Trav's Thoughts

I'm struggling with shoulder pain again...stoopid wonky weather! I got most of the post put together when I got home from work yesterday, but I needed to get my arm elevated.

Since the show must go on, Pam typed the recap for me so I could ice my shoulder.

So I say cue that theme music!



I must give you encores!

We were so pleased with Marissa and Tony Monday night. We've always thought of Tony as quite the diva...he's very talented and he knows it. When you retire as the undefeated American Rhythm Champion, I guess you really are all that and a sequined shirt. But this season he genuinely seems to be enjoying his work with Marissa. And there's no doubt that he has helped her to become a capable dancer. More than capable...on Monday she danced an outstanding Tango.


Mr Cranky-Pants Len seemed to have a burr in his fur about Kristi. Well, all the judges got a little picky with her Waltz, which Pam and I thought was beautiful and romantic. And we will give Len the benefit with his comments about the hip hop during the Cha Cha Cha...he's consistent with his disapproval. But there was no need to drop the score down to an 8 on what really could have been a perfect 30 dance. It had all the basic Cha Cha elements, contemporary choreography, side by side synchronized Cha Cha, and a bit of cheeky hip hop thrown in. Here it is...you be the judge.


The dance of the night was the Quick Step from Jason and Edyta. We can't rave enough about this dance! From the leap at the beginning, through the smooth fast pace, to the tossing of the judges' papers, to the handstand at the end...the dance had it all and should have been scored a perfect 30. Mr Cranky-Pants strikes again.


Hi! It's me Pam. Now let's get some results, shall we?

First, the judges have decided that the Quick Step from Jason and Edyta is deserving of the encore. And we agree!

Here's how the leader board looked after Monday's performances:

55 Jason & Edyta
54 Kristi & Mark
52 Marissa & Tony
51 Mario & Karina
51 Shannon & Derek
46 Cristian & Cheryl

The judges say that the couples can do one lift next week, as long as it is in character with the dance. Excellent! This group is ready for it.

Oh! Who's safe? It's Kristi & Mark. Outstanding!

This is actually more difficult than it looks. I don't know how Travis does this so fast every week. I can hardly keep up!

Oh no! Dance Center is back with Kenny Mayne. We hate this feature.

Who would have ever thought that Def Leppard would perform on Dancing with the Stars. But here they are, with Pour Some Sugar On Me accompanied by Tony, Anna, Mark, Cheryl, Louis, and Karina. Geeez...it would have been nice if they'd performed it live instead of lip sync-ing.

It's half way through the show, and they still haven't reported on Cristian's injury. He's there on the stage with Cheryl.

Next Tuesday is the 100th celebration show at 8pm. No! It's opposite the show that shall remain nameless. We'll have to channel flip so we don't miss David Cook. The judges will count down the top 100 dances in the history of the show. Then at 9pm, the remaining couples will dance. Tom rattled off a bunch of special guests, but I couldn't listen and type fast enough! So you'll have to be surprised next week right along with us!

No more Kenny Mayne! Why can't we have more ballroom kids????

Ooops! I almost missed the announcement that Mario and Karina are safe. Slow down!

Def Leppard returns with Nine Lives from their new CD, Songs from the Sparkle Lounge. OH! They are accompanied by Jose DeCamps and Joanna Zacharewicz, the reigning American Rhythm champions. They are so good! Too bad again that DL used pre-taped music. This clip is from America's Ballroom Challenge.


Now they are finally talking to Cristian about the injury and it turns out to be pretty serious...he ruptured a tendon in his bicep. He'll have to have surgery, but the doctors said they can postpone it. If he has been saved by the voters, Cristian says he wants to try and continue.

Here's the rest of the results now. Cristian and Cheryl will get a chance to try that injury as they have been saved. But Marissa and Tony are in the bottom two. Jason and Edyta are safe, putting Shannon and Derek in the bottom two.

Marissa & Tony are safe, so Shannon & Derek are out.



This blogging thing is tougher than it looks. Thanks for putting up with me!

David Cook update...We were hoping he would make it to Top 5 and he has. And he was outstanding again this week, taking two lesser known Neil Diamond songs and making them sound as though they were written this year. The first one is good, the second one is great.






The premier is May 22! YAY!

Special thanks to my Lady for typing the DWTS recap part of this post. She did good!

Thank you Babe!

My Lakers were in Denver last night, trying to close out the Nuggets in the first round of the NBA playoffs. As much as I love my Lakers, you know what I watched.



