Dang - Tuesday 3/7/2006

That was a good scone. Where did it go?

Plucked it off the bakery racks at the local grocery this morning while it was still warm. It had cheese and little bits of onion in it. Driving has its advantages, too.

My commute - Monday 3/6/2006

Am I gloating much? Yeah. This is what my commute looked like yesterday.

After reading a script for work, I pulled out this borrowed copy of “Fledgling” by the late, great Octavia Butler.

Thanked Tammy

For rescuing me Friday afternoon when the shuttle to the train didn’t arrive. I was standing on a streetcorner in the rain, realizing I would have to wait another hour for the next shuttle/train. I thought maybe it would be too much to ask, to call her to leave work (six blocks behind me) and take me to the station (ten minutes away by car). Then I thought, Hmm. I’d scold her if she were in the same position and didn’t ask me for help, so I called her, and she was great. Dropped everything and picked me up. Dropped me off at the train station. Crisis averted!

Bees in the Trees Sunday 3/5/2006

No, don’t strain yourself looking for the bees. I took a few shots hoping I’d just get lucky.

It was amazing though. We were about to go into town to run errands and D put his fingers to his lips and led me around the back of the house. This tree is in its subtle blooming stage, and when we stood underneath it the buzzing of the bees was quite powerful.

You understand why I like D, don’t you?

D & Le Roi Saturday 3/4/2006

Checking out the new reclining couch at the cousin’s house. Both of them made themselves comfortable while the proud owners finished setting up the coach.

The Flower Which Blooms Only In The Rain - Friday 3/3/2006

Helpful little blossom!

Good Old Shoe Thursday 3/2/2006

I bought them when I was at a writing retreat five years ago. They are probably my favorite shoes. They have seen better days.

Don’t try to borrow them, the insides are molded to the shape of my foot.

Funky Crosswalk - Wednesday 3/1/2006

This broken crosswalk guy always looks to me like he’s wearing bell bottoms. It took me about 3 light changes to get this shot. No wonder you have hustle to get across the street!

Curtains - Tuesday 2/28/2006

Detail of the curtains in my studio, where I spent the day. I worked at home because it was pouring rain and I didn’t feel like dealing with it. By the afternoon it was gorgeous!

Hands - Monday 2/27/2006

This morning the power to the train cars was out, so there were only a couple of lights on in the dark train when I got on. It was very peaceful. Almost everyone was sleeping because they couldn’t read. The few who talked, did so in hushed tones because there was no background sound of air moving through the vents.

It got a little close by the time the power was finally restored, but the man across the table from me slept through it all. These are his hands.

Interloper - Sunday 2/26/2006

Hmmm… The only photo I took yesterday. This bozo was trying to drive up the fire road behind our house. I’ve climbed that and it’s almost as steep as a ladder toward the top.

We watched as this driver went as high as he could and then decided to back down. Part of the reason I took the photo was to try and identify the vehicle if it should do anything to cause a fire while up there.

See more progress on: Take a photo every day

The other truth about Santa Monica - Saturday 2/25/2006

Is that there are a lot of homeless people.

Truly, by the end of our time there, I was thinking about the incredible wealth of some of the people who play there juxtiposed with the terrible poverty of those who live on the streets. There used to be a great independent bookstore—Midnight Books—on the Third Street Promenade, where I gave my first public reading of my own work. There was also a Planned Parenthood. Now it’s mostly high-end stores.

I don’t usually take photos of strangers, but the texture of the wood and this man’s blanket stopped me in my tracks.

Beautiful Day in Santa Monica - Saturday 2/26/2006

Weird brocolli at the Farmer's Market.


Under the Santa Monica Pier, looking inland.

Ashes and Snow Exhibit - Saturday 2/25/2006

D and I went to Santa Monica to see the Ashes and Snow exhibit. It was well worth it.

The building itself was very interesting...it's made of big containers, etc. The exhibit was amazing. The lighting inside made it very intimate.

I was drawn in at first because I am very much moved by animals. I believe in protecting them and their environments and I have deeply loved the animals I've had as pets.

That said, the photos and films are of people interacting with animals, with no explanation so that a person will not be directed as to how to interpret the images. It's beautiful, but ultimately I found it disquieting to see people interacting with dangerous animals like cheetahs and wild African dogs. A friend of mine saw this and thought it was just beautiful and said something about how people and animals should be interacting, implying maybe that we would interact in these ways if we were in the correct frame of mind.

