P&G Family Movie Night! Field of Vision on NBC This Saturday, June 11

Hey there.  One the best things that you can do is sit and watch a movie with your family.  I've done it many times.  Where it be a feel good, heart warming movie or a history based flick.  It's a great way to start up a conversation with your kids and take in their thoughts on the situations in the film.  Don't pass up the next opportunity to talk to your kids.  P&G Family movie night is this Saturday, June 11th on NBC at 8pmET/7pmCT!  The film is Field of Vision and I've been fortunate enough to get a sneak peak!  Trust me, it's one that you definitely want to watch and discuss with your kids, especially since it confronts the problem of bullying.  There's been enough press on bullying that this movie is premiering at the right time to make an impact on our youth.

Family Trip to SeaWorld

Hey there.  I haven't had a chance to catch up with you guys over what went down this Memorial Day weekend.  I decided long ago that we were not going to stay home this weekend and we were going to have ourselves a good time.  I toyed with the idea of taking the family to Las Vegas, Disneyland, and LegoLand, among many other places but due to high entry prices and/or road trip time, I crossed many of those places out.  In the end, I managed to grab a great deal (buy 1 get 1 free) on SeaWorld admission.  BAM!  We were soooo there.

A Place to Find Cheap Seats

Hey there.  Things are finally starting to look up.  The economy is crawling in an upward trend and I have decided that I want to treat the family out to an event.  The problem that I'm having is finding tickets at a resonable price.  Hey...  just because things are looking better doesn't mean I want to spend an arm and a leg to entertain my family.  lol

Easy Gaming at GameHouse.com

Hey there.  I love to play games.  Whether it be on my gaming console or computer.  I like playing games while I work on my computer but I can't spend too much time on any particular game.  They need to be fast, entertaining, and something that I can spend a few minutes on at a time.  This rules out MMORPGs right off the bat.  lol  I simply don't have the time to spend playing those kind of games on a computer for hours on end.  However, I don't mind a quick game of Bejeweled or any other fast paced flash game.  Gaming sites like GameHouse.com offers those quick load times and 5 minute games that I love to play.

Practicing Our Swing at the All Star Park Batting Cages

Hey there.  I'm not a huge baseball fan.  I just can't watch it and enjoy it on TV.  I don't mind playing it though.  Yesterday, my brother decided that he wanted to take my son to the batting cages.  Sure, why not?  The boy likes basketball and football but has not been exposed to much baseball so maybe this outing will spark an interest in the sport.  So I go pick up my brother and our cousin wanted to come along so the four of us are off the batting cages.

We went to the All Star Park batting cages in Bellflower.  Not a bad spot at all.  Being my first time there, I didn't know how much this would run me or what kind of equipment I needed.  We took some bats and batting gloves just in case.  When we asked the clerk how much, he said it was $35 for a full hour, unlimited pitches (11 at a time), free bat rental, and helmet rental.  And the best part was that we all could take turns and get as many pitches as we could get for that hour.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.

I'm an awful hitter so I missed... and I missed a lot.  But that's alright because as the hour went on, my swing got better.  Not to mention my son's swing as well.  He doesn't have the upper body strength that we have so his swing was a little on the slow side as the hour went on, you could tell that fatigue was setting in.  However, when I asked him if he wanted to sit a round or two out, he refused.  We all told him that it's going to build some muscle on that small frame of his and that it showed good character to keep on swinging.  By the end, he definitely had a good time and asked if we could go back some time soon.  Awesome.

We left the cages saying how we all haven't been there in years, or never been there before at all.  This morning, my boy comes to me and says that his arms are sore.  lol  Mine are too.  I'm surprised that his hands are not aching a bit.  My palm and forearm are a little sore and I'm sure it's because I was using muscles I've never used before.

Perfect form!  Too bad I missed it!  

My cuz... he's been waiting 8 years for this moment.  lol

My brother the loser!  Swing and a miss!  hahahaha!  Where's the dingers you promised the boy?

My boy!  Taking a swing!  You can do it, boy!

Even though baseball is not the sport for me, it could be for my boy.  Nevertheless, I wouldn't mind going back to take some more swings.  If anything, it'll work out some of those muscles that I don't use and will better my hand eye coordination.  We all had a good time so I wouldn't mind heading back there with the same line up.  lol  Until then, later!

Helping to Find a Good Web Host Rating

Hey there.  I feel good today.  Why?  Because friends consider me a "online veteran."  lol  Not that I've dealt with wars or anything of that sort online, but because I'm in the blogging game and friends and family come in and ask questions about how to get started and how much work is involved to maintain a small following.  Just last weekend I was talking to a cousin that wanted to start their own business and came to me to ask about domains and web hosting. 

I made it pretty simple, I told her that she could start online for free with many free blogging and web design  platforms but I strongly recommend that she go out get her own domain and then look for a good web hosting site.  She needs something cheap and easy and after a quick search, she may end up going with Web Hosting Hub.  Looking their rating, it seems like the perfect fit for someone that's just starting out.  It's seems easy to navigate and it's cheap. 

I know that I'm not an online guru, but I like that people come for me for advice.  It tells me that at least some people think I know something about something.  lol  Later!

Hiking in Escondido Falls

Hey there.  I've been meaning to post about our hiking trip to Escondido Falls for about 2 weeks now.  I've been caught up so many projects and family stuff that I just haven't had the time.  This is why I'm posting on a Saturday.  lol  It's been a long while since I've done some Saturday work.  Anyways let me tell you about our trip.

