The annual tradition of NYE at Amina's was on again this year with the usual mixed crowd. I love how I can show up to Amina's and feel totally at home and comfortable even though I don't know most of the people there. It's truly a place where "there are no strangers, only friends who haven't met".
This is the actual spot where Jukebox got his name (NYE 2003). You can't see the karaoke mic, but I'm sure it's in his other hand. Do you see Brent and Michelle taking a picture in the background?
Brent and Michelle.
The Hostess, Amina with Brent.
Chargers fans are used to hearing "There's always next year." That must be why we wore our jerseys to celebrate the New Year.
I'm usually loathe to visit an amusement park on a weekend, preferring instead to go in the middle of the week to avoid the crowd. However, we decided to visit Magic Mountain on the Saturday before New Years Day, and aside from the traffic (3 hour drive!), the crowds weren't really a factor. We were able to sit at the front of each roller coaster we went on (HUGE difference) and the lines were reasonable, usually taking less than half an hour.
The obligatory group shot before we go in.
Jenn socked me in the gut right before this one was taken. This picture gets me every time.
Of course the first ride was Viper.
Going UP!
Video taken from the front of Scream. See, told you riding in the front was better!
Notice how we painted the house Charger blue for the occassion.
Blacktop BBQ. Tailgating in the ocean of a parking lot at Qualcomm/Jack Murphy. Thanks to Cousin Eric, Uncle Donnie, and the rest of Jon's family!
Dam, look how hazy it is from all the BBQ smoke.
Thanks for helping us make the LT sign, Jenn!
Gotta love the pre-game pageantry.
Hell yeah.
HELL YEAH.
Alf really hit the jackpot with his gift for the best man.
Our view.
Merriman chasing down and planting Cutler. Lights Out, Rook!
Check the scoreboard. This was right before Merriman sacked Cutler, forced the fumble and recovered it. Alf and I were on TV during the replay review, then LT scored a TD to break the single season record.
The end of another perfect day in paradise. San Diego, heaven on earth...
KC got a new puppy for her birthday. She's a black female chihuahua and SHE NEEDS A NAME. We've been calling her Baby, but please help us out with your suggestions in the comments.
KC and her friends waiting around before the puppy is brought home. As you can see, the karaoke madness is just beginning.
After a long wait, she finally arrives. We're all enchanted by how TINY she is.
At first, Rocky was having a hard time getting used to her.
Look how Rocky runs away to Jenn because he wants nothing to do with her.
Can you find Rocky sulking around in the background?
I don't know why, but this picture makes me laugh. It's like they both have the same body language.
Whatever they wanna call it, the yearly yuletide celebration at Balboa Park is always good times. This year we brought Rocky and KC and met up with Alf, Denise and friends.
This is us on the Cabrillo bridge, in front of the California Building. The carillon of the Museum of Man can be seen towering over us in the background.
We had fun walking Rocky.
Video of the above picture. Ignore the high-pitched giggling, who is that?
Crowd Shot. Alf and Jimmy braving the food lines.
Alf and Denise. Their first Christmas as a married couple. The honeymoon will never end for these two.
Jenn, May, and Jen catching a breather. Do you see Rocky licking his nose?
Some people have homes fronting onto the beach, the crash of the waves reminding them of the rhythms of the earth. My home, on the other hand, fronts onto a school. The sound of children laughing and playing resonates with the rhythms of life.
As the first post to this newly minted blog, let's start things off right by setting the mood early...
"Since the early 1990’s, for example, young male elephants in Pilanesberg National Park and the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve in South Africa have been raping and killing rhinoceroses; this abnormal behavior, according to a 2001 study in the journal Pachyderm, has been reported in ‘‘a number of reserves’’ in the region. In July of last year, officials in Pilanesberg shot three young male elephants who were responsible for the killings of 63 rhinos, as well as attacks on people in safari vehicles." [NY Times Magazine]
This is sort of like the childhood question of "Who would win in a fight? Batman or Superman? Ninjas or Pirates?", except this is nature/safari style. "Elephants or Rhinos?" Advantage: Pachyderms!
Sadly, the bizarre nature of these (crimes?) events are pointed out to highlight the increasing effects of human intrusion into animal habitat. Will further degradation of natural resources bring us to observe further inter-species aggression? What other inter-species conflict would rank up there along with the likes of "Geraldo v Springer?"
