Full Version: Southern California Lucky Ducks
From: Boz (CHEDDARHEAD) [#1]
4 Apr 2007
To: ALL
I just wanted to take a minute and wave a flag for couple of our members of this forum. Last week, Diane and I were in Southern California on mostly business. (We did happen to stop in for a wine tasting at a vintner.) During our visit, we came into contact with a number of different companies and individuals involved in our industry. Both Diane and I came away with the impression that those of you involved in the engraving industry in southern California are really lucky because you have some great resources at your fingertips. I will list some of these, and the order is not important.
#1.) CEM - Mike Mackenzie and Trevor Hertel. We stopped by their shop in Santa Anna for a brief hello. These two guys went way above and beyond the call of duty. They helped us ship a machine back, and they did all of the work. They are sales reps for Universal. We were so impressed with how well they not only know their equipment, but how to run their machines on products for this industry. We have been in the laser industry since 1981, and Mike and Trevor's collection of samples is phenominal. To anyone who is in Southern California, and any of us on this forum, we are really lucky to have these fellows support us. Thank You!
#2.) We spent a very enjoyable evening with our esteemed host, David Lavaneri and his wife Robyn and daughter Olivia. Man, are these folks creative. The only thing I can even come close to thinking might be a downside for them would be that they do not have a used laser engraver (devil) . No wonder they do such a nice job keeping this forum on a even keel. Thank you for a great evening, and after meeting you, no wonder you are known as The Stunt Engraver. You can just see him working out a problem in his head, then step forward and find a solution to the problem. (Wish I could be in Texas this summer for Robin's big art exhibit. Thank You.
#3.) Jimani - Jim Earman and Dominic Wu. We went looking for answers to what's up with fiber laser marking systems? WOW. These two guys spent the better part of a couple of days dazzling us with their knowledge and machines. They have come up with a really nice, simple design for a fiber laser marking systems. They put up with all of our questions, and we got to leave with a little bit more knowledge on high speed parts marking. Thank you Jim and Dom.
I know there are more great guys (that includes both men and women) out there in southern California. Maybe on our next adventure to L.A. L.A. land we can meet more. Maybe we should have just stayed longer.
EDITED: 4 Apr 2007 by DGL
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#2]
4 Apr 2007
To: Boz (CHEDDARHEAD) [#1] 5 Apr 2007
If we in SoCal are lucky, our luck increased with your visit.
Had a great time, although I would have liked to hang out longer.
Did you head up the coast, the day after we met?
Thanks for the kind words and I look forward to meeting up again.
From: Boz (CHEDDARHEAD) [#3]
5 Apr 2007
To: ALL
Yea David, if we were only a little younger, we might have been able to make it past 10 PM.
We got up on Wednesday morning, went over and bothered Jimani again, then started heading north. We stopped just south of Santa Barbara and met up with a couple of "old" surfers. They gave us a few tips of places to go around Santa Barbara without hitting all of the tourist spots. Then we went up over the mountan (hill?) and got to see miles and miles of horses and vinyards. We stopped and bought a bag of strawberries on the edge of a field. (For those of you who have not seen these strawberries, they were about the size of Diane's fist.) So we ate the strawberries while driving. We made a pretty impressive site pulling into a winery with red juice all over us. We ended up staying in Pismo Beach, after a very extensive wine tasting stop. Great little hotel on the beach. We watched the surfers until dark. Up the next day and back down Hwy 1. Stopped in Malibu for a great lunch over looking the beach. Malibu was the only dissapointment to the whole trip. I remember Malibu as being a sleepy little hip place to hang out. Not anymore. Too many people and too many hipsters. After Malibu, we got to experience the 405 at 3:30 to 6 PM all the way to Long Beach.
It was a great trip. We spent four days looking into the ocean, trying to see whales and seals. Nothing. Finally saw a dead seal on the side of the road half way between L.A. and Vegas. It always happens to me!
EDITED: 5 Apr 2007 by CHEDDARHEAD
From: joyce (JLADY) [#4]
5 Apr 2007
To: Boz (CHEDDARHEAD) [#3] 5 Apr 2007
OH MY,
YOU FOUND A DEAD SEAL...DID YOU REPORT THAT TO THE NAVY?
From: PenTrophy (PENINSULATROPHY) [#5]
5 Apr 2007
To: Boz (CHEDDARHEAD) [#3] 6 Apr 2007
I'm sure the seal ran out of Samuel Adams on his way to Las Vegas... That's a killer..
