A Proper Post

Friends,

I don’t think I’ve put anything down beside The Question for weeks now. That not so fine situation has been gnawing for a while, so here’s a couple things that certainly need expansion. Time’s been a problem lately though and it doesn’t look like I’ll have any more of it for a while. Thanks for checking in though (hey there, France, glad you could make it!). August should be a little more relaxed.

In no order whatsoever:

• Last Friday, the single day I felt comfortable leaving work early to get stuff done around the house, was the first time the highway was closed since I’ve lived here. You’ve read the Times’ (not that one, the other one) article about Idyllwild by now. The one about how my little town is an inferno waiting to happen? The article fails to not mention the key element of our doom—there’s only two ways in or out of this joint. I take one of them.

  From what I’ve read, the fella in the Taurus wagon became bored with his lane so he drove up the hill in the only other one. That’s fine, I guess, except the traffic coming down the hill needed somewhere to drive as well. In this country (much like France) we tend to drive on the right hand side of the road unless there’s an oncoming car. The first SUV in the line (hello Italy!) opted to swerve and drive off the side into a gully. He was unharmed. The woman in the number two SUV wasn’t so lucky and hit Mr. Taurus head on. A witness in number three SUV related to the paper of record that “debris was flying all over the place…” Engine compartments from the Taurus and the Infiniti were gone. Victims earned a helicopter ride to the hospital and I, along with fifty or sixty of my closest friends sat waiting for the cleanup.

  An hour or so later, we were on our way. Much slower than normal though, chastened by the sight of the scene.

• Here’s a fun fact. Did you know that there has been a little rain storm up here every afternoon this week? Me neither! Except for the puddles. And the dampness.
• I visited my sister’s new place in Pasadena last weekend and it’s not the dump everyone has made it out to be! Sure, it’s not a four million dollar palatial estate like the other shacks on her street, but the place is mighty fine. Besides, those other places are likely inhabited by bitter old misers, in their death throes, heirs hovering. Where else but my sister’s place could you find the warm good cheer of my sister and her adoring husband. Nowhere, I tell you!
• That same trip brought a visit to the Petersen Automotive Museum. You don’t have to be a gearhead to get it. You don’t even have to like cars (even though it helps). Just go. You’ll have a good time, learn something, and see something unexpected. I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll just post pictures.
• Oh yeah, legal matters. That was Tuesday and what fun it was. Me and the missus hired a paralegal in America’s Finest Just Okay City to take care of dissolution proceedings. There were plenty of happy noises emanating from the other side of the desk, so we signed things and wrote her a check. Months later, we received a summons from the Family Court to appear. Wasn’t this taken care of with the filings? Time for a call to our hired legal professional.

  The voicemail message promised a return call, but nothing. We called for weeks, still nothing. What to do? Appear at the courthouse, that’s what. The short version of this dumb story is that the free legal aid people there found they had nothing from our hired slacker bastard and had to reproduce all of the paperwork. All of it.

  No, I’m not bitter, why do you ask?

Almost forgot. You know how we’ve been posting The Question every day for the last couple weeks? We’d really like to hear from you about it. The comments here are moderated (I get an email and pass everything through unless it’s spam, vulgar, or indulges in personal attack) but don’t let that stop you! Make a selection. Suggest a new question. Have at it!

Your pal,

bob