Splurge! - Tuesday 5/20/2008

Last night when I was wandering around between the gym and the writing group, I bought myself this yummy smelling lotion. It has an amazing silky feel.

Monday, Monday - 5/20/2008

On my way to the gym before going to Braveheart's for our writing group meeting. I just liked the look of this construction in Hollywood.

This is heading south on Vine.



Who knew it would be so easy to find?

Especially in Hollywood.


After going to the gym, I wandered around a little. You can't really see it, but there is water falling like rain from the facade to the right.

It smells very fresh and clean.



One of the really lovely aspects of our writing group meetings is that we have dinner together. For birthdays, we often order in Thai or Indian food. But usually it's made up of food we all contribute.

I haven't been contributing much for the past couple of weeks. Tonight we had macaroni & cheese made by Braveheart, salad brought by Tomasina and my lowfat ground turkey & vegetable soup and fresh cherries.

We had a great meeting. Anyway, it helped me a lot. I mean a lot. We talked, they read, they gave me good advice.

Wow. Lucky, lucky me.

There's Got to Be a Morning After - Sunday 5/18/2008

Yeah, we stayed up late last night talking with our friends after the celebration was over. And then went to our own room at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Arcadia.

They had all kinds of cute little notes like this around the room.




This is part of the courtyard within the hotel. We enjoyed the complementary breakfast served on the other side of the pond in the company of our friends and their family. Really lovely way to start the day.

This ramp was the scene of an interesting bit of playfulness with B's wheelchair (she's recovering from another foot surgery months after her car accident.) B's husband and previously married son were involved, and that's all I'm saying!



We said our goodbyes and headed homeward.


Yeah, that's a helicopter landing next to Angeles Forest Highway. A motorcyclist went down around an inside curve. We saw the helicopter going in for a landing and waited with a few other drivers while they loaded the rider up and flew him out.

Another rider, who hadn't been with the group that included the downed rider said, "Why do we see so many Harleys wrecked?" They weren't riding Harleys.


The guy was really lucky that he was riding with others who could call in the accident, and that there was a landing pad right there.

100 Degree Wedding Party - Saturday 5/18/2008

The orchids don't seem to mind that it was over 100 degrees in the outdoor courtyard where the wedding reception was held.

People who had come from out of state scampered over to a mall to buy lighter clothes before the shindig started at 5pm. The sun went down behind the walls that surrounded the courtyard shortly after we sat down for dinner.

Between the heat and the dancing, the champagne seemed to burn right off. It was great to hang out with our Hoosier friends and their son's new family.



Jim is quite a guy. He's the bride's grandfather. He's smart, sharp, and a great storyteller. He's also a World War II vet.

I snapped several pictures of Jim's hands as he and Hydra talked. He was very animated and they moved a lot, sometimes clasped around his knee.

The sincere thumbs up seems, to me, to be the quintessential gesture of the World War II generation.

Long Way to Pasadena - Friday 5/16/2008

Lots of stuff blooming along Angeles Forest Highway this season. It's a quiet way to get from Acton to La Canada-Flintridge.

I love these yucca stalks.


A tunnel. I also love mountain tunnels.

We were going to meet up with our dear friends who stood up with us at our wedding. They're in town to celebrate the marriage of their son. We held him before he was 24-hours old. Now he's 27.

We couldn't be more pleased that he's settling in Southern California. The last time his parents were out here before he moved here, the boys were in jams and we carried them around Disneyland when they got tired.

Cool Thing: A little history of Angeles Forest Highway.

Seven Almonds - Thursday 5/15/2008

I contributed this photograph of seven almonds to the food and exercise tracking site The Daily Plate, which I've been using for a few weeks.

Seven almonds + banana = excellent way to jump start your metabolism in the morning per my personal trainer.

I am on a fitness quest.

More of Braveheart's Stuff - Wednesday 5/14/2008

The Doc's dog, Lulu, is all worn out after a flea treatment. Even royalty tires of its luxuries sometimes.



In my defense, this glass is commenting on whiskey. I drank wine from it, so that's a modest serving.

So glad Braveheart doesn't mind my taking photos of the cool stuff in her house. I love her aesthetic.





Light falling across the vintage tablecloth on the kitchen table.



It's Jimmy's world, the rest of us just live in it.



Later in the evening, Braveheart hosted a very interesting and well-attended event at A Different Light Bookstore. The discussion, based on readings from Leash by Jane DeLynn, Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde, and Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson, was really successful. People were standing around talking after we packed up the wine and cheese and went next door to a little bar to celebrate.

Great evening. Braveheart's friends are as cool as her decor.

Pretty House - Tuesday 5/13/2008

This is just a pretty little house in Burbank that I pass sometimes on the way from Andrew's to work.

It's a lovely time of year in L.A. So much is in bloom!

Twain's Again - Monday 5/12/2008

Wow, this table has seen some use, huh? The little round spots are where the spoons go!

