gorgim

Trust Not...

2011-11-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

I reposted this again on Facebook and Google+ and now on here too, because there are still certain people in this country who need to be hit over the head with this a few more times until they get it. Keep religion out of government and politics!

Humanity

2011-10-12T11:02:00.000-07:00

Truer words were never spoken.

Erasure

2011-10-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

This was one heck of a concert last Friday evening at the Palms Hotel & Casino. Erasure blew the roof off the place. I've seen Erasure live in concert several times before, and each one was fantastic and elaborate in its own right. But this concert was less show and more about the music. Which was fine by me. The sound mix and accoustics were phenomenal. It always is at the Pearl Concert Theatre inside the Palms.

Andy Bell can belt it out like he did over 20 years ago. And he is singing better than ever. Our little group of friends was dancing, singing and going crazy nonstop. I probably lost 20 pounds by jumping around like a teenager. Who needs a workout? All one needs is a concert like that.

Erasure was amazing!

Here is the concert review from the Las Vegas Sun and more photos:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/oct/02/photos-erasure-brings-bass-and-hits-pearl-palms/

Pressing

2011-10-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

Interesting images taken from the press over the weekend.

Good point indeed. Taken during the 'Occupy Wall Street' protests in New York City.

I can see how gay marriage can totally mess up this whole traditional marriage value thingy.

Amen!

Science!

2011-09-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

This pretty much sums it up.

Unintelligent Design

2011-09-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

I've been asking this question myself many times lately...
via http://joemygod.blogspot.com/

A Not So Laboring Labor Day

2011-09-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

We spent a the most wonderful Labor Day weekend with our friends Cobban and his hubby Ray, whom were driving up from Southern Arizona and staying with us for a few days.

We had a great weather, lots of food, a few cocktails and a lot of fun. And we actually accomplished quite a lot of sightseeing. Red Rock Canyon, the Las Vegas Strip, old downtown Las Vegas, a free Howard Jones concert at Fremont Street Experience and Cirque du Soleil's "Love" at the Mirage.

Did I mention that it was one heck of fun weekend?

Below are some impressions.

Cobban, Ray, myself and George at the garden conservatory inside the Bellagio.

The dancing water fountains of the Bellagio on the Las Vegas Strip.

At Red Rock Canyon, just outside Las Vegas, NV.

The red sandstones of Calico Hills at Red Rock Canyon.

Red Rock Canyon, just west of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ray is educating himself about the natural history at the new visitors center of red Rock Canyon.

I think George and Cobban should stop growing any taller already.

Ray, Cobban and I at Red Rock Canyon.

Cobban is posing as the 'fifth' Beatle at the entrance of Cirque du Soleil's 'Love' at the Mirage. And he is an avid Beatles fan. He really enjoyed the show, which is a feast of amazing visuals and sounds. A must for every Beatles fan.

Am I?

2011-08-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

Um...lately not so much.

San Francisco

2011-06-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

Life has been really busy with work and too much fun in-between that there hasn't been too much extra time to post anything on here. And I admit that I have been spending way too much time on Facebook. And once again I'm pondering if I should let this blog ride into the sunset since I rarely spend much time on here anymore. We'll see...

But for now, here are some impressions from our wonderful long Memorial Day weekend in San Francisco. It's been over 10 years since I've been to the 'city by the bay' the last time. I love this city and grow even fonder of it with each returning visit. We found amazing restaurants, met with some friends and saw the phenomenal new musical "Tales of the City," based on Armistead Maupin's novel. Everything was perfect. We didn't want to leave.

On our Virgin America flight, nonstop from Las Vegas to San Francisco

Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill, one of the countless highlights along the famed 49 Mile Scenic Drive

Like out of some Hollywood movie. One of the many warehouses on the piers along the Embarcadero

On our long walk towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Can you spot the bridge?

Detail of the Palace of Fine Arts

George at Fort Point, with the skyline of San Francisco behind him

Inside the old walls of Fort Point

George and I at Pier 39, with noisy sea lions and the Golden Gate Bridge in the background

The Castro, the epicenter of the city's gay life

With our friend Evan at the HRC store. A little historical LGBT tidbit, this used to be Harvey Milk's original camera store on Castro Street.

Beautiful old buildings can still be found throughout the city.

Fort Point's old light tower under the Golden Gate Bridge

Part of the Golden Gate Park, the old Dutch windmill and the Pacific Ocean can be seen from the many hills in the Sunset District

George enjoying food at Japantown

Our main reason to visit San Francisco. The preview of the musical version of Armistead Maupin's "Tales of the City" at the A.C.T. Theatre on Geary

Bay Bridge, seen from Chinatown

Taking the BART from Powell Street station to San Francisco International Airport was fast and convenient

George relaxing inside the new Terminal 2 at SFO

I wasn't ready to fly back home to Las Vegas

The brand new Terminal 2 at San Francisco Int.' Airport had just opened a few weeks prior. It's very spacious and comfortable. This is Virgin America's check-in area

Opinion vs. Facts

2011-05-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a little sarcasm is good for the soul.

Raincheck

2011-05-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

Back in March, George and I were planning on going to Six Flag’s Magic Mountain. Due to record rainfall in Southern California at the time that plan literally went down the drain. We opted instead to go see a concert of the L.A. Philharmonics at the Disney Concert Hall.

About three weeks ago we were finally able to cash in that raincheck and spent another fun day at Magic Mountain in Valencia, in the outskirts of the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. This huge, green and lush theme park, which is nestled in picturesque rolling hills, is home to some the fastest and wildest roller coasters on this planet. With the opening of a brand-new conceptual coaster, called the “Green Lantern,” later this summer, it will boast the most numbers of coasters in any theme park in the world.

The afternoon and evening before was spent with George’s brother Thomas and his friend at Downtown Disney. We had a wonderful dinner together and were strolling through the Disney resorts and stores afterwards.

Below are some images from that weekend.

We stayed at a hotel on Katella Avenue in Anaheim, CA, in walkable distance to the Disneyland Resort.

Even though we didn’t actually visit Disneyland we took some obligatory pictures standing ‘in front’ of it.

At Downtown Disney, this man worked hours and hours on this sand sculpture, promoting the new Disney Nature film “African Cats.”

George, his brother Thomas and I at a nightly Downtown Disney.

The next day we drove to Magic Mountain. Here is the marquee along the I-5 freeway at Magic Mountain Parkway.

The first few of countless roller coasters in various shapes, heights and forms are visible from the parking lot.

Way up in the hills is the Viper, with its many loopings, corkscrews and other types of twisted inversions.

A interesting view looking upwards the X2, one of the craziest, most wildest rides around. X2 is a so-called fourth-dimension coaster. When I rode it for the very first time a few years ago I didn’t even know what just had happened to me. Too many sensations at once...

The totally awesome Tatsu, a “flying” coaster and the white loop of the “Revolution,” the world’s first-ever looping roller coaster. This one was featured in the 1977 disaster-suspense movie “Rollercoaster,” starring Richard Widmark, George Segal and Timothy Bottoms. We would pass the spot of the curving steel track many times where Timothy Bottom’s character would eventually find his demise at the end of the movie. A ‘historical’ landmark, so to speak.

George waiting in line for Tatsu.

One has an incredible view of the Santa Clarita valley from the boarding station of Tatsu.

Part of the ‘flying’ coaster Tatsu and the Sky Tower, one of the few remaining original attrations from when this park first openend back in 1971.

The sun is setting behind the Southern California hills and “The Riddler,” the world’s fastest standing coaster.

Another Night Strippin'

2011-04-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

George’s brother Thomas and his friend Linda came for a visit over the weekend. So of course, the four of us had to go the Las Vegas “Strip.” It turned out to be a very fun and long night.

The Strip was busy and crowded like we haven’t seen in quite some time. Apparently, the economy is approving. Or people are just slipping back into their old habits of living beyond their means just to have a little fun.

Either way...it was a fun night “strippin’.”

Very heavy and slow moving traffic along the Strip.

George, his brother Thomas and Linda at the Café Bellagio.

Spiegelworld is part of a touring varieté and circus show, which is currently performing on the grounds of Caesars Palace. http://www.absinthevegas.com/

A surreal world unfolds every evening behind these Roman columns of Caesars Palace. “Absinthe” is the alternative to Cirque du Soleil, another once alternative troupe gone mainstream. This little place brings some bohemian flair to the epicenter of pomp and glitz.

More from the “beer garden” of “Absinthe.”

From a subtle bohemian world right back smack in the middle of pure decadence. This is the hotel lobby of Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip.

The opposite end of the hotel lobby of Caesars Palace.

George, Linda and Thomas in front of Caesars Palace.

Here are George and I on the Strip, with the Eiffel Tower of the Paris Casino in the background.

George, Linda and I in front of the Bellagio, waiting for the next performance of the dancing water fountains.

Currently the absolute “it” place in Las Vegas, the new Cosmopolitan Resort & Casino.

Sprouting and Blooming

2011-04-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a few flowering impressions of our backyard from last Saturday morning. There’s a lot of sprouting and blooming going on...

Animalisms

2011-04-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

Desert Snow

2011-04-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

A lot was going on this weekend. On Friday, we have spent a nice evening on the Las Vegas Strip which included meeting some friends, having dinner and a few drinks. Ultimately, we ended up staying until the wee hours of Saturday morning. Something we rarely do. One will see the most curious people out and about in the casinos and on the Strip around 3 a.m.

The view of the Las Vegas Strip from the MGM Grand’s Signature Towers around 2 o’clock in the morning. Still lively and sparkly. Las Vegas truly is a city that never sleeps.

Despite our long night out on the Strip we got up fairly early on Saturday morning. But we couldn’t believe what we were seeing when we looked out the window. It was snowing. Were we still dreaming? Nope, there was actual snow falling in Las Vegas. In the desert. In April.

There’s a German saying: “April, April, der weiß nicht was er will” (April does not know what it wants). It basically means that weather wise anything and everything is possible in the month of April. Which is more than true for German weather during April. However, in the Mohave Desert it’s usually already nice and quite warm this time around.

And while the rest of Saturday was turning out to be a rather cold and dreary looking day weather wise, it would eventually turn into a rather inspiring and entertaining day cultural wise. That evening, George and I went to the Las Vegas Academy Theater to see “Dream.” It was a new play with music, loosely based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The metaphors of the current happenings in politics and society of today’s America were just gushing throughout the whole play. It was a very clever and well executed piece of theater.

An ad for “Dream,” the play we saw at the Las Vegas Academy Theater.

We were planning to check out a new bar but had it call it quits after the theater as we were just simply spent from the night before.

Sunday was spent rather leisurely. I suppose we needed to recuperate from all the excitement. Except for our walk in the park, some household chores and a little cooking it was a beautiful and quiet day.

First snow, then blooming cacti...just another day in Las Vegas. We saw many of these cacti at Pueblo Park in Summerlin.

I wonder what next weekend will have in store for us. Only four and half days to go to find out.

When It Rains It Pours...

2011-03-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

The weekend before last we spent in Los Angeles again. We had theater tickets for Saturday evening to see the musical stage version of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” at the Pantages in Hollywood.

It was also planned to meet up George’s brother Thomas on Sunday to spend the day at Six Flag’s Magic Mountain. Well, that plan fell through as Southern California happened to experience record rainfalls that day and the next.

Instead of riding some of the fastest and most insane roller coasters in the world we decided to take in some culture. The three of us braved torrential rains and gusty winds and drove into downtown L.A. to see and hear a live orchestra perform at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Having always marveled at this architectural masterpiece by Frank Gehry, we have been planning to see a symphonic concert there for years.

This particular Sunday afternoon the Los Angeles Philharmonic would be playing symphonies by Mozart and Beethoven, directed by their star conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Guest pianist Jeremy Denk accompanied the orchestra. It was quite an astounding recital and was well received by the audience.

