It was a really nice day today – I even left for work a little late so I could stay and enjoy the morning outside with the dogs. They are really such hams these days, so happy and always ready to play. I took a few extra breaks at work today to go out and enjoy the sunshine. Tonight is comfortable and cloudless. I took a long swim after I got home and just floated around while the dogs played. All-in-all not a bad day.
I’m really looking forward to this weekend. My friend comes in to town Friday night and is going to spend the whole weekend here. Unfortunately that means I need to pick up the pace on cleaning up the house, but I think I can get it done in time. Not sure exactly what we’re going to do yet but I have a couple of ideas that should be pretty fun.
It is going to be really good for Hayden to go back to school. Last summer he was really restless and wanted to go places all the time. On the weekends, if we hadn’t left to go somewhere by noon he would start to ask if we were going to go do something. He was much more of a wanderer back then. This summer he’s turned into a sloth – he doesn’t even get out of his pajama’s unless we tell him to get dressed! He never wants to go anywhere anymore (unless it’s to go get something to eat, which he wants to do every time we do go out) and complains when we tell him we’re leaving saying he doesn’t want to go anywhere. Then when we’re out doing things he keeps asking when we’re going to go home. What a difference a year makes. It’s almost like he’s turning into a teenager at 5!!!
It’s also going to be good for him to hang out with kids his own age. All of his friends from school haven’t been around for him to play with all summer, or their parents are only our “friends” when they have to see us at school, so he has only been around us for the most part. The stories he tells and the imagination he has are unbelievable and would probably be even more appreciated by someone his own age.
I’m getting much more comfortable on the motorcycle. I’ve had it since the 26th of July, so about four full weekends so far. The first weekend I didn’t drive it out of the driveway at all – just back and forth in the driveway. The second and third weekends I drove it on residential streets about 7 and 16 miles respectively. This weekend I decided it was time to venture out onto surface streets. Yesterday I drove it 20 miles on somewhat busy streets, then today I’ve driven it about 65 miles total. This morning I drove it to work – from Lake Balboa (West Van Nuys) to Brentwood over by Santa Monica and back. That was about 37 miles, then this afternoon I drove it an other 24 miles out to Topanga Canyon and back on Devonshire. I’ve got starting and stopping down pretty well, turning I’m feeling more comfortable with, and I’ve had to make two quick stops without panicking. I’ve found that starting out on an incline is much harder than I thought and need to do a lot of work on that since there is a major hill on my way to work and I will NEED to be able to start out on a hill. If it wasn’t for the hill then I’d probably take it to work tomorrow, but unfortunately it’ll have to wait.
Nickey and Hayden are heading to Seattle on Wednesday for a family reunion on her mom’s side. I can’t go since I just recently started a job and would have to take those days without pay since I’m a contractor. They will be back on Sunday for about an hour then will be driving to San Diego for a Brian Buffini Mastermind conference. Then they will be back Tuesday night. A whole week to myself. Most guys would probably be like, “I’m going out!”. I’m like, “What projects can I get done? Bead board in the kitchen. Can I get the tile in the bathroom removed and replaced before she gets back? Can I pull down the drywall in the bedroom, insulate the walls, replace the drywall, tape it, texture it and prime it before she gets back?”. Note the “before she gets back” consistency 
Hi mom! Sorry I haven’t been living up to my twice a week commitment!! I’ll try to be more consistent. We love you.
We made the drive out to Vegas for the Turning Point retreat without incident this time – last year we blew out a tire in the Mojave and I had to change it in almost 110 degree heat. Hayden’s grandma and grandpa came to town to take care of him while we were gone, it was good to have a trip with just Nickey and myself for a change. Since moving to Los Angeles it has been unbelievably hard to find reliable baby sitters for some reason, so we don’t make it out very often by ourselves. We had a great time in Vegas, and only managed to lose $43 all together. We went through a bunch of casino’s, walked the strip, had some great food, and had to go to the Harley Cafe since I had just bought my motorcycle. The food there was better than I expected – I thought it would be more like Hooters but it turned out to be pretty good. We were going to see a show on Tuesday evening but we decided to head home early.
I started my new job on Thursday and after two days of being there I know I made the right decision to take this job. I had almost forgotten what it was like to work at a sane company. It’s not that my last job was so bad, it’s just that the company was so dysfunctional. Most people came to work every day knowing that it could always be their last day there for whatever reason. I’m glad to not have that kind of stress anymore.
Well, I’m off to do a little practice on the motorcycle. I’m still at the point that it’s a bit scary to take it out on the road but the more I do it the better, and more comfortable, I’ll get so it must be done. Once I get the initial starting from a stop down, then I’ll be a lot more comfortable.
I’ve ridden it about 2 miles or so around the neighborhood so far. I can tell I’m going to have to get a lot more used to riding it before I’ll start taking it to work. It is a beast.
Because of the high gas prices, and because of my new job being a bit farther away than I have to commute now, I’m actually hoping to get a motorcycle. I was always a bit affraid to ride one in Seattle, and even more nervous about riding one in L.A., but I feel a little more comfortable with the whole thing now. I go to the DMV on Friday to take my written, and then I’m signed up for riding classes at the end of August. If I pass the written then I get a permit to ride during the day so I can practice. Because I get a permit, I’m trying to get a motorcycle soon so I can take full advantage of the permit. Hayden says he wants to ride with me when I get it – that’s even motivation to pass all my tests! I think Loki is hoping I get a sidecar too. I really think he’d ride with me 
One thing I wasn’t prepared for was how much more the interest rate is for a motorcycle than it is for a car – almost double in some instances. Sheesh!!
The family and I went to the police station on Saturday morning and filed a report. When all was said and done we had several charges against the woman who rear-ended me. We had assault, battery, theft, and something like vehicle abuse or something similar to that (from when she kicked my car door). Apparently she’s had a history of DUI’s and she just got her license back about a month ago. Nice. I didn’t even notice it, but Nickey said that my shorts were ripped from the struggle when the crazy woman tried to grab the paper out of my pocked that I had written her stuff down on.
How bizarre.
