The Getty Museum, The Grove (Mall), and Christmas with Robyn

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Roger here...  Our daughter Robyn was with us for most of our last three days in California.  On Thursday we made plans to spend a few hours at the Getty Museum, but before we could go, we helped Robyn with the last stages of cleaning her apartment in anticipation of the arrival of her new roommate, Amy (sp?), and her mother. 


Dianne took a couple pictures of the flowers in the gated courtyard and her huge lemon tree.  She then stole one of the lemons.  

The Getty Center is an amazing place, like no other museum we have visited, and it's free!  (Except for the $15 parking fee :-(.  After parking we needed to choose our mode of transportation to the top of the hill where the museum sat.  Our choices were a half-hour walk, or a comfy tram.  We chose the tram.  It really was chilly that day.  The views from the top of the hill and all the outdoor areas were amazing.  Our pictures do not do it justice.  We will need to return at another time (on a warm day)                              just to wander through the gardens.  We ate a quick lunch and then on to the exhibits.

I am not an art expert by any stretch of the imagination, but my favorite was the Iris painting by Van Gogh.

Christmas eve morning started with a beautiful sunrise over the water.   After the morning coffee, dog walks, etc., we picked up Robyn and headed to the mall.   I would normally groan at this point, but this mall (The Grove) was really fun.  

It is an outdoor mall that is adjacent to the Los Angeles Farmer's Market.  We started with a Starbucks and then wandered down the streets.  The Christmas displays were fun (glad not to be in the Santa line).  Dianne, with some urging from Robyn, had a great time modeling clothing that she would never wear. 

 Dianne here:  the only shopping I did was at the Three Dog Bakery:


There were even double-decker buses to shuttle shoppers from store to store.  We ended our mall-time by seeing a movie, The Little Fockers.  I love to laugh and this movie fit the bill.

  Robyn spent the night with us at the motor home on Christmas Eve.  Christmas day was a quiet day of watching the ocean and of course eating.  Robyn was busy with a project most of the time, which was great.  It reminded us of the many wonderful years we had with her.  (Dianne here:  It truly was just like when she lived at home; she always had a project of some type.)

The Whippet Picture(s) of the Day are a series of pictures portraying our three sons (including Big Chuck - the cat), enjoying the "presents" that Dianne bought for them at the Three Dog Bakery at the mall.  

(Charlie's was leftover salmon).  We will be off the grid for a few days while we drive to Texas, so if there's a delay in publishing any of your comments, that's why.  See y'all!!  

Dr. Phil and the Return of Mr. Mom

Roger here...  I love the way that the sunset reflects off the side of our motor home in the picture above.  The sunsets here in Acton CA have been spectacular.


Today is a dark, wet, cool, and dreary day - a good day to catch up on our blogging. 


DR. PHIL


Last Wednesday Dianne and Robyn went to a taping of the Dr. Phil Show at Paramount Studios.  We had reserved the tickets on line before Thanksgiving.  Wait a minute.  Robyn was supposed to go, but got very busy at work.  Guess who got to go instead?  I was thrilled (definitely sarcasm).  In order to get to the studio for the 9:30 a.m. taping, we had to get up at 4:30 a.m.  Had to clean up, walk the dogs, eat breakfast, and go to the bathroom one last time.  The online tickets said to arrive 45 minutes early.  From our America's Funniest Videos experience, we knew to arrive even sooner than that.  


Paramount does not provide on-site parking like AFV and Warner Brothers, so we had the choice of a parking garage or on-street parking in a questionable neighborhood in Hollywood.  We chose the garage.  We soon discovered that all studio experiences are not equal.  We had a good experience at AFV and a great experience at Warner Brothers.  It was not the same at Paramount, but interesting, and free, nonetheless.


We were among the first 40 people to arrive, and were immediately ushered into a Disney-esque queue, where we stood for an hour and were frequently asked if we had cameras and/or cell phones.  At that time I was only able to identify three other men.  I spent the hour telling others in the line that our daughter was supposed to be there, and that I was the reluctant second choice.  Dianne rolled her eyes, but it made me feel better.


