Artsy Weekendssssss

Here's the agenda, it's gonna be a fun week- come along!

PS, don't forget to stop by Ben and Jerry's today for Free Cone Day! Here's a link of stores that will be participating in California.

Wednesday- Weekend starts early. Time to spill blood.


Thursday- Oakland Haters UNITE!


Friday- in Westminster, 6-10p


Saturday- in Los Angeles, 8-11p


And on the seventh day, I rest.

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

Well, to be honest not much.

I had a birthday a little over a week ago, and less than 24 hours later I had to put my pup to sleep. You're not really in "blogger mood" when you have such a swing from both sides of the spectrum, so I felt I needed a few days off from publishing posts. Now that the pictures have started to overflow, I'm forced to throw them all in this smorgasbord of a blog. Enjoy. :)

-Had to make a pit stop here. Don't ask why.


-This was on Wednesday when I caught my buddy Nick's game at the Anaheim Hockey Club of Corona, which is the official in-line partner to the Anaheim Ducks of Anaheim, who play across the street from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, whose aforementioned hockey team attracts Killer West Nile Mosquitoes of California.


-On Friday evening, I tried to make a conscious effort into taking as many pictures as I could of Jewish temples. Here is the first.


-During the search, I fell into the dreamy-eyed trap that is Patrick Dempsey. It's scary to think how many accidents McDreamy has caused; for goodness sakes look at how perfectly blown his hair is! In conjunction with those eyes, it's literally an assault weapon. (ps, extra kudos if you know what movie that link is from)


-Walking around LA makes you hungry, so I stop by my favorite diner Swingers and grab some vegan nachos.


-Nat, Jen with one n, and Amelia get caught in a freak wind tunnel, twister type thing while they were on their way to feed their young.


-Am I ever going to find another JT? Wait- what's that? Oh my God! YES! MAZEL TOV!


And after an excruciating four hours in dead stop traffic (part one on the 101, the sequel on the 5), I finally arrive home at 4:30am. And by excruciating I mean head banging. And by dead stop I mean dance party.

If you're not sure what the last two sentences mean, feel free to ask Bryan. Or Zoot Suit. Or JWON. Or Amelia. Or Nails.

Stay tuned for part two, where a Catholic chapel is only steps away from carne asada and grasshoppers!

I Know, I Know...

I haven't blogged in awhile. I've been taking some heat for it, but c'mon guys I've been busy.

I've been steamrolling pavement to make way for a new town!


But don't worry! I'll be back with a super-ultra week-long re-cap blog on Monday (or early Monday morning for you fellow insomniacs).

In the meantime, enjoy the following.

Why I Love This Man

And probably my favorite (not sure if I've posted this on here before, while he was with the Twins.

Let's Celebrate Earth Day

OK guys, this is an important day for all of us, and it's easy to play. Today, as some of you may know, is Earth Day where we celebrate our awareness for a healthy and sustainable environment. We all love clean air, clean streets, and clean water right? Good. 'Cause I do too, and we weren't seeing eye to eye we'd have a problem.

Here's a few things I've found that you can do, and in most cases it'll take as long as your favorite Hot Pocket to get cooked.

-Have you ever heard of your Carbon Footprint? Go to this website here to figure what it's all about, and how you can offset your emissions.

-If you've got a PC, you can download this cool Google Energy Saver Gadget that helps you save energy by minimizing your PC's power consumption when it's not actively in use.

-Walk, if possible, to a destination that you'd normally drive to. And say hello to fellow walkers with a smile, we like that.

-If walking is out of the question, dust off that old bike or skateboard. I'm sure they miss you anyway. Low-impact transportation, this is key!

-Encourage your co-workers to use mugs instead of disposable cups.

-Convert your home light bulbs to CFL's (compact fluorescent light). They actually last longer than the standard incandescent bulb. You'll end up saving CO2 release, and money to boot!

-Turn off those lights you don't need, and give those 24/7 computers a break also. Unplugging those cell phone charges make a difference, too!

-Use recycled products. In a lot of cases they look and feel cooler than the original.

-Use reusable shopping bags when you go shopping.

Those are just a few things we can do together to help make our world a more enjoyable one, for us and our future.

More Than Words

It's only been a few hours, but I'm pretty certain that this ranks up there with one of the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life.

Last evening I had to put my dog, my best friend, Bruce to sleep.

I'm not really sure why I'm even writing this, but I know that I find solace when I type or drive, but being that the latter is now four bucks a gallon, I think I'll just find some peace here.

