Whenever possible, I try to photograph my adventures. Check out some of my latest below.
- Most of December was spent in Mexico and Argentina:
(01-January-2008)
-Puerto Vallarta
-Buenos Aires
-Mexico City
- It's Ramon's birthday at Safari West. (04-August-07)
- What comes after an engagement? A bachelor party of course! A night on the town in Dallas followed by a couple days at our friend's Wolf Creek Ranch. I can't thank them enough for hosting us amidst the splendor of this part of legendary east Texas ranch-land. (30-April-07)
- Close family few out to Japan to join us in our Yuino celebration. What's a Yuino? In essence, it's an engagement ceremony. It is a very old Japanese tradition and its origin goes back to Muromachi era. The western style formal white wedding is very much the norm in modern Japan, but Yuino is still cherished as one of the more sophisticated Japanese traditional customs and is still performed by the wealthy and higher classes of Japanese.
(01/01/2007)
-Hong Kong & Macau
-Hakone
-Tokyo
-Yunio Ceremony
- A long weekend in Cancun for Iva Antioco's 30th birthday. (12/03/06)
- Almost one year and no posts! Yikes! Well, I've still been taking photos, just haven't felt like posting them.... too busy having fun. Just got back from a wonderful trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for Meryl's 30th birthday.
(6/22/06)
- I'm getting older, but at least I spent my birthday with close friends riding a parade float... 4th of July Weekend in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. (7/05/05)
- A quick break for Meryl's birthday on the North Shore of Oahu. (6/22/05)
- Lions, tigers and bears, oh my! Our first trip to Yosemite National Park. (5/30/05)
- Just when I thought I wouldn't do it again, the costumes and drinks got the best of me - it's Bay to Breakers!
This year we went as Michael Jackson, his friends and other key characters in his current molestation trial. (5/17/05)
- It's been a while since anyone I know, well, anyone I know over 26 years old that's had a party. There's no better way to kick off the return of the local economy than drinking away your memory of that big check you just wrote to the IRS.
"No need to do a blow out party. I think we're all past that anyway, honestly. Cocktail parties are the new raves!" - C. Eveland. (4/15/2005)
- Following this year's Sundance Film Festival, Meryl and I met my father at Terry's Park City villa for some winter snow fun. (2/14/05)
- Steven Bengis: 30 Years - A Retrospective (11/06/04)
Steven Bengis is the focus of an underground art discussion and dinner at Woodward's Garden, followed by an exhibition at Linc Art, San Francisco. Steven's closest friends are expected to visit the show to assess if the maverick does indeed deserve more than his 15 minutes of fame.
- Law Tigers present Motorcycle Mania 2004 in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. (10/31/04)
-
Nine days of wine, cheese, crystal blue water for our sailing trip to Corsica and the Côte d'Azur. (9/14/04)
- A relaxing long weekend with Meryl's family at Nantasket Beach. Nantasket, no, it's not Nantucket, is about an hour drive from Boston in Hull, MA. (8/26/04)
- The third year in a row of complete costumed mahem - Bay to Breakers 2004. This year's theme was Lucha Libre.
