so after about 5 weeks in hong kong, i completed my trip around the globe with a pitstop in los angeles, california for a few days, where alby and timmy were gracious hosts. there was one day in particular that is currently up for nomination to make my top 10 days of ALL TIME (emphasis added) list: july 26, 2007 -- a day whose legend will live on forever. or at least for a while.
okay who am i kidding. that's not nearly enough hype. this day was so awesome that both alby and timmy, naturally very nice and kind-hearted people, have resorted to borderline assault and harrassment, IMing me about 5 times each day saying nothing but..
actually, it's easier to just show you.
chuiCHUI train (12:05:02 AM): blogtime
chuiCHUI train (11:20:21 PM): blogtime?
chuiCHUI train (7:24:56 PM): blogtime?
chuiCHUI train (1:51:57 AM): blogtime?
chuiCHUI train (3:29:51 PM): blogtime
chuiCHUI train (7:48:05 PM): blogtime?
and i'm pretty sure some of the unmentioned messages and facebook wall posts could be classified as threats. lawsuit please?
but let's get this party started before "that day has disappeared into history and we have no proof of its existence." overdramatic much?
timmy's coca-cola friend was working at the fair, and you know i can't turn down turkey legs and funnel cake, so we all decked out in coca-cola gear to pose as employees so we could get in for free. don't we look professional?
i have to admit, i had my doubts about our chances of filtering through the gates, as i was more than ready to pay the $6 admission fee. timmy had one of them official "i'm somebody" badges attatched to the hip, so i knew he could get himself in, but in the back of my mind i half-expected him to turn around, point at alby and i, and rat us out. but timmy proved to be clutch and sweet-talked all three of us into paradise.
i must admit i felt a bit on the rebellious side. i mean, think about it. this was like, using a fake ID to get into a baller club. except for the fact that this baller club WAS A FREAKIN' FAIR! i was like a kid in a candy shop, didn't know what to get first. then reality set in and i realized i still had a stomach virus, so i just got a huge lemonade and an excessively large pile of chili-cheese fries.
but of course, the fair saved the best for last. after we had circled the place for a bit, we were headed for the exit when i got one of my cravings for dippin dots. so i skip over to the stand, and gaze at the menu as i weigh the delicious options. one of the 2 girls working there noticed my gorgeous crocs and commented on them. hook, line, and sinker. she then saw my name-brand coca-cola outfit and asked what we were doing there. i said we were just dropping some equipment off, nice and cool so she wouldn't suspect we were just there to beat the system.
the girl gave a disappointing "oh" and said that if we had been giving away some cool stuff, then she could hook us up with some free dippin dots. WHAT? free dippin dots. COME AGAIN? YEAH, FREE DIPPIN DOTS.
luckily i kept my composure and looked down at my hands. hey, whaddya know, i was still carrying 2 free x-large coca-cola tshirts that i was supposed to give out. CAN YOU SAY, DEAL OF THE CENTURY?
so the total amount of grand larceny breaks down like this:
parking - $5
admission for 2 - $12
dippin dots - $5.50
masquerading as coca-cola employees to sneak into the fair - priceless
after this start to the day, things were looking mighty good. we hit up huntington beach next. the weather was perfect as usual, sunny with a high of 75, and the water was nice and cold. we tired ourselves out throwing the football around and playing 2 versus 1 volleyball, interrupted only by the occasional business call for timmy. yeap, this is timmy, hard at work.
we drove back to LA and made a pitstop at jamba juice to try some of their secret flavors. did you know they had secret flavors? well now you do! all you gotta do is ask about them. alby and i tried white gummy bear and timmy got strawberry shortcake. it tasted like a gummy bear and all, but personally, imma stick with the originals cuz you know i ain't big on variety.
anything that is free is a good thing. a ne-yo concert is a good thing by itself, but when it's free? that's called a bargain. heard him sing a couple of his recent hits then "an oldie but a goodie" with "so sick," the song that has been stuck in my head for years, but i always just assumed mario sang it. sorry ne-yo.
after hearing that song, i went to hit the venice beach courts "white men can't jump" style. btw i just saw that movie for the first time. how come none of you fools told me what i've been missing for the past decade?! holding out on me, you lil weiners.
a recurring topic in los angeles was what i like to call the food scale. it's really fun and interesting and also a good way to pass some time and get hunger attacks. anyways, so basically everyone has a scale ranging from 1 to 10, and then you name a food, and everyone says where they would put that item of food on their scale. for instance, i gave benihana's fried rice a 10 out of 10. that's right -- it's that good. or at least it usually is. the one is los angeles was slackin'.
but i digress. the concert was over, and it was suddenlyl dinner time. if you never had a frito burrito from taco bell before, i kinda feel sorry for you right off the bat. those things are so delicious they should be illegal. they were one of those off-the-menu-but-pros-know-they-make-them deals for a while, but now they just stop serving them altogether. on my food scale, i gave them a solid 7.5.
as i am typing this, my mouth is watering for some frito burritos. so anyhow, we went to a nearby albertson's and bought fritos, fajitas, ground beef, cheese, and an onion (and some guacamole for the appetizer). simple ingredients, amazing results. these babies were scrumptious! wow did i just say babies? i feel like mike tyson.
to end this wonderful day, we watched the rose bowl. unfortunately, alby and i were so exhausted that we passed out before vince's last 2 touchdowns. whoops. well, i blame it on that cushion thing. and naturally, timmy seized the opportunity and took a picture of us.
what a day.
now guys, i did it. you see, patience is a virtue. where was the fire? sheesh.
FYI for those of you who don't know, FTW means For The Win. you have been enlightened.
