Our April Catch-Up

Okay, tonight is the night we finally catch everyone up on what's been going on this month. Consider this our April Catch-Up.


Ralphie was in the Seton Medical Center ICU. (04/07/07)

The month began with a very unfortunate situation. On April 4, we got a call informing us that my cousin Ralphie was in the intensive care unit following emergency surgery to stop internal bleeding. The surgeons were able to curtail the internal bleeding, but due to a significant complication, the doctors didn't expect him to survive the night.

Out of respect for his privacy, we can't really get into the circumstances on a public forum like a blog, but it was a very dire situation. Just hearing that he wasn't expected to survive the next 24 hours was so shocking to me. I couldn't believe the words I was hearing. And then fearing the worst, an incredible sadness swelled over me.


Ralphie and Michele with their kids Dozer and Liele in 2005. (08/05)

I had just seen Ralphie less than a month ago at Liele's birthday party. You just don't expect to hear that someone age 35 could now be in the hospital with mere hours to live. I was not only sad for Ralphie, but for his sister Michele, and especially his parents, who are also my godparents.

We cancelled our Easter plans so that we could drive up to the Bay Area to be with the family members during this difficult time. It was hard seeing him in the hospital like that — hooked up to all sorts of machines. And when we were in there, he was still on the respirator, which was breathing for him. It didn't appear as though he would pull out of it.


Ralphie chillin' at a birthday party last year. (07/08/06)

But thanks to everyone's prayers and positive thinking, Ralphie found the strength to survive. After spending two full weeks in the hospital, most of which in the ICU, he's now back home and recuperating. He's not out of the woods yet and still faces some major hurdles. But his spirits are in good shape.

In fact, when I talked to him on the phone the other night, I made a comment about how he's "not being ready to run a marathon just yet," to which Ralphie replied, "Even before all this, I don't think I was ready to run a marathon." It was good to hear him laugh. I hope to hear a lot more of it in the years to come.


Liele and Tio Jimmy had fun dying Easter eggs. (04/07/07)

On the flip side, spending the weekend in the Bay Area allowed us to spend time with family members that we weren't expecting to see that weekend, like Michele and Lisa's daughter Liele. In fact, Liele and I got to do one of my favorite springtime activities: color easter eggs.

I really get a kick out of the egg wraps that they have now. You know, the ones you slip over the egg and drop in hot water, and then the wrap clings to the egg? Mad crunk, yo. Mad crunk!


John Paul and Anna show off the Easter eggs they found. (04/08/07)

And on Easter itself, Tim and I had fun watching Anna and John Paul hunt for Easter eggs in my dad's backyard. While the kids were occupied with other stuff, my dad went back there and hid about 24 easter eggs.

They found the first 18 or so right away. The next five took a few more minutes, but they were still missing one. After about 15 minutes, my dad went back there to help them find the last one. It was really cute watching them hunt for eggs.


The New Tomorrowland at Disneyland, courtesy of CharlesPhoenix.com. (1968)

What else happened this month? On the 13th, we bought tickets to see a slide show by Charles Phoenix, a self-described "histo-tainer" who puts on these spellbinding slide shows out of vintage slides from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. These are slides that he acquires through estate sales and antique stores.

But unlike the dozens of boring vacation slide shows that you've sat through in the past, the Charles Phoenix slide show was HILARIOUS. His amazing slides, combined with his fascinating historical commentary, made for an unforgettable show. The focus of this show was Southern California, but he also does other themed shows. I hope to attend many more. Check his website for upcoming events.


A night at LA County's last operating drive-in movie theater. (04/14/07)

Speaking of vintage Americana, our friends Jason and Jarrod invited us to join them at the drive-in movies. We met up near the Vineland Drive-In, the last drive-in movie theater in Los Angeles County, and one of only four remaining drive-in theaters in all of Southern California.

It was the first drive-in movie I've been to since I was 10 years old. My brother Robert (7 years older than me) brought me along one night with his friends and we saw "The Hills Have Eyes" (the original version) from the back of a pick-up.

Tonight, our movie selection was Grindhouse, the double-featured homage to cheesy '70s action flicks. Although Grindhouse wasn't that great, it was the perfect movie to see at the drive-in theater. Despite the fact that it was freezing cold that night, we had lots of fun.


