Lou's Year In Review: 2007

Hiya Lou, fantastic trip report so far mate. Looking forward to the remainder of the report.

Enjoying the pictures of your 'Round the World' trip as we spoke about it when we were in Korea.

I'd like to comment on how hot you were looking, but I'm worried you would never speak to me again !

Wow, Jahan loves Matt more than he loves me. And he posts this in my own trip report thread! You cut me deep, Jahan. Way to kick me when I'm down, add insult to injury, pour salt in the wound. Men are pigs.

 

If anybody needs me I'll be sobbing in a corner and trying to make sense of my California photos whilst deleting any that have Jahan in them.

 

But Matt loves Lou more.

I have a Steak & Shake milkshake to prove it.

If anybody needs me I'll be sobbing in a corner and trying to make sense of my California photos whilst deleting any that have Jahan in them.

Ok, time for another Steak N Shake vid. If you're really good I'll throw in a desktop wallpaper. Oooooooooo..........

Have enjoyed this report a lot. Keep up the good work.

^ It makes me quite happy that somebody (and even happier that it was Jahan) picked up on the actual point of the photograph. Yes I am THAT immature.

It makes me happy that i am not the only one that saw that.

So apparently there are at three of us that are that mature. This also reaffirms that I would be all over Lewis .

Damn you Lou with my chins!!!!!!

Cameron spilling that water cracks me up just thinking about it.

Glad you stopped by. I only wish I could have hit Indiana Beach with you guys that day but at least I was able to meet you at SFGAm.

Craig

^ I'd completely forgotten about that evening temporarily until you posted a picture from it on the Europe board and then I went through these for here. We need to make Frank come on the Europe trip, if nothing else for the fact that I think he has the most contagious infectious hysterical laugh of anybody I've ever met.

That is the only reason we let him hang out with us!

So your saying your visit at my house was not very memorable?

Craig

The theme song to Lou's Chicago adventure is Sufjan Stevens - Chicago. That is all. End of line.

 

Did I make a lot of mistakes??? I'm so confused as to why that song!!!

So you know the song? Cool. I just thought it was a nice song, and appropriately titled. If the song is about making mistakes or something, I apologize!

Louise wrote:

^ It makes me quite happy that somebody (and even happier that it was Jahan) picked up on the actual point of the photograph. Yes I am THAT immature.

 

 

It makes me happy that i am not the only one that saw that.

So apparently there are at three of us that are that mature.

4. Just didn't have the guts to fess up. Hey, suggestive photos now and again are fun.

Indian Beach looks very intressting with how crammed the rides are. Here in Europe, all parks are so spread out. They have a 1 mile 'beauti walk' through the tress just to get to a freakin' coaster!

Love the TR and can't wait to see more!

--James

Arriving in California!!

Friday morning, I left Chicago, and after another horrific flight (actually, this one was the flight with the aerophobics, the Manchester to Chicago flight was the one with the horrendous turbulence that meant people were being sick and spilling drinks, if they ever got a drink, but anyway....) I landed at the joy that is LAX. My first shock was getting to baggage claim to find that the carousels were next to an exterior door where people could just walk in, grab my case and leave... I'm not security obsessed or anything, but this seemed odd to me. Anyway, Robb picked me up, we stood and were harrassed by crazy people for a while, and then we made the 80-minute 9-mile (gotta love LA traffic) drive to Santa Monica Pier, where there were a few friends old and new for me to meet!!

Yay, a beach!!!

It upsets me that some of the West Coasters don't find a lot of the California sights beautiful. I was fascinated by all of it, and loved everything. I guess it's always the way when you live someplace though, you never see it the same way as first-time visitors do.

Apparently this is how the beach looked in 1950-something...

New ocean for me!! Had never been within a thousand miles of the Pacific before.

The group who were already there when we arrived... From left to right Carl (ImVBallGuy), Lindsay, Jon (DegoRed), John (CreativeForce), Jimmy (JimmyBo), me, and Kyle (RaptorBoyASU).

And with the rest of the gang... Hector, Guy, Dan and Joey. Why is it that the initial picture was all normal and smiley, and then Guy arrives and all hell breaks loose? (Love you Guy!)

We bought wristbands as it was the cheapest way to get our ride on. Robb fashioned the little sticky peel off bits into nipples for me. Such generosity.

I figured I'd better return the favour and give him some nipples back... This picture disturbs me greatly.

It had been all of 7 weeks since I'd seen Hector... We hadn't forgotten how to pose.

View from the Ferris Wheel.

This is such a horrible picture of almost all of us, but I love it so I'm including it anyway, it makes me laugh. I'm just sad I didn't capture Jimmy's pole-dancing skills... We tipped him.

This picture seemed like a good idea... Until I blinded myself.

The guys in the other car. Only Joey looked at me, the rest ignored me and looked at Robb. And Joey's reflective glasses ruined my shot anyway!

I loved the clouds in California. I don't know whether it's the pollution or what but they always looked awesome at this time of day.

The silly boys went and bumped each other for a while... Guy and I sat this one out. I have an aversion to pain, but it was fun watching them.

