2012: Where to next?!

Do we return to a previous favorite? Check out a new one? Would you like to come with?!

Holiday of Lights @ Del Mar Fairground: www.holidayoflights.com
December Nights @ Balboa Park (Dec 7-8): www.balboapark.org/decembernights
Bob’s Christmas Wonderland [La Mesa]: 7171 Cornell Ave., La Mesa. (5 to 9 p.m)
Jingle Bell Hill aka Pepper Drive Lights [El Cajon]: Solomon Ave./Pageen Pl.

Any one been to these other places or have any recommendations of their own?

2011: “Candy Cane Lane”
Hickory Court, Hickory Street – Off Twin Peaks Road and Silverset St, San Diego, CA 92129
Dec. 3- 31, 6 to 9 pm
link to previous year’s post: here

2010: “Christmas Card Lane” (wiki)

Oviedo St, San Diego, CA 92129
Dec. 10 – 31, 6 to 10 pm
link to previous year’s post: here

2009: Christmas on Knob Hill (link)

1639 Knob Hill Rd., San Marcos, CA 92069
Nov. 25 – Dec. 31, 5:00pm – 9:00pm
Santa’s Schedule: Dec. 10 – 23 (Except Wednesdays – Santa bowls), 6:30pm – 8:00pm

Belardo Lights (link)
5306 Belardo Drive, Tierrasanta
Dec 1 – 28
A father/sons project that started out small but grew over the years. Both of the family’s sons are autistic and have a connection to bright lights and music. This is a really touching display and you can sit in your car and listen to the synchronized music on FM 89.7 while you’re there.

Father Joe’s 5K Thanksgiving Turkey Trot

Got to run a 5K early thanksgiving morning with Jim Y and his coworkers. His company was a sponsor for the run and covered fees for employees and family. I got to pretend to be Jim’s brother today! Fun run, first real event with timers and everything. Ran with Jim and his coworker for the first half and decided to push the last second half to get a good exercise in.

There were so many people! I was expecting this to be a small event since I’d never heard of it before…nooope. 15,000 runners, joggers, walkers. Amazing. It definitely made the first part of the run really difficult being stuck behind strollers and walkers. We should have started towards the first part but we got there slightly late and the bridge was packed! Sometimes I’d find somebody who would be running and start following them as they weaved between people. Then all of a sudden they’d stop and start walking! Definitely crashed into a fair share of people like that.

All good though. Fun run that went towards a good cause. Preemptively tackled those calories that would come later tonight.

A Study in Film: Loosie

What an enjoyable movie. This movie caught my eye when I saw the trailers for it way back when but kind of escaped the mind afterwards. Right from the opening scenes the movie had a cinematic feel and I was interested in.

The plot was entertaining, the actors engaging and refreshingly funny at times. The main leads played off each other so well. The girl is from Thor so I keep expecting her super galactic friends to show up at any moment. It’s a love story that’s set in the midst of a pickpocketing heist setting…soooo goood!

Shallow field of focus, strong bokeh, tight framing with a lot of over the shoulder shots, close portrait/face shots. The framing made sense, the pace was surprisingly quick and the colors again had a unique look depending on the location and mood. The director also chose to blur vignette scenes involving the bad guys and the cops while any scenes with the main leads and their love story were crisp. Shot in shaky cam throughout the film. Some of these shots seriously hold on their own.

Go watch Loosie if you’re looking for a fun romantic/action movie that’ll appeal to both genders that still has good emotional depth to the story as well.

Quick notes because I’m going to bed. Hopefully they’ll make sense still in the morning.