And so we reach the finale of our four-day adventure. Saturday morning we headed off to San Diego (Coronado to be specific) to Mike and Sara's place. We arrived mid-afternoon and had enough time to take a quick nap before our next baseball game. Tonight we were going to the Padres game to see them take on the Phillies!
It was extremely convenient to get from Coronado to San Diego. All we had to do was take a water taxi and it dropped us off just minutes from the park. Before the game we hit up a place just across the street in the Historic Gaslamp Section of downtown. This was a pretty low-key evening after the last two nights. While we were in the bar though I looked over and saw Nick Swardson walk in with his own posse. If you don't know who Nick Swardson (http://www.nick-swardson.com/) is he's a comedian/actor/writer and has worked a lot with Adam Sandler. He's been in Grandma's Boy and Sandler's latest Just Go With It. First thought is what the heck is he doing in San Diego and then he walked right passed me and said, "Hey man, how's it going?" I of course responded with "Pretty well, how bout yourself?" I'm not sure if he actually responded to that but it was a pretty cool interaction for me.
We headed into the game and Petco Park was incredible! It was very clean, obviously new and the field was gorgeous, great job San Diego-ites...San Diego-ins...San Diegans! Our seats were unreal as well. We were sitting only three rows from the field down the right field line right next to the Phillies "bullpen." The visiting team's bullpen is open to the field whereas the Padres have an enclosed bullpen out in right field. As the usual opening ceremonies are about to begin we hear an introduction for the first pitch and it is none other than......Nick Swardson!!! "Oh that's why he's in San Diego! He wasn't wearing a Padre's jersey earlier; it all makes sense now."
This was a great game that came down to extra innings but it was a tough loss for the Pads. With one out in the top of the 11th and a man on 3rd, the Padres decided to walk Jimmy Rollins to get to Ryan Howard. Sounds silly right? Well not really...they brought in a lefty to face Howard, who had gone 0-4 and all of those being strikeouts. Unfortunately for the Padres the gamble did NOT work and Howard blasted a ball to left field, a ball that probably should have been caught but instead made it to the wall for a double, scoring both Rollins and Polanco for a 4-2 lead. The Padres were unable to come back in the bottom of the inning and lost.
That night we went to the Brewing Company for some food and I devoured a bbq chicken pizza. We didn't stay out too late because we were all exhausted from the previous two nights' shenanigans. The next morning was Easter Sunday and we spent it at one of the nicest beaches in the state of California. We were at the Hotel del Coronado's beach. If you are unfamiliar with the Hotel del you should check it out. It's one of the oldest (1888), nicest, fanciest, star-struck hotels in the state. We stayed long enough for me to get the much desired sun I was looking for and then we headed back for an amazing Easter dinner.
This was a great way to spend the holiday and is the second year in a row (2010-Tampa) I've been with friends on Easter Sunday. Unfortunately this was the last night of Chris-A-Palooza 2011 and Monday morning I had to head home and get ready for work on Tuesday. What a great trip though and an unforgettable (for the most part) celebration. Thanks to everyone for all of the phone calls, texts, FB posts, gifts, cards, etc...I miss everyone and can't wait to see you all at some point in the near future!
Stay tuned for Chris-A-Palooza 2012...Party like it's the end of the world!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
So Long Twenties (Part II)
Happy Birthday to me! Friday April 22, 2011 I turned 30 years of age, finally. There was so much hype leading up to this one number but I'm feeling better about my life now than I was five years ago when I had a mental breakdown. To start the day off we had some breakfast at the hotel and then took off for Downtown Disney. Michael "Magellan" Linehan decided to lead us astray throughout the area, taking us out and around the enormous amusement park in downtown Anaheim. My quote of the day at the time, "Hey, that building looks just like the Tower of Terror," well that's because it was. This was not evident to us until about an hour later. We eventually stopped and asked a bus driver who proceeded to tell us how stupid we were that we couldn't find Mickey Mouse's home sweet home. We were re-directed back towards the direction we just came and again stopped to ask this older lady and younger guy that were trying to sell time-shares. Sara and Mike told her it was my birthday and boy was she excited! I even got a birthday hug and she wished me the best. The younger guy couldn't stop raving about New England clam chowdah and informed us that the best chowdah is in Colorado...of course it is. But his girlfriend says it's at some place inside Disney...right. They then showed us where to go...we were almost there.
