Progress in Plywood

Now that the project is moving along nicely, I look forward to making the right turn from Raymond Ave. onto Grove Place and driving directly toward the house. It's beginning to look dramatically different on a daily basis.

The framers have been busy this week and have finished the basic ground floor framing and have now started on the second floor. Two walls of the boy's bedroom went up today.

It seemed like a good time to update the slide show and close the "Demolition" phase. I've also put up a photo album of the project.

Can't wait for tomorrow's trip down Grove.

Sunday Detour

It didn't take long for my friend Ted Benson to convince me to join him for a Sunday drive to see Amtrak's Coast Starlight detouring over the Tehachapi Mountains while the Union Pacific did some bridge work in Santa Barbara on June 22.

Ted and I have had many memorable railroad photography trips together, but opportunities to do so in recent years have been elusive. Hundred degree temperatures and $4.75 gasoline weren't even going to get in the way this time. Naturally, we connected somewhat by accident early evening near Tunnel 2 while setting up to shoot the same train. After the day's light ran out, we rolled over to Antonio's in Tehachapi for a great meal and Cadillac margeritas and a chance to compare the joys of grandfatherhood.

The former Southern Pacific (now Union Pacific) route through the Tehachapis is one of this world's greatest places to photograph trains. Much of the line is accessible with a little effort, and the line's frequent change of direction makes it possible to get suitable lighting nearly any time of the day.

However there has not been passenger service on the route since Amtrak took over the nation's passenger service in 1971. Since then there have been only a handful of opportunities to see or ride a passenger train on the route. This day was extra special since there would be a train running in each direction. Although it wasn't the highest priority, I did quietly hope to get both trains passing each other, and that opportunity presented itself at Caliente.

I was one sunburnt, worn out, old man when I drove up to the apartment at 8:45 Sunday evening. But the time, gas money and skin cells were well-spent.

View the photographs.

Growing Up…or Not

Inevitably, time marches on and we witnessed two events which underscored that fact.

The boy started kindergarten at Raymond School just a block down the street from our house just a couple of months before Amy and I were married in 2001. It's the only school he's ever attended, but last Thursday we attended his promotion where he was ceremonially flung into the wide world of junior high school.

Speaking of junior high school, the girl finished her two years at Ladera Vista Junior High with a graduation ceremony held outdoors on a sweltering June morning last Friday. She sang in the school's advanced choir for one last time during the ceremony.

Of course this meant that we had to subject ourselves to modern graduation behavior. At one time these were dignified ceremonies, the band played Pomp and Circumstance while the graduates processed to their seats. Everyone applauded after all of the graduates had received their diplomas.

Now days, each student has his/her own cheering section which erupts into a mighty roar when their child's niece/nephew/cousin/whatever has their name announced. This loud cheerleading woman's overexposed back grabbed my camera's autofocus sensor as I was attempting to record Emily's return to her seat.

I resisted the urge to ask the woman if she wanted a print.

Assess This!

Finally, exactly four months past the original date to start demolition/construction, our builder was finally able to pick up the building permits last Tuesday and things have been moving along smartly ever since. In order to support a second floor, about ten large openings have been made in the concrete slab at key points to make pads to support the additional structure. Our contractor, RVM Construction, plans to be pouring concrete this coming Wednesday. After that, the roof will come off, the walls will be stripped to the studs, or replaced entirely in rebuilding process.

Several readers have noted the lack of updates to The Movie: Demolition after its original posting. Frankly, for the past few months there was nothing to add. In the meantime, I've reconsidered the method of presentation, and decided to replace it with The Slide Show: Demolition a Flash slide show with much better resolution. This will be easier to update as well. As the project proceeds, I'll post slide shows on the framing, stuccoing, window washing, etc.

The other day, I received a joke email about property taxes. The most noteworthy aspect for me was the remarkable resemblance of the fourth image (as seen by your appraiser) to the current condition of our house.

Full-Contact Foaming

Most people are aware that railfans are commonly referred to as "foamers." It's considered a pejorative term to describe someone who gets so excited about seeing a train that they foam at the mouth. I'll never refer to myself as a foamer, but when pressed on the matter, I might own up to the possibility of being one. I prefer "railroad photographer."

But last Sunday, I was a foamer. Santa Fe 3751, a steam locomotive built in 1927 (the same year my parents were born) was used to pull an excursion train from Los Angeles to San Diego and back. I carefully calculated the number of times I could catch up with, and photograph, the train. By the time train passed my camera at Torrey Pines, I had managed to catch it in 5 different locations.

