Donna and I recently returned from a trip to the Golden State, seeing our son Jack and his wife Erin in L.A., visiting Donna’s brother Mike and sister Barb in Newport Beach, and sightseeing in San Diego, which neither of us had ever visited. It was a wonderful, whirlwind trip. Leg one: Mauled by Vicious Attack Dogs Our first stop brought us to a hotel in Universal City, home to Universal Studios and a five-minute drive to Jack and Erin’s home in beautiful Toluca Lake, a village whose houses are framed with colorful, fragrant gardens and the main street is lined with restaurants, boutiques, and two icons: the original Bob’s Big Boy (home of the “original double deck hamburger”), and Paty’s, a casual diner that is bustling at all hours. We met up with Jack and caught up on his various projects and pursuits (of which he always has several in the works). For protection, Jack and Erin have a trio of fierce attack animals that use their anteater tongues to lick their adversaries into s...