What should we do to keep busy while we're waiting? Take Grandpa on a hike.
It needs to include many stops to rest.
And a flooded area to be carried through because of all the rain we've had.
What should one think of the recently passed Health Care bill? At first, it was hard to tell. The politicos making the talk show rounds seemed unaware of certain key points, so how was I - an ordinary citizen - expected to form an educated opinion? 
Obama's rhetoric about stamping out inequality and righting the wrongs of the Reagan era are offensive to me. "Inequality" is natural in a free state in which talent levels and ambitions differ. The diversity of America is what makes it desirable as the land of opportunity, and the home of the rugged individualist. Strong people don't need a government which positions itself as "The Provider of Gifts".
Cars are much more reliable now. I recall choking and cranking an engine to coax it to start, and letting it "warm up". Achieving 100,000 miles signaled the end of the car’s life. Now, cars are so reliable, their engine compartment is often sealed! Unforunately, when repairs are needed, they cost a fortune.
The technology which existed when I was a kid consisted of transistor radios, rotary-dial phones, and black-and-white TV sets (which pulled in 3-4 channels). The programming was squeaky clean.
Then the girls had to prepare their outfits. You can't go out in public without all of the proper accessories.
Catherine at the aquariums. Mary was a little afraid to get too close.
It's a small museum, but it had plenty for the girls to do. We hiked one of their shorter trails and are hoping the weather cooperates this week so we can do a longer one. 
High fashion for teeth brushing.
Catherine was determined that Mary would accept her hugs!
We made rainbow cupcakes.
The bearded ladies!
This year's LA marathon, run last weekend, featured a "run to the ocean" course, cruised by several famous Hollywood icons, and boasted an enlarged field of 25,000 running enthusiasts. Tommy was one of them.
The day (Tommy's 25th birthday and the 25th running of the LA event) began early amidst the thick fog of Marina del Rey. On the drive to drop off Tommy and Stick at Dodger Stadium - the starting line - we encountered a traffic jam at 5 AM on a Sunday morning. I'd like to say such inconveniences are rare in LA, but that would be untrue. However, the dropoff was executed successfully with time to spare.
The race was also a success, but without some pain (as one can imagine from traveling 26 miles on your feet in the same time it takes to sit on the couch and watch a football game!).
Jena, Chris, and I first viewed Tommy in Brentwood about 21 miles into the race. At the time, he was on pace to complete the run in 2 hours and 51 minutes, but he seemed to be flagging. Sure enough, leg cramps were beginning to plague him, and his feet were blistering.
He gutted out the remaining miles, however, to finish with a personal best of 2:56. This was good for 88th in a field of 25,000. Congratulations, Tommy!
Now for the pictures ...
These are from the official pre-race meal on Friday with the Elkins and Chris/Sunny:
And from the race itself, here's the start at Dodger Stadium (Tom's not in the picture as far as I know):
Getting a post-race massage:
All over! ...
In cleaning up the photos stored on my phone the other day, it hit me that these files represented a sort of historical log.
If the only surviving records from my life consisted of this small set of grainy pictures, what story would they suggest?
Due to technical difficulties, a large number of my photos could not be transferred here. They consisted of hiking with sons Chris and Mike, another hike with Vince Beckmann and Mike Taylor, with Tom and Jena at Fenway Park, at Pauley Pavilion to watch a UCLA basketball game with Tommy, riding the subway with the grand-girls, enjoying a number of activities with Kim, and other memories.
A few pictures transferred fine.
At Mount Whitney with Chris (it's the rain-drenched hulk in the background) ...
Backwoods beauty in Missouri ...
Sleeping under the stars ...
Taking in a baseball game in St. Louis ...
Frankly, if a future historian judged my life solely on what's in my phone, they would enjoy a glimpse into a happy life.
... watched basketball (Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10, SEC, ACC) ...
Last week, I viewed the critically panned movie, 2012, starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson, and Danny Glover. The movie gains a rare thumbs-up and thumbs-down at the same time. It was the same feeling one gets when watching the Poseiden Adventure, i.e. it's a watchable bad movie.
People desperate for success frequently throw others under the bus. They desperately seek a scapegoat to further ideas which havd little merit on their own.
