For those out there who don’t know, I’m in nursing school.  In fact I’m in my final semester! w00t!  I got here thanks to some great instructors and some fantastic equipment that our department purchases for us to learn with.  Due to the fact that there is a severe budget crisis, we don’t have as much income as we used to.  This means future students will be learning outdated information on outdated equipment.  For this reason, the Santa Ana College Student Nurse Association (SACSNA) is holding a fundraiser tomorrow at Knowlwood restaurant in Santa Ana.  The money from this fundraiser will not only go towards new equipment, books and videos, but is also used to send students across the country to the National Student Nurse Convention.  This is an excellent opportunity for those selected and is made possible thanks to fundraisers like this.

So PLEASE, if you are able, come by and help us out.  We will receive 15% of your order, as long as you mention Santa Ana College or nursing or SACSNA.

Here are the details:

Knowlwood Restaurant

2107 East 17th Street
(& Tustin Avenue)
Santa Ana, CA 92705
(714) 541-0555

We get our discount from 11am-9pm.  Tell your friends too!!

Image courtesy dpfestivalofwhales.com

Are you looking for an inexpensive family-friendly event to attend this weekend or next? If so, Dana Point’s 39th Annual Festival of Whales may be just what you are looking for.

The Festival kicks off tomorrow, Saturday, March 6th at 10:00 a.m. with a parade along Pacific Coast Highway. According to the website all events are weather permitting, so you may want to call (1.888.440.4309 or 949.472.7888) before venturing out.

For more information check out the the official event program. Some of the events include: guided family tide pool hikes, street faire, free fishing clinic and trip for kids, cars, art, movie in the park and much more.

This years promotional poster was designed by John Van Hamersveld. You may not recognize the name, but you definitely know who he is. He designed one of the most iconic surfing images ever, The Endless Summer film promotional poster.

Listen, I am a pro-union person.  I believe that working people usually benefit from having a collective bargaining unit that pits them against management.  Because if anyone thinks that management is keeping the best interests of workers in mind, they are absolutely delusional.

But.

I think that Disney hotel workers and their Unite Here Local 11 are asking for an awful lot in some pretty lean times.  Very few people in this country are getting free healthcare, and I’m not understanding why they think they should, too. 

 My husband is being “asked” to take furlough days, and our healthcare costs (such as co-pays and prescription benefits) have recently risen.  However, we’re thankful that he even has a job, and excellent healthcare benefits to go with it.

I think a hunger strike is a bit drastic, and it hurts me to say it, but Local 11 needs to stop having their members working without a contract and sign up for the same benefits that all other Disney employees have.

Cleanin' up for a good time.

OK, well, actually Supercross came back 2 weeks ago for the first race of the season.  But as they have for the last several years, they will be running 3 separate weekends out of Anaheim Stadium.  This Saturday is A2 (Anaheim 2), and it is sure to be a MESSY race!  With record rainfall this last week, the dirt in the stadium will be saturated to the core, meaning the mud will be flying.  It may be terrible conditions for the riders, but it doesn’t get any better for the fans!

If you’ve never been to a Supercross race before, it is a great time.  Check out my post from last year’s Supercross event for pictures and a quick rundown of what goes on.  Tickets are still available for A2 this weekend and A3 in 3 weeks.

Doooooooo iiiiiiiiitttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!! (I know, I’m lame.)

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That’s right kids.  It’s that time of year again.  Time to put on your winter outfit (which this year may just consist of a long sleeve t-shirt) and venture out to the Orange Circle for the annual Tree Lighting and Candlelight Procession.  It takes place this Sunday December 6th.  It starts at 3:30pm and goes until about 7pm.  There are booths with hot chocolate, sweets and goodies set up for you to peruse and enjoy, but it really gets good just after dark (5:30-6ish??).  That’s when the singing starts and the story of Christmas is told.  If you have kids, this is great for them, but my wife and I love it even though we don’t have kids.

It’s because of occasions like this that I really love Old Towne Orange.  When I attend these events, I forget that I’m deep in the middle of a big Southern California city.  I feel like I’ve been transported to a small town in middle America.

Hey kids.  I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this already, but I’m in nursing school at Santa Ana College.  (This is why I sometimes have lengths of time with no posts.  This stuff is HARD!)  This Sunday, November 29, we are having a fundraiser at Rubio’s in the Block at Orange.  Anyone who dines at Rubio’s from 11am-5pm, and shows the attached flyer, donates 20% of that order to help us out.  (If you don’t want to download the attached flyer, we’ll be handing them out that day too.)  So please, take a break from the T-day leftovers and help out some struggling students!  Maybe you’ll even see me there!

This is amazing you guys.  Tonight at 6:49, if you look to the south western sky, you will see the International Space Station pass very brightly overhead in our night sky, followed closely by the Space Shuttle!!  I just watched this happen in the eastern sky about 10 minutes ago.  WOW!  I tried to snap a picture, but it didn’t turn out too well as I had about 30 seconds notice to get ready.

So go outside with your family at 6:49 and experience something amazing together!!

PS- No telescope necessary.  You can see them with your naked eye!

*UPDATE*- Picstures from the second pass!  This time they were going away from each other.

The streak on the right above the houses is the Space Station. The streak on the left above the house is the Shuttle.

This was amazing. The flash in the middle of the picture was about 4 seconds of the Shuttle before it disappeared. There must have been a flash from the sun or something that made this cool effect. The yellow streak on the left is just my car antenna.

B and I were walking thru the spectrum when we started to notice the amount of people walking around in blankets… sleeping bags along the parking structure…. people camping out. How could I have forgotten about New Moon opening?

New Moon has already broken records for presale tickets.  What always surprises me is the mixed audience.

According to these ladies (who kindly let me lurk around them) the people at the front of the line got there at 8:30 am!

They had been in line since 6:30 pm and they had quite the layout.  Do you see the luminaries?

See more of the New Moon mania after the jump…

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Its that time of year when the air is cold enough for an outdoor ice skating rink in Irvine Spectrum!

Well, maybe its not cold out but that isn’t stopping Irvine Spectrum from starting in on the holiday cheer.

Located in front of the ferris wheel is the annual ice skating rink.  Check here for schedules and pricing.  I’m happy to annouce they are closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas and will be open every other day from now until January 17th.

This is the only outdoor skating rink in Orange County so be sure to stop by!