How I Spent My Weekend

Oh, what a weekend!!! I had to take Friday off to go to court. Shockingly, one of the two defendants actually showed up!!! The judge was not too amused that the other didn't, and couldn't be bothered to inform the court in advance. I could have proceeded with my case, but it could have been vacated. I figured I'd just go with continuing the case while I could attempt to schedule it away from my vacation times, rather than the inevitable vacating and rescheduling while I'm out of town.

I was home fairly early, and had plans!!! Since we're into summer, Universal has the weekends blacked out on the annual pass. Fridays are good to go, though, so that's where we were heading. On the way home, at the top of my street, there was a spill of sand where my street comes down from the street above it. I hit it, locked up the front end (not having the wherewithal to ease off the brakes and steer out) and before I knew it smacked the front wheel broadside on the curb. Damit, I just had it aligned after doing the brakes!!! Thing was pushed in a couple of inches on the bottom edge.

Got the idea on the way home to haul the recycling to the recycle yard on the way to the train station. It's right on the way, about a block from the station. Got home, and had the boy load up the trunk. Ended up with $26.00 from it, not bad!!!


We had great luck with the trains going there!!! Being a weekday, the lot was near full when we got there, and I dropped the family near the platform, gave my wife the money to get the passes, and parked in the back of the lot. Just as I was getting to the platform, the train was there!!! Actually vaulted the rail to make it. Same thing on the next train, just as we got to the bottom of the escalator it was getting ready to pull out. At Universal, the tram up the hill got there within a minute of our arrival at the stop.

First ride was the Simpsons ride again. The youngest didn't want to go, so we did the kid switch thing. I don't know what his problem with it is, it's not that intense. That ride is one of the best simulators I've ever been on!!!

Finally got to take the family on the "Backdraft" effects show they have. The older boy was impressed. The younger boy was scared.

The Mummy coaster again. That ride... Isn't the greatest coaster, but it has some very cool points to it. At the last part of the ride, it stalled out or got jammed or something on the boy and I in the dark.


We got to see the place where the fire was. The tour goes right by it. Don't think I made mention, but the King Kong burned, and apparently the earthquake part of the tour is off for now, too. Clock tower square from Back to the Future is also the town square in Ghost Whisperer, too, so I'd be interested to see what they do next season. Interesting to see where everything used to be, it's just charred ground mostly, with a few piles of rubble still being cleaned up. The fascinating thing, though, is how there's blocks and streets, but there are no utility lines where the buildings used to be.

One thing they added (I guess to make up for the King Kong and Earthquake part of the tour being out) was an actor done up like Norman Bates coming out of the Bates Motel with a bloody wrapped up body. He sees the tram, goes back in, and comes back in with his knife and advances on the tram as it pulls away. The youngest does a pretty amusing imitation of him now.

Saturday I got up a bit early and took the Maverick back to the tire shop. They said they couldn't do it, they have one car in already getting the whole front end done, and it'll take all day. They sent me to the Burbank store. I didn't want to drive it on the freeway, it felt unstable at speeds over 30 MPH or so. Ended up driving through Griffith Park, the same route that they do the Christmas Festival of Lights. That was interesting. I got there, and the guy comes out to look at the car. He bounces the front, and it stops after about a bounce and a half. "You need new shocks." Wrong thing to say, dude!!! I got rather loud: "Oh really?!?!?! These shocks need replaced?!?!?! These shocks that I put on two weeks ago are already worn out!?!?!?" He stammered a little, "These are new??? Oh, maybe they sold you the wrong ones..." Yea, or maybe you're trying to pad your repair bill!!! Anyway, there was a car ahead of me there, too, and it took them a couple of hours before they got to mine, plus the time to do the repair. That ended up taking most of the day, and I was pretty tired by the time I got home. Washed the cars, and that was about it for the day.

Sunday we had lunch with some friends we haven't seen in a while. Home Town Buffet!!! Nice seeing them, it's amazing how much the kids grow. Visited my parents after that, and went swimming. A very full weekend!!!