Recently in Family Category

Family Wedding
Originally uploaded by Club Josh.

Another recent event was the wedding of one of my second cousins. I actually had a great time getting in touch with some close and not so close relatives. The best part was being introduced as the commander of the 12th largest submarine fleet.

This weekend I am in Phoenix for a quick gathering of the family and I almost didn't make it. I knew I should have had my act together and got an earlier start on my trip. I left Friday afternoon around 2:15pm - about an hour or two after what I wanted to leave. The plan was to be ready to go from work and then get on the road. I was really tired and wanted to relax a bit before I took off so hence the delay. I also was a bit worried since I went to see David Lynch's Inland Empire on Thursday night with Daniel and Tara. The movie was three very involved and demanding hours. After the movie I was completely drained and to boot I had to get up in the morning to go to work.

So after much delay, I was finally on my way. Two hours later I had only traveled 56 miles and was in Riverside. I was so tired and miserable I wanted to just go find someplace to take a nap. I pressed on and when I passed the 215 split It was wide open. I drove through Palm Springs and was thinking of making a quick stop to pee and get something to drink, but I was waiting for the last exit before going up the Chiriaco summit. At the last minute, I decided to press on and see if I could make it to Blythe or at least the top of the summit or Desert Center.

About 5 to 10 minutes into my ascent, all traffic suddenly started to slow down to a crawl and then finally came to a complete stop. People started to get out of their cars and just up the road I began to see glowing lights on the side of the hills and then flames began to shoot up in the sky. In a brief moment I considered what I would grab if I had to make a run for it. I discovered my flashlight was dead and even worse - my accessory outlet had shorted out and there was no way for me to re-charge my cell phone in case I needed to call for help. I left my car and scrambled up the side of the freeway to see if I could get a better view and more importantly get a cell phone signal so I could call my mom and let her know that I was delayed.

We stayed put for 35 minutes as first a fire truck and then a tow truck went up the shoulder of the freeway to get to the scene of the accident. When I was on the top of the berm, I could see the traffic backed up all the way to Indio on the freeway. If only I had stopped to pee, then I would have just stayed there until the freeway re-opened. Once they got a lane open, I passed the scene of the accident and it looked like 3 cars had collided and 1 had burst into flames. For the next hour I really was spooked - just a bit of timing here and there and it could have been me.

Luckily, I made it to Phoenix in 7h34m. I figured that if I hadn't been stuck on the freeway and in traffic, I would have made it in just under 6 hours. The first part of the trip really made me want to fly, but when I got into the open road, I remember why I like to just get on the road and go. I get nice quality me-time and its almost like a mini-vacation.

Today was spent picking up a my remaining Christmas presents as well as surprising my grandma with a new larger TV that she can actually watch without her glasses or her hearing aid. We paraded around her senior apartment complex singing carols until we arrived at her apartment. Boy was she surprised! Tomorrow we are having a family dinner since I have to go home tomorrow night and be back at the park on Monday morning.

For the first time since the 50th Anniversary Spectacular started in May 2005, we finally have an off-season at the park. I never thought I would make it since it seemed that the people just kept coming and coming. Actually, this past summer was nice - I think because it was a normal summer. I look back on the first few summers I spent in Fantasyland thinking how busy it was, I had no idea what busy really was.

For the first time in my Disney career I do not have to worry about hours in the slow months of September and October. Being a lead and also working on the project I am pretty much set for hours. I am eagerly awaiting going full time to the project. I think my replacements are ready to take over and sometimes I just feel like I am in the way and they should be given the reins. I am there to help and guide them, but I think its time for them to soar. Then again, maybe I am just impatient and want to dive into the next thing.

One thing I would like to do sometime at Disney is their new Adventures by Disney program. It seems to be the perfect fit for what I decided five years ago when I left Edmunds - be a tour guide. I have commitments for the next year and if things go well I could be on my way to bigger and better things. I just hope when the time is right for me they are still around.

In the meantime things are slow at home as well. I did some baby viewing over the weekend in San Diego with Isabella, Sarah, and Ray. Dad and Dianne took great delight in taking photos of me holding the baby. I didn't hold Kameron until he was 3 months old and it was a big difference holding a 2-week-old baby. It was also funny that Granny and Dianne were naturals with the child, having been through many themselves.

Hard to believe that one year ago I was in Hong Kong! David is there now and I hope he is enjoying the squid and the heat.

My sister had her baby in the wee hours this morning. That makes niece #3! She was delivered via C-Section, which I can tell you, I NEVER want to witness.

Mom and Gary were in town this weekend and we had a great time driving around the sights of LA. We ventured up to San Gabriel Canyon where my great-grandparents had a cabin when my mom was a kid. When I first moved to LA, we went up there in my Xterra and we found the cabin. Two years later it burned in the big Williams fire. We wanted to go back and see what the area looks like now, but the road was closed down by the OHV area. Seems there was some storm damage a few years ago and it has never been fixed.

We spent the rest of the day driving around Hollywood, Pasadena, and Beverly Hills. We even attempted to drive by Charo's house, but I forgot what the address was. When I got home I looked it up and realized we actually passed it and didn't realize it.

It was good to spend some time with them out on the road. It was a bit like being back in Victoria, Australia driving around Melbourne or out to the Penguin Parade. I joked with them that I have spent more time with them in hotels this year than at either of our houses.

For the first time in at least 5 years, I have returned to Sacramento. It was a melancholy experience. I was coming to the area to attend the internment service for my grandfather's ashes as well as a reception for all of my grandparent's friends from Paradise. But on the other hand, I was excited to see my old stomping grounds and some of my friends from Davis.

I arrived in Sacramento last night and the first thing that struck me was the new parking structure outside Terminal A. When I was living here, Terminal A had just open and there was a huge surface lot that you could usually park near the front and then get on a plane without any trouble. Driving to my hotel, I also saw how much the area around Natomas had sprung up with homes.

This morning, I got up early to meet my old boss and friend Reed for breakfast. After a quick bite to eat it was off to UC Davis to see my old co-workers and to see various new buildings and items of interest on campus. I had a great time seeing the gang again. It made me think back to those years working on the map book and all the other projects around campus. I also thought about how I was coming full circle at Disneyland since I am working in a capacity on a construction project. At that moment I really missed life in Davis - how you could drive out of town in 5 minutes and be in the middle of fields. Driving around with Reed I was also amazed at all the new developments on campus. It was nice to see that today's UCD students get so much more than what I got when I was there, but it still retained a lot of its charm.

We stopped into the bookstore on campus to see if there were any souvenirs that I might take home, but I opted to pass them up. It was time to say goodbye as I was off to the airport to pick up a family friend to head up to Paradise. We chatted all the way up and it didn't really seem like an almost 2 hour drive.

Arriving in Paradise, we had just a short time before we headed up to the cemetery for the internment ceremony. It has been 2 months since he passed away, but it was nice to see him finally be put to rest in one of his favorite places. They put his ashes into a marble wall made up of little alcoves that are covered up and sealed. We had a small service that I thought was perfect, despite the 100+ degree heat. After all was said and he was sealed up in the wall, I said my final goodbyes. Tomorrow we have a reception with 40-50 people in a park where we will all gather and toast him one final time.

Afterwards, we chilled in the hotel lounge and then had a fine Mexican dinner at one of my grandparent's favorite places in Paradise. Dessert was Foster Freeze and after some more chatting in the lobby it was finally time to go to bed.

After tomorrow's remembrance, I will head back to Sacramento to see another one of my friends who I haven't seen in over 2 years - Matt. I am not sure if I am going to go down the hill tomorrow night or if I will just stay the night and then return on Sunday. I have decided that I will try and stop by all my old houses (4 in Davis, 1 in Chico) and take some photos since I don't have any. By the time I go back to So Cal on Sunday, I will be pooped!

Quite the social weekend for me as my brother and most of his family were in town. I met up with them and my dad, step-mom, aunt, and grandma and headed down to San Diego to visit my sister and brother-in-law. She's very pregnant expecting a bundle of joy sometime in August. We decided to head down there via Amtrak - that's right sometimes in Southern California we do take the train!

