Packin' the fun times..

(Preface: Jack's Dr. told us they would be calling monday for the echo date, and the surgery date. So please stay tuned for those announcements.)

About two weeks ago, Jack and I visited Griffith Park a couple of times. It is a very large park, like Liberty Park, that has lots of places to do fun things. (Only much bigger.)

Jack and I went to the Train Museum, where he almost jumped out the window of a train. The train cars are old, and non-functioning, and people can wander about them with little to no restriction of where they can go. So Jack had a super time, and finished it off with a train ride around the museum.

Then, on another day we visited the LA Zoo. It is a very nice Zoo, but kind of confusing and hard to navigate. So we just followed the signs with animals and arrows, and we did end up seeing some fun things. It was raining a little, but still a nice day. (To see the animals MUCH BETTER, click on them, and you'll get up close and personal.)

(Jack took this himself)

(Kind of a rough day for the gorilla..)

(Twins..)

Act II

So Dr. Su (Cardiologist) spoke with Dr. Kouretas (surgeon) ... TWICE, just to make sure- and we are a go for surgery. Though Dr. Kouretas would like Jack to be bigger, Dr. Su pointed out that if we wait till Jack is of "optimum weight" he will be 7 years old. So Dr. K said that he feels comfortable putting in the 18 gauge, versus the 20 gauge- which is the size of choice, so as Jack grows, there will be a good flow of oxygenated blood. So though we will most likely be putting in the 18, Dr. Su says that he has many many patients that have had an 18 put in that have not needed to come back for an upgrade.

If, for some reason Jack DOES become some, huge adult (by some anti-genetic miracle), then the risk of having another surgery to upgrade the 18 to the 20 is just the same as the surgery he is about to have, but as Dr. Su said, "the more times you open the chest, the riskier it gets."

SO, we are hoping that the 18 will be perfect for Jack, and last him his whole, long life. I also asked Dr. Su about the distant future, and what he projects, and he said he can't really predict the long-term outcome, but that Jack won't necessarily be one of those 50 year-olds carrying around an oxygen tank. He also agrees with me that Jack is one of the better candidates for this surgery, as his half-heart is very strong.

So now, we are scheduling a SEDATED echo, (because there is no chance in the world Jack would hold still enough for an awake one..) which will be next week, and tomorrow the surgical nurse will be calling us to set a date for surgery. I anticipate that it will be middle to the end of March, but I will certainly let you all know when we find out.

Visit to Dr. Soup

Today we went to Primary's to see Dr. Su. Jack was pretty good for him, I can't really say the same for the poor nurse. Taking Jack's blood pressure is like pulling teeth. Heaven forbid we wrap a peice of fabric around his arm. I won't even mention the O2 sats thing we attached to his toe for a minute that sent him over the top.

All drama aside- Jack looks great, I think he is doing as well as a kid with a single-ventricle heart could BE doing. Dr. Su said he looks ready to go for surgery and will be putting in a request to Jack's surgeon Dr. Kouretis, to schedule Jack's FINAL surgery. It could be as soon as a couple of weeks, but it all depends on how the surgeons feel he is doing and whether or not he'll need another cath (please......no.....)..

So stay tuned, we should hear in a couple of days when the date will be. And I really think....this is it this time folks.

Legoland

The first Legoland was built in Denmark in 1968.

Now that the educational part is over, let's talk about how GREAT Legoland is for wee little kids such as Jack. They have many wonderful toddler rides that go up and down, and side to side, sometimes spinning while doing either of those; it isn't good for motion-sick people.

My personal toddler attraction of choice, was the Driving school, where our children ages 3-6 got to operate and drive their own vehicle, by themselves, in attempt to drive in a looped track and get their "drivers license." It goes as follows.

Kid and parent go through the gate and choose a car.

Kid gets buckled in car, parent leaves to stand behind gate.

Attendant pushes button that makes gas pedals work.

12 cars start swirving around and 60% of them immediately hit something (be it the wall, another car, or attendant.)

