Rachel is here...

And Jake and I are picking her up at SFO in a few hours and she'll be home tonight and things will start to get back to normal.  It's really true what they say in that song.

Oh, I don't know, pick one.

Robert "Babe" Oddone February 8, 1912 - December 14, 2009

I don't quite know how to mourn the passing of my last living grandparent, Babe Oddone. There was some bad family joo-joo back in the day around my parents wedding.  Anyway, as a result of this, I didn't meet him until I was 7 or so on Christmas Eve in, I guess 1975 at my Aunt and Uncle's house. And then I saw him only at family graduations and weddings and the occasional Christmas.

When we lived in the East Bay and he lived in Hayward, Rachel encouraged me to go see him. And we did a few times. And I'm glad we did and that Jake and Rachel got to meet him.

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I spent with him. He was quick witted and always smiling, even when he was in a lot of pain from shingles.


He is the Italian in me. And people say they can see my face in his. Kind of a moon face. And I like to think I have some of his quick wit, gregariousness, and entrepreneurial spirit. And if I understand the genetics involved correctly, it's his fault that I am balding.

I really hope I have his longevity.

I thought that in the end, he might be like W.C. Fields, a life-long atheist who was caught reading the Bible on his death bed. When asked why, W.C. said, "I'm looking for loopholes." But there was no such hypocrisy in Babe. So he is being cremated and there won't be a service. I guess at 97 he outlived all of his friends anyway.

So this weekend, Babe, I will raise a glass to you.

I thank you for providing a cautionary tale about what can happen if you allow issues to come between you and your family.

I hope you are at peace.

Our new Westy...

We have been a one car family since Rachel's accident, a little over two years ago. I have been sort of proud of that. Sure, there were times when it would have been convenient to have a second car, but we always got by. And it made us change our habits so that we did things more efficiently than we would have otherwise. Well, this past weekend, we decided to get a second vehicle. We bought a 1988 VW Vanagon Westy Camper from a nice guy from Sebastopol.



It may seem like an odd choice, but we think it was a good decision for a variety of reasons.

Here is our top ten list:

1. The price was right. We are confident we got a good deal and it will hold it's value. And by the time we are done fixing it up, it will go up in value.

2. Jake will be driving before long and there is no WAY we are going to let him drive the Touareg. It's too big and too fast for a new driver. This thing doesn't have enough horsepower to get in trouble.

3. We want to camp but never seem to. Hope this will help.

4. It is really convenient for lugging amps and teenage boys who play music a lot around.

5. The dogs should dig riding in it- they hate the back of the Touareg and in this they can lay on the big floor.

6. Since college, I've wanted to do the Kerouac thing and tour around. And Rachel is a way gone hippie chick at heart. We are embracing our inner beatnik/hippie.

7. We were able to move to where we live because I can work from anywhere. A few years ago, it occurred to me that if I can work from anywhere, why couldn't I work from everywhere. I hope to do this when I have the right project. This vehicle is a major step towards achieving that goal. (The Android phone gets my laptop on the Internet and takes calls.)

8. Jake didn't like the idea at first, but once he saw it and sat in it, he was convinced too. And he dubbed it "Ron" after Anchorman Ron Burgundy.

9. The golf cart was a really fun family project, and this will be the same, only bigger.

10. It just feels right to both of us. And when that happens, it is almost always the right thing to do. It is our Motel Yorba.

It was a little weird - I've never bought a car from a private party before. And so that made me a little uncomfortable. But this buying experience was way better than any car dealership experience I've had. Sure, it was a big chunk of cash, and that stressed me out - but not as bad. And it was kind of cool to sign some papers...



...hand over some cash and drive away in something we owned rather than rented from the bank. And a lot less papers to sign. I didn't know it was so easy. The dealers all make it sound like such a big favor they are doing you by taking care of all the paperwork.



The first night, we spent a couple of hours just sitting in it. I plugged in to the house with an extension cord and got my laptop running on the house WiFi.

We fiddled with just about every button and knob (there are a lot), popped the top, tried to figure out the stereo (it's got a nice aftermarket Pioneer deck), and I even boiled some water on the stove.

There a few things we need to do to it. Some safety things and some cosmetic things. Safety first- the lights suck. I replaced them with new ones, but they will need some attention. The biggest thing was how it feels to drive - it weighs twice as much as the original Westy bus, but still has the same tires and 14" wheels. That means not much rubber meeting the road and a strong wind or passing truck is a white knuckle nightmare. I have never purchased wheels before, and I learned the hard way in my Mustang what cheap tires can do - and how in the end, they aren't so cheap. I ordered 16" wheels and the correct load rated tires today.

We did a little test run today to see if I can actually work in the thing. Rachel drove and I got my laptop hooked to my phone, logged in to work, and even made a few phone calls. The only bummer is that the little power outlets don't work when you aren't plugged in to AC. So I need to get the second battery installed and hooked up so I can charge from the cigarette lighter. On the way home, it started snowing. That made the tire/wheel decision for me.

Our local mechanic who we were lucky to find here (Shannon at AutoTech 2000 in Clearlake) is a VW nut, so we'll be taking it to him to check out. He has a tricked out bug and a VW tattoo. He's always been honest and fair given us any deal he can. He's the only mechanic I've heard say, "Nah, we can turn the rotors, the brakes will be fine." Just crossing our fingers he doesn't find anything major.

It does need some body work, but that can wait. In the meantime, a few hours cleaning it up, a few parts off of eBay, and a bunch of Armor All should clean it up nicely.

We are going to have a lot of fun in this thing.

And I am sure some of you will be part of that "We."

I'm kind of a dick about Scrabble...

Did I post about how I won a game of Scrabble a few weeks ago with a bingo (shields using a blank) on my last turn with no tiles left in the bag to not just beat, but psychologically crush my cousin who was clinging to what he thought was an insurmountable lead?

That was pretty cool.

And yes, I'm kind of a dick about Scrabble.

And Jake and I had a great time visiting Auntie Lisa and Uncle Dave. Thanks again!