I'm going back to Cali

in

Hi all,

Amanda and I are skipping out of town tonight for a long weekend and much-needed vacation in Palm Desert, Calif. We'll be staying with Gramps and Grams at the luxurious Deep Canyon Tennis Club, which mostly caters to transient seniors.

The forecast shows the temperature will be in the 90s over the weekend, which is just perfect and far from the oven-like conditions of my last trip with Katrine and Scott, which reached a cool 119 degrees.

We're heading to Coachella on Saturday (Read about my last Coachella experience here) and I'll update the blog with new photos and video throughout the weekend!

Warm regards,
Paolo

Hairline discrimination

in

My hairline, like the economy, is in recession.

I'm not oblivious to the fact that the corners of my hairline have slowly inched their way back over the last few years. I like to think that my widow's peak is just getting longer.

This change is not surprising or necessarily unwelcome. So long as my hairline looks like Seinfeld's more than Costanza's, I'll be A-OK.

I hardly noticed my failing hairline for the last few months, until I had my hair cut yesterday.

The nice, punked-out chick at Rudy's first combed my hair in such a way as to expose my Achilles' corners before going Edward Scissorhands on my dome. Not so bad, I thought. However, SHE was noticeably timid around the corners and even spun me around in the chair a few times to assess how she could manage the damage. It was like I was Lindsey Lohan on a Vegas trip and she was my publicist. WTF?

THIS was a whole new process. I wasn't being put through the regular, half-assed motions like the rest of the guys down the row of chairs. My hairdresser was being MUCH more careful, especially regarding how the front of my hair lied down. I suppose this extra care and attention should be welcomed, but I also didn't arrive on a short yellow bus.

This was hairline discrimination. Separate but equal, my ass.

I often wonder how the truly bald guys, and especially those sporting the reverse yamikas, approach the barber. I suppose it's the same way those with townhouses handle their pea patch lawns -- you just work with what you got.

I'm not ready for that though. Hell, I just bought a house with a sizable yard and LOTS of grass.

My hairdresser did a fine job and I tipped her well considering the attention to detail and extra few minutes that required. I stepped out on to the street and felt the cold breeze on my scalp, the usual gig after a short haircut. I checked myself out in the reflection of my car window as I opened the door. I thought I looked good, and I guess that's all that matters.

I picked up Amanda from work and she commented that the top of my hair might even be too short, which is quite the compliment for a guy who will likely have trouble growing hair to cut in the future.

There's no stimulus package for this hairline recession, but I'm feeling the impact and bracing for the worst. So far, it's not as bad as I thought.

Moving brings out the thrift in us

in

Amanda and I made the final push on Saturday and moved our remaining possessions out of Ballard and into the Oakes Tree. What a relief! We are now living at the Oakes Tree full-time, which is a totally rewarding feeling.

We were so tired from the move on Saturday that we skipped church on Easter (gasp!) and slept in (yay!). We later pulled ourselves out of bed to burn some gift cards at America's congregation, Wal-Mart. On the way, we swung by the McDonald's across the street for a snack and coffee.

Now picture this: Amanda and I walking into Wal-Mart with McDonald's coffee in hand.

We were feeling a little corporate until we saw a McDonald's inside the Wal-Mart.

"At least we didn't actually eat here," Amanda commented.

"Yeah!" I replied.

With that renewed sense of status, we skipped off to the aisle of storage bins, looking for some classy answer to organizing.

Review: Marley and Me

in

On Friday night, Amanda, Sarah and I watched Marley and Me. The movie, starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, is about a couple who learn some life lessons and build a family around their wild, rambunctious dog.

IF YOU HAVE EVER OWNED A DOG, DON'T WATCH THIS MOVIE OR YOU WILL CRY LIKE A LITTLE GIRL FOR TWO HOURS.

Otherwise, I recommend it.