The trip down was fairly pleasant with the highlight being some hijinks that granny caused in the bathroom. Without going into details, let's just say we pretty much laughed the whole way down. We arrived at the terminal in San Diego where Ray met us with his Church Van. This thing holds 11 people + comfortably. We were chauffeured down to Little Italy where we attempted to eat at a highly recommended eatery, only to bail after it was discovered they were closing in 15 minutes and the only place to eat was out back on the patio in the sun with no breeze. Ray managed to score some extra cash by giving some people a lift who were a bit too drunk to make it back to where they needed to go and then returned to pick us up. We decided to head closer to their house and finally settled on another Italian restaurant in San Marcos. The verdict was that the pizza was very good, but the pasta and salads left something to be desired. We then headed over to Sarah and Ray's to chill out for an hour or so before we headed back to catch the train in Oceanside for our trip home.

When we returned to the Fullerton station, Dad and associates headed back home while my brother and family expressed a desire to walk around work, so off we went. We arrived right as the fireworks started and managed to quickly make it over to ride the re-vamped Pirates ride. It was OK, but I didn't think it was all that special. I also took them on Mansion to check out the attic update and then it was over to Space and Buzz for the usual Tomorrowland fix. By then I had to leave (it was 11:45 anyways) because I had to work early in the morning.

The next day, my brother and family came down again to check out the Company discount store where they picked up some souvenirs and gifts at great prices. I snagged a new lanyard (just what I need) of Mickey in his Hardhat since I thought it would go well with the work I am doing nowadays on the project.

Today the whole gang (Dad, Dianne, Ryan, Kevin and fam) headed out to the Home Depot Center to watch the LA Galaxy face the NY Red Bulls. I thought the Red Bulls was a fake team like the Washington Generals were to the Harlem Globetrotters, but alas they are a real team which the Galaxy beat. Ryan is a soccer nut and an accomplished player and told me that the players were not very good and put up with me asking dumb questions about the action. I think the World Cup is way more interesting to watch than MLS. The crowd was pretty sparse, but managed to get pretty loud when the Galaxy scored towards the end of the game. After, we were treated to a fireworks show (definitely not a Fireworks Spectacular that I am used too). Overall, it was a fun night out and I am glad that my schedule at work finally allows me to hang out with the family more.

Now it’s off to Glendale tomorrow for a big meeting. I am excited I get to tour the friendly confines of WDI!

I have got part of the new server up and running, and am probably a full day of work away from completely moving the site. However, personal issues have cropped up and everything is on hold.

My grandfather, William Holgate, 79 passed away on Tuesday morning so I am in Phoenix helping mom and my grandma get everything organized and done. It was wierd going to his assisted living home and packing up his things, but he had been suffering from an aggressive form of Parkinson's (sans tremors) but it basically had taken his body away and left his mind sharp. I know he was frustrated in the last year as things progressively got worse, so in a way I am glad his suffering is over and he can join his parents and other friends wherever he ended up. Maybe we can get Derek Acorah and the Most Haunted team here to see if he has any messages for the rest of us.

At any rate, I am hoping by the end of next week to get everything squared away and resume operation of the site.

Thanks to everyone for their kind words and support.

All in all it was a pretty nice day. Loads of relatives showed up at Casa Mama to partake, even my grandparents who unfortunately have to rely on the Red Van to get around. I of course was not exactly thrilled to have to suffer through a holiday with the beast on my eye. I think Thursday was its worst appearance yet - partially because I was tired from getting up before dawn to catch the plane to Phoenix. Luckily throughout the day it improved.

In my eye and sleep induced fervor, I forgot my camera so I never got to take any pictures. We did have a great meal with Turkey, ham and roast Beef plus all the usual sides. Gary even made three pies as well as a chocolate cake. After dinner as the numbers started to dwindle, we played "Scene-It" and Trivial Pursuit. Needless to say I was on the winning side on both. I particularly angered the opposing team for Scene-It since I missed out on a few rounds and really only participated in the final challenge which I nailed all three questions. TP finished closer that it really was since Mom and I dominated with help from Chantal and sometimes Kameron.

I usually get up for Black Friday, but the only thing that looked appealing was a Flash drive, but I didn't feel like braving the crowds. Daniel told me of his experience trying to get Leslie a laptop at Wal Mart. Sounds horrific, but hey at least she got one!

Friday was spent relaxing. The beast finally started to relinquish some fluids, and was markedly improved. I still didn't like the thought of traveling with it since I am sure the people on the plane were wondering what kind of freak I was. Today, the beast had shrunk a little more, and I've decided to take it easy around the house. I’m hoping to work on some anti-clutter projects around the house.

One of my many tasks when I work at My Dad's is to go to Smart and Final to pick up supplies for the shop and his household. One of the regular items to pick up is dog food for the famous guard dog at work. The dog is uber picky about food so I make sure to get her the chopped beef rather than the chunky beef. Apparently the dog likes her food as unrecognizable as I do.

So I went up to grab two packages - no worries. Around the next two I noticed a peculiar smell and to boot I could see something moving. I shuddered at the realization that one of the cans of dog food had ruptured and had been sitting on the back shelf of the Smart and Final (that's the one in Huntington Park off of Alameda) for a few days/weeks and had rotted to the point that there were maggots crawling all over the spoiled food. I nearly lost my lunch (thank goodness I didn't have the usual morning prefab off the lunch truck!) I decided to skip dog food this time and continued about my shopping.

I couldn't shake that smell. It seemed to be on my hands and my clothes and inside my nose for good. Thankfully, when I got back to the shop the Sulfur Dioxide killed the odor in my nose and a thorough hand washing got the stank outta my hands. I think I will have to burn my shirt though.

Last night I was on my way home from the annual family birthday gala for me and Amanda. All had a great time though I really should have taken some cheese bread home. Highlight: As we were getting ready to leave, my aunt found a slice of cheese bread in her purse. No one knows how it got there other than some hyena like ravaging of the basket of bread when it was delivered.

So I am driving home in a huge lightning storm over OC. There are bolts everywhere and I distinctly remember as I was getting closer and closer to my apartment that I could feel the static electricity in the atmosphere. It got so bad I could feel the hair on my arms standing up. There were a couple "Holy Crap" moments as I kept eyeballing the lights and trees to make sure I had some cover. As I approached my street I saw the police were out with flares. At first I thought it was just another accident with a lame-o OC driver who doesn't know how to drive when it starts to rain.

It was then I noticed that all the streetlights and stoplights were out. At first I was wondering how I was going to get into the electric gate at home, but it most have a blackout override since it was wide open. Sure enough, my apartment was blacked out. I rummaged around for my mini-Maglite I use for work and then went to get the votive candle lantern I keep in the bathroom for emergencies (usually the olfactory ones, but for blackouts too..honest). It was then I realized that I am woefully unprepared for an extended blackout or loss of service. Sure my laptop had power, but there was no Internet (gasp!) Worse yet, I realized I didn't have any extra batteries. So tomorrow after work I am going to get some batteries for the big Maglite, a large bag of votive candles, and a battery powered travel alarm - just in case I need to get up for work with no power.

Thankfully before looting started, the power came back on after an hour and I went back into normal mode. One thing I like about blackouts - the lack of ambient electronic noise. Ahhh reminds me of Snoqualmie.

Today I am in Phoenix for a quick side trip. My niece graduated from high school, and the California delegation of my dad, sister and I decided to drop in and lend our support.

We departed So Cal at 9am and decided to make a quick side trip down to Glamis to visit the old family stomping grounds. None of us have been there in at least 15 years and it was amazing to see what had changed and what had actually stayed the same. We decided to head down the ol' Ted Kipff road to the train crossing and see if we could find our campsite of many moons. After stopping in one spot and reminiscing about how it all looked the same, we realized that maybe it wasn't the spot. So further down the road we went until we actually found the old train crossing and campsite. It became our in-joke - every time we saw a wash and a berm we'd say "I remember going over there it’s so neat to see it again".

