America's Toughest Jobs

Tonight at 9pm the show I'm currently working on premeires on NBC.


America's Toughest Jobs.

From creator/executive producer Thom Beers ("Deadliest Catch," "Ice Road Truckers") and executive producers Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun, "America’s Toughest Jobs" is a new extreme competition series that will test 13 men and women who venture out of their safe and comfortable careers and are injected into some of the most challenging, dangerous and demanding jobs on earth.

From logging high in the Washington forest to oil drilling on the Texas range, and driving icy roads to extreme fishing – each job requires guts and stamina, and the competitors will have to live up to the same standards as the pros. At the end of each episode, their new boss and co-workers will determine success or failure, and those who don't make the grade will be sent home. Upping the ante, the annual salary of each job will be thrown into the pot until the finale – where one rookie will take home the well-earned cash.

One Last Time

Today we went to Star Trek The Experience. This was our main reason for coming to Las Vegas this weekend. If you don't know what it is here is a brief description.


Star Trek The Experience is an interactive adventure based on the voyage of the most exciting futuristic television series of all time, Star Trek. Visitors are immersed in the futuristic world where they see, feel, touch and live the 24th century. Included in the Experience are two multi-million dollar interactive adventures, Borg Invasion 4D and The Klingon Encounter. They also have a History of Future Museum featuring more then 200 items; it is the largest permanent collection of Star Trek props and costumes in the world. The museum like exhibit featuring authentic Star Trek costumes, weaponry, make-up, special effects and props used in the five Star Trek television series and the ten motion pictures. If you get hungry you can go to Deep Space Nine and eat at Quark’s Bar and Restaurant. After eating you can then shop at Deep Space Nine’s Promenade with the largest retail stores for Star Trek merchandise.

This was Harry's sixth or seventh time and my eight or ninth time visiting the Experience but this visit would always be special because it would be our last. After ten years of service to the Star Trek community The Experience is closing down. Their contract is up at the end of the year at the Hilton and it was not renewed. Since it will take several months for them to remove everything and be out by the end of the year Star Trek The Experience will be closing September 1st. When we heard it was for sure closing we made plans to go one last time.

We brought along our video and digital still camera to capture as much footage and pictures as we could. We have already taken a ton of pictures and video but this was going to be our last chance to get anything we missed.

We got up around 9am and went down to breakfast around 10am with Dad. He planned to hang out in the space casino and play slots while Harry and I spent the entire day hanging out at the Experience. We got to the Experience around 11am as they opened at 11:30 and sure enough there was a line to get in. We waited a half hour in line and chatted with a few folks standing around us. They opened the doors and we went to buy our tickets. I checked online for some of there package deals and we went with the The Latinum Package. This package includes a dual mission ticket, admission to "Star Trek: The Experience: Secrets Unveiled" and two free photos (in the Captain's Chair and the BORG Regeneration Chamber).

We entered the Experience and decided that we would skip the museum and all they goodies and go directly to one of the rides. Both had lines but the Borg Invasion 4D was shorter so we choose to go on that first. After the ride you exit downstairs in the shopping/restaurant area. It was so sad to see that all the stores except one were closed. They had moved all the merchandise into this one store. We walked through to see if we could find any super great deals but didn’t find anything that we must have. As we headed back up to the entrance of the Experience we noticed two people doing charactures, but these weren’t your typical charactures. They would take your face and morph it into a Star Trek theme character. We knew we wanted to do this but they were busy so we headed over to the waiting area to get our pictures taken on the TNG bridge and Borg alcove. A girl picked up a group of us and took us to the TNG Bridge of the Enterprise where we got to sit in the Captain’s chair while they take a picture. After that we went to a small room that was set up like a Borg Ship. There were two life-size Borg’s standing in an Alcove and we got to stand in the middle while they took a picture. Once that was over we went back to the casino to find dad and see how he was doing.

We found him at a slot machine and he was up a few hundred dollars. We decided to grab a snack as we had tickets for the 4:30pm behind the scene tour and figure we would eat afterwards. We got something to drink and a snack and sat at a table and relaxed. At this time my friend Michael and his wife Kathy who also were coming to Vegas for the Experience texted me to let me know he had arrived. They met us over at the café and we headed back to the Experience together. Since Harry and I did the Borg 4D ride already we all went on the second ride The Klingon Encounter.

Between the two rides I still enjoy The Klingon Encounter a bit more then the Borg invasion 4D. They are both a ton of fun and will immerse you into the Star Trek World; I just think The Klingon Encounter is a bit cooler.

After we got off the ride we were once again in the shopping and restaurant area. Harry and I picked up our Captain’s chair and Borg Alcove pictures, they turned out great. We looked over at the guys doing the Charactures and they were finishing up so Harry and I decided that we would do ours now. A few minutes later Kathy and Mike joined us, as they wanted to do one as well.

So Harry and I sat for one and Michael and Kathy sat for the other. I asked for the guy to make me an Andorian (blue skinned alien) and Harry wanted to be a Klingon. Michael went with a Kirk like character and Kathy was an Orion Slave Girl (a very green sexy alien). We sat there for about half hour as this guy and girl worked their magic. While you are sitting there you can’t see what they are doing and a crowd of people gather around and watch as you get this done. It’s strange sitting there in a spot light and having folks stare at you and then look at the picture and point and smile.

Our guy finished first and when he showed it to us I laughed out loud. He nailed us… I looked perfect as an Andorian and Harry was awesome looking as a Klingon with his ridges. Mike and Kathy were going to be a little longer so we headed up to the casino to show Dad the picture. A few minutes later we headed back down to check out Mike and Kathy’s picture and it turned out just as cool as ours.. we were all very happy that we spent the money and did this.

After the charactures, Mike and Kathy went to grab a snack while Harry and I decided to go to the museum and take as much video and pictures as we could before our 4:30pm BTS tour. We spent about an hour taking pictures and video of everything. Once it was 4:15pm we headed to the waiting area for the BTS tour. I found out that it was going to take an hour and a half to finish the tour, which we did not plan as we were all hungry. So I called Mike, Kathy and my Dad to let them know.

They had been doing this BTS tour for several years but we never took it. Since this was going to be the last time we figured… why not. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about Star Trek and The Experience. She was hired a year before the Experience even opened and portrayed a Vulcan and Andorian character. They had about 10 actors who dressed up and walked around the Experience in character, taking pictures and interacting with the guests.

She began the tour walking through the museum and giving us tidbits about the props and costumes. She then explained how they created the giant Enterprise, Voyager and Klingon modeled ships. The sad thing was, she told us that it would cost 2 million to remove the ships safely so it looks as though they will just be torn down when the Experience is taking down. She then took us through a side door and we got to see some blueprints of the Experience. She then took us on to various parts of each ride. The TNG corridors, the Borg station area, the TNG Bridge and so many other cool areas. As we went to each area our tour guide had very interesting information about how it was created, she was a wealth of knowledge. One of the highlights of the tour was seeing how they actually Transport you from the ride to the Transporter room of the Enterprise D… now that was a very cool effect. Another cool part was seeing the Shuttle ride from beneath it, watching how all the hydraulics work. We also go to see the make up area and costume area and the business part of the ride. At the end she took us up to the “party room” above Quarks and handed out some really cool certificate that stated that we finished the behind the scene tour. All in all it was a very cool tour, we were very happy that we finally took it.

After the tour we headed back to the casino where dad was waiting for us. We called Kathy and Michael and they were in line for the Borg 4D ride. We decided to go down to Quarks and get some dinner. Kathy and Mike said they would be done in about 10 minutes. So Dad, Harry and I got a table and ordered some Holy Rings of Betazoid and sodas. Kathy and Mike showed up a little later and we all ordered food and enjoyed the Star Trek atmosphere.

After dinner Mike and Kathy headed back to there hotel while Dad went back up to gamble a little bit more. As Harry and I really wanted to do both rides one last time. When we got up there only one ride was open, The Klingon Encounter so we got in line and waited and waited and waited. We wanted to leave Vegas around 8pm and it was already 8:30. They finally let us on the ride and we enjoyed it for the final time. When we got off the ride the worker said.. if anyone wants to do the Borg 4D ride follow him and he would show us a short cut to the line. We got back to the line and the Klingon Encounter was closed and there was a line for Borg Invasion 4D so we got to ride that one last time and it was a fantastic way to finish our final adventure at Star Trek The Experience.

It was a little past 9pm and we headed back home. I was exhausted and I don’t know how I was able to drive but I managed to drop dad off at home around 1am and Harry and I got home around 2:30am and went straight to bed.

Star Trek The Experience is an AWESOME place and it’s so sad to see it get torn down. But at least Harry and I go to geek out in that Star Trek World one last time.

Thank you for all the great memories and fun times.. you will be missed.

Las Vegas

Today Harry and I got up at 6:30am and started to get ready for our trip to Vegas. We planned to go to Vegas because of Star Trek The Experience at the Hilton. It was closing at the end of the month and Harry and I both being avid Star Trek fans had to go one last time before it's gone forever. We decided to bring my Dad along for a present for his recent birthday and since he hadn't been there in over 8 years it was a great opportunity to take him along. So this became our Honeymoon/Dad's Birthday trip.


We planned to pick up my Dad at 8am and then head to Vegas... of course we were a bit behind and picked up dad around 8:30am. We headed out around 9am and began our drive. I had rented a car for the weekend for this trip so we were enjoying the AC as it was getting very hot. We have a quick stop at a rest stop to stretch our legs then again when we hit the town of Baker as we were hungry and grabbed some breakfast.

We hit Primm Nevada about 1pm and decided to stop at Buffalo Bills and gamble a bit. Dad won money, Harry and I lost money but it was a lot of fun. We left around 2pm and headed to Vegas. We got there about 40 minutes later and I missed an exit that I had planned to take, as I wanted to show dad the new strip since he had not been there in over 8 years.. a lot has changed. Instead I wound up on the back end of the strip and buildings so when we finally found a street to cut across we had missed most of the strip so we went south on the strip to show dad all the new casinos then turned around and headed back north on the strip to the Hilton which is on the northern end of the strip just off to the side.

Got to the hotel and checked in, checked out our rooms then went back down to grab some lunch. We planned to go to Quarks but there was a huge line and we were hungry so we opted for a cafe in the Hilton. After lunch we went to the Space Quest Casino section. This is the slot machines area right outside Star Trek The Experience and we played a few slots.. again Dad winning, Harry winning and I was losing. After that we decided to rest for a few hours. Dad watched Ironman while Harry and I relaxed. A few hours passed and we went down to grab some dinner and we gambled a little bit but it was close to 11pm and we were tired and called it a night.

Renting a Car

Today was my fourth car rental in the past two months. This time I was renting a car because Harry and I were driving to Vegas and it was cheaper to rent a car then pay for the gas of my Jeep. I got 2009 Chevy Aveo.. never heard of the car.. it was an economy car and you could tell.. no perks other then AC. The cool thing was it was brand spanking new. Only had 30 miles on it and they just recieved it the night before. Still had that new car smell.

Hellboy II

Today Harry and I finally went to the movies.. with the wedding and visiting family we fell behind in watching movies. We opted for Hellboy II tonight.


It was everything I want in a fun, action, sci fi'ish movie. Great effects, cool creatures, decent story, cool fight scenes and the list goes on and on. One of my favorite new creatures was The Angel of Death.. that was 100% Del Toro.. The first Hellboy was good but was done on a budget.. this one you could tell had more money and it showed.. A great sequel to a cool series.. let's hope for Hellboy III.

Wedding Photos

Today I picked up our professional wedding photos. Alex took over 500 pictures, he retouched about 20 of them and printed two for us. He did a wonderful job and captured some very beautiful moments. Alex was a lifesaver as my original photographer bailed on me the last minute. Thank you Alex for the wonderful job you did.

What's up with that!!!

Today after hanging around the house and continuing our "do nothing" day we decided that we were going to go to the movies, since we had family here we haven't seen several of the big blockbusters. So we took a shower and got ready. We walked outside and low and behold my Jeep looked kind of awkward and sure enough as I get closer I noticed that I have another flat tire.. yep another flat tire as I had one just nine days prior and another one four-month prior. It's been a different tire each time but it's the same problem. The tire stems are causing the leaks. I was told with my second flat that the stems can dry out and crack, which would cause the flat. So it seemed they four new tires I bought a year ago all have bad stems and three of the four have gone flat.. so anyways we had to fix that and by the time I changed it and went to pep boys to fix it we weren't in the mood for a movie and instead stayed in and watched TV.

