tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86873115169120708332024-03-13T19:14:21.939-05:00Dan's LifeDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-85971681353782894062010-08-12T15:59:00.003-05:002010-08-12T16:37:38.608-05:00China Visit - Day 2 - Wednesday, August 11I'm writing this at 5AM on Day 4. I'll try to record as much as I can remember. The trip hasn't been entirely eventful so far:<br /><br />We landed in Hong Kong almost an hour early, which was great because I had had my fill of sitting in coach for the time being. The views as we flew in were spectacular, with all of the little islands with steep, abrupt-rising hills and mountains and skyscrapers crammed in wherever possible.<br /><br />The airport looked like any other airport I've seen. Immigration was easy and uneventful. I met up with my driver on the other side of customs.<br /><br />When we stepped outside together I got my first taste of the heat and humidity. The air was much denser and wetter than what I can ever remember feeling, but I'm sure it was skewed by the fact that a) I came from dry southern California, and b) I had just spent over 12 hours on a plane with recycled air.<br /><br />The driver shuttled me toward the Chinese border in some kind of Toyota van that they don't sell in the states. He was friendly enough. I think he said his name was Willie. We talked about Shenzhen and how he was from Hong Kong. Willie looked quite young.<br /><br />The route from the airport to the border snakes around a few different islands, with great views of the lush Hong Kong countryside. We arrived at the border, where I had to get out of the van, go through an immigration line, and meet back up with the van on the other side of the building, all the while Willie taking my things through customs. It was a 15 minute, uneventful affair.<br /><br />On the other side of the border, we were immediately immersed in urban Shenzhen. We drove through the Futian district, toward Nanshan, where my hotel is. The streets were nice and clean and everywhere was packed with cars, bicycles, and pedestrians.<br /><br />Willie dropped me off here at the Crown Plaza. I had no trouble checking in. I went up to the room, showered, and looked around for something to eat. The only things in the minibar were candy bars I wasn't interested in, and a bag of "mixed snack" that had some prawn sauce crackers in it. Instead, I got dressed and went across the street to the 7-11, where I found some cucumber flavored Lay's potato chips. I got those and a Carlsberg beer and took them back to my room as a little dinner. The chips were very strange tasting. I don't think I'll buy them again.<br /><br />The little trip to 7-11 was my first taste of Shenzhen. I don't know why, but I had imagined I'd see a bit more English on signs to help me through, but there wasn't any. The streets were packed with people and I had no idea what shops were what. At 7-11 the girl behind the counter gave me a strange scowl when she discovered I didn't speak the language.<br /><br />I went to bed at 10PM and slept like a rock. I thought my ploy to stay up all night might have helped me avoid jet lag, but here I am typing a post I started at 4:30AM. I'm sure my body will adjust to the time zone just in time for me to go back to California, in the less forgiving direction (losing time rather than gaining it).Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-41139887415357955282010-08-12T15:07:00.003-05:002010-08-12T16:37:22.800-05:00China Visit - Day 1 - Tuesday, August 10Here are the notes I took from my first day of travels, typed on the iPad on my flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong:<br /><br />The night before my flight, I stayed up all night doing chores, packing, playing games, and trying to avoid jet lag.<br /><br />I left with Kimberly for the Flyaway at 5:30AM. I was at the airport and through security by a little after 7, with over 3 hours till boarding.<br /><br />Ate a Clif bar for breakfast and joined the a conference call. I was even able to see the presentation with my iPad via the WebEx app. I got in a small nap before boarding.<br /><br />I saw the San Fernando Valley from the plane after take-off. L.A. had a thick layer of fog/smog, and there was a legit fluffy white marine layer colliding with the basin way out into the ocean. As usual, the San Gabriels peaked up above it all, crystal clear.<br /><br />It was otherwise an uneventful flight to SFO. The plane made its way between the marine layer off the coast and the dirty smog of the central valley. I did see the Romero Canyon trail snaking up to El Camino Cielo on the ridge of the Santa Ynez mountains behind Carpinteria, which we hiked once. I slept most of the rest of the short flight after that.<br /><br />I walked a long way from the domestic to international terminal at SFO, but still had about an hour before boarding the plane bound for HK. The only food choice next to my gate was a little French/Italian cafe. I had a caprese sandwich, which I salvaged into something relatively tasty with some brown mustard and black pepper, and a conspicuously good no-name Italian-sounding pale ale. I found out when I was leaving that it was actually Sierra Nevada branded especially for their restaurant.<br /><br />I'm on a 747 for the big flight. I slept for a bit after take-off, unfortunately missing a snack and drink of some sort, but before I could ask for something anyway they started serving lunch, which was lettuce with some decent sesame Ginger dressing, a roll, and very lackluster pasta with red sauce and too much cheese.<br /><br />Iron Man 2 had just started whe I woke up, so I watched the rest of that. Other than that, I:<br /><br />-listened to several albums<br />-read my book and magazines<br />-read an article that was still open on wikipedia on the iPad about the Frontier strip<br />-ate a couple granola bars<br />-did some training slides on the laptop<br />-watched a couple episodes of the anime Trigun on the laptop<br />-watched the movie Date Night with Steve Carrell and Tina Fey, also presented on the plane<br />-played games on the iPad<br />-watched the only movie on the iPad, the short part 1 of Wes Anderson's the Darjeeling Limited, called Hotel Chalier<br />-took a bunch of notes for my meetings in the coming week<br /><br />All that and there are still four hours to go!<br /><br />The laptop is nearly dead but the iPad still has 53% charge. I'll have to try to port some of my backed up DVDs to the iPad while I'm here so I have more entertainment options on the long trip back. Now they're playing some Miley Cyrus movie that I'm unlikely to give a chance.<br /><br />Now I'm listening to Headlights, an album purchased at their show with David Bazan in Santa Barbara. I suddenly miss Kimberly and California quite acutely. We're almost done flying by Japan, though not close enough to spot any land, as far as I've seen. I dozed off when we flew over Tokyo.<br /><br />Bleck. I was served rice and veggies, but the veggies are in some kind of sauce and there's no way to tell if it's animal based. Doesn't taste right to me. I'll have to plan my travel back a bit better than I did on the way out. I have a bunch of protein bars, but eating so many is doing a number on my digestive system. One can at least find some nuts and pretzels that are safe, I'm sure.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-62076231976356847612010-05-01T15:07:00.004-05:002010-05-01T15:32:18.122-05:00Back to the Simi HillsWhen Kimberly has class on Saturday mornings, it's a good opportunity for me to get up early and get in some outdoor exercise. Today was no exception. I biked with her to CSUN and then kept going to the western edge of the valley.<div><br /></div><div>I circumnavigated the back of what looks like a sizable lake on the map (Chatsworth Reservoir), but was actually an almost completely dry flood basin. I saw a family of bunnies.</div><div><br /></div><div>Past the reservoir I left the valley on a road called Bell Canyon, which climbed up to a gated community. There were several miles of nice homes crawling up every available side of the canyon walls. This section of the trip was the toughest. Over the four miles up Bell Canyon the road rose almost 1000 feet. Nearing the end of this road, at an intersection, I saw a big hawk or eagle, perched on a fence post. As a car and I both approached it took flight, made a large circle, and then landed back on his perch, after we cleared out of his way. His huge chest and razor sharp beak were impressive.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the end I found a series of switchbacks almost too steep to bike up, leading to a ridge that paralleled the canyon road. I went out and back on this ridge for a bit, eventually turning off into Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area land, which went down the other side of the hill I was on into familiar grass-covered rolling hills.