Returning Home

Today we got up had breakfast and started to pack. Harry and Zita did one more walk around the lake as I packed up the Jeep. The drive home was uneventful. The trip started off a little rocky but turned into a nice relaxing time and Harry got to spend a lot of quality time with his mother. Once we got home, we unpacked, had lunch and hung out. Zita went back to the hotel to rest and came back later in the day, were we had dinner and hung out some more.

Two more days and I go back to work :(

Cabin Day Two

Today we woke up around 8am and I was preparing to drive down to my mom's to pick up a spare key (this would be about a four-hour round trip). I wasn't looking forward to it but I knew I had to do it. We heard someone pull up next to the cabin and I looked out the window and saw Chuck. He drove up here to give us a key. I was very pleased to see him as it meant I didn't have to drive down.. so day two started off a little better then day one. After Chuck gave us a key and left we took Zita on a walk around the lake.

I wanted to drive into Big Bear and get the key duplicated and have my tired fixed, as I didn't like the idea of not having a spare tire when we drove home. So we drove into Big Bear, about a half hour drive and once we found a place we got the keys made... at least until they change the locks again (this is the third time). We dropped off the tire at an automotive repair shop. The person who did tires was out to lunch and it looked like it would be a few hours before they could fix it. So we had some lunch at Denny's then went to this very beautiful small park next to Big Bear Lake called Boulder City Park or something like that. We sat there for about twenty minutes then I got a call saying the tire was ready and we went and picked it up and drove back to the cabin. Once back we had some dinner at one of the restaurant in Green Valley (there are only two) and called it a night.

So the second day up at the cabin was much better then the first.

Up to the Cabin

Today Harry, Zita, Daisy and I packed up the jeep and headed up to Green Valley Lake, where my step dad Chuck has a small cabin. Harry and I wanted to take Zita up there as she love nature and we figured it would be nice to get away from all the craziness for a while.

Well things didn't go as planned. After a two hour drive we get to the base of the mountain and I get a phone call message from my Mom, she says "I heard you are going up to the cabin, well I just wanted to let you know that the locks have been changed." I immediately called her back but my phone reception is horrible up there. After several attempts they tell me they changed all the locks but there was a hidden key but hard to find. I decided we would take our chances and go up there since we were already 2/3'ds of the way up there.

We get to the cabin and search and search for this hidden key... it wasn't there. Harry and I were on our back in cobwebs and dirt trying to find it. Harry then noticed that my back tire was flat. So not only are we locked out of the cabin but we have a flat tire... could this day get any worse... yep it can.

I decide that will have to go through a window or something but guess what.. ever window in that place was shut tight and some had screws preventing them from being opened. I could not believe this was happening. We finally found a screwdriver in my car and went to the back kitchen window. It's one of those double windows that slide up and down. Anyway I was able to unscrew the security screws then pull the window down. I thought success I was able to get my arm in there to unlock the door.. but noooooo these new bolt locks had no knob on the inside.. they required a key so we couldn't get in. I was not going to be defeated. I climbed on to a trashcan with Harry's assistance I managed to pull, push, squeeze myself into the upper part of this window without breaking anything.

Once inside I went to the front door and low and behold the bolt lock was the same and had no knob to turn.. you needed a key. So I was locked inside the cabin and Harry and his mom were locked outside. I went to the front window and with my trusty screwdriver I unscrewed the safety screw and opened the front window, which was level with a bench in front of the house. So Zita, Daisy and Harry climbed through the window to get in. Once inside I wasn't feeling so hot, I was sweaty and sick to my stomach. I hadn't eaten all day and I think I over exerted myself trying to break into the cabin. I tried to eat some lunch hoping that would help.. but it didn't work. An hour after I started to feel bad Harry started to feel the same way. But after a few hours we were both feeling alot better.

I called my Mom and told her that I couldn't find the spare key, that we were using the front window as a door and that I would have to drive down tomorrow morning to pick up a key as I didn't like the idea of Zita climbing through a window to get in and out. So later in the day when I was feeling better Harry and I changed my tire with the spare, this was the first time using this spare and we hoped it would work... it did. So it's wasn't the most relaxing day ever.. but hopefully things would work out.

Another Relaxing Day

Today we finished cleaning up the house... whoo hooo. Harry's mom came over around 11:30am and we just hung out. We did a little grocery shopping as we are heading up to my Mom's cabin tomorrow for a few days. Other than that it was a nice relaxing day.

A Day to Relax

Today Bernd, Gerda and Leonhard left early this morning to go up to Northern California and continue their vacation. Harry's mom Zita decided to stay here with us and visit with her son for the next nine days until they get back.

We didn't do much. Harry and I continued to clean up the house after the wedding. Things are finally getting back to normal around here. Harry and his mom visited, we took her shopping and out to dinner (Sizzler), which she loved the salad bar because of some many options. All in all a much needed and quiet day.

Sea World

Today was our last family outing with Harry's family. We drove down to San Diego's Sea World. I had only been there once before many years ago so I was looking forward to this trip. The first thing we did was watch the Shamu show, which was alot of fun. We then walked around and saw Manarays which Bernd, Gerda and Leonhard feed. We watched Dolphins and whale show then Sea Lions and Sea Otter show. We did lunch after the shows then decided that we would split up. Bernd, Gerda and Leonhard would go one way and Zita, Harry and I would go another.

