Tag Archives: harry potter

Fun Times at the Movies

Okay, so I’m reaching here but I’m kind of tired and my gift for headlines is failing me.   But the movies do have to do with the two topics I’m talking about today!

First up – let’s talk about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter that is opening up at Universal Studios Hollywood!  Yes, yes, this attraction already is open at the Universal Studios park in Orlando, but the OG park finally is getting its own.  We were lucky enough to get offered two of Brian’s tickets which was such an awesome gift to receive.  Brian still works at NBCU and employees were each given 4 tickets to come to the park in the evening and explore the new area.  Even better?  Everything was free – admission obviously – as well as parking (yay for Larry), but you were also given a wristband with coupons for a free butterbeer and free dinner in the park.  Very nice.   We ended up meeting up with Carey & Paras as well as Brian & Nicki so it was a very fun night.

As for the park itself – man, they are going to make some serious bank with this new addition.  The entire area is so well made and is on a level with what Disneyland can do, which is not always the case with Universal.  Going at night made the whole experience have a cool sense of mystery, as Hogwarts loomed over the area and was lit from within.  I’m sure it’ll still be great during the day but at night, it really feels like a castle.  Anyway, here are the pictures from the night:

March 10, 2016 – Wizarding World of Harry Potter

We went on the ride within the castle, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and if I can describe it in one word:  Intense!  The line is LONG but happily for us, it was a very small crowd so the line kept moving, but I imagine in the summer it’ll be insane.  Anyway, once you enter the base of the mountain, you start to walk through really cool memorabilia and rooms from the movies, such as the moving staircases, Dumbledore’s office, and various classrooms.  It’s really well done.  The ride itself is similar to Transformers, in which cars are always moving along on a track and you hop on and strap in while then putting on your 3D glasses.  Yet with this attraction, you are getting maneuvered in all sorts of ways, sometimes with you ending up facing up to the ceiling.  I can see people likely getting sick on this ride – but it’s worth it.  The immersion and the mixture of 3D screens with actual animatronics is phenomenal.  It’s one hell of a ride – which makes the 2nd ride next door, Flight of the Hippogriff, so disappointing.  It’s a very traditional roller coaster and has an INSANE view of the valley from the top of the lift hill, but it’s obscenely short for a ride.  A few helixes after the drop and you’re done.  It seems real estate was in short supply – but we all kind of thought the coaster could have had more to it.  I thought perhaps going underground or over to the castle would have been a good touch.

Anyway, after the rides, we then explored more of Hogsmeade, the village leading to Hogwarts.  Of course we sample butterbeer – it’s a very sweet concoction, but honestly, it’s fucking good.  Kind of like a rootbeer float.  It was then off to Ollivander’s Wand shop which was just great.  I of course got a wand – I picked the Viktor Krum model as the guy was super hot in the movies.  A completely terrible reason for anything, but what can you do.  We then made it over to the newly expanded Simpsons Land for dinner at Cletus’ Chicken Shack….and it was actually really good food, surprisingly.  And free!  So yeah, that was a fun night and gotta give Universal huge props for creating such a delightful place.10

10-Cloverfield-Lane-JJ-Abrams10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Saw this at the TCL IMAX Chinese Theater on March 12, 2016

After the surprise trailer was released a few months ago, I was ON BOARD.  Now, I knew after reading up on the new movie that JJ Abrams, who produced this and the 2008 movie Cloverfield, that this newest movie was being called a “blood relative” to the first.  What did that mean?  I know the answer now, but I’m probably going to do my best to save spoiler-y topics for the last paragraph, after which you can leave.

Anyway, the movie begins with Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) getting out of dodge after what seems like a fight with her fiancee over the phone.  As she’s driving through the unpopulated area north of Port Charles, LA, she gets into an accident that plunges her car off the road….and when she wakes up, she finds herself in a bunker.  Soon enough, she meets her “captor”, Howard (John Goodman), who insists that not only did he help her after the accident, he’s also saved her life as everyone outside of the shelter has been killed by an attack.  Unsurprisingly, Michelle’s not really buying this story.  Yet as we saw in the trailer, Michelle does get a chance to see much more about what’s going on outside the bunker and she starts to reconsider what she believes.  Yet events keep getting weird to the point where she has to determine where it’s more dangerous, here inside the bunker or outside?

