Please Distract Me

San Diego

2009-05-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we took a trip down to beautiful San Diego. The Cubs were playing the Padres and it was a perfect weekend to take the trip. Normally, the traffic is horrendous going to San Diego on the weekend, but we actually lucked out and had pretty decent traffic. I think most people waited until Monday to travel home.

After the Cubs lost the game :( we decided to walk around the area. The whole area around the park is a historic area of the city, so we decided to explore. The main street in this area is full of restaurants and bars and nothing else! It seemed to go on forever! We looked out on the harbor and took in the beautiful scenery. We eventually found a place to eat and then went back home.

Although it was short, it was a fun little trip to take on a holiday weekend.

Spotted

2009-05-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

On our return flight from Dallas to Burbank we spotted Johnathon Schaech. You may know Johnathon as the lead singer of the "Oneders" (or Wonders) in the movie "That Thing You Do" from 1996. He has been in many other things, but I know him best from this movie.

Chicago

2009-05-10T18:01:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were in Chicago for a long weekend. We decided we wanted to get away for a few days since we hadn't been on a trip for a while. I have wanted to see a Cubs game in Wrigley Field for a while (it has been 5 years), so we decided to visit Chicago. I was worried about the weather being cold and rainy, but it ended up being a very pleasant trip. The day of the Cubs game it was 70 degrees, sunny and the Cubs won easily. We did a lot of sightseeing and enjoyed being away from home for a while.

Pie

2009-04-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to blog about the pie I made for Easter dinner. For some reason I wanted to make a pie, and not one that you dump into a graham cracker crust. I made this apple pie (under supervision... Thanks, Alli) from scratch, even the crust. It turned out golden brown and very delicious. I was quite surprised! It will probably be a while until I bake another one from scratch, but at least I know how.

Birthday Bash

2009-03-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to a birthday dinner for our friend, Alli. Alli needed of a fun night out for quite a while, so we were happy to be part of that.

We went to a place called, Cobras & Matadors. Sounds interesting, doesn't it? This restaurant's cuisine is what is called Tapas. Tapas is basically appetizer sized meals that you order for the table and share with each other. Now I'm not talking chicken wings, quesadillas, onion rings or jalapeno poppers. It's Spanish cuisine I don't even remember the names of any of the dishes, but think potato/chick pea pancakes and slow curred meats and goat cheese. This isn't my usual fare, but I found enough to eat(like bacon wrapped Prawns and some other things I can't pronounce). Of course, the pitcher of Sangria helped too!

We ended up at Bob's Big Boy for dessert afterwards to close out the evening.

It was fun and I hope Alli had as much fun as we did.

Spotted - "It's Miley"

2009-03-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

As we arrived at the parking lot to visit some shops on Ventura Avenue on Saturday, I noticed a ruckus taking place up ahead. I saw a group of people causing a commotion as I got out of the car. It didn't take long to figure out what was going on when I saw all the cameras flashing. It was the paparazzi surrounding a star. Soon I realized it was no one I cared about.

Miley Cyrus (aka. Hanna Montana) and her boyfriend were walking to his car. Once I saw who it was, I wasn't so surprised with the amount of paparazzi that were surrounding them. With that many cameras It had to be either Britney, Lindsey, or a short list of other stars that are hounded on a daily basis.

I noticed an interesting ploy the paparazzi used to get as many pictures as possible. One of them parked directly behind Miley and her boyfriend's car so that they could control when they left and how many pictures they could get of her.

Wow, I don't think I ever want to be famous like that.

Sorry the picture isn't very good, but the iPhone doesn't have a zoom on the camera.

Spring Fever

2009-02-13T07:02:00.000-08:00

Finally! Spring has sprung and baseball begins anew!
Today, pitchers and catchers report to training camps to kick off the unofficial start of Spring Training. It's about time! It's been a long winter for Cubs fans who are ready to actually go beyond the first round of playoffs and win a game in the postseason. But before that happens, they must first make it to the playoffs.

Now the fun begins!

iPhone

2009-02-13T07:01:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday I got an iPhone. It is really cool and has so many features to play with. It is great because there are free applications (and ones you can pay for) that you can download from Apple that are so useful. I have an application for online banking, finding what movies are at the theater, where the nearest bank or coffee shop is, and even where I can find a place to pee when I'm away from home. I can also check my email and surf the web. Surfing the web even came in handy last night when I was in a Board meeting and was tired of hearing everyone talk.

I think I've only just begun to figure out all that I can do with it. If you are in the market for a smart phone and you have the money, I would recommend the iPhone.

Oh yeah, you can even use it as a phone! :)

Snuggie

2009-01-21T07:03:00.000-08:00

I don't get it!
This is the hottest new item out there. It's not even that ingenious, yet it has a huge following ... good and bad.

I remember seeing the commercial back in 2008 (because that was so long ago) and thinking it was pretty silly. I just chalked it up to another infomercial for a useless products. But when I was in Indiana for the holidays and staying at my mom's place, I constantly saw the Snuggie on cable along with the unending barrage of DTV Transition commercials. This LINK explains why we are seeing even more of these infomercial products advertised on Television more so than a year ago.

Sure, I get cold like an 80 year old woman even in California, but I'm not buying one of these overgrown robes. Can you imagine spotting someone in the stands of your kid's soccer game wearing a Snuggie? They will be ridiculed even more than the geeky kid who has no coordination on the field.

I guess there are lots of people who would actually like the Snuggie. I can think of two people who said such a thing. It's okay if you wear it in the privacy of your own home, but please don't wear it in public!

LOST LOST LOST.......

2009-01-21T07:02:00.000-08:00

LOST season 5 premiers tonight... finally!!!!!
You know I will be glued to me T.V. tonight to see the show.
I'm so excited that I may even watch the obligatory clip show at 8PM.

2009-01-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

This past holiday weekend we went for a hike in Griffith Park. It was such a beautiful day and we didn't want to waste the nice weather. It was also nice to "get away" from the city (even though it's in the middle of the city) and enjoy the trees, grass and mountains. I know many people in the Midwest are freezing, so I appreciate the nice weather here in Southern California.

