Ottmar Liebert at the Lewis Family Playhouse

I first heard him at the Music Plus store in West LA just off National Blvd in the early 90s.  The crisp nylon string melodies were catchy.  Barcelona Nights.  Nouveau Flamenco. Ottmar Liebert.  I bought the first 6 or so of his CD releases primarily because the music was easy to ingest.  It was good driving music that we played on countless road trips to bike races in the Southwest.  Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada.  At some point in the early 2000s, I just stopped listening to him altogether.  Boredom?  So when I found out that he was playing at the Lewis Family Playhouse in Rancho Cucamonga, I still wasn't sure I wanted to see him.  Do I go with the kids?  They've been to a lot of concerts but nothing that remotely resembles Liebert's genre.  But hey, I wanted to take them to the Playboy Jazz Festival this summer so this might be a good warmup.  No screaming vocal or loud distorted guitars.  Just very accomplished instrumentalists. As it turned out, the $28 ticket was a very good value since Liebert (and his backup band) played over 2 hours --which included a 20 minute intermission in the middle.  The kids have heard most of Liebert's material from the early releases since Maura and I would play them on road trips as well -- a continuation of a pre-kid tradition.  Besides enjoying the music, the other interesting discovery is the intimacy of the Lewis Family Playhouse as a venue.  No bad seats at all in the 560 they accommodate.  And the best part of all, I didn't have to pay the Ticketmaster ransom per ticket since all I had to do was pick them up at the box office.  Did I like Liebert's new stuff well enough to buy the newer releases?  Not likely.  But with good live music so hard to find in the 909, I had a good time and so did the kids.

Going Old School

Sam had a school project that he needed some non-internet references for and while we normally hit the bookstores, I decided to go to the city library instead.  Besides, the City of RC public library is funded by my property taxes anyway, right?  So I signed up the kid for a library but what I had not anticipated is me getting one as well -- until I saw these CDs in the music library section.  Pastorius, Mingus, Peterson -- heavyweights of jazz.

There's also the factor of convenience.  The city library branch we went to was at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center which is close to all the place we eat at (CPK, King's, Corner Bakery, etc) so returning items is not a hassle.  Besides, I grew up with a library card and most kids these days haven't even been to a public library, so I thought my kids might benefit from the same experience.  The only rub is these CDs cost 50 cents to check out -- which is not a bad price considering.  Sam's books?  They're still free.

Eff This Rag

I got this free rag in the mail thinking it was like an LA Weekly or Pasadena Weekly (which, by the way, I still read on a regular basis).  Nine-O-Nine magazine looked innocent enough until I read this one article on how to grow together as a family.  Why the fuck does the editor think everyone in the IE is a Jesus-freak?  Sure, it doesn't say Christian but "pray" and "higher power" are code-words for what that these people do.  Why not light an incense or practice yoga together (for those who practice the eastern religions)?  Or better yet, why not volunteer at a mission together (for the secular humanists amongst us)?  Since my blue recycling cans are outside next to the garage, the next issue I get won't be polluting the air inside my house.

'Nuff Said

The Demographic of the 909 Alpha Male

There's had got to be a name sociologists would attach to this particular demographic.  I've lived in the 909 for over three years and tonight I put all the pieces together.  The kids and I ate dinner at the Yard House tonight at Victoria Gardens and I was quietly watching Sunday night football and it all came together.  Three ladies sat at the bar and their male partners/husbands/boyfriends stood about drinking beer.  What I saw in front of me was something I've never seen living in the South Bay, Westside or in Pasadena.  These guys are what I would call representative of the 909 Alpha Male demographic.  I've seen them at the Ralph's parking lot driving their crew cab 8-cylinder trucks.  I've seen the 909 A.M. walking at the mall wearing their Tapout or Metal Mulisha t-shirt.  The 3 men at the bar were all wearing short crew cut haircuts and on average stood about 6 ft tall.  Probably played football for Rancho Cucamonga High School.  Hell, I've seen them at the 24-hr Fitness as well, bench pressing 250 as I ran on the treadmill.  I go to the gym to work on my cardio to supplement my cycling.  They press to get big.  Work in construction? Maybe.  Law enforcement or fire department? Maybe.  Republican?  Definitely.  I'm sure they all head to Lake Havasu as their prime summer vacation spot.  Half of them listen to country and the other half listen to KCAL 96.7 for some Metallica.  100% football fan from the months of September through January and they watch MMA the other 7 months.  The fact that I only see them at the Yard House and at Lucille's BBQ and not at King's Fish House could only mean one thing -- their diet consists mostly meat and burgers and little fish.  And when they procreate with their bleach blonde ladies, the produce baseball-loving little clones of themselves and drive Suburbans when their crew cab trucks cannot fit their 909 families.  Come think of it, I've had close calls with these Suburbans on Banyan while on my bike.  My only fear bigger than getting run over by the 909 A.M. is one or both of my kids joining this interesting demographic.  