I noticed that several people (later identified as VIP ticket holders) were ushered around the line.  No big deal.  We were far enough in the line that we had to get in.  At that point my main concern was finding a restroom  (morning coffee and no place to pee during the two-hour rush hour drive).  Lots of other people were asking about restrooms and were assured that they were around the corner and easy to find after check-in.  When the line started moving about 45 minutes prior to the show,  I watched as people checked in and went through security screening.  It seemed pretty simple.  When we arrived at the table, we were told that our on-line ticket did not guarantee us a seat at the first of the two tapings.  Other people had different kinds of tickets.  Heaven knows how they got them. This was a surprise that was not explained anywhere on-line or on  the ticket.  


We were told to join another group of disgruntled people over to the side while they checked in EVERYONE else and were assured that there would probably be enough seats for us to attend the first show.   Realizing that we would be waiting another half-hour, I asked about the restrooms and they allowed Dianne and I to bypass security, pee, and return.


As others progressed through the line, other third-class ticket-holders were identified and escorted to our holding area, where people were mumbling and one lady was yelling.  


Eventually, we were told to form a new line.  Our early arrival meant nothing at that point.  Soon a third line was formed that included the really late arrivals.  The pages then began checking us in.  At that point the late arrival line surged in front of our line, amid some yelling and shoving.  No one from the studio attempted to stop them.  The lady who was yelling earlier, began yelling again.  

We did get in (75 people did not) and were among the very last people to be admitted to yet another holding area, where we were given t-shirts.  


There were six different colors.  Our color was green.  We waited as the light blue people were called, then the dark blue people....   Finally, they called for the green people.  We were taken to great seats on the front row of the second tier.  After almost two hours, things were finally getting better.


Everyone was told that wearing the t-shirts was mandatory.  I am not sure why we were told to dress in business casual.  I put on the t-shirt under my sport coat.  Just before the taping, everyone was told that despite the cool temperature in the studio, everyone must take off their jackets and coats.  No big deal for me, but I did feel sorry for a few of the elderly ladies who were in their best Sunday clothes and shivering under their coats.  One lady draped the t-shirt over her blouse and refused to put in on.  She was told that she would be on camera and that she must actually put it on over her ruffled dress.  She responded by saying that she would need to be moved to a less conspicuous seat, because she was not going to put it on.  Surprisingly, they did allow her to do this.


Finally, the show began.  Dr. Phil walked directly in front of us as he made his way to the stage.  The taping was interesting and held my interest.  I really enjoyed it when the audience members shouted encouragement and insults at the people on the stage.  I am really not sure what the premise of the show was, so Dianne will explain that part.


I haven't really watched Dr. Phil since Roger retired, but I used to have it on as I cleaned our stix and brix house.  Evidently a very popular theme this season has been Dr. Phil's Housewives.  He has followed six women on Tuesdays this season.  Our colored T-shirts corresponded to each of the six "housewives," who were all going to be on the stage together for the first time.  By luck of the draw, our green color corresponded to Gloria, one of the most controversial of the six housewives.  I think that's why we were given such good seats.


Even though we hadn't followed it this season, there was enough background in the taped segments that we got up to speed.  We were sitting in the same row as Robin, Dr. Phil's wife, (she's incredibly tiny, by the way, and more beautiful than she looks on TV.) 


  Sometimes my view was blocked  by a cameraman and huge camera when he took position right in front of me.  I didn't care at all, though, because to me it was more interesting to watch him film, and watch the red lights come on in his camera viewfinder to indicate what he was filming.  


Dr. Phil did walk right in front of us.  He had on a lot of makeup, but looked pretty much like he does on TV.  We're assuming this show will air some Tuesday in January, but we were never told.  Roger is right, America's Funniest Videos does do a better job with the audience.  It must just depend on which studio is in charge.  Back to Roger now.


Back to the fun.  When the show ended, the director (I think he was the director) hopped onto the stage and told everyone that the second show would be really good and would begin shortly.  When asked when the shows would be broadcast, he did not know.  (AFV was very clear about the broadcast date.)  When asked about the topic for the next show, he refused to comment.  He then began dismissing people by sections to go outside.  He gave no indication about what was to happen next.