Because it's live from Hollywood! And we're only three weeks from crowning a champion!

Well babies, last night our couples had two dances in different styles.

First up is the ballroom round...

Marissa and Tony dance Tango. Sometimes we don't like the props, but they used the chair very well. She has really improved, and now Tony is giving her wonderful choreography. She's dancing this so well. Quite impressive. A solid and classic Tango with controlled passion and drama. Very nicely danced and she looks great too! Judges say 9's across for a total of 27. Yup. She deserved every bit of that score.

Cristian and Cheryl dance Viennese Waltz. That wasn't as smooth as we would have liked. But the spins were nicely performed and the spiral at the end was really good. We didn't actually feel the chemistry they normally have between them. And it didn't feel as romantic as it could have been. I don't know, something was missing for us. Judges say 8,8,9 for a total of 25. We'll agree with that.

Kristi & Mark dance Viennese Waltz. Now that's a beautiful Waltz. It was romantic and elegant, and classy. We're really out of adjectives to describe the way they dance together. Just outstanding. The story was beautiful and we loved the umbrella as part of the drama of the story, another case where a prop worked. The judges picked on her turn into the drop...yeah, maybe she lost her balance a bit. But there isn't another celebrity who could do it. Judges say 9,8,9 for a total of 26. Mr Cranky-Pants Len needs a woobie...or a whack across the back of the head.

Mario and Karina dance Foxtrot. You won't hear me say this often...maybe I need a good thump on the head...but I don't like so much skin showing during a Foxtrot. There, I said it. Foxtrot is about elegance, so put on a proper gown and tuxedo and dance me some elegance and class. Ooops! Sounds like I caught a bit of Len's cranky! Judges say 8's across for a total of 24. We'll agree with that.

Shannon and Derek dance Tango. She doesn't look nearly as awkward when her legs are covered. Of course, I enjoy her LEGS LEGS LEGS LEGS. The choreography was good and they had the sharp movements. The drama and aggression was there, and the dance had plenty of content. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27. Well, if we had to compare that dance to the Tango from Marissa & Tony it wouldn't be favorable. We think that score is too high for that dance.

Jason and Edyta dance Quick Step. Wow! That was a huge jump! He is tremendous in this dance. I've said all along how impressed I am with his partnering skill. He shows it off to excellent effect in this dance. We thought that the footwork was quick, crisp, and precise. That dance had energy and wonderful technique. Judges say 10,9,10 for a total of 29. Len is a curmudgeon tonight. That easily could have been a 30.

Next up is the Latin round...

Marissa & Tony dance Rumba. That had a nice combination of dancing and posing. It was also sexy and sensual, with some romance thrown in. We thought it was a lovely dance, and she performed very well. The two of them have really come a long way together. She is ready to learn and perform the more difficult choreography, and Tony genuinely seems to be enjoying the partnership. He has turned her into a capable dancer. Judges say 9,8,8 for a total of 25. Maybe another 9, but that's a good score.

Cristian and Cheryl dance Samba. That had a lot of classic Samba choreography, but Cristian injured his arm part way through the dance. That's unfortunate because they were really dancing well. He tried to finish but he couldn't extend the arm. Back from commercial, they say Cristian had a muscle cramp in his lower bicep. The judges commend Cristian for trying to continue, and will score up to the injury. Judges say 7's across for a total of 21. That's really unfortunate.

Kristi and Mark dance Cha Cha Cha. Now that's how you answer the bell. That was hot! It had energy, cheek, hip action, and fun choreography. It was contemporary and extremely well performed. We didn't mind the hip hop section because it was done with taste and it was danced well. Judges say 10,8,10 for a total of 28. Now Len is just marking down for spite and I don't care for that at all.

Mario and Karina dance Mambo. He's definitely more comfortable with the more relaxed and loose Latin style. The turns and steps in this choreography were very difficult and he did them well. This was a good dance for the two of them. His charm comes across during the Latin dances and you can tell he enjoys what he's doing. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27. Well done!

Shannon and Derek dance Mambo. And there are those beautiful but awkward LEGS LEGS LEGS LEGS. She thinks she's using her hips but she's really not. She's very stiff while she's dancing. Just wiggling about when you're standing still is not the way you throw hip action when you dance Mambo. Sorry, but that just wasn't very good as a complete dance. Judges say 8's across for a total of 24. We think that's generous.