I've been wanting to take the family out to some sort of outdoor activity.  Living in Sourthern California definitely has it's perks when trying to decide something like that.  There's the beach, hiking trails, camping spots, mountain climbing, and many others and I wanted to do something that I, myself, haven't done.  Believe it or not, I've never been hiking so I decided that we're going to look for a trail and go for it.  That's when I hear about Escondido Falls and it's waterfall.  Whoa... a waterfall.  From what I read online, the trail itself is not that bad and is relatively easy to walk through and when you get to the end of it, there's a waterfall to bestow upon.  I thought it would be perfect to take the kids and check it out.

The trail was difficult to find.  The parking space for the trail is small space and it's right off the famous pacific coast highway.  The problem is that there is no sign that says, "trail this way" or anything of that sort so as you're driving, you're swiveling your head keeping an eye out for a sign showing you the way.  Naturally, we missed the entrance, and on our second pass, we see it.  We parked on the gravel and walked towards the trail.  It's weird at first because you are walking near a residential area so there are houses around you.  Once you go further into that residential community, the trail begins.

No guys, the houses are not part of the trail!

 The trail is simple enough and there is nothing too difficult to overcome.  There were a few small creeks that you get to jump and walk over so that was pretty cool and after about a 3 mile hike or so, you reach the waterfall.  The kids loved it.  We gazed at it for a bit and took some pictures.  It would have been great to take some lunch and have a picnic there.  The scenery would have been perfect.

Jump!

You're gonna fall!!!  Oh wait... you already did!  D'oh!

Mr. Cool Guy over here makes it look easy.

Look ma!  We made it to the waterfall!

Time for our hero pose!

The wife and I enjoying our hike.

Shortly after, the boy and I decided to climb a litter higher to check out the top of the falls.  That hike is for more adventure seekers and is a difficult climb.  After using a rope to get up a steep uphill trail and walked around a small narrow cliff edge like path, we managed to reach the second waterfall.  Not too shabby, but there's more climbing to do.  The third waterfall blew the first 2 away.  It was definitely worth the climb.  The whole area was misty because of the force that the water was hitting the small pond.  It was simply breath taking.

The Rocky theme song would have made this moment perfect!

We did it dad, we did it!

All in all, an awesome time.  If you're in the Southern California area, I highly recommend the hike.  Again, the main trail itself is not a difficult hike so it's not a strenuous walk, but to reach the other waterfalls near the end is definitely more difficult.  Only the boy and I went up since I didn't think he ladies would have been able to do it.  Well, let me rephrase, I think they would have been able to do it if they took their time, but because there's a lot of hikers going up and down and you literally have to stand in line or move out of their way, the chances of slipping and falling rise.

I also wanted to bring this picture to your attention.  Can somebody tell me what that thing in the sky is?

Is that a UFO?!?!?!

We didn't notice that thing when we first took the picture and my wife claims that it's a bird.  I don't know...  I think it's a UFO.  She just doesn't believe.  lol  In my opinion, it seems to far away to be a bird.  There would be more clarity to the "bird" if it was close by but it's pretty damn fuzzy, which tells me that it's off in the distance.  What do you think?  Later!

There's No Room for Crying in the NBA LeBron!

Hey there.  If you're a NBA fan, you've heard by now how the Miami Heat, once again, collapsed under the pressure and loss a meaningful game against the Bulls last Sunday.  Why is this a big deal?  Because the Heat, dubbed "The Super Team", consists of NBA All Stars Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh, were celebrating like they have won the championship before they ever stepped foot on the court and they are losing against the best in the NBA.  According to some stats that have been floating around, the Heat are something like 1-9 against the NBA's elite.  Their only win coming against the LA Lakers.  They have yet to beat the Celtics, The Magic, The Spurs, The Bulls, or the Mavericks.  And this is supposed to be the team that was going to the challenge the NBA record of 73 wins in a season.  They have 43 wins now and I don't see them cracking 55.

Now, back to this weekend.  In a game where the Heat claimed they had to win, they loss, yet again.  They were up by more than 10 points during the game.  Wade and LeBron looked good in the first half.  All they had to do was maintain their lead in that 4th qtr and they'd come out with that victory, but again, missed shots by Wade, missed shots by LeBron, stupid fouls by the Heat, kept the Bulls in the game.  The Bulls are an awesome team.  They're second in the East so they're no pushover, but with the Heat down by 1 and with Wade and LeBron on your side, you should be able to make shots in the clutch.  They have yet to have a single game winning shot this season.  The so called super team cannot muster a single win on a last second shot.  After the game, their coach claimed that some of the Heat players were crying.

Now this is where I have a problem.  There is no room for crying in the NBA.  If you are crying, they are tears of joy after winning the NBA championship, NOT after a loss during the regular season.  There is absolutely no reason to cry.  And I'm looking at you, LeBron.  What's wrong?  You're realizing that you're not as good as Kobe or MJ?  You can't carry your team, or should I say Dwayne Wade's team, over a quality win?  You're realizing that "The Decision", the prancing around, and the guarantees of championships were stupid moves made by you and the team?  Grow up, man.  You're a great player, no doubt about it, but you have made some pretty stupid moves this year and many of the fans that have become "witnesses" are now witnessing your flaws.  You couldn't do it in Cleveland being the man, now I believe you are realizing that you can't do it being a wing man.  You force bad shots at the end of games trying to be the hero.

