Tehachapi

Tomorrow, Annette and I are going to a train trip on the Coast Starlight to Sacramento.  The appeal of this trip is that the train will be going through Tehachapi.   Until this year, Amtrak had rarely run trains through Tehachapi.  In fact, maybe 4 or 5 trains total since 1971.  This week, they are running 4 trains and have run 8 trains prior.  This trip isn’t quite as rare as it was but the trip will still be fun.  This will be “rare mileage” for me since I’ve never ridden a train over these tracks.  As a kid, my dad and I would watch trains in this Tehachapi mountains.  I will be looking for the ghosts of us.

Kings Win

Although I have season tickets to the Kings, my wife and I sell individual games to friends and family. Last night, we had sold our tickets but my mother-in-law ended up with 4 tickets in the premier section. the PR section has more comfy seats with waitress service to the seats. Sweet.

The game was good but the Kings did fray at the edges towards the end. A 3-0 lead into the fourth was whittled down to a 4-3 lead with a minute left. Thankfully, Brownie scored an empty netter to win the game.

The Kings Price is Right Video

Here’s the video to the Kings Price is Right appearance.  Annette and I are part of the knuckleheads saying “Go Kings Go”

Here’s my original review from letsgokings.com with a minor edit to the prize package of the second showcase.  I forgot to mention in my original review that the guy from Florida won a snowmobile and not a boat.

Ok, so I ended up going to this with my wife and it was a long day. Because we drive in from Oak Park out near Thousand Oaks, we got to the studios at abut 730a. On the way in we see a group of LGK fans and we try to check in. We are told that we have to wait for our group leader to check in. Fine. 840a. No Chris. 9a No Chris. 920a No Chris. Hmmm……

Eventually, they let us in without Chris (thanks for the hard work but where were you?). Did I say let us in? That’s not right. The sat us down for two more hours of filling out name tags, forms for taxes, taking our picture, and interviewing us. Finally, they let us in to the studio. In the audience, I see someone with a CBGB shirt on and don’t know if I’ve seen the legend. Never did talk to the guy. He did have a NYR tatoo on his ankle.

****** Spoiler Alerts if you care not to know what might be on the show **********
****** Spoiler Alerts if you care not to know what might be on the show **********
****** Spoiler Alerts if you care not to know what might be on the show **********
****** Spoiler Alerts if you care not to know what might be on the show **********
****** Spoiler Alerts if you care not to know what might be on the show **********

Anyway, the LGK group is in the back. Someone loses a car, then someone loses a motorcycle, and someone loses a computer and three other things. Ok, first half of the show, three losers. No LGKers.

Second half of the show has a guy win a car and he’s the big winner. Still no Kings so far. As an aside, why doesn’t the last bidder on the price is right either bid $1 or one dollar more than the highest bidder? It seems that would be sound strategy. Three more contestants and no LGKers.

We get the the final show case, and finally, Kings. The Kings were in the first showcase. The showcase started off with Denis Gauthier asking the contesting if he wanted a punch in the face. Interesting. Then, the showed the first part of the showcase which was tickets to a game with penalty box seats during practice along with a crapload of Kings memorabila. We could’ve split that among all the fans and been happy. In fact, in retrospect, I should’ve asked if we could’ve split it amongst the sixteen of us. Crap. The next portion of the prize was a trip to Switzerland for the hockey championships (next year?) and finally there was a boat. The display of the boat started off with someone (Calder?) starting a sentence and then the rest of the guys thowing him into a boat. Eventually, Army with some help was able to pull Dustin’s shirt over his head. Basically, Dustin was barechested for that part of the show case.

The guy who got this showcase PASSED on it. Even if you don’t like the Kings stuff, why the hell do you pass on a trip to Europe and a boat?

The other show case had a snowmobile and a bedroom set. Boring. Less Money. Loser to pass. Of course, the guy won the second show case.

After the show, the taped some commercials for the show, some footage with Heidi for Kigns vision, and a commercial for Jumbotron. There’s a nice Duck’s bashing segment based on the show with Army sitting with a bunch of Navy guys and a Go Kings Go Kings Go Kings segment with most of the LGK group behind the players with Bailey standing on the chairs. Trying not to spoil the segments here.

It is funny to watch the players at the end of the show. Army is talking to Drew, Brownie and Gauthier are listening and Calder is over talking to the showcase ladies. Nice move Kyle. It was a good time but too damn long.

Thanks again to whoever posted this was happening and to Chris for getting the tickets.

ps The only name I got from people was SonOfEarl.

Older Posts

There are now a ton of older posts.  They come from my other two ill fated experiments with blogging.  One was my blog on hockey and other things.  The other was something I did for a few months called grab the pebbles.  I was surprised that someone I worked with didn’t know what Jump the Shark meant.  So, I started the site to be quirky things that I found.  This new site here will be both of these ideas together.

I’m going to need to go back and deal with the photographs, reinsert missing ones and move others to this site.  Regardless, be patient with these older (before 11/2008) posts.

Kings Win and the Older Posts

So, the Kings won tonight.  They outplayed the Panthers for most of the game but only scored 2 goals in the first two periods.  So, when the Panthers scored 2 minutes into the third, there were thoughts of a loss.  Fortunately, another goal for both teams in the 3rd and the Kings win.

Bailey's Buddies

So, the Kings have a Bailey’s Buddies club for the young hockey fans.  I joined it and, at the time, my wife made fun of me.  Now, once we got the Bailey bobble head, the lunch box, 3 free tickets, and other trinkets, she wants one.   I’ll post pictures later.

This week the Price is Right episode that had the Kings on (and Annette and I attended) was on.   There’s a brief shot of me and Annette when one of the first 4 contestants comes on down.   We are in the hockey Jerseys.

Tonight is game 4 of the 7 game home stand.  Hope the Kings can beat the Panthers.

New Beginnings

It seems only appropriate with the election and the new beginning that President Obama seems to bring that that I reactivate the blog.  Expect lots of hockey, some politics, and some random thoughts about life.  Second thoughts.