Monday, August 31, 2015

Alberto Onofre Martinez Talavera's 16th Birthday


On Monday, Alberto Onofre Martinez Talavera (A.K.A., El Guapo, The Ankle Breaker, Main Man, The Magician, El Diablo Guapo) turned Sweet 16.

So, after practice, we went out to dinner at Bandit's BBQ Grill and Sports Bar to celebrate.

El Guapo with Laurie

Here he is seen wearing the Drew Brees jersey that we gave him as a birthday present.

Who dat?

The Ankle Breaker
with his light dinner

Main Man gets a surprise dessert

The Magician seems pleased

El Diablo Guapo enjoy his
birthday dessert

Birthday Hug

He offered to take out the trash if I hugged him.

It was an offer that I could not refuse.

Laurie prepared some more
birthday fun for Onofre

And OH SO good for you

Alberto blew out the candles
with precision

FELIZ CUMPLEAĂ‘OS
ALBERTO!!!

Did We Do Anything This August?


Well, yes we did actually . . .

We had dinner with Lucie Damboise
and Nicole Sabolic

We took Alberto on a trip to . . .

. . . Santa Monica

 Route 66 ends at the
Santa Monica Pier

 Pacific Ocean

Lunch at an L.A. iconic restaurant

French Dip Sandwiches

Griffith Park Observatory

Rebel Without a Cause

Cowboys Summer Camp at Oxnard, CA

And I thought he was a Saints fan

Alberto, Jacob and Mike
at Cowboy Camp

Offense in White

Dreaming

BIG Cowboys

Jacob and Mary visited us this month

Mary and Papo

We took a train trip from
Camarillo to . . .

. . . Santa Barbara for . . .

The Old Spanish Days FIESTA!!!

Alberto at the Santa Barbara
Hall of Justice

Familiar Flag

Jacob at play in Santa Barbara

Fiesta Confetti Egg Tradition

HEY, what was that?

At the Santa Barbara Pier

2015 Newbury Park JVs
on Picture Day

 NPHS JV Staff with Alberto

Alberto Chilling

Linemen starting a Gasser

Nice Shorts

NPHS Varsity Staff with Alberto

OUT!

Alberto, our backyard woodsman

Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers

GO BLUE!!!

Dodger Stadium

 Alberto's first Dodger Dog

 GAME TIME!!!

The Dodgers lost an ugly, ugly game on this warm SoCal night.

That's Alberto's number with
the Murcia Cobras

The Rose Bowl

We will be going to the Virginia at UCLA game this coming Saturday.

Mary with my Mom
on her 91st birthday

My Mom's birthday that is, not Mary's.

Alberto and Magnum P.I.

Swimming at my Mom's house

 I'm ready

 He has abs

 Summer is floating by

 Cousins Jacob and Max

91 or 19, I can't remember

Jacob was more than happy
to help Grandma

Alberto spent a week in Seattle

Thanks to our friends Mark and Susie Johnson, Alberto was whisked away to the Pacific Northwest to enjoy both a Seattle Seahawks practice and a University of Washington practice.

He also had a chance to spend time on the Johnson's Camano Island "cabin" and take a stab at eating a 12 egg omelet at Beth's Dinner.

He failed.

Miserably. 

 Fairfax Lions

I got to scout Birmingham H.S.'s JV team in their scrimmage at Fairfax H.S.

Fairfax's pristine grass

My filming spot was a long ways away 

 Where's Goldie Hawn?

 Canter's is just a few blocks from
Fairfax H.S.

GREAT pastrami sandwich!!!

At the Camarillo Air Show

That's a LOT of Nazi planes shot down

 Nose Art 1

Nose Art 2

Politically incorrect?

 Jacob in a helicopter

Propellor nose or the start of
a Twilight Zone episode

That's a LOT of Japanese planes shot down

 Yet another great lunch

School is in session

Watch out for that Panther

Alberto squatting in the NPHS
Weight Room

Frosh Football Game
Camarillo at Rio Mesa

We caught the second half of this game after watching the first half of the Frosh Birmingham at Newbury Park game.

JV GAME TIME!!!

It was 104 degrees Fahrenheit
at kickoff

 Here come the Panthers!

Political Correctness

Birmingham's original nickname was the Braves. At some point in the 1990s, the Los Angeles Unified School District decreed that schools could no longer have Native American mascots.

Therefore no more University Warriors, Gardena Mohicans or Birmingham Braves.

Thus we were playing the Birmingham Patriots. I did like the banners around the stadium that did not completely abandon the past.

 Our Spanish Ball Boy

 Pass Rush

 Did I mention that it was hot?

GO!

Ruben Soria at the helm

Nice Sweep

 Andres Chavarria for SIX!

We opened the 2015 season with a sloppy 36-14 victory. We still have a looooong way to go.

 Nick Krause was awarded
The Game Hammer

 The mysterious Laurie Contreras
took all of the game photos

 Sunday with Mary, Mike, Vanessa and . . .

. . . Jacob

August has been a good month.


Reading Is FUNdamental


A good Summer read.