A concert review by the Los Angeles Times can be found here.

Afterwards we thought we would visit the huge L.A. Live entertainment complex but continuing rains and winds, along with ridiculously high parking fees, put a damper on this plan. So we ended up driving back to the Pasadena area, where George and Thomas grew up, and have dinner at a traditional local staple, the Clearman’s North Woods Inn restaurant. The two brother’s reminisced childhood memories while all of us enjoyed a delicious and hearty dinner.

The next day, we stocked up on our beloved Peet’s Coffee at their coffee house on Lake Avenue before heading back home to Las Vegas. Just as we entered the I-210 freeway, the floodgates in the dark clouds opened and a deluge of water came crushing down. It was raining so hard that I could barely see the car in front of me. At times, the winds were again so strong that it felt like we would be blown off the road. But as soon as we’ve reached the high desert the rain would subside and eventually stop. We made it back to Las Vegas without further delays or disturbances.

Although it was a rather wet weekend we still had tons of fun. Come rain or shine, we always seem to have a grand time in the City of Angels. And it looks like we’ll be back again sometime in April.

We still need to cash in those rainchecks for Magic Mountain. We’ll ride those darn roller coasters yet...

These palm trees just scream L.A.

On Hillhurst Avenue in Los Feliz, after we had the most scrumptious dinner at the Alcove. The blackened salmon I had was out of this world. We love that place.

The main reason for our trip to L.A. this time. George has never seen "Beauty and the Beast" before and I'm up for any opportunity to go back to the Pantages again. I love this theater.

Starstruck in Hollywood? George admiring some of the architecture along Hollywood Blvd.

Hollywood Boulevard at Vine Street, with the Hollywood sign on top of Mt. Lee in the background.

This is actually a relatively new neon sign but I love the retro feel of it.

This is one of the most famous murals that can be found in many of the side streets off Hollywood Boulevard. This particular one has been featured in countless magazines and is described in every imaginable travel guide and photo book published around the world.

The entrance of the relatively new W Hotel in Hollywood, right across the Pantages Theatre.

What would Hollywood be without a grand staircase? Inside the lobby of the W Hotel in Hollywood.

The lobby area of the W Hotel.

The bar inside the lobby area of the W Hotel.

The neon marquee of the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. This iconic movie palace from 1922 was recently renovated and is again open to the public.

The ornate chandelier inside the auditorium of the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. I love art deco and this theater is art deco in its purest form.

I took this photo of George right after the theater. It was a fabulous show.

I took this picture of the iconic Los Angeles city hall tower the next day. I love this photo. It was also rather hard to take photos with all this rain and strong winds. We actually enjoyed the rain since it basically never rains in Las Vegas. Angelinos didn't quite share our enthusiasm though.

The Dorothy Chandler Pavillion across from the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It's L.A.'s opera house, but many Academy Awards ceremonies were held here before the Oscars moved to its permanent home at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood just a few years ago.

The Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall is a true architectural masterpiece. That very morning we decided to see the L.A. Philharmonics, hoping to still get some tickets. Conducted by Gustavo Dudamel with guest pianist Jeremy Denk, they played Beethoven, Mozart and a little Charles Ives. An interesting mix.

Another exterior detail shot of the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Lots of wooden paneling inside the lobby areas of the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Indoor detail photo of the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Another interior detail shot of the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The Walt Disney Concert Hall auditorium. We were lucky to find three seats together as the concert was nearly sold out.

A dark and rainy downtown Los Angeles. To the right is the Bonaventure Hotel with its massive atrium, which was used in countless movies. All of downtown has been used for films and TV shows for that matter.

The Simon brothers at Clearman's North Woods Inn in San Gabriel, an old restaurant that's been around for ages. George and Thomas had fun reminiscing the good old days.

George and I after having way too much food at the Clearman's North Woods Inn Restaurant. I think those cheese breads alone had over 10,000 calories, lol. But it was so good.

George and I stopped at Peet's in Pasadena on Lake Avenue to stock up on coffee for the next few weeks. A luxury we'll never let go. Here's George enjoying some freshly brewed Peet's coffee. It's just simply the best coffee around. I also found my new favorite pastry there, a Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffin. Yum!

Low clouds hanging over the San Gabriel Mountains, near George's old neighborhood. It's usually on the way and we almost always are getting gas here since it's one of the cheapest in the greater L.A. area. Pssst...don't tell anyone. ;) Besides, it is really beautiful here and always worth a stop. You should see it when it's warm and sunny.

On our drive through the Mojave Desert back to Las Vegas. While still in Los Angeles we were almost washed and blown off the 210 freeway. I thought the ocean was coming down. When it rains in California...it rains!!! Once in the high desert, we had snow, rain, sun and high winds. It's never boring along I-15.

Somewhere in the middle of the Mojave Desert, on the I-15 freeway. In the higher elevations it was snowing and some views of the mountains were just beautiful.

A Birthday in Vegas

2011-03-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was George’s birthday. We celebrated his special day by doing some clothes shopping and getting See’s chocolate, a nice leisurely stroll on the Las Vegas Strip, and a nice dinner at the Bellagio. Most of the preceding week was rather cloudy and filled with chilly and gusty winds. Yesterday the sun decided to come out in full force. And boy, did it warm up quickly. The forecast for next weekend calls for temperature well above 90 degrees. Looks like the desert is once again skipping Spring altogether and heading right into Summer.

Below are some photos we took yesterday on the Strip.

The birthday boy at the atrium of the Wynn Resort on the Las Vegas Vegas Strip.

I call this photo “A Local Among Tourists.” This is me in front of the waterfall next to entrance of the Esplanade at Wynn.

The new Spring display at the Garden Conservatory inside the Bellagio Hotel & Casino.

A fantasy tree inside the Bellagio.

The Bellagio Garden with this year’s Spring display.

Art sprung to life. A “painting” made of real flowers.

George is enjoying the Spring show. We had a nice birthday dinner at the Bellagio shortly after this picture was taken.

Back To Your Diversions

2011-03-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

Nothing has really changed that much over the course of time. Ancient Rome already had their “bread and games.”

via http://www.joemygod.blogspot.com/

Seven

2011-02-06T14:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the number 7 had a significant meaning for George and I.

• There are seven wonders of the ancient world.

• There are seven continents in the world.

• There are seven colors of the rainbow.

• A ladybug commonly has seven spots.

• Most people in Europe, Latin America, and New England write 7 with a line in the middle.

• In “Star Trek: Voyager,” Seven of Nine (also called Seven for short) is one of the crewmembers.

• ProSieben (sieben being German for seven), a television network in Germany.

• The Marilyn Monroe film “The Seven Year Itch” is famous for the white dress blowing up.

But more importantly, we celebrated our seventh anniversary together. It’s amazing how time flies. And I couldn’t even imagine my life without George anymore. Thank you for an incredible ride of a lifetime. I’m hoping it’ll never stop.

Ich liebe Dich!

Hong Kong - Day 3

2011-02-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

The third day of our visit to Hong Kong was mostly spent in Kowloon, which is on the mainland side across Victoria Harbour. We visited the Hong Kong Museum of History, some street markets, the beautiful Kowloon Park, and Nathan Road with its surrounding high-end stores, businesses and traditional hotels.

Inside one of the old double decker tramways in Hong Kong. These are one of the oldest public transportation vehicles still in operation. The trams started back in 1904 and run from one end of Hong Kong Island to the other. And they are lots of fun to ride on. Well, maybe not so much during rush hour...

The old Legislative Council Building in Central.

In case you always wondered how to spell “Slow” in Cantonese.

George enjoying the morning ride on one of the famous Star Ferries going across Victoria Harbour.

Give me the camera...give me the camera! Okay, fine. Snap away! Kowloon, here we come.

Heavy traffic trying to squeeze into one of many tunnels that goes under the harbour between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong’s skyline is seen in the distance.

The Hong Kong Museum of History covers the local history dating back to hundreds of thousands of years ago up until when the British returned Hong Kong to China in 1997.

An old junk boat on display inside the amazing Hong Kong Museum of History.

The museum exhibits the natural and local history, as well as ethnography. It is very well executed with tons of original artifacts and art.

In these halls the Chinese life and folklore of Hong Kong in the 1800’s was prominently displayed.

The World War II and post-war section of the museum were very elaborate. Here is George working on his teaching skills in a post-war classroom.

We were just fascinated by all these old and sometimes massive neon signs all over town.

George taking a break at beautiful Kowloon Park.

These trees where everywhere. And the roots would sometimes just take over everything. They would even grow through walls and come out of the asphalt.

More interesting architecture wherever we went. This one was on Nathan Road, one of the busiest roads in Kowloon.

An old-style junk boat, now used for harbor cruises.

A mix of diverse architectural styles, high rises and sparkling neon displays can be seen along the shorelines of Kowloon.

The Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower on the Kowloon side of the harbour. It is the only remnant of the original site of the former Kowloon Station and was built in 1913.

McCafé cappuccinos are actually very good, believe it or not. And quite reasonable too. But unlike its American counterpart, the Hong Kong McCafés serve them in real porcelain cups and the delicious pastries and cakes on real porcelain plates with silverware. Just as they do in Germany too. Can you imagine this in an American McDonald’s or McCafé?

Speaking of which...American fast-food and coffee house chains are everywhere, like here on Hennessey Road in Wan Chai. There are even Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Caribou Coffee outlets here. How did these companies ever get so successful all over the world? But is there an outlet of Peet’s Coffee, our most favorite coffee place anywhere? Of course not!

We’re not quite done yet. More photos to come. In the meantime, Happy Chinese New Year! It starts on Thursday, February 3rd. And 2011 marks the Year of the Rabbit.

新年快乐.

Hong Kong - Day 2 Continued

2011-01-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

Our second day on Lantau Island continued by visiting the giant Buddha, after we first toured the Po Lin Monastery. The photos below show the Buddha, Ngong Ping and a little bit of Hong Kong’s SoHo district which we walked through at the end of the day.

Tian Tan Buddha, the world’s largest Buddha statue. It’s made of bronze and is 112 ft. tall and weighs 280 tons.

The Buddha rests on top of a three-story base, which houses a museum and the Hall of Remembrance.

Smaller statues surround the large Buddha...including a “statue” of George.

The scenery on Lan Tau Island is beautiful. Lush mountain ranges are surrounding the monastery. This was one view from atop the hill of the big Buddha. Notice the small pagoda sticking out of the forest.

The opposite side offered views of the South China Sea.

After climbing down those steps again we needed a little break in form of ice cream bars and some Cokes. Dried seafood didn’t sound that refreshing.

The swastika has a complete different meaning in Asian cultures. It dates back more than 4,000 years and depending on the region it either represents the sun, the universe or simply means good luck. Unfortunately, in more recent history this symbol has been misrepresented and misused on countless occasions and took on a completely different meaning in Western cultures.

This sign just cracked us up. Yes, there is also a “female” toilet. And no, there weren’t any holes in the ground either. Those types of toilets are mostly found in mainland China.

The wooden columns of the Wisdom Path, near the monastery.

Close-up of the wooden columns, with various text of wisdom carved into.

One of many nature trails.

With the South China Sea in the background.

A make-shift sign, calligraphed by hand, that we saw along the way while walking through the forest to the Wisdom Path.

Ngong Ping Village, with the giant Buddha in the background. From here we took a different route back to the city...via a suspended cable car.

The Ngong Ping 360 cable car is a 5.7 km long bi-cable gondola lift system. It’s linked between Tung Chung, where it connects to the MTR subway station, and Ngong Ping. Along the way one can see the mountain ranges, canyons, the ocean and the comings and goings of the busy Hong Kong International airport in the distance.

The ride took approximately 25 minutes and passed several angle stations. At the last angle station the gondola turned 60 degrees before flying over Tung Chung Bay and heading down into the terminus station.

