This final weekend in June just flew by didn’t it? This is my favorite time of the year - as we’re coming up on America’s birthday.  Phillies won, Phillies lost, John Cena didn’t win (ha ha!), I found out what Sid Tyler does on the weekend - oh and…

There was another blogger get together on Saturday. This time, Frazgo hit a home run/scored a touchdown/made a slam dunk/insert other sports analogy here - and got us into the air conditioned Mayan Room of the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia. Special thanks to Kathie Reece for being such an awesome hostess (She was on Huell Howser - I knew it!).

The Proc was used to slap-dash (but fun!) snarks in the park - but the Bloggers Picnic IV: With A Vengeance was definitely a treat. That dude Frazgo’s got a lot of pull in the All-American City. The hotel provided us with some snacks and people from all over the blogosphere came out to have some food, drink, and merriment. We had a really good turnout - I’d say there was a point where about 20 people were there. Even the 99 Cent Chef showed up! (The cupcakes he made using only ingredients found at the 99 Cent Store were delicious!) Bloggers from all around showed up…and we had some celebrity guests, too: Ann Erdman (Pasadena’s PIO) and Assembly candidate Brian Fuller joined in on the fun. (I had an awesome discussion with Brian about the film “Beyond The Mat“). I had sooooooo much fun that I forgot to get my picture with a lot of people!

It was a cool venue - especially the Mayan Room:

There was a stage where someone eventually got our group photo.

I guess this thing is called a sunroof? I don’t know much about architecture. It just looked really cool with the different paintings of Aztec gods.

Ann Erdman and I. She brought me back a gift from Finland - which I’ll show you later.

Fun, candid photo with Ed Padgett. Excellent photography by Susan Kitchens.

Ed & Susan ham it up in the Aztec Hotel’s lobby.

Susan & me. She took a lightbulb off of some Christmas lights and was quite happy about that.

It’s Kelli With An I (a/k/a Kells Bells)!

Kelly with a Y.

Она попробовала продать меня 52 миллиона хором доллара.

Having a tea party with Miss Havisham

Here’s what Ann Erdman got me from Finland. Yes, it’s reindeer jerky. Mmmm mmmm, Blitzen.  I’m going to go eat this in front of a vegan while singing Christmas carols.
So a million thanks to everyone who showed up (and please drop me a line if I left you out of this list - I may have accidentally did): Frazgo, Frazgo’s wife and his daughter, Pasadena Daily Photo, The Sky Is Big In Pasadena, Alex Zucco (FC Contributor), Miss Havisham, The 99 Cent Chef, WCGB, Ann Erdman, Monrovia City Watch, Susan Kitchens, Brian Fuller, the cool dude Adam who hangs out with Brian, Kelli, Irina, Ed Padgett, The Real Zajac… thank you all!
Afterward, The Real Zajac, Kelly with a Y, Kelli with an I, and I went to the First Cabin to chill out and drink more (that place is so fun and so cheap!) - sort of like an afterparty.

Don’t take WCGB’s picture while she’s getting gasoline.

A fun time was had by all.  I know there was a group photo taken but nobody has posted it yet - so I’ll get that to everyone tomorrow or whenever it’s up.  It’s nice to meet a lot of my ilk in real life and it’s also nice to notice that the attendance of these get togethers keeps getting bigger and bigger.  I had fun being the co-organizer of this and am setting up another shindig for Saturday, September 27th.  I figure we’ll get through the summer and have another one when the weather starts to get a little cooler.

**

For the past 15 years there have been some funny prank phone calls targeting the airwaves of the entire AM dial in my hometown of Philadelphia.  These guys call themselves the Earl Ferrell Fan Club and they’re absolutely hilarious.

Earl Ferrell was a fullback in the NFL for the then-known-as Phoenix Cardinals (that name never made sense to me).  He had a dismal career and was haunted by demons of drug problems.  For some reason, he gained a following in the Philadelphia area.  I remember listening to talk shows on 610 WIP and stuff like that in the summer time and hearing these guys call in once in a while.

Well, apparently, they have a website now - with some of the latest calls - because the fan club is still going.  People all the way in Scotland are playing along and joining the revolution.  In fact, the advent of the Internet has made the Earl Ferrell phenomena spread like wildfire.  Places as far away as Texas have been “Ferrelled”.  Pasadena Weekly’s Andre Coleman and I even got a Ferrell caller once (I just played along..trying not to laugh).

These phone calls are great - you can listen to some of the latest calls (seemingly from the summer of 2007) at this link.  Let me just say that one of the tracks on there, where a caller discusses eminent domain and how they should make room for Highway 31, The Ferrell Freeway - had me literally in tears.  Anytime I meet a sports fan from Phoenix, I always ask if they know who Earl Ferrell is.  I hope this group actually tries to track down the real Ferrell someday!
Enjoy the man, the myth, the legend - Earl “The Squirrel, The Pearl, Gets All The Girls” Ferrell.

**

Happy Monday, Goodbye June.
- AP