Back Home in Indiana

2009-01-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

I finally returned to California from 8 days in Indiana visiting family and friends. It was a great trip seeing everyone and enjoying my favorite eating places that we don't have in California.

The weather was great because the snow stayed away, but we had a Tornado warning the second day I was there. It was strange, but that is how Indiana weather always turns out.

New Shoes

2009-01-05T07:01:00.000-08:00

I just got these brand new P.F. Flyers this weekend. I've been wanting a pair of Converse All Stars, but I can't get past how uncomfortable they can be to wear. If you have ever wore All Stars you know that they don't have a lot of padding.

These P.F. Flyers are very comfortable and the P.F. even stands for Posture Foundation. I can always use help with my posture!!

LOST

2008-12-24T09:55:00.000-08:00

I'm excited that I bought Season 4 of Lost. It is one of my favorite shows and the new season starts January 20. It is very important to refresh myself on last season, because Lost is one of those shows that is more enjoyable if you remember everything that has happened previously.

Spotted

2008-12-22T20:16:00.000-08:00

We saw Alfonso Ribeiro at Target in Burbank. You know him from "The Fresh Prince of Bel- Air", and "Silver Spoons" if you're cool!

Camera

2008-12-15T07:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we purchased this Olympus camera. CJ has a digital SLR that he uses to take nice, professional looking pictures. Sometimes though, it's too bulky to take certain places where you don't want to carry around a camera bag. Therefore, we decided to get a smaller digital camera that we can just put in our pocket. We found a great deal on this camera and will have fun taking pictures.

Backup

2008-12-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

I'm excited and relieved!! Yesterday I found an amazing deal at Target on this backup hard drive for my computer. It was marked down to $68! By far the best price I have seen for a 500 GB hard drive.

I have been searching the sale ads for the past couple of months looking for the best price on these things. I'm always worried something might happen to my computer and I will lose all my information. Now I have a backup and I feel more secure. The only problem is that it took 2 hours to back up all my files, music, and picture. It's a small price to pay for security!

Christmas Tree

2008-12-15T07:02:00.000-08:00

Here is our small Christmas Tree we put up recently. It's not the best picture, but you get the idea. It's hard to take a picture of a tree with fiber optic lights and it not come out blurry.

Luggage

2008-12-15T07:01:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago we walked into Mervin's. For those of you outside of California, Mervin's is like Kohl's or J.C. Penny. Mervin's, like many other stores, is going out of business.
Because of this, we knew that we might get a good deal at the store.

I will be traveling to Indiana soon and we desperately need a new piece of luggage. Our old one is falling apart and is not very big. We found this nice American Tourister bag for 70% off. It was a great deal so we had to buy. It's roomy and even bigger than our current bag. Of course, CJ likes it because it's blue.

Spotted

2008-12-08T20:14:00.000-08:00

You may know Kathryn Joosten from Desperate Housewives and The West Wing. She sat at the table next to us at a restaurant on Saturday.

007

2008-11-16T17:45:00.000-08:00

We just got back from "Quantum of Solace", the newest James Bond movie. It picked up where the last Bond movie, "Casino Royale", left off. It was action packed and I liked it very much. I've always been a huge fan of 007 and I like what they have done with the most recent movies.

Spotted - Day Off Edition

2008-11-12T20:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Veterans Day! Luckily, my job gives me the day off. So, I decided to go to Warner Brothers Studio to visit CJ. While we were on the lot we saw the following people.

Eriq Lasalle (known from "ER") was driving off the lot in his Mercedes.

Danny Pino (Television show "Cold Case") was walking to his trailer.

Tony Okungbowa (Ellen Degeneres' DJ on her talk show) was walking with a friend.

I don't think I've seen that many celebrities at one time.

Changeling

2008-11-12T20:41:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we went to see Changeling. I'm not a huge Angelina Jolie fan, but I was interested in seeing the movie. One reason is that most films that Clint Eastwood directs happen to be very good and it is based on a true story that occurred here in Los Angeles.

It was a bit long at 2 hours and 20 minutes but I enjoyed watching the movie.

It's the story of a woman whose son goes missing in 1920's LA. Instead of finding the woman's boy, the corrupt police department returns a kid that looks like her son. As she tries to tell them it is not her son, they call her a liar and even through her in a mental institution to shut her up. While this is going on, a separate police investigation uncovers clues to what happened to her child.

Spotted

2008-10-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

Today we spotted Christian Siriano walking into Gucci at the Beverly Center.

Christian was the winner of Season 4 of Project Runway.

VOTE

2008-10-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend, CJ and I completed our absentee ballots for the 2008 elections. It is so much easier to vote from home, then have to make your way to a polling center and wait in line. There is no pressure to get through the ballot, and you can drink coffee while you fulfilling your civic duty. No matter how you do it... VOTE!!!!

Nothing

2008-10-17T17:49:00.000-07:00

Hi again! I don't have anything fun to say. I know I haven't blogged for a while, but I haven't been doing much.
As soon as something exciting happens I will blog.

Cubs Post Season

2008-10-01T07:03:00.001-07:00

I can’t believe that I got post season tickets to the Cubs game this Saturday. Since they are playing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round I had to get tickets. Unfortunately for me, I had to buy it from a “legitimate” re-sale website called Stubhub. It is the official re-seller of tickets for Major League Baseball. Basically, people buy up tickets at face value and re-sell them on Stubhub for over face value. It is a legitimate scalping operation. So, I forked over the money, but I know it will be worth it in the end. Go Cubs Go!

Great Show!

2008-10-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

I was very excited to receive the Six Feet Under complete series on DVD this week. I just happened to see last week that it was severely discounted for 24 hours on Amazon, so we had to go for it. Six Feet Under is one of my favorite TV dramas. It is about the Fisher family who run a funeral home. They are a very dysfunctional family and it’s about their life and re-connecting with each other after a tragedy. It was on HBO for five seasons. Luckily, it was planned to only go five seasons, so they were able to give the fans one of the best final episodes (and season) I have ever seen. I can’t wait to start re-watching the series.

