Winter in California 2016

Please forgive my spelling and punctuation; I'm a plumber and not a English major. Just read and have fun.

You can click on any of the pictures and they become larger.  

Happy New Year!  Last night we both fell asleep before the ball dropped in New York.  

This morning we went to a meeting and had breakfast with some friends. 

It was a nice relaxed day.

January 2nd - Daeng is busy making things out of paper. I am amased at what she makes. 

When I ask her what it is she is making she always say: "I don't know."

The way they turn out she has to know.  Maybe "I don't know." is code for "You will see."

This one is shelves to put our shoes on before we go upstairs.  

Upstairs in white carpet so no shoes. Downstairs in tile so shoes are okay. 

January 4th - We have been working selling stuff on eBay but today is a meeting and movie.


We are going to see the new Star Wars. 

After the movie we went shopping.  

It's good for me as I get exercise carrying the bags of stuff that Daeng buys. 

Daeng added a few more pieces of paper to the shoe rack.

I am amazed at what she makes with pieces of paper and glue.  

That is a clothespin on her nose as she says my shoes smell.  

By the way, the word for smells bad in Thai is "men". 

Yep, "men". Go figure!

January 7th - We have been working everyday fixing furnaces for people. 

It is raining hard now so we stopped for a bowl of soup. 


When we are at home, Daeng keeps adding more to the shelves for our shoes. 

She says this is a good place for her hula-hoop, too. 

This is something new. 

Daeng also likes to cook.  

She cooks in the morning and we eat all day.

Thai girls are pretty smart. 

Today it is fried noodles and vegetables. 


January 8th -  A little something new.

This paper creation is a cell phone holder. 

Daeng and I talked it over and we are going to have a BIG garage sale the end of the month. 


We need to get busy. 

It’s a fun morning for our annual physicals, blood tests, Pap smear and a little paddling while shopping at Thai Restaurant Supply.

Now, home to eat pork leg and sticky rice. 

The pork leg was wonderful!

January 11th - With the pork leg eaten, today it's pig skin and we're not talking football here.

19 years ago, Sam and I started our journey to become friends. 

Congratulations Sam! 

We love cake at 7:00 AM in the morning.

January 14th -  We bought our tickets for our return trip to Thailand on March 14th. We leave at 3:30 PM from LAX on China Airline flight CI5 connecting with flight CI65 in Taipei which arrives in Bangkok on March 16th at 12:45 AM.

We will have Jon pick us up for the 2 hour ride to Pattaya where we will be staying for a week to 10 days for some dental work and fun. Then it is a plane ride north to our home in Mae Sai, on the Myanmar (Burma) border.

If there is anyone that would like to travel with us please let us know as there are only a few low priced seats left on those planes. Cost is $704.38 round trip. 

January 15th - Breakfast of sticky rice, eggs, pig skin, vegetables and Daeng's burn your face off sauce.

This is the reason it's Orange County. 

Before 1900 this was all grape country. 

Daeng is a busy lady, growing bean sprouts. 

And when she is not doing all those other things she makes more things with scrap paper.

This one is made with a small piece of wood.  

It turned out to be a cellular telephone holder. 

She also has a hand in making pots to grow thing in.

This one looks like a little truck. 

These things are all make with stuff that is thrown away. 

January 25th - It's another weekend and more cake. 

Congratulation for making it all possible. 

We also found out that Danny Trejo is going to open a taco place here in LA. 

Yea, Danny!  For more information CLICK HERE. 

January 27th - For the last three days we have been getting things ready for our huge garage sale starting Saturday at 6:00AM. 

We are having a pre-sale showing on Friday.

January 28th - We are finished putting everything in garage for BIG Garage sale. Pre-sale is tomorrow starting at 10:00 AM.

Now we need to organize it a little and add a few more things. 

January 30th - Pre-sale did very good and we are happy the right folks got the things like torches and tools.

It's 4 AM, Daeng tended her sprouts and we are ready to set up everything for our Huge Garage Sale opening at 6:00 AM. 

We started off great, real busy and around 10:00 AM we got a little break. 

We closed the place up at noon, as advertised. 

January 31st - Best laid plans of mice and men.... Well, our garage sale got rained out.