This required a small amount of NASCAR-like activity on my part.

However, contemplating the return journey of the train, I decided to return to "railroad photographer" mode. Consequently, I carefully looked around the Torrey Pines Bridge and settled on a position that seemed to offer the most promise in terms of composition, light angle and historical interest. As news of the train's delayed departure from San Diego reached me, I began to worry that the light would deteriorate completely, no matter what its angle. I also began to question my sanity for waiting so long for a single image.

Finally, I heard of its departure at 6:05, and figured it would take 45 minutes for the train to reach my location. Just as I could see the train's headlight in the distance, the sun broke through the gathering clouds. The historic bridge and the locomotive's smokebox "went electric."

I'm glad I waited. But six hours for one photograph? I guess I'm still a foamer.

Images from the entire day

Start of Construction, Take 2

We finally had our hearing with the Fullerton Planning Commission on May 14. After a brief discussion including an objection raised by a "neighbor" around the corner, eight houses away, who didn't want to see a 2nd story structure from his house (he won't unless he uses a ladder), the commission voted 5-0 to approve our request for a zoning variance. After a 10-day (city business days) window to allow formal appeals of the decision to be filed, we should finally be able to pick up the building permits on June 3 -- exactly 4 months after the original date for the start of work.

Due to a lack of venue during our homeless period, the family gathered in a park near our house last Sunday to celebrate my birthday. For those of you who may not have been paying real close attention, the age counter in my profile updated automatically on May 19. It was unusually hot for mid-May in these parts that weekend, but we still managed to have a good time. My parents, wife, kids and grandkids were all there along with Melissa's homemade key lime pie. It was a simple, pleasant time and I took photos.

Rooting for Laundry

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once observed that with the way professional athletes change teams at will, rooting for our favorite team with its constantly changing cast of characters essentially amounts to the fact that we're just "rooting for laundry," i.e. the guys wearing our team's jersey.

Why do we root for some teams and not for others? Geographic proximity is the most common reason. I was born, raised and continue to live near Los Angeles, so I follow the Angels (of Anaheim -- don't get me started on that issue), the Dodgers (to a slightly lesser extent), the Lakers, and the Anaheim Ducks. Had the LA Clippers done the logical thing and relocated to the newly built Pond in Anaheim during the 1990s, I might have been sucked into the black pit of despair that is the lot of being a Clippers fan.

Note the lack of football teams on my list. In 1996, the NFL saw fit to allow both local pro football teams to depart, the Raiders back to Oakland where they belonged and the Rams to anywhere else where they, too, belonged. I'll start following real football (soccer) before I ever give a rat's ass about an NFL team again. From my high school days as a 155 lb., 3rd string linebacker, American football has proven itself to be a sport that I can live without. Even our local university, Cal State Fullerton, quit fielding a football team in 1993 and now sells "Titan Football: undefeated since 1993" T-shirts in the bookstore. Meanwhile the university's baseball teams are nationally-ranked every year and average a national championship every decade. Even the Titan basketball team made the NCAA tournament this past season.

Incidentally, I'm getting interested in NBA basketball (notably the Lakers) again after taking a few years off from the NBA culture. But I've followed the career of Kobe Bryant since he was drafted as a 17-year- old out of high school. At times, it has been obvious that his talent as a player far outstripped his ability be a good teammate or to make good decisions off the court. However, he does seem to be getting it this year, as he has elevated the level of his own game as well as the entire team's. In my opinion he is truly deserving of the league's MVP award and I've enjoyed watching his talent as he has matured and I'll continue to root for him, particularly on his journey through life.

Occasionally, other events have forced me to re-examine those loyalties as well. I was a die-hard Dodger fan growing up. When Rupert Murdock's Fox Corp. bought the Dodgers and replaced Orel Hershciser and Mike Piazza with Kevin Brown and Gary Sheffield I found it impossible to care about the team any longer. Since I had recently moved to Fullerton, just next door to Anaheim, it seemed like a good time to transfer my primary allegiance. Living just a 10-15 minute drive from Angel Stadium helps a lot, and as long as they don't sign Barry Bonds or Manny Ramirez as their DH (even though they seem to need one) I'll keep rooting for them, in spite of the fact that a sorting mistake with some of my red Angels gear could turn all of my laundry pink!