To me it was another confirmation of just how far we are from our natural roots. We are, at best, competators with some of these creatures as far as the food chain goes. Yes, gorgeous to see the woman and kids on the dunes with the wild cats, but don't try this at home. The cats had the good sense to get up and move when the wind started kicking up sand. Not the humans. They were being all soulful for the camera.

I'd like to see this guy put his dreamy humans next to veal calves or force fed chickens. I think he may be perpetuating myths about animals that don't really help.

Long Shadow - Friday 2/24/2006 bonus

Here I come! Mwaaahahahaha!

Morning Mum - Friday 2/24/2006

Walking from the train shuttle stop is having unexpected benifits. I wouldn’t have seen the sun fiddling around with these petals if I’d driven today.

Frutas, etc. - Thursday 2/23/2006

Just some of what’s happening between the freeways.

See more progress on: Take 43 photos of signs

Outside Looking In - Wednesday 2/23/2006

Looking for something to photograph on my way home from a busy busy workday. Didn’t really want to advertise the gas station that was taking my money, but here’s my sweet little Echo.

L.A. Building - Tuesday 2/21/2006

It’s on Melrose and maybe Vine.

I downloaded my pix on my home computer, so will post the Monday photo later.

Blue Blackbirds

My intention was to get a photograph of the dozens of birds on and around this SUV in a grocery store parking lot.

But photography turns out to be a lot like writing. You can’t really get where you want to go by showing something in a general way. Although you can’t tell from this shot that there were fifty or sixty birds right near by, this is a truer image than the first pictures I took here. You have to delve into the intimacy of a scene, whether it’s for a story or a photograph in order to get to the truth of it.

Just as in writing, the truly interesting details are seldom the ones you had in mind when you started. Those you find along the way.

See more progress on: every week we set each other challenges of things to take pics of!? And then we post them on here!

Yet more snow! Sunday 2/19/2006

In our yard, no less! It snowed quite heavily for an hour or more, while D and I pranced around taking snapshots. It was just gorgeous. Big fluffy flakes coming down. I’d forgotten the SOUND of falling snow. It’s so lovely and peaceful.

We were afraid we’d get snowed or iced in, but the sun came out around 10am and it all melted away. Great torrents of melt washed off the roof.

Snow! Saturday - 2/18/2006

Yeah, I’m going all Ansel Adams this morning! There’s a dusting of snow on the mountains across the valley this morning. Love the way the clouds top them off.

Self Portrait in Waiting - Friday 2/17/2006

As reflected in the convex mirror at the exit from a parking garage next to the shuttle stop.

The Party's Over - Thursday 2/16/2006

Saw this cut out heart lying on the sidewalk on my route from the shuttle stop to work.

Waiting Room - Thursday 2/15/2006

I took a bunch of old magazines that have stacked up in the bathroom at work and scattered them around the waiting rooms at the medical center when I went there yesterday.

Guess I was wearing my Reading Faerie boots yesterday!

Embracing ambition

This is something I have to do. I have to embrace ambition.

There’s this whole THING with writers and artists about being noble and wanting to create are for the sake of the art. And, yes, on the spiritual level, I want to create something that pleases me, and speaks for me, and helps people think about their own lives. But I also want to create something that’s commercially viable.

I love the art of Alfonse Mucha and Maxfield Parrish. I used to argue with art student friends about guys like them, who were not considered true artists because their art helped sell theater tickets or gelatin.

Is “To Kill a Mockingbird” any less great art because it sold so well? It would be an honor to touch so many people and say something that matters to them.

Just writing this makes me feel VERY uncomfortable. I need to get over this and be okay with crafting and selling my work. With trying harder.

Just look at that image, and tell me that’s not art. How come Vermeer is considered a true artist when he painted portraits on commission? All famous painters paint for money on some level.

Any advice on overcoming this issue of being ashamed of ambition will be much appreciated.

See more progress on: work on my novel rewrite steadily until it's done

I Am Not Supposed to Be Here - Tuesday 2/14/2006

Yes. These photos were taken at the Glendale station.

Yes, that's the stop AFTER mine. I was having a nice time interacting with my fellow passengers when I recognized the view outside the window as BURBANK. In the seconds it took to grab my backpack, get up, turn back for my tea mug, and get down the stairs--I like to sit at a table on the upper deck--the doors shut. They don't open again even if you push the little button.

Honestly, they shouldn't. Everyone shouldn't have to pay for my mistake. I was pretty upset in the first seconds, and would have liked to have burst into tears, but I didn't. Some nice folks informed me that I could get off at the next stop and that at this early hour there are a lot of trains going back and forth along this part of the line.