Spotted

2008-10-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend we spotted Faye Dunaway at the Arclight Movie Theater in Hollywood. She had her hat and sunglasses on so she could hide from everyone. I guess it didn’t work too well, because a lot of people noticed her. I’m not sure what movie she went to, but it wasn’t in our theater.

Spotted

2008-09-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, CJ and I went to Chevy’s in Burbank (for those of you in Indiana, it’s a Mexican restaurant) for some fajitas. While we were there we saw Tony Hale. Now many of you may not know Tony, but he had a very funny role in the short lived TV show, “Arrested Development”. He played the socially inept Buster Bluth while working alongside other funny actors like Jason Bateman and Will Arnett. He also appeared on another short lived comedy with comedian Andy Richter called “Andy Barker, P.I.”

Spotted and MET!!!

2008-09-15T18:25:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I was shocked to be introduced to Jorja Fox at work. I went up to the printer and when I turned around, I was introduced to her. Apparently, a co-worker of mine is friends with her and she stopped by the office to go to lunch with him. She was very nice and we had a short conversation.

You may know Jorja from CSI. She has been on CSI since it started, but recently, she left the show to pursue other projects. I have always liked her acting and wish she was still part of the show.

You know that I always see celebrities around town, but I never bother them. It was nice to actually meet one, and she turned out to be nice with no ego.

Wicked

2008-09-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night we went to see the musical, Wicked. Like I talked about in an earlier post, I had never been to a musical. It was fun and the music was good.

You can check out the details on CJ's blog. You can click on the link on the right side of the page.

80's

2008-09-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

All this weekend VH1 Classics had 80 Hours of the 80’s. It was a Labor Day weekend of all 80’s videos from A-Z. It was fun to flip over to the channel ever so often just to see what they were playing. I got to see videos I hadn’t seen in 20-25 years, and others I had never seen. It’s amazing how technology and years of “getting it perfected” has changed they way we look at any visual media from 25 years ago. It’s also fun to laugh at the clothes and hair styles of the period too!

Guitar Hero

2008-09-02T07:02:00.000-07:00

CJ had talked about Guitar Hero when he got back from his trip to Indiana a few months ago. I had also heard from friends that it was a fun video game. So, this weekend we decided to buy it for our Playstation. If you aren’t familiar with it, it is a video game where you play along to real songs on a plastic guitar. There are 5 color coated buttons on the neck of the guitar and a “strumming” button on the body of the guitar. The point is to coordinate your hand to push the color coated button and strum at the same time along with the notes the game shows you to play. Does that make sense?

I was warned by a friend that it is nothing like playing a real guitar. With that warning in mind, I was worried how well I could play the game. I didn’t do too badly when I first started. Actually, I’ve almost beaten the easy level. For the most part, the easy level only has you use the top three color coated buttons. As you move up to harder levels of the game, they start including all five buttons, thus it gets a lot more difficult.

We spent a good five hours this weekend playing the game, and as a result, my left forearm is sore. CJ already beat the easy level, so he is the Hero in our house!

Journey to the Center of 3-D

2008-09-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we went to see Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D. As I assumed, it wasn’t a great movie. I mainly went to see the 3-D presentation of the movie. It looked very nice apart from the obvious 3-D gags like an actor pointing his finger at the audience or a yo-yo coming straight at me! I hope they use this technology in more movies (as I hear they are), because the movie comes alive with the actors in a 3 dimension plane rather than looking flat against the background. It would even be cooler if they could (in the future) put screens on the side of the theater walls and project the surrounding landscape from the movie onto these screens. It would make you feel like you are part of the movie even more so. I’m excited to hear that there is a movement to equip more theaters with 3-D technology. This is the only way Hollywood will make more features in 3-D.

Spotted

2008-08-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

I saw Rob Corddry the other morning at Starbucks. You may know him from various small roles in films, but most probably know him from working on The Daily Show with John Stewart.

Ouch!

2008-08-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we went to the batting cages with some friends. It was really fun. I hadn’t been for at least eight years and it really showed when I got up to bat. Mind you, I didn’t do too badly. I wasn’t able to hit as many as I might have in the past, but it was still a good time. I would really like to go back once my muscles are ready for that punishment again. Once I do it a few times more times, my body will get accustomed to it and I won’t hurt so much.

I think I thoroughly enjoyed the batting cages, because of the memories it brought back from those hot, summer days in Indiana when we would play until the sun went down. CJ & I have actually talked about joining a softball league, but I think we need to work on our hitting first.

Smoking Fun!!!!!

2008-08-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

Friday night was an awesome night here in LA. I went to see my favorite band, The Smoking Popes, at a club in Hollywood called the Knitting Factory. This band’s heyday was in the 90’s back in Chicago. They garnered a huge following that lead to a record deal with Capitol Records in the mid 1990’s. Due to various reasons, the band broke up in 1997. Of course, it always hurts when your favorite band breaks up, because most of the time it’s permanent. Luckily, the guys decided to give it another try and re-formed last year, 10 years after they broke up. I was so excited when I heard they were re-forming. They released a new album and just finished their west coast tour. I never had the chance to see them live in their first incarnation, but I didn’t pass up the opportunity this time. As I said to Eli Caterer, (guitarist for the band and presumably the only guy who sells the band’s merchandise) “It funny how I had to move to California to see the band live”.

My co-worker, Jessica, said she would go with me after hearing a few of their songs. She ended up having a good time, and she liked the band. She was also happy because Morrissey was in attendance to watch the show. The Smoking Popes went on tour with him in the 90’s and I’m sure he wanted to see them again.

The show itself was awesome. They played their new songs and a lot of their older ones while everyone sang along. It was like an old friend came back to visit, but picked up like they had never been gone. I had a great time and I can’t wait until they make it out here again.