Along our way back down the old road towards the Glamis store, we had a Dukes of Hazzard moment. Amanda was telling Dad we should go off roading in the Tahoe. So Dad veered off the hard road, and didn't realize he was heading towards some ruts. Next thing I know, he is flying in the air out of his seat and we are all bouncing up and down like crazy. Dad was worse for the wear since he is prone to not wearing a seat belt, but after all was done and we came to a stop, we were all busting up laughing. Dad was a little sore, but then we all kept giggling about flashbacks every time there was a bump.

Eight hours later we ended up in Phoenix and checked into the hotel. It was 107 outside and we all faced the prospect of going to a high school graduation in a football stadium at dusk in the heat. We then made it to the stadium and it was darn hot. Also, my niece’s graduating class was 770 students! Amazingly, we only spent just under two hours out in the heat - thankfully we were well watered and not in direct sunlight.

We had a nice reception at my brother's house with some food made by a professional chef. The food was yummy as well as the desserts. But we were all pooped after the adventure. Amanda and Dad headed for the hotel, and I was off to Mom's to spend the night. Tomorrow it is back to So Cal in the AM and then a nice relaxing evening at home.

It has been one long rough week. After having so much fun with Nathan on Wednesday of last week, it was tough getting back to the grind. The following Friday, a similar venture out with different people didn't go quite so well - but hey, no one got arrested so it wasn't all that bad. During the past weekend I had my last two shifts on the west side before diving into the new Buzz ride 5 days a week. This first week totally kicked my behind. I am so used to sleeping in from being a night lead most of the time that 6am-5pm shifts really wore me out. Add to that the holiday crowds as well as the fact I needed to get some shopping done, I was totally frazzled.

I did manage to get all of my shopping done yesterday. I still think that I needed to get more, but I was so worn out, I was proud that I got as much done as I did - thank goodness for the Team Center and the World of Disney!!

Yesterday (Friday), I drove out to Arizona to see my family for a quick three-day celebration. It is nice because my maternal grandparents are in town as well. I haven't seen them as often as I should since they live up in Nor Cal, so it is nice to see them whenever I can. Also a plus, Jason was driving back to AZ from LA and we caravaned across the desert. It made the drive nice and focused. Oh, and let's not forget that terrible smell at the Flying J bathrooms on the CA/AZ border. On second thought, I really, really want to forget that smell! Can I also say how much I love my iPod? Whether it be flying to Japan or driving to Arizona, it is so wonderful to have most of my music ready to access. Now I just need to get the rest of my collection on there.

Mom gave me the complete story on what is going on with my grandparents. I knew things are not as they had hoped to be, but in it all there was some good news and some bad news. I hope things get better. More later as I get a chance to rest and ponder cosmic thoughts.

Hope you all have a great Holiday!

Well I am in Arizona at Mom and Gary's for the annual indulgence of food and shopping. This time, I decided to fly out of Ontario. Man, flying to Phoenix from the Inland Empire just isn't worth it. It started out around 3pm when I was finishing up packing. I was lucky to be ER'ed today so I could get a jump on the traffic. When all was ready, I was on the road at 3:30. Traffic was its usual nastiness on the 57 (not nearly as bad as last Friday when I attempted to make it up to Dad's for dinner). My plane was at 7:30, but I didn't want to take any chances with traffic. I ended up arriving at the airport around 5:15 and discovered that the plane was actually late. So I had some time to kill in the airport. I thought since I was so early, I would be able to get into loading group A on Southwest.

Turns out that Southwest (and other airlines) allows you to get your boarding pass from home on the same day of travel. So all of these people show up at the last minute with their A passes and I am stuck with a B even though I had been there way ahead of time. Lesson learned: When I go home on Saturday, I will print my pass out just after midnight.

We ended up leaving around 7:50 and arriving at Phoenix at 10:00 local time. By the time I made it back to Mom's it was already after 22. I am pretty sure if I would have driven here, I would have made it in less time. Then again, I would have been exhausted and still have to drive home on Saturday. I do think that when I come out for Christmas I will drive - that way I don't have to worry about flying with presents or listening to some Valley Girl flirt with the bad boy next to her. Thank goodness it was a short flight!

Tomorrow it is off to Tucson. We are all heading down to Kevin's in-laws for the day meal and then coming back home for a night meal. My friend Jason is coming over which will be cool since now that he lives here we hang out even less than before. I'm also hoping we get to go out on Friday night after I get some bargain hunting done in the morning. Not sure that I am looking for anything - maybe some good DVD deals or perhaps a new laptop? You never know!

I need to post something on Spongebob Squarepants - perhaps later.

Charo is on season 3 of the Surreal Life on VH-1. I have never seen the show, but I had to watch the premiere episode. It actually was pretty funny. Looks like Brigitte and Flava Flav are getting most of the air time, but Charo still holds her own. It will be interesting to see how it progresses over the next few weeks. You can watch the new episodes Sundays at 10pm (9 central).

Been busy busy wrapping up the website for Haim. Not much else going on. I did help my Dad get a new SUV to replace his Navigator. It is quite the ride. It actually costs less than a Lincoln Navigator and a fully loaded BMW X5! It is actually very similar to the VW Toureag, but much more luxurious. When I got to drive it home from the dealer (downtown LA to the suburbs) I was getting looks from everyone. I think I need to borrow it next time I go out on the town.

I have earned a reputation among the relatives as the negotiator. Whenever they want to buy a car, I get a phone call asking me to come along and make sure that they get the best deal. This is the aftereffect of working at Edmunds as well as just knowing about cars.

I got Amanda into a Chevy Tahoe for $5000 off sticker plus incentives and her trade in for a total of $16,000 off sticker. I also managed to talk them down from 9% to 4.9% interest. Today I went with Timothy to get him a Toyota Matrix. I didn't get into full negotiator mode since he wanted a hard to find style and the dealer gave us a decent deal up front (less than 3% over invoice).

All in all, I have helped buy a total of at least 8 cars. I actually kind of enjoy it. Dad keeps telling me that I should be on the other side of the table or buying cars for people. I think I'll stick to Disney for now.

I finally finished Dome to Dome Twice. It took over 12 hours to render the DVD, so unless I find a major error, it is good to go. I think the menus and titles came out well and I can't wait to send it to the crew that was on the trip.

I am still working on some web sites with Haim, but have found myself against a wall creatively. It has been awhile since I have had to create something from the ground up on my own, but once I get going I think things will be OK.

Been another busy week with alternating shifts at work. The highlight was Wednesday's shift where I BBQ'ed for 8 hours to say thanks to the crew of the ride for their hard work. I managed to also BBQ my neck, and worse still, I was wearing a lanyard so I have a bright red neck with a nice white line in the middle of it. Thank goodness for Aloe Verde.

Kevin and the family are out for a dance competition where Chantal finished 3rd place overall - pretty impressive for her first time out. We all went to the park on Thursday and had fun. I went on Tower for times 17, 18, and 19. I still like the ride and Kevin, having not been to the Florida version, liked it as well.

Looks like Kevin will be taking the kitchen table back to Mom's house in his truck. This will free up some valuable space in the apartment and allow me to rearrange some stuff here and there. It also lets me remove a main source of paper clutter. I'm going to get a new shredder tonight so that I can just get rid of most of the stuff I have lying around.

Mark Twain on Sunday! I can't wait!

Once again, I have gotten a bug. I don't know if it is because of the site, but I usually don't get sick this often. I blame part of it on a whirlwind weekend and now its time for me to circle the wagons and chill at home for a few days to get myself back in shape.

Here are some tidbits from the weekend:

I really enjoyed Day After Tomorrow. I'll post a review of it shortly. It had all the elements of a good disaster movie.

Palm Springs was fun. The last time I was there with Roger in 2001 we only ventured to downtown PS and didn't make it to some of the other cities. Apparently all the expensive shops and such moved to Palm Desert because Mayor Sonny Bono wouldn't let new construction take place. As a result PS is more a Hodge podge of old 50's buildings - some with cool little boutiques, others just closed. On the flip side, Palm Desert was brimming with life and full of people and cool stores. I managed to pick up some sheets at Stein Mart - a rare find to get Standard (Eastern) King sheets in California.

