The OC Fair - 2010

The Fair has returned to Orange County and the best thing about the Fair for us is that it's right around the corner! The Fair returned to Costa Mesa at the OC Fairgrounds and has set up dazzling displays of livestock, arts, carnival rides and of course so much food! As soon as I walked in the first thing I saw was the signs pointing out the various places to eat. The scents of deep fried and wonderful aromas of food everywhere has got my stomach growling at wanting to taste everything close by.

This was a great fair and I have been to the San Bernardino County Fair at Victorville and saw a few concerts, got on a few rides, and of course did some sight seeing. But nothing beats the OC Fair and it was such a spectacular time seeing Weird Al's Brain in 3-D (which the owl 'Norm' represents a familar guy named Dr. Norm Weinberger from UCI Lab) and it was well done very educational mind boggling experience (pardon the pun). Of course, I had to eat, and being so hungry and indecisive at the many places to get a party going in your taste buds -- I couldn't decide! Finally I settled on a 1/2 pound cheeseburger that was rather tasty! I could of gone for the 1 pounder! Thinking I needed to save room for a funnel cake (which I did at the end of the visit). Before eating my very first fried twinkie --- YUMMY! -- I enjoyed devouring some brisket and squirting down some nice cold lemonade in our souvenir cup.

The best part of the visit I believe was to see the ice sculptures which were very artistically done. A Mona Lisa replica in ice was amazing, but even more amazing was the sight of "the Thinker" in ice -- a full size replica in all it's icy form. It was expectantly not as cold as I thought it was going to be. Besides, it was hot outside and the welcome icy cold temps were a warm welcome. Continuing on to see some concerts around us, the music blasting loudly throughout the day was not too bad. Some bands were awesome, some were OK. Nevertheless it was great to walk around and see the animals at the livestock area. Little piglets were just born the other day and we saw them asleep next to their Mommy Pig. It was cute to see. There was also alot of sheep, lambs, and mainly alot of goats. The goats were very affectionate as we petted them. There were all kinds of nice animals to look at. Rabbits, mice, chicks, and of course this huge Oxen was standing so tall over us that it was an amazing sight to see an animal that huge.

As we continue to walk around towards the carnival, taking in all the sights of the rides and attractions and the barkers beckoning the people to shoot baskets win a stuffed toy or something of that nature. Alot of rides were huge and scary looking. It was such a beautiful day being outside walking around the carnival.

To me the best part was eating. Oh so much to eat, but so much to decide on! Funnel cake at the end of the day really topped it off. Ate alot of Funnel cake and stopped at the Disney section to do some karaokee for a free ice cream bar. Took that ice cream bar and walked off one of the best and most fun time I ever had at a fair. There was so much to see and do. Not to mention so much to eat -- deep fried and yummy and delicious. I don't think I have ever ate so much in my life and tremendously enjoyed every moment there. If you have not gone to the OC Fair, go! It'll be the best times ever!

Tornadoes in Southern California!

Dear Readers,

Constant readers of my blogs I hope you are all having a happy new year. I am beginning to enjoy the expressions of blogging. The expressive medium has allowed me to write just about anything I have pondering thoughts on. Usually it's about my events in my life, and how much I am enjoying life and all those other minimalists things that I touch bases on. I enjoy my job working as a Castmember at Disneyland. This indeed is the best job I have ever had and continue to have. I always think that I would never have thought I would end up working at the “happiest place on earth.” When I was little, my joys of childhood was going to Disneyland with my family. We would drive a long ways to the Park from Barstow, California and stay the whole day through the night at the park. Then we would journey back home, usually asleep in the back seat of the car. Now that I am older, and enjoy the park close by where I live now, and continue to work at Disneyland I feel such joys at working at making others happy and allowing others to have the same joys as I have as a child.

Now to the news: The Chronicles of Gilberto Garcia has brought about such eventful weather-wise events that has been happening lately. You know in Southern California, people always knew that we are the sunny side, good weather area to live in. Always sunny and warm, a perfect place to escape to. Well, we are not so sunny at all now. We just had a tornado hit us yesterday off the beaches of Huntington Beach and it hit Costa Mesa, and quickly move into Irvine. A tornado in Southern California! Who would of thought!? It was crazy yesterday while the rains and winds crashed against our home and rattled the windows a bit. Candice was at UCI, and it shook the buildings, and rattled the windows as well. The results were enormously surprising! Tree branches all over the streets. Signs and road markers were down as well. One person facebooked a message and noticed a branch on a white SUV in the parking lot at UCI. It was crazy weather, and it still continues right now. The rain has been pouring all day today and the news reports says that it will continue for awhile throughout the night. There are storm cells moving over OC and into the Inland Empire as well. Bracing for more wet weather.. but one thing I am happy about: I am off today, tomorrow and the next day! So I can stay indoors all dry, and hope that the tornadoes don't come back.

What was crazy was when the news flashed their warnings on the TV screens, I saw the words: tornado warning in OC areas, I was just shocked: “What!?” and it was just crazy to hear that there will be tornadoes in our area. It's California! You know what I mean? Anyway, just happy that everyone is safe, and there wasn't any serious damage to anything. Just for those who think that tornadoes are crazy and dangerous: as long as you are not a storm chaser like in the movie : “Twister” do not go out there outside when it hits. It's crazy! I was even crazy myself, trying to take some pictures of the storm. Nevertheless, it was something sort of adventurous, and I thought blogging about it would be an event that is recorded on these cyber pages of my blogs. After all, it is a sort of chronological event that I had to record. I will show you pictures on this blog and you can figure out for yourself how much rain we got and how freaky the whole thing was. I just couldn't believe it happened in the OC, in the sunny state of California!