Jason and Edyta dance Paso Doble. Are you freaking kidding me??? We're dancing Paso to the Monday Night Football theme? I can't even describe how bad that was. There was a lift at the end. The footwork wasn't very good. There was too much posing. The Dolphins colors on the costumes was just too much of a gimmick. Now they didn't choose that music and Edyta did what she could with the choreography. But we thought that the choice of music was a real disservice to the pair of them. Judges say 9,8,9 for a total of 26. For us, that score is too high for a dance we didn't think was very good.

Here's the combined leader board after two dances:

55 Jason & Edyta
54 Kristi & Mark
52 Marissa & Tony
51 Mario & Karina
51 Shannon & Derek
46 Cristian & Cheryl

We're done with vote splitting now. The Quick Step from Jason & Edyta was the dance of the night, and Pam chose to ignore her strong dislike of their Paso and threw her votes to them. I voted for Kristi & Mark because they are my favorite pair and I thought their dances were terrific.

Def Leppard is in the ballroom for the results show. Yes, I said Def Leppard.

And next week is the 100th episode celebration!

You know, as I read back through to edit for typos and such, I realize that my tenses are often confusing. I guess that's what happens when you blog something live and then post it for the next day. A reference to "tonight" should actually end up being "last night", etc.

Do you mind the wonky tenses? I hope not.

It's tough to get that 4th win and close a team out in the playoffs. The Nuggets stood up and played the Lakers tough, but LA gutted it out on the road and escaped Denver with a victory to advance to the next round. The Lakers become the second team to advance - Orlando was the first as they eliminated Toronto - and the only team to sweep their opponent so far.

Welcome to another Manic Monday with Morgen. Don't forget to cruise by MM HQ at It's A Blog Eat Blog World. Today's theme is Rip. I took a liberty and went for Ripple.





This weekend, Mimi announced the dates for the 4th Blog Blast for Peace. I was just a baby blogger when I came across the first Peace Globes in November 2006. The ripples from that first small statement have extended across the bloggosphere to 46 states and 35 countries.

The Blog Blast has become a movement. On 4 June 2008, bloggers will join in A Revolution of Words. Click here to learn how it all started, to learn how to participate, and to see Peace Globes from the three previous Blog Blasts.

When I'm flipping channels, it's rare that I'll flip past a John Wayne movie. I'm a big fan of The Duke.

Isn't it odd...the things that stick in your mind? In the original Trivial Pursuit game, there was a question about the eight films in which Duke played a character that died. Not long ago, I was walking past a colleague's office and heard that exact question on the radio.

Would you believe it? The answer popped right into my head.

I'm rambling a bit. I'm also flirting with Mimi's dungeon because I'm not doing another meme today. But wait...this is kind of like a meme. It could be a meme.

It is a meme! I so declare it! It's a Travis Meme. I'll call it Trav's Staying Out Of The Dungeon Trivia Meme.



Wow. I've never made a meme before. What do I do now?

Uhm...rules! That's right! A meme needs 'structions.

OK...here's your 'structions:

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to:

1. Choose a category from one of these: Television, Stage & Screen, Nightly News, Publishing, Lives & Times, Music

2. Find 8 bits of trivia about your selected category

3. Be sure to let me know when...ok, if...you decide to play along so I can see what you come up with.

4. You may tag, or simply offer the meme for borrowing or stealing as you like.

OK...Here's mine!

My category is Stage & Screen and my 8 bits of trivia are about American Icon John Wayne.

These are the 8 Films In Which John Wayne's Character Dies:

Central Airport (1933): In an uncredited role, Duke plays an airline co-pilot killed in a plane crash.

Reap The Wild Wind (1942): Duke plays Captain Jack Stuart, who drowns while battling a giant squid.

The Fighting Seabees (1944): Duke plays Lt. Cmdr. Wedge Donovan, killed by a Japanese soldier.

Wake of the Red Witch (1949): Duke plays Captain Ralls, who drowns.

Sands of Iwo Jima (1949): Duke plays Marine Sgt. John M. Stryker, shot by a sniper on the slopes of Mt Suribachi.

The Alamo (1960): Duke plays Col. Davy Crockett. Crockett is mortally wounded with a spear to the chest, but heroically manages to set fire to a huge store of gunpowder, which explodes and takes out a company of Mexican soldiers. Well, Duke directed the film and that's how he says it happened!

The Cowboys (1972): Duke plays rancher Wil Andersen, who is forced to take a bunch of kids on a cattle drive. After knocking the stuffing out of Bruce Dern, the cattle thief shoots him in the back.

