Relaxing with the fishes...and the lorikeets!

Today, I decided to take a more low key approach to my day. Since I was heading down to Long Beach anyway to spend the night on the Queen Mary, I decided to do something leisurely and relaxing. It had been four years since I last visited the Aquarium of the Pacific, and I felt the urge to experience it again. Actually, I was really looking forward to feeding the lorikeets again. Yes, of all the animals at the aquarium, I love the Lorikeet Forest. After purchasing a cup of nectar...the sign at the booth said the birds are "Very Hungry"...I entered the bird enclosure. You're supposed to let the birds decide where and when to feed, but it didn't take long for a lorikeet to hop on my hand. It was soon joined by a second bird, after crawling up my shirt onto my shoulder and sitting on my head!

Needless to say, I had so much fun feeding the birds, I went back and got a second cup of nectar to have even more fun! Like the first time, I had two birds sitting on my arm arguing over the nectar. But, this time, only one bird won out.

Of course, I also enjoyed the many sea life exhibits at the aquarium. My favorites included the different types of jellyfish, colorful tropical fish, sea otters and bat rays...yes, I touched the bat rays! Oh, and the puffins were cute, too!

After a couple of hours at the aquarium, I was ready to check into my accommodations for the night.  I had two wonderful stays at the Queen Mary Hotel in the past, and it wasn't hard to decide to replicate those memories. This time around, I upgraded from the standard stateroom and booked a mini suite. The website said that the upper class staterooms were all different, and I was very pleased with mine. Two televisions, one in a separate sitting room and the always nice fridge. I don't really need the two bathrooms, but I'm not complaining!

Tomorrow is my last day in Los Angeles and I'll be going out with a bang, so to speak. A Big Bang. It will be another late night, so no blogging tomorrow night. But, I promise to catch up the next day! Stay tuned...

Survival Sunday: Fighting words

I'm doing this blog post the following day because I had a rather late night having fun. Sunday morning, it didn't take me long to drive from Hawthorne to Burbank. But, then again, it wasn't a work day in Los Angeles. My destination of the morning was the Martial Arts History Museum.

This little museum has exhibits on the culture and history of martial arts in China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand and Hawaii. In addition, there is also mention of anime...Japanese animated movies...and motion pictures and TV shows with martial arts themes. Below, you see Chinese weapons, Japanese samurai armor and a shield from the film, Mortal Kombat. And yes, that's the headband of Daniel-san from the movie The Karate Kid.

 

After a quick pizza lunch at the Original Farmer's Market, I checked into my hotel early knowing I wouldn't get in until very late in the evening. That was because I had a very special event to attend. Back at the end of March, I submitted a request for a ticket to the live taping of the TV show Talking Dead. This is the show that airs on Sundays, right after that night's The Walking Dead episode. There was only one Sunday that coincided with my vacation time in Los Angeles, so I hoped I would get lucky. Well, last Friday, I got an email from the ticket site that said I DIDN'T get a ticket. Oh well, I thought...I knew it was a long shot. I mean, they get a LOT of requests for not very many tickets. Imagine my surprise when the next day, I get ANOTHER email from them with the good news...I GOT A TICKET! Needless to say, I was ecstatic! 

When I got to CBS Television City about a hour and a half before check-in time, there were a handful of people already in line. Shortly after I got in line, I was joined by a family of three...a middle aged couple and their teenage daughter. We hit it off immediately, and we chatted about The Walking Dead and other TV related stuff. It really made the time go by faster. Since cameras and phones were not allowed in the studio, the only photo I have is the outside of the building and the entrance area.

After everyone was checked in, there was a brief orientation and explanation of what we would be doing throughout the evening. Then, we were escorted upstairs to the viewing area. There, we watched the season finale episode of The Walking Dead, PLUS the season opener for Fear The Walking Dead. The night was dubbed Survival Sunday to promote both shows and to mark the crossover of a major character from the first show to the other. When we finished viewing the episodes, we were again escorted another level up to the Talking Dead soundstage. From the show website, I already knew the special guests would be Andrew Lincoln (Rick) and Lennie James (Morgan) from TWD, and newcomer Garret Dillahunt and Danay Garcia from FTWD would be there. In addition, show creator and producer Robert Kirkman and producer Scott Gimple would also be present. Before we watched the episodes, I was excited to find out TWD's Jeffery Dean Morgan (Negan) was added to the list of guests. Talking Dead is hosted by the always entertaining Chris Hardwick, and after we were also seated, the TWD actors and the producers filed in. They were greeted enthusiastically by the attendees, myself included. Oh, by the way, Morgan was the crossover character.