After the sun was setting we were back again in the bustling city streets of Hong Kong. Here we are in SoHo, surrounded by even more people, traffic, shops and street markets. We found this street stand where a man made the most delicious juices out of all the most exotic fresh fruits. You won’t find any of these at any Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods either.

More interesting angles of impressive modern architecture in the city.

I will try to post more photos of our remaining time in Hong Kong over the next few days.

再見

Hong Kong-Day 2, Po Lin Monastery

2011-01-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

Our second day took us to Lan Tau Island on the other side of the big natural harbour of Hong Kong. The whole island is absolutely beautiful, with lush mountain ranges and gorgeous sandy beaches lining up along the South China Sea.

We visited the Po Lin Monastery and the largest Buddha statue in the world. Later that day we took the Ngong Ping Cable Cars back to one of the many modern subway stations. We then headed back into the bustling city and ended our day in Hong Kong’s SoHo.

Below are photos of the monastery. The photos of the giant Buddha and Ngong Ping will follow in a separate entry.

Our second day started out at one of the many piers down at Hong Kong’s harbour. We took a 45-minute ferry ride across the huge bay towards Lan Tau Island. This is the famous Star Ferry Pier.

The main gateway to the Po Lin Monastery.

Once we passed the gateway, we reached a big plaza from where we saw the giant Buddha sitting on top of the mountain.

The world’s largest Buddha sits atop the mountain behind George and I. Later we would climb those stairs to get to the top. There are no escalators or elevators. Many elderly Chinese women were almost in better shape than we were trying to walk up those stairs.

The unassuming entrance into the monastery. There were flowers everywhere. It was overwhelming.

George in front of the smaller shrine of the monastery. You need to pass through here first before reaching the square in front of the big temple.

All the beautiful craftsmanship and artistry were almost too much to take in.

One of many big bells in the monastery. All the offerings consisted of fresh fruits and more flowers. Why does only Buddha get all the good stuff?

These stone plate inscriptions could be found all over the area. Does anyone know what this particular one says?

Behind me is the main temple of the Po Lin Monastery.

The three golden Buddhas inside the main temple. This building is so richly appointed with art that one doesn’t even know where to look first.

Silk lanterns hanging from the tall, vaulted, and elaborately painted ceilings inside the temple.

Detail of a dragon, chiseled out of stone, at the main temple of the Po Lin Monastery.

The temple is surrounded by these amazing stone carvings and sculptures.

Another detail shot of the countless stone chiseled dragons.

The giant Buddha as seen from the temple. It was our next destination. More photos of that in the next entry...

The Fragrant Harbour

2011-01-17T12:06:00.000-08:00

For the life of me I just can’t find the time to write a comprehensive report about our trip to Hong Kong, China over the holidays. Too much is going on in our lives right now. So I will just post photos over the next few days and add some brief captions, which hopefully will help to describe our amazing journey.

That much I can say at this point. Hong Kong is one fascinating city.

Our flight took us from Las Vegas, Nevada to Seoul in South Korea. Korean Air flies nonstop from Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport to Seoul’s Incheon Int.’l Airport. Koren Air is a great airline. The flight attendants were all most attentive and very gracious. Most American airlines could learn a thing or ten from them. The picture above shows one of countless signages throughout the huge and modern Incheon Airport. All signs are in Korean, Japanese, Chinese and of course English.

The airport in Las Vegas has slot machines and tacky shops for tourists. Incheon Airport in Seoul has real orchids throughout all the terminals, classy designer stores and fine dining restaurants.

George is enjoying his morning coffee while waiting for our connection fllight to Hong Kong.

That was our bird behind me. An Korean Air Airbus 330-300 took us on a three and a half hour flight to Hong Kong, the “Fragrant Harbour.”

Here we flew over Taiwan.

The first impressions from the airport into the city of Hong Kong were already overwhelming. This was our view from the 27th floor of the trendy and chic Cosmo Hotel, right next to Happy Valley.

Our hotel room view looking in the opposite direction, towards the financial district. The skyscraper with the reflection of the morning sun is the 88-story International Finance Centre and the second tallest building in the city.

Next to our hotel was a Sikh Temple and recreation center. Hong Kong residents are mostly Chinese but still has a very diverse population with many different religions living in close proximity.

We walked past this golden dragon statue many times.

There are many of these little shrines in-between storefronts or next to entryways. One can easily overlook these little gems.

Hong Kong is one bustling city. At times, traffic seems totally out of control but yet it flows. Controlled chaos. Here is an old double-decker tram which some locals call Ding Ding. It's been in operation since 1904 and travels all the way from one end of Hong Kong Island to the other. A fun way to get around and explore the city.

The financial district. Every imaginable bank from around the world is represented here. Some of the architecture is just amazing. The tower on the left is the Bank of China. The tower on the right is one of the two Lippo Corp. towers.

In all the crazyness of humanity and traffic we found this little oasis, the Hong Kong Park.

Although Christmas is not part of the Chinese culture it was ever-present. Here are some holiday decorations along a stepped water fountain in Hong Kong Park.

I was lucky to capture this shot of a beautiful butterfly.

The Museum of Tea Ware inside the historic Flagstaff House featured this exhibition of contemporary art of local artists, as well as an extensive display of the history of Chinese tea culture.

These types of trees are found throughout the city and they were all covered with these fragrant blossoms.

Taking in the scenery and the fresh breeze coming from the tall waterfall behind me.

We have never seen so many turtles in one area. The pond was full of them, along with huge koi fish and a variety of waterfowl.

The towers of the Lippo Corporations are peeking from behind the lush greens of the Hong Kong Park.

More impressive architecture was seen on our way to the Victoria Peak Tram.

Hollywood is everywhere, even in China. An advertisement for Walt Disney’s “Tron Legacy” in 3-D.

The rest of America’s money-making machinery was hard at work all over the city. Like this Seven-Eleven ad on a taxi. Every possible name brand was found here. McDonald’s, Subways, KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Starbucks, Häagen-Dazs, Circle K...you name it. Most have outlets here.

The incredible view from atop Victoria Peak. Hong Kong was lying beneath us and on the other side of the harbour was Kowloon. One could see the South China Sea from the other side of the peak.

George on top of Victoria Peak.

George and I on Victoria Peak with Hong Kong and Kowloon in the background.

After taking a rather adventurous bus ride down the mountain again, we took the famous Star Ferry over to Kowloon on the other side of Victoria Harbour. The sun was setting and most of Hong Kong’s skyline was starting to sparkle with millions of lights and hundreds of neon signs.

Another view of Hong Kong’s skyline.

Every evening at 8 p.m. the whole skyline turns into one gigantic light show which is synchronized to music. This “Symphony of Lights” uses decorative lights, searchlights and lasers and has been awarded the world’s “Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show” by Guinness World Records.

And so ended our first day in the city I now like to call a “Chinese London.” I will try to post more photos in the coming days.

再見 (Zoi Gin - Good-bye; See you soon)

And So It Starts...All Over Again

2011-01-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

George and I made it back home from our vacation to Hong Kong all safe and sound. And we’re already back into the daily grind. Lots of new projects are starting to pile up at work. But that’s a good thing, especially under the current economic circumstances. This means job security, so I’m not complaining. And we need to catch up on a whole lot of other things at home too.

Unfortunately, both George and I got sick just as we arrived in Las Vegas. The weather was gorgeous in Hong Kong. Not so much in Las Vegas though as we were greeted by subzero temperatures and nasty winds. Which was followed by a rare snow storm. So here we are, sniffling, sneezing and coughing our way into the first week of the new year.

And just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean certain things will ever change. We’re all just starting the same routine all over again.

Of course, this also means it will take time before we’re able to post more about our amazing trip in the coming days or even weeks. We also took a ton of photos but we still need to sort through them. But it will happen...eventually. Or head on over to my Facebook page where I already posted a few pictures.

We’ll leave you with a few snippets on this here blog thingy though. All I can say is Hong Kong is one incredible city. Full of contrasts, traditions, modern inventions...and shopping malls. I’ve never seen so many malls in such a confined space. And people there love to shop. It is one wealthy city.

So, in the meantime...再見.*

George and I atop Victoria Peak, which overlooks Hong Kong and Kowloon.

Hong Kong Park.

The impressive skyline of the financial district on Hong Kong Island.

* by the way, 再見 means Goodbye. In case you were wondering.

And So It Ends...

2010-12-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

...this year, that is. Another one is slowly coming to a close. It’s amazing how time flies. And it looks like this will be the last entry of this old year too. My vacation starts tomorrow and George and I will be rather busy doing a whole lot of different things in the coming days and next week. However, blogging, facebooking and such will not be so much on our agenda.

On this note, we would like to wish all of you out in the blogosphere a Happy Holiday Season and all the best for New Year 2011.

In the meantime, we’ll be using one of these...

...to get to a place called the “fragrant harbour.”

See you all next year.

“It Never Rains in Southern California”

2010-12-20T15:47:00.000-08:00

The news today said that the rain over Southern California were record shattering. Well, why not spent the weekend there then and be part of history. George and I were in Los Angeles over the weekend and yes...it rained. A lot! As in nonstop. It’s still raining there as we speak. And it has actually reached Las Vegas too in the meantime.

We left for L.A. around 1 p.m. and had a pretty good drive until Victorville. The first wave of rush hour was hitting but it was manageable. But we could already see the looming dark clouds that were building over the San Bernardino Mouintains. Behind those mountains most of Southern California was already being pummeled by torrential rains. As soon as we started to descent from the summit into the valley, the thick dark clouds and heavy fog were settling onto a very busy weekend traffic. I could barely see the brake lights of the car in the front of us. Traffic slowed down to crawl on the very steep section of the four-lane freeway cutting through El Cajon Pass. We were once stuck in a heavy snow storm driving up the pass many years ago. Let me just say it was not fun. At all!

Once we reached the foothills, the fog lifted somewhat and turned into misty rain. It would get harder as we got closer to the city but it wasn’t as bad we thought it would be. Traffic was normal...as normal traffic can be on those infamous Los Angeles freeways on a late Friday afternoon. We reached our hotel safe and sound and sooner than expected.

The Disneyland Resort was in walking distance, so we grabbed our umbrellas and headed on over to our destination of the evening, Downtown Disney. We had a wonderful dinner at Tortilla Jo’s, a very festive-looking Mexican restaurant. And since we also stuffed ourselves with scrumptious desserts we needed to walk off the extra ballast again. So we checked out the stores and the beautiful Grand Californian hotel. It’s always worth revisiting.

The next morning it was still raining. After a nice breakfast and with no particular plans for the day we just slowly made our way toward George’s old neighborhood in the Pasadena and Arcadia area. We checked out a couple of stores and stocked up on our Peet’s Coffee. Then it was time to drive up into the hills to visit Rover and some friends at the Green Man Lodge.

It was great seeing Rover again. We spent a nice cozy afternoon a Rover and Cal’s beautiful little paradise. Perfect for a dark and rainy day outside. Cal wasn’t yet home from his drive from Colorado and we didn’t expect to even see him before we had to leave. But he made it home just in time and it was good to see him as well. Even if it was ever so briefly.

Eventually it was time to leave our friends and make our way into Hollywood to see “West Side Story” at the Pantages. This was the English/Spanish version of the musical that made some headlines on Broadway. However, the Spanish bits were a little scarce and felt like they were randomly thrown into the story. It also didn’t enhance anything. That said, the performance and the dancing were still great. The dance routines were close to Jerome Robbin’s original interpretation and to the numbers in Robert Wise’ film version in the 1960s, with slight variation here and there. The song “America” was performed and sung entirely by women. And I have never seen this version of “Somewhere” before. In this case, it’s not sung by Tony and Maria but by Anybodys, the girl whom desperately wants to be one of the boys and part of the Jets gang. It’s set up as a dream sequence and eventually most of cast joins in at the end of this song. I don’t know if this version was in the original Broadway run or if it was altered specifically for the film version. But it was a very pleasant surprise.

