Another Tough Playoff Exit

So that's it, the Angels are done for the season. Although they completed their most successful year in franchise history, with 100 wins, they failed to get past the Red Sox in the ALDS for the second consequtive year and the third time in five years. No more Angels baseball until March 2009... I hesitate to get excited because Brandon will now be focusing all that free time on football and other things I don't care about. At least baseball I enjoy.

Fortunately, the Waites were kind enough to take Brandon and I to last Wednesday nights game. Although it was a tough loss to the Red Sox, we were able to experience some firsts: First time at a post season game, first time at a Red Sox game, and FIRST TIME ON TV!! Check us out:


When we got there, we were given these red posters that could be folded up like an accordion and whacked against anything to make a loud noise! Brandon liked his a lot! We were excited for the experience, but sad for the loss.

We will miss you Angels.

On another note. Congratulations to Jason for his winning caption of "Drool Master of the Universe" Simple, yet so good. Second place would go to Jessica Bradshaw for her new caption of "And all it took was a little NyQuil" Finally honorable mention goes to Elise Norwood for throwing in past references into her caption. Thanks to everyone for playing, we enjoyed them all.

Adventures in MEXICO

Last weekend we took a trip down to Mexico to participate in a 50-mile bike ride from Rosarito to Ensenada. Here is a link to a video about the ride. It was a pretty crazy experience.

After getting a little lost right across the border, we arrived in Ensenada on Friday evening. We had dinner at a little restaurant where a drunk lady in the group behind us cackled at ear-splitting decibels and Mariachi trumpets blasted our faces off, but the food was good. We then browsed the shops and tried to get a good bargain on a TJ blanket before heading to our hotel. The hotel had a nice jail cell/monastery motif, and the blankets smelled a little funny, but it was just part of the experience. Saturday morning we loaded up our bikes onto a taxi and drove the 50 miles to the starting line in Rosarito. There was six of us piled in the van and our driver was apparently in a real hurry. We had to be doing at leat 80 around the winding curves of the canyon. With bikes stacked on top and behind, we were in no position to be going that fast. But, fortunately we made it to the starting line in one piece. (Our bikes did too.)

The worst part of the day came right after we started, when I, fumbling with my jacket, ran into the back of Brandon's bike and ate it pretty hard. It was all kind of in slow motion. I just remember thinking, "I'm goin' down!" and then I was in the dirt. Luckily I rode away with just a scraped knee. Brandon's bike wasn't as lucky. Unfortunately, my fall had broken the gears on his bike and he couldn't ride it! Brandon was pretty upset. He thought that was it for him. But luckily, the Mexican MacGyvers came to the rescue. Two local gentlemen scavenged the side of the road for some wire and rigged Brandon's bike up so he could pedal it to the next check point. Brandon got his bike fixed and I got some awesome fish tacos at the Halfway House and then we were back on the road. 50 miles is a lot farther than it seems. Especially when the road looks like the one you take to Big Bear. Straight UP and curvy. Yes, there were some pretty monstrous hills. Brandon, being the buff hunk that he is, never even got off his bike to push it up the hill like I had to, he pedaled the whole way! He also beat me to the finish by about an hour! I stayed with my mom and we finally got to the finish line in Ensenada around 5 that evening. We were all pretty exhausted. We got our T-shirts, scarfed some enchiladas, and crashed. Sunday we said Adios to good old Mexico and headed home to get some well-needed rest.

Hasta la vez próxima! I think that means until next time!

AL West Champions!

Playoffs start next week. The Angels have won their division for the fourth time in five years. They have the best record in baseball right now. Goin' all the way baby!!

Brandon's Photo Caption Contest

I am ambivalent about blogs. To me they essentially provide a means of staying informed about the lives of friends and family without having to make the effort of actually talking to them. On the other hand I think that blogs can be incredibly boring. I feel that a good blog is one that chronicles an event in someone’s life. Sadly, Chelsea and I lead pretty uneventful lives. So instead I have decided to post this picture.

This is my favorite childhood picture. I think my mother took it when I was six or seven years old. My mother affectionately titled it “He-Man Takes a Break” I love this caption. I feel that it captured the essence of my youth. Those not in my immediate family may not realize that I was a very hyper kid. My mom always said that I would run around and around until I just crashed. I am sure she was at least a little relived when I finally feel asleep, which must have been the motivation when she took the picture.

So I have decided that for my first attempt at blogging I would hold a caption-writing contest. Rules are simple. Just post a new photo caption. I will choose the winner in a couple weeks. In addition to the pride that comes with winning such a contest the winner will also receive an autographed copy of the above photo.

Good luck!

MIDWAY MANIA!

If you haven't had the chance to go on the new ride Toy Story Midway Mania at California Adventure you are seriously missing out. We got to go on it as a sneak peak the week before it came out. We thought it would be just like Buzz Lightyear, but it is 200 times better! We went last Saturday with Brandon's parents and his sister Lindsay. It wasn't that crowded so we went on it twice. It is so much fun.

We have found ourselves going to CA Adventure more than Disneyland just because it can be a much more relaxing experience. It is laid out to avoid bottle necks and there's never bad crowds. Even for a new ride the line was only 30-40 minutes. Thanks to Brandon's parents for the season passes for Brandon's graduation gift. We get so much use out of them living only a couple miles away. I think it is safe to say this is my new favorite ride!

Into the Wild

On Sunday evening Brandon and I were taking a walk and we saw three giant green parrots in the trees outside our apartment. Since we live in an Anaheim apartment complex, your reaction would be that this is strange. But looking back on the three plus years we have lived in here, I realized we have had a lot of experiences with animals in our apartment complex.

Brandon once pulled a drowning baby opossum from the swimming pool with a hook. We see them wandering around now and then. Another night, we woke up to loud quacking and found a mother duck trying to protect her babies from a racoon at the pond right below our balcony. Brandon did a good job of saving them too by scaring away the racoon with his flashlight. Each year the ducks return and raise their babies in the pond. It's fun to see them every day and they aren't too shy. It's a good thing Brandon is around to protect them! Here is a picture of the mom and her ducklings.

We named the mom Juniper, and the dad is Larry, but he never sticks around to help raise the kids! :)

Fourth of July

Happy belated fourth of July! We had a great fourth of July weekend. We went to California adventure Friday morning then went to the Angel game with Brandon's family. It was so much fun. And of course the Angel Stadium fireworks were Awesome! On Saturday we went to Newport Beach with the McCourts and suprisingly it wasn't too crowded. The weather was so perfect, it was so great to relax and have some fun.

Hooray for independence and paid days off!