Alive in Wonderland

Twitter brings together Ducks fans and also gives small window into my marriage

 

I attended the Ducks Tweet-up at The Honda Center this week and look who I sat next too? Blogger Adam Rogers and Brad, the husband of blogger Kara-Noel.  I chatter with them all night and since this was Brad's first hockey game, I felt I needed to rattled off statistics, player bios and NHL rules to him throughout the game; always ending with the phrase, "I'm I bugging you?"  He assured me each time I wasn't. Just trying to recruit more fans for the cause...

The Tweet up was organized by John T. Meyer of  "Pick my NHL Team",  and all in all I think there were about 25-30 of us seated up in the 400's (along with a large number of Red Wings fans, who I believe I was able to out-shout through most of the game). 

 

(Some of the Ducks fans attending the Tweet-up. Go to my Ducks hockey list on Twitter to follow them.)

Naturally I Twittered the whole game and my friend Debbie sent me this screen shot of my Tweet that came up right before my husband's, slightly more mature, adult Tweet from his meetings in Washington D.C. 

 

Hey, the beer line was long, okay? What can I say? We make it work.    

 

 (Saku Koivu warming up for the game.)

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If you live in OC you'll be seeing me peering over at you from the cover of OC Family at every Subway, Jamba Juice, Wahoo's, car wash and Dr.'s office for the month of February. 

I'm really proud of the article about Mom Bloggers which features some of my favorite OC Bloggers.  It also made my mom very proud--you can guess why...check out my story about it here.

 

A Comic Strip: The Tooth Fairy

 
  

   

  

     

   

  

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For more about my mommy life head over to OC Family and read my blog there.  

Today: Getting Schooled by Homework.

Meh...Otter, Gopher, Beaver...all my knowledge of animal life comes from cartoons. 

 
 

Disneyland News: A Twitter Ticket Giveaway and Give a Day. Get a Disney Day

As one of our Christmas gifts to ourselves, my family bought Disneyland Season Passes. We haven't had them in over two years.  I know it seems like I'm over at The Happiest Place on Earth all the time, but really I was only there three times last year--I know! Totally unacceptable.  Hence, the passes.

If you don't have passes or if live outside of Southern California, Disneyland has replaced their "Free on Your Birthday" promotion from 2009 with "Give a Day. Get a Disney Day."  I asked a Disney-type all about it in this video that was shot right before the new year.  I think it's a great gesture on Disneyland's part and I hope they reach their 1 million goal. 

I would like to note something that I do in my videos that I just noticed: When I make a mistake while I'm interviewing someone, I give a look to the camera that's says "Oh, okay, if you say so."  Like in this video when she says it's "....Get a DISNEY day" I give the look. I also did it in my Ducks TV video when Brian Hayward corrects me and to John Addis from the summer Disneyland videos.  Note to self: Stop doing that. 

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(Image from Overheard at Disneyland who you should all be following on Twitter.)

  Tomorrow Disneyland will have their first Ticket Giveaway on Twitter!  Check out @Disneyland throughout the day tomorrow for details.  

I'm sorta sad to hear J.D. Salinger died today

 

 

"I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful. If I'm on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I'm going, I'm liable to say I'm going to the opera. It's terrible." 

Holden Caulfield

Twenty five years after reading this from the pages of my brother's "The Catcher in the Rye," I still remember it.  How do you like that?  I had to look up the exact wording and all, but for the most part, it's  stamped on my mind forever.  I don't even know why exactly, maybe it is that voice, the way it was irreverent, bitchy, sad and rambling all at the same time--the way J.D Salinger told a story resonated with me like no other author.   

"The Catcher in the Rye" was the first book I ever fell in love with; that I carried around with me everywhere; that I underlined phrases and remarks in order to memorized them so I could use them later on my friends as my own; that inspired me write stories down and relentlessly staple them to my "real" homework and turn them in to hapless English teacher.  

J.D Salinger died today at the age of 91-freakin' years old. Not bad. Leave it to The Onion to write this in his honor "Bunch of Phonies Mourn J.D. Salinger."  Seems appropriate. 

(Image from The Changing Hands Bookstore.)

When your disaster plan consists of ordering a #2 with no onions and a Diet Coke

 

 

We've had "weather" here in Orange County this last week; actual pretty bright colors on the Dobbler map.  We're not used to that and we're really not used to...wait, a tornado warning?  That's right a real, "I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore," "cows flying through the air," "everyone in the basement," tornado warning was issued last Tuesday in Orange County. 

I was driving home from an appointment in Long Beach and drove right through it, by the time I got to the tip of Irvine I decided to pull over and wait for the winds and madness to stop (READ: Go to In-N-Out ).  As I sat in my car, powering down my cheeseburger, I started looking for information on the conditions, but the only place I could find current info was on Twitter.  The radio stations were in regular programing mode, but Twitter was brimming with updated road conditions, alerts and eyewitness reporting.  