Bonus Trivia: Bruce Dern's role as the psychotic cattle rustler, Asa Watts, who kills John Wayne earned the actor death threats. Duke reportedly told Mr Dern, "They'll hate you for this".

The Shootist (1976): In his final film, Duke plays John Bernard Books, determined to die on his own terms. After seemingly surviving what he had staged as his final gunfight, he is shot in the back by the Metropole bartender.

OH! How about a double bonus?

The Deceiver (1931): Duke plays Richard Thorpe as a corpse.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962): Duke plays Tom Doniphon, who has died at the beginning of the film.

I hope you'll play along. But even if you don't, I had fun creating my first meme.

I've still got several more memes in the queue, so I'll be getting to those soon.

Have a great weekend!

Dear Mimi tagged me for this meme. And look...this one has a name and a graphic!



There's only one rule...you only get one word.

Yourself: Silly
Your Partner: Beautiful
Your Hair: Graying
Your Mother: Heart
Your Father: Absent
Your Favorite Item: Laptop
Your Dream Last Night: Unknown
Your Favorite Drink: Water
Your Dream Car: T-bird
Your Dream Home: Mountains
The Room You Are In: Living
Your Fear: Drowning
Where Do You Want To Be In 10 Years: Retired
Who You Hung Out With Last: Pam
What You're Not: Short
Muffins: YUM!
One of Your Wish List Items: T-bird
Time: Late.
Last Thing You Did: Memes
What Are You Wearing: Wranglers
Your Favorite Weather: Cool
Your Favorite Book: LOTR
Last Thing You Ate: Sammich
Your Mood: Silly!
Your Best Friends: Supportive
What Are You Thinking About Right Now: CAKE!
Your Car: Liberty
Your Summer: Travel
What's on your TV: Lakers
What is your weather like: Overcast
When Is the Last Time You Laughed: Minutes
Your Relationship Status: Lovers

Feel free to borrow or steal!

Shall we have encores? I say yes!

First, in my review of Cristian and Cheryl I said that he looked like a wax figure. Well, I take that back. I still don't agree that the dance was worth a 27, but it wasn't as bad as I first thought. I thought Marissa and Tony were better, so they get my encore choice.

The Viennese Waltz from Marissa and Tony was enchanting. She did look like a Princess and that dance deserved better music. The melody worked, but the lyrics were ridiculous for a dance that is supposed to be about romance and elegance.


The Rumba from Mario and Karina was sexy, sultry, and steamy...and extremely well danced. We liked this because it was danced and not posed. And Bruno said a no-no!


The dance of the night, and possibly the season so far...the Jive from Kristi and Mark!


Alrighty then...let's cue that theme music and get this party started!

Here's the leader board from Monday:

30 Kristi & Mark
29 Mario & Karina
27 Cristian & Cheryl
26 Marissa & Tony
24 Jason & Edyta
24 Shannon & Derek
21 Marlee & Fabian

The judges decided they wanted to see the wild and out of control group dance as their encore choice.

Hey! In two weeks we celebrate the 100th show!

Ashlee Simpson is in the ballroom, performing Boys accompanied by Artem Chigvintsev, Genya Mazo, Lilit Avagyan, and Anna Tovbin. The dancing was great but the song was meh.

The first couple safe is Shannon and Derek, but Marlee and Fabian are in the bottom two.

Members of the Riverdance company are in the ballroom, led by Michael Patrick Gallagher. Nice Irish fella, eh?

Let's have some ballroom kids!

First up, 13 year olds Brandon and Brittany dancing Cha Cha Cha. Brittany is deaf in one ear. Brandon's foot slipped on the first step, but it didn't phase him at all. They are terrific! I'm blown away by these kids every week. Len says phenomenal, sharp and crisp. Bruno says it was dancing of the highest standard. Carrie Ann says it was perfectly stylized and executed. They had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction too.


Next, 12 year olds Austin and Liza dancing Samba. She is quite a bit taller than he is, but it isn't an issue. They are both terrific performers, especially Austin. He's quite the little charmer on the floor. Another terrific performance. Bruno says it was fun to watch, and Austin's talent is huge. Carrie Ann says they set the stage on fire, working the crowd. Len says it was fast, crisp, and clean.


The judges select Brandon & Brittany to compete against Jaryd & Cara and Aaron & Rashell.

Now who else is safe? It's Marissa & Tony, along with Cristian & Cheryl.

