dizz-knee-land

It's the Happiest Place on Earth. Chock full of strollers and teenie boppers and families stuck paying high prices for mediocre food and cheaply-made souvenirs. Disneyland has changed. And yet it remains exactly the same.

Before Saturday, it had been well over a decade since my last visit to the Magic Kingdom. Some of the classic rides still deliver the thrills: Matterhorn, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mister Toad's Wild Ride. And some of the new attractions hold the same spirit as the originals: most notably Indiana Jones.

Disneyland is all about feeling young and small. Main Street, the Jungle Cruise, the Haunted Mansion. Even with a bachelor's degree and a skeptical eye, one can't help but be swept up by the place. And the Fast Pass option, in which park-goers can hedge their bets on shorter lines, helps spread the flow of traffic.

So that's what it feels like to this Disneyfan. Despite the army of child-bearing vehicles, the plethora of ass cleavage from pre-teens, and the $8 price tag for drinks, the Mouse continues to make it happen.

To quote our Governator: I'll be back.

bundle up...it's baseball season

Hit the Giants game tonight with my friend Scott. Scott and I had a bet on the Super Bowl. I picked the Pats. Scott picked the points. Scott won tickets to a game at Pac Bell.

The Giants pulled out a 4-3 victory tonight over the Phils in a game featuring six solo home runs. Even the Giants starter, Jason Schmidt, launched one into the left field seats.

The dude in front of us was a pain, standing up and mock-bowing every time Barry came to the plate. What's up with that? Clearly this dude had some bad karma, as Barry failed to reach base for the first time since 1997. The only redeeming thing about this obnoxious fan was his "Duck the Fodgers" button. Despite his state of impaired sobriety, at least he had his priorities straight when he dressed for the game.

Fortunately, Scott came to the rescue with hot peanuts and bags of kettle corn. And the old-timers behind us kept reminiscing about John "Count of" Mountefusco. Now that's old school!

it's getting trojan in here

In a few days, I'm off to Los Angeles to watch my brother graduate from USC. He's taught me a lot in the past few years about adversity and perseverance. Not to mention credit transfers.

He's an All Star. Graduating with a degree in business. Running his own company (www.allbeds.com) while going to school full time. Making friends with Eddie the Homeless Guy. Cornering the market on Costco flats of Gatorade.

It will be a good time, featuring a long drive down I-5 and an "ass-crack of dawn" viewing of Commencement speaker John McCain. Don't get me wrong, I'm psyched for my brother. I'm very proud of him and his FUCLA Shirt. I tried to buy one last fall, but the FUCLA Shirt Guy wanted $25. No haggling. Hell, USC ain't worth that much to me.

So I'll be there on Friday. Two fingers in the air. Doing that weird "Victory" gesture. Humming that crazy fight song. Over and over again.

It's getting trojan (er, Trojan) in here.

Blogging virgin

OK, I'll admit it. This is my first time. And I'm a bit skeptical of this whole "blog" thing. It seems awfully self-indulgent to me.

But, what the hell. Indulge me.

You'll find that I have a broad range of interests. I'll be writing about the wide variety of topics that interest me, including:
- Liberal politics
- Baseball and Yankees Suckism
- Indie music
- Fly-fishing
- Literature
- Classic movies
- Travel
- Cooking (coming soon: recipes of the week)

So, come back and see me. Read early and read often.

-nrj