You know what the experience made me realize?  I'm utterly unprepared for an emergency.  I didn't have my kids' school phone number in my phone or know their emergency plan.  I didn't have any AM or news channels programed on my radio--NHL Home Ice, '80 and Laugh USA, yes, but no news channels.   But it didn't really matter because the "traditional" forms of media, radio and even local websites (ocregister.com was having technical difficulties) turned-in a dismal performance.  

But Twitter rocked it.

So here is my suggestion to you: get yourself set-up on Twitter, even if it's just for emergency sake.  I feel so strongly about this that I have even compiled a list if you're in OC of Twitterers you should follow that will offer up-to-the-minute emergency updates: (If you're not in OC, contact your local Red Cross and they will help you.)

@ocreggie  (This is the Orange County Register's Twitter account and it was THE best source of info)

@ocredcross,  

@Readyoc (Emergency Preparedness Campaign)  

@OCFA-PIO (Orange County Fire Authority),  

@KFIAM640, @OCSD (Orange County Sheriff Department), 

@quakeoc ,

@OrangeCountyOA (Operational Area Emergency Center)

I also was filled-in on conditions throughout OC by regular 'ol people like me who usually use Twitter for things like posting pictures of your bunny or discussing the unsuspecting awesomeness of Grease 2, but during an emergency, I was on the frontlines reporting about the situation in the parking lot of The Tustin Marketplace.   You get 100 people or so doing that from around OC and you have a pretty good feel for what is happening in your county. Twitter is free and easy to upload onto your phone.Y es, it's fun and frivolous on most days, but during an emergency, for extremely localized news, it's invaluable.  I suggest you add it to your emergency preparedness plan.

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If you're like me and your disaster preparedness plan consists only of getting a #2 with no onions and a large Diet Coke, then this might be helpful to you. I reached out to The Orange County Red Cross and asked Monica Ruzich, Disaster Specialist in Corporate and Community Education for some advice. Here's what she had to say:

"It's easy to forget, because things happen so infrequently here, but we in OC are as vulnerable to disaster as any other place in the world... but when it happens here we tend to do it Hollywood-blockbuster style. Just as parents work every day to provide for and protect their families, they need to work emergency and disaster preparedness into  their routines."
-Supplies for kids -
"Include whatever they're used to such as teddy bears or comfort items and games. Also, many people view pets as family members so make sure to include pets when planning for disasters"
 - Kids -
 "Kids take their cues from us. Just as we protect them by teaching them  to look both ways when they cross the street or to avoid talking to strangers, we can, in a matter-of-fact way, teach them what to do during an earthquake or other disaster, including how to call 9-1-1."

Here is the Red Cross' Official Disaster Preparedness Fast Fact Sheet

Written for my blog at OC Family.

Disco Ducks at The Honda Center, Plus a Corey Perry Story

 

(Photo by me.)

 Yikes! Almost a week since posting. I've been busy and as you can see from the picture above there's another Anaheim Ducks story coming your way.  But, it's  a good one I think and even if you're not a hockey fan, which odds are, you're probably not, you might enjoy this.  

On Friday night I slipped on a sequins top and headed down to the Honda Center for The Anaheim Ducks "Center Ice Disco" Casino night.  

For my official story traipse to OC Family.

I've never  been to any of these "meet the players" type events (though accosting players in the dinning rooms of chain restaurants, I've done to death), so I was excited to go with my friend Sara.  Yes, I was there to work--so I had my Flip, my notepad and my camera--but I also wanted to tell the notoriously indifferent Corey Perry the following story and so, while in the V.I.P lounge I did tell him and his sweet girlfriend the robot story and this is how it went.

Me: "Hi Corey." (Blah. Blah. Introduction. Blah.)  

Perry: "Hi."

Me: "My 5-year-old son has that HUGE 6 ft poster of you from the Kids Club Kit in his room and every night he says he's not afraid because he knows you (Corey Perry) will protect him from the bad guys and monsters."

Perry: (Forcing half smile.) 

Girlfriend: "That's so cute!"  

Me:   "Anyways, (deep breath and now talking at breakneck speed because I can tell I'm losing him) for Christmas he got these two robots--Mike and Gib--and we put them up in his room right under your poster. Then, on Christmas night my son asked me to move his robots into the laundry room because he was scared of them and thought they might come to life at night."

Perry: (Totally and understandably checked out of the conversation at this point.) 

Girlfriend: "Awww!"

Me: (Relentlessly forging ahead) "So I asked him, 'What about Corey Perry? Can't he take care of them for you? You know, can't he fight them off?' Then my son said without a hitch and with total confidence, 'Corey Perry doesn't fight robots.'"

Girlfriend, Sara and I:  (laugh. laugh. laugh.)

Perry: (Joining back in the conversation for a moment.)

Me: "So, do you?" 

Perry: (With knitted-brow) "Do I what?"

Me: "Do you fight robots?"

Perry: (Smirking) "I'll fight anyone."

