Fans were allowed down on the field to watch the fireworks. 

Here's another sombrero in the crowd. 

Can you spot the Mexican Wrestler in the crowd? 

When Garciaparra came out of the dugout for his post-game TV interview it was obvious the poncho was his way of commemorating the day. 

Can I Be The One To Say It?

Well, it wouldn't be a trip to Humboldt State University without a protest -- and the students today did not disappoint.

This is the scene I walked into on the Central Quad after my meeting ended at 12:30. I'm happy to report my meeting had nothing to do with the protest.

Actually, I'm not exactly sure WHAT the protest was about. I know it involved immigration, colonial imperialism and the chant, "5000 dead --- 1200 silenced -- join us" or was it, "1200 dead --- 5000 silenced -- join us?"

I hung around for about 10 minutes but couldn't really figure out the exact issue. They would all chant the part about the dead and the silenced and then only one person (a different person each time) would call out the "join us" part. That amazed me -- they didn't seem all that organized but how they figured out who would shout the "join us" was beyond me.

When someone wanted to speak they'd hop up on one of the concrete walls and shoosh the chanting and make their speech. Then the chanting would begin again, with the haunting solo "join us." I almost did join them just to figure out how it worked. But then I had to go.

The campus of Humboldt State University is very lovely -- with lots of blooming shrubs right now. 

Had a great lunch today at the Samoa Cookhouse -- just a few minutes outside of Eureka across Humboldt Bay. It used to provide meals for real-life lumberjacks for a local timber company.

Now they just serve tourists who want to pretend they are lumberjacks.

The food is served family style with a different single entree everyday. Good news for me -- lunch today was chicken parmigiana.

I've Found It!

Made my way to Eureka tonight to attend a meeting tomorrow morning at Humboldt State University. It'll be my first time on campus and I'm looking forward to it.

By the time I arrived at the airport the rental car counters had closed for the evening. Hertz and Avis weren't willing to leave keys for me with a United Airlines representative (I've made similar arrangements at other small airports). National was willing to do it, but they were sold out -- "Must be something big going on," said the National manager.

So instead, my hotel -- the Eureka Red Lion -- agreed to give me a ride in the van they were sending to pick-up the flight crew. And now in the morning I have to go back to the airport (20 minutes away) to pick up a rental car.

It probably would have been a lot easier to have just stayed at the Holiday Inn Express at the airport. But I've stayed at the Red Lion everytime I've come to Eureka in the last 25 years.

I'm too much a creature of habit to simply change for convenience sake.

Interior Set: On Wheels

"The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife" is a touching and heartbreaking show now running at the Zephyr Theater on Melrose in Hollywood. I had the opportunity to see it tonight.

It's the third production in "A Season of Shores" -- the Zephyr is presenting all six plays written by Del Shores over the course of 2006.

"Trials and Tribulations" is about a trailer park housewife, Willadean Winkler, in Mesquite, Texas caught in an abusive relationship; her best friend, LaSonia (pronounced: Lasagna), from the coach next door and a cocktailing waitress, Rayleen Hobbs, who causes all sorts of problems in the trailer park.

The Suite Life

Thanks to Nino Fanali, tonight I went to the Staples Center to watch the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets playoff game in a Luxury Suite. I'd been to Staples before, but it was my first time in a Luxury Suite there. It's a lifestyle one could quickly become accustomed to.

Staples Center was designed to keep the people sitting in the Luxury Suites separate from the hoi poli. These escalators are only for people with Luxury Suite tickets. It always seemed rather elitist to me. But I have to admit that when you actually HAVE one of those tickets it's pretty sweet.

This is the exclusive hallway leading to the Luxury Suite. 

This is an interior shot of the Luxury Suite. 

The Purina Flying Dogs entertained at Halftime. Mostly they jumped in the air to catch Frisbees. 

Here's a Doggie Handstand.

And here's a Human Handstand.

The Flying Dogs wore little booties so they wouldn't slip on the floor.

During halftime some of the Clipper Girls stopped by the suite next door.

After the kids in our Suite got on the Jumbotron once they were pretty relentless in trying to get on it again.

Here are some of the Clippers' "Youth Cheerleaders." It was fun to watch them but I thought it was a little over the top to have 10 year-old girls shaking their milkshakes to "Baby's Got Back." 

KTLA News Reporter Jamie Chambers, grandson of Stan Chambers, was in the Luxury Suite next door. 

The media surrounded the Clippers after their victory. 

It was fun to see the Clippers win and go to the Second Round of the NBA Playoffs for the first time in 30 years. But I couldn't get over how tough it must be to be the second favorite basketball team in town. After the victory, Staples Center was cleared out in less than 10 minutes. 

Even the Clippers' post-playoff rallies aren't up to Lakers standards. In years past when the Lakers have won playoff games the post-game rallies have turned into near-riots.

I said to one of the two LAPD officers on-guard for tonight's Clippers rally, "Not quite like when the Lakers win," and he just shook his head in agreement.

Construction of a massive hotel and entertainment complex next to the Staples Center is finally underway.