An Orange Christmas

For the first time in several years, we stayed home for Christmas. Usually, we're either with Tim's family or my family (odd years with Tim's and even years with mine). But since my family decided to be out of town for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, that gave us the opportunity to stay at home.


Tim got the toilet paper. I got the paper towels. (12/24/06)

But the twist this year was that Tim's family came to visit us, at least the ones from the desert (Tim's sister and nephew stayed back East this year). They drove over in their RV, which they parked at a campsite not too far from here. To make things more comfortable for Tim's grandma, we put her up in the spare bedroom.


The spread. (12/24/06)

On Sunday evening, we had a nice hors d'ouevres buffet, consisting of a variety of meats, cheeses, and other tasty treats. Tim's Mom made her potato salad that I love. Afterward we opened up presents, always with the oldest person starting off and then working our way down (since Tim's nephew wasn't with us, I was the last one this year!)


Since it's not an odd year, we brought out the fake tree. (12/24/06)

The following day, we cooked a turkey breast, stuffing, mashed potatoes, the whole works, which we followed with a few rounds of cards, which was a lot of fun.



Grandma Jean's imitation of a reindeer. (12/24/06)

I can't say it was the most exciting Christmas we've ever had, but it was very nice. We might try staying home more often!


Playing cards on Christmas Day. (12/25/06)

The Hat - World Famous Pastrami

I had another Southern California first. For the first time in my life, I went to The Hat for a pastrami sandwich. We went there because we were taking my co-worker Kurt to lunch for his birthday, and that was the place he picked.


The Hat - World Famous Pastrami. (12/06)

The Hat is a regional Southern California chain known for having the best pastrami sandwiches this side of the Hudson River. The family-owned chain originated in 1951 when it opened a walk-up restaurant in Alhambra. Today there are 10 locations.

The signature dish is the Pastrami Dip, featuring a half-pound of pastrami soaked in au jus. So that's what I ordered. We also got an order of fries and an order of onion rings to share among the four of us (and we still had a ton left over!)


The pastrami sandwich was fantastic at the time. (12/06)

I have to say, the sandwich was delicious as I was eating it. But to be honest, I didn't feel all that hot the rest of the afternoon. It felt like I had a brick of pastrami sitting in my stomach (and in a way, I kind of did). I don't know if I'd do it again, but I'm glad I had it at least once.

Edward Scissorhands, The Stage Adaptation

Remember Tim's Birthday Party? The birthday gift he received from our pals Dana & Eric were tickets to Edward Scissorhands, a stage adaptation of Tim Burton's classic film. It's playing right now at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre.


The poster just outside the theater. (12/16/06)

It was a unique show, with no actual dialogue or lyrics. It was simply dance and instrumental music, some of which was original, with other parts based on the original Danny Elfman score (I liked the Danny Elfman stuff, which was instantly recognizable, but the newly added music from another songwriter seemed rather incongruous).

The stage adaptation was created and directed by Matthew Bourne, who had a lot of acclaim about 10 years ago when he debuted an all-male staging of Swan Lake (it was featured in the film Billy Elliot).


A pic of Dana and Eric from our 2004 cruise to Alaska. (07/04)

Although Edward Scissorhands was a fun show, and we enjoyed it, I wouldn't exactly call it the greatest theatre event we've been to. But we had a good time. Thanks Dana and Eric!

Tim's Fender Bender

Here's something that's not so fun. Tim's car was caught in a bit of a fender bender while he was at work. The car was parked, and thankfully Tim was not in the car at the time. Apparently one of his co-workers driving a Ford Ranger hit another co-worker's Camry, which in turn bumped into Tim's Envoy.


The yellow Ford hit the blue Camry into Tim's Envoy. (12/15/06)

Fortunately Tim's car sustained the least damage. It looks like it's pretty much cosmetic damage (the other cars had to be towed away, since they were no longer drivable). Even still, I have a feeling we're dealing with at least $1,000 worth of damage.


