January 2008 Archives

I'm not expecting Barack Obama to return to Van Nuys anytime soon, but if he wants to help me rewire my automatic sprinklers after the rain stops, I won't turn him away. Same offer goes to Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, too. Since I'm registered as nonpartisan, I can vote in the Democratic presidential primary but not the Republican one, so the various Republicans have nothing to gain by helping me.

I've only got two sprinkler valves on the controller, and I thought the controller itself is dead. Turns out it's putting out voltage, but said voltage is only getting to one of the two automatic valves (I've got the metal ones -- no wimpy plastic for my front yard). The controller is in the back of the house -- sandwiched between two upside-down plastic buckets to keep it out of the rain (real high-tech), and the wires run under the house to the front yard.

But now, with the deluge of rain slated to continue, I might not have to use the sprinklers for months ... so maybe we'll just go to Starbucks and pound double espressos ...

Holy hell, it's coming down. Tyrone Avenue -- long a conduit for rushing water -- turns into a river during any sustained rain, and if this rain ain't sustained, I don't know what is.

Coming home last night, a power outage hit a few large blocks near Victory Boulevard between the 405 Freeway and Sepulveda Boulevard. It knocked out the traffic lights at the freeway and at Victory and Sepulveda, slowing traffic to a crawl. While Sepulveda and Victory did have a guy directing traffic (what a job, no?), getting off the freeway at Victory or crossing said area was slow going.

Our potholed street looks flat -- all the giant craters are filled with water. I had to drive slowly to keep from dousing Eisenhower -- a huge, blue-gray Great Dane -- and his owner yesterday as they went for their morning walk. Don't know the guy's name, but everybody knows Eisenhower (just like they know Chocolate Chip, the not-as-huge chocolate Lab a few blocks north and east).

Since the last AT&T repair, the phone line has held through wind and rain -- with DSL intact, too. It used to get flaky every time we got a stiff breeze or a little moisture. The speed's down a bit since they rewired it, but it's rock-freakin'-solid, and I'll take that any day.

Sorry atheists, I'm afraid there is a god. In the face of flagging sales, Starbucks is slowly rolling out a radical shift in its pricing, with a small coffee going for $1 a cup with FREE REFILLS.

Now that's an economic stimulus package!

If this is the kind of thing we can expect with the return of longtime CEO Howard Schultz to the struggling company, then we're all in for an extended period of heavy drinking -- of coffee, that is.

We don't often get presidential candidates in Van Nuys. But today amid throngs of neighbors, about 10 dogs of various breeds and dozens of news trucks -- KABC-TV, Channel 7, alone sent three -- Barack Obama got right with Van Nuys.

We barely knew it was happening before the whole damn thing was over. First I thought the crush of news trucks meant somebody got rubbed out -- as in "Godfather" -esque "get rid of the gun, keep the cannolli" rubbed out.

Then I thought Britney Spears had her latest meltdown a mere two blocks from our house.

But that didn't explain the half-dozen black Crown Vics with government plates, carrying black-suited, short-haired gentlemen with earpieces.

We stopped at home and turned on the TV -- "Obama in Van Nuys," the KCAL-TV, Channel 9, anchor bellowed before throwing it over to tape of ... something else.

Digital camera in hand, Ilene, the little one and I walked up the street to assess the hubbub.

Neighbors told us how Sen. Obama shook hands, answered questions and generally acted like the non-singing rock star he is before entering another neighbor's house for some kind of set-up talk about how the economy is crushing us, each and every one.

With Secret Service types shooing people this way and that -- you don't bring 20 satellite trucks with you and not expect a crowd -- Obama exited the house to cheers, hoots, hollers and general mayhem.

He waved to the crowd -- and yes, Ilene snapped these pictures of the whole thing -- got in a black GMC Yukon-ish vehicle and left Van Nuys. Probably forever.

So Hillary, when are you coming for a little chit-chat? Hope to see you soon.