Movie Night: Jumper

It seemed like an interesting concept - the power to jump to any place at any time - to travel without airline tickets or travel arrangements. It's an action-packed ride - especially with a determined antagonist on the lead's tail just because he can do something that normal people can't, which I think was a very shallow reason to be after a guy.

And that was the theme of the movie, the concept was great, but it lacked answers to the Why's of the film. Why was he a jumper? Was this gift inherited? Why were these group of people after them and why were they getting away with killing jumpers? Why did his mother conceive a jumper when she was one of those who hunted them? Why could normal people go through wormholes left by jumpers - Millie gets pulled through one in the movie without the teleport machine.

The actors were great. I think Diane Lane's talent was wasted on a cameo role. They built up the disappearance of the lead's mom so much at first when the reason for it came, it felt anti-climatic. It would have been more interesting if she was a Jumper too - giving other Jumpers an edge by being on the other side.

I see this movie evolving into a thrill ride in a theme park... I still think it could have had a better story line.

Bayan Ko - The Anthem of Freedom Fighters

A Tribute to the EDSA People Power Revolution.
Proud to be PINOY!

Bayan Ko
Original Tagalog lyrics by Jose Corazon de Jesus
Melody by Constancio de Guzman.

Ang bayan kong Pilipinas
Lupain ng ginto't bulaklak
Pag-ibig ang sa kanyang palad
Nag-alay ng ganda't dilag.
At sa kanyang yumi at ganda
Dayuhan ay nahalina
Bayan ko, binihag ka
Nasadlak sa dusa.

Ibon mang may layang lumipad
Kulungin mo at umiiyak
Bayan pa kayang sakdal dilag
Ang di magnasang makaalpas!
Pilipinas kong minumutya
Pugad ng luha ko't dalita
Aking adhika,
Makita kang sakdal laya!

Side Note: This song was so popular while I was growing up I used to sing it to my baby sister and my cousin as a lullabye. I heard it on TV this morning - it made me feel teary-eyed... I hope the Philippines finds peace soon - it's been through so much strife already.

Bowling Disaster

Since the weather forecast had talked about rain, rain and more rain over the weekend, we decided to spend Saturday afternoon with friends at a fundraising bowl-a-thon. I was a little apprehensive because I really really really suck at bowling!

I took bowling in freshman college as a physical education course and almost flunked out. I had my dad who used to be a bowling enthusiast when he was younger (my mom was too actually, she was the star of their office bowling league back in the days -> think: adopted?) teach me to play because I had such a hard time and no matter how hard he tried he could not teach me how to do it right.

It's like the mind is listening, but the body is not willing to learn! And true to form, I was terrible! Now it wouldn't have been too bad, if we hadn't been flanked by two lanes of kids who were bowling - 8-year-old kids who had higher scores than I did. They said I should try practicing with the Wii - but that's a luxury, my husband and I had agreed we would not indulge in. Five frames into the game, I let my husband play for me - he did a lot better...

I enjoyed watching the game better than stressing over my next turn. I stressed through school for most of my life, I don't enjoy stressing myself over a game when I'm not even enjoying it. Those days of forcing myself through PE are done and over with. I don't care what other people think, if I'm not having fun I would rather not suffer through it at all. And I don't think my husband minds - he doesn't like it when I stress either! :)

The Weekend Chef: Pork Nilaga

I had the kitchen all to myself again last Saturday, which is becoming a treat I really enjoy. My husband talked me through preparing Pork Nilaga over the phone. I had a pound of pork neckbone and a pound of pork leg with skin in boiling water while I peeled potatos and prepared the cabbage. I added one green chili pepper, sliced and slightly mashed to get all the spice out into the stew. I put the potatoes in when I saw that the meat was almost cooked then added the cabbage when the potatoes were almost done.

I used 2 soup ladles of fish sauce, dumped quite a bit of black pepper into the pot and had my sister taste the result. She liked it! Success! He he he... I think I might just get the hang of this weekend cooking thing:) If only my husband will sit down and eat what I cook without remedying it first!

