A Little Of Everything

Still spring like temps but starting to get chilly earlier in the day. A few real windy days on the mountain and some rain this week and maybe another day this week. Nothing to brag about.

Natalia had the big birthday party for her dolls this week and it went off with no problems. I was in charge of the cookies. Another great week in town with a short hike in the quietness of the forest. Another trip collecting rocks for another planter I am working on in the front. Natalia and me are playing more an more board games and it puts a big smile on my face and hopes. She learns so much from these games and I love to spend the time around a table in a quiet house playing. We also been going through so many books lately on our daily night reading that I am starting to wonder when we will read every book on the library.

Natalia also this week introduced herself to PeeWee Herman. I know the stories but his movies and shows are somewhat classics. Now she knows what PeeWee's bike looks like and knows the dance.

Got to ride my mountain bike again this past week and it was a nice ride as usual. Long but with many long stops to share tall tales and pictures. I will say I do not like the many trails being cut all over Riverside but there has been a few descent additions. So many riders in Riverside nowadays and surprising as years back it was just mainly our group. We all knew each other. I did have fun banging away on some downhill sections and just for a few seconds riding like I like.

Work again has started to cut hours and really hurting my income, but that is always expected of it. Sadly seems this time around the many managers there do not care of peoples situations but their owns.

This week I hope to get into Sinclair Lewis' book It Can't Happen Here and get through it quick and see what it is about and keep moving through the French and Indian War.

This week another live Dice Tower play-through of Memoir '44 with Tom and Sam. I know, very geeky.

The Skies & Another Waste Of Time

Spring like temperatures again and slowly getting the urge to start planting but I know I have to wait as we will still get more snowstorms this year. I did get a great deal on tulip bulbs at work and planted them all scattered. Maybe a little too late for this spring but we will see. I love tulips but sadly they do not last too long. The big talk has been the awesome skies with their sunrises and sunsets.

A weekend at home like many the way Natalia likes them. At home in town playing games and relaxing. Some forest walking, park playing and library trip is what it's all about. Natalia tends to beat me at all the games. Even dominoes where the odds are 50-50 it is more like 100-0.

Natalia tells me she is not going to school when she is with her mom and tends to stay over at her grandparents often. I know my ex will lie to me about this as she does with everything else.So off I go again to investigate and find out the truth.

Another deposition planned to waste my time and this time my attorneys fault as he didn't call me cancelling and another wasted day. The amount of money and time being wasted to this day and will never end with the nonsense and lies. But I keep taking punches and getting up. Bigger is that I have decided to stop dumping money in an attorney and getting dragged along with postponements and false claims. I can no longer keep paying and rather use that money for Natalia. I know it will be more headaches but this will never end with the changes and false accusations.

Picked up a book about the French and Indian War at the between 1755-1763 and hope to slowly learn more about it. Also put on order Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here as a recommendation from the No Agenda Show.

Below is a geeky video of a live play through of Robinson Crusoe. A game on my game table slowly trying to learn.

The Camels Left A Mess In The Room

Well not really. The camels didn't leave a mess after Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar left some gifts for Natalia and me. They did however take one of Natalia's picture she left for them.

This holiday season we got many board games to experience and enjoy. I am into the board gaming scene lately and amazed at the many great games and themes out there. Finding games to play with Natalia has been a pleasant challenge. I can recommend a few good ones. Pictured is My First Carcassonne for younger children and slowly Natalia is getting the strategy and enjoying it.

Already with a slow start to my reading this year but we are just starting. I find myself re reading again some of the H.P. Lovecraft stories. Still trying to decide my next read. It is always a little hard to decide what story and world I will give my time to.

Natalia back to her school and she was looking forward to it. They sang her happy birthday and had a little celebration there as well. Quiet days at work and at home but that usually doesn't last.

This past Saturday was my last day serving and in uniform. felt a little sad and I do not like good byes so I just left Saturday with no word. I can not do another deployment with the custody and the way the state of California has been treating me. Plus I will say lately it seems to me that the I won't be really doing the job but simply wasting time and fulfilling nonsense requirements. So with that I close this chapter in my life and and exciting one and will miss it and miss any opportunities. I leave it to others to do the job. I ow move on to yet another chapter in my life and curious what it will bring as I have been through so much and experienced so much thus far in this world.

