Then we strolled. It was one of those days where much of the conversation kept circling back to agreeing what a great day it was.
Then Nancy went shopping and Mindy and I met Marsha and Kelly for a big lunch at The King’s Head and a yummy well-made well-presented Black and Tan.
I ate a bowl of cereal for dinner.
nd.
August 24
I’m here at the King’s during their preparations for a one month trip to Germany during which time they will prepare for their five year stay abroad.
Moving half-way ’round the world does force you to ask the really big questions in life. For example, ‘which in this huge box full of logo/souvenir coffee cups do I really want to keep?’
Xander in a pensive moment.
Sunday at brunch with the boys. We had each been on a trip since our last chance to get together so it was story time for sure.
We strolled around the Marina after brunch and I got to do a quick little single time swing with Ken and that was an unexpected treat. Bill took pictures so that’ll be fun to see.
July 25
A few pix from my last week. Rather obviously I’ve weakened on the record-every-moment-of-my-life drill…
Mom at the doctors, her own flirtatious and coy sweet self.
From the balcony of the library. We had a good seat here but then a guard made us move. I don’t know why. Just because we climbed through the police tape to get there.
Mindy came too and we had Funnn. Wow, Bill is prominently featured this month. Lucky me.
A waiter snapped these with Bill’s new and Fabuloso camera.
Then I met Brigitte for dinner and a free concert in the plaza of the Beverly Hills library. Wow. It was really delightful and they do different programs every Saturday night during the summer, not just opera.
These are four soloists from the LA Opera and a piano player/host. The host, who was totally Loving his job, introduced each piece, told funny stories and explained about what we would hear next. The singers did many arias, a kind of Opera’s Greatest Hits program. It was professional yet casual and friendly.
We took our time with dinner and hence got there too late to get a seat. But even sitting on the steps, it was lovely and I’d happily go again.
Saturday the gang gathered to paint the baby’s room. Oh goodie, baby-time! It was fun and on top of which the room looks fab. Angela took the picture.
July 29
Goofing around instead of packing… From Marsha’s sister’s neighborhood near San Diego where I walked around for an hour or so a few weeks ago, snapping away.
How old were you when… Go ahead, Reminisce! Identify this car!
From a billboard from the bus. Aaaaack. The billboard was very far away against an extra bright blank white sky and I did this just to see if I could. Turned out better than I imagined, really Ackkkkky!
July 10
Yes in-deed-ie, what a swell weekend! And miles and miles of The Bus and a good amount of walking but considering that I ate almost continuously…
Friday I went to Sandy’s and from there we went into downtown Culver City for a little shopping and a nice lunch.
One of Bill’s pix from Sunday Brunch at the Marina. How much fun is this? Single time swing. Oh lordy. Now I’m Dyyying to get back all those steps we learned.
Don’t miss that wailin’ sax-man in the back.
(…the Monday Nighters and taking the kids to the beach.)
Happy birthday Becky!
Are we not a hot bunch of babes. Next time will I pleaZe remember a tripod?
July 12
Brigitte’s Garden Party and Ladies Lunch. She made it an Open Door party and ladies came and went through the afternoon so we weren’t all together at once but everyone did get to come and enjoy a happy reunion.
Thank you Brigitte! (ps I am now in desperate need of that fountain/bird bath. Yeah, I know, where would I put it?)
I wasn’t there. This was a Boy’s Night Out. A night or two…
The Boys: Paul, Merlyn, and Alex. You go boys.
al
Ann’s Happy Birthday Monday Night at Maryanne’s house. Everyone was there! Hi Ladies, so good to see you!!
It’s nice to be back. Everytime I look out my door I’m swept up with how-cool-is-This. And truth be told, I am already working on the next big one.
Saturday night we went to Marsha’s sister Mindy’s neighborhood block party. This, as big as a man’s head, is in Mindy’s garden.
July 2
I’m still messing around with China. It’s the first click over there in the third column under ‘Projects’. At some point I’ll declare it done. Sooner rather than later I hope.
July 6
Lijiang: During a quiet moment between the raging hords, waiting for the d*mn tourists, to urge and hassle and press – ‘take your picture mister, wear my hat’. This scene was really disquieting and I didn’t put it in the first set because I couldn’t figure out what to think.
Here’s a corner of that garden with the sunflowers at the far right. Food! And so so Very much work. But Mindy says it’s way more fun than work which is great for everyone else who gets to enjoy the fruits of this labor.
These are one of many different groups of native people of the area, meaning they are not considered Chinese. In this part of China minority populations make up more than half the residents.
Throughout China I saw many different costumes and ate traditional food representing the different tribes. They dress up and run restaurants, sell souvenirs, perform dances and music, but what they used to do or if they have any mobility in their lives I do not know.
Everyone I saw doing these dress-up jobs looked healthy and well and for the most part, except for this particular group, which makes me wonder, they looked happy and at ease.
…and then driving down to San Diego with Marsha to visit her mom at the rehab where she is getting therapy after a hip replacement.
