The Man who couldn't escape the snow.....

        One may think it strange for a person to find joy in hazardous conditions, yet I am known for being anything other "normal." In the weeks before I left Nebraska, it's terrain was commonly blanketed under the most beautiful form of accumulation; snow. Snow usually brings danger and hard work along with it's beauty, and of course less than desirable outdoor experiences. As many of you know, I have more than an everyday interest in this particular weather, as there is a monetary gain in it's appearance. Many days in December were spent behind the handles of my Tecumseh "Snow-King" walk-behind blower, and on the seat of a John Deere riding tractor. The first of the tractors utilized a blade (plow) to push the snow, but it was deemed useless against the hordes of flakes that had built themselves to unmeasurable heights. (well....I didn't have a ruler...so technically..) I turned to the father in law (Papa Kent) for a better weapon to battle this common enemy. He took no time to provide me with THE 445!!!

"THE 445!"

     I was able to use this monster to trample any and all snow that was in my way!! She saved my back, yet offered no protection against the whipping winds and slicing frozen particles. I spent hours on end clearing driveways, and even entire streets. She put forth her most valiant effort as long as I kept her thirst quenched. There was no need to tie her to a post as I hopped off of the saddle to put the shovel to work on the places she couldn't reach. She waited patiently for me with a low purr as to let me know that her rest is appreciated, yet her hunger for more snow is unbearable. Upon my return home, I would park her in her newly renovated stable and make my way to the back door as I am cheerfully greeted by our lovable Chocolate Lab named Bella. I shake off the snow from my flannel coat, and start to remove the various layers that have allowed me to endure the sub-zero temperatures. My skin begins to throb as it is reintroduced to the warm temperatures of our home. My beautiful wife has hot cocoa in hand, as she always takes care of me. My back is aching from sitting in the same position for so long, and strained from the little snow that I did have to shovel. I welcome the cash and checks that are sitting on the coffee table, yet am thankful that I am done for the day. "I can't wait to be in California."

      I arrived at LAX on January 2, and relished in the 75 degree weather. The acclimation process was about week as my body had had to adjust to the warmth. We went for a few jogs on the beach and went to the park in tee-shirts and shorts. Anthony and Carly took me to on a trip to Big Bear City where their friend owns a cabin. There was evidence of prior snow fall, but only the remnants remain. We took their little boy sledding down an area that had just enough snow to accommodate our sleds, more ice than snow. The temperature lingered around the 40-50 degree range. We came back to Long Beach and again enjoyed the rise in temp to around 75.

    Just more than a week goes before Carly goes stir-crazy and suggests another trip back to Big Bear. We were warned of the storm that was heading that way, but we Nebraskans fear NO WEATHER!! We packed up and headed out.  About a quarter way up the mountain we encountered the snow and pulled over to tackle the job installing the tire chains....a pain, but a necessity. The Ford Escape hauled us on up the mountain and we arrived at the cabin in the late evening. Snow was falling at an increasingly heavy rate as the night went on. We experienced a few flickers of power outages, and used our testicular intuition to get the furnace up and running as not to slowly drift into hypothermia during our slumber.

   When we awoke, we were greeted with a monumental amount of snow outside our door. As the day went on, the number of inches piled up. As the inches piled up, they turned into feet. The power continued to be an intermittent commodity, but we made the best of it by playing board games and downing various brands/kinds of liquor and beer. We took photos (below) to document this occasion.

Big Bear City, CA

(Only about 2 1/2 Hours from Long Beach)

(these are NOT drifts...this was ACTUAL ACCUMULATION!)

    

     After hours of back strain, we were able to get the car out of the driveway, but only out. We luckily found a neighbor that had a $2500 (as he stated) snow blower to save us from a trip to the hospital due to overexertion.  Thanks Charlie and Farley!!  (yes..those are of the neighbors that helped us!!)

    In summation, the return to the hard work in the snow was surprisingly welcomed. It helped bring a piece of home to California. Though we ended up being snowed in (mountain hwys were closed) for an additional day without power, we have NO regrets about this memorable experience. 5+ feet of snow in CALIFORNIA...who would have thought?

    

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We're not in Kansas anymore Toto.

Well, obviously it's not Kansas that I have departed from....yet the I don't know that anyone would have related the quote: "We're not in Nebraska anymore Bella."

The weather out here is the first thing that is a noticeable change from "The Motherland," but it is surely not the most dynamic thread in the woven blanket of change that surrounds me.

Case in point, as Carly (Mama Hoke) and I go to the grocery store the cart that I grab has what seems to be a mud flap on one of the wheels. This was obviously a broken one, as the flap had fall under the wheel and the cart would not move. I was joking to myself, what is this....a "parking boot" for shopping carts?! Sure enough, that is EXACTLY what it was. Many of the carts in Los Angeles have a plastic "parking boot" attached to one of it's wheels that has an electronic device inside. Once the carts are taken past a designated distance, the "boot" will activate and make the cart immobile!! Can you believe that!??! It's flabbergasting that this is such an ordinary/unnoticed piece of the shopping experience. Stores have problems with customers taking the carts from the store to their homes, and leaving them there. What's hilarious about this to me is that it is one of those things that locals don't even think about, it's just how it is. However, naive Mid-Westerners like myself think it necessary to whip out the camera phone to document such a remarkable sight and send it to Leroy and Cletus back home!! Oh the simple things.

