One Year Without Farrah

Just over a year ago we lost one of Hollywood's brightest stars, and an icon of my youth, the late great Farrah Fawcett. I always felt a little bad about the news coverage of Farrah's passing (or lack thereof) being that she died the same day as Michael Jackson, whose death clearly stole the headlines.


James with his childhood Farrah Fawcett poster. (06/25/2010)

But when I read it was the one-year anniversary of Farrah's passing, I thought I would pay my small tribute. I'm not going to try to summarize her life. Many others have done that better than I ever could. Mostly I just want to share some of my Farrah memories.


Close-up of my childhood Farrah Fawcett poster. (06/25/2010)

Like any boy who grew up in the 1970s, I was fascinated by Farrah. Charlie's Angels was a cultural phenomenon. My favorite t-shirt at the time had a picture of all three of the original angels. My mom often spoke of the time at some cub scout awards event, I went up on stage and proudly showed off my Charlie's Angels shirt to the audience.


Farrah's signature on the iconic poster. (06/25/2010)

And like every other boy of that period, I too had "The Poster," the iconic 1976 poster of Farrah. Believe it or not, 34 years later, I still have it. It was in the garage. So I dug it out on the anniversary to pay a small homage.


I visited Farrah at Westwood Memorial Park. (04/27/2010)

Recently I went to the Westwood Memorial Park, where Farrah was layed to rest. It was sad to see her name written on her headstone. But one thing that made me happy was thinking back to how bright her star shone back in the day. Rest in peace our dear Farrah.

Truman's New Hood: Huntington Dog Beach

It's funny. Tim has been in Southern California since the 1980s. I've been here since 1992. And despite our proximity to the ocean, I bet you can count on five fingers the number of times per year we go to the beach. But that's no longer the case now that we've discovered the Huntington Dog Beach.


James & Truman at Huntington Dog Beach. (04/03/2010)

I don't know why we don't go very often. Maybe it's the crowds, the traffic or the parking. It seems we only go to the beach when we have visitors from out of town. But now that we have Truman, we're always seeking dog-friendly places. And Huntington Dog Beach seemed a natural answer.


Truman's first day at Huntington Dog Beach. (03/27/2010)

Actually we've found that the parking at Huntington Dog Beach isn't too bad. The whole dog-friendly portion of the strip is metered for short-term, so if you don't find parking on your first pass, you'll surely find it on your second. And we've found that if you come from Golden West side, you avoid all the traffic surrounding the touristy part of Huntington Beach.


Shelley from Calgary, Tim & Sergio at Huntington Dog Beach. (05/22/2010)

And Truman simply loves it. He loves walking up and down the dog section. He goes around sniffing all the other dogs, playing with some, ignoring others. Of course we always keep a few treats in our pocket so he comes back when we call him.


Tim & Truman get splashed on Truman's first time at the dog beach. (03/27/2010)

But there is one thing Truman doesn't love: The water. He got splashed by a wave once, and that was it for him. Now he's always on the lookout for those waves. But there is one body of water he can't avoid: The bath we give him when we return home. Oh well Truman, you can't win 'em all!

Hearst Castle: Home Away From Home

One of the best things about camping in San Simeon is that the campsite is literally five minutes away from the iconic Hearst Castle. I know, we've been there probably a half dozen times before, and we even wrote a blog post about it in 2006. And yet, each time we're in the area, I can't resist taking another tour.


Tim in front of Hearst Castle. (06/06/2010)

There are five tours in all, each covering a different section. I'm pretty sure we've been on all of them by now. So this time we started over with Tour 1. Plus, our pal Sergio had never been there before, so it was a good excuse.


James inside one of the guest houses. (06/06/2010)

I think one of the main reasons I'm drawn to Hearst Castle was that it was so exclusive for so many years. In its heyday in the 1930s and 1940s, the only way to set foot on the grounds was to be invited by William Randolph Hearst himself. It's like getting invited to the 3rd floor of the White House, or Camp David, or Neverland Ranch. The only difference is now anybody can go for $24.


Sergio in the Hearst Castle billiards room. (06/06/2010)

The other reason I'm drawn to Hearst Castle is — let's face it — I was meant to live that lifestyle. Champagne taste and beer bottle pockets. Story of my life. But until I can build my own mountain-top compound, I'll just have to keep paying a visit to my home away from home every few years.