</div><div><br /></div><div>The trail here was a bit scary, as it was completely overrun with wild oats in portions, with a steep decline. Barreling down a hill is one thing (I'm slowly gaining courage there), but it's another thing entirely to do so without knowing if you're about to run into a big rut or loose rock.</div><div><br /></div><div>It turned out that the trail was well maintained, smooth, and safe under all those oats. My only casualty was some stiff oats stuck into my socks which I had to pick out at the junction with a wider trail.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a pleasant few miles riding through the Simi Hills, I came back out into the valley in another gated community, called Hidden Hills. Here I saw a coyote at the edge of someone's property!</div><div><br /></div><div>Out of Hidden Hills I caught the very end of Ventura Blvd. I followed familiar city streets back to the dedicated bike path that parallels Victory and Oxnard Blvds., and finally made my way back home, about 15 minutes after Kimberly. This was just long enough for her to be finishing up lunch, which was alright with me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's my route:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3585/4568513451_07b1d1d047_o.jpg"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3585/4568513451_07b1d1d047_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 512px; height: 268px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>click for a larger view</i></div><div><br /></div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-34356581005923738492010-04-22T01:24:00.008-05:002010-04-22T01:38:52.102-05:00Random Album Covers, RevisitedTonight we celebrated our friend Vicki's birthday by going to <a href="http://www.pitfirepizza.com/">Pitfire Pizza in NoHo</a> with her and her husband Gavin. Afterwards we went back to our place for some homemade vegan ice cream cake a la Kimberly and somehow wandered across an old concept Kimberly and I explored in <a href="http://danpye.blogspot.com/2008/06/album-cover.html">our </a><a href="http://kimberlypye.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-bands-album-cover.html">blogs </a>a couple of years back: using Wikipedia, Quotations Page, and Flickr randomizers to create a fake album cover.<div><br /></div><div>Here's the one we did for Vicki:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgW7xNkVrPtCauHO5C7O0xFiZMZLF1_ipkeCGzcq0tduRRCBsDdUEaNHgjKnDmZW7Ymti2bFnvOAMHujA8u620AdsF2XWcVTB_vZDswP68qs8Qc0IiX8HSvdSyHvbV0i5iyozTqwgA08/s1600/Edou+-+Good+Laughs+You+Can.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgW7xNkVrPtCauHO5C7O0xFiZMZLF1_ipkeCGzcq0tduRRCBsDdUEaNHgjKnDmZW7Ymti2bFnvOAMHujA8u620AdsF2XWcVTB_vZDswP68qs8Qc0IiX8HSvdSyHvbV0i5iyozTqwgA08/s400/Edou+-+Good+Laughs+You+Can.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462845711820604098" style="cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Edou - Good Laughs You Can</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">and Gavin:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRNOe_oquF51132wzMM2fjjm4K1XialKsx7JzJWIBGDzqVgFx7UhArmcN56KhysQK0rS66xZAuiAk1H-Js-pcfDGkWsH59Gb9QFKkTnFYUgaIikGGdpkdJhNoondw6x6I8wfhoGj4mMo/s1600/Vidmante+Jasukaityte+-+SEEMS+TO+BE+INEVITABLE!.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRNOe_oquF51132wzMM2fjjm4K1XialKsx7JzJWIBGDzqVgFx7UhArmcN56KhysQK0rS66xZAuiAk1H-Js-pcfDGkWsH59Gb9QFKkTnFYUgaIikGGdpkdJhNoondw6x6I8wfhoGj4mMo/s400/Vidmante+Jasukaityte+-+SEEMS+TO+BE+INEVITABLE!.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462845724647649090" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; "><i>Vidmantė Jasukaitytė - SEEM TO BE INEVITABLE!</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">and our cat Keillor:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdHp1hK_bkPgspe61-BmWOOL3aQY3mo6l212HJL7AXqEPA5rxAwzSIkABGerrH4jpgRK0mKo4HdhJNamqMmcmRCuQBtSlkebw4IfA7fHOMv0kukoZRuFSH4ADVsWWCyFNO9mfzcqIXFE/s1600/Breenh+Burns+-+To+Fulfill+His+Destiny.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdHp1hK_bkPgspe61-BmWOOL3aQY3mo6l212HJL7AXqEPA5rxAwzSIkABGerrH4jpgRK0mKo4HdhJNamqMmcmRCuQBtSlkebw4IfA7fHOMv0kukoZRuFSH4ADVsWWCyFNO9mfzcqIXFE/s400/Breenh+Burns+-+To+Fulfill+His+Destiny.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462845720276054082" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Breehn Burns - To Fulfill His Destiny</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">To really follow through we should now record these three fake albums...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Instructions:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 20px; font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">1. The first article title on the page is your band:</span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br />2. The last four words of the last quote on the page is the name of your album: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">www.quotationspage.com/random.php3</span></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 20px; font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><a href="http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3" style="text-decoration: none; "></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">3. The third picture, no matter what it is, is your album cover:</span></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/</span></span></a></span></div><div><br /></div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-2362132765282926282010-03-25T12:00:00.001-05:002010-03-25T12:08:33.796-05:00Review of the Echo<div>Here's a review I just posted to Google for the Echo, Los Angeles, CA, titled "The acoustics ruined my chance to see a band I love (2 stars out of 5)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap; ">"</span></div><div><br /></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Right now, sitting at my desk with my decent computer speakers, I'm listening to the debut album from Cymbals Eat Guitars with an empty feeling at the incredible experience of which I was robbed. My wife and I went to the Echo last night to see Cymbals Eat Guitars and were sorely disappointed with the sound. The system was simply way too loud for the room (like, conservatively, 12+ dB, often exceeding the pain threshold in something like a 4000 sq. foot space with nowhere to run) and the bass was boosted so far that everything above it was masked, which precluded earplugs from being a viable option. It was so bad it could have been a joke, albeit a terrible ear damaging joke.</span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I give the place two stars instead of one to entertain the possibility that just maybe these weren't the regular sound guys and it's not always like this. It's a real shame. Everything else about the place is good: the size and decor are cozy, the bar was generously stocked (though we didn't drink last night), the crowd was cool except for the usual couple of outliers, and the bands that come through are really great.</span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Fix the sound!! I'd consider reporting these guys to OSHA with purely artistic motivations.</span></i></div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-76675931387919027722010-03-24T12:54:00.002-05:002010-03-24T13:21:39.852-05:00Concert TonightDuring our time so far in LA we've been getting more and more into the local scene, finding the best spots to hang out and seeing shows whenever possible. Tonight is no exception; we're going to <a href="http://www.attheecho.com/">the Echo</a> to see two great bands: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/cymbalseatguitars">Cymbals Eat Guitars</a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/freelancewhales">Freelance Whales</a> (check out some truly great videos of Freelance Whales playing live for NPR <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2010/03/exclusive_video_freelance_whal.html">here</a>).<div><br /></div><div>The area, Echo Park/Silver Lake, also has some of the best bars and vegan food in LA so it can be tough to choose a dinner spot, but we're almost always drawn to <a href="http://www.goodmicrobrew.com/">Good Microbrew</a> when we're in the area midweek because every Wednesday night they have Mystery Beer Night, where you get one of about 12 great microbrews in a plain plastic cup for $3 with a code on the bottom, revealing which beer on the list you were served. Woo hoo!