a blend that is not all one way. There are always going to be poor people. And ironically, the poor are the key components to keeping the capitalist machine operating smoothly. If you discard them like garbage on the street, they will create social unrest and threaten the stability of society. If the poor are provided with some of the basics, affluent people won't feel so afraid and be so inclined to lock themselves up in gated communities to keep the riff raff out.

Instead of focusing on the really important issues such as dealing with global warming, health care and jobs, conservatives keep harping on all the idiotic social issues such as abortion and gay marriage that have zero relevance to the average American but force everyone to take sides so we end up being a nation divided. So what is left? The only thing left is the issue of paying taxes which is one of the key underlying principles or motivating factor behind the ideology of the far right. They simply do not want to pay taxes. Well, heck, neither do I but I also understand that I live in this society and use the services that my government provides so it is my responsibility to pay for what I use. And what the hell is wrong with being compassionate? Why is that such a bad word? If you want dog eat dog go live on an island without any rules and see how pleasant that kind of existence will be.

Okay, now I am really fired up...

I am fucking sick and tired of being labeled unpatriotic for questioning the pathetic excuse for government that we have today. Dissent is the highest form of patriotism, not some stupid magnetic sticker on the back of an SUV that says Support our Troops. You want to support our troops? Get rid of that 4500 pound mammoth tank you have, get off your fat ass and start walking a little more. That's right. Patriotism means individual sacrifice, not proclaiming yourself patriotic simply by wrapping yourself in an American flag. Instead of asking the country to unite together thru collective sacrifice after 9/11, Bush asked everyone to go shopping at the mall. All the sacrifices were going to be made by brave 18 year old men and women and that is how it has been. This is their sick, perverted strategy to keep the war effort going. It's their war, not our war. Even media coverage of the coffins coming home was suppressed to prevent erosion of support and keep Americans focused on buying things. But guess what? Support has eroded anyways because thankfully, many Americans have finally pulled their heads out of the sand. There is enough dissatisfaction and anger out there to push the Repubs out of power completely by 2008. It is not going to happen without a fight but I remain hopeful that the trend started in the midterm elections of 2006 will continue next year. And I don't care which Democrat wins - Obama, Clinton or Edwards. Any of them would be a 1000% improvement. I don't envy whoever does win due to the massive mountain of crap otherwise known as the legacy of Bush/Cheney whom some are now referring to as the worst administration in U.S. history.

All this ranting and raving brings me back to Laura. Had she not married Michael, there is no way in hell she would be buying into this dogma. You see, Michael had a personal experience that changed him. Fact is, he used to be a moderate Democrat, but some experience he had while teaching angered him so much he did a 180 degree turn and went over to the other side. And Laura just followed him down that path of extremist ideology, without questioning, without any reflection, without really any pause to figure out if this stuff really makes sense. She just converted to Michaelism. And although they spend a significant amount of time brainwashing Molly into following Michaelism, there is hope for her as she gets older. At 12 years of age, I can see that her personality is similar to pumpkins - headstrong,stubborn and defiant. My hope is that when she is about 16 or 17, she will have had enough experiences and contact with other points of view to reject this nonsensical ideology and stake out her own views. I wish for the same with the pumpkin. I always encourage pumpkin to never simply accept what someone says as true just because they say it is true and question anything that doesn't make sense. If she just uses simple critical thinking skills, I will have done my job as a parent and if that means questioning me, then so be it.

My parents and I think alike politically. That is to say, we are left of center and I am very proud of that fact. I firmly believe that scientific methodology, not political or religious ideology, and not some nonsensical dogmatic shit is the most reliable means to approach and solve the problems in our world. We made it to the moon, decoded the human genome, and produced the fastest computers through scientific research. And now with all the critical challenges facing us such as global warming and overpopulation, science will once again play a crucial role. Do I want to elect leaders like that incompetent fool in the White House who has regular conversations with God, believes that man walked out of the garden of eden and employs whatever subversive strategy he can muster to suppress science or do I elect leaders that are committed to using a common sense approach to solving these critical problems? As far as I see, only the Democrats offer that kind of leadership.

So to keep the peace, we have an unwritten code of silence when it comes to discussing anything remotely  resembling politics around Laura and Michael. We avoid it like the plague. All this has taken a toll on my mom. She thinks Michael doesn't like her and perhaps deep down she is right. He may see her as a threat. Who knows? But they seemed to get a long just fine when we were down there.

