Month: July 2008

  • Heroin, Portland and Wake & Shake!


    Our last day in Oregon was spent in downtown Portland yesterday for a quick Dim Sum lunch followed by a trip to Powell’s (the biggest independent bookstore in the world).  Then we headed over to the trendy new Ace Hotel for some photos in their old fashioned photo booth.

    It’s funny how things change.  The Ace Hotel used to be a total dive called the Clyde Hotel when I first started making monthly visits to Portland 18 years ago.  Several scenes from the movie Drugstore Cowboy were filmed there, and believe it or not, it’s the first (and only) place someone ever offered me heroin!!  It was my first time on a business trip in early 1990 and I met some people at The Fish Grotto across the street, who invited me to their room at the Clyde.  I naively went, only to find them all going into the bathroom to shoot up.  Suffice it to say I got out of there quickly!

    We finished our afternoon visit in Portland’s “living room”, Pioneer Square.  As I sat on the red brick steps, I remembered all of the fond memories Portland holds for me.  Good friends and amazing times.  It’s always nice going back.  Thanks to Marcelo & Emily for hosting our large brood, and thanks to Christine for coming up with the idea of visiting the Oregon coast again (when it wasn’t 30° and raining!)

    The flight home was clear and beautiful and I got some great shots of Mt. Hood.  This morning, I was working from home when the earthquake hit.  Luckily, my Dad had earthquake proofed my house last year, and I’m happy to report that everything that was hanging on the walls stayed in place.  Thanks Dad!  The picture frames on my shelves weren’t so lucky, but other than a little broken glass, my home was completely intact.  (Though, the shaking ceiling fan on high was a little scary!)  It was the biggest earthquake I’ve ever felt, and only the third since I moved here in 2002.  It kind of felt like one of those shiatsu massage chairs that you sit on at Brookstone, that knead your back with rolling balls.  It felt like there were huge ball bearings moving across the ground.  Crazy!  So LA welcomed me home with a bang and my short vacation was over.  I need a vacation!


    Christine & Carey in Portland’s Chinatown.


    The Hotel Vintage Plaza was always my home away from home in Portland.  One year I stayed there 160 nights!


    Portland’s “Living Room” – Pioneer Courthouse Square


    The statue behind Drew & Christine needs that umbrella ten months a year, but not yesterday!


    Christine in front of Pioneer Courthouse


    The Broadway Bridge over the Willamette River.


    The I-5 Bridge over the Columbia River between Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA.


    The majestic Mt. Hood.


    Downtown LA at the bottom and Dodger’s Stadium at the top.

  • Got Crabs?

    I’m a total wuss when it comes to anything remotely athletic or dirty as this video will attest.  We did have a great time, and though the crabs weren’t really biting, the dinner was delicious!


    Not quite heaven, but you get the idea!


    Talk about a fish out of water!


    Are my hands going to smell?


    Eva could beat me in anything.  LOL


    This little seal kept eyeing us (or was it the Loch Ness monster??)


    Taylor made a surprise visit this morning.  I stood on a rock to prove I was still taller than him. 


    New friends Jay & Darlene!


    Astoria, Oregon

    Click the pic for best of the rest.

  • Cheesy Anniversary

    We celebrated Christine & Drew’s 7th Anniversary today with a trip to the Tillamook Cheese factory; the most romantic cheese factory on the Oregon coast.  LOL.  A fun time was had by all!  Lunch at the Pelican Brewery followed by sunset with Eva & Yolanda who had since arrived at the beach house.  Talking and laughing into the wee hours again.  Good times.


    Click the photo above for the rest of the pictures.

  • Connected in Cannon

    Good news!  The Front Desk clerk at the Blue Gull Inn which is across the street from the house we’re staying in succumbed to my flirtations and gave me their Wi-Fi password!  So we’re wired this weekend.  Here’s the first batch of photos.  Sunset was gorgeous.  Eva & Yolanda arrive tomorrow along with some other friends.  Should be a nice relaxing weekend.  My friends Todd & Laura, whose house we’re staying in, are the absolute greatest people in the world.  Their home is beautiful, and 1/2 a block from the beach.  Thank you guys SO much.  This is really a treat.  GLY!!


    Our home away from home for the next few days!


    We can see Haystack Rock (third tallest monolith in the world) from our living room!


    Footprints in the sand, courtesy of Marcelo.


    Old friends!


    Drew & Carey


    I always get nice silhouette pictures of Drew!  The weather was nicer today though than in November!


    Livin’ it up at The Hotel ToddLaurafornia!


