What Happens Now?

I'm at a loss. I haven't felt a reason to write anything for a few months. I want to keep up my chops, but I really don't have any to mention.

There are lots of things to talk about with the upcoming election and all. I am listening to talk radio and the primaries are interesting to me. I think Romney will be the nominee. I don't think he will beat Obama unfortunately. I think there was more interest when McCain was running. I still have a McCain yard sign and a ball cap leaning against the wall here in my office.

















I think if you are conservative all this infighting needs to stop and all the candidates need to pull out and get behind a front runner. I think after South Carolina this will happen. To defeat Obama is a big task and I'm not at all confident that any Republican candidate can make it happen. It comes down to bigger government or personal responsibility and lower taxes. I think Obama wants to turn us towards a European style government. It's amazing to me that people don't see after years and years that this is not a good way to go.

So I'm gonna turn 49 on the 23rd of January. I thought I would have been hit by a bus by now. I never even considered in my mind at any time in my life the year 2012. It's seems unreal to me. Being kind of a Hypochondriac I wonder when I will be diagnosed with cancer. I know that's really weird, but I do think about death often.






















In February I will be at my job for 15 years. I want to feel good about that, but I'm not sure it is a good thing. I'm not exactly happy there. I want to feel proud but my employers make it hard for me to do that.










I'm really in the dark about what this year will bring. I can't say I'm optimistic about it. For the first time in my life I just really don't know where I'm going or what this world holds in store for me.

I'll just ride the wave and hope for the best.

- JP

Holiday Talk Radio Leaves Me Wanting.

Note to Robin Bertolucci, Program Director KFI Radio Los Angeles.

Just a couple comments if you don't mind. After hearing Sundays show with Wayne Resnick and guest Brian Whitman I gotta say, I wished you had used Brian as a substitute host during these holidays. Here is the link to the Sunday show: http://bit.ly/tsGDhX I know It's a slow time and the schedule was probably preset. And the ratings probably aren't a big concern this time of the year but wow these substitute hosts this week are painful to listen to. I'm just a working stiff that is back at work this week, and granted I am a chronic listener but can't we get some hosts that are a little more compelling? If you didn't hear the show on Sunday I get that, it's the holidays. It was one of the best shows I have heard in a long time. Hilarious impressions and old radio stories and people that he has known, frankly he stole the show. I'll just come out and say it. Please hire him. Lots of people here in LA miss him terribly. His past problems are long gone I have heard. He did 12 podcasts for the Christmas Holidays that were the old Brian back in action.

Here is a little critique for this week.

- So I heard that Wayne filled in for Handel. Didn't hear it. I was sleeping. Wayne is always great. Bill Handel has jumped the Shark, big time. And with KABC changing their morning drive show I would suggest you kick Bill to the curb. How about a morning show with Brian and Wayne? I'd listen to that.

- Lisa Ann Walter sitting in for the very good Bill Carroll - Love Lisa, good choice. One of the only female hosts I like. She's good at night too, just don't have her talk about Kim Kardashian. Is everyone at 7pm directed to talk about her? I don't think I care about that. That's not the Demo for that show is it? I hate it. Every host at 7pm in the last couple weeks is doing this. I don't get it.

- Kennedy sitting in for John and Ken. Bad idea. Nobody that listens to John and Ken wants to hear her (my opinion). Brian Suits yes, Kennedy no.

- Johnny Wendell sitting in for Tim Conway. Really bad idea. I would rather hear Michael Crozier than this strange guy.

Brain Whitman is just sitting in that hot box in that valley maaan, I would like to hear him on KFI. His politics are not conservative or far right, but I would welcome that.

Happy New Year to everyone at KFI,

JP Myers
Diamond Bar, CA

A Day In Brea

Wow we just got home and I'm stuffed and exhausted. I was looking around for an Italian place for lunch today and found a place in Brea. We live in Diamond Bar just 10 minutes over the Brea Canyon. I love Brea, I really want to move over there. It has such a cool downtown area and the neighborhoods have these nice little houses and condos. Looks like a nice place to be. There is no reason to be in Diamond Bar anymore.

So I found this place on Brea Blvd called Lomeli's. It's at 600 S. Brea Blvd., Brea, CA. To my surprise it's been there since 1978! This always upsets me to find a great place like this that has been there all these years and I had no idea (gritting teeth). And on top of it, voted the best Italian in the OC Register two years in a row.