</div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-54632416078681333982010-03-22T11:32:00.004-05:002010-03-22T21:47:34.368-05:00More Biking!I followed up the 43 mile ride with another 5 mile ride with Kimberly to go to dinner and back. Yesterday we rode 31.5 miles around the Westside and South Bay, bringing the grand total for the weekend to around 80 miles. I feel surprisingly good, considering. It can be hard to concentrate on Monday mornings after these crazy weekend adventures.<div><br /></div><div>Our Sunday bike ride started after church. We planned to drive to Santa Monica and start biking there, but there was so much traffic from the LA Marathon, that we finally gave up and parked near Sepulveda, about 5 miles from the Santa Monica pier. It was actually nice to get to bike through parts of LA and Santa Monica that we wouldn't have otherwise, and it was a beautiful day as usual, so no complaints.</div><div><br /></div><div>We stopped at West 4th / Jane for lunch and then made our way through the crazy crowds down to the bike path along the beach. We biked through Santa Monica and Venice, around Marina del Rey, and down to Manhattan Beach. We had dinner at the Manhattan Beach Brewing Co., which, despite the name, isn't a brewery. They did have a huge collection of beers on tap for good prices and some amazing nachos. </div><div><br /></div><div>After dinner we tried to rest on the beach, but it was already too chilly to hang out for long. We made our way back up the bike path, back to Sepulveda, and back to our car, tired from a long day of biking around. With only about a mile to go, Kimberly wiped out on a bush and scratched herself up a bit, but she laughed it off and we finished up the trip. </div><div><br /></div><div>We celebrated (and Kimberly recuperated) with some unbelievably delicious vegan mint carob chip ice cream from Rice Dream.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's our path (click for detail):</div><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4455454265_25634e6092_o.jpg"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4455454265_25634e6092_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 550px; height: 352px; " /></a><br /></div></div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-64209370606662091922010-03-20T18:07:00.006-05:002010-03-20T18:25:50.894-05:00Long Saturday Bike RideI decided to go on a long bike ride this morning, and it turned out to be the longest and most challenging ride I've done yet.<div><br /></div><div>Here's the route (click for higher res):</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4449193900_c4b62d77a7_o.jpg"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4449193900_c4b62d77a7_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 550px; height: 263px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It was challenging but not as hard as I thought it might be. The advantage of rolling hills, as opposed to long climbs, which I've done a few times now, is that though the elevation gain might be equivalent in the end, there's always a goal in sight and a rest for your legs. I was a big fan and I'll be back to these hills ASAP.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There's a long bike route through the southern part of the valley that I took advantage of, after which I followed Ventura Blvd. to the end and kept going on roads that paralleled the 101, up and down hills till I got to Chesebro Rd. I followed that up into Cheeseboro Canyon park.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There's a route out of the park that eventually meets up with Las Virgenes Canyon Rd., which gets back to the valley at the very end of Victory Blvd. From there I pretty much retraced my steps back through the valley all the way home.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It was such a nice day. The beauty of southern California never ceases to amaze me or fill me with a sense of adventure and longing for more. I was also surprised, as I've been many times here, at the volume of people found even in fairly remote areas. It's encouraging to see others enjoying this day and these hills as much as I did.</div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-7996620096560235572009-05-18T00:35:00.006-05:002009-05-18T01:33:08.307-05:00The High DesertI decided, out of the blue on Thursday, that we needed to go camping Saturday night. I knew we were really close to the true desert, but we've never had a reason to venture out there. It was the perfect opportunity to check out the Mohave, which starts just over the mountains from us and runs all the way through Las Vegas and into a bit of Utah and Arizona:<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Usgs_mojave_desert.jpg/180px-Usgs_mojave_desert.jpg"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Usgs_mojave_desert.jpg/180px-Usgs_mojave_desert.jpg" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 180px;" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Kimberly had a big important test Saturday morning, which is why our trip was one night only. She got back mid-afternoon and we headed out.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's about an hour and a half from our door to <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=618" target="_blank">Saddleback Butte State Park</a>. The drive was absolutely stunning. From the valley, we climbed about 2,400 ft. through a pass between the Sierra Pelona and San Gabriel mountains. We saw all manner of hills, mountains, impressive mansions precariously perched, canyons, desert, and the crazy and unique rock formations that define the southwestern US. On the other side of the pass we emerged to find a vast expanse of flat arid land: the frontier of the Mohave.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2464/3540433557_bddda9a0d0_b.jpg"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2464/3540433557_bddda9a0d0_b.jpg" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 450px;" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">After a nice trip through the desert, we arrived at the park. The primitive campground had 50 first come, first served sites. We didn't know what to expect so there was a bit of risk in driving all the way out there. To our surprise, when we showed up there was the camp manager and two other groups. No crowds to be found. We set up our site and headed for town to find dinner.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2276/3541024842_696eaf98c1_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 450px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2276/3541024842_696eaf98c1_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Kimberly and her tumbleweed. Our site, under a lean-to, is in the background.</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />The nearby town was an odd place called Lake Los Angeles (we were still in L.A. county, though this was about as remote in spirit as one could get from a bustling metropolis). Apparently, the town was once known as Los Angeles Buttes, but was rebranded in the housing speculation explosion of the 1960s. The natural lake, almost dried up and forgotten, was artificially filled, and brochures were printed with happy people playing water sports. After the initial sale, the artifical lake was left to evaporate.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3541/3541240990_a829268b8e_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 449px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3541/3541240990_a829268b8e_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Lake Los Angeles, from the top of Saddleback Butte, with the San Gabriel Mountains to the rear.<br /><br /></span></div>The town itself was small, quiet, and showed signs of economic depression. The dry lake, it seems, is a fitting metaphor for the state of things in general for Lake Los Angeles. We found a pizza place and ordered one to go.<br /><br />It was a great evening, with a nice little campfire, surprisingly great pizza, games, and warm, fresh desert air. After the sun set we actually watched as the stars appeared in the sky, one by one, until they were too many to count.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2306/3540216525_425db26fbd_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 449px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2306/3540216525_425db26fbd_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I'm pretty good at building a fire in the damp woods of New Hampshire, but ANYONE could start a fire here. I probably could have just taken a match to our biggest log.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/3541017954_c8ddf518a3_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 450px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/3541017954_c8ddf518a3_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-style: italic;">A bit of the dazzling desert sunset, captured by Kimberly.