random thoughts on the 2019 oscars

As previously mentioned, I was truly excited about three films this year -- "A Star is Born," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Black Panther."

After watching a boatload of screeners, I also really enjoyed "Green Book," "A Quiet Place," "Blackkklansman" and "Can You Ever Forgive Me." I expect to be mostly disappointed tonight...

The Pre-Show:

I only half-watched this because I'm in the middle of Marie Kondo-ing my house and decided that the guest room closet/gift wrap side would be a good, quick project. I was wrong. My overall impression from what I sort of watched but mostly just listened to: all the hosts were annoying. And what the heck is Rachel Weisz wearing?

The Show:

I knew going in they were opening the show with a performance by Queen, in honor of "Bohemian Rhapsody." But with the exceptions of Queen Latifah, Lady Gaga, Emma Stone, Jennifer Lopez and Rami Malik, everyone else they showed in the audience looked awkward rocking out in their formal wear. And Adam Lambert was obviously auditioning for his next gig once Bryan May decides to retire...

Outstanding Supporting Actress:  I predicted Regina King. I was correct. And yay for Captain America... I mean Chris Evans... helping her up the stairs! :)

Odd Couple of the Night: Jason Momoa and Helen Mirren.. but so cute together!

Best Documentary Feature: I predicted "Free Solo." And it won.... it won because that guy is nuts and the film captures that.  Halfway through that movie I had to google him to make sure he didn't die before I could keep watching. I'm feeling nauseous just thinking about it again.... and also because that speech was kinda painful.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: "Vice" duh. No contest here. I didn't like this film but that was because of the subject matter. But all the acting was good. And Annapurna and Plan B have now won two awards already.
PS: Okay winners.. you almost got cut from the broadcast, don't ruin it for next year's nominees.

I love Melissa McCarth and bunnies. That is all.

Best Costume Design: Yay "Black Panther!" Wakanda Forever! I'm now 4 of 4 :)

Oh hi again Chris Evans... please don't get blinded by JoLo's dress. I just did.

Best Production Design: "Black Panther" again! Although I picked "The Favourite" ... I liked "Black Panther" better though, so Yay! (4 of 5)

Best Cinematography: I predicted "Roma" ... the cinematography was the most amazing thing about it. Although I would love for "A Star is Born" to win. But it won't. And it didn't "Roma" (5 of 6)

Is anyone else playing the Oscar game on Oscar.com? I signed up but now I'm way behind (because I'm behind in watching). Therefore I do not like this game.

Ooh.. time for "A Star is Born" clip package. LOVE!

Best Sound Editing: I picked "First Man" because space movies usually win in this category. I was wrong. Should've gone with the music film. "Bohemian Rhapsody" wins. (5 of 7)

Best Sound Mixing: I did pick "Bohemian Rhapsody" here. (6 of 8) Now I'm back to LIVE...

Queen Latifah presenting "The Favourite".... "It's not easy being Queen." Haha. Again, WHAT is Rachel Weisz wearing?!?!? Really Daniel Craig, don't you love her more than to let her leave the house like that?

Best Foreign Language Film: "Roma" SHOCKER!!! (or not at all). Although I still want to see "Cold War." Thoughts from those that have seen both?? (7 of 9)

Wow! Keegan Michael Key doing stunts impersonating Mary Poppins. I really liked this song (but not as much as "Shallow"), and loved "Mary Poppins Returns." Great choice to have Bette Midler sing it too. And yeah you better stand for the Divine Ms. M, audience members!

Snack break. Champagne with cheese and crackers.... cuz I need some fancy in my flannel shirt, Ugg boot-attired evening :)

Okay... how awesome would it be if all the "Oscar-y" films ("Green Book," "Roma," "Blackkklansman") cancel each other out and "Black Panther" were to win Best Picture? That's what the Academy really needs to have happen.

Best Editing: "Bohemian Rhapsody" has now won three Academy Awards. (8 of 10)

Best Supporting Actor: It will probably be Mahershala Ali. And he deserves it. But as I said before I'm really hoping the Academy pulls the "Let's give it to the veteran who deserves it for his body of work" and gives it to Sam Elliott.. Just think of the moment between him and Bradley on the way to the stage...   that we won't get to see. Mahershala Ali wins, as he should. Although that wasn't really a supporting role, IMHO. (9 of 11)

I can't blog and play this Oscar game. Why can't I enter my picks BEFORE the show? SMA, work on that for next year please. kthanksbai.