And that's why Corey Perry is my favorite hockey player. The end. 

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Here's my video from the night.

Be like me. Wait! Scratch that.

 

This is a photo of my daughter and me.  We both love our Converse. 

I wrote a story to go along with  the script over on my blog at  OC Family. 

 

Anaheim Ducks TV & Me

 

(Me and Skylar Cuarisma, host of Ducks TV and The Element)

On Tuesday night I had the chance of a lifetime:  I hosted Ducks TV, the Anaheim Ducks, clip & highlights show, as part of a contest they are running this season.  

Read how I got the courage to do it here.

It was a fine idea on the Ducks part to give fans a chance to see behind-the-scenes at the Honda Center and also to lean how they pull off a Ducks broadcast.  They had been touting the contest all season, but I didn't decide I wanted to do it until about two weeks ago and after I applied to host, I couldn't help but want to do it--badly!  

After a pre-interview with a member of the Ducks TV Committee, I was chosen to host the Jan. 5th game against the Red Wings! I know! How great is that?  They are our Western Conference rivals and the Honda Center is crawling with red jerseys when we play them.  There's a lot of energy in the building when we play the Wings.  I was amped.

When I arrived I tried to stuff my excitement a little.  I mean, there I was waiting for Kent French in the lobby of the Honda Center's main office, surrounded by photos of the Ducks winning the Stanley Cup, but I could hardly tap the receptionist on the shoulder and say, "Can you believe you get to work here?"  Right?

Kent French arrived, gave me my media pass and began escorting me to the edit suite where Ducks TV is produced.  Turning down the giant, slate hallway I spotted a man, curly-topped and crouched up against a wall. He had his hands on his knees and was swinging them in slalom-style side to side. 

Don't freak, k? 

It was Ducks' Goalie Jonas Hiller warming up for the game.  Inside I was all, "OMG! THAT'S FREAKIN' JONAS HILLER!"  But, on the outside, I nodded calmly as if listening intently to Kent French's gracious tour of the facilities.  "This is great," I said matter-of-factly to him...yeah "FREAKIN' JONAS HILLER WARMING UP IN THE HALLWAY KINDA GREAT!" said the little dork inside. Then I thanked him for the first of one thousand times that night. 

Here's my Whrrl from the night.  

Click anywhere on the photo to get a play-by-play

When I walked into the edit suite it all seemed familiar and cozy, like going to an old friends house.  I worked in television for almost 8 years in San Francisco, but hadn't been anywhere near the business for over 12 years.  As Kent French (must always say his whole name because it's such a great name--Kent French) explained to me the different "segments" of the program I would need to complete and how the show was structured,  I started finishing his thoughts and finally said, "Sorry, I used to work in TV a long time ago." He smiled and said,"Well, why didn't you just say so?"  Because I didn't want to be, like, "I worked in TV a long time ago."  

At learning that I had some experience, they gave me a camera man and let me roam freely throughout the Honda Center;  carousing the media room's buffet then asking its patrons where the media bar was, carefully walking the rafter above the ice looking for a "rad angle," and lastly, furiously knocking on the locker room door for someone to let me in, because "I'm Media!" 

Not really. 

Skylar Caurisma was assigned as my "escort" for the night.  She helped me write my highlight script, brought me up to her secret place to watch the game and generally made the whole night even that much more awesome.  Steve Luxenberg was the producer / editor for the night and honestly, if I don't look like a complete geek on camera it's due mostly to his direction and stellar editing skills.

I requested an interview with Brian Hayward, the Ducks Broadcast Color Analyst, and I got it.  As a new fan, he has taught me a lot about the game of hockey.  He shares little bits of knowledge throughout a Ducks game broadcast and due to his thoroughness, I now know what a "Scoring Chance" is and that it's the play-by-play announcer, John Ahlers, that says "feather the puck in," not Hayward. (Watch the tape--opps!)

One of the things that struck me most was that every person I met that night was a Duck fan.  I would have been heartbroken to find out the staffers, talent and even the NHL guys, didn't care about the game, or the Ducks.  Everyone was gracious, helpful and friendly and that  pushed the experience from a great one to an extraordinary one for me.  From the little bit of work I do around OC for my blog, I hear that a lot; the Ducks are a great organization, now I see why they have that reputation.  

I know this is a long post, but it was a big night and for those of you interested in the Ducks I wanted to share it with you.  It was the ultimate fan experience.

Now, here is my segment.  I'm happy with it, but could do without all the hair flipping and head tossing I do.  I swear, I'm fairly certain I don't do that in real life.  At least I hope I don't.   

They let me host Ducks TV. Watch it here. 

If I'm chosen as a finalist, my segment will go up for voting.  If I win, I will get to interview a Ducks player.  Can you even imagine how unbearable I will be if that happens?  Still, I hope that if I make the finals, you will vote for me anyway.

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If you're dying to read everything I've written about the Ducks, here's the link:

 Me and the Anaheim Ducks.