This weekend we did some shopping for the kids. 12 month size sweat pants are real hard to find. We also went and visited Amanda and Nathan’s baby. Her name is Karissa and she looks exactly like Nathan. If Nathan was a girl of course. We hung out there for a while and then took the kids to a very relaxing target shopping experience. Boy was that fun. Sunday was kind of relaxing. I got to do some projects around the house like fix the wiring on the kitchen tv. Baby proof the cabinet under the sink. And i installed a dimmer switch in the children’s room to make it a little less bright when we are tucking them to bed. I really like it and I am typing this in there room with the lights dim and it is great. I also realized that the compilation cd that Christine and I play every night for the babies is one of those things that 20 years from now when we here those songs is going to take us back to this time. I am a sentimental idiot. well, I am going to end this and spend some quality time with my kids. I love them and really enjoy spending my weekends with them and playing. I hope I am a good dad.

Tonight I watched the series premiere of Kitchen Nightmares. I am not a huge fan of reality shows but i have always enjoyed Hells Kitchen and especially Gordon Ramsey. This new show was actually on par if not better than Hells Kitchen. I hate elimination shows, which is what all reality television is based on and this had none of the “booting of the island” crap. Gordon keeps his British and witty charm while making over someones restaurant. The season premiere episode dealt with an Italian family and one very large Guido co-owner. Gordon gave them a new kitchen and redid the menu for the restaurant reopening. It was also refreshing not seeing Gordon talk down to people but treating them as his peers. One thing i did notice about him is that he has a very down to earth personality amidst all his yelling and badgering. I think i will continue watching this new show because it gives me that warm fuzzy feeling.

Today we took Aiden and Chase to Disneyland for the first time. Since Christine and I met at Disneyland it was a very special day to take our kids there. surprisingly they did very well. We took them on Pirates of the Caribbean for there first ride. I know what your thinking. Pirates is a very scary ride. But surprisingly they did quite well. Chase even threw his hands to the side during the second drop. after Pirates we rode Pinocchio, which they loved. We then rode small world and Winnie the Pooh. The highlight for me was having them ride up in the wheelhouse of the Mark Twain. Chase was asleep but Aiden had the greatest time playing with the steering wheel.

The kids had a really great time and enjoyed all the rides they went on. Christine and I were shocked on how easy of a time we had with them. We even managed to have a relaxing lunch at the Hungry Bear Restaurant. We did run into some old friends from the park which was nice.

It had been a while since I had been in the park. The noticeable changes were Tom Sawyers Island which now featured a tie in with Disney’s money making pirates and even had a stunt show which looked kinda lame. It is called Pirates Cove, or, as im going to call it the crap on the island. The scratching bear was gone along the river and the spiel on the Twain was updated to include “the crap on the island” Christine and I also noticed that the park is much smaller than we remembered. I guess it has to do with how many times you go. When you work there you see Disneyland frequently. So distance become greater because your memory has a visual recognition of every detail. but when you only go every so often you forget about all the little details. Wierd!

• When a cell phone conversation has been dropped the person who originally called is responsible for redialing and reestablishing the line of communication.
• When calling another cell phone and the person you are calling does not answer you should not leave a message. The reason being is that cell phones display the person and time of the call. Especially if this is someone who has your number stored on there phone. If the person wishes they will call you back. ie: “hey, it’s me and its 3:3o. Just seeing what your up to. Call me back!” By the sheer act of dialing all that information is stored on their phone you ass.
• Please do not talk louder on your cell phone. especially if the call is across an even greater distance. It is not two tin cups with a string. Technology has enabled normal volumes to travel great distances.
• stop wearing earpieces. Unless you make, lets say over a million dollars a year. There is no reason to be plugged in all the time. Don’t you realize that you look like a big jackass. Special circumstances are given to those people that sell drugs and prostitute. They are doing the lords work.
• For God’s sake! turn off that damn cell phone when at the movies, shows, museums, and any other event.
• do we have to text so often. Texting is probably one of the stupidest things. For quick jabs of information they are great. But to spend a whole conversation texting is ubsurd. Call the damn person. If they do not answer refer to the second bullet point. If you have to text because of your location you probably shouldn’t have that cell phone on. Refer to the previous bullet point.

Today the fam went to the City of Orange Food Fair. It has become a tradition of sort every year. If you are not familiar with it, The city of Orange closes of the traffic circle and the four spokes that lead to it and have a food fair with different countries providing taste, culture, music, and more importantly, BEER! we have a few friends that live down there so parking is easy. Thanks Meghan. This year was the hottest it has ever been. Dear God was it hot. I had my traditional corn on the cob with lemon pepper flavoring. The best seasoning for corn in my opinion, and my barbecue beef sandwich. Yummmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!! We went back to Meghan’s house to give our kids a break from the heat. Chase did not appreciate his parent subjecting him to that much sun. When we went back to the fair we had a beer or two and ended our evening with a Long Beach Irish band that Aiden and Chase really seemed to enjoy. Dayna and Adam got to see our kids for the first time. But it was actually hotter inside there house than outside. So we left quickly. Did I mention I love beer there?

Christine and I went to the Richard Nixon Presidential Library for an exhibit opening of photojournalism by Jose Jimenez. His photos of Baghdad and the people were beautiful. Some of course, were a little depressing but very powerful. I personally enjoy seeing these kinds of things because they are not the usual media sensationalized images that are alway so prevalent on the news. These images where much more of a personal nature of the people that live there. And of the struggle for freedom in a post Saddam Iraq. One image that was by far my favorite was of thousands of Shia’s making there pilgrimage outside of Baghdad were in the quarter century of rule by Saddam they would not be able to do for fear of being killed. I was fortunate to meet Jose and he shared with me the personal stories of almost being blown up and the constant fear of kidnapping. He spoke of these things in a very matter of fact way and did not seem very concerned. since I am of Cuban decent and he is from Puerto Rico he shared with me his stories of his recent visits to Cuba. They were very interesting and has rekindled my desires to go to Cuba some day.

You can view Jose’s photography at http://www.josejimeneztirado.com/ or go to the Nixon Library to view the exhibit for yourself.