Our group did the Sky Tower, Wild Arctic, Polar Bears, Beluga Whales, Penguins and Manatees before needing a rest. After the break we watched one more show Pet's Rule, which was very cool.

After that we joined back up with the other group and Leonhard did one final kids ride before we headed back around 7:30pm. We stopped by Denny's for some dinner on our way home and got home around 10:30pm

It was a fun and exhausting day. But a great way to end Harry's family trips.. at least with us.

After that we joined back up with the other group and Leonhard did one final kids ride before we headed back around 7:30pm. We stopped by Denny's for some dinner on our way home and got home around 10:30pm

It was a fun and exhusting day. But a great way to end Harry's family trips.. at least with us.

The Day After / Mummy 3

Today Harry and I along with his family cleaned up and tried to put things back in order. Yesterday was a wonderful day. Even though things didn't go as planned it was a beautiful ceremony and everyone enjoyed themselves. Today the rental place picked up tables, chairs and all other rentals. We took down decorations and tents and tried to put the back yard back together again.

Later in the day Bernd, Gerda, Harry and I went to dinner and a movie. We wanted to show them an American movie theater. We took them to Burbank AMC 16. We wanted to see a movie in one of the largest theater and we were hoping it was The Dark Knight. But it seemed that it was pushed out by The Mummy III, which was cool because we also wanted to see that movie.

The Mummy III was what I expected. A fun action packed movie. The story was okay but what you see a Mummy movie for is the speical effects and this one has some great effects.

All in all a nice day after the big day day.

The Big Day

Today is the day. We have been planning this day for an entire year. All this hard word was about to pay off but first we still have quite of bit of stuff to do before 2pm. Both Harry and I got up early and finished up what we could around the house and waited for the rental place to drop off tables and such. He said he was going to be here between 8am and 10am. We pretty much finished everything we could do and had to wait.. seemed like forever but finally the guy showed up a little before 10am. He dropped off all the tables, chairs, table clothes and water pitchers. As soon as I saw the tables I had rented for the food and main table I knew we were in trouble. But as it was too late so Harry and I came up with a plan. Also we had ordered five black and four white table clothes but received nine black ones. He said he would exchange them but took about two hours to do so. We set up the tables with centerpieces, salt and pepper shakers, water pitchers, camera’s and chairs. At 11am Harry’s family showed up to help out with the preparations. We tried to set up some shade for the main and center table but after several failed attempts we gave up and instead pulled out an umbrella for the center table which gave it some shade. Around 11:30am my Dad, Brother and Sister-in-law Lora showed up to help with preparations. Also my replacement photographer showed up. His name is Alex and he was a lifesaver.

We placed the altar but it was so windy that it was about to fall over so we came up with a way of pushing it down into the ground and stabilizing it more. We put out cups, plates, spoons, knives, forks and napkins. The place looked fantastic and all we had left was putting up some sun blockers for the main tables and some starry plastic sheets on the patio ceiling.

Then the winds picked up again and spoons, plates, napkins, forks, knives and cups when flying. The tents almost blew over and everything was lying in the grass… we had an hour and a half till the wedding. We tried several times to put everything back in place but the wind kept fighting us and in the end we gave up and just placed everything in the center of the table which worked for the most part. Also the sun blockers that we put up kept blowing down so we gave up and figure we would have to sit in the hot sun.

As the time ticked away I had people putting up starry plastic on the ceiling of the patio. I had a co-worker running to the store to buy ice, toilet paper and beer. My bartender was MIA, he was suppose to be here at 1pm so we could go over things but so far he was missing and Harry and I were going over plans on where everyone was going to sit and how we were going to walk out.. it was craziness.

It was now 1:30pm and we had a half hour till the ceremony and people were starting to arrive and Harry and I were still setting up and haven’t taken showers or shaved. I made Harry get ready as I took care of a few more details. The food showed up around 1:45pm and there was a lot more then I had expected and of course the table was too small. We stacked the food up and hope it was make it until it was time to eat. It was now 2pm and I was still sweaty and not even close to being ready. People were arriving, my bartender was still MIA. And since people were coming from long distances they had to go to the bathroom and we have only one room so I couldn’t get in there to take a shower or shave. Finally at 2:15pm I was able to slip in and take a quick two-minute shower and shave. I went into the bedroom where both best men and Harry were getting dressed. I dressed as quickly as I could. While we were getting dressed my cake and cake maker was lost and was still a half-hour or so away. I couldn’t worry about that or anything else that didn’t get done. We finished getting dressed and headed to the kitchen to let them know we were ready.

We took a few pictures, a few deep breaths and began the ceremony. Bruce (Harry’s best man) and Christopher (My best man) walked out first. Then Harry and I walked out.

The ceremony went off without a hitch. Tom (our ordained minister) went above and beyond with a funny and sweet ceremony. I had written the words but Tom made them work.

After the ceremony we sat at our front table in the hot sun while the paparazzi took photos’.. at least that is what if felt like. Christopher and Bruce did their toast then Chuck (step dad) and Tom (friend/minister) did a few toasts. We announced lunch and prepared the table. Luckily Bruce, Christopher and Bernd helped out with setting up the food and also we forgot to put water in the pitchers which Christopher and Bruce took care of. They also handed out Champaign for the toasts.. so not only were they are Best men but waiters also.

After the toasts we did pictures with family and finally my missing bartender showed up. After pictures Harry and I changed out of our tuxes and put on shorts and our tux t-shirts and made our way to get some food. After we quickly ate we made our rounds to visit every table and thank every person who attended.

