First Time Birching

Met my friend Lisa and most of her family for my very first visit to the Birch Aquarium at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla. I kept hearing how good it was but that it was rather small. While it may have been more diminutive than other aquariums I’d been to I was still very impressed with how much educational information they were able to present in such a high quality way. The displays were very well done, the large exhibit on the effects of increased CO2 levels was easy (and frightening) to interpret and the interactive energy exhibits were all professionally and thoughtfully done. The hands-on living tide pools that are located out back overlooking the Scripps Pier were great. While going through the aquarium can be easily finished in a couple of hours, they are a couple of hours that are very well spent.

( a q u a t i c   p i c s )

This Was A Good Year For Blimp Flyovers

Had yet another blimp fly over our house today. At least this time it was a different one. It was either larger or lower than the Met Life blimp because it filled a lot more of the sky. Literally heard coming from a mile away.

Visiting A Ruby with A Lisa

Met my terrific friend Lisa at Ruby’s in Mission Valley this morning for breakfast. I ordered my two-day allotment of calories in one meal: the Cinnamon French Toast Combo. Delicious meal but I felt full the entire rest of the day. And it was worth totally it.

Christmas Card 2011

After a full day of sitting in front of my computer, I finally finished my Christmas card design for this year and ordered them from Costco. Love that I can pick them up already tomorrow, after my long-awaited breakfast with visiting Lisa.


Sadie’s Little Prick

Had to go over to the neighbor’s house this evening to feed their dog, Sadie, and give her an insulin injection for her canine diabetes. The frightening photo is misleading because she was a real trooper and never complained. I stayed with her for a while to make sure everything was ok, and she loved that.

Sugar Plum Fairy On Glass Harp

This simply amazed me. Love this kind of talent and ingenuity.

Tapias’ Christmas Cookies

Received my annual allotment of home-made Christmas cookies from the Tapias. Each year they outdo themselves with quality, style and creativity and this year they didn’t disappoint. Their cookies are far better than most bakeries. I almost feel bad for eating them. Almost.

Birthday Movie and Lunch Wish Granted

Enjoyed a great day with my incredible friends Sylvia and Rodrigo, who took me not only to see “Sherlock Holmes: A Games of Shadows” (which I was dying to see) but also to lunch at In-N-Out (which I was dying to eat). I seem to be doing a lot of dying lately. The movie was outstanding. Enjoyed it at least as much as the first one. Love the twists and unexpected turns and while they took some creative liberties with the canonical stories, the changes and reworkings fit nicely with the feel of the movie. And the soundtrack was fantastic.

Brenda, One Day Later

Had a short but good video chat with Brenda who returned home to Austin yesterday morning. Weird to imagine that I saw her at the airport just yesterday and tonight we’re video chatting from three states away. I’m grateful that we can at least keep in touch regularly this way. (Reason I’m on the phone during the chat is because her microphone wasn’t working.)

Two Very Different Sky Shots

Took only two photos today. Both of the sky. Couldn’t be any more opposite from each other. One man-made, the other 100% natural. One without color, the other aflame with hues. One moving west to east, the other in the opposite direction. One without any landscape, the other with hills. One at the brightest point of the day, the other as the light faded. Both amazing in their own ways.

Post-Birthday Dinner Party

Had my post-birthday family dinner this evening. My mom had made one of my all-time favorites: wienerschnitzel with mashed potatoes and red cabbage. My mom had also made some really good Hungarian strawberry and walnut pastry the day before for dessert. My niece Kimi brought over a large, chocolate Mickey Mouse cake that she baked for me. Presents were strictly forbidden, I was grateful, the food was delicious and fun appeared to be had by all.

UPDATE: Added three more photos.

 

Natural History Museum In One Hour

After leaving the Zoo I thought it would be fun to make a quick visit to the Natural History Museum in Balboa Park, next door to the Zoo. Walking first through Spanish Village, I stopped at The Village Grill for a spot of lunch. Had my regular tuna melt combo with chips and a drink. Considering it looks to be kind of a dive, their tuna melt is actually very good. And $8 for a combo is not a bad deal, especially in a tourist location. After feeding myself and a flock of starving swallows I began my limited visit at the museum. I basically went in, talked to a cute girl who works there, sat and watched  “Ocean Oasis: Two Worlds, One Paradise” in their theater, talked on the phone for a little while and then left. The movie was very good, if a seeming a little long. Will have to go back to see two other movies, both in 3D. Good thing I have a pass there too.

San Diego Zoo In One Hour

After dropping Brenda off at the airport I decided to make a quick trip to San Diego Zoo. Knew it would be a brief trip so I focused on getting some Christmas decorations and just some of the animals. Started with taking the Skyfari up to the back of the zoo and walked back toward the front stopping  to see different kinds of Gazelle, some Raptors, a Red Panda, a couple of Giant Pandas and some Siberian Musk Deer (my first time seeing those). Nice quick trip.

Homeward Bound

Took my friend Brenda to the airport this morning for her return trip back home to Austin. Was impressed with how many Christmas decorations the airport had put up and how non-crowded it was. Got me a coffee from Starbucks, sat down and waited until her plane took off so I could get that one last shot in of her visit.

Birthday Wishes Galore

Came home from my birthday trip to Disneyland to find my mailbox chock full of Facebook messages announcing Happy Birthday wishes from many of my real-life and online-only friends. It was enough to fill my onboard memory with digital glee.

Content Protected Using Blog Protector By: PcDrome.