10th Annual Gay Days Anaheim - Day 1

Editor's Note: For a change of pace, all photography in this day's entry is by Jason and Jarrod, who saw things from a slightly different angle.

Tim and I joined pals Jason & Jarrod for the 10th Annual Gay Days Weekend at the Disneyland Resort. This annual tradition, as you may or may not know, is where thousands of members of the LGBT community, as well as supportive straight friends, don red shirts and transform the Happiest Place on Earth into the gayest place on Earth (not that it isn't already the gayest place on earth during the other 364 days of the year, or anything). :)


After getting soaked on Splash Mountain. (10/06/07)

We went last year, which was also when we renewed our annual passes. As luck would have it, the 2007 Gay Days was still within our one-year annual pass window. As Southern California annual passholders, that meant we had discounted admission Saturday, and free admission Sunday.


Tim enjoys the parade. (10/06/07)

We met Jason and Jarrod at the park Saturday around 11:00 a.m. Just getting to the parking structure, we saw lines of cars waiting outside. We knew it was going to be crowded that day.


James tries to get Ariel's attention. (10/06/07)

By the time we got to the tram, we found Jason and Jarrod wearing the cutest (read: gayest) hats. Jarrod wore a miniature Scorcerer's Apprentice Hat. Jason, on the other hand, was decked out in Princess Fiona Ogress ears from Shrek. I know, wrong animation group, but Jason made it work!


Jarrod and Tim on Autopia. (10/06/07)

As packed as the place was that day, I was surprised that we did keep running into people we knew (especially Jason and Jarrod, who are much more social than Tim and I). At various times, we hooked up with other people, like Jarrod's ex Robert, who was there with several people.


Jarrod checks out Toontown. (10/06/07)

Despite the crowds, we did manage to hit up most of the E Ticket rides. The Haunted Mansion Holiday. Splash Mountain (where we got soaked). Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Space Mountain. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Star Tours (Jarrod and James only). Autopia. Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin. The only major ones we skipped were Pirates of the Caribbean, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (which we rode last week) and Indiana Jones, which was closed every time we were in that part of the park.


The gang ride the Toontown fire truck. (10/06/07)

We also joined the sea of red shirts for the group photo at the Festival Arena, as well as for Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams. And of course, we didn't miss the bear jamboree at the Hungry Bear Restaurant.


Jason & Jarrod attempt to pull the sword out of the stone. (10/06/07)

By the time 7:00 p.m. came around, we were wiped! So we headed to dinner outside the park, after which we went back to our place where Jason and Jarrod crashed for the night (they live in Ventura, after all). It was a long day, but a fun day.

Click here to see what we did on Day 2.

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's OC Farewell

We've written about the discount theatre tickets we get from Goldstar Events before. But we were flabbergasted when we saw them offering tickets to see a recital by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa for the amazingly low price of $15 a ticket! Dame Kiri, as you're probably aware, is the legendary soprano who has graced some of the finest opera houses over the last 35 years.


Taking her final bows. (10/02/07)

She also famously sang from London's St. Paul's Cathedral in 1981 at the wedding of one Prince Charles and Lady Diana — an event that was viewed by an estimated 600 million people worldwide. The following year, this native New Zealander was named a Dame of the British Empire by HM Queen Elizabeth II.


A fairly recent publicity shot of Kiri Te Kanawa.

Making the $15 tickets even more surprising was the fact that this is Dame Kiri's farewell tour. That's not to say that she's going to disappear from the stage after this tour. Rather, as she has been saying in interviews, it's more of a farewell to locations she's not sure she'll get back to again (Opera fans in New York, Paris, Sydney, etc. need not worry for now). She's also focusing more time on her foundation promoting singers and musicians from New Zealand.

Dame Kiri performed at the immense Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, which is maybe a 15-20 minute drive from our home in Orange. Typically for an 8:00 p.m. show, we'll leave the house at 6:30, have a quick dinner at a fast casual place nearby (along the lines of Daphne's, Baja Fresh, or Rubio's) and be seated at the concert hall by 7:45 p.m.