Once we did that it was time for cake. If you read my blog you know I had a hard time finding a cake maker. I had given my cake maker Tina an idea of what I wanted and when the cake was set up it was UNBELIAVLBE. Everyone got up and came over as they set up the cake and took pictures. I was blown away. Tina had gone above and beyond my expectations. She created Three Borg Ships and with the addition of my metal Enterprise they placed it in the middle of the battle. There were two chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling and the other one was while cake with strawberry mousse filling. It was by far the best wedding cake I have ever seen. It was every Star Trek Fanatic’s dream cake. I have to admit it was so hard to actually cut the cake but once we did I couldn’t wait to taste it and it was not only the coolest cake but also the best tasting cake I had ever had. So we had cake and managed to save one entire Borg cube (which I’m going to try and preserve forever).

After cake we had planned dancing but with the weather being so hot folks pretty much just hung out under the tent and enjoyed ones company. We did dance a little to YMCA but other then that there wasn’t much dancing. Slow folks began to leave until it was just a core group of friends and family. And by the way our bartender disappeared. The final few people left around 9pm. Then Harry’s family and Harry and I cleaned up a bit as the rental person was coming in the morning to pick up the tables.

Even though things didn’t go as planned and there were a few issues we had to overcome I couldn’t have asked for a better ceremony.

Thanks to all those who helped with the entire process.

I would like to personally thank Christopher, not only did you honor me by being my best man but you made sure everything went smoothly even if it meant you were passing out water and champagne, you also managed to find me an awesome cake maker and photographer.

Bruce you honored Harry by being his best man and also stepped up by passing out water and champagne.

Maggie and Brian for helping out with decorations and running to the store.

Harry’s family (Gerda, Zita and Bernd) who helped with set up and clean up.

Alex for stepping in at the last minute and capturing some great moments.

Tina for making one of the best looking and tasting Star Trek cake that I have ever seen.

And of course Tom who went above and beyond as our ordained minister and turned our ceremony into a fun and sweet event.

Missing Photographer

Well after several emails my wedding photographer has disappeared. I have sent several emails the past few weeks and have yet to hear back from him. Luckily when I was talking to my friend Christopher (my Best man) and told him about my missing photographer he said he may have someone who is not a wedding photographer but had a good eye and enjoyed photography. I had nothing to lose so we called this guy and he was kind enough to say yes. Thanks Christopher for saving the day.

One Day To Go!!!!

Today, Harry’s family went to Santa Monica Beach. They had a really great time.

Harry and I couldn’t go as we had tons of wedding preparations to take care of...

We got up early as we had a lot to do today.. this was the last day to clean and decorate everything. We cleaned the house, cleaned the backyard, and set up the tents. At 10am when the Men’s Warehouse opened we picked up my tux. Luckily it fit great and I was able to take it home.

We came home and started to decorate. Our first idea was to wrap the altar in Starfleet colors (Blue, Red and Yellow). Well I did one side and it looked like a circus tent.. we were not happy with it so then we decided to so tulle but the while tulle and while alter didn’t really look that great so we headed back to Michael’s craft store to get some green ivy type plant to put all over the alter… well we found some that we liked but it was very expensive and we needed 14 strand’s which was going to cost way to much. We did find some red, golden and green ivy, which Harry and I both kind of liked but it was on sale so we bought it. We also picked up some more sunflowers (my favorite flower) as I felt we didn’t buy enough the first around.

We came home and started to decorate like crazy, it was getting late and we were both so tired from showing around Harry’s family the past week. We knew we had tons still to do but called it quits around 7:30pm. We did get a lot done. The alter was decorated in sunflowers, ivy and star trek figures, the patio was decorated in ivy and sunflowers, the tents were up, everyone was stored away that need to be stored away. We had to wait till tomorrow morning when the tables, table clothes and other rented material would arrive.

Harry’s family arrived from their day at the beach around 8 pm and Harry’s mom made some vegetarian food for herself, Gerda and Leonhard, while Bernd and I picked up some food for the rest of us... around 9 pm we all called in the day...

TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY!!!!!

Disneyland

Today we took Harry’s family to Disneyland. We arrived about 10.30 am. The first thing we did was ride the Jungle Cruise. Leonhard really enjoy this, next was the Tarzan Treehouse, that was a lot of fun but Leonhard didn’t like the animal sounds, as he thought they were real. We then checked out Tom Sawyer’s island (or whatever new name it has) that was a lot of fun though Harry’s nephew didn’t like the dark caves and after going through one of them decided it was safer not to do it again. From there we went to Splash Mountain. There was a long waited for this ride… about an hour but it really took about 80 minutes. Harry’s mom stayed behind as she didn’t want to stand with us in line for so long and she didn’t want to ride any of the more “wild” rides. I guess it had been a while since I had road that ride, as I didn’t remember getting soooo wet on it. Everyone got soaked but everyone seemed to really enjoy it including Leonhard. Next we went over to Big Thunder, but it was closed. We moved on to the Matterhorn and the Finding Nemo’s Submarine ride, but the lines were too long for Harry’s sisters taste so Harry and I decided to grabbed a bite to eat, while the rest of his family took the Train ride around the entire park. While eating we got to watch the new Jedi Academy Training show…that was a lot of fun

