Tonight as I looked out my window I saw something that both stood out and made me smile. A single house on the hill opposite my apartment with Christmas Holiday lights on it. I know in Orange County there are some houses with amazing displays, some simple, some that would make Clark Griswold jealous. I hope to share some of my favorites in the coming weeks. Where are your favorite displays of light?

The Register’s Fast Food Maven reports that Chipotle will open up their 14th OC location tomorrow in Huntington Beach. To celebrate, you can stop by between 5:30 PM and 8:30 PM tonight for a special pre-opening fundraiser for Westminster and Ocean View high schools. For each school to get the money, customers must declare which school their rooting for. Easy!

The new location is at 16241 Beach Blvd. in Huntington Beach.

I know I won’t be able to make it in time before there are only ripped/broken things left on the shelves, but you might still have a shot.

Two stores at the Block are closing, and they are currently having clearance sales.

Fare thee well, Ron Jon Surf shop. I always wanted those cute surfing bathroom accessories.

And as for you, Virgin Megastore, I think I only browsed your aisles one time. Which might explain why you aren’t going to be there anymore, as most people seemed to have followed suit.

However, you two were some of the best stores in that godforsaken place. The Block is going to suck even more now.

After numerous computer problems and then a Holiday followed by a death in the family I’m back! Well sort-of. I have some family matters to attend to. In the mean time you guys can get into the Holiday spirit with a visit to the annual Candlelight Processional at Disneyland.

When: The event is Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7.
Who: John Stamos and the Disneyland Choir.
Where: There are two performances nightly in Town Square.

If you catch the first Sunday performance you just might see someone you know up there in the living Christmas tree. ;)

A few days after the fire, a friend of mine told me that Box Canyon Park in Yorba Linda had been a victim of the fires. If you’d never been to Box Canyon, then you will never know the awesomeness that was Box Canyon.

It would take me forever to list the things at this park that made it so special. A huge castle with bridges and rope climbers, balance beams, nooks and crannies for the kids to explore and hide in. I don’t know anyone who didn’t love that park once they had gone there. It was a huge community favorite, and for good reason.

What made it even more special was that the surrounding community had helped to raise funds and work with the city to make it such a wonderful place. A wall commemorating their efforts marked the entrance to the playground, and it was the only thing other than the basketball hoops that was not completely destroyed.

Here it is before:

And now?

Nothing.

Go here to see a YouTube (I can’t seem to get it to embed) of the destruction. I was a bit choked up, and then I totally lost it when I saw the swings.

We’ll miss you, Box Canyon.

It was 5 years ago today that the first and second posts were posted on blogging.la. The brainchild of Jason and Sean, it has now evolved into Metblogs as we know it now.
Congrats and thanks Sean and Jason!

Have a safe and happy holiday from all of us here at Orange County Metblogs!

Not only did this arse-hole park in a fire lane, he did so in front of the emergency room ambulance entrance. Way to go slick.

Fill it up!
The ARCO at El Toro Road and Moulton Parkway has regular gas for $1.97.
Anyone else seeing sub $2.00 gas? Where and how much?

Residents of the Box Canyon, Brush Canyon and North Fairmont-San Antonio areas of Yorba Linda that were affected by the fires have been issued a voluntary evacuation order due to possible mudslides from the coming rains. The LA Times is quick to point out that they were callled by the same reverse-911 system that failed to work properly during the actual emergency.

This from the article:

Residents are urged to use Thomas Lasorda Jr. Field House at 4701 Casa Loma Ave. as an evacuation shelter, if needed.

An evacuation hotline, (714) 628-7085, also went into effect this morning.

Stay safe out there, everyone!

You may remember my post from a while back about Newport Beach-based bank Downey Savings being on life support. Well, the plug was officially pulled, and time of death was called late in the afternoon on Friday November 22.

Federal regulators seized them, and according to the LA Times, all branches will still be open under the ownership of Minneapolis-based US Banks.

Like countless others, the real estate bubble is what did Downey Savings in.  The fallout continues, and it ain’t over yet.

While walking around on my lunch today, I happened to witness someone being asked to not take photos of the fountain by the Irvine Spectrum Center Security.

The photographer in question was arguing that they hand no right to enforce the rule and that it was a public place. The security guard countered with “…I can have you removed from the property.” The photographer and security guard exchanged a few more words and the security guard made said a couple things into his radio and the frustrated photographer walked away.
Then the security guard informed another photographer that they “can take pictures of their family, etc in front of the fountains, but not the fountains, fixtures, or storefronts by themselves.”
While I was able to take photos of the fountains previously without incident, all amateur and professional photographers should be aware that the Irvine Spectrum Center is enforcing this rule.

These statues are at the entrance to Foothill Ranch at the intersection of Alton Parkway and Portola Parkway. While they have been there for a while now, they have always kinda creeped me out.

They say to me obey, conform, consume, procreate, rinse, repeat. It is not just the stone faces, expressionless look, but also the postures and spacing of the people. It doesn’t really say family to me. I don’t think that was the intention, but it is the vibe myself and others I know get.
Click each picture for a larger version-What do you think?

Spotted this odd cavalcade outside the Ralph’s on Main and Chapman. Orange PD specialty unit motor home thing, followed by an OPD trailer, 6 motor officers, 3 cars and about a dozen officers (possibly
cadets) on foot. WTF??

The 18th annual Sawdust Festival starts this weekend in Laguna Beach and runs every weekend through December 14th. Saturday is the official kick-off, with a tree lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m., plus free cookies and apple cider, choir and band performances, a balloon artist and, of course, Santa!

Featuring 175 crafters and one-of-a-kind gifts, the Festival also has low cost art lessons for kids and adults, demonstrations, entertainment, a kid-sized holiday themed fun house, and three cafes to satisfy your hunger during all that exhausting shopping.

There is an ArtisTree Ornament Fundraiser, which features original ornaments created by local artists, with proceeds from the sale going to the Art Education Fund.

And the best thing? Snow! Every day during the festival, snow will fall throughout the day in the Town Square. Time to turn the beach bunnies into snow bunnies, even if only for a day!

Deets:
Information Line (949)494-3030
Hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends only (open rain or shine)
Website