Only in California

I was buying a Diet Coke at my favorite Seal Beach carryout when a photo of Robert Downey Jr. caught my eye. Believe it or not, the photo wasn't on a tabloid. It was on a scratch-off lottery ticket. The California Lottery has a new game that promotes “Sherlock Holmes,” which opens on Christmas Day.

While I was in Pennsylvania in October, I saw scratch-off lottery tickets that promote the Pittsburgh Steelers (I wouldn’t buy one of those; the Steelers’ luck seems to have run out.) and the Philadelphia Eagles. My home state of Ohio has scratch-off tickets tied to almost every holiday. But I have never seen a ticket that pitches a movie.

According to calottery.com, this is a new kind of partnership between the California Lottery and Warner Bros. Pictures. “Sherlock Holmes,” directed by Guy Ritchie (the former Mr. Madonna), stars Downey as the detective and Jude Law as Dr. Watson.

“The Lottery is honored to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures on a game that combines the excitement of the Lottery with the glamour and glitz of a Hollywood blockbuster,” Lottery Director Joan Borucki said. “And by visiting our interactive Web site and entering non-winning tickets, players have the chance to win other great prizes.”

Sherlock Holmes Scratchers give players a crack at cash prizes of up to $15,000. Other prizes include tickets to the Warner Bros. VIP Studio Tour and all kinds of “Sherlock Holmes” swag, such as autographed movie posters and DVDs. The tickets are $2 each.

What did I win? Nothing.

Caption: Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law grace a new California Lottery scratch-off ticket. Who's next? I vote for George Clooney. Photo: California Lottery

It's that time of year

Well, it seems that summer is really over. The beach is empty, the lifeguard huts have been put away, and it's getting dark earlier every day. There's no snow, but the wind seems a bit chillier and people are starting to wear pants and, heaven forbid, coats.

Caption: Seal Beach is deserted at sunset, which is around 5 p.m. these days. That's downtown Long Beach in the distance.

Don't be scared!

It’s October, so it’s Halloween Time at Disneyland! The park is decked out in yellow and orange and there are pumpkins aplenty. There was no sign of Mickey Mouse when I was there on Monday, but I did see Captain Hook, Cruella De Vil, Ursula and the Evil Queen from Snow White. (She was probably promoting the latest release of “Snow White,” now available in a DVD and Blu-Ray combo pack. If you want a single format, you’ll have to wait until Nov. 24.)

Halloween is big business in SoCal, so Disneyland decided to get in on the action in 2006. From the looks of the park, you’d think they’d been doing this for years. As you can see from the photos, the Haunted Mansion was especially impressive. The decorations were inspired by Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and are also used for the park’s Christmas celebration. (By the way, the Christmas celebration leaves Halloween in the dust.) Call me Scrooge, but I think the Haunted Mansion’s original décor is much more appropriate for Halloween. Plus, there’s something special knowing that Walt Disney had a hand in the original.

Speaking of the original, it seems that Disneyland has tweaked It’s A Small World. Disney characters from several animated films are now sprinkled throughout the so-called multi-cultural experience, and I have to say that all stood out like sore thumbs. I wasn’t expecting to see Peter Pan and Wendy in London, and I was even more surprised to see Pinocchio in Italy. I was fuming by the time I saw Lilo and Stitch in Hawaii and Ariel and Flounder in another tropical location.

On one hand, this seems like an easy way for Disney to promote its stable of films. On the other, Disney is tinkering with a classic. When I step into one of the Small World boats, I like knowing that I will see the same attraction that I saw when I was 10. And again when I was 21. And again when I was 27. Enough things change at the Disney parks. (Where is the Country Bear Jamboree?!?!?! Bring back Captain Eo! NOW!!!!) Can’t they leave just one ride for us to experience the way Walt intended? I guess I am a Disney purist.

I seem to be ranting a bit here. The great thing is that Disney now has a forum for its park devotees. You can read up on events at the parks on a new Disney Parks Blog where you can post comments and learn about upcoming events. The Orange County Register an unofficial blog, which has a lot of great “unofficial” information. (Unofficial = better in newspaper jargon) Check out both blogs, especially if you are planning a trip!

Something you don't see every day

Dave and I went out on the Pacific Ocean last week. The water was smooth as glass and about 10 miles off Long Beach, we saw a blue whale diving in the distance. Though we were a couple of miles from it, a whale that size is hard to miss. The boat eventually caught up with the blue whale and a fin whale.

Blue whales are 80-90 feet long in the Northern Hemisphere and can be 100 feet or longer in the Antarctic. Humans nearly hunted the whales to extinction, but the species has recovered slightly since a worldwide whaling ban took effect.

The whales are frequently seen during the summer months off Long Beach, where they feed on krill. Once the krill is gone, the whales move on to their next feeding site. Scientists are still studying the feeding habits. I’m just glad we were lucky enough to see a blue whale this late in the season.

Grey whales will be in the area in late November. They’ll be heading south to feed for the winter and they’ll pass through again in the spring during the trip north.

Caption: A blue whale takes a deep dive in the Pacific Ocean off Long Beach. Note the large container ships in the upper left corner. We weren't far from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

A note about climate change

Today I attended a workshop on climate change at Aquarium of the Pacific. It’s a pretty serious topic with consequences for everyone and everything on the planet. But instead of doom and gloom, the message today was about a simple change in terminology.

Apparently a lot of people don’t really understand climate change. Some people think it has to do with the ozone layer and others think it only involves the polar ice caps. It seems that many people are tripped up by the terms greenhouse gas and greenhouse effect. (Dear Al Gore, there are a lot of folks out there who have never seen a greenhouse, let alone understand how one works.) So now the greenhouse effect is out, and the heat-trapping blanket is in.

Here’s how it works:

Human activity (driving, running A/C, burning coal) releases carbon dioxide.

Carbon dioxide builds in the atmosphere, forming a blanket.

Carbon dioxide blanket traps heat, preventing its release from Earth.

Temperatures rise.

Bad things happen, such as polar ice caps melt and sea levels rise.

Everyone can understand how a heat-trapping blanket works. I like it. Well, I like the wordage, not the heat-trapping blanket.

My beef with awards shows

There’s nothing like knowing that there’s an awards show (such as the Emmys) taking place a few miles up the road but not being able to watch it on live TV. The Emmys, Grammys and Oscars all take place in L.A. The ceremonies usually kick off at 5 p.m. so they will air live at 8 p.m. on the East Coast. The shows air in L.A. at 8 p.m.,

When the stage is empty and everything is being discussed all over the Internet. I usually know who the winners and losers are before the show even airs, but of course I can’t see anything unfold as it actually happens.

All of the local news crews are live on the Red Carpet before awards shows. Today, KTLA had live coverage from 3 to 5 p.m., when the celebrities were arriving for the Emmys. E! was also on hand for the arrivals, but started its Red Carpet program for the West Coast at 6 p.m. Had E! aired the arrivals live, I probably would have watched that channel instead.

Right now, when I should be enjoying the second hour of the Emmy telecast, I am looking at Variety’s Twitter feed so I can see the winners in real time. Though I am grateful to have access to the information, I think it is ridiculous that I have to wait another hour to see the telecast.

Now I know why so many people out here have Dish TV. They want the East Coast feed so they can see live programs as they happen! I don’t know what people do if they watch live programs such as “American Idol” and “Dancing With the Stars.”

Most of the TV shows and movies that win awards are created, written, filmed and edited in Hollywood. The ceremonies happen here for a reason and the celebrities come to L.A. to be part of it all. Fans on the West Coast deserve to see awards shows live.

Left holding the bag

Yesterday, I visited a Whole Foods Market. Once I got over my shock from the outrageously high prices, I noticed that there wasn’t a plastic bag in sight. There were two options at checkout: paper or canvas. Plastic bags are becoming more and more rare at stores, especially in Southern California. Up north, I don’t think you’d see them at all.

Plastic bags started showing up at grocery stores in the late 1980s. They’re cheap to produce and are the bag of choice at grocery and convenience stores. These bags are everywhere, probably even crammed into one of your kitchen drawers. I’ve used them to line waste cans, carry my lunch and even stuff my witch hat at Halloween.

But the bags also clog storm drains, litter roadways and float in the ocean. They are deadly snacks for sea turtles and sea lions who mistake the floating bags for jellyfish, a favorite food.