After lunch we met up again and rode Autotopia and Leonhard really loved that ride. After that we tried Space mountain, but after we stood in line for about 20 minutes, we were told that they had issues with the ride and was going to be shut down until further notice. So we walked over to FantasyLand and one ride caught Leonhard’s eye.. it was the Circus Train, Harry’s family rode that while Harry and I sat down and relaxed. After they train ride, while heading over to Toontown, the Parade started and Harry’s family decided to watch the Parade instead. His nephew really loved the parade, which was cool since he had never seen a Disney movie and didn’t really know the characters. We decided to ride Big Thunder since it was working again. So we left Harry’s mom and nephew with another ride on the circus train ride and Bernd, Gerda, Harry and I went over to Big Thunder. We had the fast pass so it only took about 15 minutes to get on the ride and everyone really enjoyed it. Everyone was tired but Gerda wanted to take Leonhard on one last ride, the Storybook boat ride. We headed over to Downtown Disney to grab a bite to eat and then we headed back home... all in all it was a really great day. It’s not how I would have spent the day at Disneyland but when you have a five-year-old you tend to change you plans. It was still a lot of fun on the ride we were able to get on.

Sailing the Pacific

Around 10 am Harry’s family picked us up at our place and we drove down to my Mom’s in Newport Beach. She and my step dad Chuck were taking us out for a sailing trip. We got to my Mom’s around noon and a 1/2-hour later we made our way slowly out of the harbor. We sailed for about an hour and a half, Bernd enjoyed doing all the boat duties, it’s always fun bringing along guests as it means I don’t have to do the work myself. Bernd even drove the boat for a while. As we headed back in we stopped by the seal “hotel” as they call it. It’s a buoy at the entrance of the harbor where a lot of seals sunbathe… Harry’s family really enjoyed that part. We got back to my Mom’s and they made us some burgers and fish on the BBQ. Everyone enjoyed lunch. Harry’s nephew Leonhard likes to pretend fish and I knew Chuck had real fishing poles so I went and got one. Leonhard’s eyes lighten up instantly. He was so excited to really fish. After a few attempts we finally go the pole set up right and he started to fish. You would never think a five year old would be so quiet and still for so long. He fished for hours but in the end didn’t get a bit.. but he seemed to have fun just the same. My mom told Chuck that they should give Leonhard the fishing pole he had been using (it was brand new) and they did. Harry’s family seemed genuinely shocked and very appreciative of the gesture. Leonhard LOVED it and even said Thank you to Chuck in English (which is a big deal). After that we drove back home and called it a night. Another fun day with Harry’s family.

Fishes, Sharks and Earthquakes.. oh my!!!

Today we picked up Harry’s Tux at the The Men’s Warehouse and it fits perfectly...whoo hooo. Around 11:30 am we gave Bernd a buzz to let him know we were ready to be picked up, as we had planned to go to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. We left our place around 11:30 am and got to Long Beach around 1:00 pm. We started to walk through the exhibits, Harry’s nephew, Leonhard, was really excited and seemed to have a lot of fun. Harry’s sister and I took tons of pictures while Harry took about 1 hour of video.

We were about half way through the entire exhibit when my Dad called, he had asked if we felt the earthquake, supposedly we had a 5.4 earthquake at Chino Hills at about 11:42 am. Of course we did not feel it as we were driving but it was a pretty bad shake… the worse since the Northridge quake 14 years ago. Several other people from around the US gave me a call to make sure we were okay also.

We continued through the exhibits and got to see the feeding of sharks, sea lions and sea otters. This part Leonhard really enjoyed. Around 5.00 pm we were done with all the exhibits and decided to head back home. I’m really amazed at Leonhard’s endurance while walking through all the exhibits.

We got home by 6:30 pm and Bernd and I picked up some fast food from Taco Bell, which Harry’s family had never eaten. We hung out in our backyard for a couple of hours and spent some quality time together.

Later that night when we watched the News it seemed that the quake had been felt widely in the San Fernando Valley and even in Canoga Park, what is only a couple of blocks away. Then Harry noticed that our Serenity / Firefly pictures were out of alignment, so we checked the rest of the house. Turns out that in my toy room some books and the Enterprise D model tipped over, the Voyager model fell from the shelf and a bunch of loose action figures either tipped over or fell of the shelf. Other than that nothing really happened at our place. All in all another fun day though I’m a bit tired from all the touristy things, but it’s fun hosting out of town guests.

A Relaxing Day

Well, today Harry’s family came over to our place around 10:30 am. We had planned a low key day, so we hung out at our place. Later we headed over to the Topanga Canyon Shopping Mall and spent time shopping at Target. After Target we headed over to the Northridge Shopping Mall, where Bernd stopped by at the Apple store as he was looking for a 3G iPhone and a new iPod. After that we took a stroll through the Mall, it was fun to see Harry’s Mom so amazed by the variety of shops and store. After that we tried to get some lunch a Panda Express, but turns out that all the meals without meat are prepared with animal byproducts so Harry’s Sister and Mom as vegetarians and really didn’t appreciate that fact. We finally found a food place that worked out for all of us, California Chicken Cafe. After having lunch Harry’s family dropped us off at our place, and we decided to meet again 1 1/2 hours later for some quality time at our place. We spent a couple of fun and quality hours together, we even tried to test out Leonhards new Remote Air Plane, that Bernd bought for him at Target, but the wind gusts really didn’t allow for that. Later that evening the wind died down and we managed to make a few flight attempts in the front of our house. After the ‘Flying Adventure’ we had a BBQ Dinner in our backyard and everyone really enjoyed the food a lot. Harry’s mom has corn on the cob for the very first time in her 70 years. She loved it… all in all it was a really nice and relaxing day.