Hot Weekend

2008-08-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took an impromptu trip to the desert. 8-8-08 was CJ’s birthday, so we decided to take the day off and do something fun. At first we couldn’t decide what to do. Our friend Bryan said he could get us a nice room at a Westin Resort & Spa in Palm Springs for cheap. That made up our minds for us.

As you can see, it was a nice room with great amenities. We went gambling at casinos and did some shopping at the outlet mall. Unfortunately, we didn’t come back with the jackpot, but it was fun. We had triple digits temperatures while we were there, but it wasn’t too bad sine we were indoors most of the time.

Movie Sunday

2008-07-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

After our beach going experience and being out in the sun all day Saturday, we decided to go see Wanted on Sunday.

It's a movie about a guy who is brought into the world of an elite assassin society and is trained to kill the man who killed his father. Of course, nothing is as it seems and there are a few twists in the movie.

It was good. It had a lot of action and stunts that would never happen in real life. Although I liked it, I think it would be better to rent the movie than spend the money in the theater.

Surfin!

2008-07-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we took a trip up the coast to Malibu and Ventura. CJ's cousin, Theresa, had the idea to go to the beach and see the coast to our Nnorth. Theresa is a surfer "in training" while she is out here in California on business.

We first ended up in Malibu. It was crazy busy with tons of people out on a sunny Saturday afternoon. There was no where to park and lots of people on the beach. After a while we decided to head up North, as we heard it is less populated with beach-goers.

We drove about 15 miles North and ended up in Ventura County. It was not as crowded so we decided to stop. As you can see in the picture, Theresa (the one in the middle) is surfing. CJ and I sat on the rocks and took in the beautiful scenery.

Sunday Night Music

2008-07-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night we went to see my friend Alana Sweetwater perform at the Hotel Café in Hollywood. Alana is a singer/songwriter who I met at work when she was temping for our office. She is a wonderful singer and a great performer.
About 6 months ago, she moved to New York. She has been playing shows in NY, and came back for this performance to play in front of some record labels.
One of these days she will be famous. She’s one of those people that you can tell, once you meet her, that she is going places in this world.
Good luck, Alana!

The Dark Knight

2008-07-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we went to see The Dark Knight. It was the best Batman movie I’ve ever seen. The movies they made in the 90’s were a joke (although the first two weren’t bad), and the one they made 3 years ago was the best up until now.
Heath Ledger was very good in his role as the Joker. The actors were all very good and the characters were well developed.
Even if you are not a fan of superhero movies, this one had a lot of elements that would appeal to a wide audience. It was more like a mystery/crime drama with a superhero thrown into the mix. If you want to get technical, Batman really isn’t what you think of as a typical superhero (Spiderman, Hulk, etc.) since he has no superpowers. He is more of a detective in a cape :) None the less, it was a good movie. It’s was long at 2 ½ hours, but it is well paced and I wasn’t bored at all.

Post Vegas

2008-07-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it back from Vegas on Sunday night, but I've been lazy at updating my blog about the weekend. I got to Vegas on Saturday morning without a lot of traffic. I picked up Keith at the Circus, Circus Hotel and we went to find out how far the Rio Hotel was from our hotel. We saw Penn & Teller (Illusionists/Comedians) at the Rio. We thought about walking there, but decided it was to far too walk.

The show was very funny and their magic was awesome. They used audience participation throughout their show. A couple of times, I thought they were going to stop at us and ask us to help out. They did not. After the show, they both came outside the theater and greeted their audience.

That night we did some gambling and walking around.

Earlier that day we also walked to the Stratosphere to get a view of the Las Vegas area. The tower is 1, 149 feet in the air. You get great views of the area, and in this picture you can see the Vegas strip.

The next day we did a lot of walking. We went from one end of the strip to the other, which is about 4 miles. With temperatures over 100, it seemed liked a lot further.

At the Mirage Hotel, we saw the theater and gift shop for the Beatles/Cirque du Soleil "Love" show.

Here I am in front a cool multi-changing colored wall with the Beatles behind me. When I go back to Vegas, I definitely want to see this show.

This is a picture of the pyramid of the Luxor hotel. It was very cool inside with huge statues and ornate decorations... and of course, a casino.

I left Sunday night and experienced some traffic, but it only added an hour to my drive.

Now I am ready to go back for a couple more days. I will plan that for a cooler month than July!

Vegas, Baby!

2008-07-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

I'm on my way to Vegas this Saturday for a quick trip. CJ is in Indiana and I'm meeting a friend to hang out and have some fun.

I'm making the trip by myself, so hopefully my car doesn't break down in the desert. It should be okay, because my vehicle is fairly new.

We are going to see Penn & Teller on Saturday night, so that should be fun.

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July!!! Go America :)

Environment

2008-07-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we received these environmentally friendly products in the mail. Our city sent out free Compact Fluorescent Bulbs and bathroom aerators to all of their citizens. I thought it was a good idea to get people exposed to conserving energy and water. I do try to help out the environment when I think of it, so this was a great gift to get in the mail.
We have put one of the bulbs in a lamp and we have the aerator on the bathroom sink.
I suggest everyone try and conserve energy when they can.

Cubs - Saturday

2008-06-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

No pictures from Saturday's game. It was a frustrating game and I didn't feel like taking any photos.

The Cubs lost 7-3. At least in this game they scored some runs and actually had a chance to win (until the 7th inning).

It was hot and sweaty, but it was fun as usual.

Cubs - Friday

2008-06-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

Not much to say about this one. The Cubs lost 3-0. There are no highlights other than this picture of Dodgers' 2nd baseman, Jeff Kent, getting thrown out of the game. The Cubs struck out 11 times last night and looked as if they were asleep.

Today will be better!

Thursday's Giveaway

2008-06-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

This is what I got as I walked into the stadium last night. It's a bobblehead of Dodgers closer, Takasi Saito.

Last night, I used it as a voodoo doll and kicked and punched it a little :) It must have worked, because he gave up the winning run to the Cubs.

Cubs - Thursday

2008-06-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first Cubs/Dodgers game of the 4 game series. It was a great game and I enjoyed the whole thing.

