Man for all seasons

Magnet #412 - Riding Shotgun with Ponch*

My friends down at Evolution Studios produced this magnet for me. (Thanks, Jay!) You kinda have to see it to believe it - it's almost letter-sized! Eeeeep!

After this magnet, I promise to stop talking about all this silliness. I've mentioned a few times that while down in Tampa, I ended up with the assignment of working with Erik Estrada as he issued Sight-ations at the Transitions Championship.

I don't mind saying that I was filled with all sorts of trepidation and doubt about how this stunt was going to fly. I was pretty vocal about it, too.

But, I also don't mind admitting that I was wrong to be worried - turns out Erik was a really big hit with the tournament attendees and the media.

As was expected, Erik was a great hit with the chicks. But, it wasn't just the women who were anxious to meet him (seriously, a couple of those women pushed and/or nudged me out of the way - we had to have one of our own guys be our muscle!).

But the guys! The guys! We'd be whizzing by in the little golf cart, and you'd hear, Ponnnnnnnch! from more than just a few boys. In fact, they were angling for pictures almost as much as the women were. I know. I have proof.

And every law enforcement guy within 20 yards wanted their pictures with him as well. Very sweet, with several of them telling Erik that it was because of CHiPs that they became cops. Dudes, at some point, we were practically surrounded by boys in uniforms. Ya'll know I loved that.

Yep, I'll admit doing a ridealong with Ponch in a golf cart was almost as good as if we'd been on motorcycles riding down the PCH.

Almost.


*I've never really been one to mix characters with the actors. Erik is Erik. Ponch is Ponch. But, it was hard not calling him Ponch like everyone else, given that he was in uniform about 80% of the time we were running around Innisbrook. I won't lie, for the first day, I was pretty much calling him Dude (as I'm wont to do), or hon, because it felt weird to call the guy by his first name.


eta:
Oh! One other thing. I've done Starmeter jumps from imdb.com before, for Matt Smith and David Tennant, from Doctor Who. But, I just took a gander at Erik's numbers.

Rank the week before the Tournament: 5,876

Rank the week after: 1,838

That's a fairly decent jump in a week, methinks.

Where the boys are

Magnet #398 - Florida, Joy and the boys

Yep. So, if there's one thing to sum up our time in Tampa, it's this picture.

Remember last week, my post about hating being a Damsel in Distress? And that the production guys were bailing us out left and right?

Here's two of them right here. Without these two guys, Jay and Ash, along with the entire Evolution Studios team, we'd probably still be down there, looking at empty pavilions. You seriously can't get any better than than this team. Whether it was running down to the school buses a mile away to get coolers full of school lunches, or hauling 50 cases of bottled water for the students, or always being around when we had some ridiculous request or ten, or just needed someone to calm us down - I don't think they ever said no to us.

And, my other guy of the week, Mr. Erik Estrada, who did everything we asked, without complaint. Who signed every autograph, kissed every cheek, shook every hand - and was without a doubt, one of the nicest guys I've ever met.

I's a lucky, lucky girl, no doubt. Thank you guys, so very, very much.

Fat Witch Joy

Magnet #396 - Fat Witch

There's a brownie bakery over at Chelsea Market, on 15th and 9th called Fat Witch Bakery. They have the most amazing brownies. Period.

Get thee there. ASAP.

My favorite is their breakfast brownie - oatmeal, walnut and coffee, with a little bit of brownie. Have that with a cup of coffee, and you're golden.

I picked this for today's magnet because I've openly been a witchy, bitchy grumpypants this whole year. On top of that, the doctors I visited last month told me I could stand to lose a couple of pounds here and there.

Little did they know that hanging out in Tampa working from sun-up to just a few hours to the next sun-up, would make us drop some weight. It's the one constant that we've noticed these last twelve days down there - the clothes we brought down hang just a little looser now. For example, a snug pair of jeans fresh from the dryer...I can now pull on and off without unbuttoning them. Heh.

Actually, it's because of that, that I felt totally well within my rights to go to Daily Eats just before leaving for the airport. And, I fully enjoyed that potato-chip encrusted turkey burger and honey-drizzled sweet potato fries that I have been looking forward to since the last time I was down there.