Ultimately, I really enjoyed this movie.  It was scary as hell in certain points and while there are moments of levity, the movie is just fucking tense the entire time. John Goodman is fucking great as Howard and he plays him just right so you just don’t know what to believe.  And man, you get put through the wringer in this…

So, How Does it Tie Into Cloverfield?

Well, SPOILERS BEGIN NOW……so navigate away now.  I won’t talk about the entire plot, but certainly what I’m going to write will ruin any surprises this movie has…..

…..

……

okay, so, no, this movie has no direct ties to the first Cloverfield.  That monster which destroyed NYC has no appearance here.   Now, there are certainly things that are shown in this movie’s universe which are shared things, like the Slusho drink company, which if you read into the expanded lore, was the direct cause of why that monster existed in the first movie.  But here, there are monsters of a different sort and they look to be aliens from outer space.  In the end, Michelle manages to escape but finds out that oh shit, there WAS a fucking apocalypse happening up top and it wasn’t the Russians or Koreans.  Nope, aliens have arrived in their ships and are trying to decimate the planet’s species with some kind of gas.   It’s a pretty crazy shift in plot but one that makes you think that Howard can be crazy AND be right at the same time. One of those “broken clock is right twice a day” type of things, as he certainly was NOT sane.  So yeah, a good movie and quite intense and I look forward to seeing if the “Cloverfield” branding is just a fun way to indicate this WILL be a monster movie of some sort.

Day 8: London & West End

(2014 Note:  These pages are transfers from my original site so I can better view the many pictures I have from that trip and so it’s searchable within WordPress Search. Here’s a link to the original page!)

Day8London – Part Two! As you may recall from the first page of this little travel journal, when we had initially planned this trip, there were lots of incarnations of the itinerary. The trip was always supposed to end back here in London, but there were all various cities that we had planned to also go to. As it turned out though, happily, we only went to Paris and London. Thank God. So before our flight back to the U.S., we had one more day of London, and I think we managed to get a lot of touristy stuff in before our flight the next morning.

day8_sights

Susan was not getting up this morning. That had been decreed the night before, so Jeff and I made plans to enjoy the morning and also plan for the evening, as we decided to see the musical Chicago while here. London has the wonderful TKTS booth like in NYC, where you can pick up tickets to shows for basically half-off, but only for showings that same day/evening. Jeff and I took the tube into the West End area where the tkts booth was, waited in line for about an hour, and finally got 3 tickets to see Chicago that evening. Don’t think that meant we were heading back to the hotel though, as there were other objectives to accomplish!

First: Jeff was bound and determined to find the Coat of Arms museum we had heard about on the Thames River Cruise we had gone on during London – Part One. We had all heard the tour guide motion towards a building that was by a bridge and describe the Coat of Arms museum, a place in which you could go in and find out your ancestry’s coat of arms. That did sound cool, but for Jeff, it became a MUST SEE. Well, after leaving the West End and a necessary cup of coffee (it was actually kind of cold when we got back to London), we began our Snipe Walk around the downtown part of the city near the Thames. We walked all around the area we thought the guide had gestured too, walking out onto bridges to see if we could recreate the view….but all to no avail. I think I had bet Jeff he wouldn’t find it, but I was certainly willing to indulge him in his quest, as I really didn’t have much else to do! Yet we didn’t find it – or actually, once we got back to the states, it turns out we actually did find it, we just didn’t realize it. After we gave up on the quest, we found a cool little bar/restaurant that went underground to refresh. We jumped back on the Tube after lunch and I convinced Jeff to ride on the Central Loop with me, as I was going to go to….

King’s Cross Train Station! Yep – I wanted to go see the legendary entrance to the station where the Hogwarts Express leaves London on its way to Hogwarts (from Harry Potter, duh). It’s kind of a necessary pilgrimage to make if you’re a Harry Potter fan. Jeff wanted to head back to the hotel to meet back up with Susan, but I convinced him that since it was a loop, he could just go the long way! He did that, and I got off at King’s Cross station while he went back to the Hotel Byron to wake Susan up. We planned to reconvene at Harrod’s Department Store later in the afternoon. So I made the pilgrimage, took the requisite pictures at Platform 9 3/4 (that’s pretty cool that the train station actually did that), then decided since I was here, to take Rick Steves’ advice and see the British Library. It is home to one of the first printed Guttenberg bibles as well as some of the oldest versions of the Bible, period. It has a ton of illuminated manuscripts, the Magna Carta, original Beatles lyrics, and a ton of fascinating historical documents. Very cool!

