ACHTUNG, BABY ...!

I don't know whether it's my "high speed" connection here in what used to be East Berlin or something's going wrong at AOL, but I'm having a terrible time trying to post updates to this blog.  It's enough to make me want to bang my head against what's left of the Berlin Wall (which is conveniently located beside my hotel)!

BLOGGING FROM THE STRATOSPHERE ...!

Ladies and Gentlemen:  This just might be one of the first blog entries ever from an airplane (I'm testing a new in-flight wireless service from Boeing).  The news from the sky is that chivalry is as dead at 30,000 feet as it is at sea level.  After watching the woman in front of me struggle to stuff her duffle bag in the overhead bin, a man sitting near her pulled her bag out again, claiming it might wrinkle his suit.  I took pictures the whole time!

GOING, GOING, GONE ...!

"Where are all your friends today?"  That was the question the nice lady at the next table (pictured here) asked me this morning at 7th and Montana.  Since she asked:  Kovar is in Chicago, Our Favorite Building Manager is in Canada, Howard and Cathy are in Colorado, Terry is in Firenze and Bob and Joyce are MIA (presumably at Big Bear).  It's enough to make me want to hit the road, too.  Stay tuned for further updates!

TWIGGY MAKES AN APPEARANCE ON 7TH STREET!

Fans of the towering Eucalyptus (pronounced "you-clipped-us") trees on 7th Street take heart!  The City of Santa Monica has replaced the eleven mature trees they removed with genuine twigs.  As these "before and after" photos suggest, the newbie trees might offer some actual shade ... in the next century.  Meanwhile, don't go anywhere near them with a wet noodle, or you might just bowl them over!  

GREECE IS THE WORD ...!

Greece was the word today at 7th and Montana as Genevieve returned from a month-long sojourn to Skopelos, an island retreat known for its peace and tranquility.  Evidently, Toby was surprisingly peaceful and tranquil on Genevieve's return.  The beloved pooch merely nodded his head in her direction as if to request a treat!

UP, UP AND AWAY ...!

Things were looking up today at 7th Street's latest renovation project as an unsightly new story began to take shape atop a charming bungalow.  Oh well, another day, another construction project!  Maybe Fabrizio has the right idea ... he's getting ready to high-tail it back to Firenze for a while!

A REAL GLASS ACT AT 7TH AND MONTANA ...

The on-again, off-again home construction project near 7th and Montana was definitely on-again this morning as workers installed actual windows in what neighbors have begun calling "Molasses House."  While some viewed the addition of windows as a sign of progress, I won't start celebrating until they remove the Porta-Potty!