Oooh. SMA, here's your Museum moment! Congrats!

Best Animated Feature: Again, not a shocker - "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" This was a great film!  (BTW, I also loved "Isle of Dogs".. which I'd had no desire to watch until I did. Adults who think these films are just for kids are wrong. Great storytelling and messages that ring very true in today's trying times... (10 of 12)

I heard "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" is a good film. This song is not though. Can we get to Gaga and Bradley singing my beloved "Sha-aaa-aaa-low" please? (Although you know the producers are saving them for the end. #ratings)

Gee.. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey. Wonder why they are here? ;)

The Oscar game just asked me how great is was to see them reunited on stage? Do I get extra points if I say excellent?

Best Animated Short: Always go with Pixar. Duh. "Bao" wins. (11 of 13)
PS: By the time the TV crawl said to go place my vote on the Oscar game, the Oscar game has already locked that category. I really do not like this game!!

Documentary Short Subject: This one I totally guessed on. I had no idea what any of these films were about, but in now seeing them and the winner, I guessed well! "Period. End of Sentence."  (12 of14)

"I can't believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar!" Best. Speech. Ever. #girlpower

Maybe it's because I started watching a half hour behind and fast-forwarded through all the sound speeches, but the show seems to be moving pretty quickly sans-host. Only Live Action Short Film and Visual Effects left to go before the final Big 8 (Score, Song, Adapted and Original Screenplays, Actor, Actress, Director and Best Picture). And we're not even at the 2 hour mark yet.. normally it's at least 7:15 by this point. Could this show actually finish on time?!?!?!

Best Visual Effects: Come on Avengers!! Then we'll get to see Chris Evans again!
So THIS is the category they give to "First Man." Man! (12 of 15)
PS: Good job letting everyone talk vs. having one guy hog the mike!

AHHH! I hear my song!

LOVE the way they walked up out of their seats together. With no intro... cuz they don't need one. They so love each other! AHHH! Standing O. (BTW, if this song doesn't win, I'm gonna scream. And I've had half a bottle of champagne. Don't test me.)

Best Live Action Short Film: Another guess.. I was incorrect. This goes to "Skin".. and um, isn't that winning woman  (Jamie Ray Newman) an actress who was on General Hospital??!??!?! (12 of 16)
(Yes, she was on General Hospital.. she was a Cassadine)

Best Original Screenplay: "Green Book" wins. I almost picked this, but the weirdness of "The Favourite" made be pick that instead. Oh well. #alwaysgowithyourgut "Green Book" was great ("The Favourite" was just weird) -- go see it if you have not yet! (12 of 17)

Best Adapted Screenplay: I want Bradley to win. But he won't. So I picked my pleasant surprise of "Blackkklansman." Although I'd also be happy with "Can You Ever Forgive Me." WOW! I was correct in my guess/pleasant surprise! Umm, Spike Lee is wearing sneakers! Love it. (13 of 18)
PS: Again, this was a film that was really great. I wouldn't have ever seen it if I didn't have to watch it for PGA voting, and it was seriously a really great, smart film. Go see it! And yeah "DO THE RIGHT THING" in 2020! Love > Hate.

Best Original Score: I went with "If Beale Street Could Talk" and I don't really know why.... I kinda hope "Mary Poppins Returns" wins. But "Black Panther" won -- three wins for "Black Panther" tonight. Maybe the Academy will succeed in becoming cooler.. (13 of 19)

OK.. it's time for the most important award of the evening: Best Original Song. I'm about to be either very happy or very pissed off.

Best Original Song: SHALLOW!!! You are very lucky Academy. Go Lady Gaga!! Oooh. Make that "Academy Award Winner Lady Gaga." Halfway to her EGOT! I can stop watching now. Don't really care about the rest since it won't be "A Star is Born." (14 of 20)

"In Memoriam" time. Way to bring a girl down off her Gaga-winning high, Academy, way to go. (PS: Just have Dave Grohl come sing "Blackbird" every year during this. That was the most-touching-yet-not-totally-depressing way to do this sad segment ever. Sniff. Stan Lee. :*(

Who knew Babs and Spike were kindred spirits? She's introducing "Blackkklansman" -- love it.