Now, I'm a Lakers fan.  Always will be.  But I'm also a fan of the game.  I'll watch the east powerhouses go at it so that I can see an entertaining game.  I'll watch our western conference foes play against each other to better assess our competition.  But when I hear a team chirping away that they're the best before even playing a game, it insults the intelligence of us fans.  We know that it takes more than just talent to win (eg. Malone, Payton, Bryant, Shaq Laker team...).  You need chemistry and you need an identity.  Right now, the Heat have no identity and they have shown flashes of some chemistry, but nothing that can say this is a championship caliber team.  Time is running out.  If they cannot get it together before the playoffs start, they will be bounced from the playoffs in the first or second round.  Then, LeBron, you'll have a real reason to cry.  Later!

What's Going On

Hey there.  March 1st, that's today.  It is exactly 12 days away from finishing my 3rd year of blogging.  I can't believe that it's been close to 3 full years already!  I  was thinking of maybe doing some kind of give a away.  Maybe a game?  Maybe some cash?  Maybe some kind of prize?  I don't know just yet.  I've been thinking about it, I've just haven't decided what it will be.  Any suggestions?

Best workstation ever!

On a side note, I just wanted to fill you guys in and what's been going down on my side of computer.  My geek side has been pretty busy.  I unlocked my cousin's iPhone last night, I am working on fixing 2 more PS3s, and I have an XBOX 360 coming my way later tonight for me to take a look at.  I'm sure my wife is not thrilled about it.  I'm one those people that gets a little geeked out by this kinda stuff and will spend hours non stop working on all things tech. My wife made a comment to my cousin and his wife how she should dress up as some broken tech device so that I would pay attention to her.  lol 

Things on the blogging side have been going well.  Just not as well as I would like.  I managed to get the computer at home working but I haven't been working much at home.  My time online has been tight and I manage to churn out a post or two.  I need to get on the ball with that and spend some more leisure time on improving my online stats.  I've also made a conscience effort to provide more comments on blogs.  I've been horrible at letting know that I've stopped by so that's being improved upon.

Midnight snacks are the best!

Working out has been good to me, I guess.  I missed my exercise check in last week (damn time restrictions) so I'll make sure that I have one in this week.  Most likely be done tomorrow or Thursday.  I don't feel as winded as I have before and the wife says that there is some subtle differences in my body.  But, I don't know if I'm helping the cause by having ice cream at midnight.  lol

I also had a so called "man date" this Saturday with the compadre and a friend.  That adventure will be detailed in an upcoming post.  lol 

I know I'm forgetting some stuff but I'm sure that'll just come to me later.  So what's going on with you, friends?  What's new in the life of you?  Hope to hear from you soon.  Later!

Super Bowl XLV is in the Books

Hey there.  I know, I know.  I'm late to the party.  The Super Bowl is now 3 days removed and I am just getting the chance to add my 2 cents to the whole thing.  The game itself was awesome, the halftime show was eh, and the commercials were simply hit or miss.  First the game:

The game was great.  I think that the NFL has had a nice 4 or 5 game string of awesome Super Bowls.  I believe they all were close in the end, they all had some sort of theatrics going on, and they all were decided by a single score.  This was no different.  The Steelers, even with their 3 turnovers, were in position to win the game in the 4th qtr.  Down by six point and possession of the ball, the script was written for Steelers QB Big Ben to march down the field and take the win.  But it wasn't to be.  Not this time.  Packers QB Aaron Rodgers played the best game of his life and earned himself the MVP and the Lambardi Trophy.  He can finally emerge from that huge Brett Favre shadow that has followed him ever since Favre left Green Bay.  Congrat to all your cheeseheads.  You guys deserve it.  Now, on to the entertainment.

Christina Aguilera botched the national anthem and the Black Eyed Peas are so outdated I'm extremely surprised they were chosen to play the half time show.  You would expect that Christina would practice the national anthem a billion times considering that this is the biggest of stages in all of sports.  She completely missed a line and added words to the song.  As for the Black Eyed Peas, I'm not the biggest of fan of theirs, but at least their light show was good and it was cool to see Slash on stage.  I feel as if the NFL has gotten the jitters when it comes to their shows and are playing it extremely conservative.  Ever since the "wardrobe malfunction" incident, the half time shows have not stood out like they used to.

As for the commercials, some companies got it right while others completely bombed.  I'm looking at you, Coke.  Really now?  Drink a Coke and you're dragon will start spewing fireworks?  What are you trying to say?  That was one stupid commercial and there was no appeal what so ever.  And considering that it was CGI, I'm sure it was a pricey mistake on your end.  One commercial that definitely got it right was the Volkswagon commercial featuring a young Darth Vader.  That one was awesome.  It was funny, intuitive, and all around fun.  Awesome job WV.  Awesome job.  Check out the commercial below.

All in all a good experience.  Can't complain about the product that the NFL has given us.  The game is as popular as it ever has and it has continued to produce awe inspiring performances.  Great job NFL!