So the wife and I jump in the car and run over there. It's not busy and they bring us back to a very nice booth. The restaurant looks to have been remodeled in the last 5 years, turns out it's a new location, they were 6 blocks south for a long time a few years ago. All new everything including nice and classy smoked glass partitions on top of the booths. It's not a big place. Maybe enough seating for 60 or 70 people max. Off to the south side of the restaurant there is a wood frame over the booths with lattice and Chianti bottles and grape leaves. The typical traditional Italian restaurant but this place has a little something more. It has a classy feeling to it.

















After being seated I look over and see a large booth by the hostess/cashier area. It is completely loaded up with to go boxes of what must be lasagne and who knows what. These boxes are very hi quality with the restaurants name and number, just good looking. You can tell they put a lot of thought into it. In an adjacent dining room there are even more boxes of food to be picked up. And they have even put out orange cones as a designated parking area on the street for people to come pick up their orders. On this Christmas Eve I guess it's a big deal to get stuff from Lomeli's! Who knew? I coulda had a dinner!

















So I knew before we got there that the best thing to get was the Lomeli's Special. One small cheese pizza, spaghetti and ravioli, garlic bread. Soup or salad. Deb had the Minestrone, I had the salad.

First they bring a relish tray with peppers and carrots and ranch. Beautiful. Then they bring the soup and salad. Beautiful soup with pasta shells and great salad with slices of cheese on it and olives, just awesome. Deb and I always share and I tasted that soup and it was out of this world good.

















Some Brea trivia: Union Oil made this area boom in the early 1900's, Brea the Spanish word for Tar. Baseball legend Walter Johnson grew up in Olinda (a town next door) at the turn of the century where he worked in the surrounding oil fields as a youth. In the Dunsmuir California ballpark in 1924, Babe Ruth came and played in an exhibition game.

















At this point the smiling waitress puts this down......oh my god.


















I put a piece on Debs plate then mine and sprinkled Parmesan generously on it and took a bite. Now look, here is one thing. I don't mess around talking about pizza. I am a huge fan of pizza. this is spectacular. The crust and the sauce and the cheese oh my god. It could not have been better. Out of this world.

She's back! The waitress puts down this huge plate with large spoons. It's the Spaghetti with the huge ravioli! ........and the meatballs! I serve it up and take a bite of the ravioli. Oh my god. I can honestly say I have never had it so good. These raviolis were about the size of half a slice of bread, huge. These were cheese filled, like ricotta. The best I have ever had. I'm not kidding.

















And then the meat balls. I just was shaking my head as it was in my mouth. Incredible. Look at this photo. This place is just mind blowingly good. Is that a word?

This is a photo the busboy took, I had nothing to do with it.


















My wife has such a great attitude. She always lifts me up. I thank god for her during the holidays and always. We both go though depression this time of year. Both her parents are gone. My Mom is gone. My Dad and brother live in other states. It's tough. But being able to go and have a great lunch like this is great for us.

Here is my very easily amused wife with our desert.


















It's a long post I know but there is more.


































Just a short comment about the wait staff there at Lomeli's, excellent and friendly. Never had a want. Thank you!

After this kick ass lunch we went into downtown Brea and walked around. Right there , brand new... Farrell's! This happens to be the first time people will be able to go to the new Farrells! Remember this great ice cream parlor when you were a kid? Well it's back! Today was an invite only, it opens officially Monday! And it's not just ice cream it's a full service restaurant with alcohol, oh baby.




































So the moral to the story is go get some food!

http://www.lomelisrestaurant.com/

http://www.farrellsusa.com/

Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to all!!!!


- JP

Halloween on Halloween

Today Deb and I had a really great time going on a tour of filming locations with our LA Radio buddy Brian Whitman. Brian is a fanatic about the old 1978 horror movie classic "Halloween" by John Carpenter. He knows all the little quirky trivia. The film takes place in a small town in Illinois. But guess what? With an only $300,000 budget it was all filmed in So Cal.

Brian loving this film and purportedly to having seen it over 100 times, came up with an idea for a personal private tour of the filming locations in South Pasadena. Some of the film was shot in Hollywood too.

He put up a facebook page and it sold out in nothing flat. Their were about 14 people on the tour. Brian brought everyone pizza and drinks and then we jumped in a few cars and visited 6 different locations.

















Not going into too much detail if you haven't seen the movie it's about a psychotic killer that gets out of a mental hospital and runs around with coveralls and mask and a knife. I usually hate movies like this but this is a special one. Brian knows a quality movie. This film is more of a mood piece. It has great music and is shot beautifully.

The killers name is Michael Myers, just happens to be my brothers name, wierd. This is Jamie Lee Curtis' first film and it has the old veteran actor Donald Pleasence playing Michaels' doctor.

