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.

Happy Holidays from James & Tim's Blog

Breaking news: James & Tim's Blog is alive! Not that you can tell by the frequency of blog posts lately. I've been concentrating on other projects as of late, like organizing and backing up our digital photo library (and we have thousands), or our continuing effort to digitize our family's old slides, like these I scanned today that seemed rather timely.


James (in blue) & Robert throw snowballs as our dad watches. (12/1971)

According to the writing on the box, these snapshots were taken in December 1971 when we drove our 1969 Country Squire Station Wagon to Chicago to spend Christmas with relatives. I'm almost certain that this was the first time I had ever seen snow in person. You can see the delight in my face as I tossed snow balls towards my Mom who was taking the photo.

That was the first and last time we drove to Chicago for Christmas. My dad said the drive home was horrible. It was 14 below and in the middle of a storm. My dad was afraid to turn off the engine, for fear the car wouldn't start again (even filling the gas tank while the car ran). It wasn't until we arrived in Wyoming that we eventually turned the engine off.


I think this was my first time playing in snow. (12/1971)

He said the only way he knew he was still on the freeway was because of the poles at the edge of the road that extended above the snow. My brother and I were bundled up inside our coats, inside two sleeping bags, and even with the heater on full blast, we kept complaining about being cold. No wonder we never made that trip again!

In the meantime, enjoy the pics and keep tuned into James & Tim's Blog for new content soon.

Our Color Purple Thanksgiving

They say 2008 was the year of change. So after nearly 39 years of group Thanksgiving gatherings at the homes of family or friends, Tim and I decided to make a change this year and spend Thanksgiving dinner at Orange Hill Restaurant.


The view when we arrived for Thanksgiving dinner. (11/27/2008)

A couple of reasons prompted this. First, we've never had Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant before, and it sounded kind of fun (especially at Orange Hill Restaurant that we love anyway). Second, my whole family was in Chicago for Thanksgiving this year. Third, we had tickets that night to see The Color Purple stage musical at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

We didn't intentionally buy show tickets on Thanksgiving. In fact, I wouldn't have thought they would even perform a show on Thanksgiving. But this year we subscribed to the series and selected Thursday nights as our show night. When we received our tickets, we actually called the box office to make sure there wasn't a mistake (there wasn't).


The view when we left Thanksgiving dinner. (11/27/2008)

We had dinner before the show, arriving at 4:30 p.m. We strategically selected that time because we knew the view would be daylight when we arrived, we'd watch the sunset while we ate, and it would be night when we left. That way we could see the amazing view in all the major stages (the view, and the food, were amazing).

The show was great too. I don't know if it was the best show I'd ever seen, or even in my top 10, but I still enjoyed it very much. The woman who played the lead part of Celie, Jeannette Bayardelle, was great. And being the American Idol nut that I am, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that LaToya London, one of the powerhouse divas of Season 3, was playing the part of Celie's sister Nettie (LaToya London's Idol performance of "All By Myself" still gives me chills when I think about it).


We spent Thanksgiving night seeing The Color Purple. (11/27/2008)

The most standout performance, however, was by Felicia P. Fields, who played the unstoppable Sofia (the role Oprah Winfrey played in the 1985 film). Fields was reprising the role she originated on Broadway, and she was incredible. I especially liked her song, "Hell, No!" The audience went wild when she sang it.

Altogether, it was a very pleasant way to spend the day. In fact, if you ask me if I would have done Thanksgiving any different this year, I'd say: "Hell, No!" :)

What We Did for Christmas 2007

In this post, I'm going to answer THE QUESTION. You know, the question that is burning on the forefront of everyone's minds. The question to which thousands of people worldwide can't sleep without knowing the answer. The question: What did James and Tim do for Christmas?


Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree. (12/24/2007)

The answer: A whole lotta nothing! Actually that's not exactly true. We did head out to the desert to visit Tim's family. But once we got there, then we did a whole lot of nothing (apart from our Oatman adventure). Actually that was fine for me, because I got to relax, take afternoon naps and just chill out.


