LA Kings Hockey Fest!

Me with the Kings Ice Girls..I told the guy taking the picture, "Take as much time as you need! (:"

Kevin and I with Kings Center Jarret Stoll

It was a fun event that I didn't think I would be able to go to because of Catalina, but with Zach's episode, Kev and I went...it was a lot of fun...we got some autographs, they had the worldwide debut of NHL 10 video game, and tons of hockey exhibits and booths.

Happy Birthday Mike!

Big happy birthday wishes today for Mike who turns 20 today! Mike is enjoying his first week back at school at the University of Colorado at Boulder. And we just saw him earlier this week, as Me, Matt, and Mike were all at Coors Field for a Dodger Rockie game!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Wow it seems like only one year ago here at Grabbaggar I was wishing my father a happy birthday....

Hope your having fun on your birthday vacation!

Garrett's top reasons why I love Dodger Stadium

After posting my satirical blog yesterday I thought it only fair to recite why I love going to games....

• History--Dodger Stadium opened in 1962 and is the third oldest park behind Fenway and Wrigely...Koufax pitched there...Gibson hit the homerun there..Garvey, Cey, Lopes, and Russell played there...I can close my eyes and still see that Garvey homerun, or that Piazza homerun...or the one time I saw Sax hit a homerun..and on and on
• Perfect Setting and design...unlike every other stadium, Dodger stadium is actually partially built into a hillside making it unique...it is only 2 miles from the downtown civic center but is built into a natural oasis, Chavez Ravine, providing spectacular views of the foothills and San Gabriel mountains beyond.
• Roger the Peanut Man....since before Dodger Stadium going back all the way to the colesseum Roger Owens has been tossing peanuts at Dodger Stadium in the Loge Level from directly behind homeplate out to the left field side...he is a fixture at the park and has entertained people for generations.
• Vin Scully....Every night you can look up and be comforted by the sight of Vinny announcing a game in his press box
• The Uniforms...I remember as a kid at night games looking at the clear almost glowing pristine white of the uniforms with the brillant Blue and thinking how cool they are...The Dodgers being only one of a handful of teams in MLB to not change their uniforms, I still can look at the brilliance of them
• Nancy B Hefly...The Dodger stadium organists role has been reduced in recent years but I challenge you to find a better one anywhere!
• Simple to park for free....Shhhhhh don't tell anyone but it is very easy to navigate outside the stadium...I have about 5 different locations where I can park for free.
• 30 miles from my doorstep.......Traffic heading north to south from Santa Clarita isn't that bad believe it or not
• The fans....In recent years especially we have a core group of diehards that always around....we don't tolerate giants fans and other fans running their mouths, nor should we....There is nothing better than cheering a Manny grandslam with 50 thousand others like I saw in person against the Reds, and is so far the moment of the season.
• Deitrich....my season ticket guy is awesome, patient and accomodating.
• Frank McCourt...since buying the team the Dodgers have made the playoffs 3 times and are headed into a fourth in a few weeks.
• Dodger Dogs.....The most famous food of any ballpark, in any sport, anywhere.
• The most beloved location in all of Los Angeles...Everyone goes to Dodger games if you live in Southern California you most likely have been there and enjoyed yourself
• Opening Day....there is nothing like opening day at Dodger Stadium...it is as close to a holiday as we have here in LA

I have tickets to almost every remaining game this season and if they clinch the NL West at home I will be on hand to see it, and I will be at all the playoff games this year...it's gonna be awesome!

Garrett's Dodger Stadium Pet Peeves

Since 1977 I have attended approximately 300 Dodger games. I love the stadium and I especially like our new better seats on the Loge level..but there are certain things that drive me nuts (Thanks to dodgerblues.com for some of these)

• Cheering when the opposing team executes a sacrifice (Hey morons, just because the dodgers recorded an out, the other team has just scored a run or put themselves in scoring position!)
• As soon as the Dodgers hit a ball into the air half the stadium thinks its a homerun
• People who can't find their seats (This drives me nuts more than anything else..the aisles and seats are all clearly marked! It couldn't be any easier...I am sick and tired of dopes walking around like zombies unable to figure out this simplicity)
• People not waiting for a break in the action to mosey back to their seats
• The Way the Dodgers handle stadium entry (OK this is more a Dodger problem then fan problem....Dodger stadium is a 5 level park and you can only enter your level or below...everytime I wait to get in at the Loge level there are people with tickets to the reserved that are told to step out of line and go climb some stairs)
• Beach balls and the wave...specifically the booing when a wave isn't picked up or a beach ball is hit to a lower level or taken by an usher..this is inane
• Booing when an opposing team throws to first to keep runners on or have conferences on the mound...(it's called baseball people if you don't like it either don't boo or don't show up)
• For some reason when a family decides to get food everyone has to stand up in the middle of the game to talk about it...Hey fatso, figure out how many Dodger Dogs you and your awful wife want to slam down your gullets..and then quickly exit the seating area
• Specific for this season...the singing of "God Bless America" during the seventh inning..my objection to this has nothing to do with religion..but the fact that this charade disrupts the flow of the game...baseball is about fun, tradition and escape..everyone loves to sing "Take Me out to the ballgame" and nothing else..besides we already have the national anthem before every game.
• The 8th inning playing of "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey at every game no matter what.

