For about a year we lived in Venice California at 405 Howland Canal. Barry said he used to live in Venice too. It used to be a great place with health food stores around and a great beach to visit. It's only a few miles from the Santa Monica Pier.
[image: Inline image 1] Howland Canal,Venice, California Back in those days (1965) it was a cheap place to live and only a block from the ocean beach. My rent for a room with kitchen privilges was only $50 a month. Later, we rented the whole house for $650 a month. The place on Howland Canal had a great covered porch on the front looking out on the canal; a large living room and three small bedrooms.It was divided into two apartments, one upstairs and one down stairs. And, like many other canal houses it had a great back yard going down to the canal. Sweet! [image: Inline image 2] That's all changed now that the Marina Del Rey was built and the canals were renovated. The rent is too damn high! [image: Inline image 3] "In 1951, Charles Brittin, a mailman and amateur photographer, moved to Venice, Calif., and began to photograph his surroundings: the desolate streets and misty midways, the oil derricks erected by the beach and the vibrant Beat community, with the artist Wallace Berman at its core, that gathered regularly at Brittin’s apartment for impromptu parties..." Read more: 'The Untrained Eye' http://steffienelson.com/2011/04/18/the-untrained-eye/ On Sun, Dec 29, 2013 at 7:58 AM, Richard Williams <[email protected]>wrote: > Two guys got together in San Antonio to sell some trucks and some TVs - > Ernesto Ancira at Ancira-Winton Chevrolet and Bjorn's Audio Video. You can > buy a new regular cab 2-wheel drive Chevrolet Silverado for $23,948 and > Bjorn will throw in a free JVC 32 flat screen TV. WOW! I'm really > impressed! I think we should rush over to get a new work truck before they > sell out, except: > > The rent is is too damn high! > > http://www.kbb.com/ > > http://www.bjorns.com/ > > http://www.ancirachev.com/ > > > On Mon, Dec 23, 2013 at 9:59 AM, Richard Williams <[email protected]>wrote: > >> "Increasingly, experts in health insurance are becoming concerned that >> many of these first-time buyers will be in for a shock when they get >> medical care next year and discover they're on the hook for most of the >> initial cost." >> >> 'Health plan sticker shock ahead for some buyers' >> >> http://news.yahoo.com/health-plan-sticker-shock-ahead-buyers-160838205.html >> >> >> On Sat, Dec 14, 2013 at 6:04 PM, Richard Williams >> <[email protected]>wrote: >> >>> Taking care of all these cars can really keep a guy busy. There are >>> maintenance costs; keeping them garaged; make sure they are clean inside >>> and out and shiny; paying the State inspections and payments to the tax >>> assessor; and there's oil and gas to buy. Just keeping the right amount of >>> air in the tires is a chore. >>> >>> You used to able to go to your local gas station and they would fill up >>> your car with gas, check the oil and water, make sure the battery was good >>> to go, put air in the tires if needed, and wipe the windows clean. >>> >>> These days, you have to go to a convenience store like an Exxon Tiger >>> Mart to get air for your tires. If you purchase gas and then walk inside >>> and have them turn on the air compressor you can get free air for your >>> tires, and then half of the time, the air unit is out of order. Otherwise, >>> you have to pay.50 cents for air and be real quick about it. Go figure. >>> >>> The rent is too damn high! >>> >>> So, I bought me this handy item tool at Harbor Tool: >>> >>> [image: Inline image 1] >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Thu, Dec 12, 2013 at 7:14 AM, Richard Williams >>> <[email protected]>wrote: >>> >>>> We've been drinking coffee for years. We know a couple that drive all >>>> the way to the north side to get their beans. They claim that the beans >>>> they get are fresher, roasted on the spot. And, it's true, the beans they >>>> get are great, but they cost nearly $10.00. Whenever we're on that side of >>>> town we get a bag of their beans. >>>> >>>> We're also pretty fond of Starbucks French Roast beans, available at >>>> Starbucks and Target, which are both close by - $9.00. Most of the >>>> Starbucks have a coupon and we get a free cup of joe when we return the bag >>>> to Starbucks - a $2.00 value - sweet! And we love the free Wi-Fi and >>>> reading the New York Times they provide. We also like the 360 beans at >>>> Whole Foods - $8.00. >>>> >>>> We love to drink coffee, but at those prices, we could go broke before >>>> we even get awake. Go figure. So, I bought a large can of Folgers ground >>>> coffee for backup at the local grocery store, so we could drink as much >>>> coffee as we wanted, all day and night, for cheap. >>>> >>>> The rent is too damn high! >>>> >>>> >>>> On Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 7:38 PM, Richard J. Williams < >>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Today we went to the grocery store to get a few things and return >>>>> about a hundred plastic bags. In the parking lot I turned left to find a >>>>> parking slot and there was this yahoo in a big truck heading toward me, >>>>> GOING THE WRONG WAY, driving a Ford F-350 with dual wheels on back. >>>>> >>>>> At first I said "You **fukin **#@*&^^!!!