For the next hour, Talking Dead was shown for the East Coast, and recorded it to be shown later for the other time zones. If there was a downer moment, the chairs were all on one level, and sitting in the fifth row, it was virtually impossible to see anyone on stage. Yes, there were monitors for us to see the action, but that is almost no different than watching it at home. But, there were moments that you wouldn't see or hear unless you were there. And, nothing can replace the experience of being there with the cast members of your favorite show. It was obvious they love their job and working with each other, and also appreciate the adulation of their fans. When the show was over and everyone was filing out of the soundstage, who should be walking toward me in the opposite direction...Andrew Lincoln! Just before he ducked back into the room, he looked at me...and waved! I was so surprised, the only thing I could do was wave back! I should have...could have...said something to him, but my mind just went blank at that moment. But, it will be a moment I'll never forget!

As customary with attendees of Talking Dead, everyone got a free gift. In this case, it was an exclusive The Walking Dead T-shirt that you can only get at the official store. I can always use a new shirt, especially from one of my favorite shows!

Monday will be kind of a rest day. After spending long hours doing the live TV show tapings, I need to take it slower and catch my breath. Then, one last night of fun before I leave the City of Angels.

Touristy stuff, Cold War and critters

Considering I did very little touristy stuff yesterday, I more than made up for it today. After a restful night at a nice hotel, I spent the morning doing touristy stuff in the heart of Hollywood. I joined the other sightseers checking out the stars on the Walk of Fame, and ogled the hand and footprints of celebrities in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre (originally Grauman's Chinese Theatre). There were a few costumed superheroes looking to make a few bucks posing for pics with the tourists. I was not one of them.

After I got that out of my system, I visited the nearby Museum of Failure. This experimental museum was created by Dr. Samuel West of Sweden to display the many unsuccessful products companies have created over the years. Of the items I viewed, these were my favorites. Colgate makes toothpaste, but who knew they dabbled in frozen meals?

By moving Growing Up Skipper's arm forward, you can make her boobs grow...then shrink when you move the arm back! And, Gerber made jarred food for grown ups? I can see why this idea didn't fly!

I had a tasty lunch from Pink's Hot Dogs...chili dog!...then drove to my second museum of the day. The Wende Museum of the Cold War preserves the artifacts and history of that turbulent time. It was interesting viewing items from behind the Iron Curtain...art, toys and of course, busts of Lenin and Stalin.

With time for one last place to visit, I checked out Star Eco Station in Culver City. This non-profit facility cares for endangered, abandoned and illegally obtained wild animals. Most of the animals can never be released into the wild or adopted out. While on the guided tour, I got to touch a few reptiles, such as tortoise, lizard and snake. There was a cute bobcat and a hyacinth macaw with a featherless breast. The blue parrot's owner died, and it was so sad, it kept pulling out its feathers and they eventually never grew back.

Tomorrow, I have a HUGE day! I'll be attending a live taping of the TV show Talking Dead! I think I'll have time to squeeze in a museum in the morning. It will be the same museum I didn't have time to visit last week. Three more days in the Los Angeles area and the fun keeps on coming!

Let's watch the Feud!

Today was Friday the 13th, but I can't say I had any BAD luck. Quite the opposite. But, more on that later. Little did I know that my live TV show taping would take ALL DAY! Around 9:00 am, I reported to Universal Studios to attend the taping of the game show Family Feud. While waiting to get checked in, I chatted with a couple of older ladies from Michigan and a local guy...his name is Dee Thompson...who dabbles in acting and writing. We quickly hit it off and spent the day sharing in the experience of being a game show audience member.  At the appointed time, a Universal Studios shuttle took the roughly 200 audience members to the Family Feud studio.

I must admit I haven't watched the current rendition of the popular game show much, but seeing it playing live in front of you makes it so much more special. Like other live TV show tapings, the audience was encouraged to clap, cheer and laugh at what they see on stage. Host Steve Harvey was actually quite funny, and engaged the audience during breaks in taping. I was fortunate to get seated in the second row, so I was quite close to Mr. Harvey and the rest of the goings on. They taped two episodes of the show, and I didn't leave Universal Studios till after 5:00 pm! I didn't get a chance to do my planned museum visit, but no problem...I'll do it tomorrow.  I splurged and got a mini suite at a nice hotel tonight. AND, for dinner...Brazilian grill! I made sure and got a generous portion so I would have leftovers for tomorrow's dinner. Oh, and my hotel has decent pillows...I'll get a good night's sleep!

Oh, I almost forgot. I mentioned good luck today. Yesterday, I got a disappointing email that I didn't get a ticket to a live taping of the TV show Talking Dead. It's the show that comes on after the series, The Walking Dead. Well, when I checked tonight, I found another email that said I DID have a ticket after all! I could not believe my good fortune! Of course, I will be posting all the juicy details come Sunday. I can't wait!