It's pretty hard to believe he's gone. They say detachment is a way of coping, and I'm trying my best with that right now. As soon as we got home from the hospital (which by the way, I definitely recommend the Yorba Regional Animal Hospital), I made a point to throw away his dish, food, toys, and anything else I could find that reminded me of him, and doing so was just as tough as finally letting go and saying goodbye. I know that just when I think I've recovered, I'll be empty again knowing that I've finally gotten to that point. I really don't know how to explain this grief; it's really bizarre. It's also a day after my birthday. Rollercoaster for sure.

I was 8 years old when I came home and saw a puppy sleeping underneath the dinner table. Over the years it would be his favorite spot to be when we ate (Bruce always like being around people), that is, until he got too big. Then it was off to jumping over barriers, running all around the neighborhood, digging holes in the backyard, and fighting would-be robbers. It still seems like yesterday that I would take naps with him. Needless to say he was the epitome of what a dog should be, and never once got fleas, either.

I'm 23 now, and I thought I would be ready for this day- I'm not. Although he came up about a month short of his 15th birthday, I cherish every single moment that came with my Shar-Pei/St. Bernard mix. I'm sure some of you have had my sentiment also with pets of your own. Bear with me, this is my first time. I still think I hear him barking.

It's eerily quiet in my house, and it's driving me crazy. I don't know what else to say.

I will miss those eyes that knew me so well. I love you buddy. You were everything.


Bruce
06.06.93-04.20.08

04.28.08

A date that will forever live in infamy. Tune in on said date.

Wait. Did I Leave The Stove On?

OH MY GOD. I DID.

A Boo Yah

Today.

Angels vs. Royals 4/17 NIGHT TWO

After last night's awful loss to the perennially lowly KC Royals, I was looking for a win tonight- anything less would have resulted in a dark room, depressing songs, and ice cream. Have I told you that whenever the Angels lose I can't even watch ESPN? I dread seeing highlights (lowlights) of a lost game; it even gets to the point where if it's horrible enough I'll feel sick to my stomach.

So here's how today started.

Visited Bryan at his apartment to check up on the big guy. How are you feeling today B?



Saw this on the way over. "He totally put that on voluntarily," I argue.



Great seats tonight. It doesn't get as cold when you're underneath the overhang for once.



If only we could sign a Gatherer. What a tag team that could be. Or better yet, he should name his next child Gatherer.


Oh, poor Vladdy. Whad da madder wid da biggg baaaayyybeee? Somethin wrong wid yo itty bitty hand? Id dat why you on da bench? Waaaaaaaaah.


With the Good Guys leading 5-2, Angel Stadium starts to blare Reggaeton rap music, which could only mean one thing...

"Hi, my name is Frankie, and I intentionally make games close and cause near fatal heart attacks."



Ok. So far so good. One out. Shoot, Frankie gives up a walk. Then a double, and said walk scores. 5-3, but now another Royal reaches and there are two on, with the go-ahead run coming to the plate.



Immediately following the scored run, I get a text message.



I can't tell you how many times I've grabbed for my chest when Frankie comes out to "close" the game. If anything he dangles an open wound over shark infested waters. Oh, and what do you know. The bases are loaded.

Death looms. I feel the hairs on my neck rise...

Wait. What's this? Frankie regains composure and strikes out the batter to end the game? Doctor! There is a pulse, it's...it's a miracle!



Mathis- "Dude, why do you always do that. We lost another three people today. At this rate-"
Frankie-"I know, I know. It'll look like '97."


Santana- "Oye Vladdy, who are you voting for president?
Vlad- "Sí."

Frankie- [beatboxing]

I visit this after every game to remind me of better days, and have taken the liberty of naming her Debra. I talk to her, let her know my frustrations- you know, regular stuff.


Saw this as I was exiting the stadium. Hey Andy, write that number down!


Well in that case...



Quotes of the night. ~via the gas station

Guy: "Hey man, I'm not from here and I'm trying to get to San Diego. How far is it from here if I've got an empty tank?."
Clerk: "Oh, give or take five bucks man."
Guy: "Awesome! Then let me get some extra Funyuns."
Clerk: "Gotta have Funyuns man. Five bucks, and Funyans. Yeah man. Yeah."

Angels vs. Royals 4/16

We lost last night, but hey at least I got a pretty sweet blanket. We'll try again later tonight to split the short set. Anyone else going? Find me in Sec. 211.

Couple observations from yesternight's game.

Never noticed that they sealed up the gap from the wall to the rocks/batting eye. Perhaps they're going to build a pool, a la Arizona Diamondbacks?