Certified Geek

A few weeks ago, my laptop that I used to watch missed television shows online (and to work while traveling) that was connected wirelessly to my router stopped connecting to the internet. It showed that it was connected though, the signal was strong. When I try to diagnose and repair the connection it always tells me that there is nothing wrong with it - it just doesn't display any websites. I turned off all my firewalls and nothing seems to help.

Usually when I had computer hardware issues back home I'd ask my sister, Lennice, to help me out and she would fix it for me. She tried helping me over the phone, but I didn't understand what she was trying to explain to me and I was too scared of doing more damage than help to try out the techniques she suggested.

So yesterday I found some time to do a little research - but none of the solutions I found actually worked. Getting tired of it all, and being bugged by McAfee security center slowing my system down, I uninstalled it. And lo and behold - I was able to connect to the internet! I fixed the problem all by myself!!! Woohoo! I'm a computer geek after all:)

For the Bird Lovers

I found Parrot Chatter while searching for information about caring for my budgies. They had an article that provided several helpful links for budgie diet, finger training and health issues.

I joined the community last weekend and the people were very helpful and welcoming. I have read some of the articles on their Budgerigars section and have learned a great deal about caring for my budgies as well as what to look for to see what gender they are or if they are sick. I also went into some of the forum posts and got tips on how to bathe them. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one having trouble getting them to eat fresh fruits and vegetables!

They are certainly a great resource for new bird owners like me. So if you ever decide to get a pet bird - look them up at http://www.parrotchatter.com and you're sure to make a lot of friends!

The Happiest Place on Earth

Driving around in Mickey's Toon Town

Rocking with Mickey - it all started with a mouse!

My husband and I in front of Mickey's playing piano

Lea sitting in the baby reading chair by the lamp at Mickey's home

The mantle at Mickey's home

"When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are... Everything your heart desires..." Do you still remember the song? This was taken during the Parade of Dreams

In front of the Enchanted Tiki Room with my husband

Lea getting up close & personal to Chip, or was that Dale?

My husband and I in front of the Mickey Mouse field of flowers at the entrance to Disneyland Park

A trip to California is not complete without visiting the happiest place on earth, Disneyland Park. We spent President's day with a lot of kids and kids at heart, frolicking in the park that The Mouse built.

It was my husband's and my sister's first time to visit Disneyland - and except for the part where I chickened out of going into the Haunted Mansion - I think they had a pretty good experience. One day is too short, but the experience was well savored by all three of us.

I loved the Parade of Dreams! I loved all the improvements they made to Pirates of the Carribean. I finally got to ride the yellow submarine - I wanted to ride it so bad when we visited Disneyland 20 years ago with my mom. It has the natural magic of making you feel young again - sometimes that's a good thing, not too often though. hehehe...

Disneyland Park. A landmark. A piece of history. The happiest place on earth - definitely worth experiencing!

Movie Night: Fool's Gold

We ended our Saturday evening watching Fool's Gold starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson with Donald Sutherland, Ewen Bremmer, Alexis Dziena, Kevin Heart and Rey Winstone. It was a romantic comedy revolving around a treasure hunt.

The treasure they hunted for came from King Philip of Spain - yes, the same king who our country (the Philippines) was named after who colonized us for 377 years. The king sent three galleons to Spain for the Queen's dowry to be able to consummate his marriage to his new queen. Because of his haste, he sent the galleons to sea at the worst possible time where it supposedly was shipwrecked by a hurricane and was never seen again.

The romantic comedy part came from Kate Hudson coming down to Florida for Spring Break - meeting and falling in love with Matthew McConaughey. They got married and spent their honeymoon in Spain studying the archives about the three galleons. They spent eight years trying to find the Aurelia. Kate had had enough of their financial difficulties and chasing after a treasure she was beginning to doubt was real. She filed for a divorce - this is where the story begins when Matthew is 50 seconds late for his divorce because his boat caught on fire and sank while trying to find the Aurelia.