So I've just realized as Allison Janney came on stage with Gary Oldman to present Best Actor that people other than last year's winners presented the Best Supporting categories this year. #needmorechampagne

Best Actor: Will not go to Bradley Cooper, even though I want it to. Let's just hope Rami Malek is not too pretentious in his win. (Also, wtg Viggo.. although #aragornforever) And Rami Malek wins. He was good. But he didn't make my heart ache the way Bradley's Jackson did. I picked him though, so yay... (15 of 21)

Hurry up Rami.. 3 awards to go and 12 minutes to the 3-hour mark.

Okay, I take back the Helen Mirren/Jason Momoa weird couple comment. Congressman John Lewis and "The Hate U Give" girl win that award now.. introducing "Green Book."

Best Actress: Again, I want Lady Gaga to win. She was amazing. I didn't see "The Wife" yet.. only one of the major acting performances I didn't see. But I am assuming she will win. WOW! Olivia Coleman takes it!! Surprise of the evening! Although she was crazy good in that crazy movie. (And based on her speech, she's kinda crazy in real life too.) (15 of 22)

Best Director: This will likely go to Alfonso Cuaron, but how awesome would it be if Spike won? But he didn't.. Alfonos Cuaron for "Roma." (16 of 23)

Let's take a break before Best Picture and just watch this again...



BTW.. it's 8:11pm. SO CLOSE. Oh well.

Julia Roberts.. pretty in pink.

Best Picture: I picked "Green Book" because of films I liked, it had the best chance. YAY!!!! It wasn't "Roma"!!! Go "Green Book"... if "A Star is Born" and "Black Panther" couldn't win, I'm glad you did! (17 of 24) Love that they are pointing out that this film is about love. (And hold on.. OMG, what is Linda Cardellini wearing? #feathersoverload)

Thus concludes tonight's show and live blog. The show only went 17 minutes over, which has to be a new record.

Have a good night.. I'll be happily, heart-achingly watching this again until further notice:

oscar predictions

Before the show starts, here are my predictions.

I did not love a lot of movies this year, but those I did love... will probably only win in Best Song, Documentary Feature, Costume and Special Effects categories. (Although I'm really hoping the Academy pulls their occasional "Let's award the acting veteran for his body of work" thing in the Best Supporting Actor category and gives it to Sam Elliott!)

hello again

The last time I wrote on here was Oscar Sunday 2018. It's been a year... literally and figuratively.

Lots went on ....good, bad, and ugly.

The good was an amazing trip to the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon (North and South, Zion (my new favorite place on earth) and Bryce Canyon. I finally got my new front door.. and new windows and new not-cloth-wiring in my house  (ka-ching!). I also became a double homeowner... now in my second state. And I spent a lot of time with my two favorite littles.. now in their super-fun two's.

The bad was continued family drama and medical scares, the new personal experience of anxiety attacks, and losing people and pets. Oh, and pretty much the entire 2018-2019 Los Angeles Kings season, give or take a game or two.

I still want to document some of the good on here for posterity and I will... I just have to get the writing juices flowing again. I think part of why I haven't written was thinking of everything I wanted to write -- and haven't yet -- seemed overwhelming. So I ignored it altogether instead. 

So I'm leaving that behind and not dwelling on it.. I'll write "flashback" posts when I feel like it to preserve the memories.

But starting now, I'm just going forward with current events, thoughts, and things that amuse me.

And today -- my version of Superbowl Sunday (aka The Oscars) -- is the perfect day to start. I'll be live blogging the festivities in all their un-hosted glory. Can't wait for Bradley and Lady Gaga to perform! "A Star is Born" was my favorite film last year for numerous reasons... it's touched a cord with everything good/bad/ugly that's been going on in my life, and gave me an outlet to bawl my eyes out.