George and I did not care much for the main characters, Tony and Maria. Their voices weren’t emotionally involved and at times it felt the two were competing who could sing the loudest. That, the Spanish bits, and the crude and unnecessarily vulgar “Gee, Officer Krupke” scene, were our only complaints. Everything else was absolutely fabulous. Well, I may be a little biased too. “West Side Story” is by far my most favorite musical.

The rain continued all night long into Sunday morning. And it rained harder. We checked out of our hotel and spent a little more time at Downtown Disney before we got ready to drive back home to Las Vegas. The drive along some freeways and up El Cajon pass was littered with car accidents. It was a very slow and trying drive up those San Bernardino Mountains. But once we’ve reached the high desert the rain cleared and traffic was flowing again. There were a few sprinkles along the way into Nevada but nothing too concerning.

Now we’re back at work for a short week. The rain has also reached Las Vegas in the meantime. But that’s okay. Our next little adventure is waiting for us just around the corner.

More about that “next year”...

Below some impressions from our weekend in Los Angeles.

The Pasadena Auditorium on Green Street.

The Pasadena City Hall.

I call this the maharaja’s palace. Some Eastern Indian palace-looking building I’ve seen so many times and always wondered it is. Even George couldn’t tell me and he’s from this area.

Colorado Boulevard in downtown Pasadena. The famous Rose Parade comes through here. On New Year’s Day it will be time again for spectacular floats parading down this street in front of tens of thousands of spectators, displaying scenes made of millions of flowers.

Disney’s California Adventure themepark is undergoing a $1 billion renovation, retheming and expansion. The gigantic tile murals that were at each side of this entrance to the park are already gone. Soon, these huge letters spelling out the word “California” will vanish as well.

George and I standing in front of the letters for the last time. We actually enjoyed the rain. It’s a treat for us. We desert rats are spoiled like that since it hardly ever rains in Las Vegas.

This whole entrance plaza will look completely different in 2012.

The rains didn’t stop, not even for the mouse of the house.

The main entrance to the “happiest place on earth,” the original Disneyland. I doubt too many people were all that happy with the rainy weather though.

George and I haven’t held an umbrella in our hands in over ten years. It just felt weird.

A small section of wonderful Downtown Disney, with an array of shops, restaurants, clubs and movie theaters.

A Tale Of Sharks And Some Jets

2010-12-16T11:20:00.000-08:00

George and I will drive to the City of Angels again tomorrow afternoon to spend another fun-filled weekend there.

Our primary reason to visit this time is to see this...

...at this wonderful gem on Hollywood Boulevard. We’ve seen a lot of great theater at the Pantages lately.

Along the way we will most likely get a glimpse of this skyline....

...but more than likely not since the weather forecast predicts a rainy weekend. Because you know...”it never rains in Southern California.”

However, it doesn’t matter how the weather might turn out to be because we will still have a great time. In addition to the theater we will visit friends and enjoy fabulous food.

Then we will return to Las Vegas for a short work week due the upcoming holidays and finally...finally!...some much needed vacation.

And another big adventure...

More Of The Jimbo

2010-12-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

It looks like Jimbo had a successful conference all week while being in our fair city. George and I met him again yesterday evening at the Bellagio. He had a light dinner and we enjoyed some gelato. Afterwards we wandered around the Bellagio, saw the new Christmas display at the resort’s garden conservatory, checked out some new glass art by Chihuly, and took in some of the dancing water fountain shows outside on the lake lining up the Strip.

Jimbo was leaving Las Vegas early this morning to fly back home to D.C. Safe travels! Below are some impressions from yesterday evening.

Actually, this was taken yesterday morning. Another beautiful sunrise in the desert.

Part of this years huge holiday display inside Bellagio’s garden conservatory.

The tall Christmas tree is circled by a moving miniature train.

Outside the Bellagio one can see the new Cosmopolitan resort and casino next door, which will have a soft opening next week and an official grand opening on New Year’s Eve.

This is me and Jimbo at the Bellagio lake, waiting for the next fountain show.

George and Jimbo in the presence of some mysterious orb hovering over the lake. Area 51 is just outside the city. Or it is just a speck on the lens. Nah, a secret government conspiracy sounds more exciting.

Jimbo

2010-12-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

Jim, or Jimbo as he’s known to his friends and out in the blogosphere, is currently in the City of Sin to attend a conference all this week. We have heard about Jim many times before, mainly from our mutual friend Homer and other fellow bloggers, but yesterday was the first time that George and I met him in person. Jim is a genuinely nice and funny guy. We like him a lot.

Yesterday was his day off, so to speak, since the rest of his stay in Las Vegas seems to be rather busy. We picked him up at the Hard Rock Hotel and took him to Jamms, a small local restaurant, where we had a nice breakfast. Afterwards we drove westwards on Charleston Boulevard and right into the heart of our destination for the day, Red Rock Canyon.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t all that great. It was cloudy and a bit cool. But I was glad it didn’t rain like the forecast had predicted. That would eventually happen later that night. I was hoping for a little sun. This whole area around Red Rock Canyon looks so much more stunning when it is literally drenched in sunlight. That’s when the colors of the red and yellow sandstone will be most effective.

Jim told us that he used to be a park ranger and was quite impressed by how the newly remodeled and expanded visitors center has turned out. After looking at many of the exhibits and buying a small souvenir at the center’s gift store we were on our way to drive the 13-mile scenic loop drive.

We stopped at various outlook places to enjoy the vistas and to take some photographs before we parked the car at the head of the Pine Creek Canyon trail. It was surprisingly busy and the parking lot had already filled. We parked the car on the side of the road and made our way down towards the trail.

Jim is also an avid bird watcher and brought his book along to compare his bird sightings. There weren’t too many birds out but we could hear a few in the distance. He was happy to see at least one bird which was very indigenous to this area.

After the brisk hike we were getting hungry and we headed on over to nearby Bonnie Springs, which has a small-scale western town, complete with a motel, a cowboy stunt show, a miniature train, a petting zoo and a rustic country-style restaurant. George and I have not been to this place in over ten years and almost forgot about it. Along the way, we even saw a few of the famed wild burros that roam this area. There aren’t too many of them left anymore and the chances of seeing these animals out in the wild have become rare.

After we all had a nice and hearty dinner at the Bonnie Springs Restaurant we were getting ready to drive back into town as it had started to get dark anyway. Before dropping Jim off at his hotel we made a quick stop to have a drink at the Fun Hog Ranch, one of the local gay bars. There was suppose to be a beer bust but apparently we either had already missed it or we were too early as the bar wasn’t busy at all.

After finishing our drinks we returned Jim to his hotel. And so ended another terrific Sunday well spent. It was great to have finally met Jim and to have made another friend. Below are some photos from our day out at Red Rock Canyon.

George and Jim at Red Rock Canyon

Jimbo and Jim. I seriously think there are way too many Jims on this planet.

On our hike along the Pine Creek trail lots of photos were taken of beautiful vistas and interesting plants.

Trying to listen and identify a bird call in the distance.

Thousands of years of erosion carved interesting patterns into the rocks.

Just as the day was coming to a close the clouds were starting to break up and the last rays of the setting sun were illuminating the Red Rock mountains. This is the view from the Bonnie Springs Ranch.

Thanksgiving in Pictures

2010-11-30T09:49:00.000-08:00

The long Thanksgiving weekend was a welcoming change of pace. Even though we didn’t necessarily get much rest we did enjoy it immensely. We got a lot accomplished too, doing Thanksgiving-related things and not so Thanksgiving-related things. Like taking our car for its much needed service and tune-ups. Everyday life necessities do not stop just because there’s a long holiday weekend.

In any case, our Thanksgiving turkey dinner was a great success. The bird came out more than perfect. Eat your heart out, Martha Stewart. And it was absolutely delicious. All the trimmings, side dished, gravy and desserts were superbly delectable. All of our guests just gobbled it up and went for seconds. We haven’t had such a scrumptious turkey meal in a long time.

All in all, it was a wonderful long holiday weekend. We even ended up going to the Las Vegas Strip and checked out some stores at some of the casinos and the Fashion Show Mall. On Black Friday...of all days. But since we didn’t do any shopping we weren’t fazed by all the madness. The clientele at the Fashion Show is usually a bit more sophisticated anyway and so the mall wasn’t all-out crazy.

Are you ready for the next big holiday? I know I am. Not so much for the whole Christmas and New Years hoopla as we really don’t make a big fuzz about that stuff anyway. We don’t even decorate our home or anything. But I will have some vacation time and I’m really looking forward to that part. We are still hoping to get away for a few days. Don’t know where yet. Maybe we’ll find some last-minute travel deal to a nice warm place? Or we’ll spend a few days in California. Who knows? Even a staycation sounds fine to me. As long as I don’t have to come up with some brilliant design idea to make a concrete flood control channel looks pretty.

I will not even waste one single second thinking about work on my upcoming vacation. My European side of me will not allow that. My American side will just have to deal.

I know, what a predicament.

Below are some photos from our Thanksgiving weekend.

Thomas drove in from California to spend a few days with us. That's him and Mary, his and George's mother.

Yeah, yeah, enough with the picture taking already. When can we finally eat that darn bird?

Uh-oh, boys in the kitchen. George, Thomas and my silly self.

Mary and Alice enjoying a delicious turkey dinner.

Thomas and our “chick magnet.” Or so he says. Oh, those heterosexuals.

Inside the atrium of the Wynn Resort on the Las Vegas Strip. They were already heavily into the next holiday spirit.

The pool area at the Mirage, right next to Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden. One of the hotel towers of Caesars Palace is peeking out from behind.

Mirage’s tropical atrium, all decked out for the holidays. Are you ready for the next big one?

It's Turkey Day Once Again...

2010-11-23T11:22:00.000-08:00

I’m astonished how quickly time passes. Is it already this time of year again? In two days is Thanksgiving. A few more days later we’ll move into the month of December and before you know it the holiday season is upon us. Followed by a brand new year. What ever happened to this year? Weren’t George and I not just in Germany, celebrating a new year? This year just flew by.

Astonishing!

On the other hand, I’m glad this is a short work week and a long weekend is coming up. We don’t have too many of those. George and I are staying home this time. The last few Thanksgiving weekends were celebrated in California, where we stayed with friends and enjoyed a wonderful meal and a great time at their wonderful home. Or having a couple of fun days at Disneyland. This time we decided to make it all traditional, with cooking at home, having family visiting us and the whole nine yards. Without the hoopla of all these football games though.

We got ourselves one big turkey. Over twenty pounds. And we got a great deal on it too. Just by accident did we see that one of the local markets had a one-day special where they sold brand name turkeys at incredible low prices. We literally saved up to 75% compared to all the other places. That may not have made that poor turkey’s day but it sure made ours.

Starting tomorrow, we’ll be cooking nonstop for two days. And we probably will be eating for the following two weeks. But we have family over to help us. George’s brother will drive in from California and stay with us for the weekend too. We all love turkey dinners with all the trimmings but it has been forever since we’ve actually cooked a big meal like that ourselves in our own kitchen. It’ll be a treat. Especially since George has the magical touch to turn everything into the most delicious meals.

It will be a fairly traditional fair. Since we are not your typical all-American family, traditional American foods are not a regular staple at our homes. We are far too adventurous for that...in a culinary sense. So this meal will be a very special treat for all of us. A huge turkey with gravy, corn bread stuffing, cranberries, mashed cream cheese potatoes with sauteed onion bits and leek, corn and mixed vegetables. Some cakes, plus apple and pumpkin pies for dessert. Of course, tons of appetizers and snacks before, during and after the big meal. Is this American enough?

Like I said, we’ll be cooking for two days and eat for two weeks.