Tim, Hoku Ho, Don Ho, Steve and James. (05/2002)

We were also saddened to hear about the passing of the legendary Don Ho on April 14. We had the fortunate experience to see his show during a 2002 trip to Oahu. We even posed with him for photos and got autographs. I have a great picture of us with Don Ho that he autographed, but unfortunately we don't have a working scanner, so this dark, flashless photo we took with the digital camera will have to suffice for now.

Seeing Don Ho was one of my biggest goals during our Hawaii trip, and I'm glad we had the chance. It's something I've always wanted to see ever since he was on the Brady Bunch. And while not as well known, I'll also never forget Don Ho's duet with Broadway diva Patti LuPone on an episode of the ground-breaking show "Life Goes On."

What you don't expect is that Don Ho's show is SO FUNNY! In fact, most of it was him telling jokes. He opened his show with the classic Tiny Bubbles, after which he muttered, "I hate that song." He also closed his show with Tiny Bubbles, adding "My audience is so old, they won't remember that we played it once already."

Even though he barely sang, Don's show was thoroughly entertaining. He will surely be missed. Aloha, Don Ho!


Jon & Amy and the awesome DCA corn dogs. (04/15/07)

The next day we went to Disneyland with our pals Jon and Amy, who were there to purchase their annual passes. In addition, we wanted to ride the Red Hot Chili Peppers-enhanced rides one last time before they revert back to their original music. There wasn't much to write about that day, but I just wanted an excuse to run this really funny picture of Jon and Amy eating corn dogs!


Happy 3rd Birthday John Paul. (04/08/07)

On April 21st, my little brother from another mother John Paul turned three. He's growing up so fast! Happpy birthday John Paul!

Lastly, on April 22, we saw a great show at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. It was called 100 Years of Broadway and featured a review of some of the best Broadway moments from the last 100 years. Our favorites included "All That Jazz" from Chicago, "This is the Moment" from Jeckyll & Hyde, "Music of the Night" from the Phantom of the Opera, "And I Am Telling You" from Dreamgirls, and "Seasons of Love" from Rent.


The Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. (04/22/07)

We could have done without "Sherry" from the Frankie Valli vehicle, Jersey Boys and "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" from the Billy Joel musical Movin' Out (we're not a big fan of jukebox musicals). But overall, the show was great.

Our Surprise Houseguest

Look what the cleaning ladies found in our house today when they moved my floor lamp to dust the corners? I wasn't home when it happened, but Tim was. He heard one of the cleaning ladies react to something. Next thing he knew, she came rushing in to alert Tim.


The uninvited guest. (04/04/07)

To fully comprehend the humor of the situation, you have to understand that our cleaning ladies speak little, if any English. And Tim speaks little, if any Spanish. I guess she didn't know how to say "lizard" and all she could get out was "Animal! Animal!"

Tim was like, WTF? What animal is she talking about?! So he went to check it out and came face to face with this little guy. After snapping a pic for the blog, he gently cajoled the little lizard into a box, after which Tim took him back to his hood in the back yard.

Mail the Force Be With You

From a galaxy far, far away, all the way to beautiful downtown Burbank, R2-D2 has arrived ... in the form of a U.S. Postal Service mailbox.


James and R2-D2 pose in front of Warner Brothers. (04/01/07)

This mailbox, of course, is one of only 400 R2-D2-inspired mailboxes installed nationwide by the Postal Service. The goal is to create buzz around the release of the Star Wars stamps being released next month commemorating the 30th anniversary of the original film's release.


Tom and Christine and America's favorite droid. (04/01/07)

When I first heard about these mailboxes, I was determined to find one. And with only 400 nationwide, it doesn't leave very many options. Fortunately, the Force was on our side when they installed one just around the corner from Tom and Christine's apartment, near the Taco Bell and across the street from Warner Brothers. So we went to check it.


R2-D2 with a true Jedi Master. (04/01/07)

It was very cool. I can't wait for the stamps to be issued. According to the www.uspsjedimaster.com Web site, they'll be available at post offices May 26.