After my little side trips there, I then headed to Harrods, which I had never been inside before. As you may or may not know, it is basically the world’s largest and most ridiculous department store. It’s quite unreal, and also huge huge huge. It was at this point I realized, I have no idea how I’m going to find Susan and Jeff inside here. I didn’t have a cell phone with me, so that option wasn’t there. So after walking around a bit and looking for Jeff or Susan (or their clothes), I decided to camp out at the Pizza place within, figuring they’d look for me somewhere where there is food. I had taken off my red jacket but then realized, you know, I’ve been wearing this damn thing the whole trip, and it kind of sticks out, and right now, that is a good thing. So I ate my $25 pizza slices (seriously – the Pound kills the Dollar in the exchange rate) and waited…and sure enough, they found me! We then wandered around the store for a little while longer, before finally heading back to the hotel to change and then head out to see Chicago!

So we took the tube into the West End, London’s version of New York’s Broadway, basically. Our seats weren’t the best (basically the back of the balcony section…oh well, what can you expect for really cheap day-of seats!?), but it was still fun to see the show. It is quite different than the movie, in terms of what you’d expect for Set Design and Staging. It’s quite a minimal production – the songs still rock, but I had envisioned that the movie version had lifted the theatrical productions of the songs …. I was wrong. Regardless, it was still a great experience.

We wandered a bit around the West End before finally succumbing to exhaustion and the need to go get some rest at the hotel, as our flight left the next morning. And that next day we promptly checked out in the morning, took the Tube to Victoria station, where we took the Heathrow Express shuttle train back to the airport and made our way back to the states!

It was an exhausting, yet very fun trip, that’s for sure! Obviously, it made an impression as I can still pretty much remember it vividly even almost a year and a half later. Europe with friends is an awesome thing to do, and highly recommended to all of you!!!

April 3 & 4, 2007: One Last Day in London and Heading Home to the US!

Me at Piccadilly Circus (like Times Square, but not)
Me at Piccadilly Circus (like Times Square, but not)03-Apr-2007 11:12, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.005 sec
Jeff there too
Jeff there too03-Apr-2007 11:13, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.006 sec
A cool Coat of Arms collection - the only ones we'd see...
A cool Coat of Arms collection - the only ones we'd see...03-Apr-2007 11:19, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 4.0, 15.599mm, 0.005 sec
 
A funny and Obvious sign
A funny and Obvious sign03-Apr-2007 13:11, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec
The bar we ate at after our Snipe Hunt for the Coat of Arms museum
The bar we ate at after our Snipe Hunt for the Coat of Arms museum03-Apr-2007 14:09, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 141
It's Platform 9 3/4! Hogwarts, here I come!
It's Platform 9 3/4! Hogwarts, here I come!03-Apr-2007 14:52, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
 
A side view, with tourists!
A side view, with tourists!03-Apr-2007 14:52, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 141
A closer view
A closer view03-Apr-2007 14:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 4.0, 15.599mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 315
But let's be honest, here's the money shot
But let's be honest, here's the money shot03-Apr-2007 14:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 145
 
King's Cross Station
King's Cross Station03-Apr-2007 14:54, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 315
I don't remember what this is, but it's pretty
I don't remember what this is, but it's pretty03-Apr-2007 14:57, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.002 sec
My going-out to a a West End show look
My going-out to a a West End show look06-Apr-2007 00:28, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
 
A very pretty Carousel in the West End that we saw after seeing Chicago
A very pretty Carousel in the West End that we saw after seeing Chicago03-Apr-2007 23:33, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 400
03-Apr-2007 23:33, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.25 sec, ISO 800
03-Apr-2007 23:33, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 800
 

A Plethora of Pictures

It’s time to bombard you with pictures.   DAMMIT, don’t argue with me.

