OC Family The Glamorous Life Association

The Renaming of Orange County.

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:28:00 GMT

Not exactly a newsflash but, I love Orange County.

I think you all know that. Maybe cuz I talk about HOW MUCH I LOVE ORANGE COUNTY every chance I get. So this humored me. I was surprised actually, to see that if the country was divided up into fairly equal chunks of population*…The OC would not only BE ITS OWN chunk, but it would be one of the smallest. That means that we have a hella lotta people living here.So why would anyone do this? Well, because they are looking for electoral college reform I guess.And maybe it is just kinda fun to mess with the United States. Like I am loving the chunk called “Brownia” and the bizarre “Llano Estacado”. Come to think of it maybe the “Orange” chunk should have been renamed “Botoxia” or “SUVille”….not judging. Just sayin. Actually “GlamorousLife” would have worked nicely as well. But one of my girlfriends suggested name is the best out of all of them..

"Cougar de Caza"
Perfection.

* Each state (sic. ‘chunk’) shown has a population between 5.4 and 5.635 million, according to Census 2000 figures. Most are 5.616 million. The District of Columbia is preserved as it is.

How to get into heaven by drinking lemonade.

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:29:00 GMT

Just a little piece of my weekend...

While this photo could equally be a survey photo for The Power Line Installers of America, it is actually a photo of my kids. Walking purposely under a lovely late Southern California February sky, my boys took their Lemonade-Stand-in-a-Wagon business around town. And I spied on them from a safe distance. This was after they picked the lemons from our trees and made two giant pitchers of the sweet stuff by hand. And apparently our backyard ‘tiki hut’ barbeque is now company headquarters. I had to giggle when they said “I had no idea lemonade was so hard to make. Maybe that is why it tastes so good”.

I have decided that it tells a lot about a person’s character if they go out of their way to stop to buy lemonade from kids.

Like I think it says ‘You are a saint and are going to heaven’.

I wanted to go hug everyone who pulled over their car or came walking up for a cup of sweet goodness.

So thank you.

You are good people.

Yes, that is a Flight of the Concords shirt on Jack. He said it was going to be good for business.

And maybe it was. They made $12.00 on this day (at 50cents a cup)….and had tons of fun. As always, they donate half their 'business' profits to the Orange County Make-a-Wish chapter. So I would call it a success.

But of course now I need to go to the store for sugar and plastic cups....

For *some* reason-I am fresh out.

My body image needs serious help...

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:13:00 GMT

I think I have a problem.

I woke up today at 3am and couldn’t sleep. Why you ask? Well, I FELT FAT.

Let’s review. Listen to what I am saying;

I felt too fat IN MY SLEEP.

I have struggled with weight my entire life. With brief periods of drug induced (I still love you Phen-Fen even though they took you away from me) skinny-ness. But now I am back to being heavy. Not super heavy. But I am definitely no longer the skinny one. Now I am ‘the one with the nice face and good personality’. I was sent a Wii fit by a PR company recently and when I hooked it up it informed me I was most definitely OVERweight and then proceeded to enlarge my avatar until it resembled the Stay Puff marshmellow man. Wii was that really necessary?

Was seeing my BMI on my 60” plasma TV not punishment enough?

I was not a fat child. But I was round. Round face with chubby cheeks and a general look of ‘kid-ness’ to me. Think Punky Brewster (only with totally coordinated outfits). But when I began those damn dance lessons, starring into a mirror day after day hour after hour, I had plenty of opportunity to compare every inch of my body to the other girls. Megan’s hip bones stuck out. Caroline’s thighs didn’t touch. Michele had breasts already. Did I tell you I was NINE. Yes, by nine years old I had developed complete hate for my own god-given shape.

I began ‘watching’ what I ate at the age of nine. And have done so every day, every meal since. Aside for my pregnacies (when I allowed my self a free pass and gained 80lbs with EACH kid) I can not remember the last time I ate a meal without regret. Every bite comes with the accompanying food-guilt. Worse still is the Meal Hangover the next day. Praying so bad I could take it back. All of it.

I have a long running joke that I wish I had a non-life threatening disease that leaves me so thin the doctors have to BEG me to eat my way back to a normal weight. I would have round the clock deliveries of Fetticini Alfredo and be back to fighting weight in a matter of weeks. Oh, I have lots of jokes about my weight.

Just realizing how demented all that is...