Classic cars and Conan

I didn't have the best sleep last night because not only was my hotel next to a busy Los Angeles freeway, my room faced it! I was lucky if I got my minimum six hours of sleep. Since I'm not feeling tired as I type this, I probably got enough rest. I had planned to visit the Martial Arts History Museum in Burbank, but it was a good thing I checked the website this morning. They had to unexpectedly close due to the curator reporting for jury duty. I quickly devised a fallback plan and drove up to Sylmar to visit the Nethercutt Collection automotive museum. The last time I checked out this museum was 2012, so I thought it wouldn't hurt to see it again.

To me, vintage cars...especially the models in the first three decades of the past century...are like works of art. And, it's amazing how HUGE cars were back then, too! Many of our roads...and parking lots...would not be able to accommodate those vehicles. Too big!

In the afternoon, I went to Warner Brothers Studios for a live taping of the Conan Show. It was the seventh time I've attended this show, and it never gets old. It's easy to get a ticket to the Conan Show compared to the other talk shows in town. But, in my opinion, Conan O'Brien is the funniest. He never hesitates to make himself look silly, and he has a genuine rapport with his audience. Oh, and there's also his sidekick Andy Richter and The Basic Cable Band! Today's guests were television personality Andy Cohen and actor Ike Barinholtz.

Tomorrow, I have another live TV taping to attend...a game show this time! Afterward, another museum visit and for dinner...my favorite Brazilian grill! I can't wait! 

A very special day in Agoura Hills

Kettleman City, CA has some weird water. I mean, nasty tasting water. I believe it's from too much chlorine...at least I hope that's the reason. The first inkling something was different was the two bottles of free water in the fridge of my budget hotel. It was when I took my nightly shower that I smelled it...and tasted it. Needless to say, I used the bottled water to brush my teeth.

It was about a three hour drive south to Agoura Hills for a badly needed car wash. As I've stated in previous blog entries, I love hand wash car washes. Those automatic car washes just can't clean every nook and cranny of your vehicle. I was happy to pay extra to have it done right! Afterward, my car looked great!

Next, I was ready for lunch, so I drove down to Malibu and got my seafood fix at Neptune's Net. As loyal Five for Fighting fans know, this restaurant was mentioned in the song California Justice. As the lyric goes, "I shot him with a gun behind Neptune's Net." Hmm...nothing going on today!

After eating my very tasty fried scallop basket, I headed across the street to check out County Line Beach. This favorite of surfers was also included in California Justice..."Early one morning at County Line. The swells four to six, approaching nine." The waves seemed about that height today, but there were only a handful of surfers trying their luck.  I also snapped a pic of a flight of brown pelicans skimming over the water.

I left Malibu and returned to Agoura Hills to meet up with a friend...a very famous friend! Last July when I flew to Texas to attend a Five for Fighting winery show, I told John Ondrasik that I had a special art piece that I wanted to give him. Back in 2004, he was asked by the Grammy and 7 Up folks to decorate a Grammy template which would be used to promote the awards on a series of soda cans. Afterward, some of those were framed along with the original signature and the associated pop can. I managed to get my hands of the Five for Fighting art piece, which has been hanging on my wall.

Fast forward to today...delivery day! When I was planning this year's spring road trip to Los Angeles, I told John I would be bringing the art piece with me. We made arrangements to meet today at Hugo's Restaurant in Agoura Hills this afternoon.  I got there about a half hour early and waited...and waited...and waited. Naturally, I assumed John got caught in traffic...and I was right! He got there about 45 minutes after the appointed time. I really wasn't sure what type of vehicle he would be driving, and I was impressed to see him arrive in a silver Range Rover.

After a hello hug, we went inside the restaurant, and chatted for about 45 minutes over non-alcoholic drinks. We talked about a lot of things...music, my road trip, his projects, hamburger joints. I told John how much his music has impacted my life...changed it for the better...and he said many people often find music and songs to be a catalyst for change. He brought me a small gift...a promotional Superman 45 single vinyl record that was produced when John was nominated back in 2001. He signed it with very kind sentiments.

Afterward, we went outside to my car...John liked my FFF FAN license plate...so I could present him with the art piece. John said the hand print was made by his son Johnny when he was little. I documented John receiving the art piece with an obligatory photo...and also got a pic of me with John! And, in a bit of fun, John...the UCLA Bruins alumnus...was happy to support the Pac-12 AND the Washington State Cougars by posing with the flag! Yes, I'm a Cougar! GO COUGS!!!

I had a wonderful time with my favorite musical artist, and we both got to know each other better today. John said he would send me a pic of the art piece when they put it up on my wall. Tomorrow, I'm planning to visit a museum and attend the first of three live TV show tapings while I'm in L.A. It will be hard to beat the fun I had today, but I'm pretty sure I'll be entertained.