Our Connection To Technology

I recently read a novel called The Island. It's about a mother, the mother's sister, and two grown children that go to their summer home on a private island near Nantucket. They've all had some big life changes, and want an opportunity to reunite and understand one another. There is no hot water on the property, and although they have electricity, they have a rule that there are no cell phones, TV, or internet during the time they're there. This got me to thinking, "Could I spend a month somewhere with anyone (including Ron) with no hot water and no connection to the outside world? Years ago we used to go to places like Club Med or some fancy resorts in Hawaii or Tahiti that had no TV and no phone. (this was actually before the days of cell phones). We'd go for a week, and it really gave one a chance to unwind, get away from the news of the day, and find OTHER things to do, like read, walk, think, talk. I liked it, Ron hated it. But things are different now. First thing in the morning and the last thing at night, I'm at my computer, either sending or checking e-mail, or reading something online. In between 7am and 11pm I have my cell phone to communicate with, TV to keep me up to date on what's happening in the world and entertain me if I get bored, and my computer. I spend a lot of time at my computer at home, and I sometimes wonder what I did when I didn't have a computer. (cleaned the house?) Well, I didn't write a blog, I didn't shop on line, I didn't get dozens of groupons and other coupon e-mails everyday, I didn't seem to have the need for instant gratification. For example, if we're having a conversation about some actress and can't remember the name of her last movie, we just look it up. Voila, in 30 seconds we have the answer. What did we do before? I can't remember! Besides the fact that I think it might be unsafe to be on a private island with no phone for emergency purposes, I think it would be very hard for those of us who are so connected with the use of text, cell phone, e-mail, etc. to simply cut off all communication for a month. I watch kids walk around the streets texting, practically bumping into people, and I wonder how they could disconnect. Many young people are so used to having something to do all the time, they may have a hard time winding down, walking on the beach, swimming, cooking, reading, thinking. Do you thnk you would enjoy a month on an island with your daughters and sisters? I think it would be a little too much for me. I think the age of technology has made it harder for me relax, and as great as technology is, I still remember my mother's words, "Everything in moderation." Good words to live by.

Try A "Banana Split" For Breakfast

I have my favorite breakfast foods, and rarely deviate from them. A high fiber cereal from Trader Joe's, with either a few blueberries or 1/2 banana on top, or both. I like non fat milk, so this is a low calorie, high fiber breakfast. My other breakfast choice is non fat greek yogurt (usually Fage), topped with whatever fresh fruit I have on hand. I love it, and find it a satisfying way to start the day. But, everyone needs a change once in a while, and my breakfast banana split is just the thing. You can vary it with different fruits, different yogurts, and different toppings, just like a 1,000 calorie banana split. The difference is, this one has only about 250 calories, depending on what you add. Breakfast Banana Split 1 banana, halved 1/2 cup yogurt, your choice...I like plain or vanilla or pomegranete. I use the Greek yogurt, but any kind will do.' 1/2 cup favorite cold cereal. Granola works well, but to keep the calories down, try Grape Nuts or any cereal with a good crunch. Toppings: use trail mix, plain raisins, dried cranberries, fresh pomegranete seeds (available at Trader Joe's), or any fresh fruit, cut up. Assembly: In a bowl, place 2 banana halves at the bottom, on each side. Add yogurt, then top with cereal and any toppings. You've got a healthy breakfast that's ready in no time flat, and is a nice change from your standard fare. My favorite is vanilla yogurt, granola, topped with pomegranete seeds. Yum.