But this is not some delayed New Year’s resolution proclamation. I am not telling the world to hold me accountable. While I will continue to workout, and try to eat right- I have no real expectations that it will actually happen. I mean I have been at this for a long, long while. I am realistic. And I am tired. My weight quiet literaly is my teether. It is the one thing that has held me back from achieving my dreams I believe. OH the energy wasted on wondering if my ‘back fat’ is showing! And the tears I have shed over beach vacations. Cognitively I know that is all nonsense.

But I am trapped. By my own fat mind games.

I have never, ever discussed my really screwed up body issues with anyone. And so naturally I decided to start by telling the internet. I just thought if we were going to be good friends this was a good place to start.

But you won’t tell anyone will you?
_____________

Let me please add that I know some readers (and friends) will scoff (never used that word before) at my claim of fatness. And I know that there are plenty of woman out there who are far far heavier than me - and are perfectly OKAY WITH IT.

And I envy them.

Calling myself fat is not an easy thing. I will go out on a limb and say this is the hardest post I have ever written. But I felt compelled. I hope it reaches someone who can relate just a little.

photocredit: Murphy McCracken via Flickr

Cat 'houses' are out of control!

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:14:00 GMT

Um, so you know about GlamCat right? Yeah that damn perfect cat I mention every other post…well, I started thinking maybe I should actually buy GlamCat some little piece of furniture of her own. You know the Amazon shipping box she is currently sleeping in (hey, I added a blanket. Its like practically the Kitty Ritz) might not be cutting it forever. So I made the mistake of Googleing for ‘Unique cat furniture”.

OH MY GOD people.

What the hell is going on out there in the cat world? This goes beyond ‘crazy cat lady’ behavior- this is totally insane. Lets review some of the wacko findings.

Want kitty to sleep on a sinking ship? You can!

Want kitty to have nightmares of being eaten by a larger blue-smurf cat? You can!

Do you have a pair of kitties named Harry and Hermione? Look no further…

Did you find kitty in an alley behind the Benihana? Make her feel at home…

Was kitty abducted by aliens? The love of your life? Or possibly is a gay drag kitty who can’t get enough of fabulous purple fur?

Now this insanity got me thinking that maybe some of this is spurred by indoor-only cat guilt.

After all SOME PEOPLE* would say keeping a cat indoors is like kitty-jail.

Not judging. Just saying. And that is when I found this. A frickin Disney-esque jungle recreation for the kitty.

Which would be awesome. If I could add a whole wing on to my house just for Mozy kitty.

I think I am leaning towards one of these below. Cuz Mozy is a pretty modern hip mid-century kitty.

GlamCat is all about the retro.

But these beauties cost real BUCKS. ($350? Are you Fur Real?)

They are for the I-got-adopted-by-the-Rockefellers set…so maybe we will just stick with the Amazon box for now.

*NOT ME so save the hate mail k?

Giving it up for Lent. Or Not.

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 07:59:00 GMT

Oh my goodness I talk about religion a lot these days huh? Trust me. It is purely an accident....But here goes another one...

Hey did you hear? Its that time of year when people give up stuff they could probably do without anyway really like to show their commitment to their religion. Or something like that. I am not Catholic, so the concept of Lent is a little blurry. But I gotta say I think it is a really very practical way to make you feel grateful. You know that whole ‘you don’t know how good you have it- till it is gone’ kinda philosophy. Well I have never participated…but I was thinking maybe this year I would do a ‘Bloggers Lent’ sort of thing….

I am thinking of giving up one or all of these

1. Checking stats on my blog hourly daily.

2. Passive-Aggressively posting on Facebook…and only posting the ‘pretty’ parts of my life.

3. Using Twitter like one big commercial to promote everything I have written, said or done that day.

4. ‘Touching up’ photos of myself before posting so that I look younger/thinner/better in everyway.

5. Whrrling/Photographing every single place I go with my kids and missing out on the actual fun of being there.

But honestly I would rather give up this stuff:

1. Laundry
2. Unloading the dishwasher
3. Grocery shopping

TheHusband: Hey honey, I have nothing to wear, nothing to eat off of and there is no food in the house.

Me: Um, yeah. I gave those up for LENT. Now don’t bother me. I am busy doing quiet examining of my life over here.

TheHusband: You aren’t supposed to give up stuff you hate doing. You missed the point.

Me: I can give up whatever I want. This is my religious journey for Christ’s sake.

