Roller Derby, Baby!!!!!

This experience was not on my bucket list….not even on my radar!!!  But, it really should have been! 

I met up with an old friend who I haven’t seen in about 10 years (I’ll call her T) to go see another old friend who I haven’t seen in about 12 years (I’ll call her J).  Man, I feel oooolllldddd!!!!  So, me and T meet up in Long Beach to have dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp, on Aquarium Way, before we went to go see our very first Roller Derby bout.  This was my first time eating at a Bubba Gump and I have to say that the people that worked at this restaurant were really friendly and extremely accommodating.  I loved our waitress, a cute and perky little sweetheart who really took care of us.  I don’t know if they do this at every one of their restaurants, but we won all of the toothpicks and mints we could handle by being brilliant at her Forrest Gump quiz!!  ;)  By the way, what was the best part of the army for Forrest?  T got that one right!  I loved the drink we ordered, I can’t remember the name but it was a great recommendation by our waitress.  I ordered the snapper in lobster butter sauce and it was surprisingly creamy and super yummy!!

Now comes the “fun” part.  Trying to figure out where this roller derby was being held.  If you are not familiar with Long Beach and the port area, I HIGHLY recommend taking someone who is familiar with you or mapquesting the hell out of the area.  I’m pretty sure we ended up on every street in Long Beach trying to figure out where we were going!  We went to the Long Beach Roller Derby which is held in the dome by the Queen Mary.  Thankfully, we started following the right people and made our way to the dome.

Woohooo!!!!! Roller Derby Baby!  What’s a better way to spend a Friday night than getting an alcoholic beverage and watching a bunch of beautiful women in cute uniforms roller skate in a rink knocking each other around?!?!  T and I had such a fun time stomping on the bleachers, screaming loudly and clapping our hands for the Bixby Rollerettes!  Of course, neither of us knew the rules, or what we were cheering for exactly but that was part of the excitement.  The team we were rooting for was wearing blue and when we saw a member of theirs break from the pack, it was exciting!  And all of the ladies that were blocking and fighting and pushing in the pack, well heck!! That was exciting too!  And our friend J who was coaching the team (because she is, as she put it, broken.  Healing from a broken leg) was encouraging our stomping and clapping and shouting as she was coaching the team from the center of the ring. 

I wouldn’t say this is a California thing to do, but I am so happy to have gone to my first roller derby bout and truly enjoyed it!  I say that everyone should find out if there is a league in your area and Google the rules and go!!!!! 

Mission San Juan Capistrano – I check you off my bucket list!

Just as I promised you, California!!!  At my earliest convenience, I saw one of your treasures.  I saw your Jewel of the Missions.  Mission San Juan Capistrano. 

First of all, I would like to thank San Juan Capistrano for all of the free parking!!  It’s almost impossible to find free parking anymore and it was a welcome treat to find free parking and in abundance!

Clear skies, 80 degree weather, free parking, my mother-in-law with me and we were ready to enjoy all the Mission San Juan had to offer.  $9 each for us to get in and that includes a free audio tour.  And I have to say thank you to the organization for including a map of the mission attached to the audio guide.  What a smart way to include the map!  So many times, I’ve done a tour and they’ve given a folded up pamphlet that’s really a pain to unfold every time I want to figure out where I am.  And it usually ends up crumpled up in my purse never to be seen again.  I really loved the audio guide as well!  I never realized how much I dislike wearing headphones on a tour until Mission San Juan showed me that having a phone-like audio guide was so much better!!!  We punched in the number of the site we wanted to hear audio on and held up the device like a phone and voila!!

By the way, they even sell water and soda where you pick up your audio tour.  Perfect on a hot day!!

The mission itself is first a beautiful garden.  A large fountain sits in the middle with lily pads and beautiful stone work.  In the distance, you can see what really drew us to the mission, the tall remains of what once housed padres and converts.  Man-made beauty.  As we started walking towards the structure, we passed a stone bench so low to the ground that my knees came up to my chest as I tried it out.  The first thing my mother-in-law said was, “How short everyone must have been!”  I can’t confirm or deny that, but it was definitely interesting to think about.  We entered the ruins of this once-ceilinged structure and really just marvel at how beautiful it is in the state it’s in and how impressive it must have been when the walls were up and the ceiling intact. 

