D-Lux Events: Organization Awareness

To continue with the theme of non-profit highlighting on Fridays, please get acquainted with D-Lux Events, a San Diego-based company that focuses on creating charitable events for local causes.

Under the direction of the energetic and passionate Meeshie Nguyen, the goal of D-Lux Events is to increase exposure for local charities in an effort to promote missions and positively impact donations made to these organizations.

If you're local to San Diego and want to assist D-Lux Events in furthering its mission, contribute here.



If you're a global or local non-profit and you'd like us to plug your mission, simply leave a comment and we'll work you into our schedule!

Gobble, Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving! This year, I am thankful for many things.. but mostly, after speaking with my brother, for God putting 3,000 miles between me and the Hai. Although from what I understand, Thanksgiving Eve was a bit more low-key this year.. making me even more grateful that I opted to remain on the west coast and indulge in hours of reality TV last night rather than table-dancing in one of Ltown's most notable hot-spots.

Anyway, wishing you & yours a safe, happy, healthy and bloated Turkey Day!

Weird? Or Patriotic? You be the judge...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4wXynsCUdk&feature=related

Here, Boy...

As westerners, we're used to receiving the hairy eyeball and beckoning call from our parents or guardians when we've been found guilty or done something wrong. The mere symbol of being summoned by the curl of the pointer finger released from a closed fist is enough to spark a flood of memories from my childhood. What? Just because I was cute didn't mean that I could get away with EVERYTHING.

Also termed the 'dog call', this motion is considered supremely insulting, and acceptable ONLY for our canine companions in the Philippines. And beware, my friends; for if you're found guilty of committing this "crime", being arrested is the least of your worries.. Others have not been as fortunate and have actually had their index fingers broken or cut off to ensure that the offense does not happen again!

And... We're Back!

Hello, Loyal Followers!

Tap, tap.. is this thing on? We apologize, once again, for our inexcusable hiatus. I'd love to be able to say it's because we've been busy traveling the world, but sadly, that isn't the case.

While my adventures have been quite stagnant (thank you, recession!), a friend of mine recently traveled to Tanzania, Kenya & Zanzibar. I highly encourage you to check out her East Africa videos if you've ever considered doing a similar trip! Get inspired to visit the Serengeti & beyond!

Cheers,
Lil' Boozie

Travel Bug, You Make Me Sick.. in a Good Way

Well, we can't excuse our way out of the inexcusable hiatus that was[not] posting to 3 Troopin' Travelers throughout the second half of 2009.. however, 2010 is shaping up to look like a respectable year for traveling. With a variety of weddings and a couple of international trips on the horizon, we should be able to share some unique tips and stories with you over the next few months. If you've continued to visit our blog, even without consistently updated content being posted, then we do thank you and sincerely appreciate your loyalty.

In short, here is where 2010 may find us:

• Vermont
  
• Los Angeles
  
• New York (upstate.. oh yeah!)
  
• Italy
  
• Mexico
  
• ...And hopefully many other locales!
  

As always, suggestions are welcome.. oh, and donations too :).

Happy 2010!

Getting Soxy in Seattle

As I was walking along the beach the other day, I came up with a simple, but BRILLIANT idea for a new Red Sox t-shirt: "I'm Dead Soxy". However, I Googled it merely moments later, and much to my dismay, it seems as though it wasn't as original as I had hoped. Back to the drawing board.. In order to quell my minor depression, I decided that I'd visit the hometown team itself to draw some inspiration from my dear Dirt Dogs, and boarded a plane up to Seattle where they'd be battling a 3-game series against the Mariners. While the Sox were certainly high atop my agenda, even higher was a pair of college cronies whom I shall lovingly refer to as 'Bacon & Eggs'.

I first visited Seattle about 2 years ago. Except it was March. And it rained. A lot. Contrary to my preconception about the weekend's forecast, I walked off the plane into 70+ degree weather. I was forced to acknowledge that this was not only warmer, but much sunnier than it has been in San Diego over the past month (fondly known as 'May Gray' in SoCal). Once I was quickly humbled, I opted to join Bacon & Eggs in taking advantage of the weather rather than indulging in the playful banter of "my city is better than your city". Before our journey to Safeco Park on Saturday night, we frolicked in the verdant scenery that encompassed much of Ballard. And, yes, we really did frolic courtesy of the energetic spirits of our companions, two Australian labradoodle puppies. Think wind-up toys with sharp nails. Jersey & Bailey tuckered us out so much, that we all took a 2-hour nap before BBQ & beer time.

Finally, the moment had come. Off we went to the ballpark. Through Pioneer Square and past Qwest Field, I saw it: Safeco Park. Now, I've always wanted to visit this stadium because of the spectator proximity to the bullpen. Fortunately, this was the only game of the series that looked to promise a positive outcome for the Sox. With that said, Jonathan Papelbon would inevitably finish the game. We scurried down for a spot flush against the fence that would allow us to get an extremely close-up glimpse of the closer with the crazy eyes. As I fought through several rows of people, I found myself pinned against the fence, less than 5 feet from my goal. It honestly felt orgasmic.

..Yet more importantly, I can now truly understand why Bacon & Eggs love their life in the Pacific Northwest.

Drinkin' Booze in Santa Cruz

As part of my California-state tour, I jaunted up to Monterey this past weekend to visit some friends from my Glory Days.. high school.  As an aside, I had a layover in Los Angeles.  I barely buckled my seat belt before we touched ground in the big city.. what a joke.  Apparently it is quite difficult to get a direct flight into Monterey.  This made a lot of sense upon arrival as the size of the airport equated to the size of my elementary school, if that.  Many visitors to Monterey actually fly into San Jose International airport and rent vehicles to complete the hour long trip down to the peninsula.. just an FYI.

Anyway, I digress.  One of our leisurely activities consisted of visiting Santa Cruz to enjoy some delectable mimosas and Bloodys at a classy, little joint called 515 Kitchen & Cocktails.  We had intended on sipping our suds atop a roof-deck boasting sensational views, however, Mother Nature had other plans in store for us.  No big deal, the goal of the trip was to enjoy libations, which was clearly inevitable.  As we entered the 515, we walked upstairs into the dining room and were greeted.. or judged.. by a 20-something year old host that treated us as if we were a gang of vagabonds.  When you enter into a restaurant, doesn't the greeting generally go something like "Good afternoon, how many for lunch today?"  Well, this Judgy McJudgerson didn't get that memo.. his interpretation was more along the lines of "Excuse me, are you looking for the restroom?"

HA, joke's on you, Preppy Paul.  Not only are we staying, but we're probably going to get a little bit inebriated and unnecessarily loud.. after all, it was a reunion of sorts.  And that it was.  

Moral of the story:  If you're in Santa Cruz, visit the 515.  They make a hell of a Bloody Mary.