TheHusband: You need help.

Truth is…I am going to give up SOMETHING for Lent. Worth a try. I am not sure what yet.

Possibly Mentos.

And I think I might be going to hell my faith might be wacked because I find this HYSTERICAL.

But I bet Jesus would laugh too.

Cuz he was a funny dude.

Just look at the avocado pit.

That thing is pure comedy.

POTUS and Me? Same job. Less pay.

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:39:00 GMT

Hey POTUS. I am the one running the show around these parts....

Happy President's Day.

(um, it is this Monday. Yeah that is why your kids are home from school.)

I actually googled "What does the President do?" today to explain to my boys why this day is important. (Whoa, I am practically a home schooler I know). And it occurred to me (in a grand stretch of comedic license) that moms are a lot like presidents. See for yourself:

He or She represents the United States family and decides how it will work with other countries families. They She makes decisions that affect how the country family is run.

The President's Mother office picks many of the people with important jobs, including judges trash-taker-outer. The President Mom is also in charge of all the US armed forces toy arsenal.

The President Mom has to choose the people who help him her run his her office at the White House. These people help him her plan who he she will select for Cabinet best TV viewing couch positions.

There are many jobs to be filled and they are all important. The Senate husband must doesn't have to approve each nominee.

So enjoy the day.

And think about all those past presidents who learned how to do their multi-tasking jobs well from their best mentors; their moms.

Come visit Marcy at her presidential digs on the internet. She might appoint you an ambassadorship or something.

The Glamorous Life Association

How do you feel about Trailer Church at school?

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:15:00 GMT

Over a year ago, I wrote the following post about the 'Trailer Church that could be found in front of many of the schools in Orange County. It received an out pouring of response from my readers. Today, as I dropped off my children at school -next to yet ANOTHER of these trailers. I felt my frustration growing. So I thought I would re-post and see what your thoughts are on this issue. In a not-really-funny-note, this is the same post that prompted my children's elementary school to ask me to step down as PTA president. For reals.

*BEFORE you read: I am a Christian. I love me some Jesus.
And I am not a Nazi.

After calling my children's school district to find out more about a 'Released Time' christian education trailer parked at a park near school property, I learned many many things.

1. I learned that while the school allows children to leave campus and go to this 'trailer' during lunch it does not consider that an endorsement of a particular religion.

2. I learned that the school district does no background/security checks on the volunteers/workers of "Release Time". No idea if they are on the sexual predator list or not. No idea who they are at all.

3. I learned that even though the trailer was parked in what looked like a city park- the school has a shared use agreement with the city and therefore it is school property until 4:00 each day.

And when I asked how this organization was going to promote their 'education', I was told they would be sending home a flyer to the students. So I asked "how is that possible with the separation of church and state?" and Mr. District said "any non profit group can send out district approved flyers to the children". I thought for a minute and said "SO lets say I am a NAZI. But I am a non-profit NAZI with a NAZI organization I would be able to send home flyers to ALL the CHILDREN in the SCHOOL DISTRICT?". I was met with silence and then a weak "well, YES." Seems to me there is a real problem with their policy.

Hello. CHURCH and STATE? I am a Jesus loving Christian - and this trailer recruitment offends me. Who the heck are these people trying to recruit my kids into their trailer? Isn't that just a large creepier version of the scary guy and his van? Gosh I hope they don't give out candy too. And what about the poor Muslim kid? Or the Jewish child? Don't you think they are going to feel displaced by this even though the district says it isn't but it is ENDORSEMENT of Christianity? Where are the Trailer Synagogue? Or Mosque? This whole thing makes me sad. And it scares me. But what do you think?

For this post I attempted to contact "Release Time Education" for comment. But apparently they have none. They never returned my calls or emails or letters. However by visiting their site I learned their are 309 trailers sitting outside elementary schools in the state of California. And I learned they are only permitted to be there at the discretion of the school district. So if the I school district says no, then they are gone. Remember these trailers are not visiting schools in remote locations, which are no where near a church....This is the OC and we have more churches in Orange County than nail shops...I am eager to hear any and all thoughts you have on this strange concept of 'trailer churches' in our school district. Both good and bad. You won't hurt my feelings. I like an active dialogue.....

Team Snacks should be stopped!