Towards the end of the trip I was wiped out. I knew I was coming down with something so when I got home I relaxed and watched a movie with Jason (Star Trek 2 - continuing our series). Sunday I went to work and was weak and miserable the whole day. I was going to go home early, but Daniel needed my help with some documentation. We then headed over to Mandel's BBQ where we got to see his pricing game for The Price is Right which aired on Friday. Its a game called 1/2 OFF and was super neat and the contestant won. Apparently Bob introduced Mandel to the audience during the commercial break. and on his site has a cool photo of him with Bob. I was still low on energy so we bailed out a bit early and headed home. I collapsed on the couch and it was off to bed.

Yesterday I called into work so I could have my recovery time. I did manage to make it out to North Woods to see Kevin and Cathy who were out celebrating their 10th Anniversary. I didn't eat much, but I saved most of my dinner for today when I feel better.

So I'll be laying low the next few day.

Late Thursday night, I caught part of Beverly Hills Cop 2 on T.V. and discovered the first time I had seen the vaunted "super-glue brings out the fingerprints" trick way back in 1987 when I first saw the movie. It is hard to believe that the technique (introduced by Axel Foley to Taggert and Rosewood as something that hadn't trickled down to them yet) is still widely used on CSI.

Another CSI/Beverly Hills Cop connection? Paul Guilfoyle who portrays Captain Brass on CSI has a bit part as Nikos Thomopolis, the owner of the 365 Club in BHC 2.

Today Mom and Gary popped in for a quick stop. It was good to see them and gave me the opportunity to give them their souvenirs from Japan as well as Mom here Mom's Day gift.

Yesterday, I finally picked up my tickets to the Cast Member preview of the new Tower of Terror attraction that is set to open in May at DCA. It looks like the same group that went to the park in 2002 will be together again. Not sure how long Granny is going to last, but we will probably get her a wheelchair. Only Dianne, Amanda, and I are going on the actual ride, and for the rest of the day I am sure we will enjoy DCA since they have not been there except for a brief trip on Soarin'.

Oh, and I managed to post the Tokyo Disney Resort photos. No captions yet, and I am still organizing them, but for the most part they are all there. Still to come is my journal entries, the non-Disney Japan photos, and a new design for the Trip Diary section.

Man, I am still being bombarded with the latest worms and viruses. Today when I checked my email I had 30 messages - 20 of which were virus embedded. Oy!

Spent a great relaxing weekend with Mom and Gary. No agendas, no plans. I felt a bit guilty for sleeping in most of the time but it was worth it. It really felt good to just get away from it all and unwind. While I was there, we did a bit of shopping for the secret trip. I picked up a guide to the secret place from Lonely Planet. I really liked their French Polynesia guide from the 2001 trip, and so far I am happy with the current book.

The big score from the weekend was in the luggage department of Macy's. We were at the Scottsdale Mall wandering around and were looking in the different department stores to see if they had any deals on luggage. I need to replace my old set courtesy of Mom in her SkyMall days due to excessive wear and tear. We entered the mall through Macy's and gave it a cursory look. Nothing notable seemed to present itself. We made our way down to Robinson-May and noticed that they had a set of 4 variable size bags for $99. After some hemming and hawing, they convinced me to get it. While I was inspecting which set I wanted, the sales lady (who was already getting on Mom's last nerve) mentioned that a lot of people were having issues with the luggage and not getting good responses from the company. I agreed with Mom that the lady probably didn't want to deal with any return hassles.

So we ended up at Dillard's. I fell in love with this deep plum 26" rollaway from Skyway. It looked so elegant. I felt like I was going to be traveling in first class. Mom convinced me to keep looking (especially since there was a Dillard's closer to her house that we could get the bag from if indeed we didn't see anything else.) So we headed back for the car at Macy's empty handed. I decided to make a b-line for the luggage area. Mom told me to check the price on this one 30" bag that appeared to have five different prices on it. When I went over to the scanner, it registered "Regular $117 - On Sale $35". I checked the other price tag, "Regular $350 - On Sale $80". Mom told me that one way or another that bag was leaving with us. I told her there was no way they would sell it for $35. Mom replied, "Watch Me!" Off she went over to the counter and sure enough they sold it to her.

So now I get to borrow the steal of the century for the secret trip. When I got it back home I couldn't help but think how is this huge suitcase going to fit in that dinky hotel room. Somehow, I will manage!

The other big events for the weekend included the world premiere of Covina Chaos the DVD for Mom and Kevin. Both liked it. It's now time to start work on Dome to Dome Twice. One problem: I'm thinking about taking the laptop with me since I want to download the pics so that I can be sure to have enough space. I am toying with just picking up some CF cards while I am there if I need them (like buying more rolls of film). If I do take the laptop, then the hard drive I need to digitize Dome to Dome will have to stay external meaning that I will have to wait until I get back to start work on the DVD.

Decided to take advantage of an unexpected four day weekend and head off to see Mom and Gary in Phoenix. I was going to try and give them my table, but, alas it would not fit into the back of the CRV. This is the weekend that we normally have A-V Day, but it never materialized. And to think, the year I finally have a lot to be bitter about!! Wendy and Mice are coming down for the Leap Day, so hopefully Susie can make it as well and we can have an A-V/Leap Day party instead.

It has been awhile since I have driven to Phoenix, and certainly the first time I have done it alone. Should be an interesting six hours. I just need to step up and get going before the traffic gets bad!!!!

So far, my computer has been rendering the DVD for four hours. Me thinks I need either a) A faster computer or b) smaller movies to edit. It does remind me of making maps back at UC Davis. I noticed an error right after it started rendering. When I made maps, the first bit out of the ol' Calcomp would usually show some goofy error.

I did manage to fix my issues with the menus. It seems I just have to set up the extra 'return to main' buttons before I go through and create the text and links for the menus. I also figured out how to tweak the audio. The result: A very nice looking product (well at least on the computer - it remains to be seen what happens when I write the disc).

Of course since I have worked with the movie now for days and days, my desire to watch it has diminished greatly. I hope it goes over with the relatives 'cause I am now to close to the material. I also hope than now it has been rendered I can write more copies of the DVD easily and quickly, and not have to wait 5 hours per DVD. Hard Drive space is at a premium. It looks like its sucking the whole drive. I think I will have to take my external HD I bought for the digicam photos and put it inside the machine. Now that I have two 512MB Compact Flash cards, I don't think I will need to lug the laptop on vacations anymore. Also, if I run out of CF card space, I can always get one for pretty cheap on vacation. (Ok, not super cheap, but I managed to get a PC Card reader in Tahiti for cheap so CF cards can't be that much!).

In other news, I did some measuring in the apartment today, and it looks like I will be able to fit the old record player cabinet next to the computer desk. This will free up space for a new couch courtesy of the place behind Dad's work. Now I just need to make a quicky trip to AZ to drop off the table for Mom :).

Before work today, I have managed to edit the movie together and get the soundtrack working. Now I just need to master the art of DVD Menus. I am not entirely 100% happy with Pinnacle Studio 8.8. The instructions are pretty pathetic and I am having to scrounge the help files just to try and figure out how to create top level menus. I managed to create a menu for scene selection fairly easy, but I want to create a menu above that which will have the title of the move and a link to Play All and then Scene Selection. On other DVDs I make, I would also add a link to Bonus Features as well, but for this DVD I just want to get something basic going.

I was surprised how easy it is to edit audio and video clips in the program. However, unlike Sonic DVD, Pinnacle doesn't have a fade filter that you can use on clips that you shorten. (Actually, for all I know it is there, I just haven't found it.) Since I have tomorrow off, I suspect that I will try and actually create a DVD tomorrow from it.

One thing I have been thinking of is to try and remaster some old shorter home movie. Covina Chaos is only 40 minutes or so long, but it is mounting up to be a big chore. I should have probably started on Stonehenge or Mesoclimate Adventures first and then worked my way up. Somewhere in the back of my mind lurks Dome to Dome Twice. At over 2 hours, that one is going to be a BIG challenge! Maybe by A-V Day I'll have some DVDs to give out!

