I <3 LA in the morning

Especially when the sky is absolutely gorgeous. To be respectful to folks around me on the road, I did not snap a picture of Downtown LA skyline, backed by clear blue sky, lit by the magic hour sun this morning. First, it was the Choir of the Angels moment on the 710. I was crawling down the stretch on the 710, a leftover carnage of an already cleared accident. There was light in the sky. ]I came up the hill and around the corner, just where the far left lane doubles up to split off to the 5, and the...
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Hello. We’re here.

YEEEEESSSS! I can’t believe I have my own domain. Yey! And such warm welcome from everyone. Thank you so much you guys! Along with the new format, I’d like to introduce a few new links. Chris Rude Cactus’ fabulous wife, Beth Fish, started a resolution everyone can feel good about this year. Beth said: I decided I would challenge myself to do at least one thing every single month to help a kid other than my own. That’s just awesome! So, I promise Beth that I would list her “Do Good” blog on my blog permanently. (See Small Change banner...
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Getting ready for the big time

With any luck, kiddies, I will relocate the Den over to OakMonster.com over this LONG weekend. Yes, we have MLK Day off. I’m sorry if I’m gloating. I used to not have it off, and now that I do, I take a little pleasure in rubbing it into folks who don’t. Hehee. Telling you, man. I *AM* evil. With the move on the way, you may see the lack of updates and perhaps even odd things at this joint. And when you peek at OakMonster.com, you may see different thing everyday. In the meantime, I’ll keep the new adventure over...
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Partying with mom

DSC02797 Originally uploaded by theoakmonster. The Phromyothis celebrated New Year’s Eve in style. Wish I was there! (But soon, with the magic of Photoshop, I shall be there too!!) More on the Flickr album. And yep, my mom is doing fantastically! She loves being at home. Her friends also appreciate the ample parking and freedom to hang out and be as loud as they want. Hehehe....
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2006: Year in Review

2006 can be summed up in just one word. Change. It started with mom’s health from her radiation earlier in the year to chemo in February, and finally, the stroke that debilitated her in July. I did go home twice in one year for the first time ever, and despite it all, I managed to have a few days of absolutely good times. Then we moved out of the Long Beach College Dorm 2.0 into a quiet residential neighborhood of Los Alamitos. I switched to take the bus. Brandon gets a permanent position. Friends and family all around have their...
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