Anyway, we finally made it to Downtown Disney and had a great time hanging out at Lego Land and the ESPN Zone. From ESPN Zone we found our way back to the hotel (in a straight line this time) and immediately went to the pool to get some sun! We used the hot tub and hung out poolside but eventually had to get ready for game time!!! The Sox game was at 7:05 so we headed down to the park, got some food, and then hit up the same place we were at the night before, the Catch.
This place was again swarming with Red Sox fans and we immediately started making more Boston friends. We met two guys that went to the same high school that Mike did, and those two guys unknowingly grew up in the same town, craziness! After a while we finally had to head out to the game and walked over with a couple of new friends. Our seats were way better this time than I had the night before. We were in section 132 just a bit off the right field line.
The game was pretty good and of course the Sox came out with a victory. John Lester pitched a gem as usual with 8 strikeouts in six innings and left with a commanding four-run lead. Then it became interesting and with a "salty" catcher (get it?) the Halos were able to get within a run. In hindsight we got lucky with a couple earlier errors and a solid close by Papelbon and won 4-3...Happy Bday to Me!
The post-game celebration was back at the Catch where I was lucky enough to meet up with an old friend from high school that I hadn't seen since graduation. It's great to be able to just sit and laugh with someone that, even though you were very close with in H.S., could be considered a stranger after not seeing them for almost 12 years.
Right about the time we were ready (and by ready I mean we had no reason to still be out in public) Sara graciously pointed out to us that our friend Mark Trumbo, the Angels 1B was hiding out in a back corner with his friends. Why on Earth would she tell us this??? OF course I went straight over, where he proceeded to tell me that it wasn't my birthday anymore and Mike followed up by reminding him that he yet again went 0-4! Goodnight everybody! With the wave of his fingers the bouncers amicably asked us to leave this fine establishment and escorted us out. Thanks for playing, YAHTZEE!
And with that my friends my birth-DAY came to an end...the celebration though would of course continue on the next day...
Anyway, we finally made it to Downtown Disney and had a great time hanging out at Lego Land and the ESPN Zone. From ESPN Zone we found our way back to the hotel (in a straight line this time) and immediately went to the pool to get some sun! We used the hot tub and hung out poolside but eventually had to get ready for game time!!! The Sox game was at 7:05 so we headed down to the park, got some food, and then hit up the same place we were at the night before, the Catch.
This place was again swarming with Red Sox fans and we immediately started making more Boston friends. We met two guys that went to the same high school that Mike did, and those two guys unknowingly grew up in the same town, craziness! After a while we finally had to head out to the game and walked over with a couple of new friends. Our seats were way better this time than I had the night before. We were in section 132 just a bit off the right field line.
The game was pretty good and of course the Sox came out with a victory. John Lester pitched a gem as usual with 8 strikeouts in six innings and left with a commanding four-run lead. Then it became interesting and with a "salty" catcher (get it?) the Halos were able to get within a run. In hindsight we got lucky with a couple earlier errors and a solid close by Papelbon and won 4-3...Happy Bday to Me!
The post-game celebration was back at the Catch where I was lucky enough to meet up with an old friend from high school that I hadn't seen since graduation. It's great to be able to just sit and laugh with someone that, even though you were very close with in H.S., could be considered a stranger after not seeing them for almost 12 years.
Right about the time we were ready (and by ready I mean we had no reason to still be out in public) Sara graciously pointed out to us that our friend Mark Trumbo, the Angels 1B was hiding out in a back corner with his friends. Why on Earth would she tell us this??? OF course I went straight over, where he proceeded to tell me that it wasn't my birthday anymore and Mike followed up by reminding him that he yet again went 0-4! Goodnight everybody! With the wave of his fingers the bouncers amicably asked us to leave this fine establishment and escorted us out. Thanks for playing, YAHTZEE!
