The Year in Pictures: June 2007

OK. I guess I better finish this year in review at least before the end of January.

In most families, I suppose, the month of June is celebrated as the long-awaited end to the school year and the start of summer. While that's not completely untrue for us, it must be admitted that an even bigger reason we look forward to June is the annual open house hosted by our local garbage truck drivers at the West L.A. District yards of the Bureau of Sanitation. Garbage trucks are just the start, as all sorts of heavy equipment are on display and the burgers, hot dogs, soda, and chips are all free! (It makes the perennial increase in waste-collection fees a little more palatable. A little.)


In addition to the school year (including Tony's first acting performance), June also saw the culmination of the spring sports season (including the presentation of Everett's first trophy!), scouting, and guitar and ice skating lessons.


We also found time to squeeze in a family outing to the beach and some good quality time on the bikes.

The Year in Pictures: March 2007

March was a landmark month for me, with the occasion of my 40th birthday. I know I'm hardly the first, or last, person to make this observation, but an age that once seemed so old, now seems quite normal, even young. Having a pair of active young boys around, and staying in shape with a regular program of bike-commuting, also help slow down the aging process (although there are moments with both the boys and the bike seem to speed up the aging process, too.)

While an otherwise ordinary month of school, work, etc., it was a bit more noteworthy for Tony. After taking a group, general music class for a couple of years, he graduated up to individual lessons on the guitar (which continue today). It was also Pinewood Derby month for Cub Scout Tony. And his first Derby car performed quite well. A model of a hot-rod San Francisco garbage truck, it flew down the track to consistently finish in the top 2 or 3 of all of its heats. The real highlight of March for Tony, though, would have to be his school's fund-raising beach clean-up. It was a chance for Tony to lead his fellow first graders in an activity that all knew was close to his heart.