Day to Relax

Today we did nothing.. this was the first weekend in a long time that we had no family and nothing to plan or buy. It was a very nice and relaxing day.


Harry's family made it home safe and sound.

The Dauz's Are Going Home

Today we got up at 5:30am and picked up the family around 6am and headed to LAX. It was a mad house and there were lines everywhere. Their flight was at 8:40am and after standing in line for an hour they finally got checked in and it was time to say goodbye. Everyone hugged their goodbyes but we knew it wasn't going to be forever. We might not be able to travel to Austria yet but everyone had such a great time that they'll be back.. even Harry's mom and she might be able to drag his dad along for the ride.


The hardest part of the goodbyes was when Harry's mom held his face and looked at him one last time, taking in every inch of it like she was committing it to memory. She cried, I cried it was very sad. Harry's sister Gerda gave Harry one of the longest hugs. We stood there and watched them line up for security and waved back and forth until we couldn’t' see them anymore.

We then headed back home, as I had to return their rental car and then go into work.

Harry's Family Returns

Today while I was at work Harry's sister Gerda, her fiancés Bernd and her son Leonhard returned from their northern travels. They took a few thousands photos and sounded like they had a great time. When I got home from work we took them all out for their final dinner, we went to Sizzler. From the sounds of it they had a great time up north and we talked about what we did with Zita during her stay down here with us. It was a nice dinner, sad that it was coming to an end but happy because they all seemed to really enjoy themselves on this trip. Tomorrow they head back to Austria.

Zita's First Burger

Today Harry's Mom Zita came with Harry and picked me up from work. We went to Denny's for dinner and Zita got her very first Burger. In all her 70 years she has never had a Burger. Since she doesn't eat meat we got her a Boca (veggie) burger and she loved it. She started asking Harry where she could get Hamburger Buns in Austria. It was really cool seeing how much she enjoyed it. It is always great watching her try new and different things. Her biggest compliment/complaint was that there was to many choices when going out to eat.

1st Annual Fu*k off Day

Well it's only my second day back at work.. but today is Original Productions 1st Annual Fu*k off day. The owner of the company I'm working for is taking everyone out to Paradise Cove for some fun in the sun. This was a mandatory work day, but who's going to complain about getting paid to hang out in Malibu on a private beach and get free food and drinks... not me.

First Day Back

Today I went back to work after being off for a little over two weeks. We are right in the middle of delivering our first two episodes and I have been getting reports on how crazy everything had been so when I got in today I expected chaos.. but it was actually a pretty calm day. Met some new AE's that were no working for me and tried to catch up on what happened the past two weeks... it kind of worries me on how calm it was today.. I know the sh*t will hit the fan soon.

Happy Birthday Pops

Today is my Dad's birthday... hope you have a great one.. love you

Returning Home

Today we got up had breakfast and started to pack. Harry and Zita did one more walk around the lake as I packed up the Jeep. The drive home was uneventful. The trip started off a little rocky but turned into a nice relaxing time and Harry got to spend a lot of quality time with his mother. Once we got home, we unpacked, had lunch and hung out. Zita went back to the hotel to rest and came back later in the day, were we had dinner and hung out some more.


Two more days and I go back to work :(

Cabin Day Two

Today we woke up around 8am and I was preparing to drive down to my mom's to pick up a spare key (this would be about a four-hour round trip). I wasn't looking forward to it but I knew I had to do it. We heard someone pull up next to the cabin and I looked out the window and saw Chuck. He drove up here to give us a key. I was very pleased to see him as it meant I didn't have to drive down.. so day two started off a little better then day one. After Chuck gave us a key and left we took Zita on a walk around the lake.


I wanted to drive into Big Bear and get the key duplicated and have my tired fixed, as I didn't like the idea of not having a spare tire when we drove home. So we drove into Big Bear, about a half hour drive and once we found a place we got the keys made... at least until they change the locks again (this is the third time). We dropped off the tire at an automotive repair shop. The person who did tires was out to lunch and it looked like it would be a few hours before they could fix it. So we had some lunch at Denny's then went to this very beautiful small park next to Big Bear Lake called Boulder City Park or something like that. We sat there for about twenty minutes then I got a call saying the tire was ready and we went and picked it up and drove back to the cabin. Once back we had some dinner at one of the restaurant in Green Valley (there are only two) and called it a night.

So the second day up at the cabin was much better then the first.

Up to the Cabin

Today Harry, Zita, Daisy and I packed up the jeep and headed up to Green Valley Lake, where my step dad Chuck has a small cabin. Harry and I wanted to take Zita up there as she love nature and we figured it would be nice to get away from all the craziness for a while.


Well things didn't go as planned. After a two hour drive we get to the base of the mountain and I get a phone call message from my Mom, she says "I heard you are going up to the cabin, well I just wanted to let you know that the locks have been changed." I immediately called her back but my phone reception is horrible up there. After several attempts they tell me they changed all the locks but there was a hidden key but hard to find. I decided we would take our chances and go up there since we were already 2/3'ds of the way up there.

We get to the cabin and search and search for this hidden key... it wasn't there. Harry and I were on our back in cobwebs and dirt trying to find it. Harry then noticed that my back tire was flat. So not only are we locked out of the cabin but we have a flat tire... could this day get any worse... yep it can.

I decide that will have to go through a window or something but guess what.. ever window in that place was shut tight and some had screws preventing them from being opened. I could not believe this was happening. We finally found a screwdriver in my car and went to the back kitchen window. It's one of those double windows that slide up and down. Anyway I was able to unscrew the security screws then pull the window down. I thought success I was able to get my arm in there to unlock the door.. but noooooo these new bolt locks had no knob on the inside.. they required a key so we couldn't get in. I was not going to be defeated. I climbed on to a trashcan with Harry's assistance I managed to pull, push, squeeze myself into the upper part of this window without breaking anything.