The Many Hats Of Dr. Seuss

Hats Off to Dr. Seuss! is a rare and exciting exhibition that is traveling the country visiting selected venues throughout 2013. It is currently in La Jolla, and several of us (thanks Marilyn for arranging) went to see it. Audrey S. Geisel, the widow of Dr. Seuss, has generously opened up the Estate's legendary "hat closet" to allow the public a peek at Dr. Seuss's hat collection. This is all in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Dr. Seuss's second book, The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. The hat collection is being shown along side his little-known Secret Art, a series of Estate authorized works adapted from Ted Geisel's original drawings, painting, and sculpture. Theodore Geisel saw hats as transformational, both in his personal life and in his artwork. From the time he was a small boy in Springfield, Massachusetts, he was aware of their inherent magic. Far beyond their functionality, hats were the accent-the exclamation point, on a person's behavior. Hats could entertain, delight and embellish, even tease and taunt, but most of hats helped Dr. Seuss deliver a world of life-changing inspiration. In his personal life he would have dinner parties, and in the middle of the festivities would disappear, only to reappear shortly wearing one of his whimsical hats. Theodore Geisel himself wore many hats. He was a cartoonist, worked in advertising, wrote political cartoons during World War 11, was a film maker, a writer, an artist, a friend and a husband. The one thing he was not, was a father. In fact, he didn't really like kids very much. He reportedly once said of children, "You have them, I'll entertain them." He had an exciting life, including lots of travel with his wife Audrey, whom he married in 1968. His first wife committed suicide. Dr. Seuss' first book was Cat in the Hat. It's an interesting story as to how it got written. Houghton Mifflin contracted with Dr. Seuss to write a children's primer using 220 new reader vocabulary words, and his first book was born. Children were bored with primers like Dick and Jane, and Dr. Seuss' rhyming format and whimsical drawings were just what children needed. What a rare talent he was! Is there a child that hasn't been influenced by his words and pictures? What a treat to get to see this exhibit, and find out some interesting and unknown facts about Theodore Geisel. Go see this exhibit and find out more. It will be at Legends Gallery in La Jolla through August 4.

The New Fitness Sensation: Flywheel

I had an opportunity to experience Flywheel, the new fitness sensation, at a recent fundraiser for Nephrotic Syndrome in LA. I was one of the 46 riders in the stadium seating area at the Flywheel studio on Larchmont in LA. I have to tell you about it, because although it's only in about 20 cities nationwide + Dubai, it will soon be everywhere. It is a 45 or 60 minute workout that will burn fat, test endurance, make you smile and SWEAT. It's a new "spin" on an old favorite, cycling. I am a great lover of indoor spinning. I do it three times a week. I love the rewards and the immediate feedback from my high tech Kaiser bike that tells me my RPM's, Watts, calories and distance I have travelled. At the end of the ride I know whether to have yogurt or pancakes for breakfast. Flywheel has an additional component to typical indoor cycling. The high tech bike also has two 10 pound bars that are used for upper body work towards the end of the ride. After riding insane hills and sprints for 30 minutes, the instructor has you take out one or two weights (in my case one weight) and leads you through a series of upper body exercises while continuing to pedal. It was intense, and I felt it the next day. Otherwise, the bike is similar to the bike I ride in my regular workout, showing you RPM's, Watts, distance and calories. To make it more challenging for the competitive ones, there is is lighted board on the front wall that shows how you are doing compared to everyone else. They have the bikes numbered, so all you do is look for your bike number and see your ranking in the class. It adds a little more competition for those that want that. I was number 27 in a class of 46 during the fundraiser I did. I was also one of the oldest people in the class, so I felt pretty good about being in the middle of the pack. All spin classes have music, but the music in the Flywheel class was blasting. I hope those instructors wear earplugs, because the volume was louder than a rock band. Those young men and women will all have hearing loss by the time they hit 50. However, the music was fantastic, very motivating and inspiring. The instructors too, are outstanding. They are so into the class, the workout and making sure each student performs to his best ability. They are a cut above the typical spin teacher, as the class is a cut above the typical spin class. The only other thing I can say is that all the students in Flywheel seem to be under 50. This is not so in spin classes I take, where there are many spinners in their 60's and 70's. (maybe even a few in their 80's). This is an exercise you can do until you die, even when you can no longer walk. I remember my Dad, weeks before he died at 94, on his home bike. I'm not sure whether the young Flywheelers I saw were typical, or that this craze just attracts a young crowd. (loud music, competition may discourage some older people). In any event, Flywheel is a great workout that I hope will come to San Diego soon. It's always nice to find a new kind of exercise to get your juices going.