#@&*%$#%@ SOB! >>>>> >>>>> Then, I realized the poor guy was not only real dumb and half blind >>>>> and confused, but he was probably driving the only vehicle he owned and >>>>> paying $600 a month in payments, just to go get a six-pack of beer and a >>>>> carton of cigarettes at the store. Go figure. >>>>> >>>>> So then, in the Christmas spirit, I said: you **fukin >>>>> **#@*&^^!!!#@&*%$#%@ poor bastard!" and backed up, causing a traffic jam >>>>> in >>>>> front of the store. >>>>> >>>>> Then, on the way home at a stop light, a guy dressed in overalls with >>>>> a styrofoam cup in his hand tried to hit us up for some spare change. So, >>>>> still in the Christmas spirit, I rolled down the window and said real >>>>> nice: >>>>> "We don't have any cash - we're living on credit cards. Sorry we can't >>>>> donate anything - I know it looks like I'm rich because I'm driving a >>>>> shiny >>>>> new car, but this where all our money is going, just so we can get to the >>>>> store to buy some beer and a few canned goods!" LoL! >>>>> >>>>> When we got home, the Salvation Army called on the telephone to ask if >>>>> we could donate anything and to leave it on the front porch FRIDAY THE >>>>> 13th. You can't make this stuff up! >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> The rent is too damn high! >>>>> >>>>> On 12/6/2013 3:10 PM, Bhairitu wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> I used to change the oil myself on my '77 Subaru wagon. But it is a >>>>> messy job and required a custom oil filter. Current oil changes at the >>>>> local shop up the street who now do my Subaru maintenance is $40. How >>>>> much >>>>> time depends on how busy they are but the longest wait would be about an >>>>> hour. I watch the oil to see how dirty it is. However I have yet to >>>>> reach >>>>> the miles they put on the sticker a year ago. Everything I need is a >>>>> short >>>>> trip around here so I don't rack up miles and they always kid me about all >>>>> the driving I do. >>>>> >>>>> I heard a report the other day on why car prices have exceeded >>>>> inflation over the years and the bottom line was...... you got it... >>>>> profit. Adding air bags do not add much to the price though companies use >>>>> safety features as a reason. In 1973 I bought a new Datsun wagon for a >>>>> mere $1800. I put the figure for my '77 Subaru wagon in an inflation >>>>> calculator and my $2800 '77 should only cost around $11K these days >>>>> adjusted for inflation. >>>>> >>>>> OTOH, the other day I ordered a new keyless remote for the '98 Subaru >>>>> since the second of the original pair was beginning to fall apart. A few >>>>> years back I looked online and found that the price for a remote was >>>>> around >>>>> $70. This time I found one online for my year and model for only $15 >>>>> including shipping. It was easy to setup and works great. >>>>> >>>>> On 12/06/2013 11:40 AM, Richard Williams wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Our car dealer says we should be changing the oil in our new car >>>>> every 3,000 miles, in order to insure the warranty. We can do this by >>>>> driving out to the dealership, waiting in line, and either leaving the >>>>> car, >>>>> or wait in the waiting room, and then pay $55. It usually takes more than >>>>> an hour, if you get there real early during the week. >>>>> >>>>> The last time I had the oil changed at 10,000 miles, I took the car >>>>> to Jiffy Lube - it took only about twenty minutes and I paid them $65. >>>>> They >>>>> talked me into getting synthetic oil - Royal Purple. They tried to sell me >>>>> an air filter for $18 - but I declined. >>>>> >>>>> According to Click & Clack, The Tappit Brothers, you can go over >>>>> 6,000 miles between oil changes. I've always been fond of Texaco oil. I >>>>> get >>>>> almost all of my oil from either Spindletop or from the Permian Basin. Dad >>>>> goes 5,000, because it's easy to remember the numbers. One guy, a car >>>>> mechanic, once told me that oil never breaks down - all you have to do is >>>>> change the oil filter and add a quart of oil. Go figure. >>>>> >>>>> So, this time I took the car to Pep Boys for the oil change: $19.95 >>>>> for Pennzoil, with a discount coupon, and half an hour waiting. And, I >>>>> bought my own filter for $12.95 and put it on myself. >>>>> >>>>> The rent is too damn high! >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>> >> >