Once inside I went to the front door and low and behold the bolt lock was the same and had no knob to turn.. you needed a key. So I was locked inside the cabin and Harry and his mom were locked outside. I went to the front window and with my trusty screwdriver I unscrewed the safety screw and opened the front window, which was level with a bench in front of the house. So Zita, Daisy and Harry climbed through the window to get in. Once inside I wasn't feeling so hot, I was sweaty and sick to my stomach. I hadn't eaten all day and I think I over exerted myself trying to break into the cabin. I tried to eat some lunch hoping that would help.. but it didn't work. An hour after I started to feel bad Harry started to feel the same way. But after a few hours we were both feeling alot better.

I called my Mom and told her that I couldn't find the spare key, that we were using the front window as a door and that I would have to drive down tomorrow morning to pick up a key as I didn't like the idea of Zita climbing through a window to get in and out. So later in the day when I was feeling better Harry and I changed my tire with the spare, this was the first time using this spare and we hoped it would work... it did. So it's wasn't the most relaxing day ever.. but hopefully things would work out.

Another Relaxing Day

Today we finished cleaning up the house... whoo hooo. Harry's mom came over around 11:30am and we just hung out. We did a little grocery shopping as we are heading up to my Mom's cabin tomorrow for a few days. Other than that it was a nice relaxing day.

A Day to Relax

Today Bernd, Gerda and Leonhard left early this morning to go up to Northern California and continue their vacation. Harry's mom Zita decided to stay here with us and visit with her son for the next nine days until they get back.


We didn't do much. Harry and I continued to clean up the house after the wedding. Things are finally getting back to normal around here. Harry and his mom visited, we took her shopping and out to dinner (Sizzler), which she loved the salad bar because of some many options. All in all a much needed and quiet day.

Sea World

Today was our last family outing with Harry's family. We drove down to San Diego's Sea World. I had only been there once before many years ago so I was looking forward to this trip. The first thing we did was watch the Shamu show, which was alot of fun. We then walked around and saw Manarays which Bernd, Gerda and Leonhard feed. We watched Dolphins and whale show then Sea Lions and Sea Otter show. We did lunch after the shows then decided that we would split up. Bernd, Gerda and Leonhard would go one way and Zita, Harry and I would go another.


Our group did the Sky Tower, Wild Arctic, Polar Bears, Beluga Whales, Penguins and Manatees before needing a rest. After the break we watched one more show Pet's Rule, which was very cool.

After that we joined back up with the other group and Leonhard did one final kids ride before we headed back around 7:30pm. We stopped by Denny's for some dinner on our way home and got home around 10:30pm

It was a fun and exhausting day. But a great way to end Harry's family trips.. at least with us.

After that we joined back up with the other group and Leonhard did one final kids ride before we headed back around 7:30pm. We stopped by Denny's for some dinner on our way home and got home around 10:30pm

It was a fun and exhusting day. But a great way to end Harry's family trips.. at least with us.

The Day After / Mummy 3

Today Harry and I along with his family cleaned up and tried to put things back in order. Yesterday was a wonderful day. Even though things didn't go as planned it was a beautiful ceremony and everyone enjoyed themselves. Today the rental place picked up tables, chairs and all other rentals. We took down decorations and tents and tried to put the back yard back together again.


Later in the day Bernd, Gerda, Harry and I went to dinner and a movie. We wanted to show them an American movie theater. We took them to Burbank AMC 16. We wanted to see a movie in one of the largest theater and we were hoping it was The Dark Knight. But it seemed that it was pushed out by The Mummy III, which was cool because we also wanted to see that movie.

The Mummy III was what I expected. A fun action packed movie. The story was okay but what you see a Mummy movie for is the speical effects and this one has some great effects.

All in all a nice day after the big day day.

The Big Day

Today is the day. We have been planning this day for an entire year. All this hard word was about to pay off but first we still have quite of bit of stuff to do before 2pm. Both Harry and I got up early and finished up what we could around the house and waited for the rental place to drop off tables and such. He said he was going to be here between 8am and 10am. We pretty much finished everything we could do and had to wait.. seemed like forever but finally the guy showed up a little before 10am. He dropped off all the tables, chairs, table clothes and water pitchers. As soon as I saw the tables I had rented for the food and main table I knew we were in trouble. But as it was too late so Harry and I came up with a plan. Also we had ordered five black and four white table clothes but received nine black ones. He said he would exchange them but took about two hours to do so. We set up the tables with centerpieces, salt and pepper shakers, water pitchers, camera’s and chairs. At 11am Harry’s family showed up to help out with the preparations. We tried to set up some shade for the main and center table but after several failed attempts we gave up and instead pulled out an umbrella for the center table which gave it some shade. Around 11:30am my Dad, Brother and Sister-in-law Lora showed up to help with preparations. Also my replacement photographer showed up. His name is Alex and he was a lifesaver.


We placed the altar but it was so windy that it was about to fall over so we came up with a way of pushing it down into the ground and stabilizing it more. We put out cups, plates, spoons, knives, forks and napkins. The place looked fantastic and all we had left was putting up some sun blockers for the main tables and some starry plastic sheets on the patio ceiling.

Then the winds picked up again and spoons, plates, napkins, forks, knives and cups when flying. The tents almost blew over and everything was lying in the grass… we had an hour and a half till the wedding. We tried several times to put everything back in place but the wind kept fighting us and in the end we gave up and just placed everything in the center of the table which worked for the most part. Also the sun blockers that we put up kept blowing down so we gave up and figure we would have to sit in the hot sun.

As the time ticked away I had people putting up starry plastic on the ceiling of the patio. I had a co-worker running to the store to buy ice, toilet paper and beer. My bartender was MIA, he was suppose to be here at 1pm so we could go over things but so far he was missing and Harry and I were going over plans on where everyone was going to sit and how we were going to walk out.. it was craziness.

It was now 1:30pm and we had a half hour till the ceremony and people were starting to arrive and Harry and I were still setting up and haven’t taken showers or shaved. I made Harry get ready as I took care of a few more details. The food showed up around 1:45pm and there was a lot more then I had expected and of course the table was too small. We stacked the food up and hope it was make it until it was time to eat. It was now 2pm and I was still sweaty and not even close to being ready. People were arriving, my bartender was still MIA. And since people were coming from long distances they had to go to the bathroom and we have only one room so I couldn’t get in there to take a shower or shave. Finally at 2:15pm I was able to slip in and take a quick two-minute shower and shave. I went into the bedroom where both best men and Harry were getting dressed. I dressed as quickly as I could. While we were getting dressed my cake and cake maker was lost and was still a half-hour or so away. I couldn’t worry about that or anything else that didn’t get done. We finished getting dressed and headed to the kitchen to let them know we were ready.