You just need to do that sometimes, ya know?

random thoughts on the 2018 oscars

I am not excited about the Oscars at all this year.. so get ready for either very few or very snarky comments.

In terms of predictions, I will say I'm 110% sure Gary Oldman will win Best Actor for Darkest Hour, and 100% sure that Coco will win Best Animated Feature. Other than that, I hope The Shape of Water wins Best Picture, because it was beautiful visually and story-wise and was the only film nominated that didn't make me depressed or angry this year.

Note: I'll be updating this in real time, so keep clicking refresh on your browser and help my page views that I'm not monetizing go up ;) 

The Preshow

Mira Sorvino and Ashley Judd are both wearing very different yet gorgeous purple dresses. I assume they will be saying something about the #metoo / #timesup movement tonight... 

Yay! Patrick Stewart is there. Every show is better with Patrick Stewart.  #makeitso

I'm not going to be able to deal with another hour of Michael Strahan hosting this pre-show...

Shout out to my friend Linda, who is sitting in a trailer on the side of Hollywood and Highland right now with her finger on the bleeping button for the Oscar app's live streaming content...

Whoopi Goldberg, EGOT winner. And soon to be Worst Dressed Winner too... wow.

Jennifer Garner, always classy. But she's about to do a show written by Lena Dunham. #doesnotcompute

Yay! Lin-Manuel Miranda! Can't wait for Mary Poppins Returns. Do what he says and help Puerto Rico here.

Is it over yet??

Oh.. for those who don't watch Animated Shorts, here's Kobe Bryant's Nominated short "Dear Basketball," live from the Hollywood Bowl last September 1st, with John Williams conducting the score live as Kobe narrates. Kobe is apparently the first NBA Player nominated for an Oscar..

The Actual Show... 

Jimmy Kimmel going there right off the bat with supporting the #metoo movement, and then making fun of Trump and Pence. And promoting the March for our Lives on March 24th. Love him! Oh and he's giving away a jet ski to the person with the shortest acceptance speech.... some film editor will get up and just say thank you and win. #markmywords

That set is very Beauty and the Beast.. are they displaying the nominees for Production Design?

Best Supporting Actor goes to Sam Rockwell for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. #notashocker  (speech time: 1min 29 seconds)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling goes to helping Gary Oldman win his soon-to-be Best Actor Oscar for Darkest Hour.

(Not that I'm counting, but I'm 2 for 2 so far based on the things I randomly circled on my Entertainment Weekly Oscar Ballot at around 3:30pm today...)

For Best Costume Design I predict Beauty and the Beast... and it goes to Phantom Thread, which I could not bring myself to watch because all Paul Thomas Anderson/Daniel Day Lewis movies end up being 3 hours of my life I'll never get back. #noregrets (speech time: 36 seconds)

Best Documentary Feature goes to Icarus. I didn't choose a winner in the Documentary categories because I don't watch them.

Best Sound Editing = Dunkirk. This and Sound Mixing are where Christopher Nolan's epic will be awarded.

Best Sound Mixing = Dunkirk. Told you. I'm now 4 of 5 for categories I guessed on the ballot for...

Oh forgot to mention that Mary J. Blige performed her nominated song from Mudbound in between the Documentary and Sound categories. I was packing boxes to ship tomorrow during that so forgive me. I will be paying attention during the Coco song that makes me cry though..

Nice stance on DACA/the Dreamers from Lupita Nyong'o and Kumail Nanjani.. both dreamers, as is everyone in Hollywood. Aww.

Best Production Design goes to The Shape of Water! Yay! I'd picked Blade Runner 2049 because well.. it was BIG. But Shape of the Water was gorgeous. Hope this means it will also win Cinematography.

Yay! The sad Coco song, "Remember Me," written by the composers of "Let It Go." Remember when John Travolta screwed up Idina Menzel's name that year... #goodtimes

How many world premiere trailers are Disney/ABC dropping tonight? Already had Mary Poppins Returns and soon there will be the Roseanne reboot... oohh.. ahh.

Rita Moreno is wearing the same dress she wore when she won the Best Actress Oscar for West Side Story. #funfactlearnedduringpreshow

Best Foreign Language Film = A Fantastic Woman from Chile.. If these guys win the Jet Ski, that's gonna be one hell of a shipping fee. Jimmy Kimmel better hope he talks a long time....

