Saturday, December 29, 2012

Another picture from my trip to the Autry Museum of Western Heritage
at Griffith Park, California. The above awesome hat was worn by Yakima
Canutt (11/29/1895 - 5/23/1986). Mr. Canutt was the first person to actually
choreograph stunts so that they were safe for stunt folks to perform. He is a
legendary stuntman and there is so much more to this person than I could
ever write here. I unfortunately do not know the hat's
maker or anything else about it.

Friday, December 28, 2012

This is an entrance to some place on the other side of the hills from
us. Kinda weird if'n ya ask me. I mean, normally I would like stuff like
this, but this area doesn't really lend itself to a Castle Frankenstein motif.
At least it's cool looking I guess.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

While out and about running errands today, I decided to stop in at
Toys "R" Us to see if there was anything left on the shelves after the
Christmas season. I had a five dollar rewards coupon to use before it
expired. I found this cool Gremlins Limited Edition Santa Gizmo
figure made by NECA. I had wanted a Gizmo figure, I just didn't
know which one. I'm thinkin that this is the one.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

About a week ago we bought one of these Nostalgia Popcorn
Poppers. I've been wanting this style popper for a while. The
reviews on this are not very good though. Some say it is more like a toy
than a popcorn popper. But give it a try says I.
 
Just to make sure we get maximum "Nostalgia" pleasure the way
"Nostalgia" intended our popcorn pleasure to be, I bought one of their
popcorn packs made specifically for their popper. We will see. If it makes
good popcorn at all I can tweak my recipes to the way I like it. This pack
comes with popping corn, butter flavored oil, white cheddar seasoning (ick),
ranch seasoning (ick), and nacho cheddar seasoning (ICK). I won't use those.
 
Unfortunately my work schedule will not allow me time to open this stuff
for a few weeks. So, sometime in the future popping excitement awaits.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

~ Merry Christmas 2012 ~

Monday, December 24, 2012

The weather around 11:30 AM this Christmas Eve started out pretty darn dreary.
 
But it won't bring Santa's reindeer down!

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Just a picture I took with my little camera of the moon. I like
how this picture (at least to me) makes it look like a big thing
really hanging up there in space. Too often I look up and see the
moon as just a one dimensional circle shape glued to the sky.
 
Another perspective.

Friday, December 21, 2012


OH NO!
2012 END OF THE WORLD is HAPPENING!
Just kidding. That was always there.
 
It is not the nicest day out that there ever was, but it is another
day out to be certain. We dodged another bullet.
Actually, if there is even a small earthquake today,
I will probably have a heart attack.
I started my 12/21/12 end of the world process by watching the
movie "2012" starring John Cusack. The movie came out in 2009.
When the DVD was released the copy I bought came with a
book titled "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook". It's chock-full of
survival info. But let me tell ya, if what happens in the movie happens
today? This book is not going to help at all. And unless you have a billion
euro, you are goin down. WAY down. I also have my 2012 buttons to wear
today. It lets everybody know that I am hip to it all. ALL of it, baby.
 
See you on the other side....... maybe.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

I went to Best Buy today, to look around.
 
Yep, I paid too much for this. But I've been wanting the Let It Be CD for a
long time. I saw Let It Be in 1970 at the Fox Venice Theater on Lincoln Blvd
in Venice, California. It was within walking distance of home. I saw this movie
double billed with Sergio Leone's Once Upon A Time In The West. How these
two movies ended up on the same bill is a mystery to me, but they are both classics.
 
The Let It Be CD is... totally gear.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Before The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror officially opened it's
doors on May 5th, 2004 at Disney's California Adventure in
(where else) California, they sent out in the mail these door hangers
as a promo. At least, I think I received it in the mail. Maybe it was in the
Sunday newspaper or something, but I think it was the in the mail.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

My mom came across some little kids selling these "rock animals"
that they had made. She bought a couple and here they are.
I think they're awesome.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Christmas in the restroom at my dentist's office.
I love my dentist.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

I filled up our truck late tonight and the station I go to has
gas pumps with video monitors in them. They're kind of
cool. The take your mind off the way you are being ripped off
as the gas flows. What they show is kind of funky though. It is
either football highlights (which I am not totally into), credit
card commercials (worthless), or the weather (I am standing in
the weather, no need).
 
The only kind of cool thing I saw tonight was the
Mountain Dew/HALO commercial (pictured). I can't tell
you what was about though.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

It's Jason Voorhees (from Freddy vs Jason) in my freakin bathroom.
Good party.

Friday, December 14, 2012

12-14-12

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Just some holsters hanging up where I used to live. Please forgive
the dust... it's awful. The holster on the left is a George Lawrence
Leather rig from out of Oregon. I've had that one for close to thirty
years now. The black hat there is one I've had since I was seventeen
years old. That hat has been all over the western states (and at the bottom
of a river when I was thrown in). It's really kind of a "faux" cowboy hat
as it is made of heavy leather and not practical at all, but I love it
just the same.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

This is the entrance to the Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park, San Diego. I
had no idea how big this place was until I did a satellite map search
on it. I had never seen what was behind this little entrance.
 