Dropped off books at the Studio City Branch of L.A. Public Library this morning and looped down to Ventura Boulevard to revisit Twains.

Gave some directions to a guy walking past in shorts, a tee-shirt and a baseball cap, who told me it was his first time in L.A. I pointed out the all-night Ralph's across the street and said, "Welcome!" It was a pretty good bet he hadn't been here long, as he wasn't bundled against the morning damp like a seasoned Los Angelino would be.

I have to tell you about the photograph that got away later in the day!

I was coming out of my office and saw a nicely groomed man in a business suit on the other side of Evergreen with a ladder under his arm. But what was really interesting was that he was cruising along the sidewalk on a skateboard!

Perfectly erect as he swooped around the corner and up the alley. Wonderful!

And me with my camera in my backpack!

Artsy? Perhaps Not. - Sunday 5/11/2008

Okay, forgive me. I was up late two nights in a row, singing.

And then there was this cleaning that just felt like it really need to be done, so that I can love my house. If it gets too messy, it just becomes petulant and demanding.

I really should have taken a photo of the evening light falling across the table in the library...but no. What you have here is one of the toys I was going to give a friend's baby a few years ago, but which turned out to be a wonderful mobile perch for Dodger.

While I have your attention, I'll tell you about singing song #4, "Every Light in the House is On," at a hoot last night.

It went over really well, even though people didn’t seem to remember it. It was a big hit in the early or mid-ninties I think, recorded by Trace Adkins. A sweet pining song. Here are the lyrics.

Hydra did “Play Me” (Neil Diamond) for the first time, and I did some harmonies on the chorus that went well. Especially these falling notes during a held note on his part at the end. I used to do these to the LP (owned by brother Brains) when I was in my early teens. I could see my bedroom and the record player while we sang.

It was a smaller group and we stayed later than usual, so we were able to do another song each. I reprized “That’ll Be the Day” and he did Armstrong a song about Neil Armstrong walking on the moon.. pretty and thoughtful.

Then a couple of women who play and sing together, who have been telling me we should do stuff together, pulled out another Buddy Holley song and we did that together, me harmonizing. We ended up also doing “Johnny B. Goode” They told me to take a verse while we were up there…good thing they had the lyrics right there! Also did “Pink Cadillac” with them. Too much fun!

The last song of the night was when Hydra started doing “Luckenbach, Texas” a capella and about 8 of us stood around singing it together.

Really fun night!

Bouquet Canyon Drive - Saturday 5/10/2008

On the way back from running errands in Valencia, Hydra suggested we take the long way home and drive up Bouquet Canyon. I'm always up for this sort of thing.

I think this is The Big Oaks Lodge.

I think I could really love living along this road. There are so many amazing old houses with stone bases and clapboard walls painted brown and green to blend into the surroundings. Usually they have neat little outbuildings around them, too.




Looking down into Bouquet Canyon Reservoir from the road. Spunky Canyon Road goes around the other side. How'd that get it's name? From some intrepid little burro, maybe?



Low reserves.



My foot. On the road. Lovin' the day.

On a completely different subject... I have this goal to sing 12 "new" songs in public this year. Last night I did #3, which was "That'll Be the Day." [#1 & 2 were "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" and "Accentuate the Positive." Granted, I've been singing about that train since before I can remember, but not really in front of anyone...usually in the back seat of the family car, with a soft serve cone in one hand.]

Here's my story about that:

Ha! I told the audience to sing along because there was no way they were going to drown me out—I do have a big voice—and promptly started off on the wrong key.

Thank goodness, our friend GL was playing along, because he stopped me and clanged out a solid A for me, and off we went. I have to say, the audience was really with me and we rocked it out.

Hydra did “Can You Sing Any Dylan?” which is a very fun Eric Bogle song, and I oohed along in the background, and hammed it up in reaction to the lyrics and got the audience involved.

I think the main thing in performing for people, whether it’s music or a novel reading, or anything, is getting the emotion across. If it’s a fun song, act like you’re having fun and you will…everyone will.

This was a benefit concert that raised about $450 for our music club.

The Line Up - Friday 5/9/2008

One of these chickens does not belong on top of the toaster oven.

Correctly guess which one, and receive a free 5x7 print of any of the photos on this blog, all expenses paid, delivered to your home.

The first 5 correct respondents will receive the prize. Offer expires 24 hours from now--10 am 5/10/2008--so enter soon.

Please enter via a comment on the blog, rather than an email.

See what trouble we get up to when I work from home?

The Official Ice Cream of Any Given Sundry - Thursday 5/8/2008

Into every life a little bliss must fall.

Enter Trader Joe's French Vanilla Ice Cream : Super Premium, stage left.

Mmmm. This stuff just showed up in the freezer case and I suspect that it's made by Double Rainbow, which TJ's has stocked for the past year or so. The DR disappeared and this was found in its frosty imprint. (This is how TJ's often works!)

