Hollywood with a side of Annoyance

So Mom and I got up at the ungodly hour of 5am. We left the house around 5:30 and made our way up to Sarah's house in Menifee. It took us about 90 minutes to get there, and we were actually running early (a good thing considering that we were going to have to deal with LA morning rush hour traffic). So after waiting for Sarah and her mom get ready, we left her house around 7:45. So we head up the 215 and attempt to get off so that we can take the 74 to get over onto the 15. We took the 15 to the 10 West all the way to the 101 North to Hollywood.

After we left Sarah's house, it took Sarah's mom a whooping 10 minutes before she started complaining, and once it started, IT DIDN'T FINISH UNTIL I FELL ASLEEP ON THE WAY HOME. So first it was it was too hot (seemed comfortable for 9am to me), then she was snoring, once we finally got to the parking structure, they complained about my driving through the structure (as a point of reference, there were no cars on the level, and I went straight through what would be parking spots to a parking spot that was close to the elevators). We finally begin our Magellan route to get to the line for "Are you smarter than a 5Th grader?" line. We start on the wrong side of the building so we walk 3/4 around the CBS Television City lot. We come across the "Price is Right" line, and then continue around the the front gate of CBS TV city. Sarah & I get to the line and about 5 minutes later the mom's finally get there. We get inside and then wait and wait and wait. Then at 11:30am the audience coordinators come out and tell the audience that they need to go to the bathroom because we would not be able until at least 3pm.

Finally we got inside the studio (which is much, much smaller than what it looks like on TV) and upbeat music to get the audience pumped up is playing. Now after the Storm game a few weeks ago, I knew that Sarah's mom doesn't like modern (1990's to today) music. So as soon as I heard the music, I knew there was going to be more complaining. Sure enough, as soon as we sat down (in the of row of the balcony) Sarah's mom (who was sitting to my left, with Sarah to her left, and my mom to the right of me) leaned over to me and said "They can shut this crap off."

After the taping, which ended around 3:30p or so, we waited for my mom to go to the bathroom (no problem, since we hadn't been able to go since 11:30a). Sarah & her mom both said that they needed to go but since the line was so long, they didn't go...keeping in mind that there were a set of porta-potties WITH NO LINE...no go, they didn't go. Instead they wait until we get back to the parking garage. We leave the garage, and Sarah tells me to go back the way that we came in...well as I was about to turn onto Melrose to head east and back to the 101. I see a 76 gas station with a store. I stop in the store so that I can buy drinks for my mom and I. As I made an exaggerated U-turn to go back onto Melrose (mainly cause I knew that Melrose & the 101 crossed, which they do), Sarah I could see out of the corner of my eye was getting rather ticked off at me, cause I was not following her directions. A couple of blocks later, I saw a subway restaurant, which was great for me, cause I was REALLY REALLY hungry!!! I pulled into the parking lot, Sarah went in with her mom, and then her mom came out was eventually told me that she was going across the street to a Del Taco to use the restroom. My mom went in to ge the sandwich that we ended up sharing. While they were in the shop, I called Matty to complain about the bitchyness of the females not related to me in the car. I also called my friend Tommy who now calls Vegas home, but grew up in the LA area. I asked him other than the 101 to the 10 how could I get to the Inland Empire (the 101 to the 10 route would be horrible that time of day). Tommy told me that if I took a route that he laid out for me, I would be able to knock off at least a 1/2 hour, obviously I took his route. We had gotten onto the 210 freeway, I was falling asleep behind the wheel, not wanting to get into an accident (and since we were in the backup of another accident), I asked my mom to swap spots with me. As most of you know, I'm very picky when it comes to who I let drive my car, very rarely is it anyone other than me! So when the backup stopped for more than just a second, my mom (who was sitting right behind me) switched spots. I fell asleep and mom drove the rest of the way to Sarah's house.

From what I heard, I was saved from more complaints. We eventually dropped Sarah off at her house, and her mom off at her house in La Mesa. making our way over to our house, where I can now get a good nights sleep. On the way home, it was looking like we might go back up on Friday when Larry The Cable Guy is supposed to be on the show, but after thinking about my work schedule this week, I decided against it. So since I'm really tired, I will say good night, and talk to everyone later.