Knowing that this mission was founded in 1775/1776, I am always amazed at what was accomplished so long ago.  I sure wouldn’t be able to dream of building something so amazing, let alone be able to carve the designs that decorated the walls and ceilings.  For the history of the mission, take a look at their website and maybe even plan your own trip! http://www.missionsjc.com/preservation/history.php

We spent a good 2 hours walking around the grounds and visiting what each room had to offer.  I recommend stopping by the gift shop.  Not only do they have mementos to take home with you to remember your trip, but they have a lot of Native American jewelry as well as religious items.  You can even purchase a candle to take next door to light at the church where mass is still held today.  The church is small but very impressive with its art decorating the walls and its intricate gold backdrop. 

Walking around the grounds and being able to get a sense of how people lived here long ago was quite interesting.  To see where they used to tan the hides of cattle, where they made their wine, how they would keep fires burning to perform every-day tasks was a wonderful way to spend a beautiful afternoon.  I am so happy that I went and got a sense of this piece of history and trip back in time when California was still forming its identity.

**Side Note**  Mission San Juan Capistrano is know for their swallows.  They come back every March like clockwork and the town even has a little festival for them.  I have to say, I didn't see any but their nests are clearly seen at different parts of the mission.

Cinco De Mayo

Cinco De Mayo in Orange County! Have to celebrate with my team, right?! Just a few blocks from where I work, there is a panaderia. To all of you non Spanish speakers, that means bakery. I thought it would be the perfect place to go to get some traditional Mexican sweet bread (pan dulce) as a treat for my team. (FYI, I am a manager for a wireless company at a retail location). I love these little places. Small, Spanish music playing loudly and things to buy that you'll never see in a big chain grocery store. I got $25 worth of pastries and look what I got! Everyone has a smile on their face and willing to recommend things to you. The name of the little panaderia is Panaderia De La Poblana and I definitely recommend everyone to try one out in their neighborhood (if you have one). Be a tourist in your own neighborhood and try something new!!! I don’t have the names of each pastry but I had a little of each.  None of the pastries are too sweet.  Just sweet enough although I do recommend having some coffee or milk to drink with whatever you choose to eat.  Happy Cinco De Mayo!!!

Sigh....Memories

Sigh….memories.  When I was just a young punk, I had a group of friends that I didn’t (and really was too immature to) appreciate while we were all together.  And now that I think about it, I don’t think I ever appreciated any of the friends that I had in my life, like I should have.  In my many years (I won’t say how many!!), I’ve been confused by people that have been friends since grade school or high school.  How do they stay in touch?!  How do they find the time to get together while working a full time job (plus commute) and having a relationship and having family expectations and errands and unexpected occurrences, etc…!!!!????  I have failed miserably in that challenge.  I don’t think I necessarily pushed everyone away or dropped them like hotcakes, but I genuinely didn’t make a valiant effort to keep these people in my life.  This move to New York has made me start to look back and reflect on my life in California.  I did have a few wonderful groups of friends in my life, but I’m going to reflect on a certain group.  The group that I spent a lot of time with when I was really young and living on my own and single and working hard and in “party mode”!  We always had a good time together.  A big group, a few guitars and lots of beer & cigarettes.  I have to admit, I don’t remember the things we talked about, but we always had things to talk about.  I don’t remember the jokes we told, but we were always laughing.  Looking back, our time together was almost always the same, but was always fresh and fun.  Sigh…

Fast forward 8 years.  Thank goodness for Facebook!  Being able to re-connect with people from looooooonnnnnggggg ago and not just seeing what they’ve been up to, but being able to really connect again.  I recently reconnected with an old friend that I haven’t been in contact with in 8 years.  My fault.  I got into a relationship (still in that relationship and will be getting married soon) and I moved about an hour away and just fell away from everyone.  On Facebook, we became “friends” again, as I had with a few other people from that group (who I will now refer to as my Lost Boys) but like with the others, we didn’t really talk that much.  Yes, I missed him and let him know and we texted here and there, catching up a bit.  Then…..he had a show.  A “rock & roll” show.  I got my Facebook event invite and replied “Maybe”.  With my work schedule and family commitments and blah blah blah, could I make it?  I was doing it again.  I wasn’t making friendship a priority.  I still wasn’t even putting it on my list of things to do.  I realized this and told myself I was going no matter what!!!  I wanted to see this old friend of mine!  So, I drove to Huntington Beach, to a bar/restaurant called Pelican Isle to see my friend and his band play. 