T-Bone Hits the Big 3-8

Besides being April Fool's Day, April 1st is also our friend Tom's birthday (how fitting is that?) :)


Tom with the birthday cake Christine made for him. (04/01/07)

To celebrate his turning the big 3-8, I wondered what new and exciting adventure he had planned. And guess what we did? The exact same thing we did last year: Dinner at El Torito around the corner, followed by cake and presents at the house.


Laura, Ryan and Tim. (04/01/07)

It was a small bunch. Just his wife Christine, his brother Ryan, sister-in-law Laura and Tim and I. For the cake, Christine made a carrot cake. From scratch! It was taste-eeee.


Birthday Boy, Christine and James. (04/01/07)

He got some cool gifts. Steak knives. Some movies. The Pan's Labrynth soundtrack. But the thing I was most jealous of was the Black & Tan Turtle — a turtle-shaped device that helps you float the Guiness on top the the Bass Pale Ale without splashing and mixing them.


The waiters sing Las Mañanitas to Tom. (04/01/07)

You know how you sometimes see bartenders do it over the back of a spoon? Well the Black & Tan Turle is much easier to use. I bet it would work for White Russians too! I got to cop me one of those, mos def!

Universal Studios and El Conquistador

Our friend Steve, from Washington DC, was in town for a conferene this past week. So he extended his stay by a couple of days to spend some time with us in L.A. Steve, as you remember, is accompanied us on our trip to the Virgin Islands last year. We've already taken him to Disneyland. We've done the Getty Center. The only thing in the area he hasn't done is Universal Studios. So that's what we did (and we even invited our friend Jason along to boot).


The Universal backlot taken from the top of the hill. (03/31/07)

Tim and I each hadn't been there in years. The last time for me was in 1996. It was the first time I met Lisa, my cousin Michele's partner. I remember getting along well with her from the moment I met her (she was the only one who wanted to do the Backdraft experience with me).


On the famous Universal Studios tram. (03/31/07)

It's actually changed a lot since I was last there. They no longer have the dumb E.T. ride, and they've added a Terminator 3-D experience, as well as The Mummy roller coaster (which was disappointingly short). The best part, as always, is the backlot tour.


The Grinch That Stole Christmas set. (03/31/07)

Yes, the tour is cheesy, especially with all those tired gimmicks, like the Earthquake, King Kong and the Jaws shark that is so old it has to be carbon dated. But what I like about the tour is, unlike the backlot studio tour at the Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando which seemed so manufactured, you get the feeling that there was actual filming done at the Universal backlot. The other cool thing was the crash site from War of the Worlds, which was pretty impressive (much more so than the film, so I'm told).


The crash site from War of the Worlds. (03/31/07)

Afterwards, we headed to one of our favorite restaurants, El Conquistador in Silverlake. The food is pretty good, but the main attractions are definitely the margaritas (or in Tim's case, the Blue Margarita) and the molcajete salsa, all of which were in high demand after our long day at Universal.


Steve and Tim share one last blue margarita at El Conquistador. (03/31/07)

If you ever get a chance to go, may I suggest the Sonorense - a chicken dish with peppers, onions and crubled bacon. It's so good. My second favorite, which I got this time, is the Ropa Vieja, a dish of tender, slow-roasted beef.


Jason and James pose with longtime waiter Ricardo. (03/31/07)

It was a great day and the perfect closing to a fun month!

Davis Gaines at the Carpenter Lounge

Tonight I saw a performance by a Broadway legend (to me, anyway) — Mr. Davis Gaines. Okay, I realize he may not be a household name. But for we musical theatre fans, Davis Gaines is best known for having played the title role in the Phantom of the Opera for more than 2,000 performances in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.


Davis Gaines in a photo from his website. (1998)

He actually played the role the one and only time I saw Phantom, back in 1993 with Tom and Christine and the gang. I remember being quite impressed with his voice. In fact, if you were to ask me if I could sing like anyone in the world, I'd answer Davis Gaines in a heartbeat (followed closely by Michael Ball).

I last saw a Davis Gaines performance in September 2004 when he was in Side By Side By Sondheim at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The show itself was kind of weak, but his solo numbers were great.


The Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts. (03/30/07)

Strangely he looked about 10 years younger in tonight's show than he did when I saw him in 2004. I'd say he looked like he was 33 years old, and not 53 years old like he really is. Gee, I wonder how that happens? :)


The Carpenters' gold records. (03/30/07)

The show was at the Carpenter Lounge (aka backstage at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts) located at Long Beach State University. They had all sorts of Carpenters memorabilia there, including awards, gold and platinum records, and even some of their musical instruments.


Karen Carpenter's drum set and her brother's organ. (03/30/07)

Davis did an outstanding show, consisting of old standards for the first act, and Broadway performances in the second act (with The Music of the Night from Phantom as his encore). In between songs, he kept us well entertained with lots of fun stories from his long career. It was a great night!

2007 Disneyland Kickoff

I know most people think we're at Disneyland every week. But believe it or not, despite having annual passes, we haven't been there once since last December. Until today.


Music that rocks on coasters that roll. (03/25/07)

We met up with our pals Jon and Amy who were there with Amy's family. The big goal of the day: Ride Space Mountain and California Screamin', the two roller coasters that were enhanced with new soundtracks by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Amy's favorite band).


Tim and James play with the Tomorrowland orb. (03/25/07)

As it turned out, those were the only two rides we rode that day, because the parks were so crowded! The wait for Space Mountain alone was about an hour. But the ride, which featured the Chilis' cover of the Steve Wonder classic, Higher Ground, was awesome. It wasn't just the music either. They also spiced up the rides with new effects.


James in front of Space Mountain. (03/25/07)

The California Screamin' coaster in Disney's California Adventure featured the Chilis' Around the World. It didn't have as much of an impact me as Space Mountain , but it was lots of fun nonetheless.


The Mariachi Divas pose for a pic. (03/25/07)

If you want to check out the enhanced versions of the rides, you better hurry. They're only here through April 26.

Eating Our Way Across L.A.

It happens in the life of every restaurant. Things are going really good. And then the next thing you know, there's a change of ownership and the food and service kind of slides downhill. Unfortunately, that seems to have been the fate of our favorite Vietnamese restaurant — the one that was so conveniently only a quarter mile away from our house.


We're told that Pho 999 is one of Los Angeles' best Vietnamese restaurants. (03/24/07)

The last time we were there, on my birthday, things weren't as good as they usually are. So when we met up with our friends Tom, Christine and Laura after our tax appointment, we set out to find a new Vietnamese restaurant of choice. And we set our eyes on Pho 999, which is reportedly one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Los Angeles (or Van Nuys, technically).


Tom was impressed by the Vietnamese coffee. (03/24/07)

The first thing we noticed was how much more crowded it was than our Vietnamese place. We had to wait about 15 minutes, which wasn't bad. The next thing we noticed was how many more menu items Pho 999 had. The menu was gigantic! It took us a while to sort through it and try it out.


Christine, Tom and Laura delve into their Pho. (03/24/07)

Tom, Christine and Laura each opted for some soup variation (For Laura, it was Pho; For Tom, it was Hu Tieu). Tim settled for a more traditional stir-fry dish. I was probably the most adventurous one, opting for their fried tilapia, served whole, including the head and eyes (although I didn't eat that part).


James shows off his whole tilapia. (03/24/07)

Overall, I was very pleased with my food. The fish was crispy on the outside, yet incredibly delicate on the inside. It was a little challenging to eat, however. Plus you had to be careful with the bones. Tom and Christine liked theirs, but unfortunately Tim did not care for his food at all (some sort of lemon grass chicken dish). Laura wasn't very impressed either, preferring the pho soup stock of her local Vietnamese restaurant. Overall the reviews were mixed. I guess it depends on what you get.


We couldn't resist a picture of Laura in front of the wallpaper. (03/24/07)

Afterward we stopped for dessert at Pinkberry in Studio City, one of a chain of trendy frozen yogurt stores that are the current flavor of the month in L.A. They sell only two flavors of yogurt, with a variety of toppings that range from fruit to breakfast cereal. It was good, but a little pricey. But it's still worth checking out if you're in the area.


