Family

In good lawyer terms, "on or around" my birthday I decided to shave off my goatee. This also coincided with a new pair of glasses and a haircut. No need to worry about a fancy sports car ... my 1996 Honda Accord is paid for!

Just a quick note to let all my friends out in the blogosphere know that we are OK. Several major fires are burning throughout San Diego County but we are a safe distance away. With Santa Ana winds, that could change rather quickly but we feel very blessed. Over 500,000 people were asked to evacuate their homes. Please keep our friends and neighbors in your prayers.

Ready or not ... it's true ... the Christmas shopping season is already upon us!I just wrapped up the holiday redesign of Blue Haven Pools & Spas Supplies Direct -- and it's not even November. We "flipped the switch" yesterday morning.This coincides with our first-ever Holiday catalog, set to hit mailboxes starting this week. We've added an array (I've been looking for a way to say array) of diverse and fun products.Take a look for yourself ... who knows ... you might just be inspired to buy me The Tingler!Buy Me One!

It's true ... I'm the first official affiliate partner with Blue Haven Pools & Spas Supplies Direct. We're rolling a test affiliate program and since my blog gets swamped by pool enthusiasts from across the globe, I decided to sign up!Don't worry -- you can sign up, too. Just click here to be on your way.

After picking the aforementioned apples, we set off for the town of Julian, intent on spending an afternoon strolling the streets. For those who aren't San Diego locals, Julian is a historic mining town set in the hills above San Diego. It dates back to the 1800s and is a local treasure.We were greeted on the road into town by passing fire engines and helicopters flying over head. Yes, we arrived at the same time a fire broke out just over the hill from Julian. From our parking lot we snapped the following pictures: