Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Medical Mission 2
Video of the Second Medical Mission
This Video was made by The Arnel Pineda Foundation
Animoto.com
Artist: Michael Jackson
Song: Heal the World
Medical Mission 1
Video of the First Medical Mission
This Video was made by Merlita Helms
Animoto.com
Artist: Various Artists
Song: Wind Beneath My Wings (Beaches)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Flight to the Philippines
January 7, 2010
On an early Thursday Morning, I took off on a 10 day Adventure (which later turned into 14 days because I extended my trip)...I've never in my life flew with the window seats so this was new territory for me. As my son dropped me off at the San Diego Airport, it was 5:00am in the Morning. I really didn't know what to expect that morning, I was just curious and excited because I was going on a trip to the Philippines to work with my friends all for a good cause...you see, this was the first time I've traveled out of the country alone. I've flown to different parts around the United States, but this was the first time I was actually leaving the country by myself...it was the Philippines for heaven's sakes, and I knew that this was gonna be a very long trip for me.
My son bought me a book for the long flight (Eric Clapton's Biography) and I was contempt to just read it on the flight....little did I know that I would get a window seat...the first time in my life I'd have the window all to myself. I flew on Alaska Airlines to start off the trip and might I say...I love their service...On the Flight to Seattle (My first stop before getting to Manila) I got served White Wine and Peanuts. As the plane flew over California, I got to see things I've never seen before at such a height. I saw the Catalina Islands, and I saw the San Andreas Fault...I saw the Beautiful Mountains layered out in snow and I saw Mount Shasta...it was such a Majestic Site to see.
As we landed in Seattle, I could see from the other window across the way, Mount Rainier. As I got off the plane, the Adventure began...it was Rush-Rush-Rush as I hurried to get to my next flight. The minute I got off the plane, I was almost at a run just to get to my next flight which was to be on Northwest Airlines...a flight that would take me from Seattle to Tokyo Japan. In Seattle, I had to take 2 different Subways to get to the Northwest Airline Terminal (they have a Subway Rail that takes you from one Terminal to another)...I made it with 5 minutes to spare.
On the long flight from Seattle to Tokyo Japan was nothing short of humorous. One of the Stewardess' was this guy that reminded you of a lot of Johnny from the "AIRPLANE!" movies. He had the body language and his voice kinda sounded like him...now that I think about it...I get the feeling it really was him. On this flight, I decided to try out the RED Wine. Not the wisest decision I ever made but what can you say...it's complimentary. The plane flight wasn't that bad, but at the same time, it wasn't good either. I had a middle isle seat on this flight, which wasn't bad but I was seated next to this old guy that smelled like bad cigars (and not to mention...he smelled like he hadn't taken a shower in weeks) I was almost dying from the reek he smelled throughout the whole flight. But the whole flight wasn't a waste...I got to see a Movie of my choice. Each seat had a video screen so you can pick and choose what it is you wanted to see.
As we landed in Tokyo International Airport, it was another Rush-Rush type of job again for me. One of the things I needed to do was find a restroom. As I did, I ran into this weird looking toilet. I've never seen anything like this before in my life. If I'm not mistaken, I think you have to squat in order to use this toilet. It was kinda Bizarre Looking but I remembered in the back of my head, what might seem strange looking to us, is a regular looking thing in another country.
As I waited for my next flight from Tokyo to Manila, My Friend Candy and her Daughter Gabbi showed up. They were to join me onto the flight to Manila. Candy and Gabbi took a simpler route to Tokyo (Los Angeles to Tokyo) but ran into the same kind of problems I had in Seattle...another Rush-Rush Episode. As we waited for the flight, we stopped off at the snack area...there they had Pocky Sticks and Sushi Cakes.
The Sushi Cakes were very interesting...They were stuffed with sweet stuff and Tuna inside...kinda a new twist to Sushi. After a 10 hour flight that took me to Tokyo, it was finally nice to finally relax a little and talk to a friend. It was also nice to know that the flight to Manila would only a 4 hour trip. I know that might seem like a long trip to you, but for me, it was a flight that I made the most out of...That flight to Manila, I became a Comic of sorts. I had everyone around me that flight laughing throughout the whole trip. I really don't know what came over me that flight, but I remember feeling charged up after the little rest we had in Tokyo. I was like a stand-up comic...and I never ran out of material throughout the whole flight. I remember people laughing and joking with me. After the flight, they all told me it was one of the funnest flights they've ever been on...I'm glad I can still make people smile.
Oh...By the way...I had a Window Seat again.
All in all...that was my Flight to the Philippines.
On an early Thursday Morning, I took off on a 10 day Adventure (which later turned into 14 days because I extended my trip)...I've never in my life flew with the window seats so this was new territory for me. As my son dropped me off at the San Diego Airport, it was 5:00am in the Morning. I really didn't know what to expect that morning, I was just curious and excited because I was going on a trip to the Philippines to work with my friends all for a good cause...you see, this was the first time I've traveled out of the country alone. I've flown to different parts around the United States, but this was the first time I was actually leaving the country by myself...it was the Philippines for heaven's sakes, and I knew that this was gonna be a very long trip for me. 
My son bought me a book for the long flight (Eric Clapton's Biography) and I was contempt to just read it on the flight....little did I know that I would get a window seat...the first time in my life I'd have the window all to myself. I flew on Alaska Airlines to start off the trip and might I say...I love their service...On the Flight to Seattle (My first stop before getting to Manila) I got served White Wine and Peanuts. As the plane flew over California, I got to see things I've never seen before at such a height. I saw the Catalina Islands, and I saw the San Andreas Fault...I saw the Beautiful Mountains layered out in snow and I saw Mount Shasta...it was such a Majestic Site to see. As we landed in Seattle, I could see from the other window across the way, Mount Rainier. As I got off the plane, the Adventure began...it was Rush-Rush-Rush as I hurried to get to my next flight. The minute I got off the plane, I was almost at a run just to get to my next flight which was to be on Northwest Airlines...a flight that would take me from Seattle to Tokyo Japan. In Seattle, I had to take 2 different Subways to get to the Northwest Airline Terminal (they have a Subway Rail that takes you from one Terminal to another)...I made it with 5 minutes to spare.
On the long flight from Seattle to Tokyo Japan was nothing short of humorous. One of the Stewardess' was this guy that reminded you of a lot of Johnny from the "AIRPLANE!" movies. He had the body language and his voice kinda sounded like him...now that I think about it...I get the feeling it really was him. On this flight, I decided to try out the RED Wine. Not the wisest decision I ever made but what can you say...it's complimentary. The plane flight wasn't that bad, but at the same time, it wasn't good either. I had a middle isle seat on this flight, which wasn't bad but I was seated next to this old guy that smelled like bad cigars (and not to mention...he smelled like he hadn't taken a shower in weeks) I was almost dying from the reek he smelled throughout the whole flight. But the whole flight wasn't a waste...I got to see a Movie of my choice. Each seat had a video screen so you can pick and choose what it is you wanted to see.
As we landed in Tokyo International Airport, it was another Rush-Rush type of job again for me. One of the things I needed to do was find a restroom. As I did, I ran into this weird looking toilet. I've never seen anything like this before in my life. If I'm not mistaken, I think you have to squat in order to use this toilet. It was kinda Bizarre Looking but I remembered in the back of my head, what might seem strange looking to us, is a regular looking thing in another country.
