Orange County Fair 2008

The Orange County Fair is held annually late July till the first week of August. It is a cheap and interesting way to spend the day. I went there last Thursday and I was surprised that I got in for only four dollars! The general admission is nine, for seniors it is seven and for kids five and under it is free; however each Thursday the rate for those age 60 and above is only four and all the rides for them are free (like they care for them - they already get dizzy just walking around). Parking is five and ten dollars depending on how far from the fair entrance you park. It is free, if you care to park in the street and walk a bit.

I thought the word was mispelled and it should be "buttered" - it was "battered" indeed, the potatoes looked miserably beaten to a delicious end LOL.

I like mine Pinas style, roasted naked over live charcoal.

Smoked turkey legs

Turkey on a spit

Young "sabongeros"?

A 600 pound hog

Wet sand sculpturing

London Eye

The last time I toured United Kingdom and Ireland, the London Eye (the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe) was not even in the drawing board. It has since become the most famous tourist attraction in the UK since it was built. When my wife and I completed our Mediterranean cruise in 2004, we decided to stay a few more days in London to see and experience the Eye and to revisit old haunts in the city.


On a boat along the Thames with the London Eye in the background

One of the capsules of the Eye

A view from one of the capsules at its apex

Missouri, July 2008

My wife and I were set to fly to Kansas City to visit her ailing nephew-in-law and to join up with her sisters for a road trip in Missouri and neighboring states. However, the nephew unexpectedly succumbed to his ailment, the road trip was put on hold and we wound up attending a funeral instead.


I had to take a picture of the vault as it was being mechanically lowered to its final resting place because this is the first time I saw a photo collage (of the deceased and his family) imbedded on the lid. A boxful of butterflies was also released as part of the ritual. I guess different funeral homes have their own ways of doing things subject to changes and approval of the deceased family.


Kansas City skyline as seen from our approaching car

A lady "cochero" minding her horse as she waits for tourists to hire her carriage for a brief spin in the city.

The courtyard of the Harry Truman library in Independence where the President and his wife are buried.

A play at a KC park

Elk meat for sale at this tiny farmer's market

A heavy downpour the like of which we never experienced in sunny Southern California

An empty bench straddling a jogging/walking trail and the Missouri River

LEGOLAND Carlsbad, California June 2008

My grandchildren are into this toy building bricks like you cannot believe. They are really good at putting them together and creating stuffs. My wife decided a trip to LEGOLAND is something they'll enjoy; so last Wednesday a short trip to Carlsbad allowed them the full day to spend and marvel at the various replicas of places made of these tiny interlocking bricks.

MGM casino in Vegas

Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans

San Francisco Chinatown

Happy Father's Day!

A panoramic view of a small lake showing a solitary man sitting on a bench (unless you click to enlarge the pic, you can hardly see him and his bike.)

A closer view of the man and his bike, probably a father enjoying a rare moment of solitude.

Tidbits

There's a park across a major street from our house where I usually take a long walk in the morning whenever I am not on the road. There are two lakes within, both of which are regularly stock with catchable trout and catfish. Three of the pictures posted here were taken inside the park.

One of the lakes

A soccer playing field behind the tree

A feeble attempt at macrophotography

Second lake where every so often I'll see a fisherman or two trying their luck. Note the handiwork "ng walang magawang matino" on the tree.

A sleeping boy and his dog (this photo was taken in San Francisco)

Crawfish cooked Cajun style, marinated artichoke heart and cognac for an evening light meal

My dream car LOL (You can probably park this car in a seedy neighborhood with the door unlocked and the engine running and nobody will steal it LOL)

My wife was in the Philippines to attend a family reunion and I was on my own at home. I got tired of eating out and doing my own amateurish cooking so I decided to go to a neighborhood Japanese grocery store and bought tuna sashimi, tofu and California roll for lunch. Looked good and tasted good and the double shot of whiskey made it even better LOL.

Wynn Las Vegas, July 2005

A few months after Wynn opened for business, I saw a promotional deal for two that was hard to ignore - roundtrip airfare from LA-Las Vegas, two nights accomodation and tickets to a show. All these for the equivalent price of a single room for a day! I took the "bait" and told my wife we were going to Vegas for a couple of days to check out the newest casino on the strip.

My wife and I do not enjoy gambling although we regularly visit Vegas. We do gamble a bit just to get a feel for the "games" but that's about it. There is so much to see and do in Vegas other than to spend your time inside the casinos - shows, many places of interest to see in and outside of the city, fine restos, and what nots. Las Vegas is a place you'll never get enough of...at least, I don't. However, summer is not a good time to go there unless you are a cactus LOL.


Our plane preparing to land at McCarran airport

Registration area viewed from the indoor garden

Impressive hallway

Outside pool

Not bad at all!

Window view

Frontier is an old and smaller casino across LV blvd from Wynn. I prefer its atmosphere and its interesting offerings and their more generous slot machines (check out the billboard). My wife hates the place though LOL.