The recital was at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

This time it took us nearly an hour to get there due to police activity. Apparently some idiot with two arrest warrants and a record longer than his right arm stole an SUV and led police on a 20-minute vehicle pursuit. It ended in a shootout at the foot of the very freeway exit you take to get to the concert hall (no police casualties thankfully, but the driver of the stolen SUV was toast).


The SUV thief drove down this embankment. (Photo courtesy of The Orange County Register)

With two freeway exits sealed off, and the snarled traffic that ensued, we barely had time to grab some food at the McDonald's drive-thru. I know, nice meal before the opera! Amazingly, we got to the theatre with 15 minutes to spare. Even though the show was sold out, I was surprised to see open seats. Makes me wonder how many were running late due to the blocked exits and the resulting traffic jam.


The aftermath. (Photo courtesy of The Orange County Register)

Our seats were interesting. We expected that the $15 price tag would put us in the very last row. But when you have talent like this in your backyard, it doesn't matter just as long as you're inside the doors. As it turned out, we were seated very close to her. So close, in fact, that we were actually behind her, in the chorale terrace dress circle.

Yes, we saw the back of her head the entire night. But given the choice of paying $15 to see her from behind, or paying 10 times that amount to see her from the front, I was satisfied. And I had no problem hearing.


Our seats, circled here in a photo taken another night.

She opened the 21-piece recital with some late Mozart pieces. At age 63, her magnificent voice is, as they say, in fine fettle. After Mozart, she treated us to a repertoire of songs by Strauss, Duparc, Poulenc, Britten, and then threw in a Copland number for extra measure. One of my favorites was Poulenc's Les chemins de l'amour (Valse Chantée), which I've loved for years.

I enjoyed her second act better than the first, if only for the fact that she engaged with the audience more, telling stories between her songs. Poised and dignified, Dame Kiri didn't act out the songs, but used her voice to tell each story. The one exception came during her first encore, singing Ginastera's Canción al arbol del olvido while rolling her shoulders flirtatiously. It really delighted the audience.


Another recent headshot of Dame Kiri.

And lest I forget, her accompanist, Julian Reynolds, was also amazing. Many times during the show I found myself listening to her, but watching him. Then again, when all you see is the back of her head, you look for other things to watch.

For her second and final encore, she closed with Puccini's O mio babbino caro, which is not only one of the most well known operatic arias, it's also one she's best known for. It was breathtaking.


Our lovely view. (10/02/07)

I don't care if we were behind her. We witnessed a true living legend. And like the time I saw Luciano Pavarotti, I know some day we'll look back and be thankful for having the opportunity of attending her recital. Thanks Dame Kiri for sharing your instrument with us.

Meeting Iron Chef Japanese

Tim and I went to Sur La Table in Newport Beach for a book signing by world-famous master chef Masaharu Morimoto. You may know him as "Iron Chef Japanese" from the addicting Food Network classic Iron Chef and the not-as-good-yet-still-entertaining Iron Chef America.


Iron Chef Japanese with Iron Chef Mexican. (10/01/07)

I've spent many a Saturday afternoon watching Iron Chef marathons, and Iron Chef Japanese was always my favorite to enter Kitchen Stadium. So when our friend Andrew (who works at that Sur La Table store) told us Morimoto was coming to his store, I was so there!

The book is called Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking and it's simply gorgeous! I don't know how much of it we'll actually cook, but it's great to browse through. He signed our book in English and Japanese, which looks realy cool. He was quite friendly in person, and totally at ease with his fans.


Cool signature in English and Japanese!

Some day I hope to eat at one of his two U.S. restaurants in New York City and Philadelphia. I'd also love to own one of his knives, which feature handles made of deer horn and forged steel blades that are made with the traditional methods of samurai sword making. But at $4,000 to $5,000 a piece, I don't think I'll ever get around to owning one.