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The next morning we had a rude awakening as the sun came up, shining directly into our tent window, heating it to an uncomfortable degree by 7:30AM. Our only other goal for the trip was to summit Saddleback Butte, the park's namesake.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2170/3540415635_314a6debdd_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 450px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2170/3540415635_314a6debdd_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Saddleback Butte trailhead</span><br /></div><br />The butte stands out from its surroundings, a hard rock holdout from the erosion and flooding that long ago formed the flat desert floor. The trail headed straight from the campground, across an open mile of desert, slowly climbing to the base of the hill, and then abruptly up the side.<br /><br />By the time we reached the saddle between the two peaks, Kimberly was spent from a combination of heat and not having breakfast. I scrambled the last half mile or so to one of the summit to snap some pictures. It was amazing how fast things heated up as the sun climbed ever higher.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2241/3540430743_cb3470f946_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 449px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2241/3540430743_cb3470f946_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />From one peak of Saddleback Butte, looking at the other<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">One more interesting feature of our trip: Joshua Trees. Relatives of agave plants (the plants whose nectar is the main ingredient of tequila), Joshua trees are found only in the Mohave, and actually help to define the limits of the desert. They are a very whimsical spectacle. I concluded that unlike most plants, for instance stately and uniform trees, these guys just grow and grow without a plan.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3578/3540443739_88783001dd_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 449px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3578/3540443739_88783001dd_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">One of the largest of the countless Joshua trees we saw in the Mohave.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">It was so great to get back out camping again. Now that we have a taste I'm sure we'll get around to it more often from now on. California offers a year-round climate for sleeping outdoors, and limitless locales to find adventures as unique as this one.<br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-43001189418443164082009-04-03T02:00:00.002-05:002009-04-03T02:05:39.583-05:00BusyI haven't updated since December. First things were very busy with the move, then things were super busy at work. I have a lot of interesting things to share about our experiences with southern California life so far. I'll try to start posting some of them on here.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-12915205752723992302008-12-28T20:49:00.011-05:002009-04-03T02:25:18.531-05:00Oat Mountain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/3120550523_ac035daf34_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 598px; height: 448px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/3120550523_ac035daf34_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Our first hike since we moved to SoCal was Oat Mountain. Oat is the highest peak in the Santa Susanas, the mountain range that forms the northern boundary of the San Fernando Valley, where we live, and separates it from Santa Clarita.<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnWhulCYfWtS8wRxYR16tbaoknQqsSEq8tXuirOZ_Udq-ZKci1tR5LMzoCv7hMChRa2LIFxUa30JDvc2r59Od4_Ui2cIXqzH0HRdpgvNm3ncNoaqP0-cbk5l-WR52CDImkyyb3rrCeVI/s1600-h/map.JPG" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnWhulCYfWtS8wRxYR16tbaoknQqsSEq8tXuirOZ_Udq-ZKci1tR5LMzoCv7hMChRa2LIFxUa30JDvc2r59Od4_Ui2cIXqzH0HRdpgvNm3ncNoaqP0-cbk5l-WR52CDImkyyb3rrCeVI/s400/map.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285026610900481058" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 293px;" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">click for larger map</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">The mountain can be seen from all over the valley. In fact, if you go up to the 3rd floor of our apartment building and look northwest, it's the prominent feature of the view. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Oat Mountain is 3,747 ft. high, rising about 3,000 ft. above the valley floor. The trailhead is located in the Michael D. Antonovich Regional Park, a little less than halfway up the mountain on Brown's Canyon road, an extension of De Soto Ave. Oddly, the road is full of "No Trespassing" and "Local Traffic Only" signs, even though it is the only route to this public space. We got freaked out enough to almost turn back before finally reaching the park and seeing other visitors.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3213/3121374086_858d0f714f_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 798px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3213/3121374086_858d0f714f_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The entire trip is fully exposed, as the mountain is too low and dry to be forested. The views of the valley expand quickly as elevation is gained. The hike passes by an LAPD training facility, complete with multiple helipads, one that was in use for a practice rescue mission while we walked by.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/3120549723_4d97bd3c42_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 798px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/3120549723_4d97bd3c42_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3266/3121393440_a0f2a75625_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 798px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3266/3121393440_a0f2a75625_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's a steady 2.3 mile climb with 1800 ft. of elevation gain. There were several oil derricks along the path, some close enough to touch, which was an odd little distraction.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/3121391950_ba39e5ed2c_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 800px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/3121391950_ba39e5ed2c_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/3121410554_7afe49c6a7_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 601px; height: 449px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/3121410554_7afe49c6a7_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">As the sun set, the temperature dropped. Eventually, I gave Kimberly my hoodie.</span><br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">The views from the top were awesome. It was, however, more of a peak bagging experience than a nature walk. We've since visited a ton of other spots with a lot more natural beauty, but it was definitely worth the trip.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3086/3120576265_3e32ec1bea_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 601px; height: 450px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3086/3120576265_3e32ec1bea_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The San Fernando Valley from the top.</span><br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3101/3120576933_aa3d1b475b_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 599px; height: 447px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3101/3120576933_aa3d1b475b_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Santa Clarita, north of the Santa Susanas</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/3121404234_26e853769c_b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 449px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/3121404234_26e853769c_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Downtown LA, to the southeast. The US Bank Tower is clearly visible in the middle of the skyscrapers.</span><br /></div></div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-10336377527642153102008-12-05T18:24:00.002-05:002008-12-05T18:25:07.840-05:00Moved to California<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-v-gbHHY0wkhg3R4LVmC3ENcleZOk1V-2tHDc7wRUamY3VYu4SEC1kucX9iVvl1KH1bQP6hIWza1e86Obh9Xi3dhXVwxqmFxSnreKHV-x8438xDutiZQOZfR2Kx0rBwLPAWlIRZ-7yE/s1600-h/1205081520.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-v-gbHHY0wkhg3R4LVmC3ENcleZOk1V-2tHDc7wRUamY3VYu4SEC1kucX9iVvl1KH1bQP6hIWza1e86Obh9Xi3dhXVwxqmFxSnreKHV-x8438xDutiZQOZfR2Kx0rBwLPAWlIRZ-7yE/s400/1205081520.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276451027756956322" /></a><br /><div>I have a cactus.