The Other Side

Last night, I took the kids for a bike ride on the Pacific Electric Bike Trail but this time going east from Rancho Cucamonga.  We did the westward ride Sunday afternoon from East Ave to Arrow Route in Upland so they wanted to do a "different" route the following day.  I previously had not gone more than a couple miles on the bike trail into Fontana but this time we rode about 7 miles to Juniper Ave.  The demographic on the bike trail east and west of the I-15 is very distinct but that doesn't bother me at all.  What bothers me is the difference in the way the two cities, Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana seem to treat the bike trail.  In Rancho, it seems to be a place where families walk, jog, ride and the upkeep of the trail is excellent.  On the Fontana side, the first obvious difference is the apparent lack of planning where the street crossings are basically done at your own risk.  In addition, I was really worried about getting a flat from the numerous broken bottles and glass that littered the trail in several places.  Thankfully, our short ride concluded with no incident and as we headed home to our car, it was already dark and I was really surprised by the number of people who ride at night -- with lights on, of course.  I know it's still summer but I do wonder how many of them will be around as the weather gets colder.  It's probably safe to say the kids and I will be riding west more than we'll be riding east.

New Hours (2012)

As we approach the 3rd week of the new school year, I can't help but think how my posts have slowed down considerably.  Sam's in high school at Los Osos and JJ's settling into 7th grade.  New teachers, new books, new friends, new hours.  The routines we had since summer started on the last week of May had changed considerably.  No more late nights, we haven't hiked since school started.  So on our way home from dinner tonight, I had to take this photo near the intersection of Baseline Road and Day Creek Blvd.  The sign is for some city public works facility but I like what it represents at this time of the year.

The Story Behind These Vinyl Finds

Been going back to Dr. Strange Records every week since I found it.  Here's the disclosure.  They cater mostly to punk music.  Some thrash, some DIY, some metal but for the the most part punk.  So after I found another one of these 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett LP for 50c, I asked the guy behind that counter what's the deal because the story obviously doesn't make any profit off these.  Not only can I score them for less than a buck, I also have to pay into a jar -- which turned out to be a donation box for the local humane society.  I was told that people come into this (punk) record store wanting to sell their old vinyl collections for whatever they can get.  A store employee would tell them that it's really a specialty store catering to a very specific genre of youth-oriented music, i.e. punk.  These would-be sellers would be frustrated and really just want to get rid of their old "stuff" so they would ask if they can just leave them there.  And on my last visit, there were about 4 crates of discards that I sorted through to find this vinyl.  I also found 3 more George Benson LPs.  I like it.

The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett

The name of the artist alone caught my attention.  The second time in as many weeks I went to Dr. Strange Records in Rancho Cucamonga and at the first bin I found has these old vinyl for 50c each and 2 for 75c.  How can I resist?  I browsed through all the junk, Streisand, Croce, America, etc. until I found these 3 albums by "The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett".  Anyone who has 50 guitars is my hero (for the record, I have less than 20) but this is vintage instrumental music that is the basis for a lot of covers by classic surf bands.  The days of instrumental music is over and these vinyls belong to a very specialized genre amongst record collectors.  After listening to these 3 albums, I'm now on the hunt for more 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett (I've seen a list of at least 18 releases doing a quick online search).  Although it's doubtful I can get them for 50c each again).