I arrived a little after 8pm to a small strip mall and see an even tinier entrance to Pelican Isle to my right. 

Immediately to my left, as I’m driving, I see my friend getting out of his car!  I stop and wave and the series of facial expressions on his face start cracking me up!  Confusion of “who is this person trying to get my attention?”.  Skepticism of “I think I know this person, but do I really?”.  Surprise of “She actually came?”.  And then my favorite…Happiness.  A big smile that matched my own.  I parked and got out and got one of the biggest bear hugs I’ve ever got in my life and as I’m smiling and hugging, I’m mentally kicking myself for waiting so long to see a good friend.  The evening in a nutshell was amazing.  I saw another old good friend that I was friends with in high school, and actually went thru a lot together in another group (the high school group), so technically he was part of two amazing group of friends in my life. 

The band, Kill Your Generation, was FANTASTIC!!  I actually got mad at them because they haven’t put together a CD yet and I really, really wanted to have a CD to listen to.  They played original music and had more talent than a lot of the music on the radio today!!  I highly suggest everyone catch a show of theirs and see how a live show should be! 

To finish the night, we grabbed a beer and hung outside by the harbor and just talked and laughed and as my friend put it, “picked up exactly where we left off.”  I couldn’t have said it better myself.  Such a great night and really a great life lesson for me.  I was lucky to have these people as friends 8 years ago and was even more lucky that they allowed me to come around again and to pick up where we left off.  Naturally and drama free.  It made me think about how lucky a person can be to have people in their lives that just accept them for who they are and don’t ask them (or expect them) to be anything other than what they are.  I learned a lot from them that night, the light bulb above my head going off with how important it is to appreciate those people that never ask for anything and always accept unconditionally.  Lost Boys, you are amazing!  Sigh….good times….

Yummy Chicken Wraps!

Thank goodness for days off!  Lazy, do nothing all day, stay in pajamas days off!!  It’s so rare that I get to enjoy days like this.  I guess, technically, I’m doing something by doing a bit of blogging today but I wanted to share my recipe with you all.

Years ago, my sister-in-law fell in love with a chicken wrap appetizer and asked me to re-create it so we could eat it at home whenever we want.  Being the chef that I am, I was more than happy to take on the challenge.  It turned out that it wasn’t much of a challenge and came out better than the restaurants!  Here’s the recipe:

-         1 pkg tortillas

-         1 whole cooked chicken (from your grocery store), shred it up by hand

-         3 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

-         1 can diced green chilies

-         1 can corn (drained)

-         1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

-         1 cup diced red onion

-         1 tbsp salt

-         5 cloves diced garlic, quickly fried until crisp

-         1 cup chopped cilantro

-         pepper to taste

-         Olive oil to brush on

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix it all together!

Put a few spoonfuls in a “line” down the center of the tortilla.  Roll tightly with the flap put down onto a foil lined baking sheet.  Do this with as many as will fit on the baking sheet.

Lightly brush with olive oil.  This help the tortilla to crisp up a bit in the oven. 

Cook for 10-15 minutes.  Until the ends of the tortilla are brown and all the cheese is melted.

Cut the ends off at an angle and cut the roll in half at an angle. 

Serve warm with sour cream, guacamole or salsa!

Let me know if you make this and how you like it!

**Side Note**

I thought I would share my California Bucket list with everyone.  I was inspired by an article in Orange Coast magazine and took some from there and created a monster of my own!!

Let me know if any of you cross any of these off too!!!

-          Balboa Park

-          Hear Dick Dale, king of the surf guitar, play live at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano

-          Take the Catalina Flyer out of Newport Harbor to, well, Catalina.

-          Take a birder and a pair of binoculars to the Bolsa Chica wetlands.

-          Check out Disneyland’s California Adventure.