Chopped At Home

Did you ever watch the show on the Food Network where three cooks each get a basket of unrelated food items and are asked to create a dish using them? It's called Chopped, and I wonder sometimes how they can create anything good out of such strange items. Well, my refrigerator was filled to the brim last week with a little of this and a little of that, and I decided to take all these little bits of food and recreate them, some in soup, others in a main dish. The soup was a no brainer. I had some leftover tomato sauce, a small portion of black beans, kale that was about to go bad, leftover cilantro, a half onion and a portabello mushroom. I added to these ingredients a can of chicken stock, chopped zucchini, chopped carrots and some fresh chopped spinach. I seasoned with salt, and ended up with a thick, delicious vegetable and bean soup. Great way to get rid of the old veggies. I had some leftover chicken from a rotisserie chicken we had eaten a few days before. I also had some green chile verde sauce that I didn't know what to do with, sliced Jarlsberg cheese that was ready to go bad, and some homemade pickled beets that I'd had around forever. I chopped the chicken, combined it with the chile verde sauce, added some white sauce for a thickener, and sliced the cheese to put on top. I was going to layer it with tortillas, but I just heated the mixture and topped with cheese. I served corn tortillas on the side. I took the pickled beets and added some chopped tomatoes, and red onion and a little extra olive oil. The pickled beet juice served as the base of the dressing. It was a delicious little salad, nice and light, to go with the heavy Mexican chicken dish. I'm no cooking expert, but I sure did appreciate how difficult it is for contestants on Chopped. You really have to use your imagination. I now have an uncluttered refrigerator, but in short order it will again be filled with lots of leftovers. In my effort to NOT be one of the Americans that waste over 28% of their food, I will try again in a few weeks to create something out of nothing.

Balboa Island In The Summertime

Balboa Island is the epitome of summer fun. Debbie planned a wonderful day for a group of fun loving women in mid July, and it was everything we all expected. We had done a similar trip several years ago, and liked it so much we decided to do it again. Eight of us drove to Balboa on a hot, sunny morning in July, for a day on an electric boat, with Captain Marie at the helm. She's an experienced sailor, so we were in good hands. Linda was our tour guide (she had a map with information on all the famous sights), and did a fine job, showing us where John Wayne, Buddy Epson and many other famous personalities either lived or kept their boats. We all brought a picnic lunch, but first we had to stop for a bag of cotton candy for our 1 1/2 hour boat ride. We had a relaxing time, but were disappointed that most of the animals we saw last time have vanished. We saw sea otters and lots of seals last time, and this time, we saw only one seal. Apparently the boat owners have found a way to discourage the seals from coming around, as they were climbing on the boats and literally destroying beautiful boats. After the boat ride we walked the few blocks to the ocean. What a gorgeous sight. The water was turquoise, and the waves were huge (not good for boogie boarding) and created quite a splash as they crashed. It was quite a sight. As we walked to the pier, I noticed an enormous bus, painted with the words "Restaurant Express" on the side. I wanted to find out more, so I went to the bus driver to ask what was going on. The bus driver told me they were filming a new reality show called "Restaurant Express" with Robert Irvine, that will air in the fall. They were having some sort of cookout on the pier, and we wanted to go check it out. In case you're not a Food Network junkie, Robert Irvine is the star a show called "Restaurant Impossible," where he goes into restaurants that are failing and redoes the décor and menu and tries to get them back on road to success. He has made 130 episodes, and he now has a new project. He was so friendly and personable, talking to everyone, taking pictures with all of us and asking interesting questions. When I told him that I liked his show, his question to me was "What do you like about the show?" He really listened to my answer. Anyway, there were about five contestants on the Balboa Pier, each with an individual kitchen, who had three hours to make a three course meal. They had to make a burger, something on a stick, and dessert. They were running around like crazy people trying to get their meals completed on time. Then, they would sell the food to patrons on the pier, including Robert, and the one that sold the least amount of food would be eliminated. It was very exciting to get a sneak peek at a show coming this fall, and to meet the star. The first episode will air on November 4, right after Robert's other show, Restaurant Impossible. I'm looking forward to the premiere. Honestly, every time our group goes out for the day we find something out of the ordinary. Today it was Robert Irvine and the filming of his new show. Another time it was a famous old time opera singer in a neighborhood in Kensington. Who knows what we'll experience next, but with this great group of women, always looking for adventure, something wonderful is bound to happen.