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:22:00 GMT

It's Little League baseball season again. Something I used to complain about, but after surviving the nightmare of insane Pop Warner Football people and obsessed Club Soccer families…I now totally and completely embrace the sport of baseball. It fits us perfectly. The first couple of practices are always a hot bed of activity for the parents. Due to this thing called ‘mandatory volunteer’ clause. Which is the best oxymoron ever. If it is MANDATORY then you are not volunteering right? But that is okay….I love helping out. Because as you know by now… I am THAT mom. The one who is all involved and happy to be there. The one wearing the team colors from head to toe. So I will be pitch counting the games, scraping, setting up and watering the field, coordinating parties, applying band-aides and more. (We have the world’s best team mom already. But yes, I did volunteer to do it. Cuz I am insane.)

So you might be surprised by what I have to say today.

I am over the team SNACK thing.

Do you know what I am talking about?

So when a new team starts a little list goes around and all the parents pick a day to ‘bring an after the game snack.’ The boys on our team are ages 9-11, not toddlers or even infants who have to eat something every 3 hours. I am pretty damn sure my kids can wait till after we get them home to eat. And the majority of our games are at 6:30 at night. Meaning we will be ending about 9:30. What the hell is an appropriate snack then? A warm glass of milk?

So let’s say your kid just has to have a snack. Just HAS to eat the very minute the game is over…well, here is a radical idea...

How about YOU bring YOUR OWN kid a snack?

This would also eliminate the whole ‘snack-one-upness’ thing that goes on. The first week someone brings a granola bar and a juice, the following week that mom has to try to out-do…so she brings cookies and Gatorade. After a few weeks it has progressed to custom baseball themed cupcakes and ice cold glasses of milk or even pre-packaged $6 baseball theme box-snacks. If you are assigned one of the last games of the season, you start to consider bringing in a caterer or a roach coach to feed these poor hungry children who had to go a whole THREE hours without eating and are surely to pass out and die if they don’t get nourishment before they drive the 10 minutes home after the game.

If they had needed me to be the team mom, the first thing I would have implemented was getting rid of the team SNACK thing.

While reviewing our current game snack assignments for the season, I mentioned my idea to Jack. He of course looked me in the eye and said

“No Snack? Mom, that is un-American.”

Can anyone explain to me the point of these team snacks? Do you feel differently? Agree?

Let me know in the comments...

Find Marcy hanging out at her other place on
the internet The Glamorous Life Association.

New Printer? Kodak vs. HP

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:17:00 GMT

Buying new technology can be both intimidating and confusing. Sure there are 9 million websites with comparison charts and reviews, but sometimes you just wish a friend would tell you what to buy. Below you will see two short videos which show me testing many features on the HP and Kodak wireless printers. So if you are in the market...take a second to watch. You might be surprised by the results.

Marcy can be contacted with questions or additional product reviews by visiting Marcywrites.com.

What to expect at the next 'Checkbook Party'

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:46:00 GMT

Okay folks- this is a long ditty...I tried to edit and cut it down- but I gave up. It is a Monday so maybe you are looking for a good novel or blog post to read. In that case here goes:

Checkbook Party: party given for the sole purpose of selling a product. A la Tupperware. Or Partylite or candles...or jeans. Or just about anything you don't really need.

The phrase was created by my loving husband, who when I announced he would be on his own with the kids for a Friday night a few months ago- asked where I was going. When I told him it was a ‘candle party thing’…he said ’oh, no another Checkbook Party’- and the phrase was coined in my house from that moment on.

It is sad really, first you get the Evite, phone call or written invitation and you are excited. ‘Wow, someone wants me to come to their party!’….and then you read the fine print. This is not any regular let’s-get-together-and-drink party. Nope this is a party with a purpose. You are not going to be a guest at this party- You will be a CUSTOMER. Ah-ha! Now you know why you were invited..it is not your clever witty party jokes, or that you can bring a mean spinach dip…..no folks, you were invited because you have a checkbook. You were invited because every person the hostess knows was invited. The hostess was not selective- she asked everyone and anyone she knew (I was once invited by a neighbor I had never seen in person). But who cares right? It is a PARTY. So you put it on your calendar-why not?

The party itself looks remarkably like a real party- there is food, drinks and sometimes music. But strangely no men in site. Even the husband of the hostess is hiding in a room upstairs- or sent to the movies with the kids. Nope, no husbands, and no kids…but there ARE apple martinis. You decide to stay. You chat awkwardly with the strange collection of women: The hostess’s hair dresser, hostess’s sister, the hostess’s babysitter, mom’s from school and a few people who don’t even know the hostess but were brought along for moral support.