-          Visit the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda

-          See the Helena Modjeska Historic House and Gardens in Modjeska Canyon

-          See the haunted house/court in san diego

-          See the caverns in san diego

-          See the Winchester house

-          Have dinner around a bonfire at Bolsa Chica State Beach.

-          Take the balloon ride at the Great Park in Irvine

-          Stop by the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Canyon

-          Hang out at the International Surf Museum in Huntington Beach

-          Fish at Irvine Lake

-          Go whale watching

-          Go to Venice boardwalk

-          Go to a car show

-          Go bike riding in Huntington beach

-          Go to san juan mission Done!

-          Attend the surf competition in Huntington beach

-          Go to orange county museum of art

-          Go to santa ana arts district

-          Go to the getty

-          Go to the museum of tolerance

-          Go to the gun range (orange county indoor shooting range)

-          Go to the swapmeet

-          Go to Disneyland

-          Go to the orange county fair

-          Do the accomplice Hollywood!

-          Go to la brea tarpits

-          Go on a gondola ride in Newport

-          Go to casa romantica in san clemente

-          Go to the gaslamp district and see the museums Done!

-          Do OC Wildlife & Beach tour http://www.ocwildlifebeachtour.com/

-          Do the FLIGHTDECK air combat center in Anaheim

-          Do brunch at the beach

-          San juan Capistrano walking tour http://www.sjchistoricalsociety.com/tour.html

-          laguna wine tasting http://www.lagunacanyonwinery.com/

-          soka university international festival http://www.soka.edu/news_events/International-Festival/default.aspx

-          go to big bear

-          go to vegas with the girls
-          go to balboa penninsula
-          go to LACMA

-          go to the tea house on los rios http://www.theteahouseonlosrios.com/

go horseback riding in Huntington beach http://www.hcpec.com/hpr/hpr.html

Love Letter To California

I woke up this morning thinking about my Orange County bucket list.  When my fiancé found out he was hired, I started thinking of all the things I wanted to do in California, more specifically Orange County, before we jetted off to start our new lives as New Yorkers.  I was thinking how I wanted to have these experiences, these OC notches on my belt as it were.  Then I started thinking that I was going to learn all about New York.  Do research of not just what it has to offer, but the weather, the street names, the culture, the history behind what makes New York, New York… Light bulb over my head!!  I’ve lived in California for almost 30 years!  What’s wrong with me that I’ve insulted my home state, not caring to learn even 10% of what I had in mind for New York.  New York has yet to offer me anything and California has given me everything.  So!! California!  I love you and I don’t just want to use you for my entertainment before I leave you behind!  (Graduation Goggles are at full play here.  Don’t be alarmed.)  I make this loving commitment to you, California, that whenever I learn something new about New York, I will learn a new thing about you.  Whenever I start to day dream about skyscrapers and subways, I will not just make plans to fulfill an experience on my bucket list…I will go out and do it (at the very first opportunity)!!!  You have my heartfelt promise to not just love you and leave you, California!

If you are now a little nauseaus, I apologize. 

Today I thought I would give a little nod to Stater Bros. Supermarket.  I worked there for 7 years, started when I was 16 and it gave me my first education in the workforce.  Stater’s is only in California and is really concentrated in Orange County.  I only shop at Stater’s (97% of the time) for groceries not just because I worked there for sooooo long, but because the prices are VERY MUCH lower than any other grocery store around and they stand apart with a butcher counter!  Most grocery stores around here (not including the “ethnic” ones I do love to shop at also like the Vietnamese Ranch market or the Persian Jordan halal market) just have a prepackaged counter to choose a limited amount of cuts.  At Staters, they will give you any kind of cut you want, let you pick whatever chop or filet you want, will prepare and tie up a ribroast for you and even give you cooking tips and recipes!!  They really do have the best employees there (not just because I worked there, tee-hee)!  

So, this homage to Stater Bros was my way of honoring an Orange County institution and something very California about me.  I am also going there today to do all of my shopping for tonight.  Tonight I am making food for my mother-in-law and sister-in-law (I LOVE to cook!!) and I will post tomorrow on what I made and maybe take some pictures ;)  This blog, at times, will post recipes and resemble a food blog but that’s just because I secretly consider myself a chef!  Until tomorrow my darlings!