Revisiting Oceanside

When you think of Oceanside, you probably think of a military town, young men walking around town with buzz cuts, tattoo parlors, and gangs. Unfortunately the seedier side of Oceanside is what makes the headlines, and there is still some violence in parts of Oceanside. But do you know about their fabulous museum, civic center, Thursday afternoon and evening Farmer's Market (with food trucks), beautiful beaches, pier, harbor and restaurants? Yes, Oceanside has all this and much more. Fran and I recently took our wanderers group on our final outing of the year, a walking tour of Oceanside. Yes, our tenure as leaders of this group is coming to an end, and as much as we've enjoyed planning and leading the group from Encinitas to Chula Vista and many neighborhoods in between, it's time to move on to something else. We began our Oceanside tour in front of the Wyndham Hotel, on Pacific Avenue, right in front of the pier. We walked south for a block to view the historical house that was used in the film Top Gun. It is fenced off now, in complete disrepair, but with an historical site designation it cannot be destroyed. I have heard that the city is trying to get the money together to restore the home and make it into a visitor attraction. Anyway, back to our walk. We next walked north, down Mission, past the Surf Museum (small and seems to be closed most of the time), to Coast Highway 101. We took a quick peek at a delicious French bakery, Petite Madeleine (great for morning coffee or lunch), then walked north on Coast Highway, past the Civic Center (beautiful white buildings) and Oceanside Museum. This museum is a little gem. They have interesting exhibits, changing about every 2-3 months, throughout the year. Docent guides are available, and they have other art related activities throughout the year. Their website is definitely worth a look, and the museum is worth visiting. Most of the old buildings in Oceanside have been destroyed rather than rebuilt, but the movie theatre still has it's old facade. My friend Regina told me about her visit to an adobe house (I had not heard of it before), and it sounded like another interesting historical site in Oceanside. The city, since the 1800's, has had six piers, and the one remaining is the longest pier on the west coast. The others were all washed away and destroyed by storms. We did not walk out to the end of the pier, but there is a Ruby's Diner there, which would offer wonderful ocean views. We continued our walk, heading back toward Pacific Avenue, then north through the residential section, to the harbor. The area, mostly townhomes and condos, is beautiful, clean and well maintained. Many in our group who had a different perception of Oceanside were surprised. We arrived at the Oceanside Harbor just in time for lunch. Some of us ate at the Beach Break Cafe and others ate at the Harbor Fish and Chips. Both were delicious, with gorgeous views. We watched stand up paddle boarders, pelicans, boat owners, and squirrels (running around in the rocky area near the water) while we sat under an umbrella and enjoyed fish tacos on a beautiful Wednesday. Who would want to live anywhere else? One of the special things about the wanderers group that I have always loved so much, is the chance to get to know new people, and get to know better, old friends, as we walk and talk. People seem to break off into groups of twos and threes as they walk along. I had a great time talking to Sue, Mary, Trish and Fran during our walk. We took the beach route back which of course was lovely at low tide. Part of the walk was on the wet sand, the rest of the walk was on concrete on the Strand. Little condos dot the strand area, most are vacation rentals, and we all thought about what a wonderful getaway, right on the sand, those little houses would be. The pier has a few concession stands underneath, and a new Tin Fish (another location downtown) for a great lunch. If you haven't been to Oceanside lately, revisit it. I haven't even talked about the wonderful bike trails, kayaking areas, and great restaurants that have popped up in the past few years. It's definitely worth your time.