And with that my friends my birth-DAY came to an end...the celebration though would of course continue on the next day...
Monday, April 25, 2011
So Long Twenties (Part I)
What a farewell to my 20s!! This was one of the best and least drama filled birthday celebrations I've had in a really long time. Chris-A-Palooza 2011 started off on Tuesday the 19th in Oakland. I took a co-worker of mine to her first baseball game and we got to watch the Red Sox lose to the A's...not exactly what I had in mind to start off the week, but it was just a minor blip on the bday radar. John Lackey actually kept it close for 8 innings despite not pitching very well but then Okie Dokie came in for his first appearance this year and got shelled; so long close game, Red Sox lose 5-0.
Wednesday I went out with some co-workers for some good ol' karaoke and I rocked out to Humpty Dance and Boom Shake the Room!!! Thursday morning I left for Anaheim around 10:00, got stuck in some classic LA traffic around 4:00 and didn't get to Anaheim (Holiday Inn by Disney) until 5:30. Mike and Sara were on their way up from San Diego, but while I was waiting I headed over to the ballpark to catch the first game of a four game series. This game was pretty good, going into extra innings and getting to watch Beckett pitch a no hitter through 5 until a little bloop infield hit broke it up. He then gave up a game-tying 2-run home run late in the game. The Angels bullpen blew this one (thanks Gonzo) and we won it 4-2 in 11 innings. After the game I met up with Mike and Sara and we headed out for the night...then the fun began!
At a bar not too far from the stadium we were making all kinds of Red Sox fans but then were thankfully informed that one of the Angels players, along with some staff were sitting right behind us. We were actually quite nice to Mark Trumbo, the rookie first basemen that went 0-4, but we only bit our tongues for one night. Our next encounter would be much more entertaining, but that'll come later. The scary part of the night was watching the same guy that told us about the Angels players collapse right at our barstool!!! I honestly have no idea why he collapsed but he was talking to us one second and dropped, head off the table and straight to the floor the next. As soon as Mike and I went to see if he was ok he was already awake and bounced right back up, soon to be taken away and never seen again. Good times!! Friday is when the adventures began to get even better...
Wednesday I went out with some co-workers for some good ol' karaoke and I rocked out to Humpty Dance and Boom Shake the Room!!! Thursday morning I left for Anaheim around 10:00, got stuck in some classic LA traffic around 4:00 and didn't get to Anaheim (Holiday Inn by Disney) until 5:30. Mike and Sara were on their way up from San Diego, but while I was waiting I headed over to the ballpark to catch the first game of a four game series. This game was pretty good, going into extra innings and getting to watch Beckett pitch a no hitter through 5 until a little bloop infield hit broke it up. He then gave up a game-tying 2-run home run late in the game. The Angels bullpen blew this one (thanks Gonzo) and we won it 4-2 in 11 innings. After the game I met up with Mike and Sara and we headed out for the night...then the fun began!
At a bar not too far from the stadium we were making all kinds of Red Sox fans but then were thankfully informed that one of the Angels players, along with some staff were sitting right behind us. We were actually quite nice to Mark Trumbo, the rookie first basemen that went 0-4, but we only bit our tongues for one night. Our next encounter would be much more entertaining, but that'll come later. The scary part of the night was watching the same guy that told us about the Angels players collapse right at our barstool!!! I honestly have no idea why he collapsed but he was talking to us one second and dropped, head off the table and straight to the floor the next. As soon as Mike and I went to see if he was ok he was already awake and bounced right back up, soon to be taken away and never seen again. Good times!! Friday is when the adventures began to get even better...
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Karaoke for a Cure
The event was thought up by yours truly but organized and set up by a co-worker and teammate of mine. We charged a $5 donation at the door and then the game we were playing was $2 to make anyone sing any song and if you really didn't want to sing you could donate $20 instead of $5 and that was our "insurance" policy.