*****Authors note despite all of this I will continue to get my 27 game flex pack on Loge 151 K seats 1,2 Because I love it.

A few words about Josh Hamilton

So another pro athlete is "caught" by another rat who posted pictures on the internet. Josh Hamilton is a great story, he has tons of natural talent, but threw away about 5 years of his baseball life in a drug and alcohol spiral. Incredibly he had come out of all that and became a superstar last year at the Homerun derby. He is likeable and his is a great story. He "wrote" a book about his transformation which he credits largely to a religious faith. Anyways........it comes out that there are all kinds of pictures of him partying with some ladies and having a great time. Folks guess what, I don't care what kind of public persona the players in the show put on, or what you think you know about them. After game time, the majority of them party until dawn, enjoying endless amounts of free booze, drugs, and sex...its the culture, its just what you do as a ballplayer. And the wifes look the other way loving the cash and the fact they get so much attention as "Mrs. Josh Hamilton"

So to the rats who took pictures of Phelps, and Hamilton, I say.....you wish you in the show...you wish you could be Josh Hamilton! There folks, I've said my peace

The Perfect Friday Night

Now some folks like to go to "the club with the bub" but not me....here I am watching 3 different baseball games...Dodger game on big screen....Yankee v Red Sox on Iphone...and rooting for the Reds against the Giants on the laptop (Yes I know it's hard to see in the pic..but trust me)

Mt Whitney

At Trail Crest Ascending the final two miles to the top

The Beauty of the scenery

The Summit Group Photo

Well we all made it to the top of the highest peak in the continental US. If someone were to ask me for one word to describe it I would go with EPIC! The place has an awesome scope and grandeur to it. The hike is very strenuous, long, beautiful, and did I say long? For me there were a bunch of highlights, but probably the best one (other than the summit of course) was when we got to mile 9 at the top of a never ending series of switchbacks that went on forever. Once we got the top, I was greeted with a view that I will never forget...At the point of the trail crest it is 13,600 and we could turn our heads to the left and look down on Kings Canyon National Park, to our right, the Owens valley and the trail we had just climbed. At that point knowing we were near the summit it was a relatively easy trek the final two miles...but we still had to climb almost another 1000 feet! We began hiking in the dark at just after 3:00 AM in near total blackness wearing only headlamps...11 miles later we were standing on the summit at about 11:45 AM or so? The view was incredible and we took some time to enjoy it..but we were also all loopy from being up so high...We started the descent...and for me that's when it started to get hard..because I had reached the goal, and I just wanted it to be over..so psychologically that made it tough combined with the fact that the Whitney trail has a zillion "stairs" to climb up or down. When you are descending there is added pressure on your knees, and my right one had plumb near given out....path with no steps I was OK..but I had to slow down and gingerly descend everytime there was a step. And so the descent went on and on and on and on......and the whole time climbing down when I looked back at the grandness of the summit and the entire thing and thought...I CAN'T BELIEVE WE DID THAT! And I am happy I did.

P.S. There are 55 total pictures of this trip..they are ALL at

http://gallery.me.com/garrettriley

(don't type that URL into google copy and paste it directly into your browser)

From there you can upload/download or even e-mail any pictures that you want to!

(I left this album unrestricted you can add your photos to it, just hit upload)

Unlike free programs like flicker, this allows you to download big high quality photos! Any problems please tell me and I will gently help you I promise..lets work together to get as many pictures of this trip available for all to see!

P.S Mt Whitney Awards

I would like to thank all of my teamates

Matt The Mt. Whitney veteran was a great guide for all of us and a huge help.

Nicole Bundle of energy kept us all smiling

Denise At 57 years old to do that! Incredible job and congrats

Tina Solid as a rock, even when her water bladder leaked out completely she never faltered

Tasha The trip wouldn't have been the same for me without you there

As Matt said "We will remember this day for the rest of our lives"