"Lucha Libre" is what professional wrestling is called in Mexico. It originates from olympic wrestling and was brought to Mexico by Americans. Known for wearing interesting masks, the tradition comes from an American wrestler named "Ciclon McKey". He was not very popular and so he asked the man who made his boots to make him a mask. The man made him a white leather mask, which was horrible and too small for him, but Ciclon started to use it anyway. The leather started to expand and it fitted perfectly on McKey's face. Then a lot of Mexican wrestlers started using masks as well. These masks are sacred in Mexico, and pulling off someones mask during a match causes an instant disqualification. (5/18/2004)
- Wi mi-di daans - you better Belize it! Took a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey sailing down the Belize Barrier Reef, then off to the Mountain Pine district for a taste of the jungle and easy access to Guatemala. (12/31/03)
- I got my 1971 BMW R75/5 out of storage for Motorcycle Mania IV. The annual motorcycle block party of Meryl's father's lawfirm, the Law Tigers. (11/04/2003)
- Some thought their Boxster's were fast... that was until they saw one with 48% more horsepower and 51% more torque. That's right kids, it's my new supercharged Porsche Boxster. Happy Halloween! (10/10/2003)
- It's not Louisiana, Paris, France, New York, or Rome, - Unionville, Indiana, not quite a scene from The Music Man, although close to it. A 4 hour charter flight to Indianapolis and two hour car ride south for the wedding of Jennifer Hobson and Alexandre Solomides. (09/23/2003)
- Some friends said to go, others recommend staying far away. Curiousity got the best of me, after all, it's my 10 year high school reunion. Not quite Beverly Hills High, it's the Chaparral High School class of 1993. (08/16/2003)
- Kathy and Steve Prahcharov were getting married, so we jetted off for Meryl and Philip's Bulgarian Vacation. We visited Borgous, Nessebur, Sofia and Sunny Beach. Even though it was once called "one of the world's ten worst resorts", this Black Sea holiday was fun! (07/03/2003)
- Meryl and I made a quick stop in the Emerald City on our way to The Mikal Family Compound in Coeur D'Alene Idaho. (05/27/2003)
- We're on double-secret probation, whatever that is. We can't afford to have a toga party. You guys're up for a toga party? Toga! Toga! I think they love the idea, hood. Come on, Otter, please don't do this. Got news for you, pal. They're gonna nail us, no matter what we do. So we might as well have a good time. Toga! Toga! Toga! It's not gonna be an orgy. It's a toga party.
Perfect weather for the 2003 Bay To Breakers. (05/21/2003)
- Tradition continues: The "Phil Experience" Ski Weekend never disappoints. (03/03/2003)
- ...and the end of January in London and Bristol. (01/28/2003)
- Most of December will be spent in Asia and each stop gets it's own section (12/29/2002)
-Tokyo
-Bangkok & Ayutthaya
-Phuket
- I flew to Phoenix for Thanksgiving to spend time with friends and family I won't see until the New Year. Poor me, I'll be on the white sand beaches of Phuket for Christmas! (11/3/2002)
- Dusty inadvertently removed the drain on the third floor pedestal tub, causing a small flood on the main floor of my house.
- Steven and I were having lunch at Tu Lan (6th and Market -- San Francisco), when an unexpected 80,000 people rushed by... turns out we were caught in the middle of one of the largest peace protests since Vietnam!
- The 19th Annual Folsom Street Fair is California's third largest outdoor festival. (The Rose Bowl and San Francisco's Freedom Day Parade are the first and second.) This 'only in San Francisco' event brings out to the street what people normally keep in their bedrooms -- certainly an excellent time for people watching.
- Off to Kevin's weekend pied à terre for a relaxing summer BBQ.
- Independence Day. Best celebrated in the most American of cities, New York. There was an abundance of exciting things to do and see. All told, I took a few hundred pictures. These are just enough to get an idea of how much you can do in only four days. I Love N.Y. Forever!
- Wendy and I took out the Aston Martin DB7 Vantage for a road trip weekend. First down to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, followed by a night at Casa Palmero on Pebble Beach, then back up and past San Francisco to Healdsburg for dinner with Laura at Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen.
- San Francisco's popular two day multicultural celebration, Carnaval.
- The world's largest footrace, crazy costumes and crazy people -- the 2002 Bay to Breakers.
- Beaulieu Vineyards (BV) generously hosted a wine tasting at my house for my good friends and neighbors.
- It's time for the annual "Phil Experience" ski weekend!
- Valentines, the holiday of romance, has roots in an ancient Roman festival known as the Lupercalia. Celebrated on Feb. 15th, the Lupercalia was a fertility rite in honor of the gods Lupercus, Faunus (associated with Pan) and the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.
The celebration of Lupercalia transformed and spread as the Roman Empire grew. During the celebrations of Lupercalia, Rome conquered France, and it is then that the first Valentine-like cards may have been exchanged.
From its association with Lupercalia, and that day's connection to fertility, comes St. Valentine’s association with love and romance.
So, in the spirit of St. Valentine, we presented a modern interpretion of Lupercalia - a Pajama Party!
- The zambomba is amongst the most authentic manifestations of the celebration of Christmas.
Apparently in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, zambombas were organized from the XVIII century on. These were simply gatherings of friends, neighbors, and relatives who met each year on Christmas eve in the patios and corrals of communal dwelling-places and farm labourers' quarters. Huddled round a campfire they would form a chorus and sing and dance villancicos, in a purely spontaneous manner and for an indefinite time, while the wine, anisette, and punch flowed freely and Christmas sweets were passed out. The basic instrument is the zambomba, hence the name of the celebration.
In commemoration of our new home atop Buena Vista Heights in San Francisco, we present a modern interpretation of the zambomba, a holiday cocktail party, complete with Flamenco guitarist and dancers.
- Oh damn! Nothing but craziness for this year's Halloween party weekend.
- In light of recent events, I thought it'd be a good time to relax and getaway to the newly aquired Mikal family compound. Twenty acres plus on a beautiful mountain top in Coeur D'Alene.
- Leeana and I head out to Macy's 2001 Passport fashion show to benefit HIV/AIDS.
- Madonna and "O", food at Aureole and Osteria Del Circo, poolside cocktails, amazing friends. Bling! Bling! It's Labor Day weekend in Las Vegas.
- We went all out for my latest birthday party. San Francisco never felt so tropical... it was a night dubbed Hawaii 5 Orgasm.
- Miscellaneous photos from the last twelve months while consulting at Sun Microsystems' Diagnostic Clearing House/SunVTS Application Engineering group.
- This year we had not one, but two limos for our annual tour of the Napa Valley.
- Dusty's San Francisco Street Project organized a volunteer team for the May 5th Hand's On event. Afterwards some of us ended up at Ali's for an evening of fun. There couldn't have been a better way to spend Cinco De Mayo 2001.
- Every dream has its price... and at $500 USD per plate, the 2001 Santa Cruz Wine Auction was the place to be May 4th. So Dusty and I took out the Bentley to enjoy a wonderful evening at Thomas Fogerty Winery.
- I lived the celebrity lifestyle in Los Angeles for the 2001 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards.
- Had a great time St. Patrick's Day Weekend, including a stop at the Seventh Annual Gentry Gala, which benefits Family Service Mid-Peninsula.
- Opening party for 010101: Art in Technological Times exhibition at SFMOMA.
- A northern California winter wouldn't be complete without a ski weekend in Lake Tahoe.
- I recently visited the Getty Center and CBS Studios Passions set in Los Angeles. Read more about Passions and the J. Paul Getty Museum at their web sites.
- A quick trip to Scottsdale for the Barrett Jackson 2001 Auto Auction. Barrett Jackson is, according to their web site, "The World's Greatest Classic Car Auction".
- My Grandmother Helen's 85th birthday.
- 2000 Christmas holiday in Phoenix.
- I recently helped with a Habitat for Hummanity build for The Community.com.
- Another spooky Halloween weekend.
- A short flight down to Los Angeles for the premiere screening of Craig Antioco's The C! True Hollywood Story: The Life of Jackie.
- Yet another wine tasting trip to Napa.
- Screen grabs of me and my friends from the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards 2000 broadcast.
- Carnaval San Francisco 2000
- Las Vegas, May 2000
- 2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
- Easter
- Photos from 1999-2000 while consulting at Cisco.
- Honeywell sent Steven to the Bay Area for work, so we took off for a weekend in Napa.
- Miscellaneous photos of my family from 1999.
- With a little social engineering on our part, Dan and I were invited to the GM Test Drive in Santa Clara, CA. We spent most of our time pushing SUVs to their limits, but also enjoyed a Mustang on the speed track and a quick lap in a Saturn EV1. (November 1999)
- Check out some random photos of my friends and family over Thanksgiving 1999.
- I've been producing events for some time now, though not as much as I used to. A lot of these events were "raves," an all-night dance party. I've helped others produce events as well. Here are some photos of NT 30-1, Conception.
- I had a week of free time before I was scheduled to start working with Cisco, so my friend, Mark Alston, and I flew out to Las Vegas. (August 1999)
- John from Skyrocket Media came for a visit and we went for a sail on a catamaran.
- "Love" documentary project - Pride Parade, San Francisco, June 27, 1999
- 24th birthday - July 4th weekend 1999
- Las Vegas, June 1999
All photos are property of Philip J. Mikal and may not be used without permission.
Copyright 1999-2008 Philip J. Mikal
Advanced beyond all that you can possibly comprehend with 100% of your brain!
|
|
|