The damage. (12/15/06)

Fortunately it was really easy to establish that the first driver was at fault, so at least we won't have to worry about paying the $500 deductible.

Christmastime at Disneyland

One of the things I missed the most during our Disneyland annual passholder hiatus last year was the holiday fireworks spectacular: Believe ... In Holiday Magic.


The crowd on Main Street waits for the fireworks. (12/14/06)

We finally caught the fireworks show tonight (for the first time in two years). Good thing too, because since we only had the less-expensive Southern California annual passes, we only had one more weekend to go before we're blocked out until just after New Year's Day.


It's snowing on Main Street. (12/14/06)

Christmas at Disneyland is a great tradition, because not only is it a great fireworks show, but they even make it snow on Main Street. Okay, I'm happy now.

Darn that Julie Andrews

A couple of months ago we purchased tickets to a benefit concert at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood called "Honoring Julie Andrews." It had a line-up of Broadway stars who were all going to sing songs that Julie Andrews made famous (since Dame Andrews no longer actually sings herself due to her throat surgery gone wrong). And one would expect Ms. Andrews to also be there.


It would have been a nice show. (12/06)

They do these tribute shows quite often in Los Angeles. They're almost always taped to be turned into TV specials. And the Julie Andrews event was supposed to be tonight. But unfortunately we got a notice last month that the event was permanently canceled.

Although Ticketmaster refunded the cost of the tickets, it really ruffles my feathers that the $7.50 processing fee was non-refundable. Thanks a lot Ticketmaster and Julie Andrews! :(

Company Christmas Party 2006

We had our annual company Christmas party this week. It was your typical company event, with lots of good food and drink, presents for the guests, and the long laundry lists of awards. Although I invited Tim, he decided to sit this one out, since he only knows a couple of people I work with (and all of them were the people organizing the party, so they didn't have much time to socialize anyway).


James with manager Dori and Sonia from Venezuela. (12/05/06)

I always enjoy a good Christmas party, since it gives you a chance to socialize with all your co-workers without having to talk about work stuff. Plus, we combine the event with our week-long training symposium for 30+ international sales reps from across the globe.

The reps are always lots of fun. I've always enjoyed getting to know people from other countries. Because many of them come from Latin America and/or Spain, it gives me a chance to practice my crappy Spanish. The other fun thing is that many of these reps bring unique gifts for the company, like a bottle of expensive sake that our Japanese representative brought along.


A really good rice sake. (12/05/06)

This year we also had karaoke, which was lots of fun. I of course dazzled everyone with one of my karaoke favorites: Orange Colored Sky by Nat King Cole. I also led a group number to Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline.


"Y volver, volver .... vol-ver!" (12/05/06)

To close the night, all the reps from Latin America and Spain got up and we all sang the mariachi classic: Volver Volver. It was fun.

Disneyland with Scott, Tim, Flyer and Fryer

I don't think we've ever talked about our friend Scott in the James & Tim Blog. He's an old buddy of mine from the catalog company I worked for a couple of years ago (I was a copywriter and he was in the technical support). Even after we each had left the company, Tim and I would still hang out with him and his girlfriend Erin, mostly getting together for food and nights of DDR Max Revolution.


Scott on the Disneyland tram. (12/03/06)

The reason you don't see much of him in the blog is that at the time we started it in early 2005, Scott and Erin had just moved to Ohio for a well-paying position. Well, as things turned out, Scott is single again and now living back in California. And since he also renewed his Disneyland annual pass, we figured it would be a good opportunity to have some dinner and catch up. It was nice seeing him again.


"How YOU doin'?" (12/03/06)

I was excited because I would also be able to see Flyer, the 2006 National Turkey. This is the turkey that the day before Thanksgiving received a "pardon" by President Bush. The annual pardoning of the National Turkey has been a tradition since the days of Harry S. Truman.