And then the unavoidable happens; the presentation begins. You look to the door and think ‘is there anyway I can get out of here?” Then you remember the hostess taking your purse and putting it in the guest room with the others. You are now a party hostage. You refill your martini and then sit down with the group and look up to the party presenter. OC Party presenters are like cheerleaders who have been to one too many Tony Robbins seminars. They are always ‘thrilled’ to be there and seem to smile continually. They show the candle/purse/cooking products like pros- with a silly story/joke/anecdote for each product. They always have a sale or a special on something. You listen and firmly plant your feet in thinking ‘ keep trying lady- but there is no way in heck I am buying’. And yet, inevitably by the end of the ‘show’ and after 2 or 3 martinis…there you are breaking out your checkbook. You never realized how essential candles are to your life. You absolutely MUST have that giant candle thing holder- even though you will never be able to actually light the candles with kids in the house without risk of burning the whole house down. You really really need those candles or lotion or fake designer purse or whatever. You decide to banish all other lighting EXCEPT candles in your home. You will now do everything by candle light. As you write your check you think to yourself 'this kind of party is a great idea': Cocktails, passive shopping and meeting new people…..will you go to the next Checkbook Party? YES! You bet-if you can read the invitation by candlelight.....

Please come visit Marcy in her candle lit
place on the internet The Glamorous Life Association.

Life. It's Comedy.

Disneyland in the Rain???

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:53:00 GMT

It was a crazy idea, take the kids to Disneyland in the middle of a bad rain storm. After convincing my too cool for school kids that rain poncho’s were VERY cool and fashionable- off we went. Things were manageable, and actually fun for a while. And I marveled at all the other insane people at the park that day too. Then, just before the kids ran off to ride Autotopia, a DOWNPOUR came. And never left. See the photo of the Disneyland guy standing there in the rain? He had his eyes closed. Like he was wishing he would open them and be in his dry warm home. So the boys rode while holding an umbrella and insisted it was fun and they weren’t cold. They aren’t the best liars…so we headed for the front gate. And that was when he heard the announcement “due to extreme weather conditions, Disneyland will be closing early today”. Apparently even Disneyland thought we were a little insane to be there.That is not a scratchy photo. That is RAIN pouring down. WOW.

By the time we made it back to the car we were SOAKED. Even with the ponchos, jackets and umbrellas. Just soaked.
Would I do it again?
Probably.
Because I am crazy like that.
Are you?

Come visit Marcy at her other home on the internet
The Glamorous Life Association.

Do you remember Zodys?

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:51:00 GMT

Before the Target and Wal-Mart battled for territory in OC, there were stores like Zodys who unabashedly labeled themselves ‘Fashion Discount’. Much like the Wal-Mart business model, Zody’s lived in stand alone buildings with huge parking lots out front. Inside under the glow of florescent lights was a multitude of departments which would occasionally have such odd pairing as toasters and underwear sharing aisle space. And in the days before we knew about things like Megan’s Law, my parents let me roam free while they shopped. They knew to find me in my the toy aisles when they were ready to go. Zodys was a dominate force in OC advertising, which frequent commercials showcased current specials. And in case you missed all the Zody commercials back in the day, because you were busy running to the kitchen to get a grape soda and some Jiffy Pop before Gimme A Break started, here is a typical one from 1981.

I think I miss the days of $7.99 acrylic blend scalloped trimmed sweaters, don’t you? And apparently I am not alone- Zodys has a Facebook fan page here.

Zody’s began in 1972 and by 1986 the last Zodys location closed, with many sites becoming Ralph Grocery Stores. This article from 1986 is fascinating in that it discusses the ‘void to be filled’. Who knew Target and Wal-Mart were waiting in the wings for the valuable OC market. I would love to hear your memories from Zodys. And if you worked there, and remember a little freckled faced pig-tailed girl who may or may not have OPENED a can of Play-Doh while waiting for her parents to finish buying a Hibachi propane grill, and then she PUT IT BACK on the shelf?

Um, it wasn’t me.

Marcy Massura can be contacted directly with comments and suggestions via email: marcymassura@gmail.com .
You can also visit her humor site The Glamorous Life Association or watch her OC & ME videos exploring Orange County right here on OCFAMILY.COM

photo courtesy

BADvertising: The Playgirl Club in the OC?

