Loose Change Solutions!

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This may just be for the male readership, but if you are like me, you never pay for anything with coins. Loose change finds its way into my pockets, and then into a big bowl when I empty them out. In the old days, I could go through the trouble of wrapping them, but I don't have a bank here to accept them. So, usually I wind up with an excuse to go to Vegas and play the quarter slots, but more often than not, that yields a poor return on my investment!

Supermarkets have those Coinstar counting machines, but I could never stomach the idea of them skimming almost 9% off the top of what I put in, just for the privilege of their counting the coins for me. However, I just learned that they now will count the coins for free if you get the proceeds issued as a gift card or e-certificate, good for purchases at amazon.com, iTunes and elsewhere - even Starbucks. I certainly buy enough books and music to make this worthwhile; just think, I can turn that loose change into a latte without having to give the barista 300 pennies.

The closest machine to us with this feature is Albertson's at Bolsa Chica and Heil.

This has been a public service from The Bridge.

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Drought Over?

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According to today's OC Register, we've gone from drought conditions to "abnormally dry" ones, thanks in part to the recent rains. The story also talks about the abundance of wildflowers we're seeing this year as a result - most of you have probably already witnessed the colorful hillsides.

And the rains have also given us incredibly clear skies this winter. Yesterday I was in the LA area and snapped this picture with wildflowers in the foreground. I always thought pictures like these were fakes, but I can now attest that they aren't!

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Three Cups of Tea

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I wrote a post a few weeks back regarding the HB Reads One Book program, and the chosen book, Three Cups of Tea. Now that I've actually complete the book, I can say that it's truly worth reading.

So, this is just a reminder to anyone who's interested that the author, Greg Mortenson, will be speaking at Huntington Beach High School at 7PM this evening. Even if you haven't read the book, I think you'll find the guy's story fascinating, and if you ever plan to read it, I think it would give you a great background.

And maybe I'm out of line in my expectations for the event, but if you read the story of how the event went in another community, I think we're going to see a ton of people there. I heard Tuesday night that the entire HB city council plans to attend. More background info here.

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News from the February 19th Board Meeting

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I attended last Tuesday's board meeting and have written up some of my impressions. They aren't comprehensive, but in absence of other communication, you may find them interesting.

Registered homeowners may click here to read the details.

I'm curious what you think about the level of communication in the community. So I've set up a small poll on the right-hand side of this page and would like you to weigh in with your answer. (DON'T include "The Bridge" in considering your answer, as this is just a "bonus"!) Answers are anonymous.

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Used Blankets and Towels to Help Canine Friends

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Just received an e-mail from Seabridge neighbor BarbraSue Miller. BarbraSue is a volunteer with Retrievers and Friends of Southern California and informs us that they are conducting a drive for bedding for the dogs. If you have any old towels, t-shirts, comforters, blankets, sheets, even sweatshirts, please donate those via BarbraSue. They can also use vet and grooming tools.

If you are able to help out with a donation of these items, please contact BarbraSue directly, or via comments in this post. Thanks!

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Bolsa Chica in Bloom

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I went with a neighbor to Bolsa Chica today and was amazed that she had not spent much time in this area before. I shouldn't have been, however, as I had never set foot there myself until about a year and a half ago. We've got this great preserve literally in our backyard, but oftentimes we just zoom past it on PCH.

If you haven't been there lately, the winter rains are giving us a great display of wildflowers, and the place is literally jumping with wildlife. Go check it out! For those of you unable to make it, here are a few pictures, taken just today.

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Go Fly A Kite!

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No, that's not a direct quote from tonight's board meeting ;-) Instead, it's to inform you of an event taking place at the pier this weekend.

I first learned of the event a few weeks back on the informative Greetings From Huntington Beach blog, but was just again reminded of it when I was watching the public comments of tonight's City Council meeting.

I learned tonight that this event is actually sponsored by the Kite Connection located right on the pier, and our city will be hosting visitors from all over the world. If weather holds up, it should be a lot of fun to check out - we're lucky to have such great events right in our own backyard!

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Confirmation of Board Meeting Tonight

I have received confirmation that there is indeed a board meeting this evening at 7PM.

The agenda includes topics such as

• Individual unit repairs

• Governing documents revision contract

• Landscape committee presentation

• Gate upgrade

• And much more...

News of the Day, 2/18/2008

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Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday! A few interesting pieces of news to report today...

I believe there is a board meeting tomorrow evening, 2/19/2007 at 7PM in the clubhouse. I have not yet seen an agenda posted, so I'll contact management for confirmation. There are several important projects underway that affect us, and I believe it's important to keep current on the discussion.

These bits of news also caught my eye:

• Interesting story from last Thursday's OC Register regarding our neighbor to the north, the Naval Weapons Station and the new Hampton Inn being constructed adjacent to it.

• I just received the February Neighborhood Watch Newsletter from HBPD. If you haven't yet checked it out, I recommend doing so, as understanding what goes on in our neighborhood is an important component of crime reduction. I was happy to read that things remain quiet in our neighborhood.

• Also in the Neighborhood Watch newsletter, I learned that you can now pay your water/sewer bill on-line by credit card at no additional cost. For those looking to rack up frequent flyer miles, here's another way to get you closer.

• Thank You, Lu Mendenhall, for asking the question we've all undoubtedly asked ourselves from time to time. Good to know the answer, even if I don't like it.

This Week in HB

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I've been checking the local papers regularly, hoping to point you to some stories of interest to those of us here at Seabridge. But things are pretty quiet at the moment (not that that's a bad thing!) Just a reminder, though - if YOU think something is newsworthy, send me a tip. I'm happy to blog about happenings that affect the residents of our community.

Meanwhile, I thought I'd fill the space with some photos. I have friends visiting from the wintery East next week, and I thought I'd tempt them further with this collage. All the pictures were taken locally within the past week. Enjoy!

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