Kate was then working as a steward for a millionaire who lived on a yacht spending his retirement years just sailing around the world, Donald Sutherland. After the divorce and finding out her tuition money had sunk into the sea, she urged her employer to leave the island before her husband who is great at convincing rich people to fund his treasure hunt finds out about him. But she was too late and her husband comes on board.

Donald Sutherland was not looking to gain more money by treasure hunting, his estranged daughter was spending two weeks with him on his yacht - and he had discovered that she found this really dull although she had pretended that she enjoyed spending time with him. So he funded the treasure hunt for his daughter to have a great time - and maybe to like spending quality time with him.

The story was spiced up by two gay chefs who mothered Kate with advice, a Ukrainian treasure-hunting sidekick and Mo Fitch who taught Matthew everything he knew about treasure-hunting.

If you are looking for an earth-shattering, change your outlook on the world type of experience - this is not the movie for you. But if you're looking for a Saturday night feel good and relax movie - then this is perfect. It has just enough comedy, not t00 cheesy romance and a great treasure hunt to make you smile for the rest of the day (or night in our case).

Credit for the photos on this post goes to Movies.com who rated this movie a C+. So I was very surprised to find that I actually enjoyed the C+ movie!

A Baptismal Party

My sister, Lea, with mom, Sheila, and the newly baptized, Ramzy

A reunion of brothers: Erick & Rohit with me and Sheila

We spent our Saturday afternoon celebrating the baptism of Ramzy, the son of Rohit & Sheila, at the Bamboo Bistro in West Covina. Rohit and Erick are friends because they belong to the same school organization - although Erick is 15 years ahead of Rohit.

We thoroughly enjoyed their company, even though we didn't know anyone there they entertained us and their friends were very nice. It was a good way to start the long weekend, relaxing and unwinding - ready to face a fun two days of quality time with my family.

Naming My Flock

This is Coolit, she stays away from the other three budgies we bought last week most of the time - until she decides to bug them. She's very dominant because of her size - she's one of the biggest in the batch. She's the most active of the bunch, the first day we brought them home, she was climbing all over. When we added perches to their cage, she was the first one to try them out even before we had it properly glued in place, it wobbled and she ended up hanging upside down from it. But she didn't give up, she righted herself and tried again. She's very persistent, somewhat of a bully to the others yet she's so beautiful - don't you think so? Look at her posing for her 1st week photo for mommy! She's truly a majestic specimen, active, agressive, noisy at times - I like her a lot though. She holds her own - doesn't her pose make you think she reigns over the whole bird cage? There are times when I think she does!


This is Snow. She was very timid when we brought her home. We actually thought she was sick at first because it seemed like she slept all the time, but we later found out that that was just her personality. She liked sleeping, but she played and flew around and stood her ground against Coolit when she was up and about. Coolit loves bugging Snow maybe because of her pristine white back. I actually thought she was pure white, she was the first budgie I picked from the cage at Petco. It was after I named her Snow that I noticed that she had light blue feathers on her tummy. But because of her timid persona and how she likes sitting quietly in one corner of the cage most of the time we decided to keep the name - hey didn't Snow White have a blue top on her gown? She was very friendly to our new blue/rare parakeet though, she looked into the smaller cage and then chirped as if welcoming the two. They played thru the bars of the cage so I guess our new addition will get along just fine in the big cage. It's the smaller yellow one that seems a bit aloof.

I haven't decided on a name for this one yet. The first thing we noticed about her is that she poops a lot! I'm not sure if it's fair to call her Poopie... hehehe... She's very friendly and sits with either Snow or our first blue parakeet. She has lighter blue feathers than our male and a light yellow on her face. She's grey and white at the back. She was one of the last to eat in this batch of budgies, which made my sister worry a little because she pooped a lot and wasn't eating. She was the first to figure out the toys I put in the cage. She loves looking at herself in the mirror and pecking at the colorful rings. I love the way she would admire herself in the mirror, very curious about the reflection staring back at her. Maybe we should call her Vannie - short for Vanity? I will try that name out with her to see if she likes it. I'm trying to get them to say, "Hi, baby!" - and there was this one morning when she looked at me at opened her beak and her tongue moved as though she was trying to say it back to me. She was so cute - yes, I think Vannie would be a good name for her.



