Y'know how I love y'all's 12 of 12 posts and try to join in every month? And every month I completely forget about it on the actual 12th and then fail at joining in, so as a result I've only done it once, I think, last June? Yeah, not working. So instead I'll just do it whenever I remember it, and make it __ of __. So there.

juls_chuls: Here begins your Disneyland present.

( 18 of 18 at Disneyland. )

Miss Cherry Josefa Corazon, Cherry Bomb to her friends.



Ain't she pretty? Who's a good car? Who's a good car? She is! Yes, she is! Good car! Goooooood car!

I love this car. What?

Saturday morning bright and early I went to Target and got a new Thomas guide, jumper cables, a flashlight, a first aid kit, a SF Valley map, and a tire repair kit. Then I went and sold my old car for $50. In with the new, out with the old.

I spent last weekend effectively out of town at a game convention. Yes, I totally was that geek playing Eurogames for three days with hundreds of other geeks at a hotel near LAX. It was great, except for the whole no sleeping thing. I ran my first game of Werewolf (of course I've played before, first time modding) with a truly excessive 26 participants. If there's a great big HUH on your face right now, I'm just saying, you need to play. This game is much fun.


Daniel vanquishes a foe in the swordfighting pit at Gateway2007

I've spent the last week recovering from the long weekend, which for me means passing out long before midnight every night, no matter how loud the rap/video games/stand-up comedy is blaring next door.

Last night a few friends and I saw The Jungle at the El Capitan! They're just showing it for a month to publicize celebrate the 40th anniversary special edition DVD coming out soon. Richard Sherman wandered out of the theatre before the show and stood around outside for a moment but I was way too shy to go up and introduce myself. Oh well. If the DVD transfer is what we saw last night, it's gorgeous and I can't recommend it highly enough. ( Far more information than anyone wants back here. )

Flying up to SF tonight for my cousin's wedding tomorrow. Giants game with my parents Sunday (YAY!) then back Monday morning just in time for work. Next weekend is the only weekend this month I'm really in town-- and all I've got going is Avenue Q Saturday afternoon, games Saturday night, film festial screenings Sunday afternoon and Pink Martini at the Bowl Sunday night. The weekend after that Kevin's in town! The weekend after that I'm in Houston for my 10 year high school reunion. The weekend after that is October. Good grief. Where has the year gone?

PS-- One more video from The Jungle Book screening (mostly for my parents:) a pencil test of Baloo & Mowgli animated entirely by Frank Thomas according to Don Hahn. Apparently he and Ollie animated over half of the finished film themselves. Wow.

I didn't know it before Sunday, but if you knock and ask very nicely, the captain will allow you to come up to the little cabin at the very top of the Mark Twain steamboat. And then she'll let you ring the bell and blow the whistle. It's pretty wonderful.



Everything looked so different from up there. The change in perspective did wonders for refreshing subject matter that I've seen dozens of times. Everything looked so new, so different, much like being closer to the displays and the ground did in the Lilly Belle (pictures tomorrow.)

Dude. Bat's Day totally beat me up and left me by the side of the road. Exhausted. Sunburnt. Camera full of pictures. All in all, a very good, though very long, day. Pictures from the insane group photo in front of Sleeping Beauty castle are up now, the shots from the top of the Mark Twain and inside the Lilly Belle will go up tomorrow and the next day.



Whew. I need a nap.

Almost done with pics from the Huntington. There's not even a single pirate, elephant, flying boy, castle, Swiss Alp, canal boat, princess, train, ice cream cone, ghost, bouncing stuffed tiger, white steamboat, droid, speeding amphibian, rabbit, prince of the forest, or tiny fairy in any of them. How are they holding my interest so?

Wandering around the Japanese gardens.



Maybe some with people in them tomorrow?

I took 95 pictures at the Huntington yesterday. 95. And a few of them even have people in them. I'll post them over the next few days. A few:

Geez, y'all. I leave the internets unattended for two little days and it blows up! 200 entries I had to go back and read. Shouldn't you all be working, hmmm?

And now... as promised... a thoroughly Disney Birthday and ( 12 on 12! )

You heard me. This is the best ice cream I've ever tasted.

Where: Scoops Ice Cream Shop on Heliotrope in Koreatown.

What: Bacon Caramel, Raspberry Basil, Guinness Tiramisu, and Brown Bread ice creams.