In 2007, San Francisco passed the nation’s first plastic bag ban. City officials there estimate that the ban saves 5 million bags each month. Los Angeles followed suit last year and will ban plastic bags from stores as of July 1, 2010. (If the state of California imposes at 25-cent fee for the bags, L.A. would drop its ban.) Malibu and Manhattan Beach recently passed ordinances banning the bags at all retailers.

L.A. officials estimate that more than 2 billion plastic bags are used in the city each year. In California, about 5 percent of plastic bags and 21 percent of paper bags are recycled, according to the Huffington Post. Organizers are working on a statewide plastic bag ban to reduce litter on beaches and in the ocean.

I’ve seen a lot of bags in places where they should not be. While stopped at a traffic light along Pacific Coast Highway, I saw a seagull trapped by a plastic bag. The bird had pierced the bag with its beak and was unable to remove it. The bag was large enough that the bird couldn’t see or fly. It hopped around madly, trying to free itself. I decided right then and there that I would never use plastic bags again. Any bags that do show up at my home are recycled at the grocery store. I won’t throw them away because they would just wind up in a landfill.

I’ve been using reusable bags for about a year. I have a couple for Target and four for Ralph’s, our grocery store. Ralph’s gives extra reward points for customers who bring their own bags, which cost 99 cents apiece. Target offers no such incentives, but the stores occasionally give away the bags.

I see people using reusable bags almost everywhere I shop. I hope this means that I won’t see any more birds along the road wrestling with plastic bags.

Caption: I keep reusable bags like these in my trunk so I’m always ready to shop.

For rent

Dave and I have been doing some house hunting this month. We were ready for a change of scenery, so we checked out apartments in Seal Beach, Huntington Beach and another part of Long Beach. Our current landlord made us an attractive renewal offer, so it looks as if we might just stay put. But our search wasn’t all for naught because I learned a few things about real estate in SoCal. I’ve come up with my own definitions for a few terms that you often see in real estate ads.

Steps from the beach: This could mean 8,059 steps. That’s 3.78 miles according to my pedometer, and probably not the average person’s idea of walking distance.

Peek-a-boo view: If you step outside onto the balcony that’s smaller than most bathtubs, stand on a chair, and look through the neighbor’s overgrown tree, you can see the ocean.

Fireplace: The home is equipped with a bright orange ‘70s-era contraption that is capable of producing flames and heat. It looks more like a spaceship than a fireplace and may give off fumes that could kill you in your sleep.

Close to shopping and restaurants: The apartment is down the street from a Chevron station (it has a mini-mart, so it counts as “shopping”), a Del Taco and maybe a donut shop.

Lots of windows: Get ready for high heating and cooling bills.

Spacious studio: Come on! Is there really such a thing as a spacious one-room apartment? It’s what my 7^th-grade English teacher called an oxymoron.

On-site laundry: Somewhere on the property (probably somewhere dark, wet and dirty) there is an old, rusty washer that you can use. It’s probably coin-operated and must be shared with others. There is a dryer there, but it never works.

Next year, when I look through ads on Craiglist, I think I'll have a more accurate vision of what's on the market.

Caption: I could see myself having a Christmas party and an 18-foot tree in this room. Dave did not share my festive vision.

Fire update

First, the good news: The Palos Verdes wildfire is out. Crews are still looking for hotspots, but evacuation orders were lifted yesterday and the smoke has cleared.

Unfortunately, what is being called the Station fire now stretches from Acton near the Antelope Valley to Altadena in the San Gabriel Valley. The L.A. Times has a great map on its website that shows the evacuation zones and road closures. There are mandatory evacuations in Glendale and Pasadena.

It’s incredible to read that the flames are spreading 2.5 miles per hour and that more than 2,000 firefighters are on the scene. Yesterday, the fire had consumed 20,000 acres and now that total is up to 35,000 acres.

Today is supposed to be the last of a five-day heat wave, so let’s hope the crews catch a break soon.

Smoke now in sight

Yesterday, I was assuring friends and family that I was far from the fires burning in Southern California. Now there are two more fires, one of which can be seen from our neighborhood.

We’re in the middle of a heat wave and the heat makes conditions ripe for wildfires. Yesterday, the Long Beach Airport reported a high of 103, which breaks a record set in 1981. The thermometer on our balcony read 99 around 2 p.m. and was showing 93 at 7:30 p.m. Downtown L.A. was 101, according to the Weather Service.