When I figured out how to differentiate a male parakeet from a female, I looked intently at my parakeets' nostrils and looked for one that had blue nostrils. My blue parakeet was the only one that had a blue nostril - he was the only male. It made sense because when we were transfering them to the bigger cage, he wouldn't let my husband hold him. When he got used to the big cage, he would often bully Coolit - even though Coolit seemed bigger than he was. One time when my husband was changing their water, he escaped. He didn't fly away though, he stood there as though daring my husband to capture him. When my husband did he pecked him three times, only when my husband didn't budge did he calm down and let my husband put him back in the cage. He was the first of the flock to eat in the big cage, and he would eat often. That was our first impression of him in fact, he liked eating very much. My sister calls him Botchok and I think the name will stay. It suits him, he is whimsical at times when he is playing with the others and he is aggressive and dominant whenever he feels like it. So Botchok it is:)

My Favorite Learning Puppy

My husband's friend from his college days invited us to a christening of his first son, Ramzy. We went hunting for a gift last night - although my husband is not a godfather, we do remember that in Filipino baptisms guests give gifts to the baby as well.

I was almost ready to buy the Eddie Bauer grocery cart/high chair cover, which my sister thought was a terribly practical gift when I saw this Learning Puppy educational toy by Fisher Price.

I had bought this toy before for one of my godchildren in the Philippines, I loved it so much I thought of getting another gift for her while I kept the puppy.

It's an educational toy that sings the alphabet to you when you press the ABC label on his foot. It talks to you about numbers, parts of the body, colors, and other fun games in that hearty voice that makes you want to sing along with it. I will definitely buy this for my future baby. I would recommend it to all new mommies looking for toys for their babies. We didn't have toys like this when we were growing up! It's so cute and huggable too. It's a nice companion to learn from or simple snuggle up to. I hope Ramzy enjoys this:)

Birdie Bananas, Egg Biscuits & 2 New Budgies

Like us, budgies (parakeets) like variety in their diet. I read about parakeets a lot since we got four of them last week. This week alone, we added brocolli, green leafy vegetables and apple slices to their diet. I also looked for treats online and found these birdie bananas that look so cute and supposedly tastes good infused with real bananas and nutritious grains.

The strangest fact that struck me is that they need eggs for protein. I told my friend at work who has a parakeet as well and she said she didn't know they needed that. Another coworker overheard our conversation and commented, "Isn't that like cannibalism?" The blog recommended boiling an egg for 30 mins at least to kill all the bacteria and then feeding it to the budgies. I looked for an alternative and found these egg biscuits on the Petco website. So far I have not tried shopping anywhere else although I have been to the PetSmart website, I haven't seen an actual PetSmart store near us.

We always meant to get 3 pairs last week, we just didn't want to overwhelm ourselves with birds and figured four would be manageable to start. This week we decided to get our third pair - and we found one male in the pet store - I figured out that I had 1 male and 3 females in our first batch. I now have 2 green parakeets, 3 rare parakeets and 1 blue parakeet - according to my companion animal purchase cards, quite frankly I think I have 2 blue parakeets and 2 rare ones - I'm not sure how accurate these purchase cards are.

We kept our two latest additions in a separate cage beside the big cage where the other four are. Our four original budgies don't seem to be aggressive toward them, although the new ones seem to be a little wary. I think I will wait until I see that they are eating before putting them with the others, I think they're both still really scared of the newness of their new home.

Coming Up for Air

It's Friday finally! All week I've been running around getting all my work done. Riding an emotional rollercoaster from all the new things we're experiencing at work. I've been kind of overwhelmed by it all.

I come home to do only the chores that absolutely need to be done and then sleep. My mind is racing at 1 million miles per hour for most of the time and I'm exhausted by the time I come home. I feel bad because my sister's visiting to spend quality time with me and I'm either at work or asleep during the weekdays.

