Oceanside Burial at Sea

We came to California to lay the ashes of our family members to rest--Grandpa Mori, Jay, and Grandma Sue. Our family chartered a boat from Oceanside, CA that took us out on the Pacific for the burial. As we boated out to a private spot, the Captain shut off the boat and we spoke a few words for the deceased. However, as we all gazed in silence, the boat rocking back and forth with the waves, our Captain suddenly spotted a pod of dolphins swimming along the horizon. Before we knew it, the pod had grown to thousands, spanning the horizon for as far as we could see.

They turned and came towards our still boat, breaching the water and surrounding us. It was an awesome sight. Their presence was awe-inspiring, their arrival to the funeral gave us goosebumps. It was almost as if they arrived to greet us and carry our beloved family members back home. We all stood, breathless, watching the dolphins and spreading our family member's ashes into the ocean as Grandma Sue's favorite song, Moon River, played in the background. The boat circled the place where we laid our family members to rest and, as we headed back, the dolphins swam in front of the boat and escorted us back to the harbor. Twenty to thirty dolphins at a time would surf in front of our boat, taking turns, as more joined in.

Our Captain said, in his 25 years at sea, he had never seen anything like it. We could not imagine a better way to say goodbye to our loved ones.

Kodii and I made this video so we can always remember this wonderful day. Unfortunately, the film does not do the dolphins justice, for no film could capture the awesome sight of thousands of dolphins as far as the eye could see. Please enjoy. . .

Leaving California--Eastbound for Home

After saying our goodbyes to everyone in California, we headed east on our journey for home. First, we exposed Chadd to L.A.'s Chinatown--it was his first! But we think mom caught the bird flu. . .
We then caught the bus bound for "Memory Lane" and visited mom and dad's hometowns--Riverside and Rubidoux, CA. We saw their old schools, their old homes, and their old stomping grounds. It was really neat to see what their life was like when they were growing up and dating. I can almost visualize the elementary school principal thumping my mom on the head in front of the school, just like it was yesterday. . .
We decided to skip the World's Tallest Mini-Mart, Frying Pan, and Ball of String, but we did stop at the infamous Hoover Dam and gawked. It is sort of a sad sight to see because the lake has definitely dropped several hundred feet due to the rising demand for water and increasing drought. But a grand feat of engineering nonetheless.
Then on to Vegas, baby! We got into Vegas around 8pm and checked into the Circus, Circus (fitting for our group). We caught a free pirate show, walked the streets until 3am, and I won fifty bucks on the slot machine--woohoo! Five dollar breakfasts are on me! (Because I can't afford it anywhere else)

But I guess us hillbillies did not expect the adult entertainment industry to be so prominent. Chadd enjoys his one and only moment with a Vegas showgirl (^_^)
The next morning, we were off and running to the Grand Canyon (No room for the weary on this trip). And what a beautiful sight it was! Unfortunately, the Grand Canyon is falling victim to smog from the West. It's visibility is diminishing every year as smog seeps in from California, Arizona, and New Mexico. So take your kids while they can still see it.

"Boy, that sure is a big ass crack."
"Do you mean big ASS crack or big ass CRACK?"
"Hey, did you see my spit go all the way to the bottom?"

Welcome to CAL--EE--FORN--NEEYA!

After a 28-hour drive, Chadd, my dad, and I made it to California. The Thailand-goers came home that evening and we all crashed. But we did visit the Long Beach aquarium today and fed some lorikeets. They were really cute. Chadd ran out of nectar and the bird got pissed at Chadd and pooped on him. That was the highlight of the day so far. . .

Eddie Izzard of BUST!

Chadd, Josh, and I had the awesome opportunity to see our favorite British transvestite stand-up comedian LIVE! You may have seen him on "The Riches" and in some other supporting roles. But us die-hards for British humor only know and appreciate his amazing talent as a stand-up comic. It was a totally awesome experience--we have waited several years for Eddie's tour to come back to the States and it finally did. Even though he wasn't dressed in drag like he normally does, the show was still well worth the wait. Of course, being the nerds we are, we all wore t-shirts with our favorite saying on it: "Cake or Death? I poked a badger with a spoon. . ., and Parachuting into enemy territory with a fantastic gun and fantastic makeup!" (Don't rack your brains over it, if you don't watch Eddie Izzard then it probably doesn't make any sense.)
The even nerdier and more crafty fans brought their own homemade flags. . ."Do you have a flag?" (again, nevermind.)