Flyer gets his pardon. (11/22/06)

Starting last year, the turkeys have been flown directly from the White House to Disneyland where they would serve as honorary grand marshal of the Disneyland Thanksgiving Day Parade, after which they can be viewed at Santa's Reindeer Round-Up, a special holiday-themed area of the park.

After serving as the honorary grand marshal of the Disneyland Thanksgiving Day Parade, Flyer was put on display in the Santa's Reindeer Roundup part of Disneyland. Joining him was Fryer, the back-up turkey that they keep on hand in the event the main National Turkey isn't behaving.


Flyer at Disneyland, along with back-up Fryer. (12/03/06)

You may remember that I wrote in the blog last year that I really wanted to go see Marshmallow, last year's National Turkey. However, since we had just let our Disneyland annual passes lapse for one full year, I wasn't able to see Marshallow at the 2005 Disneyland Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Finally, in 2006, I had my chance. Thanks Scott for coming along!

Find James at the Gym

I've finally made the plunge. Yep, I've finally come to the realization that just going to the gym a couple of times a month and doing 30 minutes of cardio isn't exactly doing the trick. So I took the financially-painful step of hiring a personal trainer (a move inspired by our friend Jeff who has gotten some awesome results from his personal training program).


Where I've been spending more time lately. (11/19/06)

There are three main reasons for doing this. One, I wanted to develop a more effective workout that will help me lose weight. Two, by setting up appointments with a trainer, I'm much more likely to show up for the sessions and far less likely to create excuses not to go. And finally, because it drives me crazy to pay for something and not use it, I'm much more likely to take advantage of the program.

Since November 6, I've been working out with a trainer 3-4 times a week. Each session consists of 30 minutes of weight or resistance training, followed by 30 minutes of cardio (whereas before, when I was doing it on my own, I was only doing cardio). The reason for the weight training is to increase my lean mass, which will actually cause me to gain some weight at first. But they explained that with more lean mass, I'll increase my metabolism and burn more calories, which will make it easier for me to lose weight in the weeks to come.

The first week or two was painful. Literally. I would have muscle pain and stiffness for days afterward. Now that I've been doing it for a couple of weeks, I don't.

On one of my first sessions, the trainer had me do some sit-ups (the type where he holds your feet down and you lift yourself up). I don't even remember the last time I did a sit-up. Junior high, maybe? The first time the trainer asked me to do them, I managed to do a whopping four sit-ups. Within a week I was up to 27 sit-ups!


Some inspiration. (11/16/06)

To help motivate me, Tim put me on a program. For every 5 lbs. I lose, he's going to give me one new Cube World block (those little interactive blocks with stick figures that live inside, and when you connect them, they interact with each other). I got two of them just for signing up with a trainer. Although I haven't lost any significant weight yet, I am feeling better and healthier. So that's good.

Well now that I put this on the blog and told everyone I know, I guess I have to show some results now. Stay tuned.

Breakfast at the Country Club

We stayed two nights at Tim's parents' house. On the Friday after Thanksgiving, we had a thoroughly enjoyable breakfast at the nearby Country Club. We had driven by the country club many a time, but we never actually drove past the gates until today. It was nice!


Grandma Jean, Tim and Tim's Mom. (11/24/06)

Tim and I each ordered a Bloody Mary, which was unlike any other Bloody Mary I've ever ordered previously. Why? Because it actually was served with a jumbo shrimp! Between the shrimp, the celery and the olives, it was practically a meal in itself.


Practically a meal in itself. (11/24/06)

The actual meals were really good too. My steak and eggs was done perfectly. And the prices were really affordable. In California, the whole tab for the four of us would have cost $20 more, I'm willing to bet.


The country club grounds were beautiful. (11/24/06)

We also learned that they have a spa at the facility. So maybe next time we're in town, we'll schedule a massage.