Like son, like father. (12/23/2007)

I will say that while we were in the Oatman area, we did stop to get lunch at Casa Serrano in Fort Mojave, which my co-worker Tina raves about (she and her boyfriend stop there every time they drive to nearby Laughlin). And aside from the somewhat uninspired dinner salad, the food was pretty darn good (of course the Margaritas we ordered didn't hurt). I'm glad we finally got to check it out.


Our delicious Christmas buffet. (12/24/2007)

For Christmas Eve, Tim's grandmother joined us for a delightful buffet that Tim's mom put together. Tim's mom brought out a sandwich meat tray, fresh rolls, deviled eggs (a particular favorite of mine), her always-delicious potato salad, and a variety of other tasty sides. Afterwards we opened presents and played games.


Dad, Grandma and Tim. (12/24/2007)

We got some cool stuff. Shoes. Shirts. A gift card for Chili's. Tim also got a very cool wristwatch from his folks. The big gift of the evening was the 10.4-inch digital picture frame we got for Tim's parents.


Tim tries out the Triflo II. (12/24/2007)

The most memorable gift Tim got from his Mom and Dad was the Triflo II, an incentive deep breathing exerciser (it was a gag gift). It's one of those things hospitals provide for surgery patients where they suck in air with the goal being to make all three balls float. Apparently after Tim's dad's bypass surgery a few months ago, Tim kept on badgering his dad to excercise his lungs with the Triflo II. And now it's Tim's!


Opening up the digital picture frame. (12/24/2007)

We concluded the night by playing our new favorite game, Apples to Apples. The following morning Tim and I were back on the road to Southern California, as we both had to be back at work the following day. On the night of Christmas Day, Tim and I exchanged presents.

I got him one share of Starbucks stock from OneShare.com. I figured he spends so much money there that he might as well try to get some money back! I also got him a t-shirt and a reversible hoodie from Tilly's.


Tim got one share of Starbucks stock.

And for me, Tim really went way over our pre-determined budget when he gave me two fifth-row center tickets to see Wicked at the Pantages, which we have not seen yet. We're going in Februrary. It's an amazing gift, and I can't wait to blog about it. Stay tuned!

James' Top 5 Christmas CDs

Since we've been listening to a lot of Christmas music lately, I thought I'd take this opportunity to blog about my Top 5 Christmas CDs. Before I do, I'd like to explain my selection criteria.


Besides the tree, Christmas music is one of the best parts of the holiday season. (12/24/06)

First of all, these are favorite full-length albums, not individual Christmas tracks. If it were actual Christmas tracks, the list would A) be very hard for me to compile, and B) certainly include many songs that don't appear on these favorite albums. Secondly, I limit my scope to Christmas albums by a single band, artist or entity. No compilations!

Lastly, I only list my Top 5 (as opposed to my Top 10) because I felt the Top 5 were far superior than what I would have included in #6-10. I do give honorable mention to Tony Bennett's Snowfall, Clay Aiken's Merry Christmas With Love and Peggy Lee's Christmas Carousel, however I don't think these albums even come close to the quality and timelessness of my Top 5. So with no further ado, here they are:



5. Barbra Streisand — A Christmas Album

Sometimes the oldies really are the goodies. And that is certainly the case with Barbra Joan Streisand's classic 1967 release. This one ranks on several Top Christmas Album lists, and with good reason. It's dang good.


Barbra Streisand - A Christmas Album. (1967)

It's also incredibly diverse. One minute you're enjoying Babs' playful take on a highly-syncopated version of "Jingle Bells." Next thing you know, you're hearing "My Favorite Things" in full torch-song styling. And just when you're thinking it couldn't get more different, she knocks you out with her devotional covers of such sacred hymns as "The Lord's Prayer" and Gounod's "Ave Maria."