I went alone to last nights game, becasue CJ is going to Friday night's game. I got there about 90 minutes early because I literally work "right down the road" from Dodgers' Stadium. I was happy to find when I arrived that the Cubs' batting practing was going on (you will see it in the pic above). I then went and got some dinner and found my seat. Luckily, my seat was in a block of other Cubs fans and that was a nice feeling in "hostile" territory. :) Actually, as in all ballparks around the country, there are always lots of Cubs fans.

During the game I talked with a couple brothers who were sitting next to me. It turned out that they are originally from Evansville, IN and now they live in Phoenix and Colorado. So, of course, we talked about Indiana and it was fun to talk to them about the Cubs and the Purdue/ I.U. rivalry.

It was a close game after the fifth inning. The Cubs closer, Kerry Wood, made it an interesting ninth inning by loading the bases with two outs. Luckily, he got the last guy to strike out and the Cubs won 5-4. They still have the best record in all of baseball, and I hope they improve on that tonight!

I can't wait for tonight's game!!!!

Baseball Weekend

2008-06-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm excited because the Cubs will be in town to play the Dodgers Thursday-Sunday of this week. It's been a year since the Cubs were in town and I can't wait to go starting on Thursday night. This year I'm going to the first three games(Thursday-Saturday). I'm skipping Sunday's game because it is tiring enough to go three days straight as I have in the two previous seasons.

They are currently riding a 8-game winning streak and I hope they continue to play well once they get to L.A.

It's Back

2008-05-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

If you remember in an earlier blog entry, I told you that my favorite reality show is coming back to television. The premier of the show is Monday, June 2 at 10 PM on ABC.

I hope that this new incarnation is just as good as the original. We'll see how they handled the resurrection on Monday night.

Funny

2008-05-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

When graffiti is funny...

It originally said, "100% Beef".

Sorry for the fuzzy photo. I had to use the camera on my phone.

I Am...

2008-05-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

LOST! Lost had its season finale last night and now I am sad (and a bit tired for staying up late to watch). Season 4 was awesome and I can't believe it is over until February 2009.

So much happened in the 2 hour finale that I am still digesting everything. It will probably be just long enough to figure everything out!

Spotted

2008-05-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

I saw Kim Myles at the gas station on Wednesday. Kim won Season 2 of "HGTV's Design Star" and now has her own HGTV show called "Myles of Style".

I like her because she has the Mercury version of my Ford Escape Hybrid :)

Spotted

2008-05-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ed Asner. Everyone knows who he is!!!
Spotted outside the Cheesecake Factory in Sherman Oaks on Saturday.

In Remembrance

2008-05-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Marcile Rudolph

1918 - 2008

I just got back from Indiana after attending my grandmother's funeral. It was a very nice service and memorial for a great lady who was loved by many. I had a chance to see many of my relatives that I hadn't seen in years. I know my grandmother would have been happy to know that everyone came together to celebrate her life.

Weekend Education

2008-05-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we went to the California Science Center to see this exhibit we have heard a lot about. It was very interesting and was a great way to see how the body's muscles and internal systems work. When you first look at the bodies it is a bit shocking, but you do get use to it once you see a few of them.

"Take an eye-opening journey through the inner workings of the human body. The California premiere of Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 3 & The Story of the Heart features over 200 authentic human specimens including whole body plastinates not seen before, organs, translucent body slices, and for the first time - a special presentation on the heart."

It wasn't a very big exhibit, but it packed a lot of interesting things into the space it did have. It was a very educational exhibit!

Iron Man

2008-05-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we went to see the movie, Iron Man. As you can see above (very bad picture taken by my phone) they had the actual suit that he wears in the movie at the theater.

It was a good movie. I was quite surprised at how much I liked it, because I haven't been a big fan of this character. It had great action and it was funny. I recommend the movie to anyone who likes a good action movie.

Spotted

2008-05-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

Four in a row! This time, it wasn't at Starbucks.

This is Steven Christopher Parker. He plays Dr.Harold Zelinsky on E.R.

He passed me at a crosswalk here in Burbank.

Spotted

2008-05-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

Another morning at Starbucks... another actor spotted.
This is Andre Royo. He is a character actor who has been in various shows. He was in a show I watched named, "The Wire", that was on HBO until earlier this year. It was a critically acclaimed show that not many people watched.

Spotted

2008-05-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

Once again I arrived at Starbucks a little later than usual today, and I saw another actor. I'm beginning to see a trend here! This gentleman is Gregory Itzin. Gregory is one of those character actors you have seen in various movie and TV roles. However, in 2005, he broke out big time as the evil President of the United States, Charles Logan, on Season 5 of 24. 24 is one of my favorite shows on TV right now (even though it was delayed this year because of the writer's strike). Mr. Itzin's helped reinvent this show when it was treading water story-wise. Season 5 was a return to what made 24 so awesome and President Charles Logan was a big part of that.

Spotted

2008-04-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today at Starbucks, I saw Ed Helms. You may know Ed from "The Office" or "The Daily Show".

Santa Barbara

2008-04-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we took a short trip up the coast and checked out Santa Barbara. It is a very pretty area with ocean views and beautiful weather. We happened to visit during Earth Day celebrations in the city. We walked through and then headed over to the main drag in town and enjoyed the day. CJ's cousin came along and actually wanted to surf while we were up there. We waited too long, because most surf shops were closing for the day and she needed to rent a board. We still stopped by the beach and enjoyed the nice beach scenery.

Crock

2008-04-14T07:03:00.000-07:00

I felt very domestic this weekend, because we bought a Crock Pot. We had a credit from Fry’s Electronics but we couldn’t find anything we wanted. We always thought it would be nice to have a crock pot to give us more variety, and to let time-consuming meals cook while we are at work.

Our first meal was a beef stew that was so good. Later in the week we have chicken and noodles planned. Yum!!!

If you have any good crock pot recipes, let me know!!!

21

2008-04-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

We went to see the movie, 21, this weekend. It's based on a true story of a group of smart college students who go to Vegas and win lots of money by counting cards while playing Blackjack. It was a pretty good movie with a few twists and turns.