</div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-81505452173115425392008-11-28T01:16:00.002-05:002008-11-28T01:26:48.214-05:00Update from the Road #2We ended yesterday in Chicago, where we had some Chicago-style pizza for dinner and explored the downtown Michigan Ave. area. We definitely want to go back for a longer visit to Chicago.<br /><br />Today we drove through Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, ending just over the border in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Tomorrow it's 400 miles across South Dakota, stopping by Mt. Rushmore, and then across most of Wyoming. We'll end the day outside of Yellowstone so that we can travel through the park on Saturday.<br /><br />Internet access is sparse on the road, so we've been communicating mostly with twitter. Our twitter usernames:<br /><br />danpye<br />kimberlypyeDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-69258830115970336782008-11-28T01:13:00.000-05:002008-11-28T01:14:16.717-05:00Update from the Road #1<span style="font-style: italic;">Written Yesterday:<br /><br /></span>Yesterday I finished up the rest of our errands, returning the cable modem to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Comcast</span>, shipping some packages to myself, canceling the gym membership, etc. and then we left Kimberly’s office at quarter of four. We drove through familiar territory, south on I-495 and then west on I-90, the Mass Pike.<br /><br />The thing that first made me feel that this trip was different was the highest point sign in western Mass. It declares that the elevation is 1700 something feet and that it’s the highest point on I-90 east of South Dakota. I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ve</span> passed the sign tons of times, but this time I passed it knowing that in a couple of days I would actually reach the point it mentions in South Dakota! It was kind of a crazy thought.<br /><br />We’re on I-90 for a long time, from almost the start of the trip all the way to Wyoming. Last night we made it to Rochester, NY, or outside Rochester where I-90 passes closest. We stayed at a Days Inn and immediately encountered several people who were much friendlier than the New <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Englanders</span> we’re used to.<br /><br />The most exciting thing to happen on the road so far today was seeing Lake Erie while we drove through Pennsylvania. Just as they say, the Great Lakes are like a third coast. It was the first time I saw a lake that went all the way to the horizon.<br /><br />We’re now driving through Ohio, pressing through all the way to Chicago, where we have a room reserved for the night on Michigan Ave.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-88984391768572415382008-11-24T16:23:00.002-05:002008-11-24T16:24:39.386-05:00Well, it appears that my life really has fallen apart.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfAmLGJCAI-Bvv3JwRa-zE8iXyI4NQ24eJi-jtWgIF_wZeCa30Xj5T53_qtmD1YRlXfWy5ZvKQnY6iEmke0X4DNfSIbnHMlfjuCDvuWCtelJnWaDuyCTOV7j1R-fnOXpZdiGTrLXW37s/s1600-h/1000+.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 279px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfAmLGJCAI-Bvv3JwRa-zE8iXyI4NQ24eJi-jtWgIF_wZeCa30Xj5T53_qtmD1YRlXfWy5ZvKQnY6iEmke0X4DNfSIbnHMlfjuCDvuWCtelJnWaDuyCTOV7j1R-fnOXpZdiGTrLXW37s/s400/1000+.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272338086287267666" /></a>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-62074632497782680602008-11-20T15:23:00.002-05:002008-11-20T15:26:59.730-05:00Packing<div>We're all packing up in my office today. It's weird but the morale isn't at all down. And the atmosphere is very light and casual.</div><div><br /></div><div>I feel like I can't get started with preparations for our trip. I guess it's because there's very little to actually prepare for. All we need is clothing for a week, something to do when we're in the passenger seat, and stuff for our furry friends.</div><div><br /></div><div>It'll all come together as the date approaches.</div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-41037684015389752032008-11-14T13:45:00.002-05:002008-11-14T13:49:27.166-05:00PostI'm so busy today that taking the time to post something defies all logic, but I want to get back in the habit of submitting something daily so I'm going to do it anyway.<div><br /></div><div>I think the reality of the move finally started to hit me on Wednesday when I had my last ever mid-week practice with the worship band at Harbor of Hope. Now the coming events seem very weird and I'm starting to feel sad about leaving my friends and family.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the same time, the reality of the good things is starting to hit me too. An amazing road trip, a new, bigger apartment with a pool and fitness room, an exciting new job, and most of all, a totally new world to explore and get to know. </div><div><br /></div><div>I've always known, rationally, that this experience should be bittersweet. It's finally beginning to feel that way.</div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-22068670849005024942008-11-12T11:31:00.004-05:002008-11-12T12:46:34.049-05:00Life Alive and the road trip plan.I met Steve at <a href="http://www.lifealive.com/">Life Alive</a> for lunch yesterday in what will probably be the second to last time I go there. Kimberly and I have a lunch date there planned for this coming Saturday. That place is truly a gem for vegetarians or anyone who can appreciate real food (as opposed to the food-like substances) we (modern people of the developed world) usually consume.<div><br /></div><div>Here is the plan for our road trip from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Chelmsford</span> to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Northridge</span>.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3J2Pmju0eWM7AE_dhwK0Tx2Axqn_AwYXKYYVTAyxt2jmDTZZp5gH34Lo-1tRbcZihPyM24q56dC1hZ51X_pUJ8WVAj60pykcKj4Muj_PfUdt6_zWjEfzovwhzqNSFCfTQGMuC_7nXR94/s1600-h/road+trip.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3J2Pmju0eWM7AE_dhwK0Tx2Axqn_AwYXKYYVTAyxt2jmDTZZp5gH34Lo-1tRbcZihPyM24q56dC1hZ51X_pUJ8WVAj60pykcKj4Muj_PfUdt6_zWjEfzovwhzqNSFCfTQGMuC_7nXR94/s400/road+trip.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267810414333288754" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 248px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We're heading out Tuesday afternoon. I hope to reach at least to Syracuse before we call it a night. Then I want to get to Chicago by Wednesday night. From there, it's a whole lot of flat nothing until we stop at Mt. Rushmore and drive through Yellowstone. It's then on to Salt Lake City, down through Nevada, and to our final destination via roads with no <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">agro</span> checkpoints.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If we drive 12-14 hours a day, we'll arrive on Saturday. Making room for some exploring of interesting places or a break here and there, I'm planning on us getting in sometime Sunday.</div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-71764084558113349382008-11-11T09:16:00.002-05:002008-11-11T09:28:50.379-05:00OopsI'm going to make an effort to start posting here again, since I'm moving across the country in two weeks. I've been very busy at work and elsewhere, but I think I can manage a quick post here and there.<div><br /></div><div>We're down to the wire now, seeing friends as often as possible, checking things off of our "to do one more time" list, and mentally preparing for the biggest change we've had since we got married (maybe the biggest change ever). We're both really excited. I'm particularly excited about settling into my new office and being able to focus on my new responsibilities. It'll be very nice to finish up all of the work here in Bedford.</div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-29996734967462858892008-08-21T13:52:00.004-05:002008-08-21T14:08:39.069-05:00Google Earth Pictures!The <a href="http://danpye.blogspot.com/2008/06/chelmsford-center-pictures.html">pictures</a> I took of Chelmsford Center back in June and uploaded to Panaramio have finally hit Google Earth! I take quite a bit of nerdy pleasure in this for some reason...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 421px; height: 356px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2345/2784995178_77ae4310fa_o.jpg" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KG6X3T28OkPguMkI-6rldCDdmAl5_0fB7fuLLSEyvzDu6kOICEAFQQ7O2rilogqiIbJwIOFB2TQTSQGzR3UWbNUfjh9Qmxx4Uusf7TiaI5zuTOpAoWCqTSyvdpkrTtYlAjJXV_GbEWE/s1600-h/google+earth+picture.JPG"><br /></a></div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-62742819927884994272008-08-21T09:58:00.003-05:002008-08-21T10:26:47.496-05:00New BlogI'm going to shift gears in this blog away from talk about Chiari. I decided to create a separate blog to record my progress there, so that I can get back to normal updates here. The new blog (which so far only has copied text from previous entries here) is <a href="http://danschiari.blogspot.com/">Dan's Chiari Log</a>.