Best Supporting Actress past winners montage was very #girlpower

And the Best Supporting Actress is Allison Janney for I, Tonya. #alsonotashocker She's won like a billion Emmys but this is her first Oscar nomination. Didn't love the movie, but she was great as an evil, selfish mother.

Kobe Bryant just won an Academy Award!! Best Animated Short Film for Dear Basketball. Wow.

Best Animated Feature Film goes to Coco #reallynotashocker

Best Visual Effects Oscar goes to Blade Runner 2049.

Film Editing goes to Dunkirk as well.. I'd picked Baby Driver for the opening scene alone. Oh well...

And here comes "the bit" Jimmy Kimmel is taking celebrities next door to the Chinese Theatre to surprise the audience watching a Wrinkle in Time screening... Mark Hamill, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Emily Blunt, Guillermo Del Toro, Ansel Egort, Margot Robbie, Lupita Nyong'o.... wait for it..

Okay.. asking a normal human to introduce Tiffany Haddish was daring Jimmy. But the normal humans at the theatre seemed to love the celeb interruption.

Best Documentary Short Film goes to Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405. I don't know what that short is about, but I can tell you that NOTHING about the 405 is heavenly...

Having Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph present two of the most boring categories (shorts) was truly a stroke of genius! #hilarious

Best Live Action Short Film goes to The Silent Child. Does saying and signing the acceptance speech count as double time in the Jet Ski contest?

And now for the writing categories..

Awww. I forgot Logan got nominated for something. It was SO GOOD!

Best Adapted Screenplay goes to Call Me by Your Name's James Ivory. Yay! Great film! (Note: James Ivory is now the oldest winner in Oscar history at 89 years old.. wow)

Noticed it a while ago, but notice how all the envelopes have the categories written on the outside of them REALLY BIG and how all the presenters are showing them to the camera? LOL.

Best Original Screenplay goes to Get Out. WOW! That's a surprise. Congrats to Jordan Peele. (He's the first black writer to win for Original Screenplay.)

Best Cinematography goes to Blade Runner 2049 ... I was rooting for The Shape of Water here, but can't complain because that movie was visually stunning (even though it was about 40 minutes too long).

Six awards left....

Song and Score, Director, Lead Actor/Actress and Best Picture... it's 5 minutes til 8pm. I predict the show will end at 8:32pm.

Best Score goes to The Shape of Water -- yay! Although I'd have loved to see John Williams win.

Best Original Song presented by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Emily Blunt / Mary Poppins ...  goes to "Remember Me" from Coco.. aww I'm gonna cry again. That song is so beautifully perfect for that film.

Now In Memorium.. to a Tom Petty song. Sad but sorry, Eddie Vedder is no Dave Grohl singing a Beatles song.

Interesting... Emma Stone is presenting Best Director instead of Best Actor. The nominees are "four men and Greta Gerwig" Woot!

Best Director Oscar goes to Guillermo Del Toro for The Shape of Water... he deserves it. Even if a woman didn't win, at least someone from another country did.

So all the remaining major awards are being presented by women it would appear... except for the top secret Faye Dunaway / Warren Beatty do-over of Best Picture.

Best Actor in a Leading Role presented by Jane Fonda and Dame Helen Mirren.... goes to Gary Oldman #duh. Great, emotional, eloquent speech.

Best Actress in a Leading Role presented by former winners Jodie Foster and Jennifer Lawrence... goes to France McDormand for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. She said she was hyperventilating.. she looked a little crazy.. but yay for the female inclusion speech!

And now Best Picture... hopefully. (It's 8:38pm. I lost my end time guess...)

And they're back... Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Let's see the outside of the envelope please...

YAY! The Shape of Water wins! So happy!! And Guillermo Del Toro checked the envelope before he started speaking. LOL

And the Costume Design Winner gets the Jet Ski!

End time 8:49pm PT. Goodnight...

a few of my favorite things from 2017

While I'd like to forget most of what happened in 2017, and still kind of feel like I'm living in some sort of whacked out alternative universe, there were a few things that happened that made me happy. They were mostly simple things -- music, well-written/acted/produced television, friends, family and cute little people starting to display their cute personalities :)

Favorite New Song: This just makes me happy every time I hear it :)

Favorite Moment of Television: DRACARYS!