July 6, 2014 – Day-Drinking is Always an Option

I don’t think either of us felt like leaving the house today – it is hot outside.  But in our neighborhood, and with all the windows open, our place is pretty damn comfortable.  So we made some homemade magagas (a lot cheaper and easier than buying them at a restaurant or bar) and hung out on our porch.  It ended up being a fun and just slightly boozy afternoon.  As we were enjoying the afternoon and listening to the 80s on 8 SiriusXM station, we somehow decided to look up the schedule for the Greek Theater this summer; for nearly 3 weekends in a row, it’s a LarryLand Fiesta of concerts.  We’ve chosen to do the REO Speedwagon and Chicago concert, but it was a tough choice.

06-Jul-2014 14:11, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 800
The limes never stood a chance
The limes never stood a chance06-Jul-2014 14:11, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 1250
Salted for your pleasure
Salted for your pleasure06-Jul-2014 14:11, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 800
 
06-Jul-2014 14:11, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 800
06-Jul-2014 14:11, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 6.699mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 800
06-Jul-2014 14:12, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 6.699mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 1000
 
Fill it up
Fill it up06-Jul-2014 14:12, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 800
06-Jul-2014 14:12, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 800
06-Jul-2014 14:12, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 800
 
06-Jul-2014 14:14, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 5.6, 31.883mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 125
06-Jul-2014 14:14, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 6.505mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 200
Mmm....magagas
Mmm....magagas06-Jul-2014 14:15, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 6.505mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 100
 
Miniaturization in effect
Miniaturization in effect06-Jul-2014 14:16, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 6.505mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
Looks very miniature if I do say so
Looks very miniature if I do say so06-Jul-2014 14:16, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 6.505mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
06-Jul-2014 14:16, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 6.505mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
 

July 5, 2014 – Our Gardening Efforts, July 2014 Edition

We’ve noticed that our planter was getting a bit sad in terms of soil levels.  Also, we wanted to get some new herbs.  At Home Depot, Larry ended up getting cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, and rosemary, while I got a pretty red flower plant.  Also some additional pots and potting soil.  Let’s see how many of these plants are still alive in a month!

05-Jul-2014 14:37, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200
05-Jul-2014 14:37, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 200
05-Jul-2014 15:02, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200
 
05-Jul-2014 15:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 200
05-Jul-2014 15:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200
The fresh rosemary in the planter
The fresh rosemary in the planter06-Jul-2014 14:13, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 6.9mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 200
 
06-Jul-2014 14:14, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 6.9mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 160
 

July 4, 2014 – Independence Day BBQ at home with Mom

We had mom over to enjoy a great 4th of July afternoon and evening, with BBQ, chocolate-chip cookies (using a slightly tweaked recipe I found online that made ridiculously good cookies – 10:30 cooking time), and a few rounds of Wii Party U on the Wii U.  And did you see the Macy’s Fireworks in NYC on NBC?  When the Brooklyn Bridge started vomiting the flag in the form of fireworks, I was kind of blown away.

04-Jul-2014 17:17, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 50
04-Jul-2014 17:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 800
04-Jul-2014 17:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.0, 4.736mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 800
 
04-Jul-2014 17:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.0, 4.736mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 800
04-Jul-2014 17:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 9.07mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 1000
04-Jul-2014 17:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 9.07mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400
 
04-Jul-2014 17:55, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 800
04-Jul-2014 21:15, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 800
 

June 27, 2014 – Walking Around Warner Bros Studios

My friend Larry and I have been able to reconnect a few times a year.  This last time, we met over at his place of employment.  It’s pretty cool to see another movie studio, and kind of think about the fact that we at Universal don’t have this kind of cool exhibit on the lot – you really have to go to the actual theme park to find stuff similar.

27-Jun-2014 12:49, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800
27-Jun-2014 12:50, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800
27-Jun-2014 12:50, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 500
 
27-Jun-2014 12:50, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 250
27-Jun-2014 12:51, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 500
27-Jun-2014 12:51, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800
 
27-Jun-2014 12:51, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800
27-Jun-2014 12:51, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800
27-Jun-2014 12:52, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 400
 
27-Jun-2014 12:53, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 500
27-Jun-2014 12:53, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 500
27-Jun-2014 12:55, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 640
 
27-Jun-2014 12:55, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 640
27-Jun-2014 12:56, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 500
27-Jun-2014 12:57, Apple iPhone 5, 2.4, 4.12mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 500
 

Back from San Diego (T-43)

Holy Shit! I really only have 43 days left in the Air Force. It’s actually hard to believe.