I think I would recommend seeing the movie on DVD, unless you go to a matinee when it is cheaper!!
It seems like anymore, it's best just to wait for the DVD, even if you like the movie!!!

Spotted

2008-04-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

John Cryer of Two & Half Men on CBS.
He was spotted at the Fry's Electronic Store on Saturday afternoon.

Music Music Music

2008-04-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was the Bamboozle Left concert. Please ignore the bad picture (it was taken with my phone). CJ & I had a really fun time. I got to see some bands that I have never seen live and some new ones that I discovered on Saturday.

They had a total of 6 stages grouped in pairs. They would have a band play on the left side while another band set up on the right stage. Then they would go back and forth all day long with continuous music. There were 3 of these "dual" stages, so there was a lot of music to choose from. Luckily, all the bands I wanted to see were on the two main stages. I think only once we had to go to another set of stages to see other bands.

It was a nice, overcast day, and wasn't too hot. A perfect day for standing outside for 10 hours.
I must be getting old, because I was exhausted on Sunday!

UPDATE!!!!
I just found this article about the concert I went to this weekend. I'm assuming the woman who wrote it is around my age, because she was thinking everything I was.
http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/04/on-the-scene-ba.html#more

Not Much

2008-04-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry! I know it has been two weeks since I last updated the blog. Not much has been going on around here. I think I've mainly been preoccupied by baseball season starting this week. I plan on watching as many games as possible this year. Hopefully, it will be a good year for the Cubs.

Tomorrow is the big all day concert I am going to. It should be fun, and I will give you an update and let you know I survived :)

Bamboozle West

2008-03-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

I just bought tickets to this all day concert taking place two weeks from today. I'm excited because I've been wanting to go to more concerts, but I never do it. It is loaded with bands I love and bands I'm interested to see.
Bayside, Face To Face, Jimmy Eat World, All-American Rejects, Alkaline Trio, The Bouncing Souls and many others.

It's a two day festival, but I decided only to go to the Saturday show. The line-up is much better on Saturday, and I don't want to spend my whole weekend there.

CJ is actually going with me. This isn't his type of music, but I think he is worried that I'm going to get killed or mugged if I go by myself :) I am glad he is going so I have someone to talk to. I bet he will have good time!!!

Smart Yet Fun!!!!

2008-03-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

I found this website the other day and now I'm hooked. It's called How Stuff Works. Have you ever wondered how an iPod works or how a IMAX movie is made? This site gives you thousands of articles about how things work. They also have informational articles on almost anything. They cover things in all realms of life... Science, electronics, finance, food, history, and travel. Here is a random sampling of articles and videos you can find on the website:

What if there were no gravity on Earth?
How an ice hotel works.
How do digital cameras work?
Why do some U.S. bills have a star instead of a letter at the end of the serial number?

It's fun to look through the different articles to learn things that you never knew. So if you're ever bored and want something to do, check out this fun site!

Disney Saturday

2008-03-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we got to go to Disney for free. A friend of ours had two park hopper tickets that he gave to us for free. He has a season pass, so he went along with us and we got to visit both the Magic Kingdom and California Adventure.

It was a cool day, so the park wasn't too crazy. I was disappointed because Space Mountain was in repair, and I didn't get to ride it. That is my favorite ride!

Los Angeles Lakers

2008-03-14T07:03:00.000-07:00

Keith and I went to a Los Angeles Lakers game on Tuesday night. It was a lot of fun(I haven't been to an NBA game in years), and it was the first time I had ever been to The Staples Center. It is a nice facility to watch a basketball game. It felt small and intimate just like a good sports facility should.

We decided to take the train from my place to downtown to see the game. It was such a relief not to have to worry about driving in all that traffic and not having to pay $20-$25 for parking.

Laker great, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was also at the game. It was nice to see him. They did a short video tribute for him and then he took his bow for the fans.

Of course, Jack Nicholson was at court side watching the game.

Spotted

2008-03-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

When Keith was here to visit, CJ got us on the Warner Brothers' lot so we could show him around. Since it was a busy day for CJ at work, we did the tour after 5PM. I don't usually see any actors when I have been to the lot after work hours. They are either gone, or holed up inside filming.

Well on this day we saw two actors from the NBC show, ER. I think the show is in it's 5 millionth season or something. The two actors above are Scott Grimes and Linda Cardellini. They were only a few feet away from us when I noticed them.

In a related ER tidbit, George Clooney was in his production office when we walked by it. His top of the line Harley Davidson bike was outside in his parking space. We thought we could get him to come outside if we sat on the bike, but then we came to our senses. I didn't want to get tackled by WB security!!!

It's Been a While

2008-03-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since the last entry. I've had a busy week with my friend Keith visiting from Illinois. We had a good time and he is off to his next destination, San Diego.

I also had to work late this week, so in other words, I've been kind of tired.

More posts to come!!!

Movie Saturday

2008-03-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

We went to see Vantage Point this weekend. I was in the mood to watch a movie, but I have been disappointed in the selection of movies lately. That is the nature of the movie business this time of year. I had heard some poor reviews for this movie, so I wasn't expecting a lot. I think that was the best way to approach this movie, because I didn't hate the film.

The way they told the story in this film was by showing the events of the President being shot from different Vantage Points. We saw it from the Secret Service, tv news, tourist, locals, and terrorist perspectives. I think they showed it from at least 6 different Vantage Points, which after a while, got old. You are ready for them to move the movie forward after the fourth Vantage Point. Once the movie does move forward though, I was ready to see where it was going. There were a few twists in the story which were nice to see. All in all, it wasn't a bad movie. I suggest renting it rather than paying to see it in a theater.