ONE attendant goes from stuck car, to stuck car, freeing the vehicle.

3 seconds laters all cars that were once free, are stuck again, and await the attendant.

Parents sit behind gate and laugh.

Attendant continues her way around the loop, freeing stuck vehicles and avoiding the "good" drivers. (All the 6 year olds.)

Attendant pushes a big button, everyone stops, and we all clap as she passes out each drivers license to the undeserving drivers.


MAN. It was funny. But Jack thouroughly enjoyed each ride. He did a really good job waiting in line (though there weren't ever any really long lines..)
I highly suggest paying a visit.

Universal

Universal Studios is about 2 minutes away from us, and we have yearly passes, so we couldn't exactly come here without hitting this place. Jack got to see his favorite friends, Dora and Deigo. You could tell he was really confused as to why they were so BIG. Josh got to chill with Matt, who also seemed bigger that he was supposed to be. And I hung out with the British soldier. Also big. But just because I'm small.

But the ultimate climax of the day was this ridiculous BALL WORLD in the Curious George section, that was a multi-level, netted recreational area full of foam balls that could be shot out of canons, guns, vacuums, and Jack's ball machine of preference, the EXPLODER. You fill the base with balls, then push the button, and balls explode out of the top.

It's genius.

We spent most our time in there.

Money well spent.

Fast Times at Sunny Cove

Currently, we are residing at what Jack likes to call "The California House" which is located just above Studio City, in the Hollywood Hills. It is a darling little house, and since we've been here we have done a few fun things. One, was the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. It was particularly nice because we had just visited the super duper wimpy one Salt Lake, on 106th and State. With its trout. So this one seemed magical.

Anyway, we had alot of fun. Jack enjoyed being able to touch slimey and spiney things, and I rather liked taking pictures. Here are some from the bunch:

I hope you like them. I do. It's so nice to take pictures at an Aquarium without the big FLASH REFLECTION in each one.

Stay tuned...for more CA stuff.

How are your Mom and Dad doing?

This is a question that I have recieved more this week, than I thought I would all six months they'd be gone.

For those who don't know, my parents are doing the BYU study abroad in London from January to June. This is the first time they've stayed that long, usually they do the two month program, of which Laura and I attended in 1995, and then mom and dad did again in 2003 (is that right...?)....

Anyway, as this is one, huge chunk out of the year and many people are interested in their well-being, Laura and I are updating a blog that is to keep family and friends informed of how Tom and Becky are doing, and what fun things they get to do everyday. We do have to run it by mom..so some posts will be a few days delayed, but it is a good taste of what they are up to over there in England.

So for anyone who wants a dose of BYU Study Abroad, London 2009, here is the link:

Durham's Across the Pond

"We hereby demand.."

So some of you know I'm into photography. And for the fun of it, I used "weebly" to make myself a little photography website. I like to pretend people look at it and think "Man, I would pay her to do my photos" and they'd call me and I would be super duper professional. But REALLY, that site is mainly for family and friends to look at my photos, and for me to have a safe place to put them that I know the will always be there and I can look at them whenever I want.

TODAY! I get a fun email, and goes as follows:

Dear Lisa marie trent -

We refer to your website hosted at the above-referenced URL ( lmtphotography.weebly.com ) Your Website incorporates certain items which are either copyrighted to, or form part of registered trade marks held by, LMTphotography. Specifically, you have used the name lmtphotogrpahy copyright in 2008 over images and on your website" in conjunction with Titles lmtphotography, the "Offending Material"). The Offending Material clearly can be mistaken for content from our website hosted at the URL, www.lmtphotogrpahy.co.uk

-We hereby demand that: you immediately cease all use of the Offending Material whether as part of your Website or otherwise; this includes the lmtphotography contained in the webaddress.

-You will not at any time in the future promote or conduct your business or provide any goods or services by reference to any name, image or trade mark which is proprietary to lmtphotography, including the Offending Material.