    Click the photo above if you want to see the rest!

  • Information Underload

     
    I woke up today feeling much better.  Let’s hope this nasty flu has just about run its course.  I do need sleep however, and seeing how it’s 4 AM, I’ll make this short.  The flight to Portland (PDX) was uneventful.  Smooth trip to the airport, no delays and a gorgeous sunset over Mt. Shasta (photos below).  Christine & Drew arrived about 45 minutes before I did, and Marcelo & Emily were already at the airport to pick them up, so they all met me, with bells on.    We’re having a mini GLY reunion this week.  Eva arrives tomorrow.  In the morning we’ll head to Cannon Beach where we’ve rented a beach house from Todd & Laura thru Sunday.  Should be nice and relaxing.  One thing I just found out however is the beach house doesn’t have Internet!  HORRORS!!  LOL   I’m sure I’ll figure something out, but if you don’t hear from me by Monday, send a search party to the below address.  I’ll likely have died of information underload.  Have a good weekend everyone!


    Mt. Shasta peaking thru the clouds.




    Emily the blur is saying Christine is 7 months pregnant!

  • Pink Unicorns, Old Jews & Spotted Owl Airlines

    I’m still sick, so I’m going to go to bed early tonight and hope for the best for my flight tomorrow.  Until then here are three videos worth watching (in my humble opinion).  Cheers!

    Watch for my cameo at the end!


    “It’s all going to boil down to a few old Jews in Century Village”


    “Stop blow drying my grapes”

  • The Saga Continues…

    I’m getting tired of blogging about my car, but yesterday I went to have a SMOG inspection as it’s required after 6 years (that corrupt industry is a whole other blog topic for another time).  My car failed the electrical test.  The guy at the testing station asked me if the car had recently been serviced or if the battery had been removed.  Of course I told him yes.  What I learned was that it takes about a week of driving to get the electrical system in sync to pass the California test.  I payed $50 for nothing.  I wish Honda of Hollywood would have told me that.  Then, on the way home, the gas gauge suddenly showed “empty” when it had been nearly full the day before (and I’d only driven ten miles!).  So I went back to Honda of Hollywood.  They put it up on a lift and determined there was no leak, and the gauge just must have been stuck from the accident.  Grrrrrr!  Not how I wanted to spend my Saturday morning.  So here’s the letter I’m going to send to the president of Honda of Hollywood.  What do you think?

    Dear Mr. Robertson,

    My name is Carey _______, and I’m the person who owns the 2002 Honda Accord your body shop took 4 months to repair.  First, let me start by saying that Peter, in your body shop, was always courteous and professional to me, but that did not make up for the fact that this damage:

    took nearly four months (to the day) to fix.   It’s clear to everyone involved (including people I spoke to at Honda of Hollywood) that this car should have been totaled, and I must question the integrity of your business to embark on fixing a car that should have been in the junk heap in March when the accident occurred.

    This whole situation would almost be comical if it weren’t for the fact that I am currently facing out of pocket rental bills of over $1500 for an accident that was not my fault.  In addition, I have had to take several hours off work to rent, return and re-rent cars in the four months you were supposedly fixing my car.

    I have been a Honda customer for over 20 years.  I have used Honda of Hollywood exclusively to service my car since I moved to California six years ago.  I am mortified by the way this situation has been handled, and have documented it extensively in the public domain on my blog.  In fact, if you Google “Honda of Hollywood Customer Service” my blog is the #1 hit.  I have saved every voice mail your shop ever left me.  Many of them repeat the same untruths week after week.  (I lost count how many times the car was going “across the street to have the engine put back in”.)

    Sadly, now that I have the car back my problems persist.  Yesterday morning I took my car to get a smog inspection as my vehicle registration required after six years.  The car failed the electrical portion of the test, apparently because the battery had been removed for so long.  Your employees knew that I needed to get a smog inspection, and no one informed me of the fact that I had to “drive around for a week to get the electrical system in synch.”  After wasting $50 on that test, I realized that my gas gauge that had been nearly full an hour before, was now empty.  I drove back to Honda of Hollywood (for the third time in three days), and they proceeded to put my car up on a lift to check for a gas leak.  They had me stand under the car (a clearly posted OSHA violation) to tell me they couldn’t find a leak, and that the gauge had probably just been stuck.  (I won’t even go into the fact that you had my car for four month as apparently ran the tank empty not replenishing it before you gave it back to me!  When I had my accident in March, gas was practically $1 cheaper a gallon than it is today.  Classy!)