Okay, now back to the vacation. Boy that was quite a digression.  Early Friday morning we headed south to the San Diego Zoo. Unbelievably, we made it through the entire park in about 5 hours with practically no resting in between. Looking at the map of the park it didn't seem possible but somehow we managed. Towards the end, pumpkin started to poop out and just about that time I found an abandoned toddler stroller that was just perfect. That allowed me to push her down the road at a fast clip. All she wanted to see were the zebras and they were on the far side of the park, way on the other end.

That was quite a workout and it worked us up to a big appetite. We finished off our day with a feast at Black Angus. Way too much food. Couldn't finish it and had to take the leftovers back to Laura's.

Saturday was picture day. We all met at the photographers for a group shot. Somehow I just knew that it is highly unlikely that we would all get together again like this since I can't even remember ever doing this before.

Sunday it was back to Sacramento. We took a morning flight back and that was that. Not enough time and tha's how it always is but enjoyable nonetheless.

Stop Wearing Grandma Perfume!

I mind my own business when I go to the gym. I go there, get sweaty and get out. I realize that I have an overactive sweat gland so I am extra careful to spray and wipe off any equipment I touch thoroughly. Minimum requirement for me is decent equipment and good air quality. That means that the CFF club on Greenback in Citrus Heights is out of the question. Low ceilings in a small space mean poor air quality and I avoid that place like the plague. As I stated in the post below, Folsom is the best but Sunrise/Hwy 50 is closer to home and that's where I was today.

I am going to be real specific here in the remote hope that the woman exercising next to me today will somehow read this blog and make some changes to her personal hygiene. The stairmasters are the machines that have a rotating stairway that resembles a never ending escalator. That is one of my favorite cardio machines because it is such a great workout at high speed. I am talking level 12 and above. Anyways, there are only 3 stairmasters in the whole gym and they are located in the back corner on the second floor. I was on machine #1 which is on the far left and there was a woman on #3. About 10 minutes into my routine a young, attractive looking black woman climbs on #2. Instantly my nose was assaulted by the overpowering stench of grandma perfume. In case anyone is wondering what grandma perfume is, that is perfume some old women use to hide their own unpleasant odors. Unlike the light, subtle fragrances that young girls wear to attract a man's  attention, grandma perfume or GP is strong enough to cause dizziness, nausea, allergic reactions and even fainting among sensitive people. And yes, I am sensitive.

Why oh why would a young woman cover herself with this awful scent? And in a gym, no less! Whoever you are, please leave the GP at home. Believe me, your natural scent couldn't possibly be anywhere near as bad as what you slathered yourself with this afternoon. I suffered through the whole experience, angry that the ceiling fans weren't going faster, waiting and hoping she would jump off early and go away. Instead, she ended the exact time I ended. Just to make sure we didn't meet at the cleaning station, I jumped off quickly and ran over to grab a few paper towels and cleaning solution. I wanted to be as far away from this walking stench as I could. The weird thing was that she was very attractive yet I couldn't get far enough away from her.

More Life at the Gym

Bike riding is on hold because I literally rode my bike into the ground. That means more time at the gym. California Family Fitness is probably the best chain of gyms I have experienced. It is certainly better than 24 hour fitness. It is strictly a local chain with clubs in the Sacramento area only. As for my personal favorite, that would have to be the Folsom club on East Bidwell, hands down. It’s big and new and the air is good in there. Air quality is most definitely a factor since I don’t like to smell stink or any other smell while working out. I will get into more detail about that in the next blog but first a little more about the Folsom gym. I used to go there right after Tai chi class at Folsom Lake College during the last two semesters. Sometime near the end of the last semester, I had just gotten out of my car after arriving from the college and was on my way to the entrance from the far end of the parking lot when I noticed a fire truck and police cars right near the entrance at around 8:30 PM. Hmm, that looks odd, I thought. As I got closer, I saw paramedics working on someone lying in the street. Oh shit!, I thought. Some asshole in a giant truck or SUV must have mowed someone over because that parking lot is typically filled with large play toys of the affluent and it is not uncommon to see some rich punk peeling out of the parking lot after lifting weights. I watched with a growing sense of shock and sadness as the paramedics started to put away their equipment and finally cover the man with a sheet. On my way inside, I asked the front staff if they knew what had happened and one woman said he had just finished playing a round of racquetball and was on his way out when he simply collapsed right there on the pavement. He was a middle-aged guy in his forties from what they described. Wow, that’s scary!