The album also contains what I believe is the definitive recording of "White Christmas," one of my all-time favorite Christmas tracks. It's funny to think that one of my favorite Christmas songs is sung by, and written by, two people of the Jewish faith (Irving Berlin was Jewish). It just goes to show that the magic of Christmas music isn't limited to those who celebrate it. (Although the same can't be said for Neil Diamond, whose Christmas album is one of my least favorites).

This is simply one of the best Christmas albums out there. Period. I am sorry to say, however, that my acclaim doesn't extend to Barbra's 2001 Christmas album, Christmas Memories, which was disappointingly average. It's not bad. But it's not great either. Sometimes the Christmas magic only strikes once.


4. Sarah McLachlan — Wintersong

Released in 2006, this is the newest album on my list. Although the album opens with a fairly ordinary cover of the John Lennon/Yoko Ono "Happy Xmas (War is Over)," it's when you hit track #2 that you realize this is a whole new approach to traditional Christmas music. McLachlan's re-melodization of the time-honored classic, "What Child Is This," is not only totally fresh, it's stunningly beautiful. The same can be said about her re-interpretation of "I'll Be Home for Christmas."


Sarah McLachlan - Wintersong. (2006)

She includes a beautiful cover of Joni Mitchell's "River," which I never really considered a Christmas song before. I know it mentions "Christmas" in the lyrics, but it just never seemed like it belonged on a Christmas compilation. That is until Wintersong came out.

The album also contains an original song, "Wintersong," which always scores points in my book. And it helps when the song is amazing, as is this one. Another facet I must mention is the soulful duet with Diana Krall on Vince Guaraldi's "Christmastime is Here," made famous in the timeless 1965 TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

But my absolute favorite track on the album has to be "The First Noel/Mary Mary" which after the first chorus, is completely different from the original melody, but just as beautiful. Definitely add this to your wish list for next year if you don't already have it.


3. Ella Fitzgerald — Ella Wishes You a Swingin' Christmas

This album, the oldest on my list, is a toe-tapping, finger-snapping delight. Released 47 years ago, this album by one of the most influential jazz singers in American history, is simply timeless. Between Ella's crisp vocals and the amazing orchestration by Frank DeVol (who despite his many successes, is best known for having orchestrated The Brady Bunch series), this album is pure gold.


Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Wishes You a Swingin' Christmas. (1960)

The album comes out of the gate with Ella's bright and lively "Jingle Bells." She slows things down a little for "The Christmas Song," which really shows off DeVol's amazing ear for orchestration (gotta give mad props to to the guy who did that tight xylophone solo).

But the tempo comes right back up for Ella's delighful take on "Let is Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!" Other favorites of mine include "Sleigh Ride," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and "Winter Wonderland."

This amazing album also contains what I think is the definitive recording of, "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve," which I believe is one of the most under-rated songs of the season. Go pick this CD up!


2. Celine Dion — These Are Special Times

Many of you who know that I idolize Celine Dion are probably surprised to see that this only ranks as #2 on my list. It actually was my #1 until 2000 when it was eclipsed by my current #1 choice (more on that later). Believe me when I tell you that picking my #1 was like choosing your favorite child.


Celine Dion - These Are Special Times. (1998)

This incredible album begins with Celine's melisma-infused "O Holy Night," which after hearing it hundreds of times over the years, still makes me tingle. To me, this is the best recording of "O Holy Night" there is. In addition, this album also contains my all-time-favorite cover of the equally beautiful "Ave Maria."

My favorite track on the album, however, just may be "The Magic of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone)" which was rather startlingly written by Twisted Sister lead vocalist Dee Snider. It still amazes me that Dee Snider could have written something so melodic and enduring. Combine that great songwriting with Celine's angelic voice, and you've got some serious holiday mojo, baby!

Other great tracks include "Christmas Eve," which has a sort of mid '60s vibe. It reminds me of something that could have been written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. The album also offers a Diane Warren power ballad, "These Are Special Times." And I would be remiss not to mention "The Prayer," Celine's flawless duet with Andrea Bocelli.