On a side note, I want to give some thoughts on the whole thing being in Dallas.  There is no doubt that the stadium is awesome.  Top of the line, state of the art type stuffs.  However, Jerry Jones greed was a complete embarrassment to the league.  Jones wanted to break the NFL attendance record for the Super Bowl.  That records sits somewhere around 105,000 people.  Jones added extra seats to the stadium in an attempt to break it.  Sold the tickets and everything and then on game day, the fire marshall explained that they were not safe and had to be removed.  You know what that means?  That some 500 people or so were turned away from the game.  TURNED AWAY!  Can you believe that?!  You've just managed to get a ticket to the Super Bowl and have made travel arrangements, got a week off from work and what not only to be turned away at the gate.  What a HUGE black mark on what was an awesome day.  There was a letter that was handed out to those who were turned away but don't you think that letter would have served a purpose a few days before the game?  And even if they knew that they couldn't seat all ticket holders, they should have created an area where those that could not be seated could have hung out, watched the game, and still say that they were there.  The NFL tried to make it right by offering some $2500 to each ticket holder.  I just don't think that's enough.  In my opinion, that's just soul crushing.  Later!

Going to Work... With My Dad?

Hey there.  Do you believe in ghosts?  I believe that there definitely is something after life... not so sure of ghosts, though.  Maybe better referred to as energies?  You know, people have always been infatuated with things that go bump in the night and other "scary" occurrences that go on during a normal day.  If that wasn't the case, we wouldn't see films like Paranormal Activity being made.  I, myself, have experienced many things at home that I simply cannot explain.  I'm beginning to wonder if maybe those somethings are beginning to happen at work.

This morning, I walk into my office and I turn on my computer.  Nothing odd about that.  I go and grab my coffee and sit down, ready to tackle today's work load.  That's when it hit me...  why do I smell cigarettes?  I don't smoke, my window is closed, and no one has been in my office.  Why the smell of smoke and cigarettes?  Hmmm...  I walk around and sniff to see if maybe I can get to the bottom of it.  Nothing.  A coworker then walks by so I ask if she can step into my office.  I ask if she can smell it.  (insert inappropriate fart joke here)  lol  She says smell what and I tell her cigarettes.  She doesn't so she calls me crazy and walks away.  Hmmm... maybe I am crazy, but then again... I think I know what it is.

I wouldn't doubt it if it's my dad.

Yup, my pops probably followed me to work today.  Why followed?  Well, because I wouldn't doubt it if all the weird stuff that goes on at home is him as well.  Footsteps in the hallways, cabinets opening on their own, my dog being let inside the house when the doors were locked, corona bottles opening by themselves, cans and jars rocking back and forth... the list goes on and on.  Today... I can add, noticed my dad at work.

My dad had 2 distinct scents to him.  He loved to splash on Brut cologne (yup, old school) and he smoked... a lot.  You know how some people say that you can tell the presence of an "energy" by smelling a scent that they were most associated with.  I would say the two I mentioned definitely would fit my father.  Also, I recently mentioned to my kids that we would go see grandpa this weekend so maybe the smell was his way of reminding me that I better go see him.

It's been almost 20 years now since my pops passed and it intrigues me that most of the "activity" centers around the kids.  Their toys go off on their own, their swing sets swing on their own, bouncers are bouncing without batteries.  Recently, the baby has taken a liking to my dad's drawing on the wall. 

He'll start to point, laugh, and stare at it from time to time.  My oldest, when he was younger, would say that "a ghost" would tell him where things were and to stay away from fire.  And then not too long ago, my youngest daughter started mentioning that she's been talking to "little grandpa" and has shown a stronger interest in seeing him more at the cemetery.  So I guess today turned out to be, "tag along with my son to work to remind him to go see me at the cemetery" day.  lol  No worries, dad.  I'll be there.  And we wont forget the beer.  Later!

Motivational Monday - Jay Cutler

Jay, you are a QB playing in the NFC championship game!  If you can walk, you should be able to play!

What a Way to Kick Off the 2010-2011 NFL Playoffs

Hey there.  Hope you all had a great weekend.  For all non football fans out there, this Saturday was the beginning of the NFL playoffs.  Where games matter more and the losses stay with you until next year.  This Saturday's lineup included the Seattle Seahawks vs. the New Orleans Saints followed by The Indianapolis Colts vs. the New York Jets.  Being a fan, you'd figure that the Saints will roll over the 'Hawks, since the 'Hawks  being the only team in history to enter the playoffs with a record below .500.  Man.. that was not the case.

Simply put, the game was freakin' awesome.  Everything you want in a football game.  High scoring, hard impact, 4th qtr drama and it was all capped off by this killer run by Marshawn Lynch that has everyone who watched it say, "WOW!". To everyone's surprise, the "lowly" Seahawks came up and defeated the defending Super Bowl champs.  Brees had his chance to bring the team back but the unsuccessful onside kick sealed their fate.  If you missed this game, you MUST watch it when the NFL Network replays it sometime this week.

The Colts vs the Jets game was just as good.  The poster boy on NFL QBs, Peyton Manning, is set off to make another run to the Super Bowl against the loudmouth Jets.  Classic stuff.  And after what seemed to be the game winning 50 yard field goal by K Adam "I don't miss big kicks in play off games" Vinitieri, Jets QB Mark Sanchez came up big by setting his team up for an easy field goal for the win.  All in all, an awesome set of games to usher in the playoffs!

Sunday morning featured the Kansas City Chiefs vs the Baltimore Ravens.  I'll admit that I was rooting for the Chief's to lose.  In my opinion, Oakland should have been in their place, but the Raiders screwed up their chance to represent the AFC West.  Anyways, The Ravens just destroyed the Chiefs, and just to throw salt into the wound of Oakland fans everywhere... the dreaded "tuck rule" made an appearance in the game.  Bitter or not, that tuck rule is a stupid rule and it should be changed or completely scratched out of the NFL rule book.  I'm just saying.