It started raining early and no one showed up so around 9:30 AM we call it quits. 

Oh well, we'll do it again next Saturday.  We still have more stuff! 

February 1st - We did well with the garage sale. We sold about 24 milk crates of stuff for right around $1,600 USD. (I don't know why I wrote USD, I guess just a habit now.)

We are going to put a few more things out for this coming weekend. 

Here is a song sent us by our friend Jenifer Divine about mornings, drinking alcohol and a few other topics. It has lot of pictures to go with the music.

Take a look and listen. CLICK HERE

February 3rd - Edison Power Company says our electricity will go off for 10 hours starting at 7:30 PM tonight.

That means no TV, lights or heat. Sounds like romantic candle light and cuddling. 

February 6th - We got rained out on Sunday so we are continuing our BIG GARAGE SALE and started at 6:00 AM.

We were not as busy as last Saturday but a few professionals came by (I'm talking about garage sale professional and not girls on their way home after a busy night.). 

They each bought a lot of stuff at one time.  We sold out all the boots, wire and tools. 

Now we can park the car in the garage, again. 

We did not sell Mom's Jet 3 Power Chair. It was taken out of the house once, to make the video "White Hurr". It is in the middle of the video. It is like new. I put new batteries in it last week.   

CLICK HERE for this funny video.  I have a few seconds in it, too. 

February 7th - Super Bowl Sunday, the West Coast family hung out at sister, Diane's home for the afternoon. 

It was fun hanging with the gang.  We did miss Mom although she was there in spirit. 

Here is a picture from the past of diane, Uncle Jimmy and Mom.

February 9th - As I was going up to my office, (My office is over our garage.) I found this on the steps.  Now, Daeng does all kinds of pictures with food so I wondered what this meant.  

Was I in trouble? Should I walk on egg shells?  Is the snake going to bite the bear?  .....and on and on.  

After pondering it for a long time, I ask daeng what it meant.  She laughed and said she was drying egg shells for her plants and because the wind was blowing she put the rubber snake and bear to keep the paper plate from blowing away. 

Wow, I was relieved. 

February 12th - While doing some work in my office, I came across this picture of Daeng.  

I think she looks "HOT" in her AKHA dress. 

February 14th - Happy Valentine's Day

Daeng made this for me. 

All Daeng got was a card, money, candy, stuffed bear and most important flowers.  

I think the flowers ment the most to her.  That makes me happy!

February 17th - Now it's time to stop and have another blood test to be sure I'm as healthy as I think I am.

We did have a little scare with Daeng’s Pap smear.  To cut the story short, her smear came back not good.  Our doctor set her up with any appointment with an OBGYN doctor who took some biopsies that all came back without any trace of cancer. 

It did scare us but yea, nothing wrong.  Let me put in a plug for Pueblo Medical Center and Dr. Sharkoff.  He is the coolest, most caring doctor I have ever met. 

When I first met him I noticed he treats patients first and then asks if they can pay any money. 

February 18th - I am going to try and clean up my office today as we leave for Thailand in 26 days.

While I was running around all morning Daeng made a rug for in front of the kitchen sink.

It has some great colors! 

February 22nd - This is long but people keep asking me how I feel about Muslims. 

Okay, here we go, the best explanation of "Muslim" and what is behind the beliefs: Islam is the name of the religion. A person who practices Islam is known as a Muslim. The adjective “Islamic” usually refers to objects and places, not people. The term “Mohammedanism” is an outdated term for the faith and is usually considered insulting.

Islam is an Arabic word that means “peace,” “security,” and “surrender.” Muslim means “one who peacefully surrenders to God.” Anyone from any race could be Muslim; in other words, “Muslim” does not refer to a particular race.

Famous Muslims in America include Janet Jackson, Muhammad Ali, Shaquille O’Neal, Mara Brock Akil (writer/producer of the series “The Game” and “Girlfriends”), Mos Def (Yasiin Bey), Mike Tyson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ice Cube, Akon, and Anousheh Ansari, the first Muslim woman in space.

Mohammad’s flight (the Hegira) from Mecca in A.D. 622 is the beginning of the rise of Islam. It also marks the beginning of the Islamic, or Hijri, calendar.