Greetings from back home

OOOOOOOh Myyyyyyyyyyyyyy Goodness, you will not believe this past weekend. You have undoubtedly heard of AWESOME Weekends, well this is my first AWESOME weekend in quite awhile.

It started on Friday, as most weekends do. I blogged from Lakewood as you may have seen, after a FINE SDSU Baseball game that the Aztecs had won 11-2 over #5 USD at TGS. I then caught up with my friends the May’s (BTW, Greetings Jesse, you can check out his 4 blogs at jemcam.blogger.com (you now owe me Jes)).

On Saturday, it was picture day for the 58th NSDC in Long Beach. Mom came up with Matty, The Otto’s, and Jeanne T., one other person was in the vehicle, but I don’t talk about trouble makers. It was extremely close for the Security picture not having Lost or Found in the picture as Mom arrived about 2 minutes before the picture was actually taken (thankfully, the rest of the committee allowed another committee to go ahead. Then the gang (The Otto’s, Jeanne, The Davis’ and Matty) all went to dinner and then went to the 59th NSDC Pre-Con dance. (BTW, Jesse, I still have that box in my trunk.) After the dance, Matty & I were supposed to go to his house in Carmel Valley (San Diego) and sleep before getting up and riding the Metrolink into Auto Club Speedway (Formerly known as California Speedway) to watch the Auto Club 500. Well, it turns out the May’s RV was available, so we ended up sleeping there instead. This was after Matty experienced a Croakers after party for the first time.

Sunday morning, rolled around and I was JACKED. I have been a NASCAR fan for maybe approaching 10 years or so, but had never been to a race. Because Matty is so connected throughout So Cal, he got us tickets to the race at Auto Club Speedway. So we left Lakewood and transversed the LA freeway system to get to Fontana. We went to the general parking lot, and rode into the speedway on a school bus. Matty was supposed to pick up the tickets from media will call, so we finally made our way over and they were there waiting for him. They were not just tickets, they turned out to be Credentials for us to checkout Pit Road, and sit in the Pit Road Suites. Also, in the package was a parking pass, so we went back to the car and drove onto the speedway grounds and thought they were for the grandstands, it was then we found out that they were for the Pit Road Suites.

Once in the Infield, we realized they gave us Pit Road Access until an hour before the race was scheduled to begin, it had been raining all night, and morning so we thought just on the off chance that NASCAR was going to be strict on the time, we better go and checkout Pit Road. Well, we got onto Pit Road, and Security forced us onto the grass infield between the track and Pit Road. So we hang out in the grass, and none other than ZZ Top began to play. SWEET!!!!!!! Then I turn maybe 30⁰ and what begins but driver introductions. Dummy me, forgot his camera in the car, THANK GOD for Camera Phones. So I took a few pictures of me in Victory Lane, and of the drivers during introductions. Security forced us off the infield, and up to the suite seats. We grabbed a seat that was maybe 6 pit boxes from the start/ finish line and a box and a half from the scoring pylon. About two boxes East (or to the Left, as we were looking) from the pylon was Hendrick Motorsports newest driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr and two boxes further down, was JEFF GORDON !!!! Mr. El Cajon, had the very first pit box/stall and that was about 8-10 stalls/boxes away.

When Matty and I left the speedway, the race had yet to go back to green, and well probably not go back until Monday. 87 laps were in the books, and due to a lengthy (1 hr 20 Min +)Red Flag due to a bad crash and water seepage and a couple of yellows and another Red Flag for rain. There was no way that the race would finish on Sunday. Look for the conclusion on SPEED TV on Monday from what will probably be a nice sunny Fontana, CA.

I have uploaded some of the pictures to my myspace account (www.myspace.com/mavricksd) under the AUTO CLUB 500 gallery. Check it out, til Edition 1.015 I’ll be seeing you! I promise in 1.015 I will have some funny news for you, it has been a while since I have done that.

BTW, There is a 85% chance that I will be back at Auto Club Speedway in August for the Pepsi 500!