Finally, I have to add that I simply love the recording of "Les Cloches du Hameau." I know it doesn't exactly showcase Celine, since it's sung by an entire choir, but it's such a captivating melody that I can't help but enjoy it every time.


1. Linda Eder — Christmas Stays the Same

Back in 1998 and 1999, I would have never thought another Christmas album would top the near perfection of Celine Dion's These Are Special Times. But in 2000 along came Linda Eder's equally perfect Christmas Stays the Same.


Linda Eder - Christmas Stays the Same. (2000)

By combining traditional Christmas songs, both sacred and secular, with the amazing voice of Linda Eder, you get an album that's pure bliss. It all comes together perfectly on tracks like "Here Comes Santa Claus/Santa Claus is Coming to Town." The big band swing orchestration on this track is the perfect backing for a big voice like Linda Eder's. Pay particular attention the tiny moments that pay homage to such musical icons as Benny Goodman's "Sing Sing Sing," Kander & Ebb's "New York, New York," and Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue."

Constrasting starkly with the big band swing orchestration and vocals is the subdued "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," which really highlights the purity of Eder's voice. Another favorite is "The Little Drummer Boy," which layers multiple versions of Eder's voice, highlighting the beautiful harmonies.

It's nearly impossible to pick just one favorite track from the album, but if I did, it just might be "Do You Hear What I Hear." Backed by a gospel choir and orchestrations that could fit just as easily on the Broadway version of The Lion King, this is perhaps the most joyous song on the entire album. "With a voice as big as the sea" indeed.

Although the classic Christmas songs are stellar, the brilliance really emerges with the three original songs written by Eder's husband-at-the-time, Frank Wildhorn, the acclaimed composer of such Broadway shows as Jekyll & Hyde and The Scarlet Pimpernel. The songs — "Christmas Stays the Same," "Christmas Through a Child's Eyes," and "The Bells of St. Paul" — add a whole new depth to the Christmas album. Like Lennon & McCartney, Gilbert & Sullivan and Quincy Jones & Michael Jackson, the combination of Linda Eder and Frank Wildhorn is true magic.

I simply can't say enough about this album. If you don't already own this album, it simply must be on your list for next year.

Happy Thanksgiving 2007

I don't know how your Thanksgiving started. But ours started at 3:00 a.m. when our alarm went off. The reason we got up at that ungodly hour was to avoid what would surely have been bumper-to-bumper traffic on Wednesday night.


Thanksgiving courtesy of Whole Foods Market. (11/22/07)

Tim took the first driving shift, while I slept. Then after refueling somewhere near Mendota, I took the wheel while Tim slept.


Miguel Angel celebrated his first Thanksgiving. (11/22/07)

We got to San Ramon around 8:30 a.m. We had some breakfast (our family doesn't have Thanksgiving dinner until it's actually dinner time, around 6:00 pm) and then spent the rest of the day hanging out with the kids, watching Ratatouille, etc. We also managed to sneak in a quick nap.


Ruben carves the turkey. (11/22/07)

Since we didn't feel like spending half the day cooking, we opted to order our Thanksgiving dinner from Whole Foods Market. It was a little pricey, but well worth it when you consider that my stepmom has a three-year-old and a five-month-old to take care of. (The eight-year-old, the thirty-eight-year-old and the forty-six-year old — aka Anna, James and Robert — were capable of entertaining themselves, as were Tim and my Dad).


Anna and John Paul. (11/22/07)

As everyone else probably does, we ate too much. We were hardly hungry for the pumpkin pie. But I'm sure we'll get around to it tomorrow.

Haunted Mansion Holiday

One of our favorite things about Disneyland at this time of year is the Haunted Mansion. Every year since 2001, the Haunted Mansion closes for a couple of weeks in September and re-opens as the Haunted Mansion Holiday, featuring the music, themes and characters from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. Looks cool, huh?