As I waited for my next flight from Tokyo to Manila, My Friend Candy and her Daughter Gabbi showed up. They were to join me onto the flight to Manila. Candy and Gabbi took a simpler route to Tokyo (Los Angeles to Tokyo) but ran into the same kind of problems I had in Seattle...another Rush-Rush Episode. As we waited for the flight, we stopped off at the snack area...there they had Pocky Sticks and Sushi Cakes.
The Sushi Cakes were very interesting...They were stuffed with sweet stuff and Tuna inside...kinda a new twist to Sushi. After a 10 hour flight that took me to Tokyo, it was finally nice to finally relax a little and talk to a friend. It was also nice to know that the flight to Manila would only a 4 hour trip. I know that might seem like a long trip to you, but for me, it was a flight that I made the most out of...That flight to Manila, I became a Comic of sorts. I had everyone around me that flight laughing throughout the whole trip. I really don't know what came over me that flight, but I remember feeling charged up after the little rest we had in Tokyo. I was like a stand-up comic...and I never ran out of material throughout the whole flight. I remember people laughing and joking with me. After the flight, they all told me it was one of the funnest flights they've ever been on...I'm glad I can still make people smile.Oh...By the way...I had a Window Seat again.
All in all...that was my Flight to the Philippines.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The DSC (Dave Shelly and Chainsaw)
The 101 KGB morning radio show "Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw" is off the air.
An announcement that the radio show, which featured hosts Dave Rickards, Shelly Dunn and Cookie "Chainsaw" Randolph, is no longer on the air was posted Monday on KGB's Web site.
"After extensive negotiations, and offering the DSC team a very lucrative, multi-year offer, we were unfortunately not able to reach an agreement to keep the show with KGB," the statement reads.
"We wish Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw all the best in their future pursuits and thank them for their contribution to the station," the statement continues. "KGB has had a special relationship with listeners in San Diego as the leading classic rock station for many years. We look forward to continuing that tradition."
Rickards told a local media outlet he was notified of the cancellation over the weekend.
"We want to be on KGB," he said. "We want to finish our careers there. We hope that can still happen, but that looks unlikely."
The station is owned by Clear Channel.
I've seen this happen before...and I'm seeing it again unfortunately. Clear Channel has a way of getting rid of really good talent for a cheaper price. This is one long time listener that has given up on KGB 101.5 FM.
An announcement that the radio show, which featured hosts Dave Rickards, Shelly Dunn and Cookie "Chainsaw" Randolph, is no longer on the air was posted Monday on KGB's Web site.
"After extensive negotiations, and offering the DSC team a very lucrative, multi-year offer, we were unfortunately not able to reach an agreement to keep the show with KGB," the statement reads.
"We wish Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw all the best in their future pursuits and thank them for their contribution to the station," the statement continues. "KGB has had a special relationship with listeners in San Diego as the leading classic rock station for many years. We look forward to continuing that tradition."
Rickards told a local media outlet he was notified of the cancellation over the weekend.
"We want to be on KGB," he said. "We want to finish our careers there. We hope that can still happen, but that looks unlikely."
The station is owned by Clear Channel.
I've seen this happen before...and I'm seeing it again unfortunately. Clear Channel has a way of getting rid of really good talent for a cheaper price. This is one long time listener that has given up on KGB 101.5 FM.
2009- The Christmas "EB" (part 10)
December 6, 2009
Los Angeles California
The Christmas "EB" was held in a small suburb in Los Angeles California, in a Mall on a Sunday Afternoon in a Filipino Restaurant called Max's.. I rode up there with Lou and when we got there, I helped set up the place, getting the desk all purty'ed up, trying to make it look presentable when we have both the gift exchange thingy and the Auction/Raffle to make money for the Arnel Pineda Foundation. There was also Custom Soaps and Candles Donated by Susan (911) from Florida that were sold off along with Programs that we had from the Heart2Heart Foundation Party earlier in the year. We decorated the place to look all Christmas like and we even had a Karaoke/DJ machine all set up in a special VIP Room.
Earlier in the week, my close friend Johnny (who's like a brother to me), told me about the worst Christmas gift he ever got. When he told me about it, I actually thought it was pretty funny...What happened was, on a gift exchange, someone wrapped up Patis (Fish Sauce) in a fancy Wine Bottle gift wrap, so Johnny came up with this Idea to me to pull a prank on both Malou and Candy.
At first, I was kinda hesitant about doing this because I care too much about my friends...I didn't know what to expect, or how they would respond. At the Christmas "EB", after we had our exchange gifts given, I put on my act, and I got everyone to watch the special gift that both me and Johnny gave to Malou and Candy. It was wrapped all fancy to look like an expensive wine (I'm very good at wrapping gifts.) As they fought through the nice and tight wrapping, Candy started to get a little suspicious because the gift was from both me and Johnny. When it was finally opened, the whole party erupted with laughter...to Malou's and Candy's surprise...they both got Patis. The girls laughed it off but the next day on the web-site, all they talked about was REVENGE!!! (with a smile)
We also had a raffle ticket give away at the party (I emceed it) ...a lot of the raffle ticket gifts were donated to make money for the AP Foundation and I remember buying alot of those tickets for this event. Unfortunately, I won alot from the raffle but could not see myself accepting them...I mean, it's all for the foundation so everything I won...I gave away, or I simply passed on them. Everyone was surprised when I passed up on the OAKLEY MP3 Sunglasses that I won...they were valued at over $300 and they were donated by Merlita. To make it fair to everyone at the party, I pulled out another ticket.
Overall, the raffle, the Gift Exchange, the Auctioning... we made $1300 for the AP Foundation on this Christmas "EB". Afterwards, as we were all cleaning up and saying our goodbyes to one another, we all wanted pictures... both individually with someone and as a group. There were tears and hugs as we parted ways because these are the same people that attended the November event from a month ago...or atleast, most of them were. We've all become quite a tight knit unit this past year and I love every single one of them...they are my friends...some closer than the others but still friends I care so much about.
This is My Personal Year in Review
...I know there have been some ups and downs this year...some happy memories, some you'd like to forget, but as I sit here with my laptop posting this Blog...I just want to wish everyone of my friends a Great 2010
...may this year be better than the last one...
Los Angeles California
The Christmas "EB" was held in a small suburb in Los Angeles California, in a Mall on a Sunday Afternoon in a Filipino Restaurant called Max's.. I rode up there with Lou and when we got there, I helped set up the place, getting the desk all purty'ed up, trying to make it look presentable when we have both the gift exchange thingy and the Auction/Raffle to make money for the Arnel Pineda Foundation. There was also Custom Soaps and Candles Donated by Susan (911) from Florida that were sold off along with Programs that we had from the Heart2Heart Foundation Party earlier in the year. We decorated the place to look all Christmas like and we even had a Karaoke/DJ machine all set up in a special VIP Room. 
Earlier in the week, my close friend Johnny (who's like a brother to me), told me about the worst Christmas gift he ever got. When he told me about it, I actually thought it was pretty funny...What happened was, on a gift exchange, someone wrapped up Patis (Fish Sauce) in a fancy Wine Bottle gift wrap, so Johnny came up with this Idea to me to pull a prank on both Malou and Candy. 