Last night my mother-in-law called saying it was a bad idea for my husband to go home this May. My mom actually does not want us to go home until we get our citizenship too - which might be two years from now. With all that's been happening in the country, it is kind of a daunting time to go home - but I know my husband's been yearning to go back for almost 16 years now. Maybe it's a sign though... With the kind of person I am though, I already have a Plan B in mind.

Last night I read an email saying that I was assigned to the fundraising committee grand event as part of the stage crew - I don't exactly know what that means. I don't even know what the event is going to be. I'm not sure I have time to help them because I want to spend a lot more time with my sister during my free time. I dreamt about this mystery event and was happily helping until I saw the price of the tickets to the event which of course we would have to pay as well - $303 per person (this was my dream price of course, but maybe it's a sign)...

A sign that I can't afford to go home to the Philippines for safety issues as well as how hectic work is. A sign that I can't afford to get involved too deeply with something that will demand more time and energy that I already have too little of.

Yes, I'm a bit overwhelmed... But Friday is usually when I come up for air - and I actually feel ok. I actually excited. Tomorrow is going to be a new day. And everyday will be better from now on - that's a decision I'm going to make right now.

Guiness World Records Museum in Hollywood

Mario was on exhibit at the Guiness World Records Museum

In front of the display for eating records

Comparing herself to the 1069 lb man who holds the world record

for being the heaviest man in the world

Michael Jackson's Thriller still holds the world record

Savings alert! When we went to the Hollywood Wax Museum, they offered entry to the Guiness Book of World Records Museum across the street for only $3 more so we went and enjoyed the fun and interactive exhibits they had there as well. It's a good bargain if you're looking for things to do in the Hollywood area:)

Hollywood Wax Museum

Lady in White with the Men in Black

A scene from one of our Jackie Chan favorites

Lea with Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and other Goodies but Oldies performers

Posing in front of Angelina Jolie

My sister and I went to the Hollywood Wax Museum last Sunday. My husband took the day off taking pictures so we didn't have any pictures together. The Hollywood Wax Museum features life-size scenes from the movies including popular hollywood personalities rendered in wax.

My sister convinced me to go into the Chamber of Horrors. It was scary not having my husband there with us. We found a group that was going in and stayed with them the whole way through - there is safety in numbers! And it's not so scary when you hear others' comments not just the creepy music. The exorcist exhibit was creepy though - warning, not for the faint of heart!

How Do Your Shoes Make You Feel?

I never thought I would ever blog about shoes - my friends would tell you, I'm not as shoe crazy as most women I know. Have you ever thought about how your shoes make you feel? What they say about your personality?

I'm a very conservative shoe buyer, I usually stick to the basics - black pumps, brown boots, sandals and predominantly white walking shoes. But every now and again I stray into uncharted territories like when I bought those orange-colored slip-ons that matched maybe 4 pieces of clothing I owned.

My sister brought the cutest gold ballet flats by Maphisto with her from the Philippines - you can fold them and put them into a matching gold drawstring pouch. I borrowed it from her once and coworkers complimented my outfit that day - and I wore my usual work clothes just with the gold shoes!

I've been thinking about buying casual shoes that I can walk comfortably in that didn't look like my other shoes. I think I got white walking shoes fatigue, I found this pair at Nordstrom Rack - they were on sale and I was immediately drawn to them. They kinda look like my sister's golden ballet flats - but much more casual and much less golden!

They make me feel fun and carefree. I'm not sure how other people perceive them, my sister loves them. They make me feel more relaxed and because of that they deserved a blog post so there!

Four Parakeets

I'm a new mommy to four sweet little parakeets. Sorry about the pictures, I didn't want to use my big scary camera to take it - these were from my phone.

As a kid, did you ever go to Antipolo to attend mass? It was a once-a-year pilgrimage for me and my family. I don't remember the masses at all, the only memory I have of those days is going to the marketplace and buying that small bird which they added color to.