A pumpkin rendering of Sandy Claws. (09/30/07)


"000 Days to Xmas" (09/30/07)


The Haunted Mansion Holiday placard. (09/30/07)


It's HalloweenTime! (09/30/07)

Memorial Day Weekend BBQ & Pool Party

Our Memorial Day weekend was pretty low-key. We didn't do a lot of social activities other than having a few friends over for a mini pool party and BBQ. The usual gang showed up: Tom & Christine, Jon & Amy, and Jason & Jarrod.


Doin' what we love the most. (5/27/07)

We spent most of the day in the pool, eating all sorts of tasty snacks, including fresh-made guacamole, lobster dip and some homemade salsa. The real winner of the snacks was Jason, who made this roasted shallot dip that was mad good.


Doesn't Tim look good in a cowboy hat? (5/27/07)

We had dinner around 6:00, just as the warm sun started going away. We had grilled chicken breast sandwiches, corn-on-the-cob and various side dishes. My favorites were Christine's potato salad and Jason's couscous salad.


Christine's scrumdiddlyumptious cupcakes. (5/27/07)

Afterward we played games and enjoyed the phat cupcakes that Christine made from scratch. Dee-lish!

Belated Christmas in San Ramon

As you read in earlier posts, my family was out of town for actual Christmas. So we got together in San Ramon once they returned. I always enjoy going up there, especially since my sister Anna, 7, and brother John Paul, 2, are growing up so fast. And believe it or not, I have a third sibling on the way, a boy, due in May. More on that to come!


Anna and John Paul. (01/07)

We didn't do a whole lot other than spend time with family, with one eventful excursion that I'll write about separately. We were supposed to hang out with our friends Doris and Jen (our vacation buddies in French Canada and Virgin Islands). But Doris, it turned out, got sick rather suddenly, so we had to postpone.


James and Anna at Nation's Giant Hamburgers. (01/07)

I also had a real craving to go to Nation's, a Bay Area hamburger chain that serves up these awesome hamburgers. Even during the brief one-year stint in the early 1990s when I gave up red meat, I still went to Nation's for their grilled cheese sandwiches. It was Anna's first time. She only ate half of the hamburger (we brought the other half home to our dad).


Anna opens up a present. (01/07)

Opening Christmas presents was fun. It always is when little kids are involved. Anna got some books and the DVD of my favorite Disney animated film ever, The Little Mermaid. John Paul, on the other hand, got the new Tickle Me Elmo TMX, as well as a big UPS truck, just like the one he admired at our house last August.


John Paul unwraps the UPS truck Santa brought him. (01/07)

Tim and I also managed to make it down to San Jose to visit my Aunts Nicky and Margaret, who are doing well. We brought them some pan dulce from the Pink Elephant market, which I hadn't been to since I was a kid! My aunt Nicky, who is my mom's oldest sister, was telling me all sorts of old family stories that I hadn't heard before. It's always fun to pop by for a visit. Their two dogs, Jigs and Cuddles, always crack me up.


I visited my aunts Nicky and Margaret while up there. (01/07)

On our last full day there, we took Anna to the movies to see Happily Never After. I think I remember the first 10 minutes and the last 10 minutes. The rest of the time, both Tim and I were out cold asleep. Old age, I guess.

Later, my cousins Michele, Lisa and daughter Liele stopped by for a short visit. It was fun watching Liele and John Paul play together.


Lisa, Liele and Michele stopped by for a visit too. (01/07)

Looking forward to the next visit to San Ramon in March!

An Orange New Year's Eve

We celebrated New Year's Eve with our usual teeny tiny party. This year it was only Tom & Christine, Jon and Amy and Everett and Manny.


Manny, Everett, Tim, Tom, Christine, Amy and Jon take a moment from their turkey mole to smile. (12/31/06)

For dinner, we served turkey mole, steamed rice, refried beans, tortillas and fresh guacamole. Afterwards we enjoyed some really yummy cookies and cranberry updside down cake that Christine baked.


The last supper of 2006. (12/31/06)

Jon and Amy stayed the night in the spare bedroom, which was fun, since we were able to be lazy all morning while we watched the entire Tournament of Roses parade. Happy 2007 everybody!

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)

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.

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.