However, with all this feeding frenzy going on we will not forget to be grateful for everything we have. Isn’t that the point of Thanksgiving? To take some time to reflect and be thankful for what one has and has accomplished? We don’t need some special day to be reminded to be thankful though. We are fully aware of how lucky we are and we recognize this everyday and count our blessings.

But it happens to be Thanksgiving and it will bring us a nice long weekend. So we’re definitely not complaining and we’re trying to make the most of it. We hope you are too.

Happy Thanksgiving, ya’ll.

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

2010-11-15T15:12:00.000-08:00

Another weekend came and went. Too quickly, I might add. But I’m not complaining since George and I spent a wonderful time.

It started right after work Friday afternoon. George was off that day, so I had the car and drove home to pick him up before heading to the Las Vegas Strip for our big event that evening. But first, we had some dinner of course. We went to this little gem of a restaurant inside Neiman Marcus at the Fashion Show Mall. One can easily miss the unassuming door to the NM Cafe. Once you walk through the door you’ll be surprised by its simple contemporary design with bright warm colors.

The Popovers are a Neiman Marcus tradition.

The menu list is short and slightly in the higher price range. But the quality of food and a comfy atmosphere makes up for it. We both ordered...drum roll, please...cheeseburgers with fries. We figured if they can turn something simple like burgers into a great tasting meal than everything else on the menu is a no-brainer. We were not disappointed. The angus meat patties were grilled to perfection and the french fries tasted divine. Nothing was soggy and had just the right crunch and amount of spices. As an appetizer, George also ordered a Pasta Fagioli soup which was extraordinarily tasty. As some kind of an Neiman Marcus staple, popovers are served before any meal. These light scone-like breads usually are served with either a chicken broth dip or strawberry butter. The strawberry butter is a treat in itself.

After our meal we wandered through the Neiman Marcus department store, marveling at their eclectic array of unusual Christmas decorations, Japanese wafers and certain art work being displayed throughout the store.

Then the event of the day was drawing ever so closer. And it was finally time to take our seats for the Diana Ross concert inside the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The place was packed. Not one seat was empty. I didn’t know what to expect. She is now 66-years old and couldn’t possibly be the same whirlwind she was when I last saw her in the 1980s. Back then, I was still living in Munich and she performed at the Olympiahalle. It was one of most energetic concerts I’ve ever seen and Miss Ross blew the iconic tent-looking roof off the whole Olympic Stadium complex.

Well, I didn’t need to worry. She’s still got it. The stage production wasn’t elaborate at all, which was fine by us. A live band, backup singers, a few dancers and Diana Ross. What more does one need? We just wanted to hear her sing those amazing songs. And that she did. This lady can sing the blues. And the Motown hits. And the all the other hits that followed after that period of her career. One song after another she sang. One hit after another. The audience went wild. We’ve seen Cher, Celine Dion and Bette Midler in this venue. But never have we seen people jumping out of their seats and dancing in the rows and aisles in this place before. She was amazing. These so-called stars of today, all these little flavors of the moment, don’t even come close to the talent and professionalism that is Diana Ross. Now this is whom I call a true Superstar. And there’s still no mountain high enough for this diva...

Diana Ross, as she was performing one of many songs at Caesars Palace’s Colosseum on Friday, November 12th, 2010. (Photo taken from the Las Vegas Sun)

The rest of the weekend was spent very leisurely. For the first time in a long time we both actually slept in both on Saturday and Sunday. That rarely happens. Later on Saturday, we had one of George’s friend, who does landscaping work on the side, saw off the top half of our apple tree. It started dying off and we suspected some kind of fungus. We’ll see if that helps to rescue the bottom half of the tree which is still green and growing. We had some additional tree trimming, pruning, raking and cleaning up done.

We also did lots of walking in the park, some shopping and caught up watching recorded movies on television. Yesterday we got our flu shots. And a big turkey for Thanksgiving next Thursday, where we’ll have the family over for a big dinner at our house. There’s going to be a lot of cooking going on. And I can’t wait for the feast.

Gobble, gobble!

Marines, Sailors and Bears...Oh My!

2010-11-08T15:07:00.000-08:00

We have officially changed back to standard time again on Sunday. Europe did that last weekend already. Wouldn’t it make more sense if the whole world changed the times all at once? Or is this just one of America’s many exceptionalism thingys? Who knows?

In any case, while most people were able to enjoy that extra hour of sleep on Sunday morning, George and I did the exact opposite. Of course! We got up an extra hour early. Not because we felt so exceptional but because we just couldn’t sleep anymore. Darnit! So much for sleeping in a little longer.

It didn’t matter however. We still enjoyed a wonderful weekend. For the first time in long while we didn’t have any specific plans or obligations. So we decided to take things easy for a change and to just enjoy the moment.

On Saturday we drove to the famous Las Vegas “Strip” late afternoon, looking for tickets to see “Sinatra - Dance With Me,” which will perform at the Wynn Resort & Casino. This Broadway show, with Frank Sinatra’s music set to the choreography by Twyla Tharp, will have a limited engagement at the Encore Theatre. We’ll have to take advantage of this opportunity since “The Great White Way” is just a tad out of reach for us at the moment.

It was quite bustling on the Strip. After we got our tickets we made our way through a sea of people towards the Venetian, where we planned to have a nice dinner. Along the way we ran into the cutest bear cub. He was a real friendly fella with a handsome face and nice beard. Although he was straight as an arrow he was still a feast for the eyes.

The rest of the evening was filled with more sightings of rather dashing men. For some reason there were literally hundreds of Marines and a few sailors in town. While we didn’t find out what the reason for this “invasion” was, it was eye candy heaven to see these handsome guys strut their stuff in these sharp-looking dress uniforms.

Cliché be damned. I love a man in uniform.

For dinner, George and I had scrumptious Crispy Caramel Chicken and Four Cheese Pizza at the Grand Lux. We love that place. Afterwards we strolled along the Strip to walk off the gained calories and to google-eye all these cute guys in uniform. We also admired this year’s very nice lineup of men’s fall clothing at Banana Republic. Beautiful color combos this year. Of course, one will press hard to find one man dressed like this in Las Vegas. First, it’s still too warm here in the desert for these types of clothing. Even in winter. And secondly,...well, this is Las Vegas...this is Casual Clothing Central.

All in all, another nice evening in the City of Sin. Next week we’ll be back in the neighborhood again to see Diana Ross at the Coliseum at Caesars.

We...can’t...wait!

Below are few snippets from our evening on the Strip on Saturday.

Bright lights along the Las Vegas Strip.

The lobby of the Palazzo Resort & Casino.

The Shoppes at the Palazzo.

Carpet inside the Shoppes at the Palazzo. Some of the carpets inside Las Vegas’ casinos are an attraction by themselves.

There's always a crowd at the Sushi Samba inside the Palazzo.

After enjoying some gelato at the “Fountain of the Gods.”

The porte-cochère of the famed Caesars Palace hotel and Casino.

More bright lights on the Strip.

Neglected

2010-11-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

When was the last time I actually posted something on this here blog thingy? I don’t seem to be on here that much anymore. There’s really not a lot of spare time left anymore nowadays. Granted, I seem to be on Facebook more often than I would like to be. A friend called it Facecrack. And I seem to have developed a slight addictive tendency towards it.

But a lot has been going on lately. In my case it was mostly work and George is still studying hard for his master in education. And would you believe it? Next Wednesday is his last official class. However, he still has to finish his student teaching at one the local schools here in the Las Vegas Valley. But he’ll be done with that too by the end of this month. Then my George is a fully licensed teacher. He will also have his first interviews for a teaching position with the County School District next week. I’ll be thinking very good thoughts and wish him all the best.

Ich drück Dir die Daumen! Or as the French say...fingers crossed!

I know, I just love to toss things around a bit.

The midterm election in the United States are finally over. And I’m using the term “United” very loosely here. I thought this political circus would never end. It has released some truly fascinating creatures into the arena. Some of these political clowns made for a good laugh but some other animal tamer’s acts just left us in sheer horror. At times, George and I weren’t quite sure if we were watching an awfully written fantasy flick or if some mentally challenged jokester wanted to turn this once progressive thinking country back into some draconian Taliban-style theocracy, where scholars will teach our future generation that Jesus had dinosaur steaks for dinner with some flatbread. Flat like the earth itself.

I had to stop reading the news. The so-called “news” that the American media was throwing at us, that is. We are getting most of our news from independent news sources or foreign news outlets. In my case it’s mostly from web site of German newspapers, magazine and TV stations. They are primarily neutral, objective and also report about other stuff that is happening beyond the fortress walls that has become America. Imagine that!?

Yes, Billy Bob. There is another world just behind Wal-Mart.

We have stopped watching TV networks altogether anyway. First, there’s really nothing on worth watching besides maybe one or two series. And second, they’ve forgotten what news are. Unless one considers the dumb hairstyle of Justin Bieber or some bimbos trashing each other “news.”

But there were a few bright spots coming out of this election. Total nutcase and loosely screwed Sharon Angle lost the race for the Senate in Nevada. First Lady in witchcraft and anti-wanking Christine O’Donnell also lost her Senator race in Delaware. Thank all who’s cocky and horny. And California didn’t completely turn red either. Despite the notion that some people thought they could just buy their way into governorship to the most populous state of the union. Image how the 160 million dollars, that Meg Whitman wasted on this useless campaign to become governor, could have been put to a much better use? It always amazes me anew how large amount of monies are being wasted in this country.

But I digress.

Most people in California have voted for a sane and equality-minded leadership. The voters have defeated Proposition 23, which would have prevented California’s climate law AB 32 from being enacted. Most people can dismiss and make fun of climate change all they want but it will not change the fact that it is happening as you read this. And with near 100 degrees temperatures, Los Angeles is currently experiencing the hottest days in November and just shattered a temperature record set in the early 1900s.

But California was always leading the way in progressing thinking. And it will again. It will take a while to recover from this economic crisis but California will come out ahead. Green energy is the future. There’s no other way. The rest of the country will get it eventually. If nothing else, they will be convinced by the profits a new industry will provide. It will not happen overnight, of course. But the Golden State is on the right tracks. Gotta love California. There’s a reason we always go there.

Speaking of which...George and I will be in the City of Angels again coming December. We got tickets to see the touring company of the “West Side Story” revival. We can’t wait to see it. It’s my favorite musical and I was lucky enough to see an original Broadway ensemble performing it on stage when I was still living in Munich. It was amazing.

Hopefully we will find time to meet with some friends too, since we are only going to be there for a weekend. Time flies the way it is already. And we’ve been thinking about what we could be doing for the long Thanksgiving weekend and the holidays. George is off anyway for Christmas school break and I will take my vacation between Christmas and New Year. Maybe we go on a last-minute trip? Maybe a staycation? We welcome any suggestions.

Then again, I would finally have some time to add some stuff on this here blog thingy.

George and I on one of our countless trips to Los Angeles. Here we are again at the Pacific Palisades in Santa Monica, a few years ago.

A Weekend With Friends

2010-09-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

Our friends Mark and Colin came up from Palm Springs to spent the weekend with us. We haven’t seen them in years and it was great to welcome them into our home and catching up on each other’s lives. They are so easy to be around with and it always feels like we’re just picking up from where we’ve left off the last time we’ve seen each other.

It also was perfect timing to have Mark and Colin in our lives for a brief moment. George was able to take his busy mind off his teaching studies and mine off the crazy every-day-life in general. Even though we did discuss some current affairs and some of the insanity of the political circus which is ravaging our country, it was nice to forget about the rest of the world for a little while.

There were no particular plans for that weekend. We just went with the flow, so to speak. Mark and Colin arrived Friday evening and after they got settled in their guest room we just relaxed, had some wine and got into chatter mode. George made some really delicious vegetarian style marinara sauce and pasta. They were amazed by the fact that there wasn’t any meat in it. I guess it was a success since everyone had seconds.