It didn't disappoint. Neither did the Deep Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Bean milkshake.

Fat witch that one, docs.

Healthy insight in every light

Magnet #395 - Meerkats from Cape Town, South Africa

A friend of mine brought me back this magnet from her trip to South Africa. How funny is this Meerkat family!

Alas, I haven't watched Meerkat Manor, so all I can think of when I see this is Amy Adams in Junebug, when she said her favorite animal was the meerkat and that kid from the O.C. fighting with the VCR to record the show about them. Heh.

Speaking of cool animals, last night around 1:30-2, as we were wandering around the Innisbrook complex - we saw not one, but two (!) armadilloes! How freakin' cool is that? Honestly, I thought they were native to Texas, not Florida. Still. Innisbrook armadilloes! Neat!

But, the real reason I picked this magnet for today, is because as you may have seen yesterday, Retief Goosen of South Africa won the inaugural Transitions Championship. Congratulations!

So funny that I walked by you two days ago, and was like, hmmm, wonder if he's one of those golfers.

I know, I know. But I'm not a huge golf fan. I think you need at least a few people like that to work this sort of event. That way, you don't feel like you're missing out if you don't get to see any of the actual tournament.

Though, I'll be honest, from our perch in the corporate skybox on the 18th green, we watched yesterday's last few putts, and then trophy ceremony. That was pretty damn cool.

Anyway, yay, Goosen!

Oh! Before I forget. Below are many, many, many pictures from the Transitions Championship. It was a great two weeks, filled with insight to how this world works and doesn't work, the learning curves and fun times, and teamwork and strife, and fun Tournament crushes and yelling matches. Yep. All in a day's work.

In the end, we can step back and say that we lived the vision we concepted months ago, put on a fantabulous event, and we're looking forward to next March. After we all get a little bit of sleep. Heh.

Riding Shotgun with Ponch pictures
Transitions Championship pictures (mine)
Transitions Championship pictures (official)

Pip, pip, no way

Magnet #394 - Charles Dickens' Miss Havisham

A friend of mine brought me this magnet from the Charles Dickens Museum in London - it was one of the museums I missed out on last year.

At the risk of sounding a bit like Miss Havisham, I've learned a few things this week.

I've always known that I don't want kids. I'd screw 'em up too bad, they're too much responsibility, and I don't want any of that.

And, after helping shepherd 1,200 second to eighth graders last Wednesday, that's pretty much confirmed now. I mean, I really love kids a lot, and they generally love me. But, I have to be honest, my favorite time with them is actually giving them back to their owners.

The no kids rule is fine, because I've pretty much always known that I don't want to ever get married, either. Just not going to happen. There are a million reasons why not (maintaining my independence first and foremost), but this is a magnetblog, so I won't get into it.

Before these last two days with Erik Estrada, there were a few exceptions to that no marriage rule. I maybe would have said yes to George Clooney. However. After having watched Erik try to sit down to have a simple meal, but be constantly interrupted and accosted, George doesn't have a chance with me.

I'd want to build a fence around him.

Ponch and Joy

Magnet #392 - California

In my eleven years at this company, I've been asked to do some pretty crazy stuff. Or, what I thought was crazy stuff.

But, I think something new might actually top that list.

Today and tomorrow, I'm riding shotgun with Ponch.

Yes.

From CHiPs.

He's here at the Transitions Championship to issue Sight-ations to spectators. I am not even joking.

Yes.

Sight-ations.

I'll get more into it tomorrow, especially after I see how today goes.

Here's a preview. Last night at dinner - yes, I had dinner with Erik Estrada - he was approached by at least a few people. That's not including the stares, gawkers, oglers (because yes, because I have to admit, Ponch, who just turned 60, is still pretty hot), and fanboys and fangurls.

If that's any indication, the man's definitely going to draw a crowd, and we'll have to get one of our big guys to walk around with us to keep the people at bay.

After dinner, I drove him back to his dorm, I mean, hotel room, and I got a kiss on the cheek and a "good night, baby."

Lord. The little girl who refused to take a bath until CHiPs was over got a kiss from Ponch.

Ok. More later. Also? Totally going to make a magnet out of these picutres.