We still had to go to work. I went to work at Disneyland expecting the rain to continue over there. After the tornado hit, I would expect it to be slow and empty at the park. Indeed it was. We worked shorter shifts, and had nothing else to do really. A few people would come in and other of Disney's Clothiers store on the East Side of Main Street. It wasn't busy at all! So we got to come home earlier than expected from our shifts. But the weather outside was cold and cloudy. I knew it was going to be rainy pretty soon again. But I came home in good dry but cold weather. I came home and Candice told me all about the storm hitting UCI while she was in class. We then started to watch some prime time TV and all of a sudden we heard this loud noise outside, and indeed the rain started to fall hard! It was pouring so hard! The pool below us was splashing and we couldn't even see across from our patio to the next building over, because the sky was dark, and the rain was pouring so hard. Then all of a sudden it stopped! Just a flash of water as to warn us for the next storm for the next day.

Sure I would watch the news, and keep my eyes open for next tornado warning because it passed us and it was freaky! Sort of a thing that came to my mind when I think of the weather like this, and having a tornado in Southern California made me think of one thing: GLOBAL WARMING? Hmm.. something to think about because like in those movies about tornadoes hitting LA and causing some sort of apocalypse-ish feelings about our state of California. Hmm.. maybe its just time for some wet, wet weather in Southern California.

So wet in fact that our apartment area there was flooding:

Here are the warnings from  LA Times:

Los Angeles Times | Jan. 19, 2010 | 1:32 p.m.

The National Weather Service has canceled a tornado warning for Los Angeles County, but a warning remains in effect for Orange County.

The Los Angeles Police Department has called a tactical alert and is evacuating homes in San Pedro. The department has also shutdown an area between Pacific and Gaffey and 4th and 7th Streets hit by the worst of the flood. Officials say a lightning strike hit the Conoco refinery, causing a small fire.

In Huntington Beach, the beaches were mostly empty while waves surged, lightning struck and wind reached gusts of 52 mph. The gusts topped 72 mph in Newport Beach.

The storm was accompanied by rain, lightning, hail and high waves.

Officials are worried about mudslides in burn areas in L.A. and Orange counties as the new storm hits mountain areas.

And that my friends, is our Sunny Southern California! At least everyone is safe and fine. As long as we stay indoors away from windows when a tornado hits, then all will be fine and safe. Just be careful while driving out there in the rain. Until next time when I come back to share more events in the Chronicles of Gilberto.. Until Next time!

Happy New Year ! Welcome 2010. . .

Ah, it’s been awhile since I wrote in my blog and dear constant readers I am sorry to say I have a new toy and been neglecting to try to write a blog on it. Its the new Apple iPhone that I got last year and it’s been a great phone and a great mobile device to do everything I possibly can without the use of a computer! For instance: AIM, texting, emailing, twittering and blogging, and so much more! Indeed so much more. I am loving my iPhone a lot more than a PC. In that sense I think I am becoming more Apple-ish this year. I think I want to get a Mac (oh gosh here it comes the PC to the MAC fever!) But they are so expensive! Anyway, that’s one reason I haven’t kept up with the blogs. So here we go to a new year of 2010 and so far the Chronicles of Gilberto continues on a brand new year and I wish all of you a Happy New Year!

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On January 2, 2010, the Chavezes and I went to see a wonderful musical produced by Disney: Mary Poppins! It was a wonderful musical theatre and probably a first for the young ones we took with us. They had lots of fun and afterwards we all went to eat some Mexican and it was so delicious. We had a lot of fun doing stuff like that. The musical and then dinner afterwards was a beginning of a beautiful end of first week of 2010. Then Sunday, it was Candice’s birthday.. so Happy Birthday to the love of my life!

Once the year started, I begin to miss the year 2009, for this Christmas of December 2009 was wonderful. We had the kids over for the holidays and we had a lot of fun baking, making and creating so many Christmas Memories.

Also earlier in the month of December was the annual Holiday Cast Party. This time we took Monica along with us and it was so much fun. The Christmas time at Disneyland is always so wonderful to walk through. But for one thing we all were bundled up and ready for that freezing cold. Being bundled up to keep warm was not even enough – we had to get some hot chocolate and be warm. Even riding on the train as the cold air slaps your face was very unbearable, but the sights and sounds of Christmas time at Disneyland beat down the weather. It was so much fun to take a group picture in front of the tree. The gigantic Christmas Tree with it’s many decorations and lights make it a wonderful sight for the holidays.

The beautiful sights of “A Small World” lighting up during the nighttime was a wonder to watch. It was a lot of fun to do the Holiday Party with love ones.

Even though it was so cold that night for the Holiday Cast Party, being with Candice made me warm, and having Monica along made our memories even bigger. It was a lot of fun and as the year 2009 came to an end, we look back at how fast the year went by so fast. My first years as a Cast Member just flew by. I enjoy working at the Disney stores and it is so much fun to meet all kind of people. I am sure in the year 2010 will be as memorable as 2009 has been. So many things to look forward to:

January – Candice’s and Jake’s Birthday!

February – Capitan EO will be back at Disneyland!

March – My Birthday and of course, Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” will be showing up same week as my birthday!

Another Summer in Costa Mesa, and I can’t wait to go swimming again in our pool. So many things that will be coming up.

For now who knows what adventures await in the Chronicles of Gilberto. I will try to keep up on the blog, if not, otherwise follow up on Twitter! Enjoy the year 2010 everyone! Once again, Happy New Year!

P.S. What Candice gave me for Christmas is the very chair I am sitting on to blog, and it’s a neat one and I am enjoying my gaming experience and music from it. Thanks Candice!

Happy New Year!