Poor Daisy

Today we noticed that Daisy was really lethargic and not moving. We investigated and noticed that she had blisters on her paws. During the hike yesterday we walked out on this large cement slab and noticed that she was bouncing back and fourth on her paws so we moved her to a dirt area but I guess it was to late. I felt horrible and so guilty. Not only because of her paws being burnt but yesterday she was taking extra long breaks and stopping a lot but we keep making her move on. Her paw blisters didn’t require a vet visit but she needed to be carried out to the back yard to go to the bathroom and she didn’t move much today.

Hiking

Today we picked up Harry’s family around 10 am and went out to Griffith Park. Harry’s family are outdoor type of people, we also decided to take Daisy along as it was a great opportunity for her to go for a really long walk and to get to know Harry’s family better. About 2 hours later we ended our hike up at up on top of Mt. Hollywood, the view was really great, considering the air quality, we had a really good view of the Hollywood Sign. Harry’s 5 year old nephew did really well on the hiking up to Mt. Hollywood. Harry’s family really enjoyed the long hiking trip, his Mom was really amazed by the beauty of the park and she really loved the view from the top, as you can see the Valley, Los Angeles, Hollywood and the Hollywood Sign. One thing we should have done different, we should have started earlier, it was quite a hot day, the temperature was in the mid 90’s and the humidity was about 30%. While we were spending quality time at the top, we saw helicopters hover over an area of Griffith Park by the LA Zoo, when then saw smoke. There was a wild fire in the park, it didn’t appear to be that big and it was far enough away, so when we were hiking down we got a better look. Harry’s family where kind of excited as in Austria, SoCal is known for its wildfires and here they had it happening right in front of them. But as the wildfire started to flare up more we decided to head back down and 1 1/2 hours later we ended up at the car. During our way down Daisy got really tired and needed way more rest stops than the previous times on this same hike. We contributed that mostly to the heat and humidity. During the hike Harry’s nephew, Leonhard, managed to pet Daisy several times, which is quite amazing, considering the experiences we have with our dog and kids. Guess we gave her enough time to get used to his family and by taking a long hike together she has accepted them as part of the pack and therefore they’re all okay.

Due to the wildfire we couldn’t take the same road back to the hotel and had to make a little detour... We then dropped my family off at the hotel to freshen up and rest a little. About 1 1/2 hours later we picked them up and headed over to our place for a pasta dinner. And believe it or not Daisy let everyone pet her and she got lots of attention especially from Harry’s nephew... all in all it was really fun day.

The Beach

Today was Harry's family's first day in LA, so we picked them up around 10 am at the hotel and then we drove over to our house and gave them a tour of our place. They really liked our place and of course my toy room really impressed them. To Harry's mom it looked more like a museum than a toy room. LOL We weren't sure how Daisy would react to them, but it went very well... she was a little frightened and unsure at first, but settled down very quickly.After the house tour we gave Harry's nephew a haircut and now he has a nice crew-cut, after that we decided to take them to the beach. We took them via Kanan Canyon to El Matador Beach, a very secluded beach with some amazing landscape, they loved it as this was their first time in SoCal. Plus this beach is very beautiful. We spent about four or five hours at the beach and we all had a really great time. Leonhard, Harry's nephew really enjoyed himself. Of course we all got a little of a sunburn. We then took them back via Topanga Canyon... after we all had taken a shower... we took them out for dinner to Outback Steakhouse... and dinner was awesome... all in all it was a really great first day and everyone had a great time...

Harry's Family Arrives in LA

After driving back from Comic Con in San Diego I picked up Harry then a rental van and drove to LAX to pick up Harry's family. We got there about 10 minutes before the landed. We found out where they would be walking out of and waited. Of course Harry was excited as he hadn't seen his family in over four and a half years. I was nervous because this was the first time I was meeting anyone from his family. We waited and waited what seemed hours but it was only about 15 minutes and we got a call from Bernd (Harry's sister's fiancee) called up and told us they got off the plane and was walking to baggage area where we were waiting. They walked down and Harry and I approached. He first hugged his sister and I shock Bernd's hand. Then Harry's mom got a hold of him and wasn't going to let go. She cried and he cried, she held his face as if she couldn't beleive she was actually holding him.. it was such a sweet moment. I then greeted his mom Zita and sister. We picked up there luggage and then headed back to the hotel.

After several hours in traffic we finally got them to there hotel and checked them in. We then went out to dinner and introduced them to El Torrito.

We dropped them off at their hotel and made plans for tomorrow.

Comic Con Day Two

Today I had only a few hours to spend at Comic Con before I had to head back home to pick up Harry so we could go to the airport to pick up his family. I spent most of my time on the dealers floor taking pictures of people in costumes. I spent most of my time at the Star Trek/Paramount section. They had these cards that you had to scratch and you were given a job. You had to build a crew of eight. If you did you build a team you all got these really cool Star Trek bags and your name went into a drawing for a laptop computer. Even thought my comic con 2008 was short it was alot of fun and I look forward to next years.

Our First Wedding Present

Today while at Comic Con I was talking to Harry at home and he said we got our first wedding present. It was from his Sister Gerda and it was the fire pit that we really wanted. Whoo hooo.

