trolley tales 11: take the stairs

Fifteen or so people got off the trolley at the university station. Everybody headed for the elevator, except one. He had a puzzled look as he stared at the crowd squeezing into the elevator.

"Did I miss something?" he was probably thinking. "Are the stairs closed?"

No, I wanted to tell him. You are heading for the stairs because you are the only one who is fit enough to do so. Or care enough about being fit.

But I didn't -- the doors had closed and the trolley had started moving out of the station. The kid stood there still looking up the stairs.

live post: pre-yank dindin

We decided to have dinner at the Parkhouse Eatery before going to see "Yank!" across the street at the Diversionary Theater... Now just sitting and enjoying the cool evening while waiting for Henry.

pictures from key west and gala festival 2008 miami

eli's back

It's not "Eli is back." It's Eli's back. As in vertebrae.

While we were in Miami, my dog Eli pulled his back again while staying with his "uncles" Victor and Derek. Derek called us on Friday night on his way to the veterinarian. He told me what had happened; immediately I knew that it must be the same problem he had before.

When Derek called again after the visit to the vet, nothing was a surprise to me: same diagnosis, same medication, same precautions. My only worry was that it might be worse than the first time.

We're on the 12th day of his 20-day restricted exercise/mobility period. He has completed his regimen of steroid and muscle relaxant. He seems to be his good old self, but his hind legs are definitely weak. I'm hoping to see more improvement in the coming days.

live post: earthquake

We just had a magnitude 5.8 earthquake at 11:42am, centered a few miles southwest of Chino Hills east of Los Angeles (google map). This one was a "swaying" quake, at least where I am right now. Most tremors I've felt in Southern California had been the rolling type, just rumbling through. This type reminds me of the ones we have in the Philippines.

I had been thinking of going to lunch right before it happened. I thought I was just really hungry and was starting to get dizzy. :)

Sent from my iPhone.

Update: The magnitude was later reduced to 5.4.

GMCSD Performance at GALA 2008

Excerpts from three of the four songs we sang at the Knight Hall (Adrienne Arsht Performance Center) in Miami on July 17, 2008.

live post: "Heroes" at Comic-Con

I was foolish to think that getting to the San Diego Convention Center at 8:45 for the 10:30 Q&A with the cast of Heroes would get us into the hall, let alone getting seats. Wrong. Clearly dead wrong. The line, six-person-deep, looped around the whole length of the convention center all the way to the Marriott Hotel. People had camped out last night.

So Guillermo (a Comic-Con virgin) and I are here at the Bondi having breakfast. Bacon and egg panini, cup of coffee. Milo Ventimiglia and Greg Grunberg will just have to do the Q&A session without me.

live post: phoenix

We're baaack! Well, we're not quite home yet, but we are in the southwest: hot and dry... so different from Miami.

live post: new orleans

Just landed in the Big Easy. The vegetation reminds me a lot of Manila, but not quite. Temperature and humidity, definitely the same as Manila. It's good that we are staying in the plane.

live post: homeward bound

Now sitting at the departure lounge at the Fort Lauderdale airport, waiting for our 1:30 pm flight. I can't wait to get home and see our dog, Eli. He has been with Victor and Derek (and Maggie) for a week, and had to be taken to the doctor for his back problem.

GALA bits and pieces: goodbye, Miami

Sunday morning. Many of our chorus members have flown back home. Some are in the lobby waiting for the shuttle to the airport. I am packing, and in a couple of hours I will be taking my turn to say goodbye to Miami.