Multimedia message, originally uploaded by suprdave89.

I saw this in the sky over Orange a few hours ago. I didn’t know people still did skywriting! I have n’t seen it in years!

I can’t figure out if they’re saying “S ‘heart’ S” or if it’s “SOS” but a heart for the O? Whatever. I’m sure it was very special to the person it was meant for.

Hey!  All you crazy as shit pyromaniacs!!!  Stay the fuck inside!!!!!!!

You wanna see something burn??  Pour some gasoline on yourself, stand in front of a mirror and strike a match.  See what happens.

Here’s hoping and praying no firefighters, mountain residents or anyone else gets burned or injured from the Santa Ana shit storm I’m sure we’re about the get.

Zoltan Tombol, a Brea resident and LA County Sheriff’s Deputy for 19 years, was found dead in a canyon off the 91 fwy Tuesday morning.  His wife reported him missing Sunday evening which launched a massive search.  They found his truck off Green River and the 91.  Since he was a hiker, this wasn’t considered unusual.  On Tuesday they found his body at the bottom of a cliff.  If you’re interested in the full details, you can check out the OC Register article here.

I first found out about this when a friend of mine posted his missing persons report on her Facebook status.  Apparently, when she was in the police academy, he was one of her drill instructors.  She had nothing but good things to say about him and was hoping for the best.  Unfortunately, the best is not what we got.  Please send out all of your prayers, good thoughts, good karma or whatever else you have to send to his family.  He leaves behind a wife, also a deputy, and a 14 year old son.

Hi kids!  Sorry for my lengthy disappearance.  School and work have finally started to take a toll on my personal life.

Oh Raptor. Until we meet again! Thursday is too far away!

I wanted to let you all know that this coming weekend, October 15-18, is the OC Autoshow!  While it’s obvious I love cars, and I have been to the LA Autoshow numerous times, I have never made it out to the OC Autoshow.  My main reason is that I know it’s not quite the spectacle of the LA version, and if I’m going to pay the entrance fee, I’ll wait a month and hit up LA.

BUT!  Thanks to my all-time favorite daily deals website, Spoofee.com (well…OK…second to woot.com) I found FREE tickets!!! And not only do you get FREE tickets to the show, but you get a FREE one year subscription to Motor Trend!! (Promo code is: OCCERRACUfriend )Oh sure you may get a little junk mail, but to me it’s worth it.

So what are you waiting for??  Go!!!

I’ll be heading out there Thursday.  Who wants to come with??

If you’re anything like me, then even the mention of the Ford Taurus leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I understand what the Taurus did for Ford and how many people absolutely loved it, but for me, I wasn’t sad to see it leave the fleet several years ago. Now however, it’s back. And I have to admit, it’s better than I could have ever imagined.

Can it really make up for it's past??

Last Saturday, I was to meet my wife in Burbank in the afternoon, so we could go out in L.A. The problem was she already had a car, so if I drove, we’d have to take 2 cars home. I could have driven her up there at 7am, but who wants to do that? Luckily, Metrolink had a few trains running, several of which would get me up to L.A. right at about 4 o’ clock, which is when she would be done! I saw this as a nice opportunity to document what worked and what didn’t for those of you who may be a little weary of the trains. I made a video for your viewing pleasure. Here are a few things to note about the trains and the video before you watch:
-I’m sorry the walking bits are so shaky. It’s not easy to hold the camera steady when you’re rushing to catch the trains.
-Once you figure out how to read the train schedule, it’s fairly simple to figure out connections and the like, but there is definitely a bigger learning curve to Metrolink than say, New York MTA.
-The trains are NOT marked! The first time I attempted Metrolink travel I ended up on my way to the I.E. instead of Los Angeles! If there are trains departing just minutes from each other, ask the other riders around you to make sure the one at the station is the right one.
-Union Station need to label the trains better. According to the schedule online, my train to Burbank ended in Burbank, yet it was labeled the Lancaster train! I just made my train by literally less than a minute. I’m sure trains have been missed because of the same problem.
-Remember, if you plan to leave for home after around 7pm, don’t plan on the train. They don’t run at night.

And now, the video:

Let’s face it. Gas wars or not, Americans like trucks. While many Americans own them as a necessary tool for their occupation, there are plenty who also own a truck because they like how it looks or the size or they enjoy going off-road on the weekends. I fall into the last category. Actually, I think I fall into all the categories. When I owned my truck, I used it to haul my DJ equipment, I loved how it looked, I liked being bigger than most other vehicles and I LOVE to go off-road! The only problem is, for that last group, the off-road enthusiast, there really have never been any truly off-road capable trucks you could buy off the dealer’s floor. Sure there was the Hummer, but who has $100,000+ to spend on something that’s not even really capable of being a daily driver? How can we get our off-road fun toy without spending many thousands of dollars on conversions, just to make the thing unbearable to drive to and from work??

Thankfully, Ford not only heard our calls for help, but they decided to spoil the hell out of us. Drum roll please…..ladies and gentlemen, I present my new obsession……The Ford F-150 Raptor.

Bringin' the Orange to the County

I highly suggest you follow me past the jump for more pictures and information that will make many of you want to run to the nearest Ford dealership. Yes, really! (more…)

ICME: Ruby’s In Orange?, originally uploaded by suprdave89.

I just spotted this at the Old Towne Orange train station. Has anyone heard anything about this? Do we know when this is to happen? Mmmm…..Ruby’s Chocolate Malts. *drooooooooooool*

Clouds Or Smoke?, originally uploaded by suprdave89.

Hard to tell!
(taken from Cinema Fusion @ Anaheim Gardenwalk)

As I was passing over the 5 tonight I saw this……..

This picture was taken above the “Orange Crush” where the 5, 57, 22 and 55 (kinda) all meet. That’s right…..the fire in L.A. the San Gabriel Valley is so large, you can see the flames from Orange County.

As Gina said, we know what you’re going through. Stay safe folks!
(More pics after the jump: (more…)