At first, I was kinda hesitant about doing this because I care too much about my friends...I didn't know what to expect, or how they would respond. At the Christmas "EB", after we had our exchange gifts given, I put on my act, and I got everyone to watch the special gift that both me and Johnny gave to Malou and Candy. It was wrapped all fancy to look like an expensive wine (I'm very good at wrapping gifts.) As they fought through the nice and tight wrapping, Candy started to get a little suspicious because the gift was from both me and Johnny. When it was finally opened, the whole party erupted with laughter...to Malou's and Candy's surprise...they both got Patis. The girls laughed it off but the next day on the web-site, all they talked about was REVENGE!!! (with a smile)We also had a raffle ticket give away at the party (I emceed it) ...a lot of the raffle ticket gifts were donated to make money for the AP Foundation and I remember buying alot of those tickets for this event. Unfortunately, I won alot from the raffle but could not see myself accepting them...I mean, it's all for the foundation so everything I won...I gave away, or I simply passed on them. Everyone was surprised when I passed up on the OAKLEY MP3 Sunglasses that I won...they were valued at over $300 and they were donated by Merlita. To make it fair to everyone at the party, I pulled out another ticket.
Overall, the raffle, the Gift Exchange, the Auctioning... we made $1300 for the AP Foundation on this Christmas "EB". Afterwards, as we were all cleaning up and saying our goodbyes to one another, we all wanted pictures... both individually with someone and as a group. There were tears and hugs as we parted ways because these are the same people that attended the November event from a month ago...or atleast, most of them were. We've all become quite a tight knit unit this past year and I love every single one of them...they are my friends...some closer than the others but still friends I care so much about. This is My Personal Year in Review
...I know there have been some ups and downs this year...some happy memories, some you'd like to forget, but as I sit here with my laptop posting this Blog...I just want to wish everyone of my friends a Great 2010
...may this year be better than the last one...
Monday, January 4, 2010
2009- The AP Foundation Aniversary (part 9)
The Arnel Pineda Foundation Aniversary Party
Napa Valley California
November 7, 2009
I'm really not gonna say much in this Blog. I'll let the pictures do the talking...Let me just say that we all had a blast...eating and drinking and socializing with friends...you just doesn't get any better than this...
There was Dancing...Arnel has some pretty good moves. Is there anything this remarkable Singer can't do...Arnel was spectacular...
...at the end of the party, Arnel went to every table and posed for a picture with everyone.
After the Party, we all went to Beth's Place and sang Karaoke...
The next morning, we all went to Max's for breakfast...it was beautiful to hang out with the people at the web-site and I love them all...thank you for the best weekend of my life...I meant every word of it.
Napa Valley California
November 7, 2009
I'm really not gonna say much in this Blog. I'll let the pictures do the talking...Let me just say that we all had a blast...eating and drinking and socializing with friends...you just doesn't get any better than this...
There was Dancing...Arnel has some pretty good moves. Is there anything this remarkable Singer can't do...Arnel was spectacular...Arnel Sang to everyone at the Party. He also did a "Name Game...getting participants to sing the lyrics of a particular song"
James (Jaggy) was awesome...he sang in front of Arnel Pineda and wasn't nervous at all.
...at the end of the party, Arnel went to every table and posed for a picture with everyone.
After the Party, we all went to Beth's Place and sang Karaoke...
The next morning, we all went to Max's for breakfast...it was beautiful to hang out with the people at the web-site and I love them all...thank you for the best weekend of my life...I meant every word of it.
2009- Filipino Heritage Night (part 8)
The ORACLE Arena
Oakland-Alameda California
November 6, 2009
What an awesome weekend this was (November 6-8). It started off with meeting my friend HEART for the first time at the Oakland/Alameda Airport that Friday around noon time. After we checked in to our respective hotel rooms, we both took a Taxi to Jack London's Square (or as I like to refer it...Jack London's Lair.) What was only suppose to be a few short miles to get there turned up to be a CAB RIDE FROM HELL (as my friend Heart would like to describe it)...He drove us something like 25 miles to get to a destination that was only a few miles away. When we got there, we met up with more of the Plokkers from the AP Site. It was nice to see Marlene, Annabelle,and Lou there as we kicked back and caught up on a lot of stuff that was happening both in and out of the internet. We ate at Kincaid’s Bayhouse...a very nice restaurant in Jack London's Square, and most of us ordered the Ribs. The Ribs were excellent...falling off the bone, but the taste of the table was the Sweet Potato French Fries that came with it.
After we left Kincaid’s Bayhouse we all went to the ORACLE ARENA for Filipino Heritage Night. Sure there was an NBA Game going on, but this was a night to celebrate our heritage. When we got there, a booth was set up with my dear friends from the AP Site working it trying to raise money for the Foundation. They did pretty darn good and I'm very proud of my friends for what they do and what they stand for...then Arnel Pineda showed up and it became a madhouse. Everyone wanted a piece of him (or atleast get a picture taken with him)...in the short time that he has become the Lead Singer of JOURNEY, he has become an IDOL and an Inpiration not just to a lot of Filipinos around the world...but to everyone that has a dream. Arnel made us all to DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'.
During the game, I had a Special Invite...I wasn't sure of what to make of this invite because there was a few of us selected to "go where no man (or woman) has gone before". To my surprise, it was an upgrade for LUXURY BOX SEATS and I got to kick it with Arnel Pineda during the game. This is actually the second time I met him in person...the first time, I only got to shake his hand back at the Pala Casino Concert (which meant more to me at the time than you can ever imagine.) When I did meet Arnel this time around, he told me that he loved the Pumpkin I carved out for Halloween...it was a perfect likeness of him...imagine that...Arnel was giving me props!!!
After the game, Arnel Pineda did an interview with a lot of fans in the stands. We had Fundraisers, things that were auctioned off and the girls even asked me if I could help out a little...I'm use to a lot of fundraising and selling tickets to be auctioned off comes second nature to me. In a quick 5 minutes, I made $80 for the Foundation and I felt so good about it (I'd really love to do more in the future for the Foundation and I'd do it in a heartbeat, if they asked me to...)
Anyways, Arnel told everyone in the stands that he was proud of everyone that made it to the game and even prouder to be a Filipino. He told us about the struggles he's been through, and how much his life has changed for the better since his time with Journey. Arnel is a very humble guy...giving us all messages of hope and to Don't Stop Believin'.
Thank You Arnel...I'm proud to be a Filipino too.
Oakland-Alameda California
November 6, 2009
What an awesome weekend this was (November 6-8). It started off with meeting my friend HEART for the first time at the Oakland/Alameda Airport that Friday around noon time. After we checked in to our respective hotel rooms, we both took a Taxi to Jack London's Square (or as I like to refer it...Jack London's Lair.) What was only suppose to be a few short miles to get there turned up to be a CAB RIDE FROM HELL (as my friend Heart would like to describe it)...He drove us something like 25 miles to get to a destination that was only a few miles away. When we got there, we met up with more of the Plokkers from the AP Site. It was nice to see Marlene, Annabelle,and Lou there as we kicked back and caught up on a lot of stuff that was happening both in and out of the internet. We ate at Kincaid’s Bayhouse...a very nice restaurant in Jack London's Square, and most of us ordered the Ribs. The Ribs were excellent...falling off the bone, but the taste of the table was the Sweet Potato French Fries that came with it.
