One of my bitch moments....

When we moved to Cali, we basically just packed up and moved. We slapped a for sale sign in the front yard our NY home, rented a Cali house on the internet packed our vehicles and drove.

The house we rented happened to be in a "gated community" and although that was new for us, it seemed a nice idea. Our kids would be safe and the traffic would be kept mostly to the people who lived here. Also, this appeared to be a kid friendly neighborhood as we are 5/10ths of a mile to the elementary school, 2/10ths of a mile to the middle school and 7/10ths of a mile to the high school.

We bought the following year in the same neighborhood (gated community) and proceeded to enjoy our new house and our Cali lifestyle. This was our first home where there is a “Homeowner Association”. An okay idea, either way it did not make a difference to me. The dues are not much, only $85/month. I personally don’t think they do much other than plant new flower varieties each season but hey, it was our choice to buy here knowing of the Association.

When we put in our request to have a pool installed, they (the Association) said we would hear something back in 30 days at the latest. Well, 30 days came and went with no word so the pool was installed. (You know, no news is good news theory). After another 30 days, we sent in our application for solar panels for our “new pool”. That was approved right away, I guess they are still waiting to let us know if we are approved for a pool (duh).

Other than that, we have very little contact with the Association but we did recently receive a questionnaire for the Ivey Glenn Homeowners to fill out. Here are their questions.

• 1. Should skateboarding be forbidden in our community both on sidewalks and streets?
• 2. Should dogs and other pets be kept out of our community park (aggressive pets, droppings, etc.)?
• 3. Should children be forbidden from playing in the street?
• 4. Should residents be forbidden from parking their personal vehicles on the street; mandate that residents park in their garages or driveways
• 5. Any other items or concerns you have.

Then the Association proceed to state that “Your names and responses will not be shared with anyone other than the Board and Management Company Representative.

Oh, I’m sharing- I’m sharing to everyone that will listen…..

Fuck you ....

P.S. My response will be in your mailbox within in the next 30 days at the latest.

Take cover... Its an EARTHQUAKE!!!

Before we moved to Cali, I was discussing the possibility of a move with a friend of mine who lives here in Oceanside. I think I was expressing my fear of an earthquake and that that alone may hold me back in my desire to move.

My girlfriend said to me "You New Yorkers are an odd sort, you worry about getting a snow or ice storm. You scurry all around gathering supplies to hunker down for a week or so. Run to the store, get 12 gallons of milk, 8 loaves of bread, enough batteries to power a space shuttle and then after all that, there are times that little or no snow emerges". She proceeded to say that "We Californians just scream EARTHQUAKE and by the time we begin to breath again, the quake is over and then we go about our day".

The "friend" and I are no longer close but I must say the bitch was right. This summer I experienced a very small earthquake. I actually thought it was a big truck going down the road rattling the windows. By the time I yelled "Earthquake", the earthquake had passed.

I've just learned that tomorrow at 10:00AM California time, San Diego County is to take place in a mock earthquake drill. See, I knew those rice cakes would come in handy.

LOS ANGELES – California will star in a mock earthquake disaster drill Thursday – considered the largest in U.S. history – with some 5 million people pledging to do everything from ducking for cover to rescuing faux victims.

400,000 in S.D. County to take part in quake drill

The exercise centers on a hypothetical magnitude-7.8 earthquake that unzips the southern San Andreas Fault – an event that scientists call the feared “Big One.” Such a quake would cause 1,800 deaths and $200 billion in damage, researchers estimate.
Previous simulated quake catastrophes put on by the state were smaller in scale with the leading actors mainly first responders and cities testing their emergency preparedness. Thursday's drill is more of an ensemble cast with governments, schools, hospitals, churches, businesses and residents promising to do their part.