Four Years Later, SoCal and NoCal Meet Again

I can't believe it's been nearly four years since our last big family camping trip. Looking back, our last big family camping trip was in the fall of 2006. That's about as much time as it takes to complete high school.


The NoCal / SoCal Camping Group. (06/07/2010)

Like our 2006 event, we selected coastal San Simeon as the middle ground, being approximately equidistant between us in Orange County, and my relatives from San Francisco. Plus it has the added benefit of being only five miles away from Hearst Castle, which I consider my home away from home.


James, Truman, Sergio and Tim with our new tent. (06/05/2010)

This year's group consisted of Tim and I, our pal Sergio, our pup Truman, my cousin Michele, her partner Lisa, their daughter Liele, my cousin Ralphie, his dog Dozer, our friends Lynne and Anna and their daughter Colby, and friends Bridgett and Bob, who brought along their kids Phoebe and Tristan.


Tim was like Dr. Doolittle for the ground squirrels. (06/06/2010)

We had the usual camping fun, with a few new twists, like the surprise trip to Target in Paso Robles to buy a new tent (apparently we didn't pack all the parts of our old one). I was also attacked by wildlife: A single bite from a ground squirrel. The little guy was trying to eat a nut from my fingers and got a little overzealous.


Who says Tim doesn't like kids? (06/06/2010)

I haven't started foaming at the mouth yet, so I think I'm okay. As always, we had a grand old time. Hopefully we won't wait another four years to do it again, a'ight?

Disneyland's Real World of Color

I went to Downtown Disney today to meet up with a couple of relatives from Nevada who were in town on a Disneyland trip. After lunch and shopping, they headed back to their hotel for a little R&R. Since I have nothing better to do these days, I whipped out my annual pass and headed into the park where I glimpsed a rare sighting...


Disneyland's Real World of Color. (03/31/2010)"

In the Hub, near the iconic Partners statue, the four Pink Lapacho trees were in full bloom! The bright pink blossoms were absolutely stunning, and created an incredible backdrop for some of Disneyland's most photographed sights.


Disneyland's Pink Lapacho trees were in full bloom. (03/31/2010)

Most of the year, these trees are covered in average-looking green leaves. Sometimes there are no leaves at all. The Disneyland gardeners typically keep things looking cheery by hanging live floral displays. There was clearly no need for that today.


Beautiful pink blossoms frame the Matterhorn. (03/31/2010)

It's funny to think that at Disney's California Adventure, they're currently putting the finishing touches on "The World of Color," a fountain water effects show that promises to be amazing. Today, however, it was Mother Nature's world of color that was truly amazing.

James Turns 15,000 Days Old Today

Okay, it appears I've come to the end of another long break in the James & Tim blog. I've been wanting to get back to blogging again, and now that I'm not working, I literally have no more excuses.


James on his 15,000th birthday. (03/29/2010)

So what better way to kick-off my new blogging activity than with a blogpost celebrating my 15,000th birthday! Yep, according to the nifty Alternative Birthday Calendar, today marks my 15,000th day since I was born.

What's the next milestone after this you ask? (Well, besides my 42nd birthday, obviously). Next up is my 400,000-hour birthday, which will be October 20, 2014. Keep an eye out for the invitations!

Livin' it Up in California City, CA

There are only 18 cities in all of the United States that have the same name as the state in which it resides. There's Oklahoma City, Kansas City and New York City to name a few. But in all my 40 years, I have never been to the namesake city in my own state. Until now.


James at the California City maintenance yard. (11/07/2009)

California City, population 12,659, is located in California's Mojave Desert, near the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It sits 109 miles north of Los Angeles, and about 70 miles Southeast of Bakersfield. The closest thing to California City that anyone has probably heard of is Edwards Air Force Base, which is where Chuck Yeager famously broke the sound barrier in 1947 and has been the site of several Space Shuttle landings.

We were in town visiting our good friend Sergio, who currently lives and works in California City. Since we met Sergio earlier this year, he has always been the one to visit us. This was our first time visiting him.


What California City looks like. (11/07/2009)

After months of hearing Sergio talk about California City (more specifically, the lack of things to do in California City), I was dying to see this exotic locale with my own two eyes. So Friday night Tim and I packed up the Envoy, threw in Truman, and embarked on the 3-hour trek to Cal City (as the locals call it).

Our first glimpse of the town was not too exciting since we arrived at night (although we did stop at the city's one stoplight). But I was impressed to see that Cal City had its own McDonald's. The next morning Sergio gave us a city tour. We saw the city maintenance yard, the municipal airport and the Silver Saddle Ranch and Club, an 80-acre "resort oasis" (or as I would call it, a "campsite").