It only put me off my schedule by about 20 minutes. Not so bad. Trains only leave Acton every hour or so, so I was initially concerned that I'd be stuck for a long time. I think the Media District shuttle driver took me directly to my stop when he was supposed to wind through the Warner Brothers and NBC lots.

I felt pretty exhilerated as I walked the last six or so blocks to work. It's really nice to share smiles and to let people help you out a little. Much more gratifying than getting angry at the guy weaving in and out of the freeway lanes ahead of you.

Much food for thought in this experiment.

Metrolink - Monday 2/13/2006

I'm trying the train for a week.... Well, except for Wednesday because of an appointment, but I bought a 10-trip ticket so I can ride for 5 days. Monday went smoothly. I wrote for more than an hour in the morning and read two scripts on the ride home.

The whole round trip including getting to the Vincent Grade/Acton station 4 miles from my house and getting to work from the Burbank station using a shuttle takes roughly twice as long each way, but I can get things done and even interact with other human beings. Hmmm.

Steaming Hot - Sunday 2/12/2006

Tamales in my own pot at home. Smells soooo good! I love knowing that I stuffed and folded some of these. Ate one fresh out of the pot. Nothing like it!

Tamale Day - Saturday 2/11/2006

We were invited to make tamales with D’s cousin’s girlfriend’s family this year. Had a great time! I’d never done this before. Tamales are my favorite traditional Mexican food, and they’re a bit complicated to make, but well worth it, I now know.

S made the chicken and pork ahead, so all we had to do was stuff the ojas (corn husks) with the masa, meat and an olive. We made almost 10 dozen all together, not including a few dozen sweet tamales to use up the masa. Took them home to steam them, since there were so many and it takes a few hours.

I have a dozen each of chicken, pork and sweet tamales. Lucky me! Now, all I have to do is refrain from eating them three times a day until I run out!

We were also able to pick oranges from their trees!

Acton City Limits

I came into town the back way Friday night, on Soledad Canyon Road. This sign is posted at the edge of town. Makes me smile.

Inside the Disney Channel Building - Friday 2/10/2006

Light, lines, angles. I go here for the ATM.

N's on the move - Thursday 2/9/2006

All the way to Toronto! His mom brought him in for me to play with today. What a doll. He even had the good grace to remember me and not be afraid of me. Pretty darn good for 13 months!

Tomorrow’s his mom’s last day here. She’s moving her little family up to Toronto to work in our small company’s even smaller Canadian office. She will be much missed. (No more book lunches!) But we'll keep in touch through her blog, if nothing else...see the link to An American InToronto? Yeah, that's her.

Baby N was in our office every day for about 4 months, and I got to take lots of baby breaks with him. You can’t tell here, but his skin is absolutely perfect and glowing.

Just like his little spirit.

Longer Way Home - Wednesday 2/8/2006

There was an accident on the 14, so I took Little Tujunga Canyon through the mountains. It takes longer because it’s 17 miles of very twisty roads. But it was just beautiful yesterday. Warm enough to have the windows down. It's nice to have options.

I stopped at Bear Divide to take this photo of my little car enjoying it’s outing. I have to love places with names like Bear Divide.

Close up of the trees that are in the background of the first photo. Last of the light coming down the valley.

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Light on Condiments - Tuesday 2/7/2006

As the sun sank behind the San Gabriel Mountains, MGS and I met to catch up with each other and to write.

We were on a writing date. Basically, we talked about how the work’s been going for us, then got down to writing. It’s nice to sit across a table and offer each other a little respect for the time and effort. Afterward, we read what we’d been working on to each other.

I always get a lot out of the conversations before and after writing. She’s working on an amazing book, and I’m always thrilled to hear snippets of it. Can’t wait to pluck it off a shelf in a bookstore and say, “Hey, I KNOW her!”

It’s going to happen.

Signs along Highland Boulevard - Tuesday 2/7/2006

Christmas lights are gone, but we still have neon.

That African violet - Monday 2/6/2006

It’s the one that I rescued from my boss’s desk. So it gives me even more than the usual pleasure to see it blooming.

African violets are really pretty easy once you figure out that they need to have water around their roots all the time and be fed regularly. I wish more things were this simple.

No matter how many books they sell on the topic, there is no formula for a fabulous novel, or memoir, or short story. There are elements that will surely help them along, but they have to be infused with a life beyond the words on the page.

Maybe those of us who write need to be willing to risk our hearts to give the tales their own breath.

Dodger vs. the Vegetable Brush Sunday 2/5/2006

I was framing a shot of the vegetable brush when Dodger popped into the act.