Favorite Moment with My Favorite Little People: Cousin Swingtime

            

Speaking of my favorite little people, they dominated my "Jar of Joy" this year -- shocker ;)

• 1/1/17 - 4-mile walk to and from and all around Lake Balboa. Gorgeous day after New Year's Eve rain..
• 1/3/17 - Escape from Jury Duty after only 2 hours!
• 1/16/17 - Won $50 Amazon gift card from work for the 4th quarter FitBit challenge! 
• 1/20/17 - My niece Teegan is born! 
• 1/21/17 - Women's March LA.. I was one of 750,000 united for goodness vs. evil! And then, I went to meet Teegan in person! LOVE
• 1/22/17 - Facetime with Kaden
• 2/16/17 - Birthday at Burke Williams + yummy dinner with mom and dad
• 2/17/17 - Nieces day with Teegan and her big sisters 
• 2/18/17 - Bday dinner #2 at Buca de Beppo with VIPs
• 2/19/17 - Bday dinner #3 with BFFs
• 2/25/17 - Quickie unexpectedly returns to the lineup. Kings beat Sucky Ducks 4-1!
• 3/25/17 - Drive to Vegas early for Kaden Time (before CinemaCon)
• 3/31/17 - Auntie Kim and Kaden day playing and doing "the diggy"
• 4/8/17 - Walk MS in Thousand Oaks. Mom is named this year's "Most Inspirational Walker" in a surprise (to her!) announcement :) 
• 4/22/17 - Saw Dave Grohl and his mom talk about her new book "From Cradle to Stage" at the LA Times Festival of Books
• 4/27/17 - Business class cubbie to Australia!
• 4/29/17 - Land in the land down under and see the Opera House
• 5/5/17 - Meet a koala bear in Sydney
• 5/13/17 - Chevy Metal w/ Dave Grohl @ Conejo Valley Days
• 5/20/17 - U2's Joshua Tree 30th Anniversary concert at the Rose Bowl
• 5/27/17 - Kaden's 1st Birthday Party!
• 7/2/17 - Kari and Kaden at my 2nd of July BBQ! Kaden's first time in the bounce house is NOT a success ;)
• 8/12/17-8/13-17 - Listening to U2 in Joshua Tree and seeing the milky way in the clear night sky during the meteor shower
• 8/21/17 - Total solar eclipse in Oregon with JZ and RZ
• 8/23/17 - Buying baby Nikes for Kaden and Teegan at the Nike employee store
• 8/26/17 - #saturdayswithteegan start :)
• 8/30/17 - Hamilton at the Pantages! Finally!
• 10/7/17 - Cal Jam 17! Foo Fighters live!
• 10/14/17 - Gorgeous sunset on the way home from San Miguel Island
• 11/8/17 - Trip to Vegas to see Kari, Kaden and Aunt Gertie. Kaden's new thing is giggling whenever the dogs bark
• 12/9/17 - Collected 31 toys for tots at Christmas Cocktails. My friends rock! 
• 12/10/17 - Downtown Adventure day + The Nutcracker
• 12/17/17 - Holiday lights at the Venice Canals with Mo and Qball
• 12/23/17 - Kaden and Teegan meet in person and play and swing and open presents together!
• 12/27/17 - Took Kaden to the LA Zoo!

back to the channel islands... way, way, way back

After seriously spraining my ankle earlier this year hiking on an island, you'd think I'd be hesitant to go hiking again on another, farther away island. I would've thought that too.... except Island Packers only goes to San Miguel Island once or twice a year. So I wasn't going to pass up this trip in October!



Neither was my friend James, who sprained his ankle a week before and was wearing an ankle boot to protect his injury. He was a total trooper considering there is no dock on San Miguel Island... you get to the island via one of two tiny motor boats loaded on the back of the big boat.