We took a few pictures, a few deep breaths and began the ceremony. Bruce (Harry’s best man) and Christopher (My best man) walked out first. Then Harry and I walked out.

The ceremony went off without a hitch. Tom (our ordained minister) went above and beyond with a funny and sweet ceremony. I had written the words but Tom made them work.

After the ceremony we sat at our front table in the hot sun while the paparazzi took photos’.. at least that is what if felt like. Christopher and Bruce did their toast then Chuck (step dad) and Tom (friend/minister) did a few toasts. We announced lunch and prepared the table. Luckily Bruce, Christopher and Bernd helped out with setting up the food and also we forgot to put water in the pitchers which Christopher and Bruce took care of. They also handed out Champaign for the toasts.. so not only were they are Best men but waiters also.

After the toasts we did pictures with family and finally my missing bartender showed up. After pictures Harry and I changed out of our tuxes and put on shorts and our tux t-shirts and made our way to get some food. After we quickly ate we made our rounds to visit every table and thank every person who attended.

Once we did that it was time for cake. If you read my blog you know I had a hard time finding a cake maker. I had given my cake maker Tina an idea of what I wanted and when the cake was set up it was UNBELIAVLBE. Everyone got up and came over as they set up the cake and took pictures. I was blown away. Tina had gone above and beyond my expectations. She created Three Borg Ships and with the addition of my metal Enterprise they placed it in the middle of the battle. There were two chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling and the other one was while cake with strawberry mousse filling. It was by far the best wedding cake I have ever seen. It was every Star Trek Fanatic’s dream cake. I have to admit it was so hard to actually cut the cake but once we did I couldn’t wait to taste it and it was not only the coolest cake but also the best tasting cake I had ever had. So we had cake and managed to save one entire Borg cube (which I’m going to try and preserve forever).

After cake we had planned dancing but with the weather being so hot folks pretty much just hung out under the tent and enjoyed ones company. We did dance a little to YMCA but other then that there wasn’t much dancing. Slow folks began to leave until it was just a core group of friends and family. And by the way our bartender disappeared. The final few people left around 9pm. Then Harry’s family and Harry and I cleaned up a bit as the rental person was coming in the morning to pick up the tables.

Even though things didn’t go as planned and there were a few issues we had to overcome I couldn’t have asked for a better ceremony.

Thanks to all those who helped with the entire process.

I would like to personally thank Christopher, not only did you honor me by being my best man but you made sure everything went smoothly even if it meant you were passing out water and champagne, you also managed to find me an awesome cake maker and photographer.

Bruce you honored Harry by being his best man and also stepped up by passing out water and champagne.

Maggie and Brian for helping out with decorations and running to the store.

Harry’s family (Gerda, Zita and Bernd) who helped with set up and clean up.

Alex for stepping in at the last minute and capturing some great moments.

Tina for making one of the best looking and tasting Star Trek cake that I have ever seen.

And of course Tom who went above and beyond as our ordained minister and turned our ceremony into a fun and sweet event.

Missing Photographer

Well after several emails my wedding photographer has disappeared. I have sent several emails the past few weeks and have yet to hear back from him. Luckily when I was talking to my friend Christopher (my Best man) and told him about my missing photographer he said he may have someone who is not a wedding photographer but had a good eye and enjoyed photography. I had nothing to lose so we called this guy and he was kind enough to say yes. Thanks Christopher for saving the day.

One Day To Go!!!!

Today, Harry’s family went to Santa Monica Beach. They had a really great time.

Harry and I couldn’t go as we had tons of wedding preparations to take care of...

We got up early as we had a lot to do today.. this was the last day to clean and decorate everything. We cleaned the house, cleaned the backyard, and set up the tents. At 10am when the Men’s Warehouse opened we picked up my tux. Luckily it fit great and I was able to take it home.

We came home and started to decorate. Our first idea was to wrap the altar in Starfleet colors (Blue, Red and Yellow). Well I did one side and it looked like a circus tent.. we were not happy with it so then we decided to so tulle but the while tulle and while alter didn’t really look that great so we headed back to Michael’s craft store to get some green ivy type plant to put all over the alter… well we found some that we liked but it was very expensive and we needed 14 strand’s which was going to cost way to much. We did find some red, golden and green ivy, which Harry and I both kind of liked but it was on sale so we bought it. We also picked up some more sunflowers (my favorite flower) as I felt we didn’t buy enough the first around.

We came home and started to decorate like crazy, it was getting late and we were both so tired from showing around Harry’s family the past week. We knew we had tons still to do but called it quits around 7:30pm. We did get a lot done. The alter was decorated in sunflowers, ivy and star trek figures, the patio was decorated in ivy and sunflowers, the tents were up, everyone was stored away that need to be stored away. We had to wait till tomorrow morning when the tables, table clothes and other rented material would arrive.

Harry’s family arrived from their day at the beach around 8 pm and Harry’s mom made some vegetarian food for herself, Gerda and Leonhard, while Bernd and I picked up some food for the rest of us... around 9 pm we all called in the day...

TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY!!!!!

Disneyland

Today we took Harry’s family to Disneyland. We arrived about 10.30 am. The first thing we did was ride the Jungle Cruise. Leonhard really enjoy this, next was the Tarzan Treehouse, that was a lot of fun but Leonhard didn’t like the animal sounds, as he thought they were real. We then checked out Tom Sawyer’s island (or whatever new name it has) that was a lot of fun though Harry’s nephew didn’t like the dark caves and after going through one of them decided it was safer not to do it again. From there we went to Splash Mountain. There was a long waited for this ride… about an hour but it really took about 80 minutes. Harry’s mom stayed behind as she didn’t want to stand with us in line for so long and she didn’t want to ride any of the more “wild” rides. I guess it had been a while since I had road that ride, as I didn’t remember getting soooo wet on it. Everyone got soaked but everyone seemed to really enjoy it including Leonhard. Next we went over to Big Thunder, but it was closed. We moved on to the Matterhorn and the Finding Nemo’s Submarine ride, but the lines were too long for Harry’s sisters taste so Harry and I decided to grabbed a bite to eat, while the rest of his family took the Train ride around the entire park. While eating we got to watch the new Jedi Academy Training show…that was a lot of fun


