Plebeian Appetites

"Blues Brothers" at Universal Studios

During our brief trip south we spent a day at Universal Studios. We could have gone to the Getty Museum--and I will go some day--but this vacation was for entertainment, not education. Speaking of art, the homage to the Blues Brothers was well worth 20 minutes of standing (seats were sparse). Young fans who were obviously familiar with the tunes were dancing in the aisles. Belushi lives.

Plane crash set from War of the Worlds

Being able to spare only a few hours, we took in the studio tour, the new Transformers ride, and the trained animal ("Animal Actors") show. The Transformers flight-simulator experience was a little too much for this aging boomer. Being tossed and turned while watching giant 3-D figures rapidly moving across the screen was literally a dizzying experience. A tech marvel indeed, but I'll take a real roller coaster, please.

Pork chop with berry sauce

Chased indoors by the Los Angeles heat and smog, we had a leisurely dinner at the hotel restaurant. Familiar dishes were prepared with flair--no multi-continental fusion cuisine here--and portions were generous. Our summer-long battle to reduce sugar intake suffered another setback when the dessert platter came. BTW, it's only a myth that calories don't count when one is on holiday. Or perhaps there's another explanation why my pants have mysteriously shrunk.

Final score Friday night: Giants 5, Braves 3

I-5 was crowded with trucks, and the return trip was exhausting. But there was still time (and energy) to head up to AT&T Park that evening. The Giants came back to beat the Braves and keep the Dodgers at bay for another day. Now that the new Dodgers management is throwing money around like a drunken sailor, the Giants (and every other team in the National League West) will struggle for years to keep up with the big money boys down South. I didn't care much before, but now...Beat LA! © 2012 Stephen Yuen