Finally joined Pottermore. My username is SpellShield30122.

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An Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman go into a bar. All three order Guinnesses. As they're served, three flies buzz over and one lands in each glass.

The Englishman looks disgusted and orders a replacement.

The Scotsman flicks the fly out of the glass and takes a healthy gulp.

The Irishman grabs the fly by its wings and begins shaking it, yelling, "Spit it out, ye bloody bastard, spit it out!"

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We got a late-ish start today, not moving very much until after 11. I got to sit and read my book (Patrick Rothfuss's Name of the Wind) for several hours while David slept. We headed out for lunch at Top of the Park, on the 7th floor of the Park Manor Suites hotel. David had the Chef's Whim soup, a cream of asparagus, while I had the tomato bisque. We shared a plate of fried calamari (perfectly crispy and not at all greasy, served with a red pepper aioli and a thick marinara sauce), then we shared a burrata caprese salad with heirloom cherry and grape tomatoes, and the Chef's Whim flatbread, which was BLT. Unfortunately, David said the crisp flatbread hurt the tooth he had worked on last week.

David's friend Karen is having a medical issue this evening, so we are canceling our plans to have dinner with his god-daughter here in the city; we're going to drive up to Oceanside, where they are, pick up the kids and take them to dinner while Karen is getting checked out.

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We got in late Saturday night (albeit about half an hour early). The computers at Avis were down, so the line was nearly out the door - but they came back up while I was standing there. We got a nice white Mustang convertible, loaded it up and headed out.

The resort is lovely, though storage space is limited (there is only one cabinet with two drawers; we asked for another, but were told none were available).

We had lunch yesterday at Tom Ham's Lighthouse, on a spit of land in the harbor just south of the airport. The spread was enormous - typical brunch items like french toast, sausage, bacon, and a made-to-order omelet station, but also a made-to-order pasta station, a carving station with a pork steamship round, a bbq beef brisket and bbq ribs, and also a boat full of seafood - lobster claws, king and snow crab legs, peel-and-eat shrimp, shrimp ceviche, scallop ceviche and smoked salmon (with bagels and cream cheese at hand). There was also a dessert bar with creme brulee, brownie mousse, cheese cake, chocolate croissant bread pudding and a sundae bar.

We had dinner at what is apparently the best restaurant in San Diego, Bertrand at Mr. A's. We were seated at a table in the southwest corner of the restaurant; the location is such that we were watching aircraft landing at the airport nearby - and they generally passed the building just about at the level of the restaurant on the 12th floor. David started with a "pomegranate paradise" (a martini variant), while I had a Frenchman (Grand Marnier, cabernet sauvignon, lemon, lime and hot water). We shared a lobster strudel, which was so good it rendered me speechless. David had grilled scallops with a cabernet risotto, while I had braised lamb shank with flageolet beans; we had a Merry Edwards Pinot Noir from the Russian River to go with. We ended with a caramel cheesecake with a side of blueberry and cherry compote. It was quite possibly the single most-expensive-per-person meal I've ever had, but it was just amazing. We then wandered up the street to the Caliph Lounge and had a few drinks and some karaoke to round out the evening.

We are getting ready to head out for lunch at Top of the Park, and will be having dinner tonight with David's goddaughter and her fiance at Tre Porcellini in Hillcrest.

I actually got David to agree to get up and get out early tomorrow, so I'm hoping to get to Anaheim before 10am. I think we will spend four or five hours at DCA, then head over to the hotel to check in and freshen up. We'll head back, have dinner at Napa Rose, then finish up the evening at DCA. When it closes at 10, we'll cross over to DLP and hit a couple of things, then plan to get up early and get into DLP no later than 9am on Wednesday.

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(h/t otterdance)

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Ganked from... well, everyone in HP fandom, it seems.

Harry Potter taught me that some things are worth dying for.
Ron Weasley taught me that believing in yourself is a hundred times more powerful than luck.
Hermione Granger taught me that an education is a girl’s best asset, even if it doesn’t make you many friends.
Severus Snape taught me to never, ever, ever judge someone.
Rubeus Hagrid taught me that anything can be cute with the right perspective.
Ginny Weasley taught me that bold is beautiful.
Lily Potter taught me that a mother’s love is the strongest force on earth.
Remus Lupin taught me that fear is the only thing I should be afraid of.
Dolores Umbridge taught me that education with a political agenda is a terrible, terrible thing.
Sirius Black taught me that the ones we love never truly leave us.
Albus Dumbledore taught me that good people are not always good.
Draco Malfoy taught me that bad people are not always bad.
Neville Longbottom taught me that courage is standing up for what’s right, even when you’re scared out of your mind.
Luna Lovegood taught me that weird is wonderful.
Dobby taught me that freedom is a gift.
Lucius Malfoy taught me that no amount of money, pomp, or circumstance will buy you true friends.
Fred & George Weasley taught me that sometimes all you need is a good laugh.
The Dursleys taught me that a world without imagination is a dull and dreary place.
Arthur Weasley taught me that an good sense of curiosity and a bit of obsession can be healthy.
Fleur Delacour taught me that true love is not based on appearance.
Molly Weasley taught me that a happy family is not measured in gold.
Bellatrix Lestrange taught me that hatred and prejudice rot the mind and can turn the most beautiful person into a monster.
Kreacher taught me that if you want to get to know a man, look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.
Cho Chang taught me that rebound relationships almost never work.
Nymphadora Tonks taught me to love myself, no matter what I look like.
Percy Weasley taught me that, in the end, no career is worth sacrificing your family.
Sybill Trelawney taught me that you cannot change the past, only the future.
Lavender Brown taught me that physical relationships only last for so long.
Peter Pettigrew taught me that rats do not make good friends.
Nicholas Flamel taught me that to the well-prepared mind, death is but the next great adventure.
Minerva McGonagall taught me that a good cause is worth fighting for at any age.
Hedwig taught me that the love we have for our pets is very real.
Lord Voldemort taught me that a life without love is barely living.
J. K. Rowling taught me that the stories we love will always be with us. Until the very end.

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George Carlin explains the pro-life hypocrisy. NSFW language! http://youtu.be/vZijLQGH1v0



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May be NSFW, depending on your work place.


http://youtu.be/588ngaryDJo

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