5K + Rainforest Cafe + Project Bandaloop = Great Day!

What a great saturday! They day started out with going on a 5K walk with a couple of work friends, Aliah who is also my roomie and Shannon.  It was a walk for Mental Health which is a great cause and well I am always up for a walking for a good cause.  Plus Aliah and I brought our dogs as well Chloe & Sequoia.  One of the buisnesses Aliah works for was a group in this walk so we just joined in with them.  The day was nice and cool but a little cloudy and eventually the sky opened up and poured down some rain on us which was actually kinda fun.  Chloe who hates the rain was not happy at all to be soaked and decided she did not want to walk anymore but just lay down and pout so she won and got carried.  Shannon was hilarious during the whole walk cheering people on and thinking of ways to better organize the walk for next year.  People in CA are so funny about rain they hide from it like they will melt or don't know understand what it is. I guess that is what happens when you live in a stated where it never rains.  Before the race there was a loud clap of thunder and some people screams like a bomb went off.  Its thunder for crying out loud!  I'd hate to see what would happen if they saw a hurricane!

Here is a picture of the three of us: Me, Aliah, and Shannon.  The dogs didn't make the pic, they were having a bad hair day due to the rain.


Next up was work.  Saturdays are my fun days and tonight my job was to take the residents to Rainforest Cafe and then to see Project Bandaloop.  Rainforest Cafe is more of an experience restraunt and I had never been.  The food was fair at best and the ambiance was a little run down but the residents loved it. We sat near the gorillas and they would start moving every 15 minutes and thunder storms every 30.  They all got burgers and fries something they don't typically get at CDA so they were happy as can be.  I on the other hand got a salad, it will be a LONG time before a burger sounds good to me... 3 years of Sky Burgers every Wednesday and Saturday... yeah I'm done with burgers. 

Here is a pic of the residents at Rainforest Cafe:

Next up was Project Bandaloop.  I had been excited about this outing since I found out about it.  I really want to get the residents more into the Arts and getting to experience more things then going to dinner and a movie and this was a great start.  This was a free event done by the OC Performing Art Center and Project Bandaloop combines dance, ropes, and rock climbing skills. They harnessed in, lowered themselved down and danced on the side of the building.  So basically they were perpendicular to the building.  Here are a couple of links to help you visualize:

http://projectbandaloop.org/videos.html or http://projectbandaloop.org/architectural-work.html

It was awesome! Look up to see if they are coming to an area near you and go see them.  This show was a little more artsy and they projected images on the wall as well and told "stories" during the show but it was phenomenal.  During the whole thing all I heard from the residents was "wow" and a lot of clapping.  They were all skeptical at first of even going and tried very hard to convince me to go somewhere else but I knew they would love it.  The audience sat camp or beach chairs in front of the building and there was a live band to for all the music.  By the end of each dance segment they would eventually repell down the whole building which my best guess is about 4ish stories.  Then they would get to the top again for the next dance.  I was in awe of the physical strength it took them and the skills to work with the ropes.  My nerdy campy side want to go and inspect all their equipement and see how it all works for them, but alas they don't really let you do that.  We unfortunately had to leave during intermission due to issues but it was a great experience for them.  It also gave me a good intro to get them hyped about seeing Peter Pan 360 which is my next adventure for them.  OC Performing Arts has built this special tent and the stage is circular and in the middle and the audience sits all around and they are performing Peter Pan.  So I showed the residents where the tent is and then talked up how cool the inside would be.  Fingers crossed they will sign up! Although that show is a bit more expensive so there will be some budgeting and such. 

On the down side of the day my check engine light came on and I am a bit concerned about it.  I have been told that it could be something minor.  I am praying that is the case for me cause I REALLY can NOT afford somthing major.  Monday is doom's day when I will take it somewhere and see what it is.  Pray for poor Emma (my car) that she not be teriminal. 

Next weekend is going to be our housewarming party with a Three's Company theme.  There will be fun and there will be pictures!