Bacon Caramel Scoop of Heaven

Bacon Caramel-- They must have flavored it with perfectly clear rendered bacon fat because the first taste is pure wonderful bacon, but there are no bacon pieces in the ice cream. It's creamy and so good. It gets sweeter with each bite, and the taste changes the more you eat. The caramel is a swirl, the ice cream only bacon flavored. Amazing, but rich, so a little goes a long way.

Raspberry Basil-- A little too strong on the basil. The first bite is a bit strong, but it sweetens and the raspberry asserts itself as you eat more. It seemed like it would be really refreshing on a very hot day, because the basil tasted very cool in the ice cream.

Guinness Tiramisu-- Delicious. The first taste is sweet, very much the slight spice of the tiramisu and the chocolate and coffee notes of the Guinness, but as you eat more, the sweetness fades and it's like frozen creamy Guinness, the bittersweet chocolate and coffee only in the aftertaste.

Brown Bread-- Based on the sweet brown bread (like at the Rainbow and the Cheesecake Factory.) Really good. Kind of caramelly, like the bread, with little toffee-ey nutty crunchy bits. Mellow compared to the other ice creams, but great.

They let me get three flavors in the one scoop cup for $2. I came home with a pint of Bacon Caramel, Guinness Tiramisu, and Brown Bread for $6. If you're in LA, this is the best deal in town.

cross-posted to food_porn. :)

Sorta.

Ok, not really, but it was fun all the same.

Spotting the Guitar Hero 2 night at the Hyperion on the Thrillist this morning (every Wednesday, 1941 Hyperion Ave, you should check it out if you're in town,) reminded me that I've been a total rock star slacker (I stay in character for weeks on end, people) and had neglected to upload the horrible pictures I took to flickr.



Also languishing in my camera, this nifty little vid of Arnott owning "Rock This Town" like he always does. Because we were at a bar he couldn't wander into the kitchen while still playing like he does at home, but it's still pretty sweet to see him having so much fun.

And I like Peeps. Who doesn't? If not to eat, then at least for explosion in the microwave purposes. So this... this is genius.

Peeps For Passover Flickr Set

By stylecouncil1 via Dooce.

Yes, I'm sorry folks, but this is indeed the last Charleston photo post. And you've so enjoyed them, too.

I promise folks, it really is coming to an end. Tomorrow is the big wrap-up with pics of the B&B. Sniff.

But til then, you'll have to content yourselves with pictures of sailboats and peeps and where we ate and just one of the many creepy creepy graveyards in Charleston. And you can find it all here.



This place rivals Knott's Berry Farm in the quality of its fried chicken. And you know I don't say that lightly. Also, their coconut cream pie is excellent.

I was in quite a mood all day yesterday, so even though I put up more Charleston pictures at Flickr, I didn't post about it here. I was afraid I'd say something untoward. Instead I said many untoward things about a TV show which unfortunately deserved them. So here:



Two days worth of pictures. We're still on the battery, still looking at houses. I told you I liked the houses. Especially the pink ones.

We're walking along the Battery this afternoon. We came all the way down Rainbow Row (see yesterday's pictures) and are strolling the raised waterwalk. I haven't seen the Atlantic Ocean in years, but it's pretty similar to the Pacific, just on the wrong side.

I took a lot of pictures of houses that day. A LOT. Perhaps two or three days worth. And enough of one house alone to fill a whole day, maybe. We'll see.



There are a remarkable number of flags on the houses along the Battery.

It's the furniture on display, too.

Wherein we start encountering the creepiness. Case in point:



He still gives me the willies. Tomorrow, more houses!

We're full of lunch and back on the street. It's cold and drizzly and grey, but the wet makes the colors brighter and the buildings are all so beautiful and interesting that I'm compelled to have my camera out in the rain. We consult the map often, and find ourselves on a quiet residential street. There, I find my dream house. Ladies and Gentlemen, 67 Logan Lane:



We check our watches and remember that tea is only served until 5pm. After a quick duck into The RSVP Shoppe (expensive paper heaven that we will revisit) we rush back to the hotel just in time for a warm pot of tea and a nice rest before braving the elements again for dinner.

Dinner in Atlanta, and then on to Charleston! Sorry, no pics of the glorious road food along the way.