After lunch we met up again and rode Autotopia and Leonhard really loved that ride. After that we tried Space mountain, but after we stood in line for about 20 minutes, we were told that they had issues with the ride and was going to be shut down until further notice. So we walked over to FantasyLand and one ride caught Leonhard’s eye.. it was the Circus Train, Harry’s family rode that while Harry and I sat down and relaxed. After they train ride, while heading over to Toontown, the Parade started and Harry’s family decided to watch the Parade instead. His nephew really loved the parade, which was cool since he had never seen a Disney movie and didn’t really know the characters. We decided to ride Big Thunder since it was working again. So we left Harry’s mom and nephew with another ride on the circus train ride and Bernd, Gerda, Harry and I went over to Big Thunder. We had the fast pass so it only took about 15 minutes to get on the ride and everyone really enjoyed it. Everyone was tired but Gerda wanted to take Leonhard on one last ride, the Storybook boat ride. We headed over to Downtown Disney to grab a bite to eat and then we headed back home... all in all it was a really great day. It’s not how I would have spent the day at Disneyland but when you have a five-year-old you tend to change you plans. It was still a lot of fun on the ride we were able to get on.

Sailing the Pacific

Around 10 am Harry’s family picked us up at our place and we drove down to my Mom’s in Newport Beach. She and my step dad Chuck were taking us out for a sailing trip. We got to my Mom’s around noon and a 1/2-hour later we made our way slowly out of the harbor. We sailed for about an hour and a half, Bernd enjoyed doing all the boat duties, it’s always fun bringing along guests as it means I don’t have to do the work myself. Bernd even drove the boat for a while. As we headed back in we stopped by the seal “hotel” as they call it. It’s a buoy at the entrance of the harbor where a lot of seals sunbathe… Harry’s family really enjoyed that part. We got back to my Mom’s and they made us some burgers and fish on the BBQ. Everyone enjoyed lunch. Harry’s nephew Leonhard likes to pretend fish and I knew Chuck had real fishing poles so I went and got one. Leonhard’s eyes lighten up instantly. He was so excited to really fish. After a few attempts we finally go the pole set up right and he started to fish. You would never think a five year old would be so quiet and still for so long. He fished for hours but in the end didn’t get a bit.. but he seemed to have fun just the same. My mom told Chuck that they should give Leonhard the fishing pole he had been using (it was brand new) and they did. Harry’s family seemed genuinely shocked and very appreciative of the gesture. Leonhard LOVED it and even said Thank you to Chuck in English (which is a big deal). After that we drove back home and called it a night. Another fun day with Harry’s family.

Fishes, Sharks and Earthquakes.. oh my!!!

Today we picked up Harry’s Tux at the The Men’s Warehouse and it fits perfectly...whoo hooo. Around 11:30 am we gave Bernd a buzz to let him know we were ready to be picked up, as we had planned to go to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. We left our place around 11:30 am and got to Long Beach around 1:00 pm. We started to walk through the exhibits, Harry’s nephew, Leonhard, was really excited and seemed to have a lot of fun. Harry’s sister and I took tons of pictures while Harry took about 1 hour of video.


We were about half way through the entire exhibit when my Dad called, he had asked if we felt the earthquake, supposedly we had a 5.4 earthquake at Chino Hills at about 11:42 am. Of course we did not feel it as we were driving but it was a pretty bad shake… the worse since the Northridge quake 14 years ago. Several other people from around the US gave me a call to make sure we were okay also.

We continued through the exhibits and got to see the feeding of sharks, sea lions and sea otters. This part Leonhard really enjoyed. Around 5.00 pm we were done with all the exhibits and decided to head back home. I’m really amazed at Leonhard’s endurance while walking through all the exhibits.

We got home by 6:30 pm and Bernd and I picked up some fast food from Taco Bell, which Harry’s family had never eaten. We hung out in our backyard for a couple of hours and spent some quality time together.

Later that night when we watched the News it seemed that the quake had been felt widely in the San Fernando Valley and even in Canoga Park, what is only a couple of blocks away. Then Harry noticed that our Serenity / Firefly pictures were out of alignment, so we checked the rest of the house. Turns out that in my toy room some books and the Enterprise D model tipped over, the Voyager model fell from the shelf and a bunch of loose action figures either tipped over or fell of the shelf. Other than that nothing really happened at our place. All in all another fun day though I’m a bit tired from all the touristy things, but it’s fun hosting out of town guests.

A Relaxing Day

Well, today Harry’s family came over to our place around 10:30 am. We had planned a low key day, so we hung out at our place. Later we headed over to the Topanga Canyon Shopping Mall and spent time shopping at Target. After Target we headed over to the Northridge Shopping Mall, where Bernd stopped by at the Apple store as he was looking for a 3G iPhone and a new iPod. After that we took a stroll through the Mall, it was fun to see Harry’s Mom so amazed by the variety of shops and store. After that we tried to get some lunch a Panda Express, but turns out that all the meals without meat are prepared with animal byproducts so Harry’s Sister and Mom as vegetarians and really didn’t appreciate that fact. We finally found a food place that worked out for all of us, California Chicken Cafe. After having lunch Harry’s family dropped us off at our place, and we decided to meet again 1 1/2 hours later for some quality time at our place. We spent a couple of fun and quality hours together, we even tried to test out Leonhards new Remote Air Plane, that Bernd bought for him at Target, but the wind gusts really didn’t allow for that. Later that evening the wind died down and we managed to make a few flight attempts in the front of our house. After the ‘Flying Adventure’ we had a BBQ Dinner in our backyard and everyone really enjoyed the food a lot. Harry’s mom has corn on the cob for the very first time in her 70 years. She loved it… all in all it was a really nice and relaxing day.

Poor Daisy

Today we noticed that Daisy was really lethargic and not moving. We investigated and noticed that she had blisters on her paws. During the hike yesterday we walked out on this large cement slab and noticed that she was bouncing back and fourth on her paws so we moved her to a dirt area but I guess it was to late. I felt horrible and so guilty. Not only because of her paws being burnt but yesterday she was taking extra long breaks and stopping a lot but we keep making her move on. Her paw blisters didn’t require a vet visit but she needed to be carried out to the back yard to go to the bathroom and she didn’t move much today.

