Crazy Drummer Stuff

  As I’m writing this little story, I’m listening to my favorite album Full Sail by Loggins and Messina, which was released in 1973, when I was an impressionable 18 year old, and I still love this album!  Whenever I feel a bit stressed or down (which is very unusual for me), I put this album on.  In the old days, we would put the LP on the record player, but now I just find it on YouTube.  I’m mentioning this so that you can get a bit of context of what is about to unfold.   So, Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (or BPH, as it is also known) is, according to Google “…also known as prostate enlargement, [which] is a common condition in men where the prostate gland grows larger and can cause urinary problems. This enlargement can put pressure on the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body, leading to difficulties urinating. BPH is not cancerous and doesn't increase the risk of prostate cancer.”  Also, according to our current sour...

  Hi Everybody! On Saturday the 24th of May, 2025, we decided to drive down to Carlsbad to wash the huskies.  They usually get baths every 6 months or so, whether they need it or not!  Great thing about huskies is that their fur usually doesn't smell, and with regular brushing they can be kept pretty clean.  Nevertheless, like any dog, they do need their baths on occasion.  Now, the reason we drive the 40 miles all the way down to Unleashed in Carlsbad is due to the fact that they have four self-wash tubs, and the tubs are low enough so that Lars the male husky can get in.  Even so, he still needs to use a little step stool to get in the tub, and he cries pretty much the whole time!    Unleashed in Carlsbad; 2663 Gateway Rd. #103, Carlsbad, CA 92009 So, it all starts by getting the dogs in the tubs; we usually get Misha in with no problems, but Lars is another story.  He cries and cries, and he needs the step stool and a couple of treats in t...

  This is the story of the completion of a little project we started back in 2022; as you can see below, the two old fireplaces (and yes, we have two of them, back to back, one in the living room and one in the family room) were both covered in dark granite, which added to the crypt-like feeling of the house.  And, since the San Clemente winters can be severe (once in a while the temperature dips below 40F), of course we had to have two of them!  Anyway, so in the late summer - fall of 2022 we decided to get rid of the granite fireplaces, once and for all, and brighten up things!     Fall 2022:  Old fireplace, living room.  The whole thing is covered in granite, and some really weird angles.  Dark, dark, dark… Fall 2022:  Old fireplace, family room.  Again, the whole thing was covered in dark granite, with a giant granite slab going all the way to the ceiling.  By the way, don't be alarmed; this is NOT our furniture!  ...

  Finally on Friday the 16 of May, 2025, it was time to throw away some old rugs that we had stored (or hoarded more likely) for years.  Kathy usually buys new rugs for our house with regularity, to replace the old ones.  But, since I don’t wanna throw away anything, we (I, mostly) store the old rugs, “because you never know when one of the kids want an old rug” (never).  Nevertheless, since we are doing quite a bit of purging due to the remodel, it was time to throw out the old, and get some more new rugs!  Most of the old rugs have been stored on top of my drum cave (it is a miracle that the drum cave didn’t cave in under the weight of all of them).  So, on Friday Matt and I loaded up the pickup, and off we went to the San Clemente landfill, 32250 Avenida La Pata.  The actual name is Prima Deshecha Landfill, close to San Juan Capistrano, CA, but I usually just call it the San Clemente landfill.  Per the OC Waste & Recycling website, “OC Wast...

  Friday, May 16, 2025:  Took a day off from work to go up to the Daltile Anaheim show room to get some ideas for the backsplash.  In the afternoon Matt and I cleared out the garage, to make more room for storage.  We went to the San Clemente landfill to dump a bunch of old rugs that we brought from our old house in Irvine; it was time to get rid of them!  We also dumped a sheet of drywall; I hope I don’t have to make any more drywall repairs for a while!   Friday, May 16, 2025:  Daltile Showroom, 1600 S. Page Court, Anaheim. Friday, May 16, 2025:  Dumping old rugs and drywall at the San Clemente landfill.  Saturday, May 17, 2025:  Spend pretty much all day on my knees putting in the toe kicks in the hallway and kitchen, but it is finally done!  Since we had raised the kitchen cabinets toward the window to match the height of the window, the standard size toe kick (4.5”) did not work.  Instead, Ramon Plascencia at Builders Surp...