I guess this should be a lesson to everyone... lower your expectations and you might enjoy more movies :)

Yum

2008-02-26T07:01:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went to Philly's Best for lunch. We have been there before and enjoyed their Philly Cheese steaks. I seem to enjoy it more each time that we go and now I think I know why! I realized that the combo of the meat, onions, and bread reminds me of White Castle! Out here in California we don't have White Castle. It's one of those restaurants I crave sometimes, but I can't get my fix(I haven't tried the frozen ones at the grocery store, but I somehow find it hard to believe that it tastes as good). It's funny, because when I lived near one, I hardly ever went. Now all I need is to find a pizza that tastes like Pizza King!!!

White People

2008-02-25T07:05:00.000-08:00

I found this hilarious new blog today while reading the L.A. Times online. The blog is called "Stuff White People Like". It's written by a white guy who pokes fun at things that white people like. It's a very funny read. My favorites are #30 - Apple products, and #40 Wrigley Field.
You must check it out!
http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/

Late Night Dinner

2008-02-25T07:01:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, we were invited to a birthday dinner for one of CJ's friends. It was at this restaurant called Melrose Bar & Grill. The reservations weren't until 9:00 PM, so we ate ahead of time. We did order a small pizza to snack on. It was good, and everyone else said that their food was good. It was a nice little restaurant, and I think I would try it again.

Spotted - Reality Edition

2008-02-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend I decided to do my patriotic duty and boost the U.S. economy by going shopping. Although I'm sure I didn't make a dent in the economy, it sure made a dent in my wallet.

So I went to a mall called The Beverly Center. While I was there, I saw a couple people from reality shows. First off, as I was leaving H&M, I spotted Danny Noriega from the current season of American Idol. He was there picking out an outfit with what I assume was a stylist and a body guard. I know that contestants gets a budget each week they are on the show to buy an outfit for their upcoming performance. Seeing him really wasn't exiting, but the thought that the rest of the contestants might also be in the mall for what I call, "group shop", was interesting!

There are 2 contestants on the show that are from Indiana. The female contestant lives right outside Lafayette in Mulberry (where my mom and brother live), and the guy is from Crawfordsville (an hour outside Lafayette). So, like a 12 year old girl, I walked around the mall looking for those two (mainly the female). I thought it would be fun to talk to the girl from Mulberry. Unfortunately, I didn't see anyone else from the show.

I also saw Lynn and Alex from the Amazing Race Season 7. I rooted for them when they were on the show, but they were eliminated towards the end of the show. If you care, they were shopping for pants in Express!

BBQ

2008-02-19T07:04:00.000-08:00

We went to this BBQ place on Monday called The Bear Pit. I liked the old fashion sign, so I decided to take a picture.

It's one of these down home restaurants where they smoke the meat in the back and they have sawdust on the floor. They had very good food. It was a cool place. I highly recommend you go there if you live in the area!

Spotted

2008-02-19T07:02:00.000-08:00

This "Spotted" actually has a funny story to it! This character actor above is Jeff Garlin. Jeff has been in many television shows and movies. I know him best from the HBO series, Curb Your Enthusiasm. He plays Larry David's agent and friend on the show. I know that he was also in the movie, Daddy Day Care.

So while we were in Hollywood waiting for the Wicked drawing (see post below), we decided to look around the Hollywood Farmer's Market. We are walking around and I see Jeff sitting at a table eating. CJ, Chris and I were a good distance away from him. I have them look over at him and confirm that it was Jeff Garlin. They both recognize him, but we couldn't think of his name at the time.

As we are walking away, a woman walks by and says, "His name is Jeff. I overheard you talking about it... and I'm his wife!" She kept walking as if it was no big deal. For a second I felt embarrassed. Then I remember seeing that he was wearing a Cubs hat, so I said, "That's awesome that he's a Cub's fan!" Apparently, that got her attention. She abruptly stopped and asked if we were from Chicago. I said no, but we are from Indiana. She said that they are from Chicago and that her parents now live in La Porte, Indiana. So we had a quick chat about Indiana and that was it. It was just a funny little occurence that I didn't expect.

Wicked

2008-02-19T07:01:00.000-08:00

I'm not much of a musical theater person. I've never been to a musical in my life. I saw the movie Chicago when it came out, and I enjoyed it. On Sunday, CJ's friend, Chris, asked us if we wanted to stand in line to try and get tickets to see the musical, Wicked, down in Hollywood.

Before every performance, the theater conducts a lottery where they sell unsold tickets at a discounted price. If you win, you can purchase front-row center tickets for only $25 each. It is a great deal, so we decided to try it out. We put our names into the drawing with 80 other people, who also showed up that morning. They announced that they had 26 seats available. We waited around for a half hour to see if we won. Unfortunately, luck was not on our side that day. None of us were selected to buy tickets, so we did not get to see the show. We might try again on a different weekend. We'll see!

Dinner

2008-02-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

CJ & I went out for dinner on Saturday night with our friend, Alli. We went to Saddle Ranch Chop House at Universal Citywalk. It was a strange night. While we waited for our table employees from the restaurant came up to us and asked if we wanted them to buy us shots!!! This happened twice, but we turned them down both times. I don't think any of us felt like drinking.
Then, CJ and Alli ordered 1/2 a chicken each. Unfortunately, you can only see my freakishly huge baked potato in the picture! Then there was some drunken couple sitting across from us making out in front of everyone. Also, the old TVs were playing music videos from the mid 1990's that looked like they had recorded them on a VHS tape and had played them over and over again. I think it's time for an upgrade!!!
All in all it was a fun night though!

It's Over!

2008-02-13T07:56:00.000-08:00

I'm glad the writer's strike is over!!! As an "aspiring" writer and someone who works for a union, I was behind them all the way. I certainly don't blame them for wanting a piece of the new digital media that the studios are (and in increasing amounts in the future) profiting from. It has been said that it has cost the local economy upwards of $2 billion dollars since the strike started in November. I must admit, as the strike progressed over the last few weeks, I did get a little worried for CJ. As many of you know, CJ works for Warner Brothers Studio in the Payroll Department. There were many people let go from their jobs with the studio due to the strike. Luckily, CJ's department was never touched. I guess those who were still around wanted to make sure they got paid!!!