Oh well, at least I have a signed book! :)

Finally Nemo

After months of waiting, we finally got to go on the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, the newest ride at Disneyland. It's also one of the oldest rides too, having arisen from the ashes of the original Submarine Voyage that opened in 1959 as part of the first major expansion of Tomorrowland (it was one of the first rides requiring an E Ticket).


We rode the submarine named Mariner. (09/30/07)

The ride was in operation for nearly 40 years until Disneyland announced that it would be shut down and re-opened with a new theme in 2003. Apparently there was an attempt to resuscitate the ride in 2003 based on the 2001 Disney film Atlantis. But when that movie flopped, so did the prospects of re-opening the ride.


James and Amy can't hide their enthusiasm. (09/30/07)

And then came a little movie you might have heard of. If memory serves correct, I think it was called Finding Nemo. Maybe a couple of you have seen it. :) In 2005, it became official and Disneyland announced the ride, which was slated to open in 2007 (it seemed so far off then).


Something about the two drivers just looks wrong! (09/30/07)

The ride opened in June to great acclaim. We tried to get preview tickets, which were offered to Annual Passholders via a lottery system. Unfortunately we had no luck. We would have to wait in line with everyone else. Only problem was the wait was up to four hours long during the opening week peak.


Tim and Ashley get ready to go down under. (09/30/07)

We even got to the park at 8:45 a.m. one day (they opened at 8:00) only to find that the ride already had an hour-and-a-half wait. The only solution — other than waiting for long stretches of time — was to open the park and dash directly to Nemo. We even found two people who volunteered to come with us: Amy and her sister Ashley.


We found Darla under the water. (09/30/07)

So there we were, lined up at the front gate at 7:45 a.m., 15 minutes before opening. When they opened the gate at 8:00, we immediately dashed to the ride, which was still undergoing the morning tests. The wait turned out to be about 30 minutes, which is really short all things considered.


Tim climbs out of the hatch. (09/30/07)

The ride was great! Now, I know what most of you are thinking. Same old shit that used to be there, right? Wrong!!! This ride has been totally revamped. Sure, it starts off with the same type of stuff, only cleaner and more brightly colored. But leave it to those Disney Imagineers to come up with a cool way of making the Finding Nemo characters come to life (I won't disclose too much, since I don't want to spoil it for anyone). But let's just say it's really cool!

Breakfast at a Disneyland Original

After opening the park and then immediately riding the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, we were starving. Our usual breakfast location in Disneyland, The Riverbelle Terrace, was under renovation (it's where we ate breakfast the last time we opened Disneyland). So this time, we went to the Carnation Café, that little outdoor restaurant in the heart of Main Street.


Amy and Tim can't decide what they want. (09/30/07)

We had been there once before for dinner, but never for breakfast, so in that sense, it was a first for us. I was surprised to learn that when Disneyland opened in 1955, that the Carnation Café was actually indoors, in the building that is now the Blue Ribbon Bakery. The area where the restaurant now sits was at one time an area where they sold fresh flowers.


Oscar's Choice: The Café Scramble. (09/30/07)

Not only is the Carnation Café a 1955 original, the food is also cooked under the direction of Oscar Martinez, who has the distinction of being Disneyland's longest serving employee (50+ years). A legend among Disneyland devotees, Oscar has been around as long as the park has. He has even cooked for Mr. Walt Disney himself.


The Carnation Café menu. (09/30/07)

On the days he works, Oscar is known to come out and greet customers, making sure their meals are satisfactory. Unfortunately he wasn't working this morning. He only works weekdays, which are the typically the days we're not there. Oh well, it leaves us something to aspire to do there another time.


The Croissant Benedict. (09/30/07)

But Tim, Amy and Ashley did pay tribute to Oscar by ordering Oscar's Choice for breakfast. I was the Benedict Arnold who ordered the Croissant Benedict. I'm sure Oscar will forgive me.