Well I have missed a few days updating. I think an entry a day is a pretty tall order, especially with work, and those days (like yesterday) when you come home from work and just go to bed. The good thing is that it re-engergizes me for my day off today.

I managed to make it over to Best Buy to pick up the Pinnacle AV/DV capture card for the computer. I then proceeded to capture Covina Chaos to the computer. Only 3GB of data was required. I am not sure how I like the video quality, but it is the first try so we will see. My first cut at the movie is using the Sonic MyDVD program which came with the DVD burner. next crack, I will try the Pinnacle Studio 8.8 program which came with the capture card. I think the Pinnacle one will allow me to create much better DVD menus as well as title sequences for the movie. I figure I will have redone this movie 3 or 4 times before I am ready to burn a DVD. I will also try and post some video on the site over the next week or so.

Other than that, not much exciting is happening this week. The off season is so nice, and even nicer when you are the working lead. It gives you a chance to catch up on paperwork as well as little projects around the attraction.

Been working like crazy out at the park this week. Its that heart warming time of year when 60,000 people a day come out to the park. In the middle of it all, celebrities have been dropping into the Many Adventures like an old 70's variety show. In the past week, Hugh Heffner and some bunnies, Cindy Crawford, and Melissa Joan Hart have all stopped by the ride. Heff was my personal favorite because the ride broke down while he was on it and yours truly was the lead at the time so I had to evacuate them. Highlight of the whole adventure? When I explained that you can see the outline of Pooh's head on his pillow near the end of the ride in the birthday party scene one playmate turned to me and said "Oohh, he's a dirty bear!" I nearly fell over from laughter. Heff was pretty cool as well. I do wish company policy allowed for photos with action figures since it would have been cool to get a Heff/Gorn pic.

Kevin stopped by the day after Christmas and to celebrate the family headed over to the Woods and get some cheese butter. We ate relatively early (like 3pm or so) and it through all of our clocks off. The whole night we were wondering what time it was and being amazed how early it was. We also had a chance to check out some classic family 8mm and Super 8 home movies. It might just be me, but air shows just don't translate well without the audio.

This is the last busy week at the park for awhile - I am scheduled 42 hours, but get a nice 3 day weekend at the end of it. From there, its back to the 26 hours a week schedule and the nice 17k days at the park.

As for Christmas, it was a low-key affair this year. I worked both Christmas Eve and Day so I didn't see any relatives until after the actual holiday. Lemme tell you, when you are hungry on a holiday like Christmas its near impossible to get something. Thank goodness for my stockpile of frozen pizzas!

2003 has been an interesting year. I certainly hope 2004 is better. Oh, that reminds me, time to change the copyrights!

I'm sitting in the Internet Salon at the Hotel Beacon in NYC as I type this reflecting on the trip so far. We got off to a whirlwind start with a trip to see a taping of "The View" which, despite the lines getting in, was a lot of fun. I even got a good shot of the Gorn with the cast in the background. I also managed to get a nice close-up shot with me, the Gorn and Robert Verdi of Discovery's Surprise by Design. We then headed over to see the Christmas show over at Radio City Music Hall. Overall, it was a good show, but dang, them Rockettes sure know how to get a crowd going. I thought there were only 10 or so, but there were 36! Afterwards, we got over to Rockefeller Center and strolled down 5th Ave. We then got word of the immanent snow so we wanted to get an early start on Friday.

Friday rolled around and we were at the Empire State Building at 10 am. The Accuweather (tm) forecast said snow by 2 and when we were in line they said that visibility at the top was enough to see the Statue of Liberty. Sadly, by the time we got to the top, it was snowing and COLD. Ever the troopers, we kept going as long as we could making our way down to the WTC site and then over to the United Nations. I must say the slog to the UN was tough since it was blowing snow (4-6 inches by the time we got to the UN), but it was very educational and worth it. We then found a shortcut back to the Grand Central Station and then made our way back to the hotel.

Today, the snow was worse, but that didn't stop us from getting to Macy's at Herald Square (the one featured in the classic "Miracle on 34th Street") and getting a picture of the Gorn with Santa. We then went to the CBS Store after some pizza. I had hoped the CBS store would have the Amazing Race poster they had on the outside but no luck, they had less merchandise than the one at Television City in LA. We then headed back to the hotel, only venturing out for food.

I have been nagged by a cold on the trip, but have tried to keep my spirits up. Still might venture out tonight to see the nightlife since the snow has stopped coming down (17 inches in Central Park - a few blocks from where we are).

All in all, its been a good trip, despite the lack of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. If I feel up to it, I am going to try and get up early tomorrow and go down to see if I can get a pic of it. I am a bit worried about the airport situation since many flights were delayed the past two days, hopefully it won't be too much of a mess when I get there tomorrow night.

There is a reason I don't usually go out on the day after Thanksgiving to go shopping. Today, Mom and I ventured out to the stores at 7am to get in on some of the early bird deals. I cruised through the ads last night to see if there was anything that really caught my eye. Comp USA had a 512MB Compact Flash Card for $79 (regular $149) that I couldn't pass up. I also noticed Best Buy had their usual DVD blowout. Mom had penciled in Tuesday Morning, Sears, and Target as her places to hit.

First stop: Target. Not really crowded and not very many deals - felt like we wasted some precious time there. We then cruised by Tuesday Morning and discovered they didn't open until 10. Then it was off to Best Buy and man was it packed. The estimates from the clerk were that it would take over 2 hours to get through the line to the registers. The line snaked back and forth around the store and began near the entrance. Mom and I decided it didn't matter what we were looking for, it wasn't worth waiting in line. Amazingly enough, there was even a line at the furniture store next door to see a salesman.

When then managed to catch up with Cathy and Cherish at the Waffle House to refuel and get organized. We then headed to Comp USA where I got the CF card as well as a new wireless router and USB network adapter for $20 each. I know both are the old 802.11b instead of the g, but it was worth it for the price. I will now be able to wire my TiVo into the network so I can schedule my recordings online. The TiVo website mentioned I might have some problems since it is a newer adapter, but I can always take it back or use it on my desktop (though USB connection is way slower than my PC Card so I'll probably take it back if it doesn't work).

After a horrific wait in line (including one line that didn't move for 40 minutes) we headed off to the Mall. We visited the new Chandler Mall and I agree with Mom that it is nice on the inside, but laid out a bit weird. I was tempted by some luggage, but decided to forgo any other purchases. We then headed to Home Depot to try and get a 9' pre-lighted Christmas Tree, but they were sold out at all the Home Depots in the Valley area as well as either 0 or 1 in all the other stores in AZ.

Now it is relax time. We had a nice relaxing dinner last night. Mom and Gary out did themselves with a massive feast. It is nice to pop on over for a quick trip to relax and we managed to get more info on our trip next week to New York. Tonight it is back to LA and then tomorrow it is back to work for a few days.

Oh, and yes I did get the job I applied for so my responsibilities have been notched up a bit. Now I just need to shadow people in the role and then get trained on the computer system used to manage the cast. It's a nice feeling to know that people were pulling for me to get the position at work. I also know some people are not sure of what to expect from me, and to them I will say that I will do my best to work with them and help out as much as I can.

Despite my amazement at its speed, November keeps rolling along. It is getting near to Turkey Day, and this year I am off to Phoenix for a quick overnight to visit Mom. Kevin's birthday is also next week, so I will be able to give him his present in person for once. It has been awhile since I've spent Thanksgiving in Arizona - my schedule at Disneyland rarely permits me to make family functions. This year, I planned ahead and made sure I had my shift requests in. I was a bit hesitant to fly over there for just a quick overnight stay - especially since we are all going to New York the following week, but it actually works out since we will be able to plan our trip a bit better.

I can't believe the New York trip is almost here. Heck, I booked it way back in August and it seems like so long ago. Some of the details are already leaking out as to what we are going to do. The day after we arrive, we are going to a taping of "The View" so set your TiVos and VCRs for Thursday December 4 and you might see me on TV! Other trip highlights planned are a visit to Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes, a trip to the Statue of Liberty (gotta get those Gorn shots), the WTC site, The Empire State Building, and hopefully a brief trip across the river to New Jersey so I can add another state to my list.