Cooking For A Diabetic

Recently Ron's diabetes has been out of control. We've been trying for months, with the help of our family doctor, to modify the meds, add new ones and improve his diet and exercise. We finally decided to go to an endocrinologist. Our family doctor was great as long as his disease was under control, but it was time to see a specialist. The new doctor immediately put him on a new medication, not yet approved by our insurance company, that would cost $9 per day. Fortunately, the medication did not agree with him and he had do go back to Januvia, which had worked well for him in the past. Unfortunately, the new expensive medication that he took for about a month, increased his blood sugar and made him gain weight. He was so happy to get off that medication. Now he is back on what seems to be a good program of meds, but diet and exercise are vital. I am working on my end to make meals that will keep his levels in check, yet be tasty enough that he won't be tempted to pig out. That's a tall order. Carbs are evil for diabetics, but carbs are in almost everything we eat, including veggies. So, the challenge is to reduce carbs and fat, yet keep the meals tasty. One new meal that I came up with that is both low in carbs and satisfying, is what I call Crock Pot Stroganoff. Here is the recipe, and at just about 11 carbs per serving it's a great meal. Crock Pot Stroganoff 1 lb stewing beef, cut in chunks 1 can mushroom soup 1/2 cup baby carrots 1/2 cup pearl onions Additional mushrooms if you want Salt and Pepper to taste Brown beef in a frying pan with a little bit of oil. Dust the beef with flour prior to browning it. (actually, the flour is not necessary, but I used it). Transfer to a crock pot, add the mushroom soup and 1/2 cup water, and cook on slow for about 6 hours. During the last hour add onions and carrots (and additional mushrooms). Makes 4 servings. For those that aren't diabetic, serve over rice or noodles. I served it to Ron with a few whole grain crackers and he loved it. Also, it freezes well, so we had it for dinner one night, and I froze the rest for another day. Enjoy.

Expiration Dates: Should You Pay Attention?

I had a lovely luncheon for my son David and his fiancee Tracy just before their wedding. We sat outside on a beautiful afternoon and David and Tracy got to meet my friends. We always have something interesting to talk about, and Carole was telling the people at her table about the community project she had just come from that morning. It was an effort to give homeless and other needy people a little something extra. Carole's group was packing backpacks with food to give away to those in need. Much of the food had been donated, and had either expired or was close to expiration, so they had a chalkboard that told those packing the backpacks how expired the food could be. Canned goods might still be good one year later, rice might only be good for six months, etc. Carole was shocked that food could be distributed and eaten past the expiration date. I knew this of course because Ron told me that when he was at Taft most of the food was past expiration. So, I did a little research, and will try to explain to you what the dates on food products actually mean. Use by, Best if used by, Sell by, Expires on, and other such phrases are provided by the manufacturer, to tell how long the product is likely to remain at its absolute best quality when unopened. It is not a safety date. Your best bet for gauging whether an unopened shelf staple product with one of the above dates is still of satisfactory quality is to smell and examine it first. Always discard foods that have developed an off odor, or appearance. Sell by dates are found on perishables like meat, seafood poultry and milk. This does not mean that they're no good after this date, it is just a guide for stores to know how long they can display a particular product. Milk products especially, are only good for a week or two after the sell by date, once opened. If left unopened they may last several weeks. Use your nose as your guide. If it doesn't smell right, toss it. Expires on dates are only found on baby formula and some baby food. These are the only food products the federal government regulates with regard to dating. You should always use the product before this date has passed. Packing codes which are difficult to decipher, help manufacturers and grocers rotate their stock and quickly locate products in the event of a recall. They are not meant to be interpreted as an indicator of either food safety or quality. More information on product dating is available at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and inspection Service website. The bottom line is that only baby formula and some baby food has expiration dates that must be adhered to for safety reasons. The rest of the dates, like sell by, best if consumed by, etc., all relate to the when the product is at it's best. Products may change color over time, but it may not effect the taste or safety of that product. I made the mistake of buying two very large bottles of catsup at Costco a while back (actually many years ago). I don't know what I was thinking because I don't use that much catsup, but I had those two bottles for years. Yes, years! The second bottle was several years old when I finally opened it, and the catsup had turned a dark shade or red, almost brown, but it tasted just fine. Canned vegetables may also change color, they may even lose some nutrients, but they certainly are still safe. In all instances when you might suspect an old product is not good, toss it. Let your eyes and your nose be your guide. The products that were packed in the backpacks for giveaway to homeless or needy people may have been expired, or past their sell by date, but they were by no means unsafe. It would be a shame to discard these foods just because they have passed a particular date when we know that they're still good for years. There is a place in Livermore, California that does nothing but test and taste products to determine how long peanut butter, for example, is good. They test products for months and years to get the answers. The reality is that they're still testing, so they don't have any definitive answer. My experience tells me that when a product has been opened, like yogurt, cottage cheese, jam, mustard, etc., to let your eyes and nose be your guide. If yogurt is moldy, throw it out, if cottage cheese smells bad, throw it out. Most other things aren't likely to go bad if refrigerated. Don't throw canned goods out just because they've passed a date. Open them and check them. If they look and smell good, they probably are.