Día de los Muertos at Disneyland

As part of its 2nd annual HalloweenTime promotion, Disneyland debuted a cool little section of the park devoted to Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Since the Disneyland Imagineers summarized the celebration so well on a placard describing the events, I'm simply re-posting their description along with some of the pictures we took.


Disneyland's Día de los Muertos section. (09/30/07)

"Día de los Muertos" (the Spanish phrase for "Day of the Dead") is observed each year upon All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2). Stemming back to the days of the Aztecs, the holiday is a festive occasion that honors those who have passed away while also celebrating the continuation of life.


A cool Day of the Dead altar. (09/30/07)

Those who celebrate this holiday embrace the belief that death is not the end of our connection with others. Love goes beyond the grave. In Latin American cultures, and among many cultures around the world, the annual celebration brings communities together to honor both the living and the dead.


Do you see Mickey in there? (09/30/07)

With an emphasis on joy rather than sadness, "Día de los Muertos" comes alive with vibrant colors that are iconic to the celebration. Traditions include displaying "calacas" (skeleton figurines) dressed in festive attire, decorating cemeteries and gravesites with orange marigolds, yellow chrysanthemums, and fuchsia cockscombs, and adorning altars with candles, flowers, fruit, bread, photographs, and treasured belongings.


A "calacas" band. (09/30/07)

Delicate "papel picado" (paper cutouts) are often draped throughout the streets, and special food is prepared to welcome back the souls of ancestors and loved ones for a day of remembrance.


Love the colors. (09/30/07)

Though this holiday comes near the traditional time of Halloween, "Día de los Muertos" is an entirely different celebration. For those who honor it, the celebration is an important social and spiritual time which recognizes the cycle of life and death that connects every human being.

Click here to see what James and Tim did for Day of the Dead last year.

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)

Jon Leaves the Hospital

Jon is doing great. In fact, it appears he has improved so much that he's now outgrown the treatment and rehabilitation abilities of Kindred Hospital, and beginning today, he will be moving to a skilled nursing facility in Long Beach. We even brought him lunch from Carl's Jr. to celebrate his final day.


Jon and Amy in front of the hospital. (09/29/07)

We saw him today. And apart from not being able to remember some names of people and places, he was sharp and agile. In fact had you not known he has been hospitalized, you would never notice.

We're still not sure what the next steps are. The one thing that's known for sure is that his stay at the skilled nursing facility will likely be short term. More on that later.

The Monster's Loose

Guess what we found in our yard? Just the biggest, fattest spider you could possibly imagine. It had put a web across the side pathway. The spider was even considerate enough to place the supports high enough so that Simon could pass underneath it (although if I hadn't noticed it, I could have met this guy face first).


The giant spider awaiting its next victim. (09/29/07)

Although this pales in comparison to the leaping sugar cane spider that Doris and Jen encountered one night in Hawaii, this spider is still pretty scary. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to get photographic proof. We managed to get one shot before it finally got too nervous and fled to safety.


Scary. (09/29/07)

We left the web alone for now. He'll be able to keep his home until Thursday when I have no choice to but clear it out when the gardeners come.

Tim Officially Turns 40

With so many fun events planned the week before Tim's birthday, the actual date was much more subdued. I was planning on taking Tim to a nice restaurant, but when asked where he wanted to go, he picked Claim Jumper.


Tim with a red velvet birthday cupcake. (09/25/07)

I know. Claim Jumper is not exactly a five-star place to celebrate your 40th birthday, but Tim was in the mood for their desserts. As always when we go to Claim Jumper, we were so full from dinner that we had to take our desserts home. Later that night I serenaded him with Happy Birthday as he blew out the candle on a red velvet cupcake.

Although it was a quiet night, it was a pleasant close to nearly a week of fun events. Hope it was a great birthday week, Tim!