If you go to The Big A a lot, you'll know that some magical time after the third or fourth inning, a self-appointed "Halo Troop" parades around the upper concourse. Usually they have a caravan, but last night Halo Trooper "1" was working solo. With her Heavyweight Champion of the World belt.


Here's what I had to deal with all night.



People, if you're going to get hammered, at least save yourself the embarassment and stay to yourself- and sit down for goodness sakes if you're at a ballgame! And did you see the way she was enunciating her words? Ugh. Yuck.

Let's leave with the quote of the night, from our aforementioned drunk friend-

"Hehhy guys I'm soooooooo sohhrry we cahhhnt plehhhay berr pong aaaht my haaaaouse tonaggght. My maahm is saaaahhch a mehhhgahh betch."

If I Had a Clubhouse

This would be posted on the door.



Why wasn't this around when I was 7?

Well, You've Got Two Days To Live, But At Least You've Got an Awesome Beard

Yesterday was supposed to be just another lovely and warm day in California. It ended up being an exhausted and Vicodin prescribed one. Let's recap..

6:15 Hungry. Everyone decides for a trip down to the Thai Star.



Anthony picking his meal.


That door to the left with the gloryhole on it? Yeah, we tricked Ashleigh that the restrooms were in there. Sucker.


She was so embarrassed she wouldn't let her picture be taken.


Curry or noodles? Noodles or curry? Let's go with both.



6:26 Awesome! They even have the game one!

Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal time! Yee-haw!




6:49 In a somewhat ominous move, I grab Bryan's shoulder and dig into the socket as Garret Anderson drops a routine fly ball. He hunches over and winces. Little did we know..

Anthony shows me the greatest business card ever. Found it in a donut shop. Cool.


7:45 Drop them off at Bryan's car to head over to the Subhumans show. After 20 min of coercing, they convince Ashleigh and Alena that going to the show tonight probably wouldn't be the best idea. This would pay off later.

10:18 Ugh. Ducks lose. Angels lose. I want to get out of the house, so I round 'em all up and drive to the gas station for some refreshments.

10:38 Pass by Showcase and see a bunch of coppers sitting some punkers down on a curb. Are our friends in the mix? A text goes out but is unanswered. Hmm. Maybe.

10:55 Decide to head to Riverside to get some old fashioned heebie jeebie scares out of the Arlington Cemetary. Not exactly what I thought I'd be doing on a Saturday night, but hey it beats doing this.

11:04 Get the call from Tony.

"Dude we're in the hospital."
"Are you guys at Regional?"
"No. We're actually at Kaiser."
"Whoa! I'm passing Park Sierra right now. Be there in two."

In a twist of fate, the Brotherhood Beacon of Intuition kicked in and subconsciously I knew that we needed to be in Riverside, just as I had been asking myself why we were there in the first place. I could be sleeping. I could be checking my fantasy baseball team. Coincidentally I received the call as I was driving past the hospital.

Apparently it hurt so bad he had to be wheeled in.


After hitting on the examining nurse, things were looking on the up. Hey man, how you feeling?


Jen, with one N, is obviously very worried...


...until she remembers that on April 29th, Ben & Jerry's is having Free Cone Day!


12:38 Quote of the night.

"Deeed heee get drunnnk?"
-Random girl holding a child (see pic below) asking me what was wrong with him. Apparently she thought that since he was white, in a wheelchair, and had a grisly beard that the reason he was being admitted so late at night in urgent care was because of intoxication.

The whole night the girls weird older brother kept fiddling in his chair and giving really rude and nasty looks at women walking down the hallways. We figure he works at Verizon.


1:56 Whew. Finally he's out. Nothing broken- just a major contusion in his shoulder and concussion like symptoms. The verdict? Three days off, at least. Oh, and a prescription to Vicodin.

As Bryan finally came out of the doctor's exam room, we noticed a Latino version of Abraham Lincoln.


So I'm sure you're wondering what happened in the first place. Well, according to witnesses, some crazy Nazi dude with boots jumped off the balcony and landed on our bearded friend. Not only did he lose consciousness, but he couldn't remember where he was, why he was there, where his car keys and wallet were, and where he parked his car. Those of you who know Bryan are aware that only in serious situations would he ask to be taken to the hospital, and in this case he wisely did.

Two trips to the hospital in less than four days is pretty impressive, but definitely not something we want to get used to.

Send your well wishes over to the Bry-Guy, he's gonna have a few days off doing nothing but sipping soup out of a straw and watching bad afternoon television. In lieu of flowers, donate to The Mason Jar Fund for Enlightenment.

Circa 1981

I had a reeeeeeeeally big problem back then.