Sergio & James in California City. (11/07/2009)

Afterward, we decided to have some lunch and then go bowling. The nearest bowling alley, of course, was 42 miles away in Lancaster, CA. Despite the lack of a bowling alley and a decent grocery store, I thought Cal City had a lot going for it.

It had a Quizno's sandwich shop. It had a Wimpy's 1950s-themed diner. It had a Sears (albeit in a strip mall), but it was nicer than some Sears stores I've seen. Plus, the take-out food we picked up from Green Tea Garden Chinese Restaurant was pretty darn good.


The California City supermarket. (11/07/2009)

Another thing that California City has going for it is it's immense size. It has a total area of over 200 square miles, making it the third largest city in California (only beat by Los Angeles and San Diego) and 35th largest city in the United States.

Although I can't argue that there's a lot to do in Cal City, one great thing I can say about the town is that it's affordable. During Truman's morning walk, I came across a sign that listed apartment rentals. I was amazed that you can find a 2-bedroom, 1-bath apartment for as low as $550 a month (it would be $1,200 in Orange County). There was even a 4-bedroom, 2-bath place for rent at the amazingly low rate of $850 a month (unheard of in Orange County).


James at the California City Airport. (11/07/2009)

So if you don't like living anywhere near a large city, want an affordable place to live, and don't mind the lack of diversions, then check out California City.

Celebrating Day of the Dead / Dia de Los Muertos

Once again we had our semi-annual dinner celebrating Día de los Muertos (aka "Day of the Dead"), the annual tradition celebrated on All Saints' Day (Nov. 1) or All Soul's Day (Nov. 2). This festive Mexican holiday pays respect to friends and family who have passed away, while at the same time honoring the continuation of life.


Our Dia de los Muertos altar. (11/01/2009)

The holiday symbolizes the belief that our connection with friends and family does not end at death. To commemorate the impact they've had on our lives, a special meal is prepared to welcome the souls into your home for a day of rememberance.


Johnny, Jon and Tim get ready to eat. (11/01/2009)

Today's special meal was Mexican of course, and our pals Johnny and Jon joined us in the celebration. We had carne asada, pollo asado, carnitas, beans and tortillas. (We skipped the rice this year since we're doing South Beach). Of course I made my award-winning fresh guacamole. We also bought a pan de muerto, a Mexican bread sold this time of year that looks like bones. We also skipped the cupcakes and instead celebrated with skull-like cups of sugar-free pudding (another South Beach modification).


Pan de Muerto. (11/01/2009)

This was our first time celebrating Day of the Dead in two years. We skipped it in 2008 because Tim's Grandma Helen in Buffalo, NY passed away a few days before, and her passing was too recent to celebrate Day of the Dead in the joyful spirit in which it was meant to be celebrated (it's not intended to be a sad holiday).


Dia de los Muertos pudding cups. (11/01/2009)

One of the traditions is to display a Day of the Dead altar, where you place candles and photos or mementos of the special souls who have touched our lives. My mother, my grandparents, Tim's dear friend Judi and our beloved dog Simon had their appearance. This year we added photos of Tim's Grandma Helen and our friend Jack Pitts who passed away this year. Although we were saddened to have lost them since our last Day of the Dead celebration, we were honored to include them in our celebration this year.

James & Tim's 2007 Day of the Dead celebration.

James & Tim's 2006 Day of the Dead celebration.

Halloween Impromptu

You may think we had all sorts of plans for Halloween. Especially this year since it fell on a Saturday. Nope.


James as Fidel Castro. (10/31/2009)

We had no plans. No party invitations. Nada. So our plan was to do what we do every year: Hand out candy to the kids. Our pal Amy also had no plans, so she came over for dinner (Tim made a great tilapia) and to hand out candy to the kids.


Tim as Coffee Matey Light. (10/31/2009)

We had maybe 35-40 kids drop by. By the time we shut down at 9pm, I was itchin' to go do something. I was already in my old Fidel Castro costume. So we quickly pulled out Tim's old Tigger costume for Amy, and Tim dusted off his old Coffee Matey costume.


Amy as Tigger. (10/31/2009)

Looking for something to do, we called our friends Scott and Erika, who we learned had just moved into their new condo that very day. Amazingly, they were up for an adventure. Even more amazingly, with all of their belongings stuffed in boxes and clothes hapers, they were able to improvise two costumes in less than 5 minutes!