The next day we had breakfast at the coffee shop inside the Red Rock Resort & Casino, which was on the way to our next destination, Red Rock Canyon. We did a bit of walking, climbing and exploring some gorges and ravines, took photos and enjoyed the scenery. The weather was perfect with clear and sunny skies and not too hot.

Afterwards we came home to rest up for our big night out on the town. Just as the sun was setting we all took off and drove to the Las Vegas “Strip” and decided to have dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant simply called Pho, inside the TI Casino. Mark taught us how to pronounce Pho the right way and apparently my Bún Curry Gà was not quite how Bún is normally served. Nevertheless, the food was delicious. I couldn’t finish my huge dish as I wasn’t that hungry to begin with but the other guys could truly pack it away.

Then we walked along the famed Strip up the new City Center complex, stopping at the Bellagio on the way to take a look at the current garden display inside the resort’s conservatory. Next up was the massive and contemporary City Center. George and I are having a kind of a love-hate relationship with this place but I think Mark and Colin were appreciating it. They really wanted to check out the Mandarin Oriental, which is one of the many hotel and condominium towers of the City Center. To get to the hotel lobby one has to get up to the 23rd floor first, where they also have a bar and a very fancy restaurant. Needless to say that the view was quite spectacular. The prices for drinks at the bar not so much. We all made a discreet disappearance after we recovered from the shock of reading the prices on their menu.

Since we really couldn’t find a bar to our liking and it was getting late we decided to go back to our place and have some drinks there. From this point on we where exposed to the most fascinating crowd this town has to offer. Las Vegas is great for people watching. Especially tourists coming from all these conservative places, where they all live out their precious holier-than-thou lives and trying to live up to the traditional, wholesome all-American family values lie. Because you see, all that is quickly forgotten as soon as these good folks come here. And all their rules by which they live by and want to force upon others are thrown out of the window. All of a sudden anything goes.

However, that’s a whole other story and I’m trying to refrain from ranting about all the religious and political hypocrisy that is going on right now. Making my blood boil is not very good for my health in the long run.

After catching one of the many Bellagio water fountain shows we were heading towards our car and drove home to enjoy some Gin & Tonic in a more relaxed atmosphere. Without having to pay an arm and a leg and maybe your first-born too. All in all, it was an amazing day.

The following morning, after enjoying more good conversation over freshly brewed coffee, we had breakfast at a local dive just down the street. Having an all-American breakfast twice in a row was a big deal for us since we rarely do that. And I love hearty American breakfast. Their pancakes were yummy and Colin’s breakfast pizza looked delicious.

Like all good things if life, this too had to come to an end eventually. We said our good-byes and promised not let years go by again to see each other. So there they went on their way back home to Palm Springs. Only to having to return to pick up something which they’ve left behind in the guest room. Back so soon? Are you missing us already? Good thing they were only gone for about ten minutes when we discovered that they have in fact forgotten something.

Now we’re back to reality again. Working. Studying. The daily grind.

Subsequently, we already do miss Mark and Colin. Too bad we don’t have great friends like them living close by. Maybe there will be a roadtrip to Palm Springs on the horizon in the near future?

Are we there yet?

Red Rock Canyon, just outside Las Vegas.

Colin, the chameleon, blends perfectly with the environment.

Mark and George are taking a break...right after we got out of the car.

Mark is observing and studying the strange rituals of the natives.

Mark, George and Colin

My turn to bear hug. Hey, I am as tall as Mark.

Mark and Colin

2010-09-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

It doesn’t seem like I’m on here that much anymore. I also noticed that some of my fellow bloggers are adding less and less entries to their sites. Looks like everyone is indeed having less extra time to spend writing. Or we just have switched to spend our time on sites like Facebook instead. I’m certainly guilty of that crime. I don’t necessarily have more time to waste on Facebook than spending the time writing an entry on here. In fact, I have even less time. Therefore, sites like Facebook seem more convenient and provide a more instant form of communication. So I have to pick the lesser of two evils.

The last few weeks just ﬂew by. Work and George’s studying haven’t left much room for anything else anyway. Now the long Labor Day weekend has come and gone as well. We didn’t do much fun things or relaxing at all. Mostly chores around the house, homework and even more studying for George’s classes.

However, we managed to take time to feast on some really scrumptious food. And totally ignoring the scale in the process.

Mark and Colin took us on a hike through Tahquitz Canyon near Palm Springs.

But there’s a bright light at the end of this slightly monotone tunnel. Our friends Mark and Colin will come visiting us and staying at our casa. We haven’t seen them in quite a while, so it’ll be great to catch up in person. Granted, one can catch a glimpse of each other lives on sites such as Facebook, but nothing can beat spending quality time and having a face-to-face conversation with friends in real life.

Virtual living has its limits. And I would much rather “waste” my time with real, warm-blooded, breathing human beings than with some machine made up of chips and circuitries.

I’m old-fashioned that way.

Mark, Colin, George and I in Palm Springs, a few years ago.

'The Box'

2010-08-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

Here is a new Simon's Cat animated short video. I'm sure every cat lover can relate to this little scenario. I love Simon Tofield's work. Check out the other video clips on his web site.

Dam Pretty View

2010-08-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Now that’s what I call a damn pretty view. Excuse me, I didn’t mean to sound inappropriate. That’s a “dam” pretty view. A pretty view of the dam, that is.

The completion of the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge is nearly done and the drive between Las Vegas and the stateline of Arizona will be a breeze. As spectacular as Hoover Dam is, driving over it to get into Arizona was not so much. Over the years it proved to be quiet a painful bottle neck and it wasn’t uncommon to be stuck in traffic for quite some time. When the bridge opens in November it will shave off some driving time and will make the drive between Las Vegas and Phoenix a bit more streamlined.

Of course, actually having a full-fledged freeway between the two cities would really speed things along. And there are rumors that a new, nearly 300 mile long freeway, called the Interstate 11, is in the planning stages.

But that will still take some time. In the meantime just enjoy the “dam” view.

Click here to read the Las Vegas Sun article, see more of the photo gallery and a video.

More Red And More Rock

2010-08-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

Here are additional photos from last Saturday at Red Rock Canyon. This place is such a little slice of heaven. Why we don’t come here more often is beyond me. It’s merely 30 minutes away from our house so there really isn’t any excuse.

In a few weeks we’ll have friends visiting from Palm Springs. And guess what place they’ve requested to see? It looks like there might be another trip in store to a place where the rocks are red.

Rock'n'Red

2010-08-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday they started to rip open the street behind our house. In no time it was getting rather noisy, dusty and fumy. Not a pleasant way to spend a Saturday.

So George and I drove out to Red Rock Canyon. First, because we have been wanting to do that again for a while now. Second, they just reopened the renovated and expanded visitors center, which we haven't seen yet. And third, the entrance fee was waived for the weekend.

Surprisingly, there were hardly any people and the temperatures were more comfortable with slight breezes. In other words, this was a much better way to spend a Saturday. Something we definitely recommend.

Below are two short videos from our trip out to Red Rock Canyon, which is barely 30 minutes from our house. I really have no clue why we don't do that more often.

At the outlook platform of the newly renovated and expanded Red Rock Canyon visitor's center.

The Pine Creek trail at Red Rock Canyon, one of our favorite of all the many trails.

Lichtspiele

2010-08-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

Below are some photos I took over the last few years, which involves light and shadow play.

An old Las Vegas traffic signal

Black & White Smirk

Drawer Knob

George at the LACMA

Capturing light and shadows outside the old

advertising agency I used to work at in Las Vegas

Hotter Than July

2010-07-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot has been going on in our lives this week. Let’s see...work, studying, working out, sleeping, work, studying, too-tired-to-work-out, sleeping, work... I think you get the picture. We truly live sinfully exciting lives in this City of Sin.

Then again, it’s a bit of drag be to sinful right now, especially during the month of July. A July in Las Vegas basically means that it is hot and sunny. Or sunny and hot. Take your pick. Actually, make that sunny and hotter than hell. At one point this week the temperature rose slightly above the 120˚F mark. Now that is hot! And that was not even the hottest day I’ve experienced in the almost 20 years I’ve been living in this town.

But it was hot enough for me. The last few summers George and I were pondering with the idea to look for greener and much cooler pastures. Then we took the trip to Germany last December and I was instantly reminded why I absolutely hate Winters. I take hot, dry desert summers anytime over bitter cold winters. But a nice little balance in-between would be nice though. We would love to live in the bay area but the economy in California is currently anything but favorable. And it’s not necessarily the cheapest spot in the block to live in. George and I do love Seattle, even though its weather is a bit more on the damp side. We hear Vancouver in Canada has nice, moderate weather all year long. What do you think? Any suggestions?

Still, the heat usually doesn’t deter us from going out to jog in the park or stroll down the Strip. However, last weekend is so damn hot that we didn’t even set one foot outside our house. That almost never happens, since we’re always out and about doing stuff. Luckily, this weekend is suppose to be “cooling” off a bit. The temps may just hover around the 100˚F mark. Which, after almost two weeks of being broiled like steaks on a grill, will almost feel like a breath of fresh air.

I hope I won’t need a jacket.

Below are random photos, taken sometime before Las Vegas was somehow mysteriously transplanted onto the surface of the sun.

George sitting out in our patio, enjoying the morning sun.

In our kitchen. Obviously...duh!

The moving video screens under the “Cloud” of the Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip. The luxurious Encore Resort and Casino, a sister property of the Wynn Resort, is seen in the background

Clouds are reflected in windows of the Wynn

The caribbean village of the Treasure Island on the Strip with the Trump International tower peeking from behind

The marquee of the Treasure Island, or TI as it’s called now, once donned a gigantic pirate’s skull with cross bones. Now the marquee has been updated with huge video screens and color-changing letters.

Aerial New York

2010-07-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

These are really amazing aerial shots of one of the arguably most exciting cities in the world...New York. Click on the link at the bottom of this entry to see more of these spectacular images.

Looking at some of the pictures really makes me want to go back to the Big Apple. I love New York. I miss New York. I’ve been to New York City so many times that I lost count. For me New York is unquestionably the best any city has to offer. A very close second on my list of favorite cities is London, which became something of a second home besides Munich while I was still living in Germany.

Yes, Munich is beautiful. It’s all pretty, has charm, history and culture. It is also very bland and rather boring at times. There are only so many old baroque churches to look at. And sitting in a beer garden for hours at a time, a favorite local’s pasttime, was never my thing.

I need my cities with a bit more grit. The constant hustle and bustle which many Europeans find nerve-wracking. New York always gave me that buzz which I find exhilarating. It can be a bit stressful at times and the city can definitely wear you out. But I don’t mind that. It’s a challenge.

If we had the means George and I would move there in a second. But it’s one costly city. Munich was not cheap either, mind you. But which city is reasonable anymore these days? Even Las Vegas has become quite exclusive in many aspects. The days of 99¢ breakfast buffets are certainly long gone.

That’s alright though. George makes far better breakfast at home than any of these fancy Las Vegas buffets or celebrity chef restaurants combined. Including all these hoity toity eateries in Manhattan.

Check out the aerial photos of New York City here at the Denver Post:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/07/13/captured-new-york-city-from-above/

And Fourthermore...

2010-07-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

I finally recovered from my cold that I’ve caught while we were in Southern California over the 4th of July weekend. The mornings and evenings were unusually cold for this time of year. And getting completely soaked while riding Splash Mountain in Disneyland didn’t help matters much either. It was helluva fun though.

Here are the last of the photos that we took in Disneyland on Independence Day. Makes me want to go back there again and relive one great day. I would even take that cold again.

Yup, it was that much fun...