Are Those Hot Wheels Inside That Coach?

Natalia is now 5 years old! Another great week for Natalia full of gifts. More dress up items, Hot Wheels, clothes, a red fire truck and her first purse. It has been great for me to be here and experience all this with Natalia and my parents. This weekend we wait for the 3 Kings to stop by the house and drop off some gifts for Natalia and me. I hope they don't leave a mess as they have in the past.

The snow melting and not many good spots to go playing. So I went to my secret place and got in some good runs. I, however got a workout and some sweating pulling Natalia into and around the woods in search for some nice slopes.

The story again out here has been the traffic. For some reason this year highway 330 has been used much and causing hours of delays while highway 18 has been somewhat clear. In the past highway 330 has been a bit unknown by many but locals and was always the sure way up faster. Not this time around. The worse of this has been those stopping in the middle of the road to chain up or worse, to play in the snow in traffic. It will always amaze me the lack of common sense and security for their children.

I got to go back out again on a mountain bike ride again with my people after a long hiatus and it was short and easy but that is never the issue. It is about getting out there together. Again another stroll to Mt. Roubidoux in Riverside in pretty cold conditions but by the end it started to warm up and back to work for me. I do hope we get together again as many Sundays as possible. This weekend I have what may be my last drill weekend. Not really feeling it anymore and that can be a good thing. However to wear the uniform is a great thing and an honor.

"We live as we dream. Alone."

Are dreams real? Natalia asked me this and I would have to say yes. We spend a good percentage of our existence here sleeping and in a dream state. So why can't that be real as oppose to when we are awake. In the end all experiences are kept in the mind and processed by your mind which is the same as dreaming.

This summer we see another Marvel movie and this one taking another obscure character in the Ant Man. From what they did with Guardians of the Galaxy I can expect this one to also be entertaining. One complaint is that I dislike the main actor and hope to get past that.

You, Me & Dr. Doom

Two storms since last post and nothing major. The story here has been the traffic. Last weekend with almost no snow we had huge traffic of about 4 hours just to get to town. This weekend after our recent storm I am sure it will be even worse. I get all the shopping I need and stay at home for days with Natalia. I am not leaving town at all. This storm left us with the cold powdery snow which is easy to clean up and driveway all clear. No storms forecasted anytime soon and a rise in temperatures again.

It was a good Christmas and I was looking forward to it. Santa got Natalia all she wanted. She got her super heroes and Hot Wheel track and cars. I got a few board games. Yuli too got a present from Santa but like many kids she rather chew on my old towel from boot camp. Natalia likes her cars and the Dr. Doom she asked for, Now we have a villain to play with.

Work has been OK and I got to enjoy myself a bit selling chains for hours. Just to listen to the questions people ask. To my surprise no one has argued with me over sizes. After that fun, I get to go up the hill and see the chaos and the people trying to figure out chains. I will say people in general lately, at least here have lost common sense and the ability to figure things out. People just don't try or want others to do for them. But the installers along the roads up here are not complaining and just taking in the money from these people.

The new year is here and I really do not celebrate. I thought with the recent traffic I would celebrate the new years in traffic on the 330 with countless others. But the roads were cleared and I got home rather fast after zooming past a few cars almost stopped with chain issues.

Spent much of the past weekend "geeking" out watching the Dice Tower do its 18 hour gaming marathon. Did not accomplish my reading goal this year and I knew I was not going to due to my deployment. Took me a while to get adjusted. This year I will set a goal of 30 books and hope to get that accomplished by the end of the year.

Again we see another attack from us against North Korea. Now we blame them for a hack of a movie that was clearly an inside job but this government looses no chance to create enemies and instability. Why should we. We now must make sure South Korea buys our weapons and training. So fear must be instilled constantly to increase sales. With that being said a few days later Sony gets hacked again but this time it wasn't blamed on North Korea. Sony whom has gotten hacked over 50 times in recent times. We also now are starting to see "terrorist" events in Canada. Hmmmm.... I simply ask everyone to question and not fall for the fear tactics being used so much and open today.

Below is a great video I want to share with all.