Browse Category: outings

wet and magical

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Jes and I took Jason and Jia to Disneyland yesterday. If you didnt already know, I’m a sucker for fireworks and I look forward to seeing them at Disneyland each year around Christmastime. It was a beautiful day with blue skies and a few fluffy white clouds. I checked the forecast the night before and it reported showers starting at 9pm. Oh no!! Does that mean I’m going to get cheated out of my fireworks once again?! (They were cancelled back in May when I last went with my family). Well, I crossed my fingers and kept looking up to the sky to see how the clouds were moving.

It was a pretty crowded Saturday at Disneyland but we managed to get in our favorite rides. We also got soaked on Splash Mountain and sang along to “It’s a Small World” and “Jingle Bells”. At 6:30, we watched the Christmas parade and towards the end it started to sprinkle. Oh no!! The show went on and no one budged. As soon as the parade was over, it poured. I mean, the drops were FAT. It didn’t last long but my hopes of having some fireworks were shattered.

Luckily, as we ate dinner, the sky cleared and the fireworks weren’t cancelled after all!! Woo hoo!! It actually started to rain towards the end but again, the show went on! It was wet and magical!! We spent the rest of the evening hanging out in the rain and riding a couple more rides before going home. Ah…I’m so ready for Christmas.

Here are the photos.

dinner and dessert

IMG_4934.jpgWe had dinner at Palms Thai Restaurant last night in Hollywood with Holly, Jimmy, and Huy. The food was yummy but apparently not spicy enough for Jesse. The Thai Elvis also sang for us and Jimmy was pretty pumped about it.  You can’t really beat chowing down on Tom Yum Koong while listening to “Rub Me Tender”.

Afterwards, we went to a bakery for some dessert and got to have a more civilized conversation without shouting across the table or saying “huh?” so many times. It’s always nice to catch up with old friends. Huy’s not in town very often so it’s always good to hear what he’s up to and the status of his deployment. I can’t believe he actually has to go to Iraq next year. Luckily, it will only be for 6 months.

cartoons rock

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I went to see the Animation Exhibit at the California Science Museum today with my brother. It was put together by Cartoon Network and featured cartoon characters new and old. It was an exhibit teaching kids about the different parts of animation and how it all works together to make cartoons. So, we got to make stop-action movies and a cool rotating animation of ourselves like they did in “The Matrix” trilogy. It was like being a kid again. The rest of the museum is also worth checking out. Admission is free but they suggest a donation of $5 for adults. I just grabbed however many ones (probably 3 or 4) I had in my wallet and stuffed it the donation box as I walked in. It was totally worth it.

cheesy, but a learning experience

Brother and I got up early today to be volunteer photographers at Orange County’s Huntington’s Disease Walk for the Cure on the UCI campus. I’d say this was a small event where the volunteers outnumbered the participants. They had a few booths including one where you could pay a dollar for a wet puppy kiss. It was funny to watch the reactions on people’s faces as they were slobbered on by a young lab…suckers. Oh well, it’s all in the name of charity, right? After the race, there was entertainment. It included Hawaiian dancers and then Flamenco dancers. We also had Commander Chuck Street from KIIS-FM arrive in a helicopter and he participated as one of the MCs for the event. Overall, it was a cheesy event for a good cause and I got to practice my photog skills. Good deed for the day, check!

fruits and veggies

On Sunday morning, the Brother and I went to two Farmers’ Markets. One was down the street from the apartment and the other was a much larger one in Santa Monica. It was so nice to walk around and to be surrounded by the smell of citrus and berries. The colors were so vibrant and an aura of “granola” filled the parking lot. I ended up bringing home asparagus, white peaches, strawberries, daisies, and about 45 photos of fruits and vegetables.

In the afternoon, we drove down to Melrose Ave. and walked around in an antique fair. It was outdoors and people were sellling all kinds of junk. I did, however, score a rare red cover “Catcher in the Rye” for 5 bucks…a nice find. We then walked down the street and browsed through the shops and got a few more photos taken.

I would consider this to be a pleasant Sunday filled with lots of walking, exploring, and photo-snappin’. Until next time, Brother.

Bipolar

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I’m at the 2nd WORK Artshow, which seems to be quite a success. The theme this time is “Bipolar” and people interpreted it in various ways. It’s neat to see so many creative people all in one little room sharing the stories behind their pieces. I missed the last one, “Robots and Bunnies”, but saw all the pieces hanging in the back room. It’s funny that Jes went to that one while I was at a bridal shower and now I’m at this one while Jes is at a bachelor party. Hey, Kenneth came by too! That was cool.

Anyway, I’m hanging out with the brother and his friends and I trying out a fast lens (Nikon 50mm f1.4) that I rented for the weekend. It normally retails for about $280 but I got to rent it for $12 for the entire weekend! It was well worth it too because I didn’t have to use flash all night. I can’t believe the low light shots that I was taking and how clear they came out. I may be renting it one more time for Patty’s wedding next Saturday and it will probably be one to put on my wishlist.