Our posse at TGIF. (10/31/2009)

Our plans weren't huge. We went to T.G.I.Fridays at The Block for appetizers and drinks. But for an impromptu adventure, it sure was a fun Halloween.

Another Weekend Project

Yeah, it was Halloween and Day of the Dead this weekend. But despite these things, the joys of home ownership continue on. This week's project: Painting the front doors.


James paints the door trim. (10/31/2009)

We've had the new doors for almost a year now. They came primed. But we never got around to painting them until now. (We wanted to do it before the wet rainy season kicks in).


James while painting the front doors. (10/31/2009)

The door color: Whole Wheat, from Dunn Edwards. I did the majority of the doors themselves. Tim is taking on the white trim. You wouldn't think painting a front door would take very long, but it's time consuming. But they look great now, so we're happy.

From Mexican to Sexican - LOL

For the last year, I've been meaning to check out this barber shop that my co-worker Walter goes to. It's called Hawleywood's Barber Shop and Shaving Parlor, and it's right here in the OC. I was in desperate need of a haircut, and since we had no major plans this weekend, I thought this will be the time I finally check it out.


New Haircut, Before & After (10/24/2009)

Hawleywood's is a 1940s and 1950s era barbershop that specializes in straight razor shaves and high and tight old school haircuts. We're talking pompodours, duck tails, flat tops, crew cuts, etc.

The place was awesome. The room was long and narrow, with a line of maybe eight or 10 old-time Naugahyde barber chairs — complete with ash trays in the arms. The walls were covered with vintage motorcycle pics and stuff like that.


New Haircut, Before & After (10/24/2009)

Unlike most typical old school barbershops, all the barbers there were under 40. Although most were pretty heavily tatted, they were all dressed to the nines, complete with perfectly-creased trousers, leather shoes and vests.


New Haircut, Before & After (10/24/2009)

No women are allowed in the shop, a fact clearly stated by the array of male-focused magazines to choose from, including a few tittie magazine titles. When you sit down, an attendant will bring you a beer if you so choose — Pabst Blue Ribbon in the can. It's definitely a man's place (accentuated by the fact that they will kick you out if you wear a fanny pack, tennis socks or Oakley sunglasses).


New Haircut, Before & After (10/24/2009)

Cesar was my barber. I didn't have enough length on the top to pull some of the haircuts off, so I settled for what they call the "Business Man" ... a little long on top with a part. Cesar did a great job I thought. What do you think?

The Truman Show

In a world filled with uncertainties, there are many unanswered questions. What is the meaning of life? Why can't the world's nations peacefully coexist? And most importantly, why haven't Tim and James updated their blog in months?


James and Truman's first picture together. (03/14/2009)

We can't tell you bupkis about the first two questions. But the third question can be answered in a single word: Truman.


Truman the day we brought him home. (03/14/2009)

Yes, for the last seven months, our lives have revolved around a cute little miniature schnauzer puppy we adopted in March. Since then you could say our lives could easily be called "The Truman Show." And it goes without saying, we spend much more time taking care of this little fella, which cut into our blogging time.


Truman was so small when we first got him. (03/14/2009)

A birthday gift to me from Tim, Truman has been a welcome addition to our family. Most of the time anyway. It depends on if Truman is being the little angel that he sometimes is or the little devil that he sometimes is.


Truman's first bath. (04/04/2009)

We were glad to have a dog again, since it had been almost a year-and-a-half since we had to put down our beloved Simon. Although frankly, we were a little leery of going through the puppy phase. It was hard for a couple of months, but now that he's nine months old, it's a lot easier than when he was three or four months.


Truman in the car. (05/30/2009)

A lot of people ask me about his name. I wanted him to have a presidential sounding name, so I named him after president Harry S. Truman. As it turns out, our pup seems to share some of the traits of the former president.


Truman looking adorable. (06/18/2009)

Harry S. Truman was a feisty little son-of-a-gun who was often referred to as "Give 'Em Hell Harry." Our pup — who we jokingly call "Harry Ass Truman" — is also a feisty little son-of-a-gun who gives us hell quite a bit. But then moments later, he can be an irresistable little angel.


Tim & Truman. (07/11/2009)

We're still working on eradicating some of his bad habits (like his propensity to steal our socks). But despite his occasional behavior issues (and what puppy doesn't have them?) he is definitely a joy. Welcome to our family Truman!