There are fires burning north of Azusa near Morris Dam and in the San Bernardino National Forest. These fires, while very large, are not threatening homes. The fires burning just north of La Canada Flintridge and on the Palos Verdes Peninsula have prompted evacuations and threaten many homes and businesses.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula is just west of Long Beach and we often have great views of the peninsula from our neighborhood. It’s one of few places in L.A. where you can see grass and trees; there’s still farming done there. There’s a Trump (as in The Donald) golf course over there, and it’s also a great place to go whale watching if you’re too cheap or too chicken to get on a boat.

The fire is spreading quickly because there is so much dry, dense vegetation and 80 acres have burned so far. Another thing working against the firefighters: Roads on the peninsula are steep and curvy, not ideal circumstances for navigating a firetruck.

The fire crews are stretched thin and tomorrow is supposed to be another very hot day. It's going to be an interesting weekend.

Lights, camera, action!

Some neighborhoods have too much traffic or noise. Some neighborhoods have shops, movie theaters or restaurants. My neighborhood has all of these things plus the Queen Mary and Pacific Ocean, making it a hotspot for filming. More times than I can count, I have stepped outside and run into barricades, lights and camera crews. Sometimes the filming is for a movie, but more often than not it’s a TV show. Scripted or reality, the production crews seem to like to work in Long Beach.

If the filming is to take place in a residential area, the city is kind enough to provide advance warning. The city has an Office of Special Events and Filming that promotes Long Beach as a filming site and makes arrangements to accommodate productions. I’ve arrived home several times to find notices taped to my door detailing the hours of any upcoming filming as well as anything out of the ordinary that might take place. (Gunfire, explosions, pyrotechnics, police chases, things that might cause a panic if there were no forewarning.) From time to time, there are road closures and a small detour. It’s usually nothing outrageous, but it’s enough to be annoying if you’re in a hurry.

Sometimes I’ll be driving through town and spot a bright yellow sign. Film crews use these signs with thick, black lettering and arrows to direct the appropriate people (and the curious) to locations. It’s not unusual to see signs for “Dexter,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Bones” and “CSI: Miami” around Long Beach. (But seriously, “CSI: Miami” is down here so much that they really don’t need any signs. They know darn well where they are going.)

Because I am unemployed and often bored, I walk around the neighborhood a lot. Yesterday, I was making the rounds and ran across a yellow sign that read, “MP à.” The first thing that came to mind was “Mafia Princess,” but then I figured it had to mean “Melrose Place,” a hit show from the ‘90s that’s being made into a 2.0 version for the CW. I followed the signs to investigate. A nearby parking lot housed several trailers and portable toilets, sure signs that something Hollywood-related was going on. The presence of caterers, security guards and an open bar was further evidence. But I didn’t see any lights, cameras or power cords, so it seemed I had just stumbled onto a base camp. I kept walking so I didn’t look like a crazed stalker.

Today, after more snooping, I found the filming site. The lights, cameras and power cords gave it away. The large “Melrose Place” placards on the dashboards of the semi-trucks confirmed yesterday’s hunch. I spent the afternoon riding my bike around the base camp like a lovesick 12-year-old, waiting for a celebrity sighting. I was hoping for Sydney (Laura Leighton) or Michael (Thomas Calabro) but settled for Ashlee Simpson. I rode by screaming, “HI, ASHLEE!” and she was kind enough to wave back.

Now I have an excuse to tune in for the “Melrose Place” premiere on Sept. 8. I wouldn’t want to miss another chance to see Long Beach on TV!

Master of the house

I just finished reading “Loving Frank,” a historical novel based on true events in the life of Frank Lloyd Wright. Nancy Horan’s book is a fictional account of his relationship with Mamah Borthwick Cheney. Because they were both married to other people, their affair was considered scandalous and ended tragically in 1914. I don’t want to give away the story, but let’s just say that if it had taken place in this decade it would have dominated the tabloids and there would have been several made-for-TV movies.

The drama was news to me, but it had me thinking about Wright’s work. His best-known homes are in Oak Park, Ill., Wisconsin and western Pennsylvania. Wright also designed a few homes in Greater Los Angeles and I visited one of them in April.

