A fair to remember

For her birthday, I gave my sister, Gina two tickets to tonight's KC and the Sunshine Band concert. Yikes.
Let's just say that's not the way I like it! Poor KC is so heavy and out of shape, it was truly painful to watch him (attempt to) perform!
Click on the photo of KC and see how profusely he was sweating...the entire time! He couldn't catch his breath and could not keep up with the dancers (who were close to naked, though were not nearly as attractive as that might sound!) Gina and I LOVED when KC sang his few very recognizable songs, and we sang and danced along...but the other 50 minutes of the one hour show was just plain awful to watch.
Poor Guy!! I kept thinking he was going to have a heart attack right there on the stage!
But, thanks to pre-show taquitos, beer, ice cream and a great photo booth session--all was not lost! We had a blast. And, I have a feeling KC's concert will be something that we talk--and laugh-- about for many years to come...Happy Birthday Gina!

Girls just wanna have fun...and breakfast!

This morning I was lucky enough to go to breakfast with two of my favorite girls...
Sweet little Jackie and her awesome mom, Laura! (Seriously, how cute are they?!)

...and OH what a breakfast it was! We met at the Original Pancake House...where everything is DELICIOUS...and HUGE!! Laura had the SIX-egg Western Omelette (don't worry, it came with pancakes on the side....)and I had the most fabulous thing on the menu--the Dutch Baby! Honestly, you just want to sing songs of JOY when the thing comes out...and WEEP when you taste it...it is absolutely magnificent!

So far, it's the only thing I have eaten today...
But that's not gonna last much longer...I'm on my way to the OC Fair and I'm on a mission to devour something spectacularly deep fried, dipped in chocolate or served on a stick!

Girls gone mild

Had drinks and appetizers (and dessert!) tonight with GREAT friends from work at Chaparosa Grill! So delicious!! So delightful!!
(And...Dodgers win...which just makes EVERYTHING better!)

DiLallo Burgers!

I know I have mentioned before that my maiden name is DiLallo and that my family owns a chain of restaurants in Montreal...DiLallo Burgers. Once or twice a year, we are blessed with a visit from one of THE DiLallos of burger fame...and they cook us up a spectacular feast!!

My cousin, Anthony DiLallo...working his magic at my parents' house!

The burgers are SERIOUSLY delicious...
it's the DiLallo Burger secret recipe!
(As long as I can remember, Anthony has called me "Jules Verne")My Oriole-loving nephew, Logan!And his Penguin-loving friend, Kevin! We each ate a couple of burgers with what I believe was three bottles of wine. Did I mention the banana creme and chocolate cream pies? Oh yeah!
And, to top it all off...FIFTEEN innings of Dodgers baseball.
Burgers and wine and pie...oh my! The night was so much fun.
The Dodgers, unfortunately, emerged the losers...
Que Syrah, Syrah

12 months later...

One year ago this week, I was in Kenya. When I first got back, I warned people that they had better have a few hours if they really wanted to know how my trip was...I could not stop talking about everything I'd seen, felt and experienced.
If you have never heard the stories, well, let me know when you have a little time, I still love to share it all. It was a life changer for me...in so many ways and those experiences still affect the way I think and make decisions a year later. Talk about perspective.
I think of these sweet people all the time. All the time.

Allison will be heading back there in September. I'm hoping to stuff a few essentials--school supplies and a dozen or so Dodgers tee shirts--into her suitcase for some of the kids at Oasis of hope.
If you are interested in knowing more about the beautiful people of Kitale, Kenya--check out Allison's blog at Kenyakenyakenya.blogspot.com
Asante

That's the way...(uh huh uh huh)

...I like it! I like it!

This Friday night at the Fairgrounds!
I'm gonna put on my (my my my my) boogie shoes.

Dinner with the boys

As I was walking to the parking garage this afternoon--after a very busy, long Sunday at work--I was thinking I would treat myself to an order of Pad Thai from Pick up Stix.

I went to turn on the car, I noticed that it seemed to chug a little, but it started. Once on my way, I called Pick up Stix and was soon walking back to my car with dinner in hand. (I was honestly thinking, "I wonder if red or white goes with Pad Thai...")

Then, I went to start the car. Nothing. Dead. Dead! I knew it! Gratefully, there is a Mobil Station in the parking lot of Pick up Stix, and after several minutes of negotiations, one of the men working there assisted me with jumping my car.

Oh my dinner smelled good...as I headed straight to Pep Boys!

After a brief "battery check" and $124 on the debit card, I was asked to take a seat in the waiting area and informed that it would be about 30 minutes to install the new battery. And so I did.
But I was so hungry...I decided to sneak back out to my car and retrieve the Pad Thai. What the heck, I quickly ran next door to CVS and bought a Diet Coke with lime. It was dinner time!

I wish I had taken a photograph--

There I was--in my best navy blue suit, cream stockings and heels, sitting in the Pep Boys waiting area, watching "The best of Nascar"(or something of that genre) all the while holding the Diet Coke between my knees and eating my delicious Pad Thai!! (Thank goodness they had thrown the chop sticks in with the order.) I smiled big as I sucked in a big noodle (they had not, by the way, thrown in a napkin) and I thought how fun it was to be so thoroughly enjoying this meal in such ridiculous surroundings!
I was so excited to see that they had thrown a fortune cookie in the bag, and as I finished up the meal, I anxiously cracked open my cookie and read the fortune:

Your happiness is intertwined with your outlook on life.

And as I finished up my lovely dinner with Manny, Moe and Jack and headed out to my newly re-vitalized car...
I absolutely had to agree.

Well Red

A friend of mine has been frequenting a wine bar, using it as his afternoon 'office' throughout the workweek.
I always imagine him working away in the mellow and tranquil surroundings...kind of secretively...drinking in the peacefulness.

And the wine, of course.

I am a little envious.

Tonight after work, I poured myself a glass of wine and sipped it while in the mellow, tranquil--very secretive--peacefulness of my bathtub.
The envy quickly dissipates and my mind begins to wander to a dark little corner in a wine bar...

My wine du jour is WELL REaD
A Grenache/Sangiovese/Syrah blend that is absolutely delicious...
and has a damn cool name.

Her aim is true...

Seriously, how cute is my daughter?
(click on the bottom one to enlarge...it's so worth it!)

Happier ever after...

“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”

- Lao Tzu

Well that didn't take long!

Pinch-hit, grand slam on Manny Bobble Head Night...
Wow Wow Wow
Have I mentioned that I love this game?

My Fair Ladies

Allison and Sunny and I made our annual trek to the Orange County Fair today!
Australian Potatoes, chocolate covered bananas, pumpkins, snakes, pigs, steer and OH so much more! Rumor has it, this is the last year...
so we made sure to make the most of it!
I may have to make one more trip to the fair before it's over--
I didn't get to have a funnel cake!

I'm the happiest girl in the whole USA

Oh what a night! With my friend Stephanie before the Dodgers-Reds game last night. It was a bit of a warm night initially, and the Dodgers were RED HOT producing TWELVE runs and a spectacular, eventful game!

My friend, Tim and his lovely wife, Julie met us there too!

Talk about the happiest place on Earth!

It was the absolute PERFECT night!!

...as we were leaving, we spotted Jon Lovitz, who stopped for a photo op with Stephanie!

"I love LA!"

Dodgers become the first team to reach 60 wins and now lead the National League West by NINE games. I am such a happy girl today!
Yeah, you're right...

everyday.