From the website www.spaceagepop.com...
Tommy Garrett was "Snuff" Garrett, A&R director for Liberty from 1958-1966, producer of numerous early 60s hits by white rock-n-roll artists such as Bobby Vee, Johnny Burnette, and Gary Lewis. Garrett also gave Phil Spector his first job in the business, as A&R man in New York for Liberty. He produced a series of LPs for Liberty under the name of "The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett," one of the least adventurous and most easy-listening guitar groups, usually arranged by Ernie Wilkins and with Tommy Tedesco as lead guitar. Garrett also produced a number of exotica recordings by "The Midnight String Quartet" and Jonathan Knight on the Viva! label.

Doctor Strange Records

Finally, some cool music store in Rancho Cucamonga!  Interesting how a split second changes the whole chain of events that follows.  Wednesday night, I decided to do a short 1-hr ride around the city and was undecided on what route to take -- so I just headed down the Pacific Electric Bike Trail, westbound into the stiff afternoon headwind.  I usually head back via Lemon taking Beryl Street north but for some reason, I decided to head up Amethyst Ave instead.   I could have easily missed it if I hadn't glanced left for a second as I was pedaling about a block or two from the bike path.  It was past 7pm and all I saw was the store sign that said "RECORDS".  Hmmm.  A record store in a somewhat residential area of Rancho Cucamonga?  I pedaled home but just kept a mental note to drive by Amethyst on Friday, when I need to kill a half hour as the kids were taking music lessons at Alta Loma Music off Carnelian.  Doctor Strange Records is one cool place that sell vinyl, mostly punk but also a great selection of prints, t-shirts, stickers, magazines, etc.  Finally, I don't have to go to LA or Pasadena for vinyl.  I bought this signed poster by silkscreen artist John Miner for $10!  I only browsed for about 10 minutes since they close right at 7pm but I'll be back for more.

That Time Already?!

Not too long ago, Sam was born at Cedars Sinai the day after the summer solstice in 1998.  We knew this year at Day Creek Intermediate School will go really fast as he prepares for his summer before starting high school.  Spring break last week, meant over 80% of the school year is over but nothing came stronger as a reality check than the packet for Los Osos High School that he took home yesterday.  It's only 2 miles away but mentally, it's as far as I've imagined him being away from home.  Next week, when we meet with the Los Osos school officials, it'll be as real as it gets.  Three years of middle school went fast; four years of high school will be 33% longer but will go just as fast, I think.  JJ is really not too far behind and soon enough, both will be in college.  Yikes.

Cruising With Elsie

After having Elsie serviced a few weeks ago, it's time to enjoy the warm January afternoon sun in California.  I drive her about 15 miles a week just so she's happy and runs well.  She loves the streets above Day Creek Blvd overlooking the cities of Etiwanda and Fontana.  Today was 80 deg F, the winds having died down and was just absolutely perfect.

Overheard At Starbucks (1/6/12 1030am)

At the Starbucks on Day Creek Blvd and Highland Ave today, it took me long enough to put 2 packets of sugar and cream in my decaf iced Americano to take note of this male in his early 20s recounting his New Year's Eve to another male and a female.

"I was mixing all sorts a drinks, you know.  I was kinda hangin' out cause all the old people went home early.  Then I was singing that song, you know, that lang syne, the one like Star Spangled Banner, you know...so yeah, I kinda started the new year right, you know."

A few things came to mind besides wishing I had a tape recorder to capture his monologue.  First, I wonder if I am the "old people" who goes home early.  Not sure what early is these days anyway.  Second, I never thought Auld Lang Syne even remotely resembles our national anthem.  Either he is tone-deaf or just haven't heard either song enough to tell any melodic or harmonic distinction.  And speaking of starting the year right, I rode 1500 miles last year on my bike without a single flat.  And today, my first ride of 2012, I flatted on my way out, thankfully, less than a mile away from home.