The afternoon game featured the game of the weekend, The Green Bay Packers vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.  The felon turned savior, Michael Vick vs back up to Mr. Favre turned uprising star, Aaron Rodgers.  This game had classic written all over it and even though it wasn't a high scoring game like the Seahawks/Saints game, this one was still decided in the 4th qtr in the final minute of the game.  QB Vick had the Eagles at the 27 yard line with seconds to go and he was looking for the win when his pass was intercepted in the end zone.  Awesome, awesome game.

In all honesty, I don't remember a better Wild Card weekend in the NFL.  The games were exciting (except the Chief/Ravens game) and they all had their big play moments.  If you are an NFL fan you have to be happy with the games this weekend.  And wow... I'm still thinking about that Marshawn Lynch run!  Here's a video of the play that I found online.  The run looked so much like it came from a video game that someone decided to add Tecmo Super Bowl sounds to it!  Freakin' awesome!  I know for a fact that all football fans everywhere simultaneously said, "UUUHHHH!  GET OFF ME!!!!" at the .13 second mark of this video.  If you didn't, you are not a fan.  lol  Enjoy.  Later!

Thanksgiving, A Long Weekend, and Surgery

Hey there.  Hope everyone had a blast this Thanksgiving weekend.  Nothing quite compares to a 4 day weekend!  Especially after eating some turkey and stuffing your face with... well... stuffing.  lol  So let's go to the highlights!

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving at my uncle Peter's place.  He's been the go to guy when it comes to holiday madness.  Most of the family gathers at his place and we all have a good time.  Thanksgiving was no different.  Most of the guys were ourside, hanging out, watching football and boxing, while most of the ladies were inside "cackling " (as Psycho Mike would say) and hanging out.  All in all, a very awesome experience.  Food and drinks were in abundance and you know damn well that I had myself more than a few plates of food.  And that's not counting desert!  lol  At the end of the night, the "secret santa" exchange was determined and we were on our way home, stuffed as a bird, a little after midnight.  Here are a few pics of the evening.

Serving salad from a cracked bowl cause that's how we do it.

The ladies enjoying a little bubbly

The young ladies enjoying a drink, like thier mothers.  It better be soda in them cups!

Daaaaaaaaaaam!  That bird looks delicious

So much food, they don't know where to turn!

Long Weekend

Once we semi-recovered from Thanksgiving, Black Friday reared it's ugly head.  Here my thoughts on Black Friday...  I'm not a big fan of it.  Every year, we hear about some people trampling and stomping over people because they just had to have whatever it is they're buying.  I'm more of an online guy.  If I can't find it online then I more than likely will not buy it.  I just hate hearing that a child was killed because a mob of people couldn't control themselves just to save a few bucks.

With that being said, we stated home most of Friday and didn't really do anything.  I avoided stores like the plague and just hung out with the family at home.  My son and I took advantage of the free XBOX Live Weekend (decided to let my membership end until I get my hands on the XBOX Live Family Pack) and played us some Bioshock 2 multiplayer matches.  I've always been a fan of the first person shooters and I like the way Bioshock 2 changes it up just a bit to differentiate it from all other first person shooters.  Anyways, we caught up on some gaming and decided to put up some holiday stuff.  I ended up getting a new tree, since our old tree is somewhere around 5 years old and needed to be replaced.  Also ended up getting some of that long green string type thing that people hang for Christmas, and started decorating the place.  Not bad, if I do say so myself.  I don't have any pics of that yet so I'll get on that as soon as I'm home and there's still daylight.  lol


Monday's Surgery

Monday morning, I'm up at 5:30 am.  My brother was scheduled to have surgery on his shoulder at or around 7 am so I drove to the hospital to meet my brother and mother.  I arrived shortly after 6 am and my brother had already checked in.  The nurse was supposed to let us know when we would be allowed to see my brother before his surgery was to begin and when it was 7 am and still no word from the nurses, I asked her what's going on.  She pretty much said to walk on in and look for him.  lol  We find my brother, in his "purple" mumu strapped into a bed, getting ready for his surgery.  The doc comes in and starts to give us the run down of what is going down.  He grabs a purple marker that surgeons use to mark their patients and notices that it's a little on the small side.  He then makes a comment about how "they" seem to be cutting corners everywhere.  lol  My bro and I chuckle and the doc then shows us where the incision will take place and lets us know that he will be shaving off some of his bone and remove scar tissue.  He seemed like a pretty cool guy.  Once they whisk him away, my mother and I have coffee in the cafeteria while we wait for an update.

Them magic drugs are in full effect. lol

My wife arrived soon after and the three of us waited a bit before the doc came in with some photos of the inside of my brother.  He explained the pictures to us and told us that the surgery was a success.  He also explained how the recovery process will be a long one.  6 months worth of recovery time.  My brother will also need to attend therapy sessions to strengthen his shoulder. 