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:30:00 GMT

“Okay everyone pair up and act like you are having the time of your life on this gravel covered warehouse roof! That’s it Mike! Grab her beehind….Good Lisa, lift your leg a little higher…hey what’s the matter Annette? Well, I don’t care if Franco did say something inappropriate…try to break a smile will ya?”

There was a strange period of time in fashion history when the bell bottoms of the 70’s intersected with the bleached bombs of the 80’s.

Throw in a little Bedazzler design work and you get this stunning look.

I think it needs to be said that this fashion tragic club was somewhere near Disneyland.

Well to be specific and they were insanely specific it was one and a HALF miles south of Disneyland.

I am wondering if they thought just saying ‘2 miles’ would make people say “aw man I would go if it was 1 and half miles…. but 2 miles-for get it!That is just too dang far to go for entertainment excitement”

And, something tells me the ‘playroom’ they mention is not at all like the one I have at home.

If you enjoy so-bad-they-are-good vintage advertising, please come visit The Glamorous Life Association where you will find tons of these by clicking on the AdTalk button!

Whose homework is this?

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:39:00 GMT

Every day after the kids come home from school, It feels like I am buying a house or some other large purchase requiring tons of signatures. I sit down at the kitchen table and one at a time they present me with stacks of school papers and a pen and say “sign here, and here and here and here and….um, yeah over here too.”

Today was no different, except I decided to do something crazy today and actually read one of these papers I was blindly signing before I went back to my blogging house wifery. The one I choose to read was a letter home from my son’s 3rd grade teacher. It was a ‘compliance’ letter to the parents explaining the upcoming science lesson. Turns out kids no longer do riveting science projects like watching colored water wick its way up a paper towel…nope. My kid? He is learning about atoms, matter, energy and ATOMIC THEORY.

And he is in the THIRD GRADE.

Seriously?

Yes.

Seriously.

Then, I read the words every mom dreads the most.

Family Project.

Last time I checked I am not the one in 3rd grade. I do not need to learn about atoms or matter or Atomic Theory to get dinner on the table or the laundry finished. But she writes “these projects should prove interesting for the whole family and might stimulate some interesting conversation”. Um, I hate to say it Ms. Teacher but the only conversation this is going to stimulate is me cursing your name for giving ME, the mom, HOMEWORK.

So now I get to do messy science projects in my house, explain it to my kids and then clean up the mess?

So weird, because this sounds a lot like HOMESCHOOLING.

And this mama does a lot of things…but HOMESCHOOLING is not one of them.

I got an idea for you Ms. Teacher….

How about you do the teaching and I will do the parenting k?

Great. Glad we got that settled.

Unless of course you are available to discipline my kid after he gets busted for shooting his brother with a Nerf gun while he sleeping?

And I will be sure to call as soon as my kids get H1N1 and I need someone to do the parent vomit patrol too. After all, if you are gonna make me do all the messy teaching projects you should have to handle the messy parenting one k?

So if you still really wanna do a job swap…just let me know.

Otherwise stop it with your ‘family projects’ or I am gonna get all nuclear on you.

OC & ME: Visit to Balboa Island and more...

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 20:45:00 GMT

Hey its January in So Cal...let's go to the beach!
No I am serious.
Its true...I love to visit the beach cities in the off season. Less crowds, less half naked people and still all kinds of fun. On this episode I visit my favorite candy store, the original arcade, a pizza place with a freaky history and more....

I am always seeking story ideas. So if you know of a great/fun/qwirky person or place in Orange County- please let me know!

OC & ME: Mission San Juan Capistrano

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:17:00 GMT

Only 31 miles from my home is one of the oldest buildings in California. Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded in 1776 by Father Junipero Serra. Father Serra is well know figure in early Californian history.

Every 4th grader learns all about Father Serra and the history and purpose of his California Missions up and down our coast along the famous El Camino Real line.

The husband and I have decided to use this as a litmus test to grill people who claim to be California natives.

We will say "So tell me, what do you think of Father Serra?", and when they look back with a blank confused stare, we will know that they did not endure 4th grade in California and never had the glory of building a California Mission replica out of sugar cubes.

(Note: I am a 3rd generation Southern California native which is about as rare as finding a diamond in a gravel pit. Which er, I think is pretty rare. The Husband? He is mid-west thru and thru.)