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-65083121870511037032008-08-20T14:11:00.004-05:002008-08-20T14:51:23.006-05:00Why I think that doctor is wrong.I thought I'd lay out the details, for my own benefit, of how I disagree with the surgeon's assessment that Chiari isn't my problem:<br /><br />1) The two main determinants he used for his conclusion were the fact that my cerebellar tonsils are only herniated 6 mm, and that to him it looked as though my CSF (Cerebrospinal fluid) wasn't being impeded by the herniation.<br /><br /> a) Herniation on its own has been shown in recent years to be a poor determining factor for the diagnosis of Chiari. It is a symptom rather than the cause. Many people have severe symptoms occurring with a much smaller herniation that 6 mm (the radiologist who analyzed my MRI actually reported 6-8 mm for me), and some have much larger herniation with no symptoms at all.<br /><br /> b) Specialized tests, such as Doppler ultrasound and Cine MRI are used to determine impedance of CSF, and even these tests are not conclusive. This doctor spent perhaps 3 minutes (or less) reviewing the still images of my standard MRI when coming to the conclusion that CSF wasn't blocked.<br /><br />2) My symptoms. There are many diseases and disorders that cause the symptoms I have, but it seems that holistically, they are a near perfect confluence of Chiari evidence. These telltale symptoms include:<br /><br />-daily (sometimes constant as today) pain in the back of my head<br /><br />-frequent headaches in my entire head, at one point occurring nearly 24 hours a day for 3 weeks (this was the initial impetus for my CT scan that revealed the malformation)<br /><br />-a host of eye problems that have not subsided for many months, such as frequent reduced and blurred vision, and disturbing flashes or slow moving streaks of light<br /><br />-ringing in my ears<br /><br />-moderate insomnia over a prolonged period<br /><br />-profound fatigue and pain in the muscles and joints<br /><br />-numbing in my fingers (and tongue! That happened for the first time yesterday.)<br /><br />-stiffness in my throat and obstruction of my airways at that point--this was my first symptom and it remains a constant problem, every moment of every day. Recently I've noticed that when I try to run, once I get up to an aerobic breathing pattern, I believe I have what is called a "stridor," which is sort of like wheezing, but is a single high-pitched tone that occurs in turbulent airflow as I inhale.<br /><br />The list goes on and on. The important thing is that imaging concluded that I have Chiari I Malformation and before I ever knew what Chiari was I had daily pain in the back of my head. It's basically a slam dunk diagnosis. Now all I need is a doctor who agrees.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-64768947774838942882008-08-19T09:30:00.004-05:002008-08-19T12:22:53.173-05:00Quick UpdateNo posts in a while. I've been (and continue to be) quite busy at work, finishing up all of the outstanding projects here in MA and concurrently planning for the move to CA.<br /><br />I went to see a surgeon on Monday. It seems that the guy was not up on the latest research into Chiari Malformations. He deemed (after looking at my MRI results for much less than 5 minutes) my case "borderline" and gave his opinion that I should not operate. I personally disagree with his assessment for several reasons and I remain very convinced that Chiari is the source of my medical problems, which still persist after 8 long months. Every symptom I've suffered is readily explained by Chiari, and both radiologists who have seen my imaging (one for the CT scan, the other for the MRI) concluded that I had the malformation. There was no reporting about a "borderline" case. I've read plenty of sad stories online of people in a similar situation, with persistent symptoms and misinformed doctors. Fortunately these stories usually end in the person finding a qualified physician and getting the help they need.<br /><br />My next step is to get my imaging forwarded to The Chiari Institute on Long Island, who agreed to give me a preliminary diagnosis. The frustrating thing about these latest developments is that I had some hope of surgery and resolution before the move out west, but given the lead time on finding a new doctor, meeting with him or her, and scheduling a surgery date, a pre-move procedure seems completely implausible.<br /><br />I'm managing the problem okay. I've been running almost every day lately, though the shortness of breath severely limits my former capacity for distance. I attempted a 4.6 mile run yesterday and simply could not make the last quarter mile. I ended up walking the rest of the way. All I can do is continue fighting to stay healthy and continue searching for the right doctor.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-4578595453408528002008-08-05T10:45:00.003-05:002008-08-05T10:54:25.854-05:00Confirmation!I just spoke with my doctor and the MRI I had last week confirmed that I have a Chiari I Malformation:<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold-Chiari_malformation">Wikipedia</a><br /><a href="http://www.conquerchiari.org/FAQ.htm">Helpful FAQ</a><br /><br />Basically, my cerebellum extends beyond my skull very slightly, pressing against my spinal cord, disrupting the flow of spinal fluid and causing pressure in the area. It easily and completely explains my wide range of symptoms (that haven't gone away for 8 months and counting).<br /><br />I should expect to hear from a neurosurgeon soon to discuss my options, but there is a very good chance that I'll be having surgery to correct the problem.<br /><br />I'm feeling overwhelming relief that there is a definite explanation for my symptoms, that it's not life-threatening, and that there is a good possibility of correcting the problem and going back to 100% normal life. I've already decided that if I have major surgery this fall, my goal will be to run my first marathon within a year after the start of my recovery. Exciting times.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687311516912070833.post-38732249912256374712008-07-22T15:59:00.005-05:002009-05-26T20:37:22.698-05:00Excerpts from my California Trip Report<span style="font-size:100%;">I thought I would share my trip report from our recent trip to L.A. (company-sensitive info removed, of course). There's a lot in there that's only relevant for people considering relocation to our office out there, but it gives a pretty good idea of how we spent our time. We decided to take the job, by the way.</span><b id="dh5j0"><br /></b><p id="dh5j" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b id="dh5j0"><br /></b></span></p><p id="dh5j" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b id="dh5j0">Northridge Trip Report</b></span></p> <p id="dh5j1" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center">Dan Pye</p> <h1 id="dh5j4" class="western"><span style="font-size:130%;">Initial Impressions</span></h1> <p id="dh5j7" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Kimberly and I flew into Los Angeles International Airport at a little after noon. The plane flew directly over much of the Los Angeles metro area. I was amazed at and overwhelmed by its enormity. Here’s a satellite comparison of the urbanization of Los Angeles versus Boston. The scale is the same for both images:</p> <p id="dh5j10" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3291/2693997848_f6f7737b94_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3291/2693997848_f6f7737b94_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p> <p id="dh5j14" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Boston metro is maybe as big as the San Fernando Valley, seen in the northern part of the L.A. image, to the west of center. The Valley, however, is a rather small part of the city at large.</p> <p id="dh5j17" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">W<img id="dh5j18" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_54d376kqdg_b" name="graphics2" align="left" border="0" width="313" height="235" hspace="13" />e had an easy time renting a car and setting out on the 405 freeway, heading toward the San Fernando Valley. The 405 is one of several major highways crisscrossing Los Angeles county. Typical of an L.A. freeway, there were 5 or 6 lanes of traffic on either side, and even in the middle of the day (2:00PM at that point) there was heavy traffic volume.