Not so lucky in Bingo. (11/24/06)

Afterwards we took Tim's grandma to go play bingo at one of the casinos a short drive away. Although I had a lucky leprechaun dauber, I wasn't so lucky at bingo that day. :(

Low-Key Thanksgiving

We had a small but nice Thanksgiving. We drove out to the desert to be with Tim's family (we'd tell you where, but the Federal Witness Protection Program forbids it). To beat the traffic we left Thursday morning at 4:30 a.m. (Tim drove, I slept).


Forget the turkey, Tim's dad wants to carve the photographer. (11/23/06)

It was just Tim's mom and dad, his grandma Jean, and the two of us. The food was good and plentiful. Later in the day we watched "The Phantom of the Opera" movie that Tim's grandma had been wanting to watch. I kept falling asleep in between loud parts.


Yummy Thanksgiving food. (11/23/06)

I know, not very exciting, huh.

Lunch at Disneyland's Blue Bayou

As Disneyland annual passholders, we pretty much know Disneyland inside and out. There are very few attractions at the two theme parks that we haven't tried at one time or another. But one glaring exception (for me, anyway) was the Blue Bayou Restaurant.


The Blue Bayou restaurant at Disneyland. (11/19/06)

This is the New Orleans-style restaurant situated inside of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Although technically it's an indoor restaurant, visual and audio effects make it appear that you're enjoying a nighttime meal at an ourdoor restaurant set against a Louisiana bayou. Although I've been on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride countless times, it was my first time ever having a meal there (Tim was there once before, but it was well over 10 years ago).


Tim and James at the Blue Bayou. (11/19/06)

We actually tried going one week earlier, but we didn't have reservations (who knew it had that much demand). So this time we made reservations a week in advance. And because our reservations were for their opening time of 11:30, we got a great seat right against the water.


The Blue Bayou's Tortuga Trio of Crème Brûlée, in a supposedly edible trunk. (11/19/06)

As expected, we enjoyed every minute of the experience. And the food was excellent. The only drawback were the prices, which were much higher than typical theme park food prices (then again, the food was much better than your typical theme park fare). In fact, the reason we went for lunch, and not dinner, was that we heard prices were cheaper at lunch. But with lunch entrees costing approximately $25 a piece, it was hard to imagine how much more they would be at dinner.

Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen - Deliciosa!

We did something today that we don't do nearly often enough. We had lunch at a new restaurant. Normally, we rotate between the same dozen or so places. In fact, in most of them, we tend to order our favorites every time!


The mystery restaurant from across the street. (08/17/06)

As we were driving to Rutabegorz, one of the usual suspects, we impulsively decided to change plans and try out this new mystery restaurant that opened up a few months ago in downtown Orange. The reason it's a mystery restaurant is that it does not have a sign. Seriously. There is no sign anywhere in sight.

Upon entering, we discovered that the restaurant is Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen, an independently-owned Mexican restaurant that had so much character. The place isn't big — there were probably no more than 20 tables. But it was amazingly decorated, with colorful artwork, wood beams and lots of ornamental ironwork that looked great against what were clearly decades-old original brick walls (before this restaurant, the space was occupied by an antiques store).

You could tell that this was no corporately-managed chain restaurant. Yet it had an attention to detail and design that you don't commonly see in family-owned establishments. I wish I could have taken more pictures, but since we were expecting to go to one of our normal restaurants when we left the house, I didn't bring the camera.


A photo from last August when we tried eating there but didn't want to wait. (08/17/06)

And then there's the food, which was simply delicious. And the menu offered Mexican fare not commonly seen in most Mexican restaurants. I can't think of many other places I've been to where you can get Enchiladas Flor de Calabasa (pumpkin blossom enchiladas), Camarones en Mole Verde (shrimp in green mole) or Puerco Poc-Chuc (a Mayan pork dish).

Prices were slightly higher than what you'd pay at most garden variety Mexican restaurants, but the food, decor and presentation was worth it. If you're in the area, it's worth checking out.