Behind the scenes here at Club Josh, I have been working on a new version of the site called 'Club Josh Lite Edition'. It is essentially the PDA site, but with more content from the Gorn Page and Charo.info. I am not sure if it will become a new PDA site or if it will live on its own. The Mobile site is pretty much dead since it was built in HDML. I still support it when it needs some work, but most phones don't support it. As I have mentioned before, I'd like to convert Mobile to a WML site, but my brain is having problems decoding it. Meanwhile, my phone (and I suspect a whole heckuva lot of others) read simple HTML, and it would be nice to have one Lite version accessible for both Wireless PDA and Web-enabled phones. The biggest issue is of course screen size and trying to add some graphics to the site (and links to pics). If I stick to separate sites, I can optimize one for PDA screens and the other for Mobile screens. Right now, I am testing it all in a separate directory. Do you have a web-enabled phone? Let me know and you can test the site for me.

One last holiday note: Rumblings are loud and positive from all around, but there are some negatives floating out there. If I can make a good impression tomorrow, then I might get an extra special gift this Holiday season. Full details when available (hopefully before Turkey Day!)

I'm off for a few days to visit the family in Phoenix. I have hit them exactly right in the middle of a cooling trend. The highs are only in the upper 90's. Earlier in the week, the temps were over 110. Wee. It's my first trip out yonder in almost two years. It's hard to believe, it feels like I was just there. I am looking forward to our road trip to Four Corners and Monument Valley. I hope the weather holds and we'll be able to get some stunning photos.

One thing I am still not used to is the stack of documents that you need to have to travel these days. I had to print out a security certificate and I need like 10 forms of id's. Speaking of which...I'm LATE!!! Gotta run - I'll try and update while I'm gone, If not, I'll be back with a full report and photos on Tuesday.

I finally got around to installing my scanner which I bought almost a full year ago, but never unpacked it until today. It's actually a nice Epson Perfection 2400 Photo that I picked up at Costco. I was motivated by a stack of old photos my grandmother gave me as she was going through some old boxes. So I fired it up and am impressed with how fast and sharp the pictures are. I also decided to install Photoshop 7, just to make sure everything was compatible. My computer did warn me that my USB port is hopelessly outdated (read: 1.1 not 2.0) and that my performance will be hindered (read: everything comes over slower).

Take a look at some of the photos that I have loaded into the Club House. Not sure how many photos I will post. I have for some time wanted to document at least one picture for every year of my life. I know post-1994 will be a snap, and the hard part will be dating some of the 1970's photos since not everyone has dated them consistently. I'll just add that to the list of projects to work on with all my free time.

Monday night was movie night here at Club Josh. Daniel selected "The Hot Chick" and I selected a little known Japanese comedy "Happiness of the Katakuris". Both comedies had their high and low points, but I'd tilt the scale towards "Happiness..." as the one I liked better. One thing that I thought was hilarious was that the box for "The Hot Chick" sounded like the trailer for the new Rob Schneider movie on South Park when the gang goes over to see Chef's Mama to exorcise Kenny from Cartman: "He's been a gigolo, and he's been an animal - now Rob Schneider is the Hot Chick!"

Tuesday, Granny and Jerri came down to South Coast to do some shopping. After a bit of Nordstrom's we decided to make a b-line to Disneyland to check out the new Aladdin show at DCA and The Many Adventures at DL. Both won rave reviews from them. It was kind of a consolidation prize since the whole gang wasn't there, but hopefully, I'll get a chance to take Amanda and Dianne to the park on our own so we can hit the coasters.

I really need to start doing laundry more often. Today, I did six loads, effectively using the entire laundry facility in my section of the apartment complex. I've also decided I'm one set of sheets short. I remember hearing that you need 3 sets - One in the laundry, one on the bed, and the other clean and ready to go. I think it would have been nice to have that other set ready to go instead of washing two at the same time.

The last week has been full of June gloom. Every now and then we get a bit of sunshine, but for the most part it has been overcast and drizzly. I have never lived near the beach so this is going to take some getting used to. It reminds me of the winters up in Davis when I'd go weeks without seeing the sun. It is nice at work tho because people are much nicer and more willing to follow the rules when its not hot. Over the weekend at Matterhorn, I had never seen so many people try and get out of the bobsleds at the wrong point. Ah yes, and let's not forget the lady with the party of 8 wheelchairs who all wanted to ride at the same time.

In the midst of the gloom, there is some percolations of good news brewing at The Many Adventures. Good things will be happening there soon - stay tuned!

My attempt to recreate last years Disney trip with Granny, Jerri, Dianne, and Amanda has fizzled. Not sure how it all fell apart, but I think part of the reason is that last weekend Granny moved all her boxes o' cookbooks from storage to the shop (ok, Ryan and Timothy did most of the labor). Instead, I think Jerri and Granny are coming down tomorrow for a South Coast outing.

My deadline is two weeks from this Saturday. Jinkies, I have a lot of work to do!

I've mentioned this before in years past (here and here), I really don't like Daylight Savings Time. Despite the fact that it gives us nice long hours of daylight, it still is a pain. It makes me wish I lived in Arizona, where they have the common sense not to change their clocks. Usually, its the Monday after that causes problems, but now that I'm working at Disneyland it wreaked its havoc on Sunday.

Speaking of Arizona, Mom and Gary were out here this weekend to help stock the fridge. Final total: over $120 at the grocery store. But now I have enough food to last weeks. Mom even made some London Broil and these breaded hamburger patties that I love so much. She put some in the fridge and some in the freezer so that I can eat for the next few weeks. Gary helped out with moving some of the front room furniture around so that my futon is not as close to the TV. I agree with Mom that two day weekends are just not enough time to get together. On Sunday we made a stop at my Great-Great Aunt who lives in a posh retirement home in Yorba Linda. She looks great for someone who will be 95 in May - I hope I look that good. The best part of her community? Free Ice Cream and Sundae Bar.

Friday is the grand opening of the Pooh ride. I can hardly believe it is here. I remember when I first went over to the ride in January and the opening date was soo far away. It is upon us, and I'm glad we have had the soft openings over the past two weeks. The practice has really helped us nail down some of our procedures, especially with wheelchairs. Now if only I could get some shifts there. I am a trainer, but I only have one Guest Control shift on Saturday and then two shifts next week. The rest of the time I'm at lovely Matterhorn Mountain except for Tuesday when I make a guest stint at the Classics. At least I have variety, it sure beats being stuck at the same ride all the time. I think my ideal schedule would be two Pooh sifts, two Matterhorn, and then one Classics per week.

It only took us three hours at the Honda dealer last night - I think it was a record for me. Usually I will sit there and haggle the last penny on the price, but Dad was not in the mood and instead of getting free running boards and mud flaps, we ended up with only a roof rack. I tried to explain to the salesman that he could just increase our trade in to cover it, but Dad just kept saying OK. Next time he waits outside. He chose the orange one after hesitating and considering the blue one. I told him I liked the blue one better, but in the end I told him he was going to have to drive around in it, not me.

Last Friday (isn't that the name of a movie?), I picked up a new Motorola T720i from T-Mobile. I was really impressed with their pricing on the calling plans, and of the overwhelming deals they had on the phones. Originally, I wanted to see the Nokia phone with the full-motion video camera, but the deal on the T720i was too good to pass up. The phone also came with a camera (which I used to take the picture of the fridge yesterday. I wasn't expecting much - maybe along the lines of the eye module pictures that Andy took with his Visor a few years back. So far I am happy with the quality.

My biggest problem so far was the fact I accidentally deleted all the forwarding information over the weekend so my voicemail was disabled. The only other glitch is that T-Mobile is having issues with their My TZones service. I can't register on the website and without that service, I can't get the cool ringtones and the ability to import custom pics for wallpaper on the phone screen (Club Josh wallpaper anyone?).

Tonight, I make my last trip to the old apartment to do the walkthrough and to get my vacuum. It will be a bit nostalgic, but all in all I am glad to be in the new place (even if I couldn't find the box with the DVDs until yesterday evening).