    When I walked across the street to talk to a Sales Representative about trading it in for a new car, they looked at me like I was crazy.  The bottom line is that you collected nearly $14,000 from the insurance company and after four months I still have a loose driver’s seat, a stuck gas gauge and who knows what other problems.  I suppose I’m going to have to consult with an attorney, as well as the Better Business Bureau, but I want to give you the opportunity to make this right.  I know that you are a respected leader in the Hollywood business community.  I also know that a few honestly well tagged Google hits can drive business away from any company in the 21st Century.  I hope that you will do the right thing here and correct this egregious wrong.  I await your reply.

    Sincerely,

    Carey ______


    On to happier things…
    Here are some photos from this weekend:


    Pad Thai lunch with Parvesh & Bhavin


    Tressa and I by the orange tree with the sun in our eyes.


    Spaghetti dinner at Aunty LuLu’s


    Strawberry shortcake for dessert!


    Tressa giving her favorite cousin a relaxing massage while Cole laughs in the background!


    Amos and I went here after Rock Sugar had an hour and 1/2 wait!


    This is a bit much!


    Fried clams on the half shell!


    Jessica & Hannah at brunch yesterday.


    Jessica, Seth & Hannah

    I don’t feel well today.  I’ve had the chills all day.  I get hot and then cold and then hot again.  In fact I’m sitting here with the ceiling fan going and a heater at my feet!  I really hope I’m not getting the flu.  I’m flying to Portland Wednesday and we’re renting a house at Cannon Beach for a few days.  I can’t get sick!!

  • Brighter Days & Darker Knights

      
    I thought this day would never arrive.  After nearly four months in the Honda of Hollywood Service Center, I finally got my car back.  Not that I really wanted it back.  I told them last month to just keep it.  There was no earthly reason it could have taken them four months to repair it.  Something is seriously wrong at Honda of Hollywood!  Throw greedy corporate insurance behemoths like Safeco and AAA into the mix and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.


    Happier days…the day I got it.

    The accident happened on March 20, and at first glance, didn’t look that bad!!

    Honda of Hollywood, instead of saying it wasn’t fixable, took four months and nearly $15,000 to fix my 2002 Accord!!  That’s just wrong.


    I’m not sure what all these awards were for, but they couldn’t have been for fast service!



    Somebody needs to go back to Estimating School!



    This was just the bill for my first rental car, from March 21st to June 7th.  I don’t even know what the bill was for the portion from June 7th until today.  Honda of Hollywood has to eat that.  I still have to fight someone for the 4 weeks in between the time Safeco stopped paying for my rental, even though their insured caused the accident.  Melissa Blumhagen was NOT friendly at all and quite rude and condescending on many occasions (I have her voice mails saved).  Welcome to the blogosphere Melissa!!!  

    I drove it around a bit tonight and it feels weird.  Not sure why.  Maybe it’s because I haven’t driven it in four months.  Or maybe it’s because they should have totaled it in the first place and it’s taken four months and nearly $15,000 to fix!!  I don’t think it will ever be the same.  Some people are telling me that I should get a lawyer and make Honda of Hollywood and “Bill Robertson & Sons” give me a new car.  This whole situation was a clusterf**k from the very beginning.  All I know is that the accident was not my fault, and this has been a nightmare.  I just hope the car is OK now and I get reimbursed.

    Amos and I had dinner tonight at Century City, and saw Batman – The Dark Knight.  The movie was every bit as good as you’ve heard.  A word of advice, go to the bathroom before it starts, as it’s long, and you won’t want to leave to pee!  Another word of caution, this movie is DARK!  Heath Ledger gives an Oscar worthy performance.  Chilling really.  


    The line to get in went around the whole theater.


    This is a new restaurant at Century City.  It was packed!


  • Paperless Society, Slight Improvements & Popsicle Fears

    My quest to rid the world of all paper continued today when I got this email from my Homeowner’s Association.  They apparently got the stack of unopened mail that I marked “Return to Sender – EMAIL ONLY” last week, and this is how it played out:

    Carey Anthony
    Re: Your Homeowner’s Association Dues
    2 messages

    On Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 6:00 PM, Olive Manor HOA wrote:

    Please review the attached report.  Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
    There has been an increase and special assessment. Your dues are due whether you get a statement or not.

    We cannot email each homeowner their statement and correspondence as it is special treatment that is not affordable to all and the association does not pay extra for this service.

    You can email me every month to request the invoice but it will not automatically get emailed to you.
    Thank you for your understanding.

    Thank you.

