The Morning and the Evening - Thursday 4/3/2008

I was running late getting out of the house when Hydra called and warned me to stay off the freeway. He could see the 14 was backed up where he crossed over it on Escondido.

Good thing, too! It was moving briskly at my entrande, but it turns out there was a SIG alert down around Agua Dulce. (A SIG alert means that it will take you at least 20 minutes longer than normal to get through a place.)

There were two big trucks with these generators or whatever on Sierra Highway. They'd apparently gotten off at Crown Valley to have some breakfast at Mickey D's rather than waste fuel in line.

I took off down dark Sierra Highway where everyone was uncommonly sensible driving through the dark and rainy morning.



When I arrived home, I was talking to Mom on the cell and she asked what it was like. I took this while talking to her and describing how the light was beginning to slant across the neighborhood. See how the gazanias to the left are starting to close up for the night, while a couple on the right are still basking in the sun?

I had a really good time teaching today. I think this is how it's meant to be, and that I'm getting my footing at last. I realized that both times when I talked more, the class actually went better. Huh!

We talked about how there are basic stories that are told over and over again with variations, and that the details are different. I asked how their parents met and told them how mine met. We're gearing up to rewrite the Cinderella story.

Post No Bills - Wednesday 4/2/2008

Apparently, this telephone pole at the corner of Sepulveda and 79th is a prime place to hang an advertisement!

Took Hondista to LAX, due to a death in her family. Experienced the amazing instant karma of reasonable traffic all the way home.

Ha, also helped by the fact that I completely forgot about a report that was due by the end of the day. Luckily, this was Show Most Likely to Not Freak Out, and they didn't. I got into the office early on Thursday and e-mailed them the report before any of them had probably had their morning coffee. Whew!

Sittin' at Sitton's - Tuesday 4/1/2008

Now, this is what I'm talking about. Comfortable little booth in the corner, cheery light, servers who bring you a coffee refill and a smile.

I was thinking this morning that this would be a bad place to have a bad drug trip. There are a lot of plaster statues of chefs wielding various cooking implements, and the walls are lined with the smiling black-and-white faces of a hundred or so stars of yesteryear. This could conspire to freak a person out.

I'll bet the cartoonists of the thirties would have found it a treasure trove of inspiration, though, come to think of it. Have you really paid attention to some of those hallucinatory creations?

In other news, I received a Sexy Blogger award from Los Angelista! "[For my] sexy pictures and for her sexy motivation around getting up so early to write every day." She's too too kind! (Blush-blush....post about it!)




I'm passing this award on to The Last Noel, who delivers his take on Literary Los Angeles with particular flair, and whose author pix are always downright (subtly) sexy.

And to Lexiconscious, also known here as the Elegant E because smart and elegant is sexy.

Fingers to the Bone gets it because her dedication and talent is sexy.

I'd also bounce it back to Los Angelista. Having the courage of one's convictions is sexy, too!

More Style, Less Comfort - Monday 3/31/2008

Since I read Starbucked a couple of months ago, I've been even more interested in the Starbucks mystique and how it's evolving. Or devolving.

A large part of its success has been based on providing a "third place" for people to gather--the first and second being home and work. They even had a philosophy about using round tables because apparently you look and feel less alone at a round table than at a square one.

I look at the decor in the newer stores, like this one near the Riverside Boulevard exit off the 170 and I can't see that they're being very inviting anymore.



Yeah, this is a cool looking piece of furniture, but do you see yourself curling up with a book or a journal on this? Or even having a conversation that lasts longer than the time it takes for your back to start aching?



These tables could do some serious damage to the early-morning under-caffeinated visitor.

Where are the lovely deep purple overstuffed chairs? Where are the rounded tables? Where's my Red Eye and where am I going to sit and drink it?

I sat at a square table and wrote for about 45 minutes, but it didn't make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Sigh.

Bloomin' Loverly - Sunday 3/30/2008

Looks like the neighbors are going to get some fruit this year. Not sure if this is a plum, or what.

Our own apple tree busted out with some blossoms on the other side of the house, but I didn't get all the way over there (ahem) to get a photo. Lazy Sunday!

Zen and the Art of Trailer Maintenance - Saturday 3/29/2008

We needed to hook up the trailer this morning and haul it down to Camping World (O Mecca of trailer supplies) in Valencia to have it measured for a slide cover. This will keep leaves and seeds and water from getting on the slide, which is pulled into the trailer when we close up at the end of a trip.

Much better than Hydra risking his life on a ladder with a broom every time.

Reviewing the shots I got, I have to conclude that it was a serendipitous journey.

That bank of clouds is the famous L.A. marine layer lingering in the San Fernando Valley, as seen from Sierra Highway. (Later, we'll call that June gloom.) On many mornings I drive into this before daylight and it can be pretty dense.

Don't worry, we're not going there. We're staying in the sun.



The nice attendant fills up our propane tanks. We used quite a bit of heat on the March trip, when it got down to around 36 degrees at night.



Hydra says this is a '55 Chevy. It was parked at Camping World.

If you know how I grew up, you will know that him knowing things like this warms my heart. Very car-oriented family.




A water tower that Hydra pointed out to me. He's right, I love these things. I'm not sure whether it's a new one or the old one repainted. (I have a shot of the possibly old one somewhere around here.)



I'm really amazed at this shot, also taken from a moving vehicle like the water tower photo. Wow, my little point and shoot Canon A560 really steps up to the plate when you ask it to.

I think this is an old windmill water well building.

I'm Gonna Get Ya, Sucka! - Friday 3/28/2008

Yeah, by Friday of a busy week, it's true: I'm down to photographing my sugary treats.

Actually, I just wondered if anyone else saw this as a creature with a wide open screaming mouth at first glance. Upon closer inspection, I see that it's a beak on a bird.

Maybe it's just been a loooong week.

Guess what? Apparently, if you hold this against your tongue, it will leave a temporary tattoo! I haven't tried it myself. In fact, I haven't even tried the sucker. I left it there on my desktop calender.

Did I mention it was a long week?