Hiking

Today we picked up Harry’s family around 10 am and went out to Griffith Park. Harry’s family are outdoor type of people, we also decided to take Daisy along as it was a great opportunity for her to go for a really long walk and to get to know Harry’s family better. About 2 hours later we ended our hike up at up on top of Mt. Hollywood, the view was really great, considering the air quality, we had a really good view of the Hollywood Sign. Harry’s 5 year old nephew did really well on the hiking up to Mt. Hollywood. Harry’s family really enjoyed the long hiking trip, his Mom was really amazed by the beauty of the park and she really loved the view from the top, as you can see the Valley, Los Angeles, Hollywood and the Hollywood Sign. One thing we should have done different, we should have started earlier, it was quite a hot day, the temperature was in the mid 90’s and the humidity was about 30%. While we were spending quality time at the top, we saw helicopters hover over an area of Griffith Park by the LA Zoo, when then saw smoke. There was a wild fire in the park, it didn’t appear to be that big and it was far enough away, so when we were hiking down we got a better look. Harry’s family where kind of excited as in Austria, SoCal is known for its wildfires and here they had it happening right in front of them. But as the wildfire started to flare up more we decided to head back down and 1 1/2 hours later we ended up at the car. During our way down Daisy got really tired and needed way more rest stops than the previous times on this same hike. We contributed that mostly to the heat and humidity. During the hike Harry’s nephew, Leonhard, managed to pet Daisy several times, which is quite amazing, considering the experiences we have with our dog and kids. Guess we gave her enough time to get used to his family and by taking a long hike together she has accepted them as part of the pack and therefore they’re all okay.

Due to the wildfire we couldn’t take the same road back to the hotel and had to make a little detour... We then dropped my family off at the hotel to freshen up and rest a little. About 1 1/2 hours later we picked them up and headed over to our place for a pasta dinner. And believe it or not Daisy let everyone pet her and she got lots of attention especially from Harry’s nephew... all in all it was really fun day.

The Beach

Today was Harry's family's first day in LA, so we picked them up around 10 am at the hotel and then we drove over to our house and gave them a tour of our place. They really liked our place and of course my toy room really impressed them. To Harry's mom it looked more like a museum than a toy room. LOL We weren't sure how Daisy would react to them, but it went very well... she was a little frightened and unsure at first, but settled down very quickly.After the house tour we gave Harry's nephew a haircut and now he has a nice crew-cut, after that we decided to take them to the beach. We took them via Kanan Canyon to El Matador Beach, a very secluded beach with some amazing landscape, they loved it as this was their first time in SoCal. Plus this beach is very beautiful. We spent about four or five hours at the beach and we all had a really great time. Leonhard, Harry's nephew really enjoyed himself. Of course we all got a little of a sunburn. We then took them back via Topanga Canyon... after we all had taken a shower... we took them out for dinner to Outback Steakhouse... and dinner was awesome... all in all it was a really great first day and everyone had a great time...

Harry's Family Arrives in LA

After driving back from Comic Con in San Diego I picked up Harry then a rental van and drove to LAX to pick up Harry's family. We got there about 10 minutes before the landed. We found out where they would be walking out of and waited. Of course Harry was excited as he hadn't seen his family in over four and a half years. I was nervous because this was the first time I was meeting anyone from his family. We waited and waited what seemed hours but it was only about 15 minutes and we got a call from Bernd (Harry's sister's fiancee) called up and told us they got off the plane and was walking to baggage area where we were waiting. They walked down and Harry and I approached. He first hugged his sister and I shock Bernd's hand. Then Harry's mom got a hold of him and wasn't going to let go. She cried and he cried, she held his face as if she couldn't beleive she was actually holding him.. it was such a sweet moment. I then greeted his mom Zita and sister. We picked up there luggage and then headed back to the hotel.


After several hours in traffic we finally got them to there hotel and checked them in. We then went out to dinner and introduced them to El Torrito.

We dropped them off at their hotel and made plans for tomorrow.

Comic Con Day Two

Today I had only a few hours to spend at Comic Con before I had to head back home to pick up Harry so we could go to the airport to pick up his family. I spent most of my time on the dealers floor taking pictures of people in costumes. I spent most of my time at the Star Trek/Paramount section. They had these cards that you had to scratch and you were given a job. You had to build a crew of eight. If you did you build a team you all got these really cool Star Trek bags and your name went into a drawing for a laptop computer. Even thought my comic con 2008 was short it was alot of fun and I look forward to next years.

Our First Wedding Present

Today while at Comic Con I was talking to Harry at home and he said we got our first wedding present. It was from his Sister Gerda and it was the fire pit that we really wanted. Whoo hooo.

Comic Con 2008 Day One

Today I got up super early and left the house at 7am so I could get to San Diego by 9:30, that's when the first day of the San Diego Comic Con started. Everything seemed okay but then I hit traffic and for the next five hours traffic crawled. What should have taken 2 1/2 hours took 6 1/2 hours. I had missed the two panels I really wanted to do that day (Doctor Who and Torchwood). Also since Harry's family is coming in tomorrow night this was going to be my only full day at the con.


I finally got there and decided that I was not going to do any panels and just walk around the dealers room which is alot of fun. The day started off horrible but ended on a high note.. it was alot of fun.

Vacation Time

Today is my last day of work for a few weeks. Since Harry's family is coming this Friday and our wedding is next Saturday I asked for a few weeks offs to enjoy this time. I am actually looking forward to the time off. Work has been really stressful and busy the past few months and I need a few weeks away from the craziness. I don't go back until August 11th.

Making Centerpieces

We finally got our final pieces for the centerpieces. We now could actually start building them. The first few were our test centerpieces and turned out pretty good but once we got it down the other six turned out great. We decided to go with a small round vase. We filled it with some sort of candle making wax stuff that was clear. We then put Star Trek micro machines in them along with my favorite flower, Sunflowers and one candle in the middle. We think they turned out quite nice.

Catering

Today I booked our Catering for the wedding. Harry and I decided on Boston Market for food as we enjoy going to lunch there once in a while. What was great is you can do everything online and it was fast and easy. This was so far the most I have spent on the wedding. We are trying to keep it upder $5000.00 and so far we are doing pretty good.