What Are Kids Learning In School?

No one can deny that technology has changed the way children learn, and will continue to do so. I can see the trend toward schools (maybe virtual schools) where one teacher is responsible for hundreds of children, and that most of the learning is done online. With computers in classrooms, much of math and reading drills is done independently, with an online voice telling you whether you're right or wrong, and leading you to the right answer if need be. It's a great way to reinforce concepts that have already been taught, but the lack of interaction with the teacher concerns me. Online universities provide most of the curriculum online, with very few actual meetings between student and teacher. I was talking with someone last month who had just received a degree online. He admitted that the course work was watered down, and the degree was just a piece of paper to help him get a better job. In my opinion, nothing can replace the interaction between student and teacher, regardless of what level of education we're talking about. Getting a Ph.D on line, without feedback and questioning from a student's advisor cannot possibly produce the same results as a degree that involves hours of conversation, questions and answers. Technology definitely has a place in 21st century education, but don't forget the teacher. He or she will guide students to ask important questions and seek out answers. Computer learning is great for many subjects, but many areas of learning require student-teacher interaction. I remember back to my days of teaching, when computers were just coming into the classroom. A child with a computer would be occupied and quiet while the teacher worked with the kids that were having difficulty. The problem is, if you're the kid that usually gets the concepts, you will never have any teacher time, because that will be spent with more remedial students. I see young children, as young as two years old, sitting in front of a computer or I Pad, playing games, learning and loving it. Here's my question. These kids are learning so much so early, but what about their communication skills? They're either on the phone, I Pad, computer or texting to each other. When do they talk? When do they discuss anything with their friends? Even when a family goes out to dinner, you're likely to see the kids either playing video games or texting. Is this the family dinner of the 21st century? Language skills which are so important in life and business, are taking a back seat. As a young child, my son David asked more questions than just about any child I ever met. He was constantly wanting to know who, what, when, where and how about everything. He should have been a reporter! My mistake was in giving him answers rather than making him discover the answer himself. Had he been a child of the 21st century, I'm sure he'd be on the computer constantly discovering the answers to all his questions. Many parents ask their children when they get home from school each day, "What did you learn today?" I don't think I ever asked that question. I would either ask what they did in school or if they asked any good questions. Asking a good question to me was more important than what they learned. Are today's kids smarter? Good question, and I don't think researchers know the answer yet. Yes, today's kids accumulate far more knowledge at an early age, but do they have the other cognitive skills that develop more critical thinking? Is this generation going to produce great thinkers? That remains to be seen.