Christmas Morning Ride

I distinctly remember Christmas mornings when we lived in Pasadena.  We would either drive around or ride our bikes and it never fails.  I would spot several kids out on the streets, bright and early, usually between 8 and 9 am, riding their brand new bicycles.  It almost became a game where the object is to spots as many kids (and sometimes adults) with their new bikes.  And those new rides are pretty easy to spot -- clean paint, shiny chrome, dark brand new tires.  Fast forward to Christmas morning, 2011 in Rancho Cucamonga.  Around 9am today, I decided to take a short 21 mile ride to Upland and back, just to get burn off some of that ham, eggrolls, apple cider, wine and cake.  But much to my disappointment, all I saw was one kid on a new Razor scooter on Etiwanda and Banyan -- in fact, I specifically rode on the Pacific Electric Trail to see if any families are out riding.  Nada.  Saw a few runners but that's about it.  On my way back, I took Baseline Road and as I waited for the light to turn green on Haven, a Dodge station wagon pulled alongside and I hear the windows rolling down.  My next thought was I don't want to have to deal with a bunch of characters making some wise-ass joke about cyclists or worse, getting hit with objects.  Over the years I've had my share of verbal encounters with occupants of these metal coffins on wheels (called cars) -- and the last thing I need is some redneck to ruin my Christmas ride.  (Years ago, riding down Foothill Blvd, I was once hit in the helmet with a snowball that originated from a pickup truck with a truckbed full of snow.)  Instead, I heard with a couple nice, "Merry Christmas" greetings.  Although it took me a couple seconds to get re-oriented that this was a friendly, I did respond back with a "Merry Christmas, too, man."  I think I need to chill a bit.

Alta Loma Music

My kids started music lessons at Alta Loma Music this fall and from what I've observed so far, it's worth it. JJ started in November and Sam started in December.  So far, JJ performed in the Christmas program with other students and I think that's the best part of their music program -- the experience of playing with other kids.  JJ (above left) played bass guitar to "Last Christmas" and although, he's performed in front of an audience before with his middle school band, this was a first.  Small group in front of a full auditorium (Upland Women's Club).  There is another student showcase in February and I expect Sam to be part of that performance.  So far, his progress is to the point where he can play full songs (Radiohead's "Creep" and U2's "With Or Without You").  I would recommend Alta Loma Music to any parent interested in having their kids exposed to music of all kids -- the staff is very friendly, accommodating and all my experience had been positive.  And so far, my kids' interest in music just about doubled up.  Last Sunday, instead of watching TV, JJ insisted on jamming with me because he was bored.  And yesterday, when I got home from work, Sam was banging on the drum kit and before I can even think of making dinner, I found myself picking up the guitar and playing a couple beats.  Music is a drug.

Adapting. Finally.

For the first time since moving to the 909, I did feel like I belong here.  On my business trip to Colorado a couple weeks ago, I did not feel the urge to fly from Burbank, which is fairly convenient from work.  And when I got back a few days later, driving down Archibald Avenue certainly felt like home -- much like how I used to feel driving up Altadena Drive after a long absence.  I can certainly attribute this change to riding the streets of Rancho Cucamonga on my bike, which I've always believed to be the best way to get to know a city.  As a result of trying to figure out where to ride, I've known all the small streets I need to take to get from point A to point B.  I vaguely remember going through the same process when we first moved to Pasadena.  I explored every corner of the foothill communities from Sierra Madre all the way to La Canada in order to get a feel for the area.  The other aspect of settling in is getting into certain routines -- in particular, places to eat.  At least once a week, the kids and I go to specific restaurants, pretty much out of habit -- CPK, King's Fish House and Rubio's.  And finally, ever since the kids started taking private music lessons at Alta Loma Music, we've gotten to know some friendly locals.  I just know it will be hard to leave the area when both kids go off to college but I have at least 7 more years before I have to worry about that.  For now, this is home.