Once we were allowed to go see him, I asked how he was doing and what not.  Before long, we're watching America's Funniest Home videos and cracking jokes.  I know that it probably wasn't the best of places to mess around in, considering that there were other patients close by that didn't look too happy, but there we were, goofing around.  While the nurse was giving my brother his home care instructions... I interrupt her and say to her, "To give to us straight doc, is he gonna make it?"  lol  My bro and I chuckle and the nurse seemed to find it amusing.  My brother then starts to reference The Office and says that even though he had shoulder surgery, he's probably going to be going home with a limp.  lol 

Once they dismiss him, my mother grabs his clothes to hand to him.  Since he's buck naked under the mumu, I closed the curtain before he started getting dressed.  I stayed with him, just in case he needed help.  He managed to put on his underwear and his sweat pants with what looked like slight discomfort.  That's when I said, "Bro, I love you, but I'm not getting you dressed."  lol  That's when we hear my mother and a few other people outside the curtain laughing.  It's good to know that we both can laugh during something like surgery.

He then gets wheeled off to the street where we wait for my mother's car to be brought to us.  We then see a smart car pass by and my brother says to the nurse, "smart car...  there's nothing smart about that car.  Kitt from Knight Rider.... now that's a smart car."  The nurse laughed, I chuckled.  Damn you, The Office....  invading our lives like nothing else can.  lol 

I told them that we would go to my mother's place to make sure my brother was well situated.  I soon after get a text from my brother asking me to go get him FIFA 11 for PS3.  This guy... already trying to use the "woe is me, I'm hurt" thing against me.  When I said, no way, he turned his attention to food.  He asked if I'd bring him some brownies.  lmao!  My wife gets wind of my brother's brownie craving and decides to make the "baby" some brownies. lol  Oh man... good times.  We cap the night off with some Street Fighter IV.  I haven't played Street Fighter since Street Fighter II Turbo for the SNES!  I managed to kick some butt with Blanka (old school favorite) and then gave up the last game to my brother... just so that he can feel better about himself.  lmao!  Now, he's at home not knowing what to do with himself.  6 months is a looooooooooong time.  I'll try to stop by and kick his butt on Street Fighter more often.  lol  Until then, later!

BCBG Sale Nov. 20th

Hey there.  I'm spreading the word on the BCBG sale that is going to be going on this Saturday, November 20th.  I know that many are familiar with the BCBG Max Azria name and these kind of sales only happen once or twice a year.  So, if you're in the Los Angeles area and are looking to score some designer clothes, stop by and get yourself some high end stuff at dirt cheap prices.  Details are in the flyer below.  Later!

RockBand 3 Rocks!

Hey there friends.  I purchased Rock Band 3 this weekend and I must say that I am definitely pleased with the song selection.  Even though there were many songs got us singing, the hits of the night were definitely Bohemian Rhapsody, Freebird, and Break on Through.  Keep an eye out on my review which should hit tomorrow.

I just entered a contest in hopes of scoring a free 12 song downloadable pack of Bon Jovi songs.  Bon Jovi is another personal favorite to play on Rock Band.  My bro and I get "the band together" and just have fun with it.  My bro can't sing for "crap" but he claims that he's not a singer, he's an entertainer so we let him do his thing.  And that's what makes it fun.  lol  If I'm a chosen winner, we'll definitely be out at my place rockin' the night away.  Serious Jovi fans (or those just like to have fun with it) are welcome!  lol  Later!

Feeling Like Death

Hey there.  I've been sick these past couple of days.  Not just, feeling like crap sick, but sick in the way where it hurt.  I take pride in the fact that I don't get sick very often.  I can go years before I'm actually feeling any kind of sickness coming... and if I do feel something, it's usually gone by the end of the day.  This wasn't the case on Sunday night.

As I was lying down, I had a strong pain in my stomach.  To the point where I'm lying down in a fetal position.  On top of that, chest pain was beginning to settle in.  Once the chest pain came in full swing, it settled in on the left side of my body near the rib cage.  Quite frankly, it sucked.  I took some meds and went to bed, hoping that my body will do what it does best and I'll be back to normal come morning.

Once I got up and started to get dressed, my body felt like it was pummeled as if I've been in some boxing match.  I was extremely sore and it hurt to move.  I fought through it and went to work anyways.  While I'm sitting on my desk, trying to get through the day, my stomach rumbles...  Whoa...  I didn't think much of it cause to be honest with you, it's been rumbling all weekend long.  I'll be sitting in bed or on the couch and the rumble would be soooo loud that the wife and kids could hear it even though they weren't that close to me.  It wasn't hunger, and it didn't hurt, so I brushed it off.  Then, it happened...  I felt the stuff coming up my throat.  I rushed to the bathroom and let it all out in the bathroom.  It sucked...  I guess I was pretty loud cause when I got out of the bathroom, more than a few coworkers were staring at me and a few asked if I'm ok.  I said no and I went to turn the computer off.  I wasn't planning on staying.  That's when the manager sent me home.

I spent most of the day on the couch... It felt weird to lie down so I sat up.  I watched Gunslinger Girl and the movie Gamer.  I also got some Bioshock 2 game time.  Come night time...  I was feeling a lot better.  Not 100% better, but well enough where the pain is gone and all I'm dealing with now is a slight headache.

I did make a huge mistake yesterday though...  I was drinking a powerade, to replenish some of the fluids that I lost, and absentmindedly gave some to my baby boy.  That evening, he started spitting some up.  Oh man... I'm hoping that I didn't pass on whatever I had to him.  I didn't realize at the time that I shouldn't be sharing anything to anyone that I am drinking out of...  Hope that doesn't cause him to get sick.  I'll just have to keep eye on him to make sure.  I'll let you know what happens.  Until then, later!

What a Weekend...