The special surprise that Brian had for everyone today is a friend of his, Peter Genovese at www.petergenovese.com, dressed up as the killer in coveralls and mask and looked just like him, even wielding the bloody kitchen knife, it was so cool.






















Brian also had a new Web Talk Show there called TheFilmTalkShow.com with host David C. Morgan. They were filming at all the locations and talking to Brian.






















And last but not least, what really got the ball rolling on this wonderful tour was that Brian took some volunteers and acted out a couple scenes from the film at the original locations. It turned into an independent film set with Brian as the producer and David as the Director. Brian got the volunteers to read from the script and walk and shoot it as if they were remaking the film. It was very very cool I must say.

















The video that was shot will be edited and put on the web in the next couple days. My wife is in it and did a great job acting.














Thanks to the City of South Pasadena. Nobody called the police or complained about 14 people making noise in front of their houses. That's very cool.





It was a great day. Thanks Brian!

- JP

Click this link to see all the photos from today

Happy Halloween!!

Sunday..Sunday..Sunday..Funny Cars!

Oh man did we have fun today. I have never written three blog posts in a row in the span of three days.

We left late and went to a regular haunt in Pomona. The Pomona Valley Mining Company. It is always a great place for brunch. Did you know that Brunch is a combination of the words Breakfast and Lunch? I asked my wife this and she gave me this fake smile and a fake "really?", pretty funny girl she is.

















So we are waiting in the bar for our table and of course the amazing wife of mine makes new friends for life with this couple Lori and Randy. I was talking to Randy and he is just a cool dude, a white guy by the way and Lori is Filipino. Two mixed race couples with the same races. Randy knows what's up. And Lori is gorgeous. Deb of course got Lori's number and we are going to their house next week. This wife of mine is amazing.

















So we get seated and don't see Lori and Randy again. We had some kick ass food with Champagne of course, with some orange juice. I love getting the prime rib with some egg's bennie and rice and bacon and crab legs. Then I usually go back for salad and fruit. Deb did the same.

















We noticed a black lady sitting by herself. Beautiful woman over 50 with a hat and wearing a dress with jewelry and bright red lip stick. After a while Deb got up and went to the restroom and of course met this lady. They talked and were laughing as they walked back together.

















Her name is Carrie Mathis. She is from Mississippi. She is a life long nurse and now first time writer. She is the author of a book called Overcoming Shattered Dreams: Ouch! That Hurt! She was the sweetest woman ever and we enjoyed talking to her for over an hour. She explained the intense childhood she had and couple rocky marriages. But what a sweet soul she is. Most of the time she was smiling and laughing and having fun talking to us. She's in her 60's but still looks very good. I was really admiring her, very easy on the eyes.






















I was telling her she might want to get a facebook page up and promote her book. She's retired now and loves living alone and has a couple grown kids. But she loves her independence and plans to write more.


















Click on book cover.

What an absolute cool lady. We had so much fun talking to her. We promised to get together soon and do it again. It's really amazing who you meet out in the world. Thank the lord for my outgoing wife that loves people.

On top of all this we have experienced this weekend, I talked to my Father in Minneapolis and my Brother in upstate new York. It has been one sweet weekend.

- JP

A great day at the mall, wait a minute.

Well I didn't think I would be writing a blog post the day after I wrote a blog post, but this is just too good.

One of my heroes is Joel Osteen. He runs the Lakewood Church in Texas. He says often that if you are wronged or have a hard time in life that the Lord will pay you back double. Well we got that today.

We got up late and left the house around 1pm for lunch. We drove though the Brea Canyon and into Brea. We went to Outback Steakhouse. It was closed, I laughed my ass off. This makes no sense to me. We then drove over to the Brea Mall and went to Claim Jumper.

We had a great Bartender named Chris. He was very attentive. There was nobody in the restaurant except a few people so we had the attention of all the staff. We sat at the bar and ordered lunch.

















Deb had a half chicken and sweet potato and veggies with corn bread on the side, she is telling me now as I type this. I had a Filet Mignon and mashed potatoes and salad. I don't normally have this kind of expensive meat for lunch but after the week I had, I was jones-ing for it.

It was amazing and I loved all of it, no complaints which is unusual for me just ask my wife :) Just a beautiful lunch.

After which we went over to the Brea Mall. I was OK with it. I wanted to walk around. I thought I would feel better getting some walking in.

Well...let me tell you something. I was stunned. This mall is beautiful. For me to say that is big. I hate malls and shopping but this place is really beautiful and huge. It goes on forever. There were thousands of people there today.

We hit the Macy's which apparently is only a women's store now. I did not find anything for men. But maybe it was my food intoxication. I didn't see anything.