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my nice new refrigerator. The phone just rang and it will be here in about 30 minutes. I have no idea why I am so excited about a fridge. Maybe because its my first major appliance. Sure, I have bought toasters before, and my brother bought me a microwave when I moved to Chico, but nothing on this scale before. Of course, I have bought a few cars, but this is different. Now tonight, I can go out to the grocery store and stock up. Somehow, I think my poor fridge will feel under-utilized. Thankfully, I still know how to shop for myself since when I was living with Roger we still bought our own food.

Tonight after stocking the fridge, I am going over to my Dad to help him get a new car (see even after almost two years since I worked for Edmunds, people still ask me to help them out). He put a deposit down on a Honda Element. Yep, my dad who has always owned either a muscle car or a Suburban or some other GM truck has decided to get an Element. I think he just likes the fact he can get an Orange car to remind him of his GMC truck from the '70s. Maybe it is the gas mileage. Or maybe its the fact that its almost the same vehicle as my (and Sarah's too) CR-V. I know he doesn't like the road noise in my CR-V, so I guess the Element is quieter.

Last night, Daniel and I watched 2001's High Heels and Low Lifes with Minnie Driver. Daniel claims it is one of his favorite movies of all time. I wouldn't rank it in my top 20, but it was a fun movie to watch.

UPDATE: You can see the fridge here! It's nice and quiet and you gotta love the new fridge smell.

I will not forget the events of the last few days. Its difficult to say which day was the one with the biggest impact, but if I had to pick one it would be February 26. It is actually difficult for me to put into words the range of emotions that I have experienced. I will say, that despite the pain, sadness, and tears that well beneath the surface, deep down inside I know that things will be better for everyone involved, and if anything, this is the beginning of another chapter waiting to be written. I do feel that I have neglected the site, but sometimes life takes precedence over virtual life.

The biggest change in my life is that for the first time in over 5 years, I will be living alone. I am scared and excited all at the same time. I'm glad I have had the experience of doing it before, so I know what I am in for on those long nights. Certain people's actions have also changed my opinion of them and in some cases made me realize my true feelings. Part of my 2003 To-Do list is to make sure that I am more open and honest about my feelings, so once feelings are realized, I have this new habit of telling people. I think I just need to work on my timing.

So in short, I will be moving out of my apartment of almost 3 years sometime in the next week or so, I just need to find a new place. I am looking in Orange County so I will cut my park commute time.

If February 26 was the day of shock and realization, February 27, was a day of mourning. You know you are on an emotional roller coaster when hearing "Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood" sap version in the queue music for the umpteenth time starts to make your eyes well up with tears. I remember listening to the radio in the car on the way in and hearing the about the death of Fred Rogers. Mr. Rogers was one of the few people who always told me that I am special and that there is only one me. I always wanted one of those cool trolleys around my house to go off to the Neighborhood of Make Believe. The PBS site has a good page of helpful information on how to tell children and explain his death. It certainly helped me to read it.

Thanks to all who have expressed their support and have helped out during this week, it means a lot, especially you mom.

Friday, I sat down to do my taxes anticipating a nice refund to give me some breathing room in the finance area. Was I ever surprised that I owed money big time. Must be those crazy W2s and the odd jobs and success with SeaGranite Multimedia this past year. Oh well. I am still trying to figure out how even though I made considerably less that 2001, but owe almost as much as I got back last year.

On Saturday, I received my update training on the newly refurbished King Arthur Carrousel. It looks a million times better since the restoration, and the wheelchair bench is a nice addition. Some of the cool things we used to do on the old Carrousel can't be done (no more doubles), but they did add a cool "Band Cycle" for when the Disneyland band rides. That's right folks: four minutes of Carrousel. Since Daniel was over watching Logan's Run on Thursday, every time someone mentioned Carrousel, I kept thinking of the fact that I'm 30 and that at any moment I'm going to go flying up in the air and explode.

After training, Roger and I spent a nice day in the park taking in the new Aladdin stage spectacular at DCA's Hyperion theater. overall, I liked the show, but felt that the ending was undermined and rushed and that if they would have not added the extra musical number for Jasmine, it would have had enough time for it. The only other aspect I didn't care for was the actor who played Aladdin. Of course, I have high expectations since I loved the original movie, but I felt he was a bit lacking for the part. The Aladdin that performed in the wire scenes had a stronger stage presence and left us wondering if they switch off. Overall, it was a great musical experience and blows away any of the recent Fantasyland Theater shows. The rest of the day was spent admiring the new sound at Small World as well as wandering around the park.

Sunday, after my first eight hour R.O. shift in a month, I headed to the family celebration restaurant, North Woods, where we all gathered to toast my great uncle Bob. My paternal granny's brother lives in Ohio, and the last time he was out here, he was coaching the 1984 U.S. Olympic Wrestling team. It was kind of weird meeting him, especially since I see all of my other great aunts and uncles on a regular basis. As we left Granny's place I was struck with an odd sensation: It was nice to see Bob, and I wonder if our paths would cross again before either one of us dies. Not exactly an uplifting thought, but one I pondered all the way back home.

Today, I had a four hour "Teaching Disney Magic" class to help cement my standing as a trainer over at the Pooh-Choo Train. This kind of material is difficult to teach in a classroom environment, but with some role-playing and some Play-Doh, a good time was had by all.

After much stress, Granny passed her written test at the DMV and was able to finally get her new-to-her 2002 Mazda Millenia. It's not a car that I would go out of my way to purchase, but it was very well priced and was in great condition. The final cincher was that the layout of the controls and the drive of the car was very similar to her now-dead 1991 Buick Rivera. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, but Granny is pleased.

In other news, looks like this year's bitterness festival we like to call Anti-Valentine's Day is headed for CSI territory (and sadly we all can't afford Miami so it looks like Vegas-Baby). Just need some committals from some more people and we'll be off. I am not sure how well the hotel is going to like the dartboard, but we'll improvise with toothpaste or get a room with a balcony.

People snicker at me when I tell them I get to play with Pooh all day long. I have no idea why.

Roger informs me that the Tellme application has already busted. For some reason it is not reading the URL of the file output from Moveable Type. It is really weird since it worked just Saturday night. I wonder if there is something in the update parameters that is messing it up. I also noticed that the old version is not working either. I am hoping that this new update will fix it somehow. (Update: Yep, now it works - go figure I'll need to watch it.)

Today Granny, Jerri, and I headed over to Carmax to get Granny her new-to-her car. Carmax so far has had some decent prices on their car. Sadly, their service is just like any car dealership. Most of the sales force was nice, but there seems to be a special breed of person to be the "closer". Our whole car-buying process was derailed by the fact Granny needs to pass the written driving test tomorrow to complete the paperwork on the car. If we manage to get the car soon enough, then its off to spend a nice day in Palm Springs to celebrate. One humorous note from the Carfax report on the car: It used to be a rental in Honolulu.

It's been non-stop around here the last few days. the big story is the heat. It's January right? Last time I checked the thermometer it was 85 degrees and I was wearing shorts and rolling up my sleeves at the park. All of my fellow cast members have been lulled into a zombie like state. After the cold-for-LA past couple of weeks and the record crowds (one day over 110,000 resort-wide!), we were all a bit worn out. Now we are getting 18,000 on a good day in the park and the nice warm weather just adds to the feeling that we are all on a little vacation. Soon enough, the crowds will return, but I for one, am going to enjoy it.

I also had the chance to interview for a new position at the park on a new soon-to-be-premiering attraction based on a lovable bear with a honey fetish. If all goes well, I will have some good news to report soon and those of you wanting to see me in the park might have to veer left when entering the park instead of trudging straight ahead. **Fingers crossed**

The rest of my life has been a whirlwind these past few days, leaving little time for entry updates or other web design work. However, I finally registered my Dad's domain name for his work - hpcore.com (I just registered it today so give it some time). Hopefully, I will get a chance to build something nice there soon.

Man am I ever glad I am at home with a day off. The days following Christmas have been non-stop exhaustion producing days. It starts out with record crowds at the park for the last three days. On Friday and Saturday, they stopped letting people into the park early in the day. Wall to wall people as far as the eye could see. It was OK when I was working on the attractions in Fantasyland, but when I went out to work the parades it was a nightmare. Main Street was OK, but Fantasyland and Small World were a complete mess. The line for Small World was over 2 hours and Fastpass was gone early.

