Friday, June 20, 2008

On the subject of Quality Time

"Roll down the window,
Put down the top
Crank up the Beach Boys Baby
Don't let the music stop
We're gonna ride it till we just can' ride it no more."
- Randy Newman - "I Love LA"


Los Angeles awaits.

A trip to the "Southland" used to be a business trip six or eight times a year. I would go down to the campus of UCLA or USC and tape a television show over a one day period and come back to usually rainy Seattle and put it all together.

The sunshine, beautiful people, cool places, warm weather make it a place one never wants to leave, but I don't think I could ever live there. However, for the sheer largeness of the aura, the grandness of it's grandeur, and being a totally bitchin' place, it's hard to beat.

Today, I leave for a totally new experience. My son and I embark on our first father/son trip. Just the kid and me.

For those who don't know me, my son is a mini-me. He is nearly an exact incarnation of me at age 9. He sings, cracks jokes and loves sports. He'd rather watch TV than read. He knows what a pretty girl looks like but is embarrassed to acknowledge it. He is kind, gentle, caring and loves life when it isn't crammed with the stress of everyday life.

Our trip will include lots of sports including seeing David Beckham and the LA Galaxy, which the soccer playing son is really looking forward to seeing. Even if Becks can't play, seeing the game played in a quality manner in a sold out stadium will be an experience. Then on Sunday, it's a day under the sun at Chavez Ravine watching the Dodgers, eating a Dodger dog, and wearing Dodger blue. I don't expect him to become a Dodger fan, but there is something about that atmosphere that makes one like them.

We plan on going to the beach, seeing Arnold's handprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre and our very first stop in LA - In and Out Burger! We're staying at a fancy, shiny, LARGE, hotel in Downtown.

More than all the experiences, I hope he will enjoy the freedom of taking a trip to a far off place at his age. My parents did the same with me at this age, and it shaped my life. I will totally admit that the trip they took me on was longer (two weeks vs. four days) and larger (Germany vs. LA) than the one my son and I are about to take, but at the same time, it's a big man's trip, not a kid's adventure.

Yes, he can be a kid and enjoy "stuff," but I hope spending time with his "old man" will be the thing he might end up remembering most. Maybe not tomorrow, but in 20 years. And that... is quality time.

Internet access will be sketchy in LA, so I may not be able to update until Monday night when we return... if that is the case, expect a mega-blog on Monday with entries kept on the road.

Until then, good night Drew, hope you are having fun.

Yours truly,
Johnny Blogger

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