</p> <p id="dh5j19" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify"><br /></p> <p id="dh5j21" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">The 405 cuts straight through the Santa Monica mountains (home of the famous Hollywood sign) on its way to the Valley.</p> <p id="dh5j22" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify"><br /></p> <p id="bw5." class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We made our way through surface roads to our hotel in Northridge. The San Fernando Valley is one of the best laid out urban areas I have ever seen. There are major roads cutting north to south as well as east to west, in a grid, all about one mile apart, and all generally three lanes wide in each direction. It would be almost inconceivable for the kind of traffic queue seen here on the Middlesex Turnpike every afternoon to develop very often in the Valley. This also means that finding your way is as easy as going straight on any road until you see the right street sign.</p> <p id="bw5.2" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That being said, our real initial feelings for the valley were, fueled mainly by the sensory overload of so many new and different sights and the vastness of the urbanity, lukewarm at best.</p> <h1 id="bw5.3" class="western"><span style="font-size:130%;">The Office</span></h1> <p id="bw5.6" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">T<img id="bw5.7" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_56jvfnh6cp_b" name="graphics1" align="left" border="0" width="325" height="243" hspace="13" />his is the only shot of the office I took. It’s at the northern corner of the main building.</p> <p id="bw5.10" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">The Northridge office (campus) is rather large. Though Harman doesn’t occupy all of the buildings on the lot, the campus is roughly 0.3 by 0.2 miles. Walking from the north entrance of the main building to the far reaches of the adjacent automotive building takes several minutes.</p><br />I had a very positive impression of the working atmosphere. Everyone I met was focused, friendly, articulate, and motivated.<br /><br /><br /><h1 id="bw5.20" class="western"><span style="font-size:130%;">Northridge</span></h1> <p id="bw5.23" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">T<img id="bw5.24" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_57rp2cp7c7_b" name="graphics2" align="right" border="0" width="235" height="314" hspace="6" />he office is in Northridge, near to the geographical center of the Valley. My rudimentary socioeconomic impression of the San Fernando Valley is that the poorer neighborhoods are concentrated east/northeast, and the affluent neighborhoods west/southwest. There are some exceptions to the rule, and as anyone who has visited would tell you, good and bad neighborhoods exist in bizarrely close proximity. </p> <p id="bw5.27" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">All of that said, Northridge, being in the center, seemed to be in the center of that economic spectrum as well. The northern part of the district is dominated by shopping and the California State University Northridge (CSUN) (the public orange grove on campus includes fresh and juicy fruit for the picking!), and the housing tended to be middle-income apartments and nice single family homes.<br /></p><p id="bw5.27" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> </p><p id="ll74" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Toward the east and the south, the housing was less nice, but I found no part of Northridge to be scary or dirty.</p> <h1 id="ll740" class="western"><br /></h1><h1 id="ll740" class="western"><span style="font-size:130%;">Eastern Neighborhoods</span></h1> <p id="ll743" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We drove through many communities to the east of Northridge, including Mission Hills, San Fernando, Pacioma, Panorama City, Van Nuys, and North Hollywood. None of these places was very nice compared to the rest of the Valley, though I’m sure some safe but affordable housing could be found.</p> <p id="ll746" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img id="ll747" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_59fhchr2gg_b" name="graphics1" align="bottom" border="0" width="521" height="391" /></p> <p id="ll748" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><i id="ll749">Van Nuys Blvd. in Panorama City. We saw my coworker (circled) who was also visiting to check out the area.<br /></i></p> <h1 id="ll7412" class="western"><span style="font-size:130%;">Northern Neighborhoods</span></h1> <p id="ll7415" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">T<img id="ll7416" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_60g8gdxchq_b" name="graphics2" align="left" border="0" width="400" height="300" hspace="13" />o the north of the office (and west of Mission Hills) are the communities of Chatsworth, Porter Ranch, Northridge (the area of Northridge north of CSUN can be grouped with these other neighborhoods) and Granada Hills. These are more upper middle class to affluent areas, with many single family homes, gated communities, and pockets of retail shopping.</p> <p id="ll7419" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">I was particularly impressed by Porter Ranch, which is the last area of Los Angeles to be developed. It consists almost exclusively of gorgeous gated communities, built on the foothills of the Santa Susana Mountains, which separate the Valley from Santa Clarita. A commute to Harman from any of these communities would be fast.</p><br /><p id="ll7424" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><img id="ll7425" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_61dqgm58d9_b" name="graphics3" align="bottom" border="0" width="600" height="450" /></p> <p id="ll7426" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><i id="ll7427">A gate to single-family homes in Porter Ranch, Santa Susana foothills in the back.</i></p> <h1 id="ll7430" class="western"><span style="font-size:130%;">Southern Neighborhoods</span></h1> <p id="ll7434" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify"><img id="ll7432" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_62frvmt3cb_b" name="graphics4" align="left" border="0" width="237" height="315" hspace="6" />The only urbanized section of the Valley is to the south, concentrated around Ventura Blvd., the southernmost east to west major road. The communities in this section of the Valley include Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Encino, Sherman Oaks, and Studio City.</p> <p id="ll7437" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">Toward the west, large financial and commercial property is common. It seems that many Valley residents commute to this area, including Woodland Hills and Tarzana, for work. Off of Ventura Blvd. to the south, along much of this corridor, are average to nice apartment buildings, followed by upscale single-family homes as the altitude rises into the Santa Monica mountains.</p> <p id="ll7440" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">North of Ventura is more housing with a denser layout, more akin to the feel of Northridge or Van Nuys.</p><p id="ll7440" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify"><br /></p><p id="ll7440" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify"> </p><p id="kdbv" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">Sherman Oaks and Studio City seem like the closest one can come to a hip urban feel in the Valley. The i<img id="kdbv0" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_64gpp7d4dr_b" name="graphics1" align="right" border="0" width="300" height="225" hspace="6" />mpression I got was that young professionals inhabit the area, particularly Studio City. This is reinforced by the fact that several people have given me advice recommending this district as a potential option for my own housing.</p> <p id="kdbv3" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">Encino seemed to be a cross fade between the west and east sections of Ventura. All in all, this part of the Valley seemed safe, fun, and interesting.</p> <p id="kdbv4" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify"><br /></p> <p id="kdbv6" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify"><br /></p> <p id="kdbv8" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify"><br /></p> <h1 id="kdbv10" class="western"><br /></h1><h1 id="kdbv10" class="western"><span style="font-size:130%;">Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks</span></h1> <p id="kdbv13" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We stopped in Santa Clarita only briefly and simply drove through Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks. My impression of all three is that they would be great places to raise a family but are of little interest to my wife and me, childless as we are. Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks are both a long drive to the office no matter how you spin it. Simi Valley, especially the eastern section that abuts the San Fernando, would be a much more viable commuting option. It also appeared to be the winner in my very superficial survey of the relative beauty of these communities. Its valley is rather lush compared to Thousand Oaks, and Santa Clarita is desert country.</p> <h1 id="kdbv14" class="western"><span style="font-size:130%;">West Hollywood</span></h1> <p id="kdbv17" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Another potential habitat, I was told, is West Hollywood. I found this area pretty similar to its Studio City counterpart on the other side of the mountains. West Hollywood is surrounded by affluence, with Beverly Hills, the Santa Monica Mountains, Hollywood, and Downtown at all sides. It’s obviously closer to the flashy night life, if one were into that sort of thing, but along with it would come more traffic congestion and added commute time. Northridge started to feel pretty remote to me once we were on the other side of the hills.</p> <h1 id="kdbv18" class="western"><span style="font-size:130%;">The Hiking</span></h1> <p id="kdbv21" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">L<img id="kdbv22" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_65fd9qpjgj_b" name="graphics2" align="left" border="0" width="350" height="263" hspace="6" />.A. is a day-hiker’s dream come true. The Valley is surrounded by mountains on three sides, all with ample trails, all within the distance of a short car trip. We went on two morning hikes out of our three mornings in the city. The first was up Mt. Hollywood, which rises up due north of a main street in Hollywood, Vermont Ave. Mt. Hollywood is adjacent to Mt. Lee, home of the iconic Hollywood sign, and the sign can be seen all the way up the trail.</p> <p id="kdbv25" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">It was an easy hike (several people were running to the top for exercise) at 650 feet of gain over 1.5 miles. The view from the top was panoramic, though we didn’t make it until later in the morning, and the <img id="kdbv26" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_66fd763sw7_b" name="graphics3" align="right" border="0" width="351" height="262" hspace="6" /> </p> <p id="kdbv27" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">smog was already omnipresent and obscuring the detail of all vistas more than a few miles out. To the right is downtown L.A., seen through the haze.</p> <p id="kdbv30" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">The hills really are vast. We were excited by the idea of returning and exploring a portion of the network of trails over the course of a long day.</p> <p id="kdbv33" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">Mt. Hollywood is part of Griffith Park, with its famous observatory. Griffith is of note for being the largest park completely within a major city.</p> <p id="kdbv36" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify">Our second hike offered even more extreme contrast to the urban sprawl. We drove a mere 30 minutes from our hotel in Northridge, down into that same mountain range but further west, to the town of Topanga.</p> <p id="kdbv40" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify"><img id="kdbv38" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_6783ss67c5_b" name="graphics4" align="left" border="0" width="425" height="319" hspace="6" />Topanga was horse country, with ranches all along the Old Topanga Canyon Rd. We turned off onto Red Rock Canyon Road (not to be confused with the more famous national conservancy area of the same name that is outside of Las Vegas). We set off on a short trail, perhaps a mile long, up to the top of a hill, completely surrounded by mountains. It was a fairly close facsimile to hiking in some of the great national parks of the southwest, and only minutes away!</p> <p id="kdbv41" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify"><br /></p> <p id="kdbv43" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p id="vtd5" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><img id="vtd50" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_69w5pfs4gr_b" name="graphics1" align="bottom" border="0" width="588" height="441" /></p> <p id="vtd51" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify"><br /></p> <p id="vtd53" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><img id="vtd54" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_70r5czkngg_b" name="graphics2" align="bottom" border="0" width="588" height="441" /></p> <h1 id="vtd57" class="western"><br /></h1><h1 id="vtd57" class="western"><span style="font-size:130%;">The Beaches</span></h1> <p id="vtd510" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We had the chance to drive on the Pacific Coast Highway through Santa Monica and Malibu, as well as a short trip down the 405 to Long Beach. It should be common knowledge for most people that the beaches are numerous and beautiful in southern California.</p> <p id="vtd513" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img id="vtd514" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_71fsj2j3c7_b" name="graphics3" align="bottom" border="0" width="600" height="450" /></p> <p id="vtd517" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We drove through Malibu on Sunday afternoon, and the traffic was heavy. It seems to be a popular day trip area for people from all around. We saw some of the iconic dramatic bluffs rising steeply from the ocean, but unfortunately the build-up along the beach meant that we were afforded precious few views of the oceanfront from the highway.</p><br /> <p id="fh71" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img id="fh710" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_73c5dg72gr_b" name="graphics1" align="bottom" border="0" width="520" height="391" /></p> <p id="fh711" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><i id="fh712">Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach</i></p> <p id="fh715" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I had the idea that Long Beach wasn’t going to be as nice of a place, and certainly the neighborhood from the highway to the oceanfront area that we drove through wasn’t pleasant, but the beach area itself was like paradise! We’re already looking forward to taking a weekend day trip down to explore and relax.</p> <p id="fh718" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img id="fh719" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=ddbdxnfb_747dr655gf_b" name="graphics2" align="bottom" border="0" width="510" height="384" /></p> <h1 id="fh7110" class="western"><span style="font-size:130%;">Final Impressions</span></h1> <p id="fh7113" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We grew to love the area very quickly. After our initial tepid reaction to the Valley, we were able to get a little deeper into its culture and atmosphere really to feel the pulse and mechanics of the city, and that’s when we started to understand and appreciate it. We’re adventurous by nature and L.A. offers a limitless reserve of completely diverse experiences waiting to be exploited.</p> <p id="fh7116" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Life in southern California is very different from eastern Massachusetts. Obviously the flora and fauna are mostly unfamiliar, the terrain is a world apart (if you can’t imagine living without the cozy, tree-filled clime of New England, the wide open spaces of the southwest are most definitely not for you), but the real differences are more subtle. The quirkiness in the infrastructure seen in the northeast is totally absent. This was an area whose civil engineering began with the grid-based plaza mayor construction of Spanish settlers. Everything is more open. As a result, the pace is noticeably dialed back. This spirit permeates casual social interactions, too. We were repeatedly (without fail, even) surprised by the friendliness and attentiveness of every clerk or salesperson we encountered. We’re used to, and have always been fine with, the sharper, more indifferent attitude of such interactions in Boston, but it was a welcome and pleasant change of pace.</p><p id="fh7116" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p id="fh7119" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Also, very importantly, the atmosphere at Harman in Northridge is optimistic and enthusiastic. Kimberly and I are very excited and deeply honored by this opportunity to relocate to Los Angeles.</p> <p id="fh7120" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15199596711077665973noreply@blogger.com3