We would like to deal with this matter amicably. Accordingly, please confirm your agreement to the above undertakings by return email within seven days. Assuming that we receive confirmation from you to the above undertakings before Thursday 15 January 2009 and you fully comply with the undertakings then we will treat this matter as closed.

If, however, you fail to provide your full cooperation as requested then we will instruct our IP legal counsel in the United Kingdom, to take such action against you as may be necessary in order to protect our intellectual property rights. We trust, however, that we will not need to take further steps to enforce our rights and we therefore look forward to hearing from you by Thursday 15 January 2009.-

- After reading your site closely we can clearly see you have set up the site to improve and showcase your photography skills , your work is pretty good and we wish you all the look in the future but sadly your site name and branding bears to much resemblance to our own ( currently our site is going through a major over haul and your site hasn't affected any enquires to our business)

Yours faithfully

Lee ThomasLMT Photography / Media / Design / www.lmtphotography.co.uk

My favorite part is the backhanded compliment, saying my work is "pretty" good. Telling anyone that anything is "pretty good" is a certifiably dubious gesture.

In quick response I wrote the gentleman back, telling him that my site is mainly for family and friends, and that I am not a professional, and if you are going to suck all the fun out of it, and be a the jerk across the pond that made me cancel the website that I put alot of work into JUST because they think that someone in the UK will see me as a photographer before they see you, and FLY me over there to do their wedding, then ok.

Be the jerk.

But in further investigation I realized that yes, it's true, I don't have legal rights to use the copyright towards a name I have not registered as a business entity. So I went to my weebly site and changed all copyrights to "Lisa Marie Trent" (because I do have legal documentation proving that is my name.) However, the website it justified because I registered it with weebly.com and if it wasn't available, because Mr. LMT Photography DOT CO DOT UK found it before me, in fear of someone using the name, then that would have made perfect send. But I entered "lmtphotography" into the blank and it WAS available.

Not to mention, that it is a SUB domain, I didn't go out paying for it and making sure it was the first site that would pop up if someone googled "LMT Photography". So my feelings are that this man has no legal boundries to "demand" of me and that my site will stay alive.

So I sent him this:

Re: Legal Action Taken By Mysterious British Dude

I agree to take all "Copyrighted to LMT Photography" ........."offenses".....as you call them... and I will no longer claim LMT Photography as my name basis, UNTIL, here in the land of the free, I get a business entity. But as for the website, I will NOT change the web address, because doing so will ERASE all photos and ALL work I have done and it took ALOT of time, and energy to get those photos up.

Now, I entered www.lmtphotography.weebly.com into the weebly browser and they said the SUBDOMAIN was available. So take your problems up with weebly. But as it is a subdomain, and I am not paying for it as my personal domain, I don't need to do anything you hereby demand.

Good luck. ~Lisa Marie Trent

So for now, my site is alive and well. Please visit it, to help make this effort worth the fight. Thank you to all who do. And please, go visit Lee's site, because you might like his photography more than mine, and YOU may want to fly LMT Photography British Style over here to do your next Christmas Card.

(Later, I received another.)

Hello lisa I see that you have changed the copy right notice on your website. thank you but we are asking you to remove every title and reference to LMT photography this includes the main page title and all other title and reference to the the above. There are 2 ways we can solve this , you can act as requested - but you may keep using the webaddress lmtphotography.weebly.comor we can as you put it take the matter up with weebly , who I may point out hold your self liable and will just remove your account and all contentplease find below the following for reference.

Thank you for your compliance.also my client would like to point out they do not do weddings and they are not "douchebags" also know as deformation of character please think wisely before you respond to this email as I would hate to have to write another email regarding a whole different matter.

I did say douche bag. Sorry.

And for the big finale:

Hello Lisa Thank you for your email - I take it you do not believe in copy right law then, all we are asking is you replace the words lmtphotgraphy this is all, think of it this way we have paid money for lmtphotography and if you had paid for something you wouldnt like other people using it.Also in reference to you blog please can you remove my contact details from your post I found it quite an enjoyable read.

See. My blog is known worldwide.