Hey there.  Oh man...  What a weekend it has been.  I haven't really had much of a chance to rest during the weekend since I've pretty much dedicated that time to prep for my son's first birthday.  We're going with a Super Mario Bros. theme and since it's difficult (and expensive) to buy licensed Mario stuff, the wife and I have been pretty much created all the decorations ourselves.  We've already spent a lot of hours getting them done and we're in the last week before the party and we're still not done!!!  Here goes the breakdown of our weekend...

SATURDAY

So Saturday rolls around and we're up and ready to go.  We figured that we could avoid traffic and what not if we head on over to downtown LA to check out the vendors there that sell party supplies and piñatas.  We got a tip from my compadre that there is a "party district" there and they have all kinds of stuff.  He was certain that we would find it there.  So 10 am rolls around and we're almost ready to go when I hear children scream, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! OH NOOOOOOOOO!!!!  DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD! DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!!"

So I get up and run outside, thinking that one of the neighbor kids is hurt or something is wrong.  There is a lot of commotion on their side of the fence so I go around and end up in their yard.  I see my dog, Lucy, and their dog, fighting.  Now...  Lucy is small dog.  She's what you would call a Chihuahua Terrier.  No more than a foot tall.  The neighbor's dog?  Well... she's a Pitbull.  Yup.  Lucy got into it with a pitbull and instead of her saying, "Oh crap this is a monstrous dog, I don't have a chance!", she's up all in the business snapping and biting back.  The neighbor get's his dog's attention long enough for me to yell at Lucy.  Lucy then trots of in my direction, looking like a bloody mess.  I apologize profusely to the neighbor for Lucy getting into his yard and he dismissed it as Lucy just doing what she's born to do. We have this issue where Lucy and Lacy (both chihuahua terriers) dig under the fence and venture into their yard.  They don't mind, since they're good dogs.  They don't destroy anything and they play with the neighbor kids.  The neighbor explained to me that Lucy was trying to get under the fence and when he saw her, he helped her over.  That's when Lucy saw his dog (which was in heat) and they started getting into it with each other.

So I go back into my yard to check up on Lucy.  She's bloody, but I don't see blood pouring out of her.  She does have a 1cm hole in her face.  I could literally see inside her face and that's when I decided that she can't stay outside.  She could get that infected and what not.  I take her inside and start looking up vets.  Considering that it's a Saturday, I wasn't expecting to find any open.  I called a few "emergency vets" and was told that her wound was not considered an emergency since it wasn't life threatening and was given instructions on how to care for her at home.  So I go off into the drugstore and buy a bandage wrap, some gauze, closure strips and some peroxide.  I clean her up as best as I could and get to work.  I cleaned out the wound, closed it, and wrapped it up.  She's looking a little funny, but at least she's on her way to recovery.  Check out the pic I took of her, looking like, well... she just got off a fight with a pitbull.

Lucy... Looking like Rocky Balboa. Hopefully, she'll learn to stop picking fights with pitbulls.

 

I've been addressing her wound and changing the wrap every day.  Last night, the gash finally closed but I do not feel comfortable enough to let her roam around without the wrap.  Hopefully, I can remove it in another day or so because I need to clean her up some more.  She's beginning to smell funky and since she's inside the house, I need to make sure she's as clean as possible.

That incident took up all of our Saturday morning and most of the early afternoon.  We were finally able to venture into this party district to look for what we needed.  We scored on some awesome Mario and Luigi piñatas.  We also got some Mario and Luigi piggy banks and some candy to fill the piñatas with.  Being in the Mario mood, the night was capped off with some Mario Galaxy for the the Wii.

SUNDAY

Football!!!  I told myself that today would be the day where I would just sit in front of the TV and make decorations while watching TV.  I did a lot of decorations, not so much TV.  Football games were on TV, but I didn't really glance up since I got into my creations.  The Raiders lost...  losers!  And I did see Vick get hurt.  Other than that, I got most of my info from ESPN highlights later that evening.  Decoration making didn't end til close to midnight...  and soon after disaster struck...

MONDAY

After making decorations, I took a shower a little after midnight.  I noticed something funny going on while in there.  The water was not going down the drain... hmmm...  I finish up and let the wife know what happened.  She then mentioned to me that there is something up with the toilet, to make sure I take a look at it before I go to bed.  I check it out... and notice right away that it's not flushing.  I pull out the trusty plunger and get to it.  After several unsuccessful tries...  I figure that maybe there's hair stuck in the shower drain and it's stopping the toilet from flushing.  So I start working on that.  No success.... after about 30 mins or so, and it being around 1 am, I decide to go to bed and I'll work on it tomorrow.  Before jumping into the bed, I head to the kitchen to get a midnight snack... cause that's how I roll.  lol  

"SPLASH...  SPLASH... SPLASH..."  What the...  I took one step into the hallway and I step into a pool of water...  Oh man...  there's at least an inch deep of water all over the hallway.  Water EVERYWHERE!!!  I was feeling a dumbfounded and perplexed by what I was seeing and when the wife noticed it as well, she got up and was shocked by the amount of water all over the floor.  I go into the other bathroom thinking that maybe the tub was running or something and it smelled horrible.  But I mean HORRIBLE!!!!  Water was pouring out of the toilet, splashing flooding the bathroom.  The tub was also filling up with the water.  Water then ventured into the hallway and into my son's room and the main bedroom.  S*@T!!!!  The wife and I sit for a second, and then move into action.  