We also went to the Apple Store. I have never been in a Apple Store and have never owned any Apple Products. I walked up and was looking at the new iPhone 4. I logged into my facebook account and posted a status update: "I'm in the Apple Store in Brea and playing with the new iPhone and loving it". Oh my god it's a kick ass phone, now I know why people love it so much. Pondering.......

















After we walked around for a while and saw all the beautiful people, and my god there were a lot of them. We stopped and sat down in what is a total new thing to me.

Next to the Nordstom was a cafe, no a real cafe. A french cafe where you can sit outside and have a coffee or even a glass of wine! holy crap....what did he say? That's right a glass of wine. We got a table right on the sidewalk as it were of the mall. Deb had a Creme Brulee dessert and I had a glass of Chardonnay. This great place is called "Le Diplomate Cafe".














We talked to the owner Andre. Turns out they have been in this mall for almost 20 years. It's a French themed restaurant with art painted walls and tiled roofs and lamp posts. It's really designed well. It's actually a big place.















We sat in the front and watched people walk by. I had Deb pointing out to me all the hot chicks walking by (what a wife I have) and the sun coming though the atrium roof. I have not been this relaxed in months.

One of the best Saturday's in a long time. Not one thing to complain about, how often does that happen?

- JP

Observations From The Road, Extreme

Ever since Wednesday and that shooting in Seal Beach I have been in bad shape. I was really stunned to hear about this event, and I was just down the road in Huntington Beach when it happened. I saw a twitter post and thought holy crap that guy could be coming this way. 5 minutes later someone posted that he was caught.

It's been down hill since that happened. I have moved since but I lived in Long Beach for a long time and spent a lot of time in Seal Beach. It's just so close to home. Those poor people facing this unimaginable event. I can not imagine the pain being felt. I just slipped into intense despair and depression. So much so that on Thursday morning my voice was almost gone, not sure why, stress maybe.

I follow the news probably too close and listen to a lot of talk radio. I think hearing everyday all the negative things going on and then to pile this on top just was too much. On Thursday I could not even turn the radio on to hear what was probably intense detail about what happened. I just could not go there. I bought a new audiobook and just cut myself off.

Wednesday was a full moon. I was noticing the traffic a lot more crazy than most days. My mind was swimming with thoughts of this awful person killing those innocent people. I was just sick to my stomach.

On Thursday at work I noticed people driving extra crazy. People were tailgating me and weaving into my lane, over and over and all day long. I was getting so angry and frustrated. It kept happening all day and until I got home at 10pm. I was just exhausted and angry and depressed.

Friday comes and I'm woken up by a Fed Ex guy and loud talking and dogs barking. I still felt this intense depression and sadness. I took a couple aspirin and went to work. After a few hours I felt a little better, but that depression still lingered in my head.

A fairly calm afternoon and then the very very busy drive up to the San Fernando Valley. And of course Friday is the very very busy drive back from about 8pm to 9 or so.

I'm driving back and I get to the East LA interchange and see this woman in a dark blue Camry. She is driving crazy, going back and forth in one lane and switching to another. She is doing this thing I know you have seen where people are driving in slow traffic then all lights go red and you have to slow to a stop behind the car in front of you. Well this woman would see the red lights and continue at a good speed and then slam on her breaks just feet before the car in front of her. I saw her do this probably ten times. I honked at her and was trying to get her attention. I saw in the car was an older woman with a scarf on her head and a baby in a car seat in the backseat.

I thought my God woman your driving insane. I saw a license plate frame on her car read "Lodi". She's from out of town probably.

So I lose track of her and after a few more minutes I am at Lakewood on the 5 south.

I am in the fast lane and see another car tailgating me. I can not believe how often this has happened this week, it's crazy. This person behind me is right on my ass. I tap breaks to give them a little message. After about three times of this person doing this, it happens. I'm looking in my rear view mirror at this car is coming...and coming......and BOOM! Smacks right into me, HARD.

















I said to myself "great way to end this shit ass week!" I put on my flashers and try to move off the freeway to the shoulder. I finally get over and stop......and here is the kicker for the week ladies and gentleman.......nobody is there but me. I'm ok and the Van is not damaged, surprisingly.

A hit and run and I'm only 10 minutes away from clocking out on a Friday night. I call into to my co-worker. I got no license plate I have no idea what kind of car, nothing. I did not see this person or the car, but guess what? I think it was that crazy woman I saw earlier.

It's gonna be a great weekend.!! I'm sure of it.

Pray for the Families of the Seal Beach Shooting, they are gonna need support.



Click this link to donate to relief fund.






- JP