Amy's Nacho Libre Birthday

We celebrated Amy's 36th birthday Nacho Libre style this year! Although her actual birthday was two weeks ago, it coincided with the camping trip. So we didn't really get a chance to formally celebrate until last night.


Nacho lovers Jon & Amy and James & Tim. (11/04/06)

The theme of the night: Nacho Libre, which is one of Jon and Amy's favorite comedies from last summer. We started with real nachos at Moreno's Mexican Restaurant in Orange, a festive Mexican place that was established in 1969. Afterwards, we gave Amy her gift, which was -- you guessed it -- the recently released Nacho Libre, which we watched.

Although I kind of dozed off here and there, the parts that I saw were really funny. I especially loved the songs that Jack Black would sing. They were hi-larious!!! It was the perfect way to celebrate Amy's birthday.

Happy Day of the Dead!

Tonight we had our Day of the Dead celebration meal. For those who may not be so familiar with it, Day of the Dead is the ancient Mexican celebration in memory of deceased ancestors. It's a national holiday in Mexico and dates back to the Aztec period when death wasn't considered the end of life, per se, but rather a continuation. It's celebrated every November 1 or November 2, depending on who you ask.


After dinner we made skulls out of Play-Doh. (11/02/06)

On the way home from work, I stopped by the Mexican supermarket to buy all the stuff we needed. We made chicken mole, rice, beans and tortillas. To drink, we bought Jarritos, those Mexican fruit-flavored sodas, and opened a bottle of cabernet. For dessert, we got an assortment of pan dulce . Oh, and we also bought a Pan de Muerto, which is a soft, round bread decorated to look like it has bones on it.

We lit lots of candles for all of our friends and family members that have passed away, and we kept their memories in our hearts as we enjoyed the terrific meal (although we were too full for the pan dulce, which we'll save for breakfast tomorrow).


We had chicken mole, rice, beans, tortillas, jarritos, pan dulce and wine. (11/02/06)

I originally wanted to make sugar skulls, but I didn't really plan for it well and never got around to buying the stuff we need. But we did have some left-over Halloween Play-Doh, so we made out skulls out of that.

Halloween 2006

When I woke up Halloween morning, the strangest thing happened. Remember reading about Coffee Matey at Tim's Superhero Summit Birthday Party? Well for some reason, the spirit of Coffee Matey leaped out of Tim and jumped into me this morning. But since it was Halloween, I decided not to bother finding an exorcist and I just went to work that way.


This is the scary face that welcomed trick-or-treaters. (10/31/06)

Our office had a Halloween pot luck (I brought lasagna). Lots of people brought food, but only a handful of people dressed up.


James with a few other costumed co-workers. (10/31/06)

One of the administrative assistants made an awesome cake in the shape of a big spider. The way she did the black frosting made it look like it was covered in fur, like a hairy tarantula. It looked amazing and tasted even better.


One of our office admins made this spider cake from scratch. (10/31/06)

In the evening, we didn't do anything too outrageous with our decorations, since we've been really busy lately. But Coffee Matey stuck around long enough to hand out candy and Play-Doh to the kids. We had 64 trick-or-treaters -- up more than 20% from last year!


James and Tim trick-or-treat at Everett & Manny's new crib. (10/31/06)

After we shut down at 9:00, we popped over to our friends' Everett & Manny's new apartment that they had just moved into days before. We wanted to be their first trick-or-treaters. They weren't actually giving out candy, since they were still moving, so we brought candy and Play-Doh for them.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Lunch at a California Roadside Icon

The day after our tours of one California landmark, we stopped by another one: Pea Soup Andersen's, the "Home of Split Pea Soup." Located in Buellton, CA, Pea Soup Andersen's is one of those old-time roadside attraction restaurants/gift shops/motels that is advertised with billboards all along Highway 101, reminding you how many miles you have left to get there.