After we left Kincaid’s Bayhouse we all went to the ORACLE ARENA for Filipino Heritage Night. Sure there was an NBA Game going on, but this was a night to celebrate our heritage. When we got there, a booth was set up with my dear friends from the AP Site working it trying to raise money for the Foundation. They did pretty darn good and I'm very proud of my friends for what they do and what they stand for...then Arnel Pineda showed up and it became a madhouse. Everyone wanted a piece of him (or atleast get a picture taken with him)...in the short time that he has become the Lead Singer of JOURNEY, he has become an IDOL and an Inpiration not just to a lot of Filipinos around the world...but to everyone that has a dream. Arnel made us all to DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'.
During the game, I had a Special Invite...I wasn't sure of what to make of this invite because there was a few of us selected to "go where no man (or woman) has gone before". To my surprise, it was an upgrade for LUXURY BOX SEATS and I got to kick it with Arnel Pineda during the game. This is actually the second time I met him in person...the first time, I only got to shake his hand back at the Pala Casino Concert (which meant more to me at the time than you can ever imagine.) When I did meet Arnel this time around, he told me that he loved the Pumpkin I carved out for Halloween...it was a perfect likeness of him...imagine that...Arnel was giving me props!!! 
After the game, Arnel Pineda did an interview with a lot of fans in the stands. We had Fundraisers, things that were auctioned off and the girls even asked me if I could help out a little...I'm use to a lot of fundraising and selling tickets to be auctioned off comes second nature to me. In a quick 5 minutes, I made $80 for the Foundation and I felt so good about it (I'd really love to do more in the future for the Foundation and I'd do it in a heartbeat, if they asked me to...)Anyways, Arnel told everyone in the stands that he was proud of everyone that made it to the game and even prouder to be a Filipino. He told us about the struggles he's been through, and how much his life has changed for the better since his time with Journey. Arnel is a very humble guy...giving us all messages of hope and to Don't Stop Believin'.
Thank You Arnel...I'm proud to be a Filipino too.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
2009- The EB's (part 7)
What exactly is an "EB"... An "EB" is short for "Eye Ball", a term we use for "Eye Ball Get Togethers"....a way for people get into contact with each other that have met either by phone, internet chat-sites and of course, the Web-Sites.
My first "EB" was in 2008 from the mixture of pictures you see here...it was at Shoreline (South San Francisco) for the Journey Concert in late 2008. I met people from the Journey Forums for the first time that I've been chatting with for quite a long while...Johnny, Chica (Hope), David, Paul, Grace and James, Karen and her Husband, Rip, Terri...alot of people to list... I've met others from the old web-site before (Candy, Dan and Kristi... small get togethers), but this was surreal, and I was pretty anxious to meet some of the people I've only chatted with online. We all had a very good talk and it was nice to hang out with these people in real life. I also met quite a few Plokkers from the Original Arnel Site...Emma, Beth, Kelle, Will...the list goes on, but this Blog is about 2009...not 2008.
My first "EB" of 2009 was with my dear friends from San Diego. There was Candy, Malou, Lou, Anna and coming all the way from Napa Valley was Kelle and Will. We started off the night Eating and Drinking. I might have been a little drunk at the beginning of the night because I knocked down Malou's screen door to start off this fun night...I didn't mean to and I was a little embarrassed from it, but the klutzy side of me showed that night. Aside from knocking down a screen door (which I fixed...hahaha), I spilled beer and a little bit of food on the floor (it was Candy's fault...she made me laugh).
Throughout the whole night, we sang Karaoke. Kelle's voice was nice and loud...she was louder than the Karaoke system that we sang along too. Candy has a very beautiful voice too...even though she doesn't give herself enough credit for it. But the Singing Voice of the night belongs to Anna...Talk about a really good singing voice. Anna can flat-out sing and she sang through most of the night. I was quite shy from singing and when I did attempt to sing, it was more of a whisper...I remember the girls telling me to sing a little louder but I was nervous as heck...it didn't take me until months later, when I built a little confidence in myself that I started to sing loud. The "EB" Party was an ALL-NIGHTER and it finally ended around 6:30am. It was the funnest thing I've done in a long time and I hope to do it again sometime soon.
Thank you my friends from San Diego...I really needed a night like this.
The next "EB" I was involved in was meeting Jackie. Jackie is a really nice woman that came all the way down from Florida. Lou calls both me and Candy up to hang out with Jackie for a nice Filipino Dinner in National City. The Place was called ZARLITO's Family Restaurant and it was pretty decent considering where it was located at. It was fun to talk with Jackie...you can kinda tell how big their heart is when you hang out with a person and let me tell you...she has a big heart.
The next "EB" was in Chula Vista. This is where we met Cheri from the AP Site. Lou calls me up to tell me that she wanted to meet some people from San Diego because She was down visiting our city and took her family to LegoLand and Sea World and just wanted to hang out. I thought her Family was pretty cool...especially her husband and kids. They have a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of energy. They loved to talk about how beautiful our city is and it made me proud to be a San Diegan just hearing it. We ate at an ALL YOU CAN EAT Chinese Restaurant and had a nice little chat also. I like them...they are nice people.
Mae and Mel...
What more can I say than I love these two people. Even though this wasn't quite an "EB", we got to hang out with each other on July 30th, 2009. The night before was the first time I've ever met these two....it was at the 1st Pala Casino Journey Concert and right from the get go, you could tell right away that this couple from up north (Canada) is very special. On July 30th, all they wanted to do was have an IN-N-OUT Burger...they heard all the stories of how good these Hamburgers were but I wasn't about to let that happen...I decided if they wanted a really good burger...than why not the best in San Diego. I treated my dear friends to the BAREBACK GRILL in Pacific Beach. To be honest...you've never really eaten a good Hamburger until you've eaten at the BAREBACK Grill in Pacific Beach....The Best Burgers in San Diego...and they both loved it.
But the day wasn't over yet...To me, lunch wasn't enough and when Mae told me that they had quite a few hours to burn, I treated the both of them out to the USS MIDWAY (CV-41) Museum. I took them up and down on the ship...from the bunkers where we slept at (as Sailors), to the Galley's where we ate, and then finally all the way up to the Flight Deck where there was all sorts of War Planes to Marvel at...Both Mae and Mel were fascinated from it and told me that they would never forget the tour I gave them...it was an honor for me to do it because Mae and Mel are very good people and most of all...very good friends.
I love them both...
My first "EB" was in 2008 from the mixture of pictures you see here...it was at Shoreline (South San Francisco) for the Journey Concert in late 2008. I met people from the Journey Forums for the first time that I've been chatting with for quite a long while...Johnny, Chica (Hope), David, Paul, Grace and James, Karen and her Husband, Rip, Terri...alot of people to list... I've met others from the old web-site before (Candy, Dan and Kristi... small get togethers), but this was surreal, and I was pretty anxious to meet some of the people I've only chatted with online. We all had a very good talk and it was nice to hang out with these people in real life. I also met quite a few Plokkers from the Original Arnel Site...Emma, Beth, Kelle, Will...the list goes on, but this Blog is about 2009...not 2008.
My first "EB" of 2009 was with my dear friends from San Diego. There was Candy, Malou, Lou, Anna and coming all the way from Napa Valley was Kelle and Will. We started off the night Eating and Drinking. I might have been a little drunk at the beginning of the night because I knocked down Malou's screen door to start off this fun night...I didn't mean to and I was a little embarrassed from it, but the klutzy side of me showed that night. Aside from knocking down a screen door (which I fixed...hahaha), I spilled beer and a little bit of food on the floor (it was Candy's fault...she made me laugh). 