Yet, halfway into the literal 3-hour cruise to San Miguel, I started wishing I had passed up the trip for a while... that was the roughest boat ride I'd ever been on. Seeing two pods of dolphins didn't make up for getting as close to puking off the side of a boat as I've ever been. Ginger candy didn't work. My motion sickness bracelets didn't work. And five other people puking off the side of the boat next to me definitely did NOT help. It was bad. (Adventure organizer Linda has given me motion sickness patches to try on the next trip :p)

However, once we finally got out to the island, and my stomach settled, the fun of the adventure set in. We made it to the shore without getting drenched (although on the return trip to the boat we were not so lucky, as a wave washed over us while we were loading).








You can only hike with Island Park Rangers because San Miguel Island was used for military tests in the past. (We had to sign a waiver saying we wouldn't sue Island Packers or the government if we stepped on a bomb.. I'm not kidding.)  So Linda and I joined the hike that was supposed to go to the Caliche Forest (James stayed on the beach with his ankle boot and a book). But after hiking through the sand and up stairs built into the side of the hill....



.... and then up the path and around the bend, our volunteer Ranger guide missed the turn-off for the forest and didn't realize it until we'd gone about 30 minutes in the wrong direction. We tried to give him the benefit of the doubt and followed him for a while longer in the correct direction. But when it became clear we would never get to the Caliche Forest in the limited time left before the boat had to leave, we turned back and visited the Cabrillo Monument on our own and look photos of all the vegetation. It was quite a contrast to the pretty green-ness we saw on Santa Cruz Island in March.... everything was dried out from the hot summer and fall. But it was still cool to visit one of the first islands explorers discovered when arriving on the west coast.

Remnants of an old windmill

          

Loading back up on the big boat

We stopped in a nearby cove on the way home to see the elephant seals sleeping on shore. 

We had a great sunset view on the boat ride home, which was MUCH smoother than the ride out. 

jamming in the san bernardino sun

Most people who hang out with me know that I despise the Forum and I hate Dodger Stadium, each for various reasons that inconvenience me. And there are a very select few musical acts I will go to those places to see in concert. Yet there is one single band I've seen at both places... and that fact should explain why I trekked to god-forsaken San Bernardino in October when it was a billion degrees outside for Cal Jam 17 at Glen Helen Amphitheater.

That band had an idea... and I and 65,000 other sweaty people joined in...



The parking was a nightmare -- we ended up on the other side of I-15 and had to walk a mile each way to the venue. (How about some shuttles next year Dave?). And I already mentioned it was a billion degrees outside in October. But other than that, for an outdoor, all-day music festival, the event was actually pretty well organized. There were tons of food and beverage stands, water stations to fill up water bottles, and a bit of shade here and there.

We arrived around 2:30 so my friend Lisa could see/hear Royal Blood on the main stage while we cooled down with shaved ice. Then we went in search of cooler temps and found them (after waiting in line for 20 minutes) inside the air-conditioned tent housing the Foo Fighters Rock n' Roll Museum,  which was packed with two decades of memorabilia -- everything from the "footos" in the "Big Me" video to Dave's throne from the Sonic Highways tour and the cast that necessitated said throne...



                     

Dave's motorcycle throne from Love Ride 2016

The "White Limo"

The knitted band name from the "Run" video

Wigs that aged the band in the "Run" video

"Best of You" lyrics

"Big Me" video's famous "Footos"

"Wasting Light" recording chart

My favorite guitar in the world :)

Photos from the Sonic Highways recordings/shoot.

Dave's original post-op drug-enduced sketches for the "throne"

After spending an hour in the air-conditioning, we went to get dinner, then settled into seats for the night's top three acts: Cage the Elephant, Queens of the Stone Age, and my beloved Foo Fighters, who played until past midnight with many, many special guests.

Enjoy this sampling (and be thankful I spared you the train wreck of Liam Gallager trying to sing "Come Together" with the band and Joe Perry -- that was almost 3 months ago and my ears still hurt)...

Foo Fighters "La Dee Da " w/ Dave Koz and Allison Mosshart @ CalJam17

 Foo Fighters and Rick Astley "Never Gonna Give You Up" @ CalJam17

 Foo Fighters "Dirty Water" w/ Inara George @ CalJam 17

 Foo Fighters and Joe Perry "Draw The Line" @ CalJam17