Turning Ninety

My mom is turning 90 in a few days. I wanted to know what it felt like to be 90, what did she do to get to be 90, and what she viewed as important changes in the world. I know my mom pretty well, but these are not things you go around discussing on a regular basis, so the week before her birthday I interviewed her, asked her a variety of questions, and got some unlikely answers. I don't know many 90 year olds that could match my mom in spirit, curiosity, intelligence or good health. When I asked her how old she felt, she said "70." Lucky her. Lucky me. As to the question "How did you make it to age 90?" Her answer was "Good luck." I strongly disagree with her, considering that her mother and father both died in their early 70's and her brother died in his early 50's. Mom hates to exercise, but still does, at least a minimum amount. She eats healthy and watches her weight, something she has done her entire life. She is engaged in life and learning, again something she has done her whole life. She's always taking a new class, reading a new book, studying the stock market, or planning her next trip. As my mom says, one of the most important things in living a long, productive life, is to always have something to look forward to. That is VERY important, and I think has a lot to do with her longevity. I asked my mom what she thought was the most important invention in her lifetime. She had two answers. For women, my mom feels that the widespread use of birth control(or should I say the widespread use of artificial birth control) has changed women's lives more than anything else. Birth control has made it possible for a woman to determine whether she has children, and when she has children. This is a monumental change for women. Overall, my mom thinks the internet has changed the world more than any other single thing. The internet has made it possible for people throughout the world to communicate instantly, for scientists to share information that might help each other, and for people to learn in ways that were never before possible. I also asked my mom what the greatest event of her life was, and not surprisingly she said, "The birth of her children." I think many of us would say the same thing. One of the hardest things about living to 90 is seeing so many dear friends die. Mom said she has so much sadness from all the deaths and illnesses of friends, but in her inspirational way, she grieves, and then moves on to enjoying her own life. As I age, I find that not all people of a certain age behave the same. My mom is a 90 year old that acts more like a 70 year old. She drives, entertains, travels, reads, learns, discusses and keeps fit. She has a full calendar, and if you want to make a date with her, you better plan early. Opera tickets, theatre tickets, UCLA classes, art exhibits and bridge fill her days. I'm exhausted just thinking about what she does in a day. I look at my contemporaries, and see there is a huge difference in their lifestyles. Some are sedentary and love to stay home and watch TV, read a book, play cards or mah jongg and go out to dinner. Others are out on the tennis court or golf course, riding the waves on a summer afternoon, taking OSHA classes and traveling. Some look at their life as they creep into the 60's, 70's and beyond, as the end of life, while others see it as the beginning of a challenging part of their life. There used to be a billboard on Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles (right near Rancho Park). It was an advertisement for a health club, and it showed a man and woman working out hard and looking exhausted, and the text said, "You can rest when you're dead." I never forgot that billboard, and I think of that phrase often. I don't think my mom has ever seen that billboard, but it is definitely the phrase by which she lives. I think she's doing a good job.

Thank Your Lifeguard

Summer is in full swing, the beaches are packed, and lifeguards man their towers to keep us safe. Few of us give much thought to the awesome job our lifeguards do to protect us, and wildlife in the ocean. Bay Watch may come to mind when you think of lifeguards, but the job our local lifeguards do is much more than looking good in their swimsuits, although they do look great. The mission of the San Diego Lifeguard Services is to provide the highest quality of service to the coastal and aquatic environment through prevention, education and outreach programs, rescue, emergency medical care, beach management and law enforcement. Professional lifeguarding began in San Diego in 1918 with 5 lifeguards. Today there are close to 300 lifeguards serving our coast. I used to go to Fletcher Cove frequently, and I would often get there early in the morning, when the lifeguards came on duty. They were always hustling around, moving cones, putting out flags, checking the ocean temperature, the currents, in other words, preparing for a typical day at the beach. Daily beach and boating safety is their day to day most time consuming job, but they also have special rescue teams prepared to help in case of flooding. They do underwater search and recovery in ocean and bay waters and underwater criminal investigations in conjunction with the San Diego Police Department. Lifeguards are always there to help. For example, our boogie boarding group has had a lifeguard speak to us about water safety, how to handle rip currents, and how to avoid getting stung by stingrays. Since we make sure the lifeguards know we are in the water, they make an extra effort to keep an eye on us. At Moonlight Beach the lifeguards help a man in a wheel chair get into and out of the ocean, on a regular basis. I have seen this man swimming many times, and it is because of the help and watchful eye of the lifeguards that he is able to do so. I have seen lifeguards tend to victims of stingray bites or jellyfish stings. Stephanie, who used to boogie board with us before she had several surgeries, was stung at Moonlight several years ago. She was in great pain, and was under the care of the lifeguards for several hours, before the pain went away. I've also seen lifeguards help lost children find their moms, kids who were too far out in rough water brought into shore, and seals that are stranded put back in the water, or taken to Sea World. About 2 years ago the Del Mar lifeguard station was rebuilt at a cost of $2 million. It replaced a dilapidated lifeguard tower. It was recently awarded a regional award, and if you go visit the station, as I did, you will see why. It is state of the art. They have navigational equipment that tracks ships out at sea, binoculars that can see just about anything, and lots of high tech rescue equipment. If you go by the station, ask for a quick tour and they are happy to oblige. Finally, as part of their Outreach Program, San Diego Lifeguards offer a Junior Lifeguard program, for kids age 7-17. Go to Moonlight Beach any weekday this summer and you will see the next generation of lifeguards training. They are learning all the essentials at an early age, and will be ready to step into a job if they want. They're having a good time, keeping fit, learning essential water skills that everyone living in Southern California should know, and doing something productive. I love watching them, knowing that they're enjoying their summer, keeping busy and out of trouble, and safe. Everyone wins with Junior Lifeguards. I wish that program had been around when I was a kid.