There is an amphitheater that seats 4,300 people. Built in 1935
it was home to the San Diego Civic Light Opera until the opera
filed bankruptcy in 2011. The image above is a screen grab
from the satellite search. I put a red box in the spot where I was
standing when I took the photograph.

Monday, December 10, 2012


Meanwhile, back at another fast food place. This is a relatively new
Taco Bell restaurant. I've never eaten here, but while driving by
today I noticed the light fixtures on the side of the building. I think
they're pretty nice for a jernt like this.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

 
This is a Jack in the Box restaurant parking lot this morning at
about 12:30 AM. Not an ideal place to find yourself.
 
I took the pictures with my not so great cell phone camera.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

A beautiful cloudy Southern California sky not too long ago.

Friday, December 7, 2012

This turtle sits out on our deck. He is made of rocks and cement
or some such thing and he weighs about nine-hundred pounds.
He's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

It's fun to recycle!
No, I'm kidding. The place is noisy and smells like sour milk.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Simba!
...from The Lion King. I think this guy was in
a McDonald's Happy Meal or something from a long time ago.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The Dark Knight Rises was released on Blu-ray today. I
broke down and bought the Steelbook version because it has an
extra documentary on it that the regular Blu-ray does not include.
Yes, I've been manipulated. But it feels so. darn. good.
 
The price today was $24.99. I know that someday, maybe a year from
now it will be $9.99, but what are you gonna do I guess.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

I like this little kitty sticker I spotted on the rear side
window of an SUV. He's all cool.
"That's right, I'm walkin here."

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Wow. McDonald's at the corner of Ventura Blvd at Wilbur
Ave in Encino, California.
 
 
And now the view from the McDonald's parking lot looking
at Wilbur Ave where it crosses Ventura Blvd in Encino, California.
 
I usually stop here for a Diet Coke while waiting for my doctor
appointment time to roll around.

Friday, November 30, 2012

I took this picture with my phone's camera (NOT a smart phone) so
the quality is not very good. This was a Christmas gift. It is of course
a vampire who has a head full of grass seed. Water him, and he has a
head full of grass. Yeah, it's all fun and games until you see
the blood on his teeth.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

This is the old entrance to the Valley View Casino in the San Diego
area. I think they've redone the whole thing. This used to be a nice
place to go to on occasion. Of all the casinos in the area, this one
was the least crowded and has a great buffet. Now that they offer
a free lobster dinner when you join for free, the place is mobbed. I don't
gamble, but friends do.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

The corporation I worked at for years and years used to do the annual company
night at Disneyland thing. In 1995 when the "Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple
of the Forbidden Eye" ride opened, we received a package with our tickets that
included these promotional pins/buttons. I have a couple of them.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

I very seldom play the California Lottery but today my mom asked if
I would stop and buy her a ticket for the Mega Millions game. So I did and
I bought one for myself also. When I was younger I bought one every week. Not
so much to win, but each week it was a little inexpensive outing for my son
and I. Go buy a lottery ticket and a Coke and hang together for a while.
 
So now I have a ticket and I pretty much just forget about it.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Back in 2009 right before the science-fiction movie "District 9" was
released, they posted these signs at the entrance to theater restrooms.
Everybody was all like, "Just what in the heck is this all about?!"
 
As it turns out, it was about a movie featuring a race of aliens who came to be
stranded on present day Earth. Prejudice by humans ensued and the aliens were
relegated to living in ghettos. They were not even allowed to share our restrooms.
But trust me, that was for the best.
 
The movie was full of symbolism. You know how that goes.
But it was a good show.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

My son loved robots when he was little so when I spotted this
Christmas ornament, I could not resist buying it for him. As
everybody does we have ornaments representing different family
members during different stages of life.
 
This robot is a lot cuter in person.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

The motel owners painted the fence around their property this sort of
sky blue color. I never could understand that. It just didn't go
with anything there. It did however stand out like a sore thumb.
Maybe that was the idea.

Friday, November 23, 2012

~ Happy Black Friday 2012 ~
Actually, I loathe Black Friday. I was out for reasons
beyond my control.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

 
~ Thanksgiving 2012 ~

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

When the Disney/Pixar movie WALL-E was released to theaters in June of 2008,
Blockbuster (movie rental store) had these little figures for sale and I could not
resist them. The little guy with red racing stripes on the bottom left is M-O.
M-O is standing in front of the beautiful blue-eyed Extra-terrestrial Vegetation
Evaluator, EVE. To Eve's left (our right) is the star, WALL-E. And next to
WALL-E with outstretched arm is the Captain of the spaceship Axiom, B. McCrea.
 
I have a few other WALL-E figures too. I got the rest of them pretty much
at The Disney Store during clearance sales.

Monday, November 19, 2012

The Palace at dusk.
Par 4.
Golf N' Stuff, Ventura, California.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

I just love it when I can rest assured.
"Clean - Safety - Clean - Safety - Clean - Safety".
 
Thank you Mickey Dees.

Saturday, November 17, 2012


I was outside of an at&t store today and I took notice of the textured
outside wall. I see lots of stuff in it. I see at least two elephants, one Alfred
Hitchcock and a Beavis (from Beavis and Butt-Head). I left the picture of the wall
big so that if you want to, you can open it in a new window and look for your
own movie stars or wildlife.