I remember the armadillos in Texas keeling over along side the road after their bottle of LoneStar ran dry.
From: John (ICTJOHN) [#6]
5 Apr 2007
To: PenTrophy (PENINSULATROPHY) [#5] 5 Apr 2007
....
Now they are as far north as Kansas looking for Lone Star! 8-O
From: PenTrophy (PENINSULATROPHY) [#7]
5 Apr 2007
To: John (ICTJOHN) [#6] 5 Apr 2007
From: John (ICTJOHN) [#8]
5 Apr 2007
To: PenTrophy (PENINSULATROPHY) [#7] 5 Apr 2007
I dunno, I couldn't tell if they had on "stripped suites"
Their legs are sticking straight up in the air, and I didn't see any chains.....
If they are heading up to Leavenworth, they would probably be put to work in the AWARDS SHOP, to be our competitors.
:-(
~
From: gt350ed [#9]
5 Apr 2007
To: Boz (CHEDDARHEAD) [#3] 6 Apr 2007
And some, most or all to be written off. We've got the Forum posts as "evidence".
Well dude and dudette, if you ventured to Las Vegas via Interstate 15 on your trip, you drove right past our shop in Victorville. You may even have stopped in Victorville on your way. Most do. Our business is about 1/4 mile off the freeway between the two busiest exits.
In any event, it sounds like you had a great write-off, er trip. Pismo is one of our favorite places.
Still trying to get the "dead seal" reference. But I gotta feeling it was spotted in my neck of the woods, er desert.
From: laserman (MIKEMAC) [#10]
5 Apr 2007
To: Boz (CHEDDARHEAD) [#9] 6 Apr 2007
Hey Boz,
Glad to here you had a good trip out here in L.A. I am assuming that the package arrived in one pc?
It was good to see you and the Mrs. during your visit and we were happy to help you although I still would of liked to have seen you checking that in as luggage or even better "Carry on".
If you need any help with the system let us know.
From: Boz (CHEDDARHEAD) [#11]
6 Apr 2007
To: ALL
Hey Mike, the machine arrived here on Wednesday. You guys did a great job. Now, if I can only get the thing to work. It's our first VersaLaser, so it is a little different from the Professional series that we have worked with for years.
OK, OK. I'm no seal expert, but here is the real story. Somewhere between Victorville and the Mad Greek, we are running down the road at 80 MPH with all of the other travelers, through what is known as Death Valley. We are in the left lane, doing that southern California NASCAR thing. AS we are coming up to a small bridge, there is an object, kinda dead light blueish in color, laying in the median. I'm driving and Diane is co-piloting. It was one of those things that you see, but it really doesn't register for a while. A couple of miles later, I ask her my usual question, did you see that? And she says, you mean the dead seal? There were some pretty good winds, so it wasn't a blow up toy. I do not know what else it could have been.
Some of you might say the sighting was from an over active imagination, or maybe from one too many California raisins. But these kind of things happen to me. A few years ago, Diane drove our son out to Bozeman Montana to play hockey for the year. She and the young lad drove out one week, and everywhere they went they saw wild creatures. Bison, Prairie Dogs, Elk, wolves, bears, Mountain Goats,..... So she gets back to town, and we decide we are going to drive back out and spend a couple of weeks touring Montana. We spend 10 days driving around the state, camping many nights. By the end of the trip, my eyes are tired from scanning the landscape looking for animals. 4,600 miles, and we only saw two animals. About 50 miles outside Glacier National Park, we are driving along some lonesome road, and there is a camel standing just inside the barb wire fence in the middle of no where. OK, chalk it up to ? About 10 miles later, we are driving along and pass something dead on the edge of the road. A couple of minutes later, I ask Diane the question, did you see that? Her response, "Oh, you mean that monkey that was laying there?" I swear, 4,600 of some of the prettiest landscape in the world, and I get to see a camel and a dead monkey, not even one of those pesky prairie dogs. So, I guess a dead seal on the side of the road in Death Valley is about par for the course.
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#12]
9 Apr 2007
To: Boz (CHEDDARHEAD) [#1] 10 Apr 2007
Boz,
I'm disappointed that Jim didn't get you and Diane to do a little sky diving with him.
All that talent and support makes me want to move to California. NOT!
From: Boz (CHEDDARHEAD) [#13]
10 Apr 2007
To: ALL