Mohammad ibn Abd Allah was born around A.D. 570 in Mecca, Arabia (present-day Saudi Arabia) and died on June 8, 632, in Medina, Arabia. He claimed that when he was 40 years old, he received his first revelation from God.

The Islamic Golden Age, which is traditionally dated as being the 8th–13th centuries, was marked by the ascension of the Abbasid Caliphate. The Abbasids were influenced by the Quran’s injunction that “the ink of the scholar is more holy than the blood of the martyr.” During this time, the Arab world became an intellectual center for science, astronomy, chemistry, physics, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, and education.

The Muslims created a House of Wisdom (Bait-ul-Hikmat), which was active during the 9th –13th centuries, where both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars sought to translate the world’s knowledge into Arabic. Many classic works of antiquity that might have otherwise been lost were preserved in Arabic and Persian and later translated into Turkish, Hebrew, and Latin. Here, scholars synthesized and significantly advanced knowledge gained from the Roman, Chinese, Persian, Egyptian, Greek, Byzantine, and Phoenician civilizations.

Muslim scholars Ibn Rushd and Ibn Sina were primarily responsible for saving the works of Aristotle, whose ideas would later dominate both the Christian and Muslim worlds.

Inventions that emerged from the Islamic world include the discovery of citric acid (Jābir ibn Hayyān), arabesque architecture, the minaret, the bridge mill, the vertical-axle windmill, teaching hospitals, marching bands, early torpedoes, the guitar, the lute, the water pipe (hookah, narghile,or shisha), early attempts at gliding, algebra, the pinhole camera, the laws of refraction, coffee, and more.

Muslim scholar Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen), who was born in A.D 965, formulated the scientific method and has been referred to as “the world’s first true scientist.” He is also often regarded as the first theoretical physicist. Additionally, he developed what is called celestial mechanics, which lead to the eventual work of Europeans such as Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton.

The basic beliefs one must have in order to be considered a Muslim include a belief in 1) the One God; 2) all the prophets of God; 3) the original scriptures revealed to Prophets Moses, David, Jesus, and Muhammad; 4) the angels; 5) the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter; and 6) the divine decree or destiny.

There are an estimated 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, which is about 1/5 of the world’s population. Due to birth and conversion rates, Islam is considered to be the fastest-growing religion in the world today.

Islam is the second-largest faith community, after Christianity.

Although Muslims are often associated with the Arab world, fewer than 15% of Muslims are Arabs. Muslims are found among virtually all ethnic groups, nationalities, and countries.

In November 2013, Marvel announced that a 16-year-old Pakistani Muslim American girl, Kamala Khan, from New Jersey will be one of their lead superheroes.

Many academic traditions, including the distinction between graduates and undergraduates began at the Islamic university Al-Azhar (“the resplendent”) University in Cairo. The university was founded in the 10th century and is renowned for its philosophical and theoretical scholarship.

A Muslim woman retains her own family name upon marriage, rather than taking the name of her husband. This symbolic act emphasizes that she remains her own person, with her own valid identity.

I might add that although Daeng is not Muslim she wanted to keep her name when we married. 

Scholars such as Ibn Sina (980-1037), known in the West as Avicenna, developed the work of the ancient Greeks in both medicine and philosophy. When Christians came into contact with the Muslim world during the crusades, they brought back Muslim scholarship which, in turn, helped spark the European Renaissance.

Islamic astronomy became highly advanced during the Middle Ages. Astronomy was important to Muslims because it could be used to figure out the direction of Mecca so that people knew which way to face during prayers. This is one example of how the Western world is still influenced by Muslim innovations.

The Islamic world produced the first skilled, specially trained pharmacists, who made their own medicines and worked closely with physicians.

A 13th-century Islamic writer described the circulation of blood some 400 years before this was “discovered” in Europe.

Algebra, from the Arabic al-jabr, originated in the Islamic world.

While originally Muslims had an “un-guilty” approach to sex, this openness has been lost over time and discussions about sex have become taboo. Hoping to change this, Indian-American Muslim activist Asra Nomani has written an “Islamic Bill of Rights for Women in the Bedroom” to “uphold women’s right to pleasure.” 

Additionally, a new chick-lit novel called No Sex and the City features a Muslim heroine. Both books show Muslim women having open discussions about sexuality, its role in their identity, and their fears and aspirations.