My Personal Journal

Ron has now been home for 23 months. Wow. On the one hand time has gone very quickly and it's sometimes hard to remember driving every Thursday afternoon to my mom's house in LA, overnighting with her, then driving to Taft at 6:30am on Friday morning. I would visit with Ron until about 2pm, then drive back to my mom's and depending on how I felt, either drive home after dinner on Friday (usually) or stay and go home Saturday morning. I did that for 78 of the 80 weeks Ron was at Taft. The two times I missed were once when I was on a cruise with my mom, and another when they had the 405 closed because of construction. When I think back on that time, it seems like a long time ago, and I wonder how I did that every week. One the other hand, Ron's incarceration seems like it was just yesterday. I got a call last week from a man Ron had met at Taft and become very friendly with. Unfortunately Ron is not allowed to talk to anyone he knew at Taft while he is on probation, but that doesn't prevent me from talking to someone. I spoke to this man for a long time, and it refreshed my memory on what Taft was like, and made it seem like the experience was just yesterday. I was able to ask him about other inmates that Ron had known and wondered about. The rule is that while you are on probation you cannot talk or spend time with any known felon, and especially not with anyone you knew in prison. Their thinking is that they do not want you coercing with anyone you knew "inside." That is a rule that Ron would not break for anything, as it could land him right back in prison. Many inmates feel that the men they meet "inside" will become lifelong friends. This is rarely the case. Even men who make plans to get together after prison, go into business together after prison, or just become social friends, rarely do. The friends made in prison are "prison friends." They fulfill a very needed void for the period of incarceration, but when they get home, most men want to move on. Evidence of this is the fact that Ron cannot remember the names of many of the men he was closest to, including the roomie that taught him the ropes and protected him. Funny, how the mind works. Ron, who never forgets anything, couldn't remember his roomie's name. What does that tell you? After my phone conversation with an ex inmate from Taft last week, memories came racing back to Ron. He was doing so well in putting the past behind him, yet a call like I got last week from an old friend, brings so much pain back. Specifically, Ron started to reminisce about the time at Taft with his friends, their conversations, and their discussions about certain inmates and their character or lack thereof. One thing Ron's friend told me was that the judgments Ron made on two of their Taft "friends" was right on. With so much time to think and talk, the men at Taft all make judgments about each other. Over time Ron will tell me everything that happened at Taft, but for now, things come out sporadically. The other day Ron told me how depressed he would get at Taft, and how there were mornings when he didn't want to wake up. I did not know that before, but I'm so glad he shared that. What he loves now is knowing I'm there in the morning. It reassures him that he's not still at Taft. Some mornings since Ron's home, I would leave the house early, trying hard to sneak out as to not wake him up. Ron said, "Please say goodbye to me before you leave in the morning." I said I would. The reason he wanted me to say goodbye was that I was never there in the morning when he was at Taft, and my saying goodbye in the morning now assures him he is home, and not still at Taft. So, now, before I leave for the gym, I say, "Good bye, honey." Ron loves hearing that.