We walked through a room of angry-looking people who were seated in rows (the 75 people who did not get into the first taping) and found ourselves in an outdoor area next to the restrooms.  We stood in what we thought was a restroom line for a few minutes, only to find out that it was a free coffee and snack line.  Nice touch.  Wish someone had told us what it was.  Soon they began calling people in by the colored cards they were given at check in.  We were not given a colored card, so we were told to return to the queue where we had stood for an hour earlier in the day.   (Remember the nerdy rushees in the movie Animal House, who were always herded back to the same area with the other nerds so they would not mingle with the "cool" people?  That was us.) 


 After a while, a page came out to tell us that they needed to seat all the people who did not get into the first show taping before we would be admitted.  We stood in line for a half-hour.  I spent the time giving Dianne suggestions of things to shout out during the next taping, like:  


"You go, girl!"
"Stick it to the man!"
"Awwwww!"
"Man-up!"
"You are a bully!"


Then the page returned and told us we may not get in, but the first people in line would probably make it.  (We were fifth in line, so it looked good.)   He then returned again and told us that the show was completely filled, had already started, and none of us would be admitted.


I said (probably too loudly), "I am devastated!"  (sarcasm, again)   A few people chuckled.  Most grumbled as they walked away. 


THE RETURN OF MR. MOM

For the past couple of days, Robyn has been extra busy with her job and Dianne started a project.  As you can see, Jasper and Charlie helped supervise the work.  When Dianne does a project, she works straight through without breaks.  Recognizing that she was in that mode, I volunteered to do the laundry and fix dinner (a wise choice on my part).  I also did a couple of manly things, that included standing on a ladder to fix a couple of screens and adding distilled water to the house batteries.


The laundry....   Dianne has often accused me of being so "concrete sequential" that I alphabetize the items in the pantry.  NOT TRUE, but I do put the things that I use most frequently in the front, and I do put things back in the same place so I can find them the next time :-).   (Groan; he'd alphabetize the refrigerator if I'd let him -- D.)


Anyway, as a joke, I alphabetized the clean laundry  as I arranged it on the bed.  I then labeled each pile with a letter of the alphabet, and arranged them alphabetically - of course.


B = bras
D = dish rags
H = hand towels
P(aj) = pajamas
P(an) = pants
S = socks
T = t-shirts

I did not tell Dianne I was doing this and left the arrangement on the bed for her response.  I was not disappointed.  :-)


Ladies, let me warn you that your husbands might revert to their playful, boyish selves after they retire.  Also, a tip for you future fulltimers with cats, note the sheet over the bedspread.  Really helps to be able to just throw the sheet in every laundry day and save the bedspread. -- D.


Dinner...  I don't mind doing the laundry, but I have to admit that, at times, I think cooking is fun. I looked in the fridge and found a dozen eggs in the fridge and some left-over ham.  Omelets!  Yum!

I assembled the ingredients and chopped up some onions, pepperonis, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, a very very very spicy habenero-stuffed olive,  and part of a green pepper.  (I did not add the doggie Dingo Dental Sticks that you see in the picture :-).


After stirring up seven eggs (These are three-and-a -half egg omelets), I added the ingredients, along with two kinds of cheese.

Somehow, I managed to kind of flip the omelets. You can kind of tell that there are two different ones in the pan.  Kind of.

I topped them with New Mexico Green Chile and a spoonful of Greek Yogurt.  Not too bad.

Today is our last in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.  Tomorrow, we are moving to Malibu for a week, where we have a spot overlooking the Pacific.  It should be a great place to spend Christmas with our daughter, Robyn.  (Her work schedule should be light, so we're hoping she can stay with us on Malibu Beach next week.)

A final sunset shot from our campsite and the whippet picture of the day,  Jasper taking a nap under the covers.  (That is one very, very spoiled dog.  Good thing he doesn't shed and doesn't smell like a dog.  He makes a great bed warmer. -- D.)

What's Up, Doc? (Warner Brothers VIP Tour)

Hi all -- Dianne here. One of the fun things we decided to do with Robyn while visiting was to take a studio back lot tour. Warner Brothers' tour looked like a good one, so we bought tickets for the three of us.


When the day arrived, Roger and I left Acton two hours before we were to pick up Robyn, because there was no way to avoid the infamous Los Angeles morning rush hour traffic.