Do you know what that means? It means that one of the stronger couples could be in the bottom two...Mario, Jason, or Kristi.

So, who's it going to be? Kristi & Mark are safe, as are Jason & Edyta.

That puts Mario & Karina in the bottom two with Marlee & Fabian.

Mario & Karina will return, which means Marlee & Fabian are out.



Next week the couples learn two dances, a ballroom and a Latin.

Hey Vinny...Mr David Cook has done something different. This is one of my favorite pieces of theatre music, second only to Bring Him Home from Les Miserables. Check out the WOW moment from Andrew Lloyd Webber week.


Oh oh oh oh!! Guess what premiers on May 22??? Yup! My other favorite dance show!



Later babies!

Hang on a minute.

While making my rounds, I cruised by Everything and Nothing. Akelamalu has one of those music jukeboxes in her sidebar with some great music on it. I couldn't get this one out of my head...the great Mr Johnny Nash.


Nice!

And now let's cue that theme music because it's live from Hollywood!



You have no idea how much that theme music makes me smile!

We have a big night of competition. Each couple will dance their own routine in a style they have not yet danced, and then join the group in a rousing country group dance with lifts and spins and all kinds of wackiness.

But first...

Jason and Edyta dance Cha Cha Cha. He danced that like your average guy at a club. It was cheeky and fun, but we didn't think it was up to standard for the ballroom. They had all the Cha Cha Cha content and performed well. But his musicality wasn't great, although he is still an effective partner in hold with Edyta. It's just that out of hold he was awkward. She gave him difficult choreography and his footwork wasn't as good as in the past. Although, we did enjoy the performance. Judges say 8's across for a total of 24. I think there was some credit for his partnering skills.

Shannon and Derek dance Rumba. When she can slow down and make use of her length and those amazing LEGS LEGS LEGS LEGS, she does very well. Derek was able to cover quite a bit of her awkwardness. We thought they performed the character of the dance very well. She was better than last week, but she still had trouble with the missing hip action again. And there were a few problems with extentions and footwork. We enjoyed the dance, but it wasn't really good enough for this stage of the competition. Judges say 8's across for a total of 24. No, I'm sorry but we didn't think that was equal with Jason's Cha Cha Cha.

Marlee and Fabian dance Mambo. Fabian is a former World Mambo Champion. A few inspirational words from Henry Winkler, and away we go! There's always a lot of pressure on the celebrity when they dance the pro's best dance. Fabian really slowed this down for her, but she struggled quite a bit with footwork, musicality, and timing. That was a tough dance for her and unfortunately she didn't quite get it. Rats. She's had two tough weeks with dance styles that are tied so intensely to the music. She's been so inspiring, but you can really see in her body language that she just wants to dance well despite being deaf. Judges say 7's across for a total of 21. That's generous. They could have gone lower.

Cristian and Cheryl dance Foxtrot. Pam says the HAWTness meter went off the charts with Cristian rehearsing in the swimming pool. Too bad he looked like a wax figure when he danced. OW!! Sorry...I just got thwacked for that comment. But he was incredibly stiff and looked very awkward. Pam does agree with me on that. Len thinks it was Cristian's best dance. Well, we don't know what the judges liked about it because we didn't think it was very good. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27. We're not seeing that. We might need to watch that one again.

Marissa and Tony dance Viennese Waltz. How does one portray class, elegance, and romance when dancing a Waltz to Delilah? Sheesh! This has got to be the all time worst music selection. But I must say that Marissa was elegant, classy, and beautiful during the dance. She was smooth and kept her character all the way through. That was really wonderful. There was a bit of a stumble at the end with the final move. That was probably a mistake to put that in the choreography. Without that stumble, that dance could get 10s. It was still her best dance by far. Judges say 9,8,9 for a total of 26. Come on Len! That should have been 9's across.

Kristi and Mark dance Jive. Damn that was good! Hokey smokes! The choreography was super difficult. It had a story and character. It was energetic and fast and fun. It was a perfect Jive. Just tremendous. It had everything you could want in a dance. The kicks and flips were crisp. And they performed it beautifully. There's nothing to pick apart about that dance. And we have run out of adjectives. Judges say 10's across for the season's first perfect 30. Yup!

Mario and Karina dance Rumba. That was really good. Very sultry and sexy, just like a Rumba should be. Last week was his best dance, but this one surpassed that. Len called it too raunchy, but it was the way Mark described it last week...a vertical expression of a horizontal desire. We thought the dance stayed on the sensual side of the line and did not cross over into raunch. There was a lift, which will knock the score down. Judges say 9,9,10 for a total of 28. Bruno decided to ignore the lift.