They would put it in a small wooden cage and I'd hang it somewhere in our home. It would only last a day or two then somehow the cat would get to it - no matter where I put it! (I think maybe my parents did not want a pet bird and just set it free then told me the cat got it - I'm not quite sure...)

When I told my husband the story, he said we should get pet birds. He actually suggested a canary - like Tweety bird, the one who always gets chased by a cat. When I saw how tiny a canary was, I told my husband I wanted a bigger bird - and that we should see if we would be good pet parents first before getting something so expensive.

Parakeets are the most popular choice, especially for people who rented. They are members of the same family as the parrot so they can learn words as well. They live for 10 to 20 years with proper care (and I intend to spoil them rotten!).

When we brought them home last night, I just sat beside their cage and watched them. My husband asked me if they were therapeutic for me - I said they made me feel more peaceful, if that's what he meant.

I don't think my sister likes them very much, she said they woke her up with their chirping this morning. She's more of a hamster-person... But she did open the blinds for them so that they can watch the tree outside. I think she'll grow to love them sooner or later as well.

I remember a book I read about this couple deciding to get a dog as a practice for a baby - maybe I need to know if I'm a good care provider as well... We'll see...

Love Your Wife, Respect Your Husband

I'm currently reading the book, What's in the Bible for Couples by Larry Richards. It mentioned how in the bible, men are always instructed to love their wives - but nowhere in the bible does it ask a wife to love her husband. When I first read this I thought, so does that mean we shouldn't love our husbands?

It doesn't. The bible always asks wives to respect their husbands. Apparently though a woman yearns for love and must then be loved, a man yearns for respect.

Respect your husband. Consult him when making major decisions affecting your lives. Praise him for his accomplishments and always be encouraging. Do not criticize him especially in front of other people. This is what matters most to a man, therefore the bible says respect your husband.

I always say I love you to my husband, but maybe this is not what he needs. Maybe I should praise his work more. Maybe I should thank him for the comfort he provides me. Maybe I should show him more respect.

I think it is a great nugget of wisdom for wives to think about... Respect. Maybe we should try another way of showing our love for our husbands.

At Surf City - Huntington Beach, CA

Left : The crashing blue waves at Surf City, Huntington Beach, California.










Right : The sun setting in the horizon, photo at the edge of Pier Plaza.

Below: All bundled up at the beach - a sunny day doesn't mean it's not freezing out here!

Below: Who says my sister isn't cold - she just didn't want to look fat in the picture:)

18-1

I wanted my sister to experience Superbowl Sunday - so we stayed home and had a friend over to watch the game. It was one of the best games I have ever watched from beginning to end - of course, the fact that the team I was cheering for won helped a lot!

I'm not a big football fan, but all these ads about the pursuit of perfection made me think it would be very boring if the New England Patriots won. When they scored a touch down in the first half - leading by 4 - I thought the Giants were going to just play catch up all throughout the game.

Just before the second half started my husband asked what we think the final score would be, my sister said 10-7 in favor of the Giants. And lo and behold - the Giants scored a touch down in the first few minutes of the third quarter! When the Patriots scored a touch down and left around 2 and a half minutes on the clock, I had a gut feeling that the Giants would get another touch down before the clock ran out - and they did! Go Giants!!!

I think the Giant defense played a major part in their victory - and the fact that Eli Manning did not fumble in the last 2 minutes of the game was definitely the clincher! All throughout the game Eli Manning had more time to throw the ball, more space to work with, and more heart to win the game. It was so wonderful to see the reaction of his older brother as he cheered him on - now that's family support!

And now the Manning brothers each have a superbowl win on their belts - their quarterback father, Archie couldn't be prouder. 18-1 was definitely a happy ending for the New York Giants, the greatest upset in the history of football! And instead of perfection, the New England Patriots now holds the record of the only team who won 18 games and DID NOT win the Superbowl. Where did they go wrong? Only their team will know for sure. I'm really glad we stayed home to watch the game!