Throughout the whole night, we sang Karaoke. Kelle's voice was nice and loud...she was louder than the Karaoke system that we sang along too. Candy has a very beautiful voice too...even though she doesn't give herself enough credit for it. But the Singing Voice of the night belongs to Anna...Talk about a really good singing voice. Anna can flat-out sing and she sang through most of the night. I was quite shy from singing and when I did attempt to sing, it was more of a whisper...I remember the girls telling me to sing a little louder but I was nervous as heck...it didn't take me until months later, when I built a little confidence in myself that I started to sing loud. The "EB" Party was an ALL-NIGHTER and it finally ended around 6:30am. It was the funnest thing I've done in a long time and I hope to do it again sometime soon.Thank you my friends from San Diego...I really needed a night like this.
The next "EB" I was involved in was meeting Jackie. Jackie is a really nice woman that came all the way down from Florida. Lou calls both me and Candy up to hang out with Jackie for a nice Filipino Dinner in National City. The Place was called ZARLITO's Family Restaurant and it was pretty decent considering where it was located at. It was fun to talk with Jackie...you can kinda tell how big their heart is when you hang out with a person and let me tell you...she has a big heart.
The next "EB" was in Chula Vista. This is where we met Cheri from the AP Site. Lou calls me up to tell me that she wanted to meet some people from San Diego because She was down visiting our city and took her family to LegoLand and Sea World and just wanted to hang out. I thought her Family was pretty cool...especially her husband and kids. They have a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of energy. They loved to talk about how beautiful our city is and it made me proud to be a San Diegan just hearing it. We ate at an ALL YOU CAN EAT Chinese Restaurant and had a nice little chat also. I like them...they are nice people.Mae and Mel...
What more can I say than I love these two people. Even though this wasn't quite an "EB", we got to hang out with each other on July 30th, 2009. The night before was the first time I've ever met these two....it was at the 1st Pala Casino Journey Concert and right from the get go, you could tell right away that this couple from up north (Canada) is very special. On July 30th, all they wanted to do was have an IN-N-OUT Burger...they heard all the stories of how good these Hamburgers were but I wasn't about to let that happen...I decided if they wanted a really good burger...than why not the best in San Diego. I treated my dear friends to the BAREBACK GRILL in Pacific Beach. To be honest...you've never really eaten a good Hamburger until you've eaten at the BAREBACK Grill in Pacific Beach....The Best Burgers in San Diego...and they both loved it.
But the day wasn't over yet...To me, lunch wasn't enough and when Mae told me that they had quite a few hours to burn, I treated the both of them out to the USS MIDWAY (CV-41) Museum. I took them up and down on the ship...from the bunkers where we slept at (as Sailors), to the Galley's where we ate, and then finally all the way up to the Flight Deck where there was all sorts of War Planes to Marvel at...Both Mae and Mel were fascinated from it and told me that they would never forget the tour I gave them...it was an honor for me to do it because Mae and Mel are very good people and most of all...very good friends.I love them both...
Saturday, January 2, 2010
2009- JOURNEY (part 6)
San Manuel Amphitheater
San Bernardino California
August 1, 2009
(*Third of 3 Journey Concerts in 4 Days)
I've been to a lot of Journey Concerts in my lifetime, but this one probably ranks up there as the best so far. As stated in the previous blog (The Night Ranger Concert) Malou drove up this time to cap off our 3 out of 4 nights of JOURNEY in Concert during their Southern California Tour stop. This concert was full of surprises, and of course, full of things we never thought we'd ever see...it was a night to remember.
It was hot and humid in San Bernardino California, as the temperature climbed around the mid-90's. It was nice to see Adrianna again at the concert and even cooler to meet up with Sandi and her husband for the second time. Whenever he's around, I love to talk sports with the guy because he can relate to all the sports we talk about. As we waited around the Will-Call section, to our surprise was the Host of CBS' Television Show, "SURVIVOR". Jeff Probst is a very cool guy in real life...He's also a huge JOURNEY Fan. He was very easy to talk to and loved talking to everyone around him...an actor with a lot of class. I thought it was pretty cool that we were seated in the same section as Jeff Probst ...it front of the stage...Center Orchestra Section- Row 4- Front of the Stage.
Journey started off with a Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) with Deen Castronovo now doing his customary yell,"KICK IT IN THE ASS!!!" It was nice to hear other Journey songs on the playlist that night...Songs like "Keep on Running, When You Love a Woman, and Edge of the Blade" come to mind that night. The band totally rocked and there wasn't a person sitting down throughout the whole concert...it was almost church-like to see everyone in the crowd, dancing and singing to all of the songs Journey did that night.
Midway through the concert, Arnel Pineda changed his clothes...gone was the white shirt he was sporting and in came this brownish colorful dress shirt. (so the pictures you see here on this blog are from the same concert...just a little *side-note for everyone to know). Arnel took the stage like a man possessed...he owned the stage and got everyone in the crowd with him. There is a huge Difference from the Arnel we saw last year to the current one we see now. Arnel is now in charge and his stage presence shows it...he is the Master Showman and he feeds off of the other bandmates...Neal Schon included. They are now so much insynce that you would think that Arnel was with the band for over 10 years or so...
I think one of the biggest surprises came during the ENCORE...During the Song "Be Good To Yourself" Arnel jumped off of the stage and into the crowd. I think everyone's jaw dropped after that because I don't ever recall seeing that done at any Journey Concert...EVER. Of Course there was a lot of security around Arnel as he made his jump, but I think a lot of us up front were blown away from his actions....Arnel was just a few feet away from me...how much cooler can that be...that little stunt will be so hard to top off in my lifetime.
In closing...our little group of friends from both The Arnel Sites and the Journey Web-page had a really good time together. Though it was hot and humid at the Amphitheater, we shook it off and made the best of it. Great Music... Great Friends... It just doesn't get better than this...
San Bernardino California
August 1, 2009
(*Third of 3 Journey Concerts in 4 Days)
I've been to a lot of Journey Concerts in my lifetime, but this one probably ranks up there as the best so far. As stated in the previous blog (The Night Ranger Concert) Malou drove up this time to cap off our 3 out of 4 nights of JOURNEY in Concert during their Southern California Tour stop. This concert was full of surprises, and of course, full of things we never thought we'd ever see...it was a night to remember.
It was hot and humid in San Bernardino California, as the temperature climbed around the mid-90's. It was nice to see Adrianna again at the concert and even cooler to meet up with Sandi and her husband for the second time. Whenever he's around, I love to talk sports with the guy because he can relate to all the sports we talk about. As we waited around the Will-Call section, to our surprise was the Host of CBS' Television Show, "SURVIVOR". Jeff Probst is a very cool guy in real life...He's also a huge JOURNEY Fan. He was very easy to talk to and loved talking to everyone around him...an actor with a lot of class. I thought it was pretty cool that we were seated in the same section as Jeff Probst ...it front of the stage...Center Orchestra Section- Row 4- Front of the Stage.
Journey started off with a Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) with Deen Castronovo now doing his customary yell,"KICK IT IN THE ASS!!!" It was nice to hear other Journey songs on the playlist that night...Songs like "Keep on Running, When You Love a Woman, and Edge of the Blade" come to mind that night. The band totally rocked and there wasn't a person sitting down throughout the whole concert...it was almost church-like to see everyone in the crowd, dancing and singing to all of the songs Journey did that night.