Comic Con 2008 Day One

Today I got up super early and left the house at 7am so I could get to San Diego by 9:30, that's when the first day of the San Diego Comic Con started. Everything seemed okay but then I hit traffic and for the next five hours traffic crawled. What should have taken 2 1/2 hours took 6 1/2 hours. I had missed the two panels I really wanted to do that day (Doctor Who and Torchwood). Also since Harry's family is coming in tomorrow night this was going to be my only full day at the con.

I finally got there and decided that I was not going to do any panels and just walk around the dealers room which is alot of fun. The day started off horrible but ended on a high note.. it was alot of fun.

Vacation Time

Today is my last day of work for a few weeks. Since Harry's family is coming this Friday and our wedding is next Saturday I asked for a few weeks offs to enjoy this time. I am actually looking forward to the time off. Work has been really stressful and busy the past few months and I need a few weeks away from the craziness. I don't go back until August 11th.

Making Centerpieces

We finally got our final pieces for the centerpieces. We now could actually start building them. The first few were our test centerpieces and turned out pretty good but once we got it down the other six turned out great. We decided to go with a small round vase. We filled it with some sort of candle making wax stuff that was clear. We then put Star Trek micro machines in them along with my favorite flower, Sunflowers and one candle in the middle. We think they turned out quite nice.

Catering

Today I booked our Catering for the wedding. Harry and I decided on Boston Market for food as we enjoy going to lunch there once in a while. What was great is you can do everything online and it was fast and easy. This was so far the most I have spent on the wedding. We are trying to keep it upder $5000.00 and so far we are doing pretty good.

Still got a bunch of things to do.. but things are moving along nicely.

More Wedding Stuff

Today I found out that one of my friends is actually a Bartendar, or at least he has done it in the past. So I quickly emailed him and asked if he could do our wedding and he said for us, he would do it for free.. Thanks AJ... you ROCK!!!

The other thing I did today was place an order for all of our party rentals.. tables, chairs, champaign glasse and so much more. Now I wait to see how much this will all cost me.

Dinner with Friends

Tonight Harry and I went over to our friends John and Moises' apartment for dinner. It was alot of fun as Moises is an excellent cook and we always enjoy his dinners. Afterward we all sat down and watched Sky High. It was a cool night with friends.

More Wedding Stuff

Today we went to Ralphs and filled an entire shopping cart up with 2 liter bottles of various soda.. people thought we were crazy until we told them if was for a wedding. Spent over $70 bucks.

Shopping, Shopping and More Shopping

Today Harry and I went out and bought a ton of stuff for our wedding. We only have a few free weekends left. And since we are doing everything ourselves there is so much to do. Today we got plates, forks, spoons, knives, napkins, salt, pepper and containers and a bunch of beer. We looked for alochol but didn't buy any. So much to do still.

Wedding Cake

Finding a wedding cake has been alot harder then I thought it would be. I had someone lined up who could make what I was asking but he couldn't do it on the day we needed it. I knew of one other cake maker that could do it but she lives up on San Francisco but my best man Christopher was visiting family up there and this person was one of his good friends so I asked him to ask her if it was possible for her to make it and just ship it down here of something. I didn't think anything would come of it but tonight while I was at my 2nd job I got a call from a friend’s friend. Her name is Tina and I met her a few years ago while she was done here.. one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. Well she said that she heard I was getting married and needed a cake. I could not believe what I was hearing. She heard what I wanted and was so excited and wanted to make it so we started to make plans. What is great is that she and her husband (who's taking days off work) are coming down here for the weekend to make us our wedding cake. I was in shock when she told me this.. this was been a huge stress in my life and it was as if someone took a huge weight off my chest.

We talked about the details (keep it a secret for guests) on what Harry and I wanted and worked out the details and costs.

This cake is going to rock and be everything that Harry and I want it to be. Thank you Christopher for helping me get Tina to make our dream wedding cake.

Kenny's Appreciation Day

Today when I got back from work I noticed that there was birthday wrapping paper covering my office door. When I opened my door my office decorated with various goodies and there was a Happy Birthday banner strung on the wall but the "birth" part was blocked by a sign that said Kenny's Appreciation.. so the sign read Happy Kenny's Appreciation Day. There was also a present on my seat, it was a Internet urinal, it's a bottle that you can pee in and it has an adaptor for women... it's way too funny.

Come to find out that several of my co-workers who know I've been a bit stressed out with this job decided to make this Kenny's Appreciation Day. I was very touched and it just shows you how great some of my co-workers are. So for the rest of the day it was Kenny's Appreciation Day :)

Harry the Assisant Editor

Today after a long day at work I had to go to my other job and try and clean up a huge mess. When we got there they needed alot of help and was looking for an AE at the last minute. I volunteered Harry who happens to be with me. Harry knows the avid and would make a great AE. So we spent the next eight hours working on cleaning up this mess of a show. It was fun working with Harry and it was cool that this was Harry's first official job as an AE. I was exhausted after a 20-hour workday but it was cool that Harry got to work as an AE.

Hancock

Today Harry and I went down to visit my Dad, we took him out to lunch and to a movie. We saw the new Will Smith movie Hancock. We all enjoyed it, it's not your typical superhero movie. The people of LA hated this superhero because he would cause major property damage while saving people. He saves a guy named Ray who is a PR person and wants to clean up Hancock’s image. He also met Ray's wife and you know something is up. Come to find out that Hancock and Ray’s wife Mary our soul mates and have been alive for over 3000 years. Even though they are drawn to each other when the do get together they start to become mortal and can age and die. These two are the last of their kind.

