Blue Eyes, Long Lashes

A picture of the flirtiest member of the P3. This one's for the ladies.

Bad News Always Comes On Friday

Last month, I had to litigate my first case because our agency's prosecutor was unavailable. It was a horrible experience, primarily because opposing counsel was a very seasoned and very aggressive attorney. My inexperience was like a neon sign during the proceedings. As an attorney, I am very good at research and written arguments, but I am no trial lawyer (nor do I want to be).

I won't go into too many details because our Commission hasn't made a final decision on it, but we did receive a proposed decision today from the judge who heard the case. Although I managed to prove negligence on the part of the respondent for some of the violations, the judge accepted opposing counsel's arguments on just about everything else. To put the outcome in perspective, my agency charged the respondent with 194 violations and was seeking in excess of $100,000 in penalties. The judge proposed that the respondent be held liable for only 8 violations and be fined only $7,000. Now, granted, the judge is unfamiliar with the ramifications this can have on the City's political process.

I still hope that our Commission, from their more informed position, will reject the proposed decision and order a much higher penalty. It will probably be another month before we present the matter to them, so I'll let you know how it turns out.

When Is Yet?

Today, I had this interaction with Riley:

Riley: "Mommy come home now?"
Me: "No, she's still gotta work a little. So, not yet."
A long moment passed.
Riley: "Now is yet?"

Interesting paradox for a near-three-year-old to try to wrap his head around. "Yet" arrives the very moment it no longer exists. You hear "not yet" and "still not yet," but never "yet."

It's a kind of Zeno's Paradox in a way.

You can relearn a lot about language concepts and their twisty complications when you accompany someone learning them for the first time.

I ask you: "When is yet?"

Farewell Pizza Party

A little more than 2 1/2 years ago, I was on maternity leave and struggling with the stresses of being a new mom. I was far from family and had no friends with babies or small children. Chris was working long hours as a freelance animator. Needless to say, I felt isolated and lonely. I still had my internet connection though, and that connection brought me an invitation to join an online-based mothers group called ValleyBabies. Although we initially met online, all of the mothers in that group were living in (or very close to) the San Fernando Valley. Membership in the group required online communication and face-to-face gatherings.

In one of those "six degrees of separation" moments, Andrew, the husband of one of the members, was reading internet messages from the group over his wife Holly's shoulder and noticed my last name. He told Holly, "Hey, I know a guy with that last name." As it turned out, Chris had freelanced for the company Andrew worked with down near the LAX airport. About six months earlier, Andrew had suggested to Chris that we should get together for brunch, since he and Holly lived in nearby Glendale. We never did meet for brunch, but, weirdly, Holly and I ended up meeting anyway through ValleyBabies. Los Angeles County has approximately ten million people living in it, so what are the odds of that happening?

Unfortunately, Holly and Andrew are moving away. They are going back to Minnesota to be closer to family and to be able to buy a house bigger than 1,000 square feet without spending $500,000+. To say goodbye, Chris and I invited Holly, Andrew, and their children over for homemade pizza this past weekend. Our friends Renee, Kyle, and their children (whom I also met through ValleyBabies) also came over.

We had a great time. I made three different pizzas: one with cheese, one with pepperoni and sausage, and one with onion, mushroom, black olive, red pepper, and sundried tomato. The weather was not overly warm, so we were all able to sit outside on the back deck while the children ran around. We sat, talked, and ate for several hours. It was a perfect way to spend a Sunday evening, even if it was for the slightly sad occasion of saying farewell to friends.

Wine Recommendation

Okay, so the nonadventurous exploits of the P3 family tend to be G-rated, but this Pickenpaugh (neé Mueller) does enjoy some age-restricted pasttimes. No, this isn't going to be THAT kind of post, although I did reside in the San Fernando Valley for six years (commonly known to be the home of the porn industry). Living in California, I feel it is my duty to sample the wares of local vineyards. It is also my great pleasure to have a friend in the wine biz who occasionally provides a personal introduction to decent wines. Since my parents also enjoy a good grape (though usually one from Michigan), I will share worthwhile finds. Tonight, my lucky find is a chardonnay from Mount Eden Vineyards in Saratoga, California--specifically, West Slope Chardonnay from Edna Ranch.

Click this link to learn more: Mount Eden Vineyards

Italian Circus

This week marks the Feast of San Gennaro, an Italian-American tradition originated in New York. It has spread across the country and today appeared in Los Angeles. Kirsten and Riley took the train to Hollywood to see it.