Now the country group dance gets no scores from the judges. It's fun for the dancers and fun for the fans. This dance is choreographed by Christian Perry. That was crazy wild! We didn't think it was as good as group dances from the past, but it was still lots of fun.

Here's the leader board after tonight's dances:

30 Kristi & Mark
29 Mario & Karina
27 Cristian & Cheryl
26 Marissa & Tony
24 Jason & Edyta
24 Shannon & Derek
21 Marlee & Fabian

My votes went to Kristi this week. I also threw a few to Marlee because I'd like her to be able to have one more chance at a style she can perform well. Pam went for Jason, with a few votes to Marlee.

We'll see more ballroom kids on the results show, plus Ashley Simpson and a performance from Riverdance.

Later babies!

Welcome to another Manic Monday with Morgen. Don't forget to cruise by MM HQ at It's A Blog Eat Blog World. Today's theme is Quake.

On 17 October 1989, at 1700hrs, I put the leftover mac & cheese in the microwave while listening to Tim McCarver and Al Michaels go through pregame, waiting for Game 3 of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's.

At 1704hrs, the tv cut out and I heard a large bang followed by a major jolt that nearly knocked me off my feet. Then the ground started to roll. I got my balance and started to move out of the kitchen, which is never a good place to be in an earthquake because of the large appliances and all the glass and cabinetry.

As I started moving toward the dining room, I realized that the ceiling fan was swaying violently and looked like it might come down. I didn't want to go that way. But when I turned around I saw that the cabinet doors were banging open and shut, and I had to duck real quick to keep from getting brained by a potted plant that jumped off the top of the frige.

Just about that time, the ground quit shaking. That initial quake only lasted about 15 seconds, but it seemed like it went on forever. And I was about 90 miles east of the Loma Prieta epicenter. Some articles still list the magnitude at 7.1, which was the first report I heard. Officially, the quake measured 6.9.

The tv reception came back on at some point. Like many others, that's when I began to understand the scope of the quake. I knew it was a hard shake, but as they started to show pictures of Bay Area landmarks I knew so well, I realized that my family was there. And I had to resist the powerful urge to get on the phone. It was so hard, but I knew they would call soon enough.

So my first call was not to my family...it was to my boss. I was a courier in 1989, driving bank materials from the valley to San Francisco. What was I supposed to do that night, when my route was directly impacted by the quake?

Do you recall the images of the I-880 Nimitz freeway, more popularly known as the Cypress Structure? How about the Bay Bridge? Well friends, that was my route and I was due to drive it between midnight and 0100. Just seven hours away.

I didn't go that Tuesday night, or Wednesday. It wasn't until Thursday that I heard from family...everyone was fine, though shaken quite a bit. We were lucky that there was only minor property damage for my family, who lived in South San Francisco. So many others weren't that lucky.

That Thursday night, I made my valley rounds and headed toward the Bay Area. I had to take the San Mateo bridge, which turned into 7 miles of tension. I could see the construction lights across the water to the northeast, where I knew a slab of the Bay Bridge was down. But that was about the only light there was, as almost the entire southern penninsula was dark. Power hadn't been restored in all areas yet.

From San Jose to San Francisco, there were small pockets of light surrounded by darkness. Few lights at the airport, no lights at any of the ballparks or soccer fields, no street lights.

No beautiful San Francisco skyline.

Driving in the blacked out downtown was unnerving. I knew where I was going...I'd driven the route for over a year. Besides that, I'm basically from the Bay Area and I spent a lot of time downtown and on the wharf. But I nearly got lost that Thursday night. The darkness pressed in. And in the back of my mind, there was that nagging thought that another quake could hit. Or a large aftershock.

What else might collapse?

I love The City, but I was never so happy to get out and back across the San Mateo bridge, and then through the Altamont pass to more stable ground.

About a week later, we found that plate of mac & cheese still in the microwave.

A month or so later, I was able to drive back through Oakland and re-route around the collapsed Cypress Structure to cross the repaired Bay Bridge...and see that beautiful skyline, lit up once again.

They say location and timing are everything. And it's true. The freeway and bridge collapses all around the Bay Area could have claimed so many more lives. But the Giants and A's were in the World Series, and there weren't so many commuters out on the roads. Just 67 people were killed, a sad number but much fewer than it could have been.

And I got lucky with timing.