Ody himself was there and was a very nice guy. He even gave us free food which included pizza, veggie platter, doritos, meatballs, eggrolls, a fruit tray and a few other goodies. I started off the night with Third Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life" and then we slowly started getting people up on the mic. Once the drinks started flowing for everyone (except myself) and more and more people were filing in it started to become a big hit.
We were charging a $5 cover until 10:30 and then it was just letting people know what was going on and suggesting they offer $5 for a good cause if they wanted to. Some of the locals were a bit fired up about having to pay $5 to get in (there's usually no cover) but once they realized what it was for and that there was free food most people were more than happy to pay. I got to be the bouncer all night which was a new experience for me, and even got to check some IDs! I was very intimidating in my purple Fanta shirt and Sox hat.
So what other songs did I sing??? My track list went as follows:
- I Will Survive
- I'm a Slave for You
- I'm Too Sexy
- Roxanne
Yeah it was a good time! Next year we are going to pitch in to get Ody a new, updated Karaoke machine along with more than just one book of songs...the one downfall. We will most definitely be back at Ody's Tavern next year for Karaoke for a Cure II!!! Thanks again to everyone that came out, I hope you all had as much fun as I did.
And for those of you who haven't made a donation yet there is still plenty of time. Just click here to go to my team page and help us out. Our previous goal of $1000 was just blown away and now we want to try and hit $2000, but we need your help!!!
West Coast Family Ties
Relay for Life
May 7-8, 2011
Monterey Peninsula College
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Welcome to Springtime
Wow is it April already??? I know I haven't been on here in a long time and I have good reasons...I think anyway. April has been unbelievably busy so far with the Relay for Life (for those of you who haven't donated yet), the marathon training, work, and somehow trying to keep sane with a very limited social life.
The marathon training hit a serious wall on Sunday and I had to take this entire week off. My right knee has been acting up on all sides and I thought it would be better to RICE this week before the final push. So I haven't ran since Sunday (20 miles) and I'm feeling kinda lazy, but I'll be back at it this week FO-SHO!
Work sent me to Long Beach on Tuesday and Wednesday which was pretty awesome. We stayed in an insanely nice hotel, the Hotel Maya. Two of my seahorse colleagues and I drove down Tuesday morning and stopped in at the Aquarium of the Pacific to get a tour and take some pictures. This is a bit of a nostalgic place for me because I visited here on my very first trip to California last year which, outside of the usual drama and an unnecessary trip to a fast-food restaurant was a pretty good time. When we arrived we met up with another aquarist who was nice enough to take us behind the scenes and answer a lot of questions we had.
From there we went and checked into the hotel, headed to the Yard House for dinner (on work's expense, thanks for the ribs!) and then called it a night. I took this time to chillax in the hot tub and my body was quite thankful for it.
Wednesday morning we got up and headed to a hole in the wall breakfast place called Rex's. I got 2 of the largest blueberry pancakes I've ever had with two eggs and sausage, coffee and OJ. These pancakes were so big that I actually had to throw in the towel because I thought I was going to yak! They were nice and fluffy on one side but kinda hard on the other and that hindered my feast.
We then went to the Cabrillo Aquarium to pick up four Pacific seahorses and three California spiny lobsters. We were in and out pretty quickly and then headed back to MBA. Now I had to drive both ways and any of you that have rode in a car with me know that I do not stop unless someone asks or I need gas. Well I let the two people I was with know that but nobody spoke up, not even when I asked if they needed to stop!!! We made great time but then the next day I hear from other people about how I never stopped...I hate whiny people that are too scared to just speak their mind. You are a grown woman, speak up...or better yet, drive part of the 6 hours in either direction; what's that you don't wanna drive??, then STOP WHINING!
After getting back from the aquarium and getting the animals settled I had to then stay at work to help bleach our largest jelly tank. This was an insane project to watch because of the immense size of this exhibit. I thought our tank at NEAq was big but that tank could easily fit inside this one, with plenty of extra room inside. It took us forever to drop it, fill it, bleach it, thio it, drop it and fill it again. We didn't leave until 1:00AM. On the positive side though I'm gonna be using those extra hours when it gets closer to my bday!