A highlight was the Zoppé Circus. This performing family, headed by star clown, Nino, has been entertaining audiences since 1842.

The Feast also included carnival rides and games and Italian foods like calzones, gelato and cannoli. Still, Riley opted for a chocolate chip cookie from the Hollywood & Highland Center across the street.

In fact, although Riley enjoyed the Circus, his favorite part of his day was the subway ride in from North Hollywood. Trains are one of his major interests.

To learn more about the Feast of San Gennaro, the Zoppé Circus and the Highwood & Highland Center, click on these links:

Feast of San Gennaro site
More about the Feast of San Gennaro
The Zoppé Circus
Hollywood & Highland Center

NOTE: We always have plenty of photos from the Pickenpaugh 3 exploits. If you'd like us to send you some, please leave a comment to let us know. We're happy to accommodate.

Payback

When I was a little girl, I used to slip into the hall closet and fish through my parents' coats for change. Each of them had at least two or three coats in that closet; it being Indiana, land of changeable weather. Dad's coats always had enough change that I could take a quarter or two from each pocket without fear of being discovered. He also had a change jar in the bathroom in which he deposited solely quarters. That was pretty tempting too.

Well, now I guess it's payback time. We don't have a hall closet, so when I come home most days I simply lay my bags, purse, books, etc. on a living room chair. We recently began teaching Riley about the different values of the coins in our monetary system. Add to that a piggy bank given to him by his Aunt Kate that plays "You Are My Sunshine" whenever you deposit a coin. Apparently those two things together have created my very own personal pickpocket. Invariably, at some point during the evening, I discover Riley standing in front of the chair with my belongings and opening my wallet to extract all my change for deposit in his piggy. He seems to prefer the quarters...I guess it runs in the family.

Little Boy

Riley, not yet a master of pronouns, sometimes refers to himself as "little boy." Here's a nice picture of "little boy" taking a play break in our front yard.



By the way, if you're reading this, please post a comment, if only to say hello. We'd appreciate a sign you're stopping by.

Backyard Dinner

Tonight, Riley had dinner on the back porch while Chris and Kirsten sat and enjoyed the temperate evening. It was a happy, relaxed thirty minutes for the family P3.

Feels So Good

It gets hot sometimes in southern California. Riley does what he has to do.

Day At The Fair

Today, Kirsten took Riley to the LA County Fair.

Riley was pretty excited. One of his favorite books is about a county fair.

Arriving, he ran straight to the ferris wheel and hopped on, although some uncertainly set in once the ride started moving. Still, he braved it with Kirsten's help.

Thereafter, Riley suffered no ride doubts. He enjoyed the go carts, children's train, plane ride and fun house walk.

Editor note: Even though Riley's not quite three, he's tall enough to board many rides by himself (three foot limit). Granted, his hair adds a few inches.

Long lines and toddler-level emotional stamina prevented Kirsten and Riley from seeing the farm animal display. However, they did manage to meet a few interesting beasts.

The clydesdale horses of Budweiser fame and their one-time commercial partner, Dynamo the Donkey, were on display. Although Riley was impressed with their size, he appeared suspicious of their credentials.

By afternoon's end, Riley also enjoyed some chocolate milkshake and reggae music. It was an eclectic adventure for boy and mother Pickenpaugh.

Quick Up-To-Speed

For those whom we've been out of touch, here's our life lowdown:

We live in Pasadena, California, a city we like quite a bit. It has a surburban ambience, but close proximity to L.A. urbanity.

Kirsten works as an Assistant Director of Enforcement for the L.A. City Ethics Commission. She's been there for a little over five years. Click the LA City Ethics link at the sidebar to learn more.

Chris is a stay-at-home dad. He runs a custom music service from the house. He also works the occasional freelance computer animation job. Click the Imperial Go Cart link at the sidebar to learn more about his music work.

Riley will be three years old in November. He's mastering toilet training and other toddler benchmarks like number and language skills. He also far out-cutes his mom and dad.

Welcome

You've reached The Pickenblog.

This site is intended for you, our friends and relatives. You can read about the general happenings of the Pickenpaugh 3: Chris, Kirsten and Riley. You can also see the occasional photo.

We hope this site will help bridge the communication gap created by distance and life preoccupations. So, you're encouraged to comment. We'd love to hear from you.