I pulled out my phone and took video of all the water in the bathrooms, tubs, showers, rooms, and hallway.  I figured that I would need evidence for the insurance company.  We pulled out all of the towels and started to soak up the water.  We didn't really know what the problem was so we figured that one of the kids may have flushed something down the toilet.  We didn't really know what the problem was...  So after about an hour or so of soaking up water and draining towels, we got the water to a respectable level...  Then... I made a huge mistake.  I threw in most of the towels into the washer.  Thinking that our problem was inside the house, I figured that we would need clean towels in case there was more leakage.  When the washer got the draining of the dirty water stage... all hell broke loose.  The bathrooms started to flood again.  This time, we only had HALF of the towels to battle what seemed like a never ending flow of water...  The good thing is that we acted fast enough to keep the water in the bathroom and no more spilled over to the hallway.  I then started draining the towels in the bathtub and reusing them to soak up water.

After about a half hour or so and the water level not really coming down... the wife made the comment that maybe I'm making it worse by throwing water into the tub.  She was right.  I should have been draining the towels outside like we first did...  By this time.. it's somewhere close to 3:30 am or 4 am and we're straining water out of towels in the front lawn.  After about another hour or so, we finally got it dry enough where there is no danger of anyone slipping.  I turned off the water valves in the sink and tub, in case the kids get up and turn the water on.  By the time we're satisfied that nothing else is going to down that morning, we go to be.  It was close to 5:45 am... by then, I already told myself I wasn't going to work.  I have a BIG problem that I need to take care of.

I get up at 6:45 and drive the girls to school.  I ask them if they threw anything down the toilet that they weren't supposed to and both said no.  I dropped them off, grabbed some coffee and then got to work.  Still believing that it may be something in our toilets, I looked up getting a plumber's snake.  I picked one up at Lowe's then went to work.  I went into the toilets and nothing.  I tried the sinks and nothing.  Showers?  Still nothing... I then said that I would need to get a pro to do it.  I started looking up plumbers in the area.  I also called my cousin, who does all the plumbing for the building that he is managing and ask for his opinion.  He quickly said that it sounds like the main drainage pipe is clogged.  He asked me to look for a 4 inch pipe outside the house.  I couldn't find it.  I said I would call him once I found it.  I then called Roter Rooter.  They sent a guy out to the house to check it out and give a free quote.  He found the access pipe and said, $200.  i was like, no thanks guy.  I already have someone that's going to get it done.  He leaves and I go at it with my 25 foot long snake.  Nothing... Damn... I needed something longer.  I go to Lowes and looking for a longer snake, but the longer ones are in the hundred...  

I decided to call a local plumber and got it done for a fraction of the cost.  He stuck in a 75 foot power snake and cleared my pipe (sounds funny.  lol)  and found that baby wipes were the culprit.  It was now, close to 2:30 pm and I started to text my insurance peoples to see what's up with that.  The damage is done in the hallway.  The laminate flooring that I installed is starting to warp.  The edges have risen and it's no longer smooth.  The carpet is still damp and I'm worried that mold might start up if I can't dry it up soon.  If it comes down to it, I'm going to need to replace the carpet as well as the flooring.  I'm hearing that my insurance should cover it...  Now I have that battle to look to forward to.  ugh.   Stay dry, friends.  Until then, later!

My Day as an Extra

Hey there.  I missed all the football games this Sunday.  All of them!  I wasn't anywhere near a TV because my son and I were off being extras in a Comedy Central show.  I received an Email requesting inviting me to take part as an extra and I pretty much said why not and took my son with me.  It was video game based so I figured that we would enjoy it.  There was a lot of sitting around, but we did manage to get some TV time.  My son was positioned right behind the speakers, as an audience member, so he should be seen on air and I was cast in a small role as a security guard!  Whoo hoo!  We were told that we cannot post pics or give away any info other than that so hopefully I'll be able to post more details once they've become public.  What I can say is that some of people responsible have their hands in other video game related shows such as The Guild.  I can't wait to see the episode on air!  It will be fun to see how much my son and I actually show up on the screen.  I'd also like to know how the episode plays out since we only heard  few lines here and there.  I'm sure it's going to be great.  Until then, later!

A Restless 3 Day Weekend

Hey there.  Happy Labor Day to all!  Our labor day weekend has been a restless one.  Our baby stated showing signs on sickness Friday evening and he had a stuffy nose through out the night.  That didn't let him sleep much so we were up most of the night trying to make him comfortable.  Come Saturday, he's in full blown sickness...  coughing, slight fever, and runny nose.  Needless to say, sleep wasn't meant to be for Saturday night.  Sunday... he seemed a little better, but now our daughter and son start with a sore throat and some coughing here and there.  Oh man...  The baby has gotten some of the older kids sick.  Come Sunday night, our son woke up close to midnight and refused to go to sleep.  Before I knew it, it was close to 4 am and we were still up trying to comfort him.

We had plans to go to the LA County Fair but most of the kids are sick, the baby is being fussy, and now I'm beginning to feel a sore throat.  Oh man... so much for an activity filled weekend.  My bro did come over on Saturday and I managed to win a game against him in Madden 11.  Believe it or not, I've never really played much of the Madden series so I'm awful at it... but we made it somewhat exciting and interesting!  lol 

Ugh...  Now I'm sneezing... greaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat...  Hope we start feeling better soon.  Until then, later.