The waiting queue for the Indiana Jones ride is winding its way through a lush jungle area before entering the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. In true Disney fashion there‘s always a little back story for every ride and what else would make a better story than one of Indiana Jones’ adventures. The ride is still one of the best around. I suggest to sit in the very outer seats of the very last row of every vehicle. Then hold on to dear life...

George sitting in one of the boats of “It’s a Small World.” It’s Disney’s way of introducing different cultures from around the world. In a cheesy and cutesy way it does work for the most part. Walt Disney himself was already way ahead of its time when it came to bridge nations, educate about different cultures and innovative technology. Now if only the rest of America would finally make an effort to catch up...

Michael Jackson’s musical space adventure in 3-D, “Captain EO,” was reintroduced to the Disney Parks for a limited run this year. It’s such a 1980s flick. The music, the dance moves, the special effects...it’s really hokey in so many ways. But it’s still lots of fun nevertheless. I can’t believe I still remember the dialogue and dance routines by heart. I even spotted few of the bloopers again. Do you think I’ve seen this movie one too many times?

Space Mountain reflections

Waiting in line for Space Mountain...again.

Space Mountain! Still my absolute favorite ride in Disneyland. Always has been and probably always will be. And dang...was it spacey cold in there.

The boarding area inside Space Mountain. What is it with Disneyland rides and mountains? There’s Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain...

Can you spot the toad? A perfect cast shadow of Mr. Toad above the “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”...well...ride.

Gadget’s Go-Coaster in Toontown. This “squirrel-made” coaster consists of over sized everyday items such as paper clips, pencils or bottle caps.

Inside the waiting line area of “Star Tours,” where C3PO and R2-D2 are repairing a star speeder for another tour to the moon of Endor. It’ll go on its final mission by the end of this month when the ride will close for about a year for a total refurbishment. When it reopens it will be completely redesigned and use the latest in motion simulator technology and 3-D imagery. Supposedly passengers will determine the outcome of each riding experience.

One of our favorite details in Disneyland are the chasing neon Space Mickeys, which are floating above the Star Traders store. It’s been there forever.

The spinning Tea Cups.

It’s 12:30 a.m. on Main Street, U.S.A. Do you know where your children are? Another fun day is slowly coming to a close in Disneyland.

I knew It...

2010-07-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

I knew that the big guy sitting up there on Cloud Nine is just a prick...

...so of course it's no wonder that his brain amputated followers are even bigger pricks.

More on the Fourth

2010-07-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

It looks like I’m coming down with a cold. I suppose it was a nice little souvenir I brought back from California. While the weather was absolutely beautiful during the day, the morning and evening hours were rather chilly. Of course, we didn’t bring any sweaters or jackets. We really should have known better by now. Even the locals were surprised how unusually cool it was for this time of year.

In any case, below are more photos from out trip to Los Angeles. We actually stayed at a hotel in Anaheim, right behind the whole hoopla called the Disneyland Resort. Except for Saturday where we needed the car to drive to the beach and into the city, we didn’t need the car at all for the remainder of our stay. Everything was easily accessible with Downtown Disney merely ten minutes away by foot. Besides, parking alone costs $15 nowadays and despite Disney being efficiently organized traffic can still be quite a hassle.

I was worried that the crowds would be out-of-control on Sunday. It is high season after all. And it was a long holiday weekend and special Independence Day celebrations were in full swing. Surprisingly, the crowds were quite manageable and the waiting time for most of the bigger attractions and rides lasted not more than 20 minutes on average. Even Space Mountain didn’t have a huge line. There were times where we just walked right in. That’s unheard of on a big holiday weekend. I suppose the bad economy is still showing its lingering signs.

Here now is the first set of pictures of our day in Disneyland. More to follow soon...

The plaza between the Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure theme parks. Seen here is the main entrance to DCA. The colors on the permanent letters promote this park’s new spectacle, “World of Color,” a new nightly show using water, lights, fire, lasers and pyrotechnics in the middle of their lagoon.

George in Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A.

Disneyland’s City Hall and Fire Station.

Along Main Street.

Sleeping Beauty’s castle, seen from Fantasyland.

Riding the sometimes funky “Alice in Wonderland” ride. We think that both the animators of the feature-length animated movie and the designers of this ride were high on something...

The boarding area to the “wildest ride in the wilderness,” Big Thunder Mountain.

After being soaked at Splash Mountain we decided it’s time for lunch. We were also hoping that our wet clothes might also dry while we were eating. We briefly left the park and walked over to Downtown Disney were we had the most scrumptious pizzas at Naples Ristorante e Napolini. The weather was absolutely perfect and we were sitting outside in their lovely patio, where I took this shot above. We finished with a wonderfully prepared Tiramisu and cappuccinos.

Waiting for pizza and my clothes to dry at Naples Ristorante e Napolini in Downtown Disney.

This enormous sculpture hangs above one of many entrances to one of the largest Disney Stores around. The largest store in the world is currently at the Disneyland Resort in Paris, France.

The beautiful and huge atrium of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Resort. The whole resort was built in the American Craftsman architectural style of the early 1900s

Parts of Fantasyland with the Matterhorn peaking out from behind. Built in the late 1950s, the Matterhorn ride inside the mountain was the first tubular steel track roller coaster in the world. Today’s super coasters are still based on this concept.

Another angle of view of the centerpiece of the park, Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

I just loved this little guy. It's one of many Heffalumps, who appear in a Winnie the Pooh movie in which the ‘silly old bear’ sees them in his nightmares. This little critter above sits on the back of every Hunny Pot car that visitors take to go on the dark ride called “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.”

Yes, I love little cute and corny Disney things. More pictures coming soon...

One Memorable Fourth

2010-07-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

Today would have been my mother’s birthday. I think of her often and I can truly say that she was my best friend. She would have loved George. I’m really sorry that she never got to know him.

George and I are back in the usual swing of things after spending another amazing weekend in Los Angeles. Now that’s how a long 4th of July weekend is spent! With the love of your life next to your side, the most gorgeous weather, visiting with a friend, eating lots of scrumptious food, enjoying the beach, seeing live theater and celebrating Independence Day at one of the most American places there is...Disneyland.

Below are photos from our first day in La-La-Land. More pictures to follow...

Redondo Beach, CA

Most of the lifeguard towers between Manhattan and Redondo Beach were artfully painted in bright colors. Plans are to paint all of them for the 30 miles of coast along Los Angeles. They’re supposed to be done in September

Robert and George at Redondo Beach

My dorky self and Robert, enjoying a nice walk along the Strand of Redondo Beach after a hearty breakfast. June gloom or the Coastal Eddy lasts well into July this year. This typical Southern California weather phenomenon is basically a huge fog bank that lingers along most of the coast and is usually burned off by the sun around 10 or 11 in the morning

See? No more June Gloom. The sun was out for the rest of the day to make this another perfect by the sea. This is the Manhattan Beach Pier

The Pacific was beautiful and the weather couldn't have been more perfect

One of many beautiful old lamp posts along the Manhattan Beach Pier

Later that afternoon we drove to Hollywood to spend some time there before we would go to the theater. Here on Highland Avenue, close to the Hollywood Bowl, is an old apartment building which hides the fire escape stairs in a more elaborate way

The neon marquee of Disney's Soda Fountain & Studio Store on Hollywood Boulevard, next to the beautiful El Capitan theatre, which is one of the remaining movie palaces of a bygone era

Hollywood and Highland

Intricate details of one of many entryways into the El Capitan building, built in 1928

A stack of records. The old Capitol Records tower on Vine Street and label to artists such as the Beatles, Beach Boys, Garth Brooks, Duran Duran, Everclear, Foo Fighters, Judy Garland, Heart...just to name a few

Old neon signage can still be seen all over Hollywood

The marquee of the Pantages on Hollywood Blvd., promoting the musical “In the Heights.” This Tony Award winning production tells of the daily life in the Latino community of New York’s Washington Heights. We were lucky to see Lin-Manuel Miranda reprising his starring role, who not only wrote the story and music but also was the lead in the original conception on Broadway. This musical has an upbeat mix of Latin music, rap, hip hop and ballads. Yes, it's very interesting and quite catchy. We absolutely loved it! And a funny coincidence...part of the story plays out on the 4th of July. One of the characters is telling others to “show some spirit,” chastizing them for displaying flags from their home countries on their balconies rather than Old Glory. I thought that was pretty ironic considering what is currently happening in this country regarding the immigration reform

The foyer inside the Pantages. This art deco-style theater first opened in June 1930 and later fell into despair. The Walt Disney Company bought the theater in the early 1990s and renovated the place to bring back its original splendor, making it the West Coast home for “The Lion King.” Since then we’ve seen many plays and musicals in this spectacular theater

Going West Again...Far West

2010-07-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

In a few hours, George and I will be on our way once again to spend the long 4th of July weekend in La-La-Land.

Entering the Golden State...which at Primm stateline doesn’t look so golden.

The happiest place on earth

“I’m up shit’s creek, I never been north of ninety-sixth street.”

Somewhere between Manhattan and Redondo Beach we’ll be making some waves

Happy Independence Day

Good Times Redux

2010-06-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

Below are some leftover images from our last trip to Southern California in May. This coming 4th of July weekend we’ll be driving to Los Angeles again to spend a few days there.

Saturday morning we’ll meet Robert for breakfast, spend a few hours at the beach and then head on over to Hollywood to see “In the Heights” at the Pantages. And there’s a good change we may be celebrating Independence Day at Disneyland.

All in all, sounds like George and I will reprise our good times in the Golden State.

Now if the rest of this work week would just move a little faster...

Interesting flowers along the Pacific Palisades

The sandy beach with the Santa Monica Pier in the background

Birds of Paradise were blooming everywhere

An old L.A. landmark, the Farmer’s Market on Third Street and Fairfax Avenue

Santa Monica’s Ocean Front

The historic carousel at the Santa Monica Pier

Interesting trees in Los Feliz

Along the sandy beaches towards Venice

A restored trolley at The Grove shopping district

Math Problem

2010-06-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

A Facebook friend posted this on his page the other day, which he got from an old classmate of his. I think this is pretty funny. And also somewhat revealing what it says about society.

“Math is like sex:
add the bed, subtract the clothes,
divide the legs and pray to the heavens above
you don’t multiply!”

Of course, if certain people would actually use their heads, like they would for solving a math problem, and pray much less to some science-fictiony fantasy creature sitting on Cloud 9, than the world wouldn't have to deal with the seemingly endless multiplication of idiocy.

I said certain people...

Just sayin’.

Putting on the Brakes

2010-06-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

It has been another few busy weeks. What else is new, right? It seems like there is hardly time to just take a little breather every once in a while.

On top of work, there are constantly chores and other duties which needs tending to. And even though George already had his commencement ceremony, he still has two more classes to finish up.

I have to stop getting too wrought up about the news. There are days were I literally want to scream after reading certain headlines and articles. Why is the human race doing everything in its power to destroy the only livable planet in this solar system? How much more profit is needed to satisfy greedy shareholders. How much more aggression and pain needs to be afflicted to make a statement. Hasn’t history already given enough examples for society to realize that we need to rethink and change our way of life. But our society has become so apathetic and complacent to a point where I feel it’s already to late to save ourselves from ourselves.

With all the craziness going on all around us, George and I try to squeeze in some quality time as much as possible. More people should try that. Putting on the brakes to stop for a moment and simply enjoy...life. Because this one life is all we have. It’s already too short the way it is and far to precious to waste.

Below are some of those savoring little moments in our lives...a blooming flower, a leisurely drive through town, a home-cooked meal enjoyed in the patio of our backyard. Or just each other’s company.

Isn’t that what it’s really all about?

The desert bird of paradise is blooming in our backyard

Driving leisurely through town

An evening stroll along the Las Vegas Strip after a nice dinner

We love being home just as much...

