29 October 2004

Peter's retirement party.

This is what I wrote for Peter when I heard of his retirement: "Holy #$%@ are we getting old enough for a friend and colleague to retire? What's this world coming to? First my beloved Red Sox win it all (which I don't know how to handle at all), and now this? My world is changing and I'm not ready.

"Peter, even though I only spent a year or two in the Keeling group, I have such fond memories of working with you. It was my first real job after college and I really appreciated having such a nice (and smart) guy to help me figure things out at SIO. Thanks for your kindness and for sharing your knowledge. May your springs be hot, your retirement long, and your mercury level low."

The party was very nice, and I got to see many of the people I worked with at Scripps. Most of them are still working there!

Went to visit the Pair A Dice Ranch this morning. Drove right by it three or four times before we actually found it. It's nestled between a self-storage park and the San Gabriel River. I learned that one can ride a horse to the beach and back from this place, all along the river. It's a two-day trip. You can also go all the way up to Mount San Gorgonio, a four-day trip. Sounds like fun, nights would be spent camping. The ranch is all wet and muddy today. Horses in stalls, goats, dogs, and chickens running around. A pit bull is in a tarp-lined cage filled with bedding and other personal items belonging to Martin, the ranchhand who lives at the place, in the cage with the pit bull. The owner showed me a trailer that he bough for Martin to live in, but Martin would rather live in the cage. Once in a while he slaughters a chicken or goat for food, and cooks it in the burn barrel/grill. This is a life far removed from my experience.

DWL