    On Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 6:05 PM, Carey Anthony wrote:

    LOL, it costs you money to mail the statements.  It costs 0 to email them!  It’s the 21st Century.  Figure it out!!!  I’m not asking for special treatment, I’m asking for normal treatment.  Thank you!
    –
    Carey

    On Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 8:10 AM, Olive Manor HOA wrote:

    Thank you for the response . We will work out something special for you. Your current statement was emailed to you yesterday. However’ if you do not receive one in the future your dues are still payable before the 15th of each month as billing is a courtesy because your CC&R’s require you to pay your monthly assessment no matter what.

    On Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 8:12 AM, Carey Anthony wrote:

    Thanks Tony.
    I’m on auto pay, so payment is never an issue.  Again, I don’t need special treatment.  I look at mail once every six months and have no reason to change.  You’re not the only one who got a stack returned!!  Thanks!
    –
    Carey

    Then tonight I was at Trader Joe’s with my cousin.  The woman in front of us in line was writing a check.  I asked out loud, “What’s that she’s writing?  It vaguely reminds me of those pieces of paper you used to pay for things with…”  The woman had a great sense of humor and even the check out guy was laughing.  Then, to my cousin’s massive embarrassment, we acted out the whole seen again…much to the delight of the people in line behind us.  Darlene was mortified but the check out boy didn’t seem to mind.  Check it out:

    The whole situation kind of reminded me of this:


    “What’s so poignant about this time, is the uncertainty…”

    I also got a new tire today on the rental, and things improved ever so slightly in that department.  LOL.  Honda of Hollywood called today to say I should have my car back on Friday when I get home (almost four months after my March 21st accident!).  We’ll see.

    Tonight’s my last night here, and Dar & I had a quiet, pleasant evening.  For dessert, she offered me a Fudgsical which I reluctantly accepted, all the while being careful to keep it in the wrapper!  You see, ever since I was a kid, I’ve been bothered by the texture of popsicle sticks!  I know it’s crazy, but they give me goose bumps even thinking about them.  I told my cousin that popsicle sticks were like nails on a chalkboard to me.  She didn’t believe me and thought I was making it up even though she could see the hair on my arms standing on end.  I wondered if I was the only person in the world with this odd condition.  Enter Google:

    Of course, I know I’m still crazy, but at least I’m not alone: 

    Popsicle Stick Phobia?
    I think I have this weird texture phobia. Like, if I’m having a popsicle, and I bite into the wooden stick, it’s like nails on a chalkboard. Seriously. I’ll have to stop eating it. It’s not like I’m SCARED of the stick, it’s just really…grating. Am I the only one?

    Best Answer – Chosen by Voters
    This is actually quite common. I know a lot of people with this phobia. Sticks do have a weird texture, so don’t worry, you’re normal and not the only one.

  • Blog Worthy Flat Tires & Multiple Births

     
    Pehaps my last entry should have been called “One of Those Weeks”.  Continuing my streak of bad luck this week (I didn’t even mention in the previous post that my camera broke again…long sandy story), the rental car had a flat tire when I left work today!  Since Enterprise was closed already, I called AAA.  (No, I don’t change flat tires.  That’s what AAA is for!)  Lisa’s husband graciously offered to come, but AAA got there in less than 15 minutes which was great.  It could have been better though…  As he was changing the tire, I texted Lisa:



    Talk about your flat tires!

    On a brighter note, I went to two birthday parties yesterday!  The first was for my friend Luciana’s 2 year old daughter Amanda.  Luci lives in São Paulo, Brazil and we’ve been friends since 1991.  The last time I saw her, was the night of my attack in 2002.  It was so wonderful to see her and her husband Mateus under much better circumstances!  I had not met her children, Amanda and Lucas, and even though they didn’t speak English (and my Portuguese is limited), we became fast friends!

    Lucas and I spoke the language of peek a boo!


    And soon we were melhores amigos!


    The birthday girl with mamã…


    and paizinho.


    Eu te amo você ama-me


    If you’re interested in the rest, click the photo above.

    From one pizza party at noon to another at 4:00, LOL.  Cole & Tressa’s party was at the pool, and a good time was had by all.  The shark cake was a big hit!


    Doing the limbo.


    This was a $200 cake that Jennifer got for free when a friend of the baker’s called to say they had an extra cake!!  The “sand” was brown sugar and the shells were white chocolate.


    The rest of the photos can be viewed by clicking the above photo.

    Speaking of multiple birthdays…or births…Diane sent this photo of the boys last night.  Isn’t it the greatest?


    Cole, Trey, Jaden, Tyler & Carter