...as being out and about to see what else is going on in this crazy town. This is the lobby of Red Rock Station, one of our favorite local’s casinos

Enjoying life

Class of 2010

2010-06-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you the Class of 2010!

Saturday was a big day for George. He graduated to receive his Master in Education.

His brother Thomas drove from California to join us for this joyous occasion and spent the weekend at our house. And on Saturday morning the whole gang witnessed the ceremony at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Along with thousands of other spectators whom were all cheering for the accomplishments of their loved ones.

It goes on this way. No, no, that way! George's mother and brother trying to dress him up appropriately.

That's my George. I'm so proud of him.

One proud and happy family. No, the dork in the blue shirt is not part of it!

After the ceremony, we all celebrated at Strings, our favorite Italian restaurant. The rest of the day basically consisted of eating food.

Where's the food? Here we are waiting for the rest of the family to arrive at Strings.

Later that evening, George, Thomas and I spent a fun evening on the Las Vegas “Strip.” And wouldn’t you know...The eating frenzy continued! As if it was even possible to stuff ourselves with more food. But here we were, having a good time.

The brothers on the Strip.

Congratulations, George. All the studying and hard work paid off. Next item on the list of reaching high goals...the United States Secretary of Education.

Or just a nice teaching position. That would be great too.

More of Tucson

2010-06-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

Our second day in Tucson started with George making us all some oatmeal for breakfast. After lounging around a bit to digesting our breakfast, playing with the cats and enjoying the moment, Homer drove us to the West Section of Saguaro National Park.

George cooking oatmeal on Homer’s vitage 1950’s kitchen range

Cute little Snowball

Bunny hopped by from time to time

Those saguaros cacti are quite an impressive sight to behold. Most of them were in bloom as well, which just added to the magnificent beauty of this landscape. Before heading to a trail we stopped at the Park Ranger’s station to pay the entrance fee and to look at some exhibits. The three of us were also all goggle-eyed over some rather handsome Park Ranger. Cliché be damned...a man in uniform is hot.

Later, Homer took us on a more rugged hike, where we saw more saguaros, plenty of birds and lizards and some old Native-American petroglyphs. The weather that day proved to be more on the hot side so we were working up quite a sweat during our hike. But it was a very rewarding experience and worth every single drop.

Which ones are the saguaros?

We would return to the city in the early afternoon and have some sandwiches at Eegee’s and then buy some groceries for a pool party later that day. Homer made some yummy tortilla wraps, some filled with either a mix of refried beans and curry paste or cream cheese and red peppers. I noshed some while he was preparing the wraps and they were delicious.

A clever sign we saw in one of the stores. On the other hand, having to point out that this sign was meant as a joke also said a lot.

We then drove over to a beautifully restored Victorian-style house, where the pool party was already happening. We met more of Homer’s friends, had a few drinks, some snacks and soaked in the pool for most of the afternoon. A wonderful time was had by all.

And just when you thought we couldn’t possible eat any more food, George suggested to order in some pizza from that marvelous pizza parlor we had dinner at the evening before. So we ordered two large pizzas from the Brooklyn Pizza Company. It was so good! We can highly recommend this place. We don’t even have a great pizza place like that in Las Vegas. Or we just haven’t found it yet. Later that night we visited some of Homer’s friends in the neighborhood, had one or two more drinks, some chats and with that our second day slowly came to a close.

Our third and last day in Tucson was spent mostly at Cobban and Ray’s place, which is about a 90-minute drive from Tucson. The landscape around their beautiful home is really spectacular. Tall mountains and a prairie-like plateau with high grasses is surrounding their estate. In the near distance one can see some mountain range across the Mexican border. We had a great time with Cobban and Ray and enjoyed their conversations, their delicious fruit salad and a refreshing dip or two in their pool.

George sitting at Homer’s computer to check his e-mails. Here is where all the magic for “Homer’s World” happens. However, Puff would rather be petted.

Unfortunately, all good things eventually come to an end. So we said our good-byes to our gracious hosts Cobban and Ray and then returned back to Tucson, where Homer dropped us off at the airport for our evening flight back home to Las Vegas.

And so ended our long Memorial Day weekend in Southern Arizona. It was one of the best getaways ever. Thanks to Homer, Cobban, Ray and many of their friends we were able to forget about the troubles of world for a few moments and just simply enjoy life.

And what can be more precious than that?

Goodbye Tucson. Ready for take-off!

A Day in Tucson

2010-06-03T10:21:00.001-07:00

Here are some additional photos from our Memorial Day weekend trip to Tucson, Arizona.

Leaving Las Vegas...McCarran Int.’l Airport and one of their satellite terminals, the C Gates, which serves Southwest flights exclusively. Here’s where our journey to Tuscon started.

Homer made us yummylicious home-made waffles with bananas foster topping for breakfast the next morning. Did I mention that they were yummylicious? On our first outing in and around Tucson, Homer took us to the San Xavier del Bac mission. It’s located on the Tohono O’odham San Xavier Indian Reservation, outside the city and was built between 1783 and 1797.

The inside of the mission is quite elaborately decorated with statues, moldings, paintings and frescoes.

It has a beautiful courtyard in a very serene setting.

Photo-op in front of La Misión San Xavier del Bac

Afterwards, Homer took us into downtown Tucson to see the Presidio San Augustin del Tucson, the old Fort Tucson, which dates back to the late 1770’s. He was involved in some of the archaeological digs and helped to design the current trail and exhibits.

Next on the list was lunch. Not that we weren’t already stuffed from Homer’s divine breakfast waffles, but we did finish our plates at Rosa’s Mexican Food restaurant, one of Homer’s favorite hangouts. Absolutely delicious. And yes, we still ordered some of the best flans ever for dessert. Somehow we managed to make room for that.

Homer was eyeing a cute waiter at Rosa’s. And may I add that he has a very good eye for these sort of things.

After this enormous lunch of divine deliciousness, Homer took us to the Sweetwater Wetlands. It is a water treatment facility which was turned into a park-like wildlife habitat with educational trails. A very lush and green little oasis and perfect for bird watching.

We returned to Homer’s comfy casa and took a little nap. Homer’s kitties decided to continue their day-long nap right alongside with us...

Puff loves to be scratched around the neck

...or on top of us. Joey finds George to be an extremely comfortable mattress.

Later that afternoon we drove to the 4th Avenue Promenade, which is lined with funky little stores, restaurants, coffee houses and bars. A restored vintage street car, or trolley, runs up and down this street which adds to the charm of this area.

We ended that day by driving up Sentinel Peak to enjoy a pretty view over the city of Tucson at sunset.

The view of Tucson from Sentinel Peak

A Weekend in Homer's World

2010-06-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

George and I spent an amazing long weekend in Tucson, thanks to our host Homer. And his entourage of cute kitties, a bunny and a whole bunch of geckos.

Homer was not only the most hospitable host but also our most knowledgeable tour guide. He showed us a variety of historical sites and some of his favorite local hangouts.

We had a lovely time just hanging out at Homer’s comfy casa, enjoying his company and his cooking. Mama Cat, Puff, Joey and Snowball made me miss my cats even more and Bunny visited a few times for some treats. We also got to try really delicious Mexican food at Rosa’s restaurant, that many readers may recall from various entries on Homer’s blog. And we bought some groceries at the “infamous” Mexican Safeway.

One afternoon we went to a fun pool party where George and I were introduced to some of Homer’s friends. Needless to say that he knows some pretty cool people. On our last day we visited Cobban and Ray at their beautiful home, close to the Mexican border. It was great to finally meet them in person after years of being acquaintances on a virtual basis only, through Cobban’s blog, Facebook or e-mail messages.

Yesterday evening on Memorial Day, the “aluminum tube of death,” as Homer calls airplanes, brought us back home to Las Vegas safely and in one piece. We already miss Homer, the kitties and his wonderful friends. Although, we’re sure that he’s glad that peace and quiet has finally returned to Homer’s World.

Below are some first impression from our weekend in Tucson with Homer and friends. More will follow in the coming days.

Puff, Snowball and Joey. Mama Cat was sleeping in next room

Homer and George in front of the “infamous” blue door. Aren’t they both just too adorable?

This was basically a blogger’s convention. Cobban, Homer, George and I at the “Stolen Horseshoe,” Cobban and Ray’s amazing house

That’s me with Ray

Homer and I standing in front of another “infamous” staple of Homer’s World...the orange wall

Dropping into Homer’s World

2010-05-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

In a few hours, George and I will be sitting in one of these...

...and be flying down to Homer’s World to spend a long weekend there.

Tucson, Arizona

Our most gracious host will pick us up from the Tucson airport and show us his world.

It’s George’s first time to Arizona but I’ve been to Tuscon many times before. But I didn’t know Homer then. It’s going to be so much more fun this time around.

Have a save Memorial Day weekend, ya'll!

It's A Zoo Out There

2010-05-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

Another week has passed and we have really nothing new to report. Work has been once again out-of-control and George was busy with his studying on top of that. I suppose we will be enjoying a nice quiet weekend and try to recover from a busy work week.

Or try to re-energize for this coming work week which promises to be another out-of-control one. But next weekend will be a long one, due to Memorial Day.

Finally, our last official holiday was New Year’s Day, for crying out loud.

George and I will be flying off to spend that weekend in Tucson, Arizona. To visit everyone’s favorite archaeologist, to be exact. We’ll be staying at Homer’s casa and also get to meet all the infamous kitties. And apparently now there’s also an infamous bunny.

It’s like a zoo out there!

Here are some random photos, taken on the Las Vegas “Strip” a few weekends ago.

The Miracle Mile shopping mall inside Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino

George in front of the huge facade of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas “Strip”

Looking southwards along the Las Vegas “Strip,” with parts of the new City Center, New York-New York and the Mandalay Bay towers visible

La-la-la

2010-05-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was spent in Los Angeles once again. The main reason for this trip was the Peter Gabriel concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

At the main entrance to Hollywood Bowl, getting ready to see Peter Gabriel in concert

It was one of the most amazing performances I’ve seen in my life. That man is 60 years old and he’s still got it. It was absolutely mind-blowing. Or maybe it was the weed that was smoked all around us.

Hollywood Bowl as the sun was setting

Another highlight of this trip was meeting a fellow blogger. We met Robert and his partner Alec for dinner at Canter’s, one of the more traditional deli’s in the Fairfax District. Afterwards we strolled through the Grove and walked over to Farmer’s Market to enjoy some deserts and drinks. They’re both the most wonderful people and quite fun to be around. George and I will be back in Los Angeles over the long 4th of July weekend and hopefully we’ll see them both again.

Fellow bloggers, unite! Myself, George, Robert and Alec at the Farmer's Market

Another fabulous weekend was spent in La-La-Land. We didn’t want it to end. Everything was perfect.

We love L.A.!

Below are some impressions from last weekend.

Ain’t he cute? George waiting for his breakfast special at the Alcove in Los Feliz

At the Alcove Cafe & Bakery, one of our most favorite places in Los Angeles.

The high rises of downtown Los Angeles, seen from Hillhurst Avenue in Los Feliz

Most of these tree roots are buckling and rising the concrete plates of the sidewalk in Los Feliz

Beautiful old trees in Los Feliz

At the Pacific Palisades in Santa Monica

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, CA

Seems like a no-go here. Lots of red lights on Wilshire Boulevard

Along the sandy beaches near Venice, CA

The PCH, with slow moving traffic crawling towards Malibu

Inside the Broadway Deli on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. They make the best Opera Cake.

The old merry-go-round at the Santa Monica Pier, built in 1922

Shock the Monkey

2010-05-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

New Blood. Orchestra. No Drums. No Guitars.

That’s what George and I will be seeing tomorrow evening.

In the City of Angels, surrounded by the dream factories, under the stars.

It will be amazing.

“You can blow out a candle.
But you can't blow out a fire.
Once the flames begin to catch.
The wind will blow it higher.”