The Relay for Life is the other filler in my life right now. I'm just busy getting things prepared, trying to find sponsors (failing miserably), along with all of the responsibilities as team captain, and failing to get any donations outside of my parents (thanks, love you!). We are putting on a fundraiser on Friday (Karaoke for a Cure!!) so I'm trying to make sure everything is in order for that. Luckily I had some help on this one from someone at work who knew the place to have it, called them, got them to give us appetizers and sent out the e-vite. We have our first team meeting tomorrow but unfortunately there are only 8 of us on the team and only 5 of us will be there. Go West Coast Family Ties!
Sorry for the length, it's been a busy few weeks...I'll be back soon!
Oh yeah, did I mention it's also baseball season??? That's another blog...
The marathon training hit a serious wall on Sunday and I had to take this entire week off. My right knee has been acting up on all sides and I thought it would be better to RICE this week before the final push. So I haven't ran since Sunday (20 miles) and I'm feeling kinda lazy, but I'll be back at it this week FO-SHO!
Work sent me to Long Beach on Tuesday and Wednesday which was pretty awesome. We stayed in an insanely nice hotel, the Hotel Maya. Two of my seahorse colleagues and I drove down Tuesday morning and stopped in at the Aquarium of the Pacific to get a tour and take some pictures. This is a bit of a nostalgic place for me because I visited here on my very first trip to California last year which, outside of the usual drama and an unnecessary trip to a fast-food restaurant was a pretty good time. When we arrived we met up with another aquarist who was nice enough to take us behind the scenes and answer a lot of questions we had.
From there we went and checked into the hotel, headed to the Yard House for dinner (on work's expense, thanks for the ribs!) and then called it a night. I took this time to chillax in the hot tub and my body was quite thankful for it.
Wednesday morning we got up and headed to a hole in the wall breakfast place called Rex's. I got 2 of the largest blueberry pancakes I've ever had with two eggs and sausage, coffee and OJ. These pancakes were so big that I actually had to throw in the towel because I thought I was going to yak! They were nice and fluffy on one side but kinda hard on the other and that hindered my feast.
We then went to the Cabrillo Aquarium to pick up four Pacific seahorses and three California spiny lobsters. We were in and out pretty quickly and then headed back to MBA. Now I had to drive both ways and any of you that have rode in a car with me know that I do not stop unless someone asks or I need gas. Well I let the two people I was with know that but nobody spoke up, not even when I asked if they needed to stop!!! We made great time but then the next day I hear from other people about how I never stopped...I hate whiny people that are too scared to just speak their mind. You are a grown woman, speak up...or better yet, drive part of the 6 hours in either direction; what's that you don't wanna drive??, then STOP WHINING!
After getting back from the aquarium and getting the animals settled I had to then stay at work to help bleach our largest jelly tank. This was an insane project to watch because of the immense size of this exhibit. I thought our tank at NEAq was big but that tank could easily fit inside this one, with plenty of extra room inside. It took us forever to drop it, fill it, bleach it, thio it, drop it and fill it again. We didn't leave until 1:00AM. On the positive side though I'm gonna be using those extra hours when it gets closer to my bday!
The Relay for Life is the other filler in my life right now. I'm just busy getting things prepared, trying to find sponsors (failing miserably), along with all of the responsibilities as team captain, and failing to get any donations outside of my parents (thanks, love you!). We are putting on a fundraiser on Friday (Karaoke for a Cure!!) so I'm trying to make sure everything is in order for that. Luckily I had some help on this one from someone at work who knew the place to have it, called them, got them to give us appetizers and sent out the e-vite. We have our first team meeting tomorrow but unfortunately there are only 8 of us on the team and only 5 of us will be there. Go West Coast Family Ties!
Sorry for the length, it's been a busy few weeks...I'll be back soon!
Oh yeah, did I mention it's also baseball season??? That's another blog...
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