But at least the future looks decently bright! Why, you ask? Well, this last conference was a bit more successful than the one in Chicago, as in the industries I interviewed with were a lot more interesting. What was even more interesting for me though was that I was attracted most to the sales jobs that were being offered! I know, go figure. No, I wouldn’t be selling vacuum cleaners or the like, but rather technology. I think I did pretty well in those sales interviews as both companies are interested in having me on, and I think I’m on to the second round, but I’m not sure when I’ll be hearing from them next.

By the way, here’s a link to the Shooting Gallery’s forum link in which I keep as up-to-date as possible on my career search:
Shooting Gallery Thread on my Career Search

In addition to the opportunities found in San Diego, a real exciting opportunity may lie in New York City with NBC! Yep, I interviewed with them last Friday afternoon over the phone and while I wasn’t sure the interview was going very well, at the end of the conversation the interviewer invited me to come to an on-site interview! I hope that it’s not overly technical as in they sit me down in front of a computer and say, “Make it work”. But if it is, well, let’s hope I have my act together and do my best. I would LOVE to take an opportunity in that area for a few years. How exciting would that be???? I just hope it pays decently, if I were to be offered it.

It’s definitely been exciting the last few weeks!

In addition to job hunting this past weekend, I also got to see family! Yep, Mom and Harv came down to San Diego and visited with me on Saturday and a bit of Sunday before I headed off to the conference prep-session. I was staying at Auntie Helen and Uncle Steve’s house in La Mesa, so that saved a LOT of money to stay there and it was also a lot more fun to stay with family than at a boring (expensive) hotel. It was definitely a quick visit, but it was great to see them all. On Monday night, Helen and I went out to dinner with my cousin Erin and Eric plus their son Finn, which was great, as I really haven’t seen them since I don’t know when. And then on Tuesday, Helen and I went to the Indian casino at Viejas, which was quite impressive. It actually reminded me a lot of Red Rock Station – and the casino is definitely high-caliber as opposed to something found in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Just still no craps tables though. But I ended up playing blackjack and for about 4.5 hours, was able to play with $100 and while I was up and down throughout the session, I ended up walking away with a $10 profit! (and that is stellar for me, let me tell you!) I just hope that is a good sign of things to come in Vegas in a few weeks!

Oh yeah, I also had another travel debacle on the way home from San Diego. I was at the airport and going through security, and I was about 4 people back from the actual x-ray portion when my line pretty much stopped. The other lines were going still, and I started getting aggravated. As I started contemplating moving to another line, it dawned on me that then the other lines weren’t moving either. In fact, all sorts of TSA agents and cops started showing up and looking at the monitor on my line’s x-ray machine. And the lines stayed shut down for 2 hours. Yep, they shut down the lines plus also brought everyone in the terminal and some planes back outside to security for a re-screening! It turns out that a TSA agent had noticed a bottle of something in a woman’s bag while it was going through the machine, but somehow the TSA agent ‘lost track of the woman and the bag’….. WHAT THE FUCK????? How do you lose track of someone? If you notice that shit in a bag, you immediately pull that person over to the side and make them dump the bottle. But no, instead, you realize you ‘lost track’ of someone and that means we shut down the airport. Yes, it was fun. Fortunately there was a cool woman to chat with for two hours while we were waiting, but when I finally got to my plane and it took off, I didn’t make my connecting flight in Salt Lake City to Colorado Springs. Luckily I made it on the standby list for the next flight a few hours later, but seriously, how annoying was that? But I (and all my belongings) made it back to the Springs and my house was still intact. yay!

16 July 2007 – Dinner with Erin, Eric & Helen

18 July 2007 – San Diego Airport

And oh yeah, don’t bother me on Saturday. I plan on picking up and reading the last Harry Potter with absolutely no media connectivity till I’m finished reading it. I will NOT be spoiled by the well-intentioned or not media. If it takes me all day and a lots of pizza and soda to read it in one day, then that’s what it will take!!!!!!!