Life is good.

I know thanksgiving is in November but I have a lot to be grateful for right now. I hope that you all feel the same way this fine Easter weekend. Say what you want about the diminishing quality of life in Southern California, crime, traffic, cost of living, what have you, this has been the most remarkable two weeks of weather. Warm, but not too warm, the perfect light breeze. Absolutely incredible.

It really is heaven right now. This is the reason I live here, weeks like this. The reason I never want to leave my beautiful Santa Margarita valley until the day I die. I was born in San Diego County and it is deeply ingrained in my blood and dna.

I have a new bird feeder up, they haven't taken to it yet but there is a continuing cascade of loud and colorful birds in the yard. We found an excellent Guatemalan worker who spiffed up the yard last week and is coming back on Monday. You feel better when the yard starts looking good.

I had one of the greatest California paintings I have ever handled come in to the gallery this week, word of mouth from an old customer that I treated right and I am certainly happy for that. I love to handle great material.

I am married to the best wife I could ever imagine. I have never doubted that once in the last 26 years. Beautiful, inside and out and as far from a diva as you can get. Total team player. Smart as heck.

I have been managing my time more effectively. Haven't played my guitar for a year nor taken time to visit the gym, both of those failures are certainly awful but I have been definitely more productive and I have managed to pay the bills. Lots of singles, an occasional k, not a lot of home runs but I am managing to keep swinging the bat and that is what you have to do sometimes. Tony Gwynn made it to the Hall of Fame hitting singles and an occasional double.

My basketball team, SDSU, is still playing, albeit in the NIT. Went to the game against Georgia Tech with Kent and Heidi and they kicked ass playing to a sold out crowd. The one team that has beat Kansas at home. A few teams in the NCAA tourney are lucky not to be playing them right now.

Got a good estate recently, have a nice photography exhibit up, figuring out how to use a camera finally, have a wonderful set of friends, some going on thirty and forty years, still have my hair, my heart is still beating, my car is still running, people are still reading me.

I have been blessed with wonderful teachers in my life. I want to thank them too. Mrs. Gershon, my phonics teacher. Mrs. Bingham in the fourth grade in El Paso. Mr. Reagan in high school. Doug Durrant in college. So many great teachers along the way. Where would we be without our teachers?

Life is good.