Californication Part 5: The Adventures

Baseball games

Phillies vs. Padres, Petco Park 07/20/07:
Many peeps have told me Petco is a great stadium. I was totally unimpressed, but I think a combination of the overcast sky, jetlag, and being on my lonesome took the fun out of it. I don't know what I was expecting (maybe a girl beej in the 3rd inning?), but yeah, ho-hum. The stadium was very spacious and comfortable, though.

I was so exhausted from traveling that I left in the 6th inning. I NEVER leave games early. The only other time I did was back in '03 when the Yanks went into 17 innings one Friday night. Yikes. At least start serving beer again.

Mets vs. Dodgers, Dodger Stadium 07/22/07:
On the complete flipside, Dodger Stadium is awesome. I love the charm of older stadiums, plus the view is amazing. Who knew palm trees and baseball go well together??

And, as promised, I was a full-on Mets fan at this game. Again it was a first for me NOT to root for the home team, but I gotta say, it was fun being the "enemy". There were about seven of us from NY proudly screaming and cheering for our boys who took the win 5-4 in a very exciting game. So fun!

Athletics vs. Angels, Angel Stadium 07/24/07:
Wrigley is still my favorite field to date, but I think Anaheim is my favorite for the newish ones. I actually gasped when I first walked out of the corridor. The game was sold out, the stadium full of energy, and as corny as it sounds there was definitely that Disney magic in the air. TIP: If you go to a night game, try and sit in the upper deck to the left of homeplate. You can see the Disneyland fireworks from there every night around 9pm. We were too far to the right to enjoy them, so poo on you.

My southern California baseball experience overall:
The stadiums are great, the fans are fun, and the views are awesome. I wouldn't mind giving Petco a second chance, but only on a clear day after a good night's rest. My one complaint for all three stadiums: beers were over $7.50!!! Are you kidding me?? My complaint for LA games: too much fucking traffic getting there.

Horseback riding (Brother, don't read this.)

At least once a year I mention how I want to go to a dude ranch. I had a feeling I'd like horseback riding, so I've wanted to play City Slickers for a while now.

Well it was awesome and I, my friends, am apparently a natural. While we went pretty slow (too slow in fact) I felt at ease on Souvenior, my horse with lots o' sass and swagger. The view was breathtaking; sadly we couldn't take any pictures near the horses or on the ride. I was having a great time when it happened...

No I didn't fall. Instead I almost orgasmed. The up and down motion, the hard saddle, the wind in my hair...I swear to Shizza that I was completely and utterly ready to whip Souvie into a frenzy just so he'd tear ass off into the sunset so I can melt into a pool of my own, ahem...

I now understand why so many Wasps ride horses.

Food (this is for Spags!)

Thanks to the Petes, I've been introduced to new and tasty dishes here in NY, so I was interested in what California served up.

The Lobster, Santa Monica Pier: Amazing. I can't remember the exact name of the dish, but the shrimp hummus was to die for.

Maria Sol, Santa Monica Pier: Overpriced crappy Mexican food.

Fish tacos: I only had one in LA. It was okay. I hear the ones at Tin Fish in SD are great.

Top of the Market - Fish Market, San Diego: Excellent. I had the shrimp/crab cocktail and oysters rockefeller. Delish.

Croce's, San Diego: I had the chicken lasagna, Girl had the grilled chicken with mushroom risotto. Happy mouths.

Rock Bottom Brewery, San Diego: I went to their Cleveland locale so I knew we could get a beer and quick bite to eat. The Titan Toothpicks are huge and tasty.

San Diego Comic Con

I've only been to the two NY and two Philly cons; SDCC blows them out of the water. I think NYCC will get better and better, although not sure what it will be like now that it moved to April.

While I didn't spend too much time at the convention, I had a blast. It was so nice to come and go as I pleased. The crowds were chill, the costumes were cool, and the few panels I attended were totally fun. I sat in on a George Romero panel, Company panel, and my favorite, the Family Guy panel. They showed clips for the upcoming Star Wars episode and my god, I laughed my ass off. (LMAO, for you geeks.)

The coolest part of any con is catching up with people you don't get to see very often. I'm so fucking fortunate to not only have met my favorite artists, writers, and other great industry peeps, but also become their friend. It still freaks me out when an industry superstar gives me a hug and is happy to see me. I guess real fangirls never get over that. It's also great to see my coworkers outside of the office; Girl and I got to hang out, gossip about boys and have a nice dinner out on the town.

And then there's the parties. Chewie, Master of Ceremonies, never fails to get everyone together for a good time. While there are many parties and events planned during shows, people always know where to find the late night fun. Chewie always seems to be there!

Vacation Overall

Phew! I'm beat this week, especially after being stuck in Dallas for a six hour flight delay. If you love me you will never book a flight with American Airlines again. They suck ass. Other than that, my vacation was an absolute blast. I would go back to San Diego in a heartbeat. LA, not so much.

There is one more story to tell though...hee hee!