I really liked the story idea... there was no huge battle at the end of this film. It's a very unusual love story with alot of funny moments and some awesome action scenes. I do wish they went into more detail about them being "immortal". But you can't have everything. All in all this was a very cool and unique superhero movie.

Doctor Who Season Four Finale

Okay just finished the finale of Doctor Who Season Four. I have to say it was a Fanboys dream episode. From beginning to end I was smiling from ear to ear. The Doctor and his Children of Time vs Davros and the Delaks. This episode was the perfect ending to the RTD era of Who.

I loved the set up for Martha and Mickey to join Torchwood next season (if the rumors are true).

Rose and the Doctor (well clone doctor) live happily ever after (at least for now)

Seeing K-9 special appearance was awesome.

And I have to say that Catherine Tate (Donna) was MAGNIFIGENT!!! I didn't really like her in the Christmas special but when they brought her onto the series she changed and turned into one of my favorite companions of all. Her acting is brilliant and she got to shine in many of season four episodes. And what happened to her in this episode was heart wrenching. She's the woman that saved the universe and when the Doctor took her back to live with her family and removed the memories I thought..okay at least she's not dead. But then I remembered her life on Earth and her unsporting mother who makes her believe she is nothing and worthless and it makes me sad. Donna is so much more and it might have been better if she had died the woman she was rather then go back to the woman she use to be. I just hope all the crazy experience that Donna's mom had will change her mind about her daughter and she'll give her encouragement and respect as she deserves.

Anyways.. a wonderful ending to a wonderful season.. this is a must buy when it comes out on DVD.

Happy Fourth of July

I hope you all have a great Fourth of July.

22 Hour Work Day

When I got to work at 9am on Wednesday I had no clue that I wasn't going to get off till the following morning Thursday at 7am. We were outputting our first episode to NBC and it had to be perfect. So I stayed and outputted it myself and it took a lot longer then expect.

I haven't put in a 22 hour work day in a long while but it's nice to know that even though I'm getting older I managed the long day pretty well.

One Month to Go

Today is our one month mark.. one month from today Harry and I along with our friends and family will be celebrating our union. We still have a lot to do and I'm starting to stress out a bit but whatever happens will happen. Harry and I will enjoy the day regardless on how well things turn out.

Wall-E

Today Harry, Bruce and I went to a PGA screening of Wall-E. Wall-E is the latest from Pixar/Disney. When I first saw previews I knew I would like this movie, the robot reminded me of Number 5 from Short Circuit and I was a huge fan of that movie when it came out.

I loved all Pixar movies from Toy Story up to there last one Ratatouille so I knew this one would be no different. And I was right.. WOW.. what a fanatastic movie. I cried within the first twenty minutes and through out the film. It's amazing that you can fall in love with this little robot that barely says three words but just from his reactions you can't help but love him. What was great about this film was that kids will love it as they will like the robots but adults will love it for the underlying story. Yes this movie is about a robot love story but there is so much more.

I can't wait to see this movie again. I went out to Toys R Us to see if they had some toys. We did find a few but not what I was looking for... gotta keep looking as I need my little Wall-E action figure.

Wanted

Today I got off of work a little early so Harry and I would make it to a screening of Wanted the new Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, and James McAvoy movie. It's based on a comic book by the same name. This was a very cool movie, very bloody and violent and full of language but the action and sfx scenes were mind blowing. There is also a very cool twist in the story which I didn’t see coming. Both Harry and I enjoyed the wild and crazy ride.

Here's a short synopsis: Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is a neurotic accounts manager who works in a small cubical filling out billing reports day end and day out. He allows his boss and his girlfriend to walk all over him. To cope with his life, he takes anti-anxiety pills by the bottle full. Wesley has no desire to change his humdrum life, but one day while getting more pills at the drug store, he meets a beautiful woman in black, Fox (Angelina Jolie) who changes his life forever. Fox was sent to protect Wesley from the man who had just killed his father. Wesley thought his father had died soon after he was born. Fox tells Wesley, "that his father died yesterday on the rooftop of the Metropolitan Building, and you are next." Wesley is recruited into the "Fraternity," a secret society of assassins that his father was a member. Fox must train Wesley to bring out his special powers that he was born with in order to avenge his fathers death. "The Fraternity's" leader- Sloan, (Morgan Freeman) also teaches Wesley the ways of the group, and Wesley soon becomes an assassin just like his father. But nother everything is as it seems.

Wedding Plans

Time seems to be flying by.. It’s only a little over five weeks away and we still have a ton of things to do. We are trying same money by doing things ourselves but it's alot of work and with so little free time it's making things really tough. Every weekend from here on out will be doing something that pertains to the wedding. But in the end it will all be worth it.

Get Smart

Today Harry and I along with a few friends went to a screening of Get Smart. I loved the TV series back when it was on so I was looking forward to this movie. The movie was very enjoyable. It was not only funny as I expected it to be but it had some really good action scenes. It was a very cool remake of a classic TV series. Everyone really enjoyed it and afterwards we went to Mel's Diner for lunch.. it was a fun outing with some great company.

Blackout!!!!

Well today while at work Harry called to inform me that the electricity went out at the house.. that it had been out for an hour. I called DWP and found out that the power was out in 20 + cities in the valley. I was work until around 9pm and when I got home I figure everything would be back up.. but it wasn't. It's 9pm and 90+ degrees outside. We couldn't open the refrigerator as I didn't want to let any of the cool air out. Luckily Harry has a laptop computer with a DVD player built in and there was some battery life left in it to we sat in the backyard and watched MASH.