Midway through the concert, Arnel Pineda changed his clothes...gone was the white shirt he was sporting and in came this brownish colorful dress shirt. (so the pictures you see here on this blog are from the same concert...just a little *side-note for everyone to know). Arnel took the stage like a man possessed...he owned the stage and got everyone in the crowd with him. There is a huge Difference from the Arnel we saw last year to the current one we see now. Arnel is now in charge and his stage presence shows it...he is the Master Showman and he feeds off of the other bandmates...Neal Schon included. They are now so much insynce that you would think that Arnel was with the band for over 10 years or so...
I think one of the biggest surprises came during the ENCORE...During the Song "Be Good To Yourself" Arnel jumped off of the stage and into the crowd. I think everyone's jaw dropped after that because I don't ever recall seeing that done at any Journey Concert...EVER. Of Course there was a lot of security around Arnel as he made his jump, but I think a lot of us up front were blown away from his actions....Arnel was just a few feet away from me...how much cooler can that be...that little stunt will be so hard to top off in my lifetime. 
In closing...our little group of friends from both The Arnel Sites and the Journey Web-page had a really good time together. Though it was hot and humid at the Amphitheater, we shook it off and made the best of it. Great Music... Great Friends... It just doesn't get better than this...
2009- NIGHT RANGER (part 5)
San Manuel Amphithreater
San Bernardino California
August 1, 2009
The Concert was Billed as Night Ranger / JOURNEY but it was more than that... it was magic. On this very hot and humid night on the very first day of August, Night Ranger opened up for the rock band JOURNEY and they didn't disappoint.
Malou (Marie) drove this time from her house in Chula Vista and we embarked on a trip that found us driving all over the place, picking up friends on the way and at times, getting lost and zeroing back because the GPS would drive us nuts.
When we got there around 4:00pm, the place was extremely humid and the parking lot was on the bottom of the hill. I did mention 'hill' because in order to get to the amphithreater, you had to have a long walk up. After we all got to the venue and after we got our tickets (Will Call), we had the long process of waiting. It would have been nice if they set up a concessions stand before the concert...especially in the heat of the night, but there wasn't.
Anyways, Night Ranger opened up and it was magical. Kelly Keagy's voice is truly incredible and he does it while playing the drums. I love it when he sang such classics as "Sing Me Away, When you Close Your Eyes, and Sister Christian"...the man has skills. Brad Gillis was incredible too on the guitar. The man can flat-out play and he held nothing back. The other guitarist Joel Hoekstra can play too. It was really cool watching both Brad and Joe trade off with the leads as the show went on.
And what more can I say if I didn't mention the incredible talent of Bassist and Lead Vocals Jack Blades. The man can do it all... and it seemed like every other song, he was behind the microphone singing lead. To tell you the truth, I was inspired by his wardrobe and made some pants exactly like his...really.
Night Ranger also did classics like "Sentimental Street, Four In The Morning, Goodbye, Rock in America, and ofcourse Don't Tell Me You Love Me"...But what made my night complete with NIGHT RANGER was I caught one of Brad Gillis' Guitar Picks that he threw out to the Audience...that's never ever happened to me, especially catching it in mid-flight....A night I will never forget. What a great way to open a show.
Thank You Night Ranger
San Bernardino California
August 1, 2009
The Concert was Billed as Night Ranger / JOURNEY but it was more than that... it was magic. On this very hot and humid night on the very first day of August, Night Ranger opened up for the rock band JOURNEY and they didn't disappoint. Malou (Marie) drove this time from her house in Chula Vista and we embarked on a trip that found us driving all over the place, picking up friends on the way and at times, getting lost and zeroing back because the GPS would drive us nuts.
When we got there around 4:00pm, the place was extremely humid and the parking lot was on the bottom of the hill. I did mention 'hill' because in order to get to the amphithreater, you had to have a long walk up. After we all got to the venue and after we got our tickets (Will Call), we had the long process of waiting. It would have been nice if they set up a concessions stand before the concert...especially in the heat of the night, but there wasn't.
Anyways, Night Ranger opened up and it was magical. Kelly Keagy's voice is truly incredible and he does it while playing the drums. I love it when he sang such classics as "Sing Me Away, When you Close Your Eyes, and Sister Christian"...the man has skills. Brad Gillis was incredible too on the guitar. The man can flat-out play and he held nothing back. The other guitarist Joel Hoekstra can play too. It was really cool watching both Brad and Joe trade off with the leads as the show went on. 
And what more can I say if I didn't mention the incredible talent of Bassist and Lead Vocals Jack Blades. The man can do it all... and it seemed like every other song, he was behind the microphone singing lead. To tell you the truth, I was inspired by his wardrobe and made some pants exactly like his...really. Night Ranger also did classics like "Sentimental Street, Four In The Morning, Goodbye, Rock in America, and ofcourse Don't Tell Me You Love Me"...But what made my night complete with NIGHT RANGER was I caught one of Brad Gillis' Guitar Picks that he threw out to the Audience...that's never ever happened to me, especially catching it in mid-flight....A night I will never forget. What a great way to open a show.
Thank You Night Ranger
Friday, January 1, 2010
2009- JOURNEY (part 4)
Pala Casino II
North San Diego, California
July 30, 2009
(Second of 3 Journey Concerts in 4 Days)
The second day of Journey Concerts started off the day with me driving this time. We all met at Kristi's place and when we got to the Casino, we met up with other friends. These were friends from the old JOURNEY FORUMS. Our seats were a little bit closer (17th Row this time) and this time we didn't go to the Buffet to eat...we elected to get some drinks together. The Bartender was pretty cool as he made drinks for me and my friend. The Bartender even made us an experimental drink...very melon like and very good...it went down like Kool-Aid.
I thought it was pretty cool that we got to see the dress rehearsal as well as some hints of some JOURNEY Classics. I love the way Journey teases' you when they play something like Still they Ride but when the concert comes around, they play something else...such a tease... hahahaha
During the Concert, they played Dead or Alive...a song I thought I would never hear...ever. And I went to the Escape Tour way back in 1982 and they didn't play it back then either. My jaw just dropped when I heard it for the first time LIVE...it was Spectacular!!! But as good as this Concert was...THE BEST WAS YET TO COME
North San Diego, California
July 30, 2009
(Second of 3 Journey Concerts in 4 Days)
The second day of Journey Concerts started off the day with me driving this time. We all met at Kristi's place and when we got to the Casino, we met up with other friends. These were friends from the old JOURNEY FORUMS. Our seats were a little bit closer (17th Row this time) and this time we didn't go to the Buffet to eat...we elected to get some drinks together. The Bartender was pretty cool as he made drinks for me and my friend. The Bartender even made us an experimental drink...very melon like and very good...it went down like Kool-Aid.
I thought it was pretty cool that we got to see the dress rehearsal as well as some hints of some JOURNEY Classics. I love the way Journey teases' you when they play something like Still they Ride but when the concert comes around, they play something else...such a tease... hahahahaDuring the Concert, they played Dead or Alive...a song I thought I would never hear...ever. And I went to the Escape Tour way back in 1982 and they didn't play it back then either. My jaw just dropped when I heard it for the first time LIVE...it was Spectacular!!! But as good as this Concert was...THE BEST WAS YET TO COME
2009- JOURNEY (part 3)
Pala Casino I
North San Diego, California
July 29, 2009
(First of 3 Journey Concerts in 4 Days)
This would be the first of 3 great nights of Journey Concerts. And July 29th was no slouch of a night. The first night started off with Candy driving up to Pala Casino. There were 5 of us going to see our favorite band JOURNEY. When we got to the Casino, it was like old times because we got to hang out with a lot of people that mean so much to us. That's the funny thing about JOURNEY crowds...they always bring a hardcore group of fans together like no other band in the world.