Charli and I have been looking at places to live out here.....this has actually been a fun experience. We've looked at buying vs. renting and decided that the best bet is renting first to get to know the city and have more of an idea of where we would like to live, and what we can afford. We've had our talks about the move, and it seems to just make sense. We're young and have no children (well...of the human kind..."We Love You Bella!") We've got plenty of time to experience California, and if we find that we don't like it, we can move back to NE and start our little family there!! That's right.....little Kuglets!! We're definitely planning on adding to our Horde, but need to have more financial/geographical security before birthing any little monsters!! I've known plenty of people that always talk about "wishing" they could move and experience more of the world....well WHY NOT??!! Charli and I like to live such an active lifestyle that it just makes sense to move to a place that can facilitate our need for the outdoors. Today has been chilly...and it's 60 degrees.....in January folks....need I say more?

Job hunting is actually pretty tough right now, because I'm trying to keep my schedule open as much as possible for my classes at the Groundlings, and also to be able to attend recommended shows at the Groundlings Theater. We all know why I moved out here, and that is my main priority. I can't "afford" to get a job which requires me to put all of my focus/attention (which is rare to harness in periods over 47 seconds in the first place) into learning a skill that will overshadow my purpose for the move. So, I'm looking for a flexible part-time gig that will allow for some income, yet cater to MY needs. If I have learned anything during my short time as an adult....it's that NO ONE will take care of you better than YOU. Letting people put their agenda as YOUR top priority, even though it may seem the "nice" or "right" thing to do, will most likely do NOTHING for your self confidence, self worth, or self improvement. Too often we allow ourselves to take the path of least resistance, but our lives are much more complicated than simple electricity....and we need to remember to treat them as such.

One of the most important things that I have learned in my 2 classes at the Groundlings is that it is so important NOT to draw attention to YOUR OWN mistakes/faults/discrepancies. For some reason, society has trained us into thinking that it is necessary to put ourselves down we make mistakes. I have been a true testament to this, and am doing all that is possible to look at life through broader vision. We can not change what has happened, yet we have the truly superhuman power to change the way WE VIEW the results and therefore the future.

-Rob K

My very first blog.....

I've officially been in Southern California for an ENTIRE WEEK!! The adjustment from -2 to 75 degree weather was definitely a welcome one! I'm staying here with some friends who I met in Nebraska a few years back. They live in a cute 2 bedroom condo in Long Beach (which I'm slowly learning to separate towns from L.A.) It is literally a 5 minute WALK to the beach and there is a running/biking/blading/segwaying trail along the harbor. It's funny to see the people on the segways, especially coming from NE weather and thinking it is heaven to be able to run along the beach in January. If you're not familiar with the term segway, it's the 2 wheel stand-up personal vehicle that Paul Blart mall cop uses to protect the mall from heinous criminals!!

The vegetation around here is so much different than back home, it's truly remarkable. The grass looks much different, and is kept very short. There are palm trees all over, but none are actually indigenous to this region. Yeah...funny isn't it? My favorite flower that I've seen so far is the "Bird of Paradise." Click here to see a pic:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkQe4Wohd3yhblNaDf7IesvmPOdw591oLDk7N6Z8dKWGnNZEWYyKl42fqklGZEV1jN1sO1mHt8KTnc28PBZO5sE_at6OZDWK1V_I-S211IWXo0IncbzitUmRNWGxGnmILLOE30_0Zd1mk/s320/bird_of_paradise.jpg

These flowers are commonly seen among the gardens on the short walk from the condo to the beach. It is one of my favorite things about the scenery so far!! I went for a jog yesterday, and I seemed to feed off of the energy of the ocean as it was more enjoyable than it was work. I'm hoping to get my body back into shape out here, and with weather like this there is no excuse for me not to!!

Classes just started at "The Groundlings" school and theatre. I'm taking the "Intro" class right now, which meets once a week on Mondays from 10-1p. I've only had one so far....and it was a blast!! It's about a 30-45 minute drive from Long Beach. The people that I'm taking classes with are very talented and seem to be some good prospects for new friends. Our instructor, Sean Hogan, is a down-to-earth goofball who has plenty to teach us. His ability to work with the beginner is superb and I'm excited to be as much of an absorbent sponge as possible. (yet without that nasty smell that sponges acquire after a few uses)

The Hokes (my host family,) took me to Big Bear Lake for a few days. It's about 2 1/2 hours North of Long Beach. We stayed in a friends cabin that resembled more of a 4-5 star resort!! The scenery there is very similar to the mountains of Colorado, but it's crazy that we went snow sledding in almost 50 degree weather!! I'll try and put some pics up on facebook. Of course we forgot our cameras, so the pics are on our phones. The windy drive up and down from the mountain was not so fun on the guts, as I had to have Anthony (papa Hoke) pull over a couple times so I wouldn't lose my lunch in the car!!

Well, that's about it for now!! I'm excited to see what next week has to bring!!

-Rob/Bob/Robert/Bobby