This mission is so perfectly rustic, it feels as if you are on a movie set or Disney back lot. Only a Southern California native would say such a thing. As you now know, I have Disney and Hollywood running thru my veins.

And down the street is a favorite mid-century building...

I will be visiting San Juan Capistrano in an upcoming episode of OC & ME.
Stay tuned...

OC&ME: Watsons Drug Store

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:48:00 GMT

Did you know one of Orange County's oldest businesses is a great diner/pharmacy located in downtown Orange?
No?
Well, push play to visit Watsons Drug Store with me and see what you have been missing. I am sure you will want to visit soon.
Let me know when you go...I will meet you there.

A quirky tradition: Angelo & Vinci's

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:22:00 GMT

There is a restaurant in Downtown Fullerton called Angelo’s and Vinci’s. I have been coming to this place since I was a kid, and I still adore it. It is a feast for the eyes. The entire interior is a cornucopia (and I rarely don’t use that word often) of eclectic ‘findings’ lining the walls and ceiling. All the Italian cliches are there; chefs, flags, fake salami, cheese wheels and wine casks but the fun part is all the other stuff. The mannequins, the mirrors, the flying trapeze guys and a heavy use of Christmas lights. There was no master plan. No interior designer evident. It was just ’stuff’ and it was just nailed to any open surface. About the only wall with a semblance of a ‘plan’ is the back ‘love altar’ with photos of the owners ancestors. Like a little tribute to great-grandma Tortellini or Lasagna or something. Actually, the place is owned by the Steven Peck (born Ignazio Pecoraro) family. A successful choreographer and character actor starring in over 100 television and films who passed away in 2005. Next door to the restaurant was the prestigious Steven Peck Dance Studio and Repertory Company where as a teen, I was a member. Although we wouldn’t dare eat at the restaurant…after all dancer’s figures and insanely rich (and award winning) Italian food can make for some bad fat results. Mr. Peck would often visit in the dance studio and return to manage his beloved restaurant. Always happy it seemed. He was a ‘family’ man, and he treated everyone in his place just like family.

Now I return with my kids and I watch as they take it all in. The food, the knick-knacks and fun of it. Although on this last visit, Jack found it all a little too over-whelming. And I think Mr. Peck would have smiled at the sight.

This restaurant is to be featured on OC & ME video web series soon!

OC&ME: Decorating Disney!

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:20:00 GMT

Welcome to the first in my video series, featuring locations and events around Orange County. Introducing...

Yesterday I hung out at Disneyland and had the chance to interview several people who help make the holiday season at Disneyland special. Here is a short video talking about a few ways to 'decorate Disney' for the season....

Special thank you goes out to Disneyland for making these interviews possible.

Would you like to see more?
Please visit The Daily Disney for 2 more episodes shot this day.

Santa can't take a hint...

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:56:00 GMT

Dear Santa;

When both of my kids sat down and said they wanted Swiss Army knives, and I asked to you while winking “Um, Santa do you think KNIVES are good good for boys to carry around?” I would have really appreciated you picking up on a damn hint being on my team and saying “Oh weapons and knives are not something little boys should be getting for Christmas!” instead of saying “What a FINE idea! I have carried my Swiss Army knife for 65 years! Got mine when I was 6!”…..yeah, way to go Santa. Next year why not drop off an Automatic weapon or bong while you are at it k?

Reality Check: This is the first year Tucker says he doesn’t believe (Jack hasn’t since he was 3. You know being the scientist and all)…but still Tucker took this visit very serious. He made us wait outside the line until he could think of the three things to ask for…So maybe he still believes just a little. We don’t have a lot of holiday consistency traditions since we move cross country about every 3 years and every other Christmas we travel to Chicago to spend it with my in-laws. But visiting Santa for a photo is something we always have done. And according to The Husband- we will always do until the boys are 18. Which is gonna be too awesome….I expect teenage eyerolls and all - that year.

I keep every Santa photo in a little book, along with a paragraph about the visit. It sits on the coffee table, and it is probably my most prized holiday decoration.

Weirdest thing? In the line area was a bribe-your-kid-to-be-good-vending-machine. Full of candy, small teddy bears and toys. Kinda awful awesome.

Happy Holidays Kid.
Now shut up and wait for Santa.

Come to Marcy's other home The Glamorous Life Association where comedy is served fresh daily!