It's dense and creamy, and best of all it's satisfying in the recommended dosage of 1/2 cup.

Today I had some with fresh strawberries sliced on it. I'm looking forward to introducing it to my favorite fruit later this summer : blueberries.

Do you have a favorite fruit?

Cool Thing: The Daily Plate : Helping You Eat Smarter. Since I just encouraged you to indulge in ice cream, I'll also share a great site for tracking what you're eating and how much exercise you're getting. It's free, it's easy to use, and it gives you a nutritional breakdown of what you're eating.

Succulent Blooms - Wednesday 5/7/2008

From cuttings Braveheart gave me about a year ago.


I'm bringing her yard to my house bit by bit.

Daylight - Tuesday 5/6/2008

I set my alarm for 6:00 a.m. (heaven on a weekday for the likes of me) but woke up at 5:40 and went ahead and got ready. It was already light by the time I left Braveheart's house.




Braveheart roses.



Yeah, okay, I walked around the front yard a bit on my way out.

Crossroads of the World and Junk Journalism - Monday 5/5/2008

I was back in Hollywood to visit the gym on my way to Braveheart's. We used to meet in the Valley so I'd hang around over there between work and the writing group. It's really interesting to travel through neighborhoods that I used to know very well when we lived on the east side of Hollywood.

According to Kayte Deioma on About.com, "Crossroads of the World was constructed in 1936 in the shape of a cruise ship with a rotating globe on top. It was the city's first shopping mall. It was built by the widow of crime boss Charlie Crawford after she demolished the original building on the site where her husband was shot and killed. It is currently an office complex."

There was a Thai restaurant here for a while and that Hydra and I ate in it at least once. I remember thinking it was a really ambitious restaurant to build such an interesting structure. (Der.)



I don't know what this is about. Googling it didn't make it clear to me.

Anyone?

That's the very cool new & used music store Amoeba Music in the background.

What a Difference a Week Makes - Sunday 5/4/2008

Wow, it was just a week ago that I planted sunflower and herb seeds in this little terrarium style planter.

It's almost creepy how quickly they've taken off.


We went to see Iron Man. Wow, what fun. [Check out my review on my movie and book review site, Curioscopy.]

Point Mugu - Saturday 5/3/2008

We drove out to Point Magu to hang out with some Songmakers friends who were camping up there for the weekend. We didn't camp because of various other things we wanted to do on Friday and Sunday, but it was a great day to go up there!

This is the way to the beach, passing under Pacific Coast Highway from the Sycamore Canyon campground.



There weren't as many people with guitars there as we'd expected. I took my bagel with me to the beach and ate it for lunch while sitting on this very large piece of driftwood.




My foot at the beach. As you can see, my original Crocs are holding up nicely.


Hydra joined me and we walked down the beach. Cool kite!



Can you see the Easter Island-like face at the tip of the outcropping of rock?

This area is one of the first my brother Joe brought us to when we moved out here. We came back here pretty often.

There's a place near here where the water undermined Pacific Coast Highway and it was rebuilt a little further inland. It is forever known as The Place Where Sundry Tried to Kill a Seagull.

Not that I actually intended to kill a seagull.

We'd only been out here a few months (from Indiana) and were not yet wise to the ways of the gull. We took a bucket of KFC out to the beach for a picnic. I tossed a chicken drumstick bone toward some gulls, thinking they'd pick it clean and I'd go pick it up.

It was not to be.

One of the gulls grabbed the bone, tilted its head back, and proceed to swallow it whole! We were horrified! I fully expected the bird, who didn't look like it could accommodate a bone of that size, to keel over in front of us.

Instead, it shook it's snowy head, fluffed its wings contentedly and blithely winged its way up the beach.

Yow. Never again. Even if they can handle it, I don't want to see that again!



The bridge from the other side.



Swallows nesting in the roof of the bath house.


Our friend's campsite and the place we hung out and talked and played a little music. It was a good day. We returned home with that feeling you get from being at the beach...tired in a very satisfying way.

Potus Hits the Brazillion Mile Mark! - Friday 5/2/2008

Well, honestly, only 100,000 miles. But sometimes it feels like I've traveled a brazillion miles since we brought our brand new Toyota Echo home in September 2003. She still gets 36-40 mpg, so we think we'll keep her.



The odometer hit 999999 right in front of Le Chene Restaurant on Sierra Highway. (It was Joe's Cafe in Steven Spielberg's Duel (1972.)


We knew that we'd hit this milestone today. Hydra was going to use Potus for an errand earlier in the day, but turned around and brought her back so I could drive her out of the warranty. Nice.


So. 100,000 miles later, and we're driving down Sierra Highway on our way to share music with our friends at a hoot in Northridge.


Have to show you these magnificent hibiscus flowers that grace the entryway to our friend's house, where the hoot was held.