One famous hadith (Islamic saying) is “Allah is beautiful and loves beauty” Beauty has always been, therefore, very important to Muslims, and developments in the visual arts such as architecture, calligraphy, painting, textiles, metalwork, and ceramics were encouraged. However, because of strict laws against idolatry, traditional Islamic art avoided images of humans or animals.

The Qur'an stresses that there should be tolerance between Muslims and non-Muslims.  Jews and Christians—people who, like Muslims, believe in the One God—are given particular respect in the Quran. 

Islam does not advocate forced conversion.

Enough said!

February 24rd - Just a note, I was with Scott Maddox on radio station KUCI, 88.9 FM in Orange County, California and www.kuci.org worldwide - This Wednesday morning between 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM PST.

For our friends in Thailand, that is 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Wednesday evening. This week was Blues and a little banter. 

This is the record library with Scott Maddox at station KUCI. Tune in worldwide at www.kuci.org.

We had a blast!

If you would like to hear a repeat of the program CLICK HERE for PART 1  

CLICK HERE for PART 2

Just a note, I heard Uber, for motorcycle taxis, is now in Bangkok, Thailand.  Just saying. 

February 26th - We worked almost all day to make this sink work like new.

We forgot to take the "After" picture.

February 27th - With all the news hype it took a little time to get gas this morning. The nice part was paying $1.99 a gallon.

I love this video of Danny Trejo.  CLICK HERE

You just never know what will happen on a 12 step call. 

First thing in the morning, we love cake/donuts, candles, love, laughter and off key singing.

Congratulation Christopher Ayou!

February 29^th - Besides cleaning, cooking and taking care of me, Daeng has been making vases out of paper.

They are beautiful.

I walked into Daeng's bathroom and found this stand she had made with pieces of paper.

 It has 2 drawers and compartments for her creams and things.

She is amazing!

March 3^rd – Daeng’s latest creation.

March 6^th - This was about 6:45 AM on the 55 Freeway this morning.  

Folks in California just don’t know what to do when it rains.

March 8^th – I love this picture titled “Daeng on a conference call. “

March 10th - We are packing for our trip on Monday.

Daeng says she is hungry for chicken feet.

Yep, we're packing all the survival stuff. 

We prepare our vitamin in the small zip lock bags so we have a day at a time all counted out.

We also photograph our bag contains just in case one is lost.

Of the 20 crosses of the Pacific Ocean, we have never lost a bag. I know, now that I said that…………

And Daeng is still making things with paper.

I asked her when she was going to stop. She said: "When I run out of paper."

The little paper car is for her smartphone.

Getting our vehicle serviced before storing it.

We have known Omar for over 11 years. 

He does great work and is always fair priced.

Thank you, Omar.

March 11th - Monday we’re on the plane.

Daeng gave our friend Scott some of her creations.

It is great to see the things that Daeng makes go to good use.

Daeng cut up this 99 cent pineapple.

They taste better than paper. (Inside Paper Joke)

Daeng's latest creation, I named it the "Love Cycle".

March 12^th - And then there is the manicure and pedicure at Luxury Nails.

It is hard to get a pedicure in Thailand, except in the tourist areas.

I changed the clock, also. 

I don't know who to give credit for this explanation of daylight savings time.

"Only white man would think they can cut a few inches off one end of blanket and sew it on the other end, thinking they would have a longer blanket."

March 13^th - Today, we closed our office and covered all the furniture.

We'll be back to work in three months.

We met up with the west coast side of the family at Zubie’s.

It is always great to get together with the gang.

Even my grand-daughter Crystal came with her boyfriend.

March 14^th - We closed up our house and our friend, Robert, gave us a ride to LAX.

We checked our 167 pounds of baggage and went through security. 

That went well except I forgot my Bluetooth ear piece was in my ear.

We got hassled a little over that and had to do the whole wand scan thing. 

I was wearing a "Copper Fit" knee sleeve and that set off the scanner thing, also. 

We did hitch a ride with the electric cart and are at our gate. We board plane in about an hour.

Then, it is bye-bye USA, for three months.

Well, here is our family for the next 14 hours.

It was a nice winter in California.