A Night With the Stars: Griffith Observatory

Standing by the front doors of the Griffith Observatory

Photo of The Griffith Observatory from their official website owned

and operated by the City of Los Angeles

We spent Saturday night looking at a rather cloudy sky at the Griffith Observatory. I must say it is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. It was actually the building that made me want to go see it.

We drove up a winding trail towards the building that seemed to crown the hill it was on with its magnificence. A white mansion-like structure with three prominent domes on top. It did not fail to impress.

Inside, there were several interactive exhibit about the stars, the sun, the moon and other heavenly bodies. There were dioramas with holograms explaining different ways men in history used the sky for guidance. There was a Tesla coil which everyone seemed to enjoy. The different radiations from the sun was explained in a very colorful exhibit that engaged the observatory goers.

I loved the periodic table the best. There was a big periodic table with samples in cubes covered with glass. You press several buttons to light up all the elements that are gases, all the elements that are found in the human body, all the elements that are found in a super nova and other interesting trivia. My inner chemist was thoroughly amazed by it!

In the East Wing was a telescope that drew crowds hoping to see the Cancer constellation. We didn't stay in line long enough to see it - it was so cold! We had padded jackets over our sweaters over our clothes - and still we were cold! Imagine - and this is just a California winter - it's not even snowing where we were.

There were lots of kids enjoying the exhibits. This is another place I would want to bring my kids to - to expand their imagination. I have always had an appreciation for the stars, but even if I didn't I know I would still enjoy experiencing this place. Another great Los Angeles landmark to visit - don't forget to mark it in your map!

A Little Archeology at the La Brea Tar Pits

Lea measuring up to a Polar Bear in the comparison to living species

Having a laugh at the atrium

In front of the mechanical mammoth display that moved its head and roared


My husband and sister seeing for themselves how hard it is to pull out of the tar pits

I think this is a great educational outing for young and old alike. A tar pit in the center of the business sector of Los Angeles right beside the LA County Museum of Arts (LACMA) was our main stop last Saturday. I've read about this place online - a lot of blogs have featured it and recommended it.

The tar pit had captured and preserved a lot of animals from thousand of years ago and archeologists are still excavating fossils until today. The Page Museum had displays of skeletons of the Sloth, the Dire Wolf, the Mammoth, extinct horses and even the condor - which scared some of the kids. It had interactive exhibits like the tar pit display above where you pull on a steel rod that is dipped in tar. They had a 14-minute video explaining how the animals got caught in the tar and how they excavate the pits today.

You can watch archeologists in the Paleontology lab as they prepare specimen for display inside the museum. There were explanations about evolution, carbon dating and the different animals that existed thousands of years ago.

It was very interesting, but a lot of fun as well. I think the government should spend a little more money on this place. It is truly awe-inspiring to be confronted by the creatures that lived so long ago. History and science artfully presented in a truly educational place for both the young and the old. It is definitely worth visiting when you're in LA - especially if you have kids!

Dining in Style: The Old Spaghetti Factory

The entrance to the Old Spaghetti Factory in Duarte, a repurposed school house turned restaurant for those looking for a little cozy ambiance while having great pasta.

Waiting for a table

When my husband first took me to the Old Spaghetti Factory in Hollywood, I thought it was a really fancy restaurant with all the antique furniture and light fixtures. Being a pasta lover, going to a spaghetti factory was definitely a treat for me.


I wanted to show my sister the restaurant, we wanted to take her to the Hollywood one, but it had already been condemned. So we took her to Duarte to sample the fare.


She loved it! The three course meal was just right to start a day of going around LA. The portions were just right. We started the meal with freshly baked bread and butter. They had minestrone soup while I had the salad. We sampled different types of spaghetti and had spumoni for dessert.


The service was excellent. The server was cheery and didn't pester us too much with asking if everything was ok. We had several refills of their strawberry lemonade, my husband had some merlot. All in all it was a wonderful experience!


So if you're craving pasta - you know where to go. I believe they have branches in Fullerton and Newport Beach - if you're in Orange County. They have all their store locations listed in their website http://www.osf.com in case you want to check them out.