As we drove out of the mountains, we didn't get far before traffic stopped on "The" 14.

As we got onto the 5, 405, then 101 it got even worse. The drive takes 45 minutes when there isn't much traffic, but it took every bit of the two hours we alloted for this trip.

We picked Robyn up and made our way to the studio in Burbank. Luckily it's not far from Robyn's apartment in Sherman Oaks. We all posed and mugged for the camera with the Daffy Duck statue out in front of the visitor's center.

Daffy Duck was one of my favorites, so I had my photo taken, too.


After a stop at the Starbucks inside the visitor's center and browsing the gift shop, our 10:00 tour started right on time.

Our tour guide, Freddie, was GREAT and really added value to the tour.  We hopped aboard a tram and Freddie stopped and gave us background information on some of the buildings in the back lot.  It was interesting to learn that the same buildings are used over and over, just dressed differently for each job.

This building was used as the orphanage in the original Annie movie (the one with Carol Burnett).


Freddie explained to us the different types of buildings. Some are nothing but fronts, and the scene stops the moment the actor enters the door. Others have space inside to film. There were times when we were not allowed to use our cameras -- they even locked them up in the tram to be sure. 


One such time occurred as we passed a back lot street where an episode of The Mentalist was being filmed. We could see an ambulance with flashing lights, a SWAT team vehicle, and lots of activity down the street. I was dying to get a view of Simon Baker, but it was not to be.... We'll be watching for the SWAT team vehicle in upcoming episodes and know that we were there!

We then entered the front lot area, which consists of the large studio buildings where inside filming is done on sets constructed right there at Warner Brothers. We passed by the Ellen studio, and then got to go inside the studio where Two and a Half Men is filmed. They were dressing the set for Christmas. It is amazing how small the sets look!   Freddie explained that the camera makes everything look bigger (even the actors).


We could see through the living room of the set onto the patio which is supposedly on Malibu Beach. In reality, that patio is very small, and the view would be of dusty props, if not for a background scene that is dropped into place. They use a rotating light behind the backdrop to make the waves appear to move.


Another interesting tidbit Freddie told us is that the wood living room floor and tile kitchen floor are actually faux painted, to allow the cameras to move smoothly over the concrete surface. They look real even up close!

Another fun area we toured was the old set where Friends was filmed. The couch and coffee mugs from "Central Perk" are still there, and we all got to pose with the props!


Here are some other photos of the set:

We were admitted to a museum to see actual props, including Heath Ledger's "Joker" costume and masks worn by his thugs in the Batman movie The Dark Knight.  I spent most of my time downstairs, but Robyn and Roger made a bee-line up the stairs where the entire second floor is filled with original props from the Harry Potter movies. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed in the museum.

We then toured a building where cars were stored, including the Batmobile.

Other cars included Scooby Doo's van and the "General Lee" from the Dukes of Hazzard.

Roger posed with the "Nerd Herder" from the TV show Chuck since, like ours, it's a Toyota Matrix.

Robyn posed with the Weasley's car from Harry Potter.


At the end of the tour, our guide, Freddie, took each family's photo in front of a "green screen" posing with magic wands from Harry Potter. You can get a glimpse of the "green screen" at the far left of the above photo of Robyn with Harry Potter.
At the end of the tour, we were each given our free photos. Instead of the green screen we were standing in front of, the final photo shows the dining hall at Hogwart's! I scanned ours onto our computer so that I can give the original to Robyn.

The whippet photo of the day is yet another shot of the boys snuggling with a blanket. This is a new throw we found at Camping World -- it's REALLY soft. Obviously my boys approve!

TV Show Taping & Temecula

Roger here....  We thought it would be fun to go to a couple of show tapings while we were in the L.A. area.  Robyn jumped on the idea and helped us find what was available.  One of the shows available was America's Funniest Home Videos.  Since we do watch and enjoy that show, we signed up for free tickets. 


A couple of days before the taping, Dianne informed me that I would need to dress up.  To me (in my retirement) that means Khaki pants and a collared shirt.  That is not what Dianne had in mind.  After a few days of playful bickering, I agreed to wear my suit jacket over a dress shirt, but no tie.  Dianne agreed (but she really didn't).  Know how that goes?  The night before the taping she suggested that we watch one of our taped episodes.  While we watched, she subtly (or not so subtly) pointed out that many of the men were wearing ties.  I know her ways.  AND, I knew the ultimate outcome.  