Forty and Fabulous

My, how quickly 40 years flies by! Although Tim doesn't technically hit the big 4-O until Tuesday, we got together Saturday night to celebrate four decades of Tim.


Tim with his awesome birthday cake. (09/22/07)

The night began at Angelo's & Vinci's Ristorante, a downtown Fullerton institution since the early '70s. This cheesy-in-a-good-way restaurant was opened by the late Steven Peck, a renowned Hollywood dancer, choreographer and veteral actor who appeared in more than 100 movies and TV episodes.


Eric, with Tim and Dana, just got a bright idea. (09/22/07)

In fact, photos of Steven Peck in his movie and TV roles are all over the walls of the restaurant. Usually he played gangsters or thugs, although my favorite photo shows him playing the role of Father Martinelli opposite Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton in the 1984 "two worlds colliding" classic, "Rhinestone." If you missed the photo, it's not surprising considering the walls are covered with every imaginable Italian-themed decoration.


The SuperGroup: Shelly, Chia, Solar, Tim, Guy and Shak. (09/22/07)

We had originally rented the Terraza di Amore, a private terrace that seats up to 40. HOwever, due to the torrential rain that stormed the Southland that day, the restaurant called to tell us things were getting wet, and recommended that we move the party to an enclosed private room, the Stanza di Luna. We were just glad the enclosed room was still available, since the restaurant was hosting at least two weddings and a quinceañera that night.


It's never a party without Christine and Cassidy. (09/22/07)

We had a catered dinner where party guests munched on pizza hors d'oeuvres, antipasto salad, gorgonzola garlic bread, tortellini with basil cream and shrimp, vegetarian lasagna, chicken di giardino and steamed vegetables. Everything was fan-freaking-tastic, however it was the tortellini that knocked everyone's socks off. We washed all that down with several pitchers of red wine sangria, one of our favorites from that restaurant.


Tom and Christine always show up ... eventually. :) (09/22/07)

After dinner, we all headed to Dana and Eric's house for Phase 2 of the party. They had graciously offered to host the party at their home since every room in our house had been turned into a bedroom to host the out-of-town SuperGroup members. Dana got an awesome floral centerpiece that looked amazing (she's got an eye for these things). We can't thank them enough for opening up their home to us and our crazy friends.


Tim with Jean and her fiancee Aric. (09/22/07)

Since we had all our food at the restaurant, the only thing we had at Dana & Eric's was cake and wine (and other beverages). The cake was a white cake with buttercream filling, topped with chocolate fondant. I ordered the cake from a co-worker named Cynthia who has a side business making special-event cakes on weekends.


Tim with three hot chicks: Amy, Cindy and Ann. (09/22/07)

The cake looked so good, that simply cutting into seemed like sacrilege. But our desire to eat cake outweighed any desire to keep the cake in-tact. And I kid you not when I say that as amazing as the cake looked, it tasted even better! Just ask Tom, who at last count, had three slices.


Jason and Jared drove down all the way from Ventura. (09/22/07)

After cake, it was present time. Tim got lots of goodies. He got some clothes, some gift cards, some DVDs, some games, some spa treatments, and of course, a few funny gifts that will go nameless in this blog. He also got a new 160GB video iPod from yours truly (he had complained that his last iPod, which is more than two years old now, didn't have all the bells and whistles that the new ones have). His favorite gift, however, were the two tickets to see Annie Lennox in concert at the Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills in October.


Tim and "Too Bad He's Straight" Scott. (09/22/07)

Things started to wind down after presents, but as we were lounging around the patio table drinking, we did get to witness Christine F. sing a special acoustic version of her classic sing-along: Eat Me Raw (I think it's about vegetables!) :)


Props to Laura S. (center) for getting the only picture of James. (09/22/07)

Thank you everyone that helped Tim ring in a new decade. It means a lot to us that we have such great friends.