I think that poor woman and her child were the only non-TPR crew on the cycle!! I love how Carl appears to be cheating and pushing John's car away!!

Peach sky.

I must say, I'm actually rather proud of this picture, it came out (for once) exactly as I wanted it.

That was taken as we went up to ride the coaster for the second time... It was actually pretty fun, definitely a nice pop of airtime in the back as you come back into the station, that was a nice surprise!! Listening to Hector scream for as long as possible can always entertain me anyway. I'm sure we rode something else too, but all I remember is the ferris wheel and the Scrambler, which I rode with (I think) Joey and Robb, sitting between them... And I almost died. I also think I further injured my elbow which was still pretty sore from Indy Beach. Anyway, it was damn funny.

Before we all drove off, we grabbed a coffee (the girl behind the counter spelled my name "Luis", which I am endlessly amused by, me not being Mexican and all), and walked out to this.

This is what LA traffic looks like in the dark through the eyes of a REALLY poor photographer. I actually kinda like it!!

That evening, 17 of us had dinner at a really cool Italian place which had this Lazy Susan with the Pope on it... In the Pope room... Which for those of you who haven't seen it in previous pictures, is basically a little circular room with a Sistine Chapel ceiling, with pictures of the Pope and Catholic artefacts ALL over the walls. And the Pope in the middle of the table. People kept spinning him to face me because he creeped me out. Looks like he should have laser beams for eyes. Oh, and if the actual Pope could hear our conversations in that room??? I think we're all going straight to hell.

I wish I'd taken more pictures at dinner, but a few people I hadn't met before had joined us, Jahan and Mike and Wes and maybe one or two others, and I was having too much fun to take pictures. Wes and Robb talking via the domed echoing ceiling was a highlight, as was any part of the conversation we had with the hot waitresses. We also all ate a whole ton. Robb ordered for like 30 people.....

...which is why Dan ended up taking home all these leftovers.

Honestly, I'd forgotten just how much fun this first day was until I wrote this. I laughed so hard at dinner!! Robb and Elissa were very kindly playing host and hostess to myself, Guy, Hector and Jimmy, and despite having a spare futon, the four of us all ended up crashing out on the floor (well, on air mattresses, but with our weight they deflated within an hour) just having stupid and funny conversations until about 4am. Five days into a 38 day trip and I was already sleep deprived but it was sooo worth it.

Next morning, a fair in the 4,000,000 degree desert!

Great Pictures Lou.

That park looks awesome. To bad the only time I have been there was in a Tony Hawk game.

Lou those were some awesome pics! Your photography skills are getting pretty awesome if I say so myself.

^^ It's hard to even describe it as a park really, there isn't that much to do!! It has a nice setting and a relaxed atmosphere though, and the breeze off the water is nice. It was also cool for me to see it as it's been featured in like every movie and tv show ever. I didn't even realise it was "the place from the movies" until Robb told me on the way there.

I think if somebody were to go expecting a park, they'd be disappointed. If they were just expecting a nice-ish pier with a pretty view and a few rides, they'd love it. It's allllll about expectations.

^ LOL!!! Thanks. It seems like throughout the trip my pictures got more extreme: they were either much much better or much much worse. I think the new camera makes some of my crappy shots into good ones!!

I believe the Italian restaurant is Buca Di Beppo. I love that place. Without Carrabba's in CA, it'll have to do. Glad you got the Santa Monica coaster credit, that's one I still lack.

That was the greatest introduction ever.

*Lou walks over to Jahan, who was hiding on a bench*

"Stand up. Cameron asked me to say 'hi' and give you a hug."

Thanks Cameron.

Though that was the night that I realized that I don't really care for Bucas, it was still nice meeting you Lou. LOL at you having the "West Coaster" credit and me NOT.

-Jahan

Man, you brought back some great memories of my trip to Newport Beach on 2006. What a fun time and a beautiful place for someone who hasn't been too often. I miss it out there.

(goes to look at '06 LA and Disneyland pics)

Been reading this thread since the start, and I've thoroughly enjoyed it!

Santa Monica Pier was the first place I went when I was in California last year. Went to the pier, had a drive along the 101, checked out the beach, had a nice relaxing evening there!

Man, this makes me sad that I still didn't get to meet up with you last year! Oh well, looks like you had fun anyways! Keep it up!

---Brent

Nice TR of the Santa Monica Pier. I haven't been to Pacific Park in about five years. One of you guys should have contacted me...I'd have loved to have been there---it's less than an hour's drive down PCH from home!

Eric

The silly boys went and bumped each other for a while...

LMAO!!!!

Lou --

WOW. I am really late to this party. It is GREAT seeing all of your Spain pics. There are some new ones in there that I hadn't seen.

I am SO bummed that I couldn't meet up with you at Indiana Beach. Oh well...

Glad to see you pics -- loving the report.

See you this summer!!

-- Dave

^^ It freaking cracks me up that in 23 pages that's all you've needed to comment on, I love it!

^ Ugh, Indiana Beach SUCKS for that. Changing opening hours is just not acceptable when I have a Panther date!

THere needs to be more pictures of me.......when's the next update?

^ Give me an hour or two! I have a great one of you pretending to be a flower...