We all got there kinda early so after we got our tickets thru WILL-CALL, we decided to get some dinner at the Casino's Buffet. The food was excellent...I had seconds on the desserts cause I have a weakness for fancy sweets. After dinner and we all bought our souvenirs (Journey T-Shirts) it was time to go to the Concert.
We had pretty decent seats at the concert (we were seated at the 20th row) but to my surprise was one of my oldest friends Marlene. We go all the way back since High School (She's like and still is like the little sister I grew up with)...Her dad got her tickets to the concert too...better seats dang it!!! (3rd row to be exact)...if you are wondering about the Pink Boa...it was all a joke that started in the Shout Box and I told some people from the Web-Site that I would bring it and represent (I would later give the Boa to my dear friend Mae from Canada)
Journey as usual put on a pretty awesome show. After the Show, my friend Mae and her husband got a Meet & Greet from the man Arnel Pineda. It was nice to see the smiles on their faces but what made it even cooler was that Arnel got to shake my hand...I mean, that's all I've ever wanted was to shake the hand of a very inspirational man that has done so much not just for the needy, but for a Nation...
Thank you Arnel...you make me proud to be a Filipino.
North San Diego, California
July 29, 2009
(First of 3 Journey Concerts in 4 Days)
This would be the first of 3 great nights of Journey Concerts. And July 29th was no slouch of a night. The first night started off with Candy driving up to Pala Casino. There were 5 of us going to see our favorite band JOURNEY. When we got to the Casino, it was like old times because we got to hang out with a lot of people that mean so much to us. That's the funny thing about JOURNEY crowds...they always bring a hardcore group of fans together like no other band in the world.We all got there kinda early so after we got our tickets thru WILL-CALL, we decided to get some dinner at the Casino's Buffet. The food was excellent...I had seconds on the desserts cause I have a weakness for fancy sweets. After dinner and we all bought our souvenirs (Journey T-Shirts) it was time to go to the Concert.
We had pretty decent seats at the concert (we were seated at the 20th row) but to my surprise was one of my oldest friends Marlene. We go all the way back since High School (She's like and still is like the little sister I grew up with)...Her dad got her tickets to the concert too...better seats dang it!!! (3rd row to be exact)...if you are wondering about the Pink Boa...it was all a joke that started in the Shout Box and I told some people from the Web-Site that I would bring it and represent (I would later give the Boa to my dear friend Mae from Canada)
Journey as usual put on a pretty awesome show. After the Show, my friend Mae and her husband got a Meet & Greet from the man Arnel Pineda. It was nice to see the smiles on their faces but what made it even cooler was that Arnel got to shake my hand...I mean, that's all I've ever wanted was to shake the hand of a very inspirational man that has done so much not just for the needy, but for a Nation...Thank you Arnel...you make me proud to be a Filipino.
2009 - Hello's and Goodbye's (part 2)
*Opening Night...JOURNEY CONCERT
I was kinda bummed out that I missed opening night for Journey at the Sacramento Concert. There was a HUGE EB there and my problem was getting the time off to go to the event...and I wanted to go so bad cause it was also Beth's Birthday (a friend I respect very much.) I bought her a Starbucks Discount Card (you get 10% off of any purchase for one year) and I told Candy to give it to her as a gift from me. When you work for the Postal Service, getting time off is hard to do. You almost have to plan a year in advance to get the time off unfortunately. The EB event was awesome and from what I've seen through all the pictures, Arnel Pineda serenaded all the women at the event.
*LIGHTS at the Gaslamp
(The House of Blues - San Diego)
This reunion meant a lot to me as I got to hang out with old friends from the Journey Forums. We started off the night having food and drinks at the House of Blues (I had a Turkey Sandwich) and it was the first time I've ever had Sex on the Beach (a drink.) As we all walked into the stage area, we were entertained by the opening act which was a Bruce Springsteen Cover Band
and they were extremely good. We danced and sang a to lot of the Springsteen classics to warm us up for LIGHTS (Journey Cover band). Then came on LIGHTS...they were good mind you, but I was kind of cracking up a little from the new Lead Singer that LIGHTS has because the guy was dressed in Steve Perry type clothes (the spotted leopard shirt and the Tuxedo Jacket with the long tails.) No offense to the guy, but he really needs to lose weight or wear bigger clothing because his gut was hanging out and we all thought it was hilarious watching this guy sing and being in love with himself...Just my opinion.
*I'm not into FACEBOOK
(but in a way I kinda am)
Let me explain this for you in a way. I had a Facebook account for quite awhile...I just never cared too much about it (the same can be said about Myspace .) I got talked into it by an old friend I ran into at the Otay Ranch Mall and the rest was history. It's kinda funny because the first person to try to get in touch with me, actually contacted my son instead. My son brought it to my attention and I've reconnected from there. Kandi was the first to reconnect with me, to be followed by Patty, Aileen, Scott, Richard, Jackie, Ron...the list goes on (too many to list). These are people I grew up with in Junior High and High School. Since then, I've reconnected with old Shipmates of mine when I was in the NAVY and People that I know from the Various Web-Sites I go to...As bad as I've heard of all the problems in Facebook, they do have it's positives and I will never forget that.
(By the way...I'm also into Twitter)
*Steve's Farewell
One of the saddest days of the year came on Steve's Farewell Party at OGGI's Sports Bar and Grill. Steve Suarez is a very good friend to a lot of people. He always rooted for the New England Patriots, The Boston Celtics and the Yankees. Let me tell you what kind of guy Steve is...He loved to make people laugh and smile at OGGI's. If he got under your skin, he read you very well and bought a round of drinks for you...that's just the way he is and when we threw a going away party at OGGI's, it showed how much the guy was loved by everyone. It was a full house that night...we drank our RUSTY NAILS and even spilled a couple of drinks (heck...I remember the glass Claureese knocked over and Deen replaced it for free) Afterwards...we all went to John's house and drank away wishing our friend a safe trip to Seattle. He's moving there because of Economics here in San Diego and it was hard for him to find a good job here...The sign of the times unfortunately.
I was kinda bummed out that I missed opening night for Journey at the Sacramento Concert. There was a HUGE EB there and my problem was getting the time off to go to the event...and I wanted to go so bad cause it was also Beth's Birthday (a friend I respect very much.) I bought her a Starbucks Discount Card (you get 10% off of any purchase for one year) and I told Candy to give it to her as a gift from me. When you work for the Postal Service, getting time off is hard to do. You almost have to plan a year in advance to get the time off unfortunately. The EB event was awesome and from what I've seen through all the pictures, Arnel Pineda serenaded all the women at the event.*LIGHTS at the Gaslamp
(The House of Blues - San Diego)
This reunion meant a lot to me as I got to hang out with old friends from the Journey Forums. We started off the night having food and drinks at the House of Blues (I had a Turkey Sandwich) and it was the first time I've ever had Sex on the Beach (a drink.) As we all walked into the stage area, we were entertained by the opening act which was a Bruce Springsteen Cover Bandand they were extremely good. We danced and sang a to lot of the Springsteen classics to warm us up for LIGHTS (Journey Cover band). Then came on LIGHTS...they were good mind you, but I was kind of cracking up a little from the new Lead Singer that LIGHTS has because the guy was dressed in Steve Perry type clothes (the spotted leopard shirt and the Tuxedo Jacket with the long tails.) No offense to the guy, but he really needs to lose weight or wear bigger clothing because his gut was hanging out and we all thought it was hilarious watching this guy sing and being in love with himself...Just my opinion.