Still got a bunch of things to do.. but things are moving along nicely.

More Wedding Stuff

Today I found out that one of my friends is actually a Bartendar, or at least he has done it in the past. So I quickly emailed him and asked if he could do our wedding and he said for us, he would do it for free.. Thanks AJ... you ROCK!!!


The other thing I did today was place an order for all of our party rentals.. tables, chairs, champaign glasse and so much more. Now I wait to see how much this will all cost me.

Dinner with Friends

Tonight Harry and I went over to our friends John and Moises' apartment for dinner. It was alot of fun as Moises is an excellent cook and we always enjoy his dinners. Afterward we all sat down and watched Sky High. It was a cool night with friends.

More Wedding Stuff

Today we went to Ralphs and filled an entire shopping cart up with 2 liter bottles of various soda.. people thought we were crazy until we told them if was for a wedding. Spent over $70 bucks.

Shopping, Shopping and More Shopping

Today Harry and I went out and bought a ton of stuff for our wedding. We only have a few free weekends left. And since we are doing everything ourselves there is so much to do. Today we got plates, forks, spoons, knives, napkins, salt, pepper and containers and a bunch of beer. We looked for alochol but didn't buy any. So much to do still.

Wedding Cake

Finding a wedding cake has been alot harder then I thought it would be. I had someone lined up who could make what I was asking but he couldn't do it on the day we needed it. I knew of one other cake maker that could do it but she lives up on San Francisco but my best man Christopher was visiting family up there and this person was one of his good friends so I asked him to ask her if it was possible for her to make it and just ship it down here of something. I didn't think anything would come of it but tonight while I was at my 2nd job I got a call from a friend’s friend. Her name is Tina and I met her a few years ago while she was done here.. one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. Well she said that she heard I was getting married and needed a cake. I could not believe what I was hearing. She heard what I wanted and was so excited and wanted to make it so we started to make plans. What is great is that she and her husband (who's taking days off work) are coming down here for the weekend to make us our wedding cake. I was in shock when she told me this.. this was been a huge stress in my life and it was as if someone took a huge weight off my chest.


We talked about the details (keep it a secret for guests) on what Harry and I wanted and worked out the details and costs.

This cake is going to rock and be everything that Harry and I want it to be. Thank you Christopher for helping me get Tina to make our dream wedding cake.

Kenny's Appreciation Day

Today when I got back from work I noticed that there was birthday wrapping paper covering my office door. When I opened my door my office decorated with various goodies and there was a Happy Birthday banner strung on the wall but the "birth" part was blocked by a sign that said Kenny's Appreciation.. so the sign read Happy Kenny's Appreciation Day. There was also a present on my seat, it was a Internet urinal, it's a bottle that you can pee in and it has an adaptor for women... it's way too funny.


Come to find out that several of my co-workers who know I've been a bit stressed out with this job decided to make this Kenny's Appreciation Day. I was very touched and it just shows you how great some of my co-workers are. So for the rest of the day it was Kenny's Appreciation Day :)

Harry the Assisant Editor

Today after a long day at work I had to go to my other job and try and clean up a huge mess. When we got there they needed alot of help and was looking for an AE at the last minute. I volunteered Harry who happens to be with me. Harry knows the avid and would make a great AE. So we spent the next eight hours working on cleaning up this mess of a show. It was fun working with Harry and it was cool that this was Harry's first official job as an AE. I was exhausted after a 20-hour workday but it was cool that Harry got to work as an AE.

Hancock

Today Harry and I went down to visit my Dad, we took him out to lunch and to a movie. We saw the new Will Smith movie Hancock. We all enjoyed it, it's not your typical superhero movie. The people of LA hated this superhero because he would cause major property damage while saving people. He saves a guy named Ray who is a PR person and wants to clean up Hancock’s image. He also met Ray's wife and you know something is up. Come to find out that Hancock and Ray’s wife Mary our soul mates and have been alive for over 3000 years. Even though they are drawn to each other when the do get together they start to become mortal and can age and die. These two are the last of their kind.


I really liked the story idea... there was no huge battle at the end of this film. It's a very unusual love story with alot of funny moments and some awesome action scenes. I do wish they went into more detail about them being "immortal". But you can't have everything. All in all this was a very cool and unique superhero movie.

Doctor Who Season Four Finale

Okay just finished the finale of Doctor Who Season Four. I have to say it was a Fanboys dream episode. From beginning to end I was smiling from ear to ear. The Doctor and his Children of Time vs Davros and the Delaks. This episode was the perfect ending to the RTD era of Who.


I loved the set up for Martha and Mickey to join Torchwood next season (if the rumors are true).

Rose and the Doctor (well clone doctor) live happily ever after (at least for now)

Seeing K-9 special appearance was awesome.

And I have to say that Catherine Tate (Donna) was MAGNIFIGENT!!! I didn't really like her in the Christmas special but when they brought her onto the series she changed and turned into one of my favorite companions of all. Her acting is brilliant and she got to shine in many of season four episodes. And what happened to her in this episode was heart wrenching. She's the woman that saved the universe and when the Doctor took her back to live with her family and removed the memories I thought..okay at least she's not dead. But then I remembered her life on Earth and her unsporting mother who makes her believe she is nothing and worthless and it makes me sad. Donna is so much more and it might have been better if she had died the woman she was rather then go back to the woman she use to be. I just hope all the crazy experience that Donna's mom had will change her mind about her daughter and she'll give her encouragement and respect as she deserves.

Anyways.. a wonderful ending to a wonderful season.. this is a must buy when it comes out on DVD.

Happy Fourth of July

I hope you all have a great Fourth of July.

22 Hour Work Day

When I got to work at 9am on Wednesday I had no clue that I wasn't going to get off till the following morning Thursday at 7am. We were outputting our first episode to NBC and it had to be perfect. So I stayed and outputted it myself and it took a lot longer then expect.


I haven't put in a 22 hour work day in a long while but it's nice to know that even though I'm getting older I managed the long day pretty well.

One Month to Go

Today is our one month mark.. one month from today Harry and I along with our friends and family will be celebrating our union. We still have a lot to do and I'm starting to stress out a bit but whatever happens will happen. Harry and I will enjoy the day regardless on how well things turn out.