Afterward, we had our dessert at Pinkberry. (03/24/07)

In the meantime, if you know of any good Vietnamese places, let us know!

A Night at the Roller Derby

For most people, St. Patrick's Day is a day of drinking green beer, eating corned beef & cabbage, and celebrating your Irish pride. But for us, it was a day of women's roller derby, BBQ food and celebrating our white trash pride (or, in my case, my off-white trash pride).


Jarrod, Jason and Tim get ready for the roller derby rumble. (03/17/07)

Our friends Jason and Jarrod invited us to a roller derby match between the OC Roller Girls and the Angel City Derby Girls. Since neither Tim nor I had ever been to a women's roller derby game before, we couldn't pass this one up. Making it even more appealing was our plan to deck ourselves out in our best white trash duds.


This is the best pic I could get with my Canon Elph. (03/17/07)

Tim donned a trucker cap, a flannel outer shirt and a Coors Light t-shirt (that he picked up at Wal-Mart, no less!). For my garb, we went to the Army surplus store where I picked up a "BORDER PATROL" t-shirt and cammo shorts. The boys rounded out the night with Jarrod in sleeveless flannel and a Girls Gone Wild hat, while Jason slipped into his overalls. We looked tight!


During the breaks, we were entertained by an Elvis impersonator. (03/17/07)

After a round of margaritas at the house, we made our way to our favorite BBQ pit: Johnny Rebs. After that, we headed to the Anaheim Hockey Club for the game. It was lots of fun, although sadly, no one questioned our clothes in the least. Oh well.

Spotted Today: Drive-Up Prayer Booth

We've seen a lot of interesting drive-thrus, but this one takes the cake. We came across this drive-up prayer booth while shopping today and just had to capture the moment.


Anyone looking for a drive-up prayer booth? (03/17/07)

If you're in the need for some drive-up prayers and are in the Tustin area, you can find this on Red Hill Ave. between El Camino Real and San Juan St.

20,000,000 Minutes Old Today

Remember last October when I turned 20 (in Mars years)? Well, I'm now celebrating another alternate birthday. At 10:02 p.m. tonight, I turned 20 million minutes old! Or at least so says the Alternative Birthday Calendar.


James and Scott at the party celebrating James' other birthday. (03/03/07)

Well, I may be 20 Million Minutes old, but I only feel like I'm 19 Million!

Liele and Juliet's 2nd 2nd Birthday Party

Due to my fairly decent planning and scheduling skills (which I completely attribute to having lived with master planner Tim for 10 years), I arranged the day so that after Disney on Ice, that we could go directly to Liele and Juliet's 2nd 2nd Birthday Party (That's not a typo ... it literally was their 2nd 2nd birthday party).


Liele, Juliet and the trick candles. (03/10/07)

What I mean by that is, their birthdays are the same as mine: March 4th. And on that date, they each had a birthday party with their friends. But this party, on March 10 at my godparents' house in Daly City, was a party for the relatives.

Liele, once again, is the daughter of my cousin Michele and her partner Lisa. And Juliet is the daughter of my cousin Olga from Palmdale, CA.


Anna and John Paul in the bounce house. (03/10/07)

It was a fun party, with lots of good food. Lisa cooked up some awesome hot dogs. And my godfather Ralph made some really tasty homemade salsa and these amazing barbacoa tacos. And my aunt Elvira even made some chicken in a pipian sauce, which is a spicy sauce made with pumpkin seeds. Topping off the day was a tres leches cake.


Shel, Lisa and Ralphie. (03/10/07)

One of the more interesting moments came when my dad attempted to reach for the jalapeños, which were in one of those old Tupperware pickle holders. Foolishly thinking the handle was meant to lift the entire container (not just the handle to lift the jalapeños out of the juice), he yanked it hard only to spill a pile of jalapeños and jalapeño juice all over my godmother's table. Dinner and a show!


Cousin Michael, Dad and Cousin Beau. (03/10/07)

The second most entertaining moment was watching all the kids blow out all the candles. They pulled the perennial trick candles gag — always good for amusing the adults and confusing the kids. Afterwards it was the chaotic opening presents melee, which was compounded by the fact that there were two birthday girls. Once that calmed down, we headed our way back to San Ramon.