The L.A. Dime

Dec 23 2008

Sushi for Sophie

Published by Tina under Sophia,The Family

Last weekend, my step-brother Ralph and his wife Corinna made a quick visit while on their annual US trip. It was really great catching up with them and enjoying some very yummy sushi at Katsuya’s on Saturday night. Sophie had her first taste too……just kidding.

On a side note, we went to the Griffith Observatory too and it was wonderful. They’ve remodeled it, you can now park in their parking lot again and other than the shows, it’s totally free. Very cool.

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Dec 17 2008

R.I.P. Blacky

Published by Tina under The Family

After 18 wonderful years, my beloved cat Blacky passed away yesterday. I remember the day I first met him, back in Florence KY. We’d just moved into the house on Trophy Court and a cat that we’d seen while we were checking out the house had since then had her kittens right under our back deck. It was winter and getting colder by the day. They were all pressed against the house, trying to stay warm, but eventually the moaning got too loud and we called the SPCA to help us get them out. They got the mom and 4 of her kittens…but one black one stayed behind. My dad and I tried for a couple more hours that evening to convince him to come out from under the deck and he finally did. We brought him inside, warmed him up a bit, and then asked my mom if we could keep him. He was small enough to fit into the palms of my hands. We weren’t very original with naming him Blacky, but he very quickly became an integral part of our family. He was free to roam anywhere in our house (never on the bed or couch though ), and the woods in our back yard. Before my dad went to bed each night, he’d call for Blacky and there he came, running up the deck steps and into the house. Every night.

Over the past years, he’s gotten used to living in FL and being more of an inside cat. He loved to play, never liked the vet much, “talked” to the birds outside his window, and laid next to my dad every evening as they watched the news together. Blacky was our fourth family member for 18 years and we will miss him so much. I only wish he could have held on for me to give him a hug when we go to FL, but I know he’s in cat heaven now, and we will always keep him in our hearts.

3 responses so far

Dec 16 2008

A Christmas survey

Published by Tina under The Miscellany

Wrapping paper or gift bags?
i looooove wrapping presents – it’s one of my favorite things to do; i don’t get very fancy but work hard at getting those corners folded over just right
Tree–Real or Artificial? growing up we always had a real tree but now we have an artificial one which this year, is only decorated on the top half
Ever re-gift a gift you’ve been given? yes, just this weekend I was scrambling to find a present to give a little boy that won one of the games we played at the baby shower and found something that I would have never used but he was thrilled to receive it
When do you put your Christmas tree up? now, the day after thanksgiving but in germany the tradition is that while the kids go to church with one parent, the other one stays back to put up/decorate the tree so when the kids come home and walk in the door, the tree is there in its full glory – i have many wonderful memories of that anticipation and then surprise about how beautiful that tree was year after year

When do you take the tree down? after the new year

Like eggnog? yes! and i always heat it up although now i’m finding out that not everyone does that

Do you have a nativity scene? yes, 2 actually but they’re not out this year since the pieces are kind of small and sophie-bophie would hide them

Favorite gift received as a child? a doll house and a grocery store front with all those little goodies to sell….and a cash register that made a “ring” sound when you put the money in
Hardest person to buy for? my parents

Easiest person to buy for? sophie

Worst Christmas gift? it’s the thought that countsJ

Mail or email a Christmas card? mail; this year, for the first time, we had a picture card made

Favorite Christmas movie? don’t have one but Brad makes me watch “The Nightmare before Christmas” with him every year

When do you start shopping for Christmas? usually late november so I can get my overseas gifts shipped off and I always go out the day after turkey day…I don’t mind the crowds and it really helps me get into the spirit

Favorite food to eat on Christmas?

Clear or colored tree lights? white ones and i have a “less is more” mentality when it comes to how much I put on the tree…not a lot of ornaments, or streamers although I would like to find a nice star for the top, that’s not too flashy

Favorite Christmas Song? silent night

Travel during Christmas or Stay home? we’ve stayed in la one year but we typically take turns visiting either our KY or FL family

Can you name Santa’s reindeer’s? no – can I use the “I didn’t grow up here” excuse?