It was close to midnight and I was sooo tired that I tempted to go into our super hot bedroom to sleep. It was horrible but I did my best to sleep but moments later the power came back on. The power was out for 6 hours, which is the longest that power has ever been out for me. You don't realize how much electricity means to you until it's gone. It made me appreciate what I have a little more.

Hot, Hot and more Hot

The past few days and for the foreseeable future it's going to be hot here in Reseda... not just hot but over 105 for the next week or so. I like the heat but now that we are living in the house with no central air it's getting hard to stay cool. We have air conditioner in three of the rooms but we can't keep them on 24 hours a day.. or I should say I don't want to keep them on for 24 hours a day $$$$. And the really sad part is Summer is just beginning.

Doctor's Visit

Today I had another Doctor’s visit. I was getting my cholesterol checked, as it was pretty high on the last visit. So they were going to take blood and check everything out. Also they were going to check my testosterone levels, as they have been usually low.

I was telling my doctor about being tired after waking up after an 8-hour sleep the past few months and he said I might have sleep apnea and will have to be tested. For those that don’t know what sleep apnea is, it’s when you stop breathing while sleeping and your body wakes up and makes you breath, he said this can be happening 1000’s of times a night. It’s kind of a scary thought and I plan on getting tested.

Everything else looked good.. Dr. Mills was very happy with my blood pressure, as it was much lower then last time… 140/82

Now I just need to lose some weight and lower my cholesterol and all will be well.

Gay Weddings

Today is a great day in California history. Same sex weddings are now legal. California is only the second state in the US to legalize same sex marriages. Of course there are those who are fighting it and there will more then likely be a proposition on the November ballot banning same sex marriages again.

Many have called me and asked now that same sex marriages are legal in CA I can sponsor Harry for immigration. But immigration is ran by the Federal government and they still have marriage as a union between a man and a woman so the CA ruling really won't change that status.

As for Harry and I changing our Commitment Ceremony into a wedding, with Harry's immigration status we are looking into it... I'll keep you posted.

Happy Father's Day

Today Harry and I took my Dad out to lunch and shopping for Father's Day. It was a nice visit.. Happy Father's Day Pops...

Hulk 2

Today, Harry, Tom, Erwin, John, Moises and I went to see a PGA Screening of The Incredible Hulk (Hulk 2) at the Harmony Gold Theater. This was the first time we had gone to this theater and it was very nice. Unlike the writers Guild Theater then one had comfortable seats and an awesome audio. They also have parking underneath.. which is always a plus.

As for the Hulk, it was alot of fun, a 1000 times better then the first one. The story was good and the SFX were very impressive. Some of my favorite scenes were at the end when The Hulk slapped his hands together so cause a gust of wind to blow out a fire that was about to kill his girlfriend. The other part is where The Hulk say's "Hulk Smash" and smashes the ground causing the ground to crack. Another cool part was seeing Robert Downey Jr's, Stark (Ironman) character shows up at the end. This movie had the same feel as Ironman. You can tell they were setting up stuff for a future Avengers Movies.

This is defiantly a DVD purchase when it comes out...

Summer Finale of Battlestar Galactica

I came late to this series as I didn't have the Sci Fi channel but I finally got season 1 & 2 on DVD and watched them none stop before the third season started last year. It is one of the best sci fi TV series around. It's so different from the original series, it's dark and depressing but it's amazing watching the human spirit survive.

Well today was the summer finale and it didn't disappoint. WOW.. pretty much sums it up. This is the fourth and final season and we only have 10 more episodes left. They are not coming back until next year but they gave us fans alot to talk about during the hiatus.

If you have not watched this series you are missing one of the best TV shows ever.

Star Trek Cuff Links

Today when I got home there was a package from my friend Chris. When I opened it I was totally surprised. He knows that Harry and I are huge Star Trek fans and want to have Star Trek elements with in our ceremony. So when I opened the package out came two sets of Star Trek Cuff Links. THEY ARE AWESOME!!!!

I called to thank him and he told me that he made these as he couldn't find premade ones.. how awesome is that. They are going to look great on our tuxes and will always be a very special part of our ceremony. Thank you Chris.

After MASH

I was never a huge MASH fan but after meeting Harry who is a big fan I have seen almost every episode and love the series. I knew there was a spin off series after Mash ended called After MASH. It's not on DVD and it took me forever to find copies. Well about two weeks ago I found a guy who was selling bootleg DVD's of the broadcast versions online and had to get them. Well today we got them finally and we had to watch at least a few episodes before going to bed.

It's very different from MASH but several of the characters moved over to the new series so it was nice to see Sherman Potter, Max Klinger and Father Mulcahy. We only watched a few episodes but so far they are alot of fun.

Kung Fu Panda

Today Harry, Tom, Bruce and I went to see a special PGA Screening of Kung Fu Panda. What was different about this screening is it was held at an actual movie theater (Bruin Mann's) in Westwood. When we got there they told us that we were going to get free popcorn and free soda, which is very unusual for screenings also they gave everyone a very cool interactive Kung Fu Panda CD.

I'm not a huge Jack Black fan but I was really looking forward to seeing this. From beginning to end it was a very funny movie. The animation was cool and the story was very sweet. Everyone who saw it really enjoyed it. I'll be buying it when it comes out on DVD.