In the middle of my back to back shifts, was Sarah's Wedding. It was a grand affair, and it was great to see the whole family together since there was not a family Christmas party this year. Unfortunately, there was not nearly enough time during the reception to talk and socialize with the relatives. I was an usher in the wedding, so that also limited my interaction before the ceremony. I was fortunate to be able to leave work a bit early, those 45 minutes helped out immensely. (Thanks Jen!) Roger left the camera at home, but I did manage to snag a disposable camera. I'm going to have them developed and put onto a CD so I do not have to scan them and I will be able to post them on the site soon.

Today is a nice day to sit back and catch my breath. I have to work at the park tomorrow until 9pm and I hope they don't extend me any further. I am going to try and pick up some OT before my shift (I know it doesn't make sense to me either), but if I do, I will be assured of a 9pm departure from the park which gives me enough time to make it back up to the house for whatever New Year's festivities we can come up with. Anything will be better than working Dumbo like last year.

Today started out as a nice relaxing Christmas with the family. Of course it was supposed to start around noon at Granny's house, but as per usual, we all were about an hour late. The gift exchange went well, and I think we all received something we wanted. My gift to Granny was a replacement frame for the picture that I gave her over 12 years ago. The glass cracked during the last move 3 years ago and she has been promising to replace it ever since. I finally took matters into my own hands and got her a new one. I then spent a good portion of an hour trying to move the picture into the new frame and got a slice on my finger from a rusty box cutter for my troubles. Thank goodness for hydrogen peroxide.

Granny's car had been giving her some trouble so Dad took a look at it. He drove it around for a bit and started to notice it smoking. Bets were placed on what it was with the favorite being the seal on the gasket or the fuel pump. We decided to have Dad drive it over to the mechanic's and leave it there for him to look at the next day, that way Granny wouldn't get stranded. Dad theorized he'd be able to make it to the shop no worries. Well, he didn't. The car stalled on him on the freeway so he nursed it back to his house and called it a day. Tomorrow it gets towed in, and I think Granny is that much closer to a new car.

The big feast was at Acapulco this year. Not my favorite Mexican restaurant, but it actually wasn't that bad. Maybe it was the Midori Margarita, but we all had a really good time. Amanda had the same type of drink and was able to finish it, I knew I had to drive so I took it easy. The wedding is just a few days away now and the relatives will be flying in fast and furious. Kevin is even going to spend the night at Club Josh tomorrow night and maybe go to the park on Friday before the wedding. Gonna be a busy next few days!

I hope all of you had a great Christmas and I hope to see you all in 2003!

So my back is feeling much better. Not a twinge at all when I move. Maybe granny was right when she said I had a cold in my muscles. My throat has taken a thrashing and I once again sound like Bea Arthur. So perhaps the cold has moved up into my throat.

It might have something to do with the wild and crazy week that included my first ever ride on the LA Subway system. Now, having recently rode the Tube in London and the Metro in Paris, I was interested in seeing how our famed subway held up. Turns out, pretty darn well. Our stations (or at least the two that I went to) were clean, well-lit and best of all ran on the honor system. Of course the honor system sent shudders down my spine as I recalled the infamous Europe 1998 Munich fiasco, so needless to say I made sure I got the right ticket.

The trains themselves were unremarkable. It looks like Metro Rail went the low-bidder way - no frills on this subway. Also, the anemic maps on the wall further underscored how long L.A. has to go before it has a bonafide system. Maybe in a 100 years we will be just as advanced.

Coming out of the Hollywood and Highland station, Daniel and I were passed on the escalator by a young lady, who once passing us, proceeded to fall on the escalators. Daniel asked her if she was O.K. and she replied, "Yeah, I do this all the time at work". She then proceeded to tell us that she was a stripper and showed off her scars. Daniel and I looked at each other as she left and wondered how many times she fell off the pole.

It's been a surreal week and the holidays are just around the corner. I need to get my act together, otherwise I will never get everything done in time. Not only is Christmas less than two weeks away, Sarah is getting married on the 27th!!

Ahh yes, for those of you planning on riding the Matterhorn when it comes back in January, better postpone those plans. February is looking more and more like the return date.

Inspired by the return of a classic favorite, Roger and I headed out to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Now, I am not a big aquarium fan to begin with, but compared to the excellent Monterey Bay Aquarium, the A of P just isn't top-notch. Not that they don't try mind you. The volunteers were doing there best to the scattered crowd. One thing that A of P does that Monterey does not is give out Fish Finders to the crowd so you can identify what the heck is in the tank. A of P still has room for more exhibits which will add to the overall experience, however their latest addition is just a joke.

The so-called "Shark Lagoon" is nothing more than a smallish pool that 6 or so sharks swim around with some Rays. There is an adjacent area where you can touch some non-lethal sharks (using the patented "two fingers" method). This part of the Aquarium was a big disappointment. Another beef with the A of P was that the placards next to the tanks which had interesting (or not-so-interesting facts) were difficult to read. This was due to the low-light conditions which aid in seeing the occupants of the tanks, but rendering it near-impossible to clearly see the signs. I suggest some sort of mini led light for each sign. The lorikeet forest was also nothing more than a smallish aviary where birds can swoop down and poop on you. Thankfully, most of the fish exhibits were quite good. I think they need to work on adding the two rooms on the first floor before adding any other outside makeshift exhibits.

Today was spent with Granny and Jerri up in Santa Barbara. One of my favorite stores there is the "As Seen On TV" store which features just about anything you ever wanted from those ads. Jerri claims that most of the stuff is also available on QVC and that it was like walking into a QVC store. State Street still has some SB-unique stores and t thankfully has not been completely overrun with Mall stores.

Spent a nice Labor Day relaxing on the beach in Santa Monica. It was the first time I had actually gone to the beach to relax since I had moved down to L.A. over three years ago. I've been on the beach, just not taking-my-shoes-off-and-going-into-the-water on the beach. When I was a wee tyke, one of my fondest memories was hanging out at the beach with my grandma and my cousin and a couple of alternating relatives. Granny always made tuna sandwiches which managed to get a grain of sand here and there in them to make it perfect.

It was a nice contrast to Sunday which was spent trying to coax the Matterhorn into another two days of service. You see, the Matterhorn knows when it is time for a rehab and usually decides it wants to go on rehab a few days early. The result? Breaking down six times for a total of almost 4 hours of the day. I did have fun though and will actually miss the ride until it comes back (currently scheduled for sometime in December, we'll see).

Yesterday was my first day back on the routes in a long time. It also coincided with the start of off-season at the park. It is so nice when the rides have 5 minute lines all day. If it only was about 15 degrees cooler it would have been perfect.

Speaking of heat - it was 115 or so I think in North Hollywood on Sunday, and slightly cooler 102 on Monday. Disneyland was not much cooler. But now they are talking 50% chance of rain by Thursday. Wacky Weather!

As a result of the warm weather a fire has broken out up in Azusa Canyon. Normally fires to me are not that interesting, but this one is near a cabin that used to be owned by my great-grandparents back in the 60's and early 70's. We visited the cabin back when Mom was out here a year or so ago and took some pictures of it. Unfortunately, the pictures were lost when Mom's computer died and was reformatted. So we are hoping the cabin survives the fire so we can get some more pictures, otherwise a family treasure will be gone forever.

Ahh yes and lets not forget the nice M4.6 that struck Yorba Linda yesterday morning - just a nice jolt here in the valley for those of you keeping track.

This week it has been visit Josh week. In the middle of last week I was visited by Mom and Gary who had my grandparents from Northern California in tow. We met up for a bit at their hotel and went out to eat at Art's Delicatessen in Studio City. On my way to see them, I ran into the Sprint PCS guy sans trench coat. I wanted to ask him if he wanted to go hiking tomorrow, but before I could he had rounded the corner and disappeared. Apparently, he had dined at Art's right before we did, because when I was mentioning my encounter to the relatives, the waitress said that he was just there.

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