We stopped for lunch at the famous Pea Soup Andersen's. (10/23/06)

Established in 1924 by Danish immigrant Anton Andersen, the restaurant was then called Andersen's Electric Cafe, in honor of their prized posession, a new electric stove. Since it was on the road to Hearst Castle during the heyday of Hearst's newspaper empire, many Hearst newspaper writers and reporters would stop by the Cafe.


Andersen's has been a central coast staple since 1924. (10/23/06)

By the late 1930s, the place had become known as Pea Soup Anderson's, and has been going strong ever since. Tim and I have stopped to eat there once or twice before, but it's been a while. So when Jon and Amy suggested it during the drive back from our San Simeon camping trip, we thought it sounded fun.


Jon signs "The Great Register of the Select Customers of Andersen's." (10/23/06)

When you walk in there, it's definitely one of those places that's seen better days. But it definitely has a sense of history about it. And looking at the registry book near the entrance, you can see names from all across the U.S., including many international visitors.


The famous pea soup. (10/23/06)

Naturally, I had to order the split pea soup while I was there (Tim doesn't care for split pea soup), which wasn't bad, although it's not a must-have item. But it's something you have to have at least once in your life.

Touring Hearst Castle

During our San Simeon camping trip, several of us opted to take tours of Hearst Castle, the secluded palatial estate built by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. Built from 1919 to 1947, the Julia Morgan-designed compound is located on a hill near San Simeon overlooking the Pacific ocean.


La Cuesta Encantada, or as it's commonly known today, Hearst Castle. (10/22/06)

Hearst Castle is modeled after historic architectural styles that Hearst admired in his European travels. In fact, to me it looks more like a church than a castle. Altogether the main house and the three guest houses contain 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, 127 acres of gardens, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, a movie theater, and airfield and the world's largest private zoo.


The Neptune Pool was modeled after Greek influences. (10/22/06)

Invitations to "The Ranch," as Hearst used to call it, were highly coveted during its heyday in the 1920s and '30s. Hollywood stars and famed politicians were among the many guests, including Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, the Marx Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, Joan Crawford, Calvin Coolidge, and Winston Churchill. While guests were expected to attend the formal dinners each evening, they could partake in a variety of events in the daytime, including horseback riding, swimming in the two pools, playing tennis, etc.

What I wouldn't give to have been able to be one of those guests in the heyday. Whenever Tim and I are anywhere near the area, we always make an effort to take at least one tour.


Tim smiles in front of the Casa Grande. (10/22/06)

Tim, Amy and Joe left for San Simeon Friday morning, since unlike Jon and I, they were able to get the day off work. So Friday evening, they were able to attend the nighttime tour. Tim and I had done the nighttime tour once before, probably back in 1997 or 1998, and it was amazing. Not only do you get to see the estate lit up, they also have people dressed in period costumes throughout the property.


Some of the many statues on the estate. (10/22/06)

On Sunday, Ralph and Anna took the main tour, while Tim, Lynne and I took the garden tour, which doesn't actually take you inside the main house (which isn't a big deal since we've been in there many times over), but takes you on a walk around the esplanade that circles the estate.


This pool was modeled after Roman baths and features gold mosaic tiles. (10/22/06)

My favorite parts are the two swimming pools, including the amazing Neptune Pool, an outdoor pool modeled after ancient Greek influences, and the indoor pool modeled after ancient Roman baths. You can't really tell in the picture, but the entire pool bottom, walls and arches are covered in tiny 1" x 1" tiles that were set by hand. It's truly spectacular.


Tim got this shot of the Neptune Pool on the nighttime tour. (10/20/06)

The garden tour also includes a visit to the wine cellar, which is still stocked with thousands of bottles (most of which are empty, incidentally). Hearst freely served alcohol to his guests, even during the 13-year prohibition. Although Hearst was a moderate drinker, he had little regard for drunks, and anyone who drank too much was asked to leave (actor Errol Flynn was one of them).

Anyone who has the chance must take a tour of this fascinating piece of California history.