*I'm not into FACEBOOK
(but in a way I kinda am)
Let me explain this for you in a way. I had a Facebook account for quite awhile...I just never cared too much about it (the same can be said about Myspace .) I got talked into it by an old friend I ran into at the Otay Ranch Mall and the rest was history. It's kinda funny because the first person to try to get in touch with me, actually contacted my son instead. My son brought it to my attention and I've reconnected from there. Kandi was the first to reconnect with me, to be followed by Patty, Aileen, Scott, Richard, Jackie, Ron...the list goes on (too many to list). These are people I grew up with in Junior High and High School. Since then, I've reconnected with old Shipmates of mine when I was in the NAVY and People that I know from the Various Web-Sites I go to...As bad as I've heard of all the problems in Facebook, they do have it's positives and I will never forget that.
(By the way...I'm also into Twitter)
*Steve's Farewell
One of the saddest days of the year came on Steve's Farewell Party at OGGI's Sports Bar and Grill. Steve Suarez is a very good friend to a lot of people. He always rooted for the New England Patriots, The Boston Celtics and the Yankees. Let me tell you what kind of guy Steve is...He loved to make people laugh and smile at OGGI's. If he got under your skin, he read you very well and bought a round of drinks for you...that's just the way he is and when we threw a going away party at OGGI's, it showed how much the guy was loved by everyone. It was a full house that night...we drank our RUSTY NAILS and even spilled a couple of drinks (heck...I remember the glass Claureese knocked over and Deen replaced it for free) Afterwards...we all went to John's house and drank away wishing our friend a safe trip to Seattle. He's moving there because of Economics here in San Diego and it was hard for him to find a good job here...The sign of the times unfortunately.
2009 - My Personal Take (Part 1)
2009 was a year of ups and downs for me...There were good moments, and there were sad moments. 2009 was a year I got reunited with friends old and new...a year that will always be remembered as the year Michael Jackson passed away. This year, I've seen friends move away for economic reasons or for their own personal reasons. A year I got drunk more than any other year since my NAVY days (a girl will do that to you)and the crazy all-nighters we did as friends.
*SEPARATE WAYS (WORLDS APART)
I started off the year wanting to go my own separate ways from a lot of people. It wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had, but I needed to find myself, touch the walls so to speak, and just distance myself from the people I love...I felt a certain emptiness about myself. I did a lot of Skiing and Snowboarding up at the Big Bear Mountain Ski Resorts in early January, to get my mind off of things...you see, I have a Passion for skiing and I was very good at it (I still am.) But sometimes going your own separate ways can have a certain downfall...you feel very lonely.
*Heart2Heart AP Foundation
This was a blessing in disguise. My dear friend Candy, calls me up to tell me that she had purchased a ticket for me for the Heart2Heart Arnel Pineda Foundation Dinner Party. Not to sound mean, but at first, I was a little skeptical about going to this event. It wasn't the people I was worried about...it was myself. I did a lot of Skiing around this time of the year and I went Skiing the morning of the party over at Snow Valley....it would be a decision I would soon regret.
I came to the party exhausted from the brutal Skiing I just did at the mountains. I attacked all the double black diamond courses at the ski resort and then ran into traffic going to the party in Anaheim.
The party/event went as follows...I met with people I haven't seen in a long time and I met new friends that will stand out to me as friends for life. We all had a nice dinner, there was an auction to raise money for the H2H event and we got a live video feed from the man himself, Arnel Pineda. I loved the conversations I had with everyone that attended...I remember taking something like over 200 pictures of the event. But I have to admit, as tired as I was, I was having the best time I've had all year...and it was only late Febuary. Unfortunately, I left the party very early because of how physically exhausted I was and I will admit..to this day, it's been eating me up inside because I kinda found myself that night and I wanted to be a part of something special.
*The Fall and Rise of the AP Site
I won't go into detail of what happened here but from what I've heard, the guy that was running the original "Arnel Pineda Ning" web-site, embesseled money that was suppose to go to the AP Foundation so Arnel Pineda pulled the plug on that site and encouraged people to join his new improved web-site at "ArnelPinedaRocks.com". A problem arosed as there were people that had their own personal Web-Pages there and didn't want to let go of them. To them, it was more important to have a personal Web-Page at the old site then to remember the principals as to why a lot of us left the old site. On a personal note...it is so easy to make your own Web-Page (This Blogger is a fine example of what I'm talking about)
My personal take is, I think the new site is better than the old one and Arnel has some pretty good and loyal people watching over the site...myself included (I Moderate the Chat Site or SB shout box for short).
*SEPARATE WAYS (WORLDS APART)
I started off the year wanting to go my own separate ways from a lot of people. It wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had, but I needed to find myself, touch the walls so to speak, and just distance myself from the people I love...I felt a certain emptiness about myself. I did a lot of Skiing and Snowboarding up at the Big Bear Mountain Ski Resorts in early January, to get my mind off of things...you see, I have a Passion for skiing and I was very good at it (I still am.) But sometimes going your own separate ways can have a certain downfall...you feel very lonely.*Heart2Heart AP Foundation
This was a blessing in disguise. My dear friend Candy, calls me up to tell me that she had purchased a ticket for me for the Heart2Heart Arnel Pineda Foundation Dinner Party. Not to sound mean, but at first, I was a little skeptical about going to this event. It wasn't the people I was worried about...it was myself. I did a lot of Skiing around this time of the year and I went Skiing the morning of the party over at Snow Valley....it would be a decision I would soon regret.
I came to the party exhausted from the brutal Skiing I just did at the mountains. I attacked all the double black diamond courses at the ski resort and then ran into traffic going to the party in Anaheim.
The party/event went as follows...I met with people I haven't seen in a long time and I met new friends that will stand out to me as friends for life. We all had a nice dinner, there was an auction to raise money for the H2H event and we got a live video feed from the man himself, Arnel Pineda. I loved the conversations I had with everyone that attended...I remember taking something like over 200 pictures of the event. But I have to admit, as tired as I was, I was having the best time I've had all year...and it was only late Febuary. Unfortunately, I left the party very early because of how physically exhausted I was and I will admit..to this day, it's been eating me up inside because I kinda found myself that night and I wanted to be a part of something special.*The Fall and Rise of the AP Site
I won't go into detail of what happened here but from what I've heard, the guy that was running the original "Arnel Pineda Ning" web-site, embesseled money that was suppose to go to the AP Foundation so Arnel Pineda pulled the plug on that site and encouraged people to join his new improved web-site at "ArnelPinedaRocks.com". A problem arosed as there were people that had their own personal Web-Pages there and didn't want to let go of them. To them, it was more important to have a personal Web-Page at the old site then to remember the principals as to why a lot of us left the old site. On a personal note...it is so easy to make your own Web-Page (This Blogger is a fine example of what I'm talking about) My personal take is, I think the new site is better than the old one and Arnel has some pretty good and loyal people watching over the site...myself included (I Moderate the Chat Site or SB shout box for short).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)