Angel or Star on Treetop? star

Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? to accommodate both brad and my traditions, we’ll always open one gift on Christmas eve and then the rest in the morning

Most annoying thing about this time of year? thinking I have everything/everyone covered and then realizing I forgot something/someone

One response so far

Dec 15 2008

Rejected by the post office

Published by Tina under Sophia,The Miscellany

Even though Sophie officially won’t need a passport for a little while, I figured why not go ahead and get the process started, especially as we’re very seriously considering going to Germany in May. Filling out the application, getting the right-sized pictures and all the other necessary paperwork together has taken me longer than I would have liked it to. So today after work, Brad, Sophie and I headed to the Van Nuys post office. After fighting for a parking spot, figuring out that the form I’d already filled out was now no longer valid so a new one had to be completed and waiting in line for about 30 minutes, it was finally our turn. We step up, the postal worker takes our paperwork and after a quick glance then tells us that since I put “N/A” in the section where it asked for Sophie’s “occupation”, the paperwork was not correct and I should fill out another form. I did, only to find out that they’d like to see the original birth certificate, not the copy I brought. We are asked to get out of line and come back on another day.

In other, much happier news, Sophie doesn’t mind the rain at all (see pic below) and decided that her new favorite place to sit/play is inside a kitchen cupboard (also see pic below).

Just in case you’re wondering, the passport application instructions do not mention anything about you needing the original birth certificate.

2 responses so far

Dec 10 2008

Madness

Published by admin under Uncategorized

Yesterday, it took Tina less time to fly from SF to LA and drive home, than it took me to drive home from USC.

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Dec 08 2008

How things change

Published by Tina under The Family

Traveling for my job used to consume every Friday night, Sunday afternoon and sometimes a few days during the week as well. My 5-year consulting gig kept me sprinting from home, to airports, to rental car counters, to clients and back. It was just part of what I did. My current job doesn’t require a lot of traveling anymore so you’d think it’d be a nice change of pace. This morning however, I was reminded how my life has changed these past 15 months and even just one night away from home is hard.

This morning, I headed to the airport for a quick 48-hour trip to Campbell, CA but as I was checking in, realized I’d forgotten my license. Not wanting to take the chance of missing my flight with the extra screenings that take place when you don’t have your ID, I called Brad to bring my license to me (it’s only about 8 miles from our house). He did drop it off and as I saw my little girl sitting in her car seat, looking at me as if to say, “where are you going without us Mama”, I lost it. I know how well taken care of she is with Brad and Julie, but she’s my baby, the one I carried for 9 months, the one I make most of my decisions for now and the one that brings Brad and I so much joy. So yes, here I was crying through the security line and thinking about how lucky I was to have such a fabulous husband and an amazing little girl that make me want to be home.

2 responses so far

Dec 07 2008

Christmas Card

Published by admin under Sophia,The Family,The Place

Yesterday, we got all bundled up and headed to the beach to take our first ever Riddell Family (West Coast) Christmas Picture. It was 47 in the Valley, so we figured it would be foggy and cool at the water. Given the multiple computers, TVs, and iPhones all over this house, you’d think we’d check an actual weather report. Turns out, it was in the low 70s by the time we got set up, and we were in sweaters, having gorged ourselves at Café Crepe waiting for it to “warm up.” Oh, well. I’m sure you East-coasters are feeling real sorry for us, huh?

The idea was to do something L.A. Christmas at the Santa Monica Pier. You’ll see the fruit of our efforts below, but none of these are the one we chose. In the end, I’d say hire a photographer, or get a camera-savvy friend to help, because setting the timer, then sprinting from the tripod to the shot a dozen times in a sweater on a warm, sandy beach, is not the most effective method ever conceived.

2 responses so far

Archive for December, 2008

Sushi for Sophie

R.I.P. Blacky

A Christmas survey

Rejected by the post office

Madness

How things change

Christmas Card

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