The Hollyhock House was Wright’s second project in Southern California, and it was built from 1919 to 1921. The home was designed for Aline Barnsdall, the daughter of a wealthy oil baron. It sits atop Olive Hill and has sweeping views of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Hills. Barnsdall’s favorite flower was the hollyhock, so Wright used the flower pattern throughout the house. Over the years, the property has been used as an artists’ haven and a United Service Organizations facility, so the restoration is a work in progress. This is a kind assessment. I can’t help but wonder what Wright would think of all of the tarps and five-gallon buckets set up throughout the house to fight the water seeping in from the roof and foundation. The city of L.A. owns the Hollyhock House and it’s open to the public; volunteers offer tours of the home.

From the grounds, our guide pointed across Los Feliz toward the Griffith Observatory where another Frank Lloyd Wright house stood. The Ennis House was built in 1924 and may be recognized as a location in the movie “Blade Runner” and the TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” The house, built with concrete blocks, sustained heavy damage during the 1994 Northridge earthquake and 2004-05 winter floods. It’s been undergoing some major restoration projects. Sadly, the Ennis House Foundation announced in June that it was listing the house for sale to a private owner. There are no public tours, but if you have $15,000,000 the house could be yours.

At any rate, Mother Nature is sure putting two of Wright’s L.A. houses to the test. I hope they hold up and inspire Southern Californians learn about the famous architect.

Caption: The Hollyhock House was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2007.

Elvis was here

When most people think of Elvis, they think of Graceland or Las Vegas. (As well they should!) But the King also spent a lot of time in Southern California while he was recording music and filming movies. Since today is the 32nd anniversary of his death, I thought I'd look up some of his old haunts.

Elvis hits such as “Jailhouse Rock,” “All Shook Up” and “Teddy Bear” were recorded in Hollywood at Radio Recorders, 7000 Santa Monica Blvd.

Elvis rented a Bel Air home from November 1961 to January 1963. While living here, Elvis and his friends used to frequent nearby De Neve Park on Beverly Boulevard. In “Elvis Presley Passed Here,” Chris Epting writes that Elvis and his posse often played touch football at the park and they would often take on TV star Ricky Nelson and his band. I wonder who won!

In November 1967, newlyweds Elvis and Priscilla bought a home at 1174 Hillcrest Ave. in Beverly Hills. Elvis lived in the house while he worked on the “'68 Comeback Special,” which was filmed in Burbank. The home, which set Elvis back $400,000, is still there. If you’re in the neighborhood, drive by and take a look.

Elvis really left his mark in Hollywood. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located at 6777 Hollywood Blvd., between Las Palmas and Highland Avenues. Believe it or not, I think I have walked right by his star and didn’t even notice it!

I could go on all day about interesting Elvis sites in SoCal, but I must go watch “Clambake.” It's not every day that you find it on TV.

Another day at the beach

You’ve probably heard that California has a lot of beaches. Recently Dave and I decided to visit a new one, or at least a new one for us.

The state of California is about to raise user fees and close some state parks, so we decided there was no time like the present to check out Crystal Cove State Park. Crystal Cove is just off Pacific Coast Highway between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach. We’ve passed the park many times while driving down to Laguna, which is one of our favorite beaches. Honestly, from PCH the park looks like a stretch of overgrown brush. I often wondered how much of a park could have been there because it looked like a pretty steep drop-off to the ocean.

What we found were several parking lots, paved biking trails and hiking trails with spectacular views of unspoiled coastline and the Pacific. Just a few steps from the parking lot, the noise from the highway was undetectable. Dave said it was strange to see the traffic and not be able to hear it.

Crystal Cove’s beach is the first I’ve visited in California that really felt like a natural beach. You could really smell the salt and sea air. It was high tide so there was plenty of kelp strewn all over the sand. There were even seashells. (Collecting shells is prohibited by state law.) Another surprise was that I didn’t see any trash anywhere on the beach.

The park was well worth the $10 day-use fee, especially since the park’s trails and facilities were so well maintained. It was the perfect place to walk on the beach with my sweetie!

Caption: Crystal Cove State Park has 3.2 miles of unspoiled Pacific coastline.