So, the next morning, after taking the dogs for their morning walk, I dutifully put on a tie and wore the black suit that I used to wear to work and now only wear to weddings and funerals and TV show tapings.  


The taping was scheduled for 12:30 p.m.  However, we were told to arrive 90 minutes early, and also that we might want to arrive earlier than that.  As a concrete sequential (You don't want to see me catching a flight at an airport) I was pleased to arrive at 10:15 a.m., but chagrined and amazed to find that we ended up about half-way back in the line.  


We were not allowed to take any pictures of the experience, and actually signed an affidavit signifying that we would not reveal the results of the show or the taping procedures, but suffice it to say, it was a new experience and a LOT of fun.   


As audience members we truly felt as if we were a part of the show.  We were told that any of us could be on camera at any time, and encouraged to react to everything we saw.  (Dianne here:  Of course, as audience members we also participated in voting for the winning video.) 


  Tom Bergeron was hilarious, and made insightful contact with members of the audience.


Dianne here:  It may seem ridiculous to dress as though you are going to a wedding in order to watch videos of kids hitting their dads in the crotch with a wiffle bat, but if you watch the show you will notice how dressed up the audience members are.  They really stress that at this show, and gave specific instructions on the tickets.  


At the end of each taping, one male and one female win $250 cash (voted on by other audience members) for being best-dressed.  Guess who was one of five males up for the prize?  You guessed it --  Roger!  He was so embarrassed!  He had to go down front and stand with four other guys (all in their 20s) while the audience voted.  


Roger and I were probably the oldest people in the audience.  I assumed they'd hide us in the back behind a screen, but we actually ended up with pretty decent seats and a good view.

Roger didn't win the best-dressed prize, but he did win a T-shirt!  During each taping, the behind-the-scenes producers award T-shirts to audience members who have a good smile and "emote properly."  There were around 300 people in the audience, and only three shirts were given out.  Once again, Roger was singled out, much to his embarrassment.  I assume that means he might be visible when the show airs on January 23.  The T-shirt is nice; however, as you can see from the photo, both Roger and I would fit into it -- it is a 2XXL!  Back to Roger...


I guess Dianne was right (as usual) about the tie.


After the taping we dropped by Robyn's apartment for a short visit and ordered pizza.  Yum.  We don't have pizza that often any more (too many calories) so it was especially good.

Going back a couple days....  While we were hiking and climbing at Vasquez Rocks County Park, my brother, Dick, called.   Turns out he was going to be in San Diego for a day on business during the weekend, and had several hours of free time before his evening meeting on Sunday.  We decided to meet for a late lunch in Temecula, a trendy desert town located between the two cities.  


On the way, Dianne and I stopped by Jojoba Hills, an Escapee (RV) Co-op Park where we might try to stay in the future.  We wanted to see the park and ask questions about site availability, what to expect, etc.  Unfortunately, the gate was closed, as well as the office.  All we really know is that the entrance road is nicely landscaped.  Oh well, we'll give them a call.  It is probably a really nice place.

We know that Temecula -- especially Old Town Front Street -- is a really nice place.   There are  several blocks with wood-planked side-walks, trendy shops, lots of wine tasting (We did not participate -- we've reached our limit on that for a while :-), live music, and restaurants.  The town was decked out with Christmas decorations. Very festive.  There were even Victorian-garbed carolers strolling through town.

We met up with Dick and ate at Bailey's Front Street Bar and Grill.  The food was great, and we were so happy to see Dick.  We had lots of time to discuss memories, family and Purdue (also Gonzaga) basketball (We are both Purdue alums and our nephew, Matt, is a junior at Gonzaga).  The food was tasty.  I had a barbeque brisket sandwich and it was delicious (time to increase the exercise routine - pizza and brisket on consecutive days).  We are planning to visit Dick and his family at their new home in Mansfield, Ohio next August.

Here is a shot of a Christmas purchase from Temecula.  (Robyn -- you'll just have to wait and see what is in the bag.)

Whippet picture of the day...  "The Chaplin Stare."