My Sunday Ride

The climb from Campus Ave in Upland to the top of Shinn Road in Claremont is only 4.7 miles.  I was first introduced to this climb riding with a dozen guys from the Cycling Connection bike club in Rancho Cucamonga a couple months ago and since then, it has become part of my regular Sunday loop to Claremont and back home to Rancho.  I remember my first time -- this older guy Les, who I'm guessing is in his mid-60s just kicked my ass.  I blew up at the climb hit Euclid Ave in the San Antonio Heights area.  I did not know what to expect and of course, just was in too big a gear for what did not seem like a steep grade.  Today is my 5th time up Shinn Road and I finally found the right gearing combinations at the different legs of this climb.  The key is to not blow up at Euclid Ave and pound the big ring past Mountain Ave to get enough momentum for the rest of the way to Shinn Road.  Thinking back when I used to go up Angeles Crest or GMR, it did take at least 5 tries before I got the optimum gearing selection.  Given my time constraints, a 35-mile Sunday ride is probably all I can handle if I am to be semi-useful for the rest of the day.  Gone were the 65-mile Sunday rides I used to do with Maura in the 90s.  The last 10 miles of the loop is also low risk in terms of just finishing the ride on the Pacific Electric Bike Trail which I pick up at Claremont Village and take all the way to Etiwanda Ave.  Today, I finally felt like I'm beginning to appreciate more what the area has to offer.

IE Sunrise, Nov. 22, 2011

"Sunrise Over The Inland Empire, Day Creek Boulevard and Wilson Avenue November 22, 2011" - I was lucky enough to have my camera this morning when I was driving down the hill to work this morning.  It rained most of last weekend but today was clear and clean.

Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail

I've been riding on the trail since April of this year.  I've taken it from I-15 all the way to Claremont.  I've taken my kids riding through sections of the trail during the summer.  Even the bike-friendly cities of Pasadena or Claremont do not have a Class 1 Bike Path, i.e., one that is completely separate from traffic.  So this puts Rancho Cucamonga above most foothill communities in the bike-friendliness scale.  Today, I found out that there is a 501c(3) non-profit organization that is an advocate for the Pacific Electric Trail, an 8-mile bike path through my adopted city of Rancho Cucamonga.  As I rode the trail crossing at Etiwanda Avenue this morning, there was a table set up with some folks handing out flyers informing trail users of what the city has to offer.  I chatted with the volunteers a bit about the new section that crosses Foothill Blvd and how I think it's a great asset to the city.  If I will ever introduce my kids to civic consciousness of some kind, this might be a great way to get them involved in the community.  I'm looking forward to attending the first meeting of Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail on December 13 at the Lions Center East and see where I can help out.

Rancho Cucamonga DMV Statistics (10/28/11)

I went to pick up my personalized plates today and as soon I sat down, I decided the DMV wait is not going to fuck up my day so I collected data as I waited for my number to get called.  I wrote down the ticket number and window number as they were called out.  And I proceeded to do statistics analysis on the data I was collecting.  Before I knew it, my 1 hour and 17 minute wait was over and I got my JEDIISM plate.  I should probably send my data snapshot to the Rancho Cucamonga DMV office so they can see how they are serving the public, which employees are efficient (and which are slackers).  I understand there is variability in the type of service performed in each transaction but that is what statistical analysis is for -- to get an overall feel for how a sample set represents some general aspect of anything.  Not all the windows were open (probably blaming state budget cuts) and only 15 windows called out numbers.

Service Window	Total Customers	Avg Time Per Customer
1	9	0:09
2	2	0:19
3	7	0:11
4	6	0:11
5	6	0:13
6	5	0:15
7	5	0:17
8	11	0:06
9	6	0:08
10	--	--
11	6	0:11
12	7	0:04
13	6	0:09
14	4	0:04
15	1	One Sample
16	--	--
17	--	--
18	--	--
19	--	--
20	--	--
21	3	0:09

Total Customers = 84

Total Time Observed = 1 hr 12 min

Average Time Per Customer = 10 min

Most Customers Served = Window 8 (11 customers)

Faster Service Time = Window 14 (4 min per customer)

Least Customers Served  = Window 15 (1 customer)

Slowest Service Time = Window 2 (19 min per customer)

I think for the most part, DMV employees are hardworking.  I mean, I'd hate to be doing this for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week but just like with any other place of employment, there are slackers.  If Window 8 can handle 11 customers in the sample time, why is Window 6 only servicing less than half that at a rate of at least twice as slow.  If I were to slash more jobs, I would use these numbers to justify my cuts.