I'm glad to see the writer's back to work, because with the local toll on the economy, and the sagging national economy, I was starting to get a little worried.

Check It Out

2008-02-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

Everyone needs to check out CJ's new and improved blog, C to the J. Since he got his new Mac laptop last week he has been hard at work designing his new blog. You can check it out by clicking on the link on the right side of my page.

Don't Forget

2008-02-11T18:50:00.000-08:00

Remember to watch Jericho, Tuesday night at 10:00 PM on CBS.

If you don't, the above picture will probably happen to the show! Boom!

UPDATE!!! Here is a great cheat sheet you can use to catch up on what happened in Season 1.

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20177518,00.html

Rip, Rip, Rip

2008-02-11T18:35:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I finally completed a project I have slowly been working for two years. In order to get music transferred to my iPod, I first have to get the music onto my computer. I had about 3000 songs on the computer before this weekend. Over the last two years I have slowly been ripping my CDs onto the computer so I can transfer them. I still had lots of CDs I needed to transfer, so I decided to actually do it this weekend.

It took a while, but I transferred the rest of my CDs and ended up adding 1300 more songs to the computer. Now I have my entire CD collection on my computer and iPod.

I'm so glad that is over!!!

Spotted

2008-02-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

Raven Symone was at the Sherman Oaks mall today. You may know her from the Cosby Show or her more recent television show on the Disney Channel.

Her hair was a scary mess, but celebs can look bad too!

Jericho

2008-02-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

Everyone must watch Jericho. It is a really good show that was cancelled at the end of last season right when it was getting good. Luckily, a letter writing campaign, along with pounds upon ponds of nuts being sent to CBS (long story), convinced the network to bring back the show mid-season. If the ratings are good, they will give it more episodes next season.

The show deals with a town that is cut off from the rest of the U.S. after a series of nuclear bombs are set off around America. The town has to deal with surviving and defending themselves from outlaw groups when there is no longer order around the country.

The show premieres this Tuesday, February 12 at 10 PM on CBS!

Even better, if you know someone with a Nielson box, tell them to watch the show!!

Super Bowl

2008-02-03T19:22:00.000-08:00

Today, most people are watching the Super Bowl. Since the Colts are not in it this year, I don't really care about the game. So we decided to go to the grocery store and do some other shopping during the game. I thought that no one would be at the store and we could breeze right in and out without all the annoying people. To my surprise, the 90 million people who watch the Super Bowl don't live in So Cal. The stores were just as busy as a normal Sunday. Oh well, so much for that idea!

I did end up watching some of the game, but I think I watched more of the Puppy Bowl and Kitten Halftime Show. I guess dogs and cats are more interesting than football.

Hike

2008-02-03T19:12:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we went for a hike in Griffith Park. It was a nice day and we needed some fresh air. As you can see, there are some good views from this area.

You will also notice the results of the Griffith Park fire last May. It's good to see that some vegetation is starting to grow back.

New Banner

2008-01-29T07:01:00.000-08:00

I want to thank my friend, Keith Jackson, for creating the new banner you see on the top of my blog. It looks awesome and I'm already getting positive feedback on the new look.
You can view Keith's blog, Wide is the Way of the World, by clicking on the link on the right side of my page.

I'm still playing around with the look of my blog, so don't be surprised if it looks different the next time you view it.

Movie Saturday

2008-01-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

We went to see Michael Clayton this weekend. It has returned to theaters after its initial run due to the fact that it has received some nominations and awards.

I thought it was a good legal thriller with some unexpected moments. It was a good story with a great ending. The only knock on it was that it was a little too long. It came in at 2 hours, and at times it seemed like it dragged a bit.

Rainy Days

2008-01-28T07:01:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture CJ took of the low hanging clouds on Sunday. This is what it looked like pretty much all last week due to the relentless rains we received. We were lucky we got a break in the action to take this picture outside the apartment. I think it started raining as soon as we went back inside though!

Digital

2008-01-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

The wait is over. Finally! This weekend we had our new Directv Satellite dish installed so that we can receive HD quality television. Since we had a DVR before, we naturally had to go with the HD DVR to record our new digital quality programs. Everything is working great, and TV shows look awesome in HD.

The only thing I didn't realize, when switching to HD, is how HUGE this new dish is. Our old one was pretty small and unassuming. As you can see in the picture, this one barely fits below the balcony above. I hope it's not too much of an eyesore in the neighborhood!

Tornado Thursday

2008-01-25T17:30:00.000-08:00

Some of you outside of California might have heard that it has been raining here for the past week. It is a good thing, because we badly need the precipitation. So, last night I was watching television, and all of the sudden I see a weather alert scroll across the bottom of the screen. Okay, I'm thinking, "Probably a mudslide or flooded area". No, it was freaking Tornado Warning! What? A tornado in California??? I've never heard of such a thing! Apparently, it does happen, but rarely! Luckily, nothing developed and no property or people were hurt. What's next, a hurricane?

"Trekking" Across The Country

2008-01-22T17:31:00.000-08:00

I like Star Trek, but I wouldn't consider myself a Trekkie. I was online and I came across "Star Trek The Tour" that will be traveling across the country to 40 cities. The cool thing is that it starts up in Long Beach, which isn't too far away from me. It is an interactive tour with exhibits and attractions on all the incarnations of Star Trek through the years.

It looks pretty cool. Now I have to find someone to go with me.

Rainy Day Off

2008-01-22T17:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a day off of work for me and CJ because of MLK Day! We decided to do something we hardly ever do... go to downtown L.A. We never go because there isn't much we enjoy doing downtown. Most things we enjoy are outside of the city. We decided to take the subway (yes, L.A. has one) to meet our friend Alli for lunch. Unfortunately for her, her company had to work on MLK day. As you can see, CJ took his camera and snapped a few pictures while we were there. It was raining so he didn't get too many pictures.

Movie Sunday

2008-01-20T19:11:00.000-08:00

Cloverfield is a modern day monster movie. It was fun!
If you get motion sickness, don't go see this movie. It's shot like a home video, shakiness and all!