She’s 83 and needs to get out of there asap so she can get home and take care of her garden. You know, you just can’t really trust anyone else to do it Right.
(ps I’ve been messing around with this thing for way too long, trying to turn a sow’s ear of a picture into a bag you might be willing to take to the beach.)
July 20
Here we have a couple of lovely Aloha ladies. Angela’s Aunt Mary and Great Aunt Jean enjoying their cruise in Hawaii and celebrating Jean’s 87th birthday.
Cheers Jean!
July 7
L&H are home with their grand-kids and we were having a lively game of tag. I was able to deflect the avalanche by pulling out my camera.
We trade favors and the giver gets a free dinner from the getter. It was my turn to give so we had a luxurious sushi outing, and cold dry sake. Yum!
July 8
A few pals from The Good Ol’ Days back at the office. Now I get to have all the fun and none of the work!
Brigitte and cousin Sharon for a meet and greet and another great day in Santa Monica.
A Monday Night just before I left, the Monday after Mother’s Day. Maxine brought us those cool scarves as well as a bag of other goodies. Thanks Max!
June 22
These are oldie pix, here is my big sister after an eye test looking cute as ever.
As it turns out I punked out. I didn’t send my camera away. I got to thinking well, I’m going to Hawaii soon and sun, sand, and surf are about as bad as you can get for a camera, so I’ll send it away when I get back. And just use a gunked up camera. No prob. Now I should take some new pictures!
What a sweetheart.
And so I won’t forget here are plenty of reasons why I should not consider getting a Vizsla. This is a good website, nice and discouraging.
June 27
It’s been five days since I decided to keep the camera and this is it – a dog (and that killer cute kid, her mom, and the dog’s man. I don’t actually know any of them.).
Holy-moley what a dog! If I was ever going to get a dog (and if you ever loved me even a little you’ll Stop Me!)…
June 20 Home Sweet Home
I’m going to be sending my camera to the Service Center today for a tune-up, and to clean out the extended accumulation of on-the-road gunk.
Oh no! Photo withdrawals! I’ll be working on a ‘final draft’ of China which will be fun, but still, I lug that baby around constantly in anticipation of my Pulitzer moment. Nothing better happen while it’s gone!
There was a great segment of audience participation featuring four people from our table. She’s singing a chorus just taught to her by one of the men from the stage. She’s telling her companion ‘first you sweep in front of your own front porch before you go sweepin’ in mine. Ohh yeaaah.’
April 24
I’m fine again – just one day of sniveling. More pink! More naturally pink than the first one…
These guys were more than a back-up band as they mostly lead the rest of the program.
April 26
Thankfully, I have not been struck by some dread disease.
I really like my doctor. He always tells me I’m just fine. Eat right, stay fit, and when you’re out there in the world don’t be stupid. Sounds about right.
So it seems I have become prone to allergies and I can take this for this and that for that and just know it will pass. Fine.
…this woman, in flood-lit glory, and the effect is quite stunning. Gasping even.
April 10
Jeanne treated a nice crowd of folks to Gospel Brunch at The House of Blues. What a fabulous treat!
So picture this: we’ve been eating for an hour from the all-you-can-eat buffet, chatting up our tablemates and generally having a jolly good time. Then, a down beat and a woman’s voice fills the room with several minutes of Gospel Call and Response We Are Here To Praise. Let me hear you PRAISE JESUS!
Then the curtain parts and before us is revealed…
Back to some serious getting around in the last two days. I went downtown to go with Marsha for Monday night, then in the morning it’s downtown again and from there drectly to the doctor, then I had to pick up my Chinese visa in mid-Wilshire, then I went back downtown to go with Marsha to Rosi’s for dinner, then Marsha buzzed me over to the #1 for the quick hop home.
Out and about! This is a piece of the ceiling in the entrance dome of the 7th Street Metro, access to the Red Line and one of my new favorite places.
Up the hill. If you’re at all interested in the details the website associated with the link above is very thorough.
The more modern section of the cemetery has just markers embedded in the grass and as handsome as a wide flat lawn might be it just doesn’t do it like a good gravestone.
And aren’t we all a contemporary work of art?
After the show we walked to Olvera Street, ate a nice dinner, had a chat-fest, taxi-ed back to Nancy’s car, and she drove me home. What a great day!
Outside MOCA, The Museum of Contemporary Art.
Nancy Artz met me down here and we got the most amazing gift. A woman approached us offering to answer questions. She was a professional art curator and an employee of the museum and she was fantastic. She walked around the whole ‘Visual Music’ exhibit with us telling the what and why of each choice. It enriched the experience tremendously.
Without her I would have been like this: ‘WwHHhaat were they Thinking?!?’, and with her it was Art.
In this contemporary art world I really appreciate it when someone can give me a clue!
Then I decided to walk the #14 portion of the way back and in so doing I found myself walking past the open gate of the VA Cemetery. Actually it’s called the Los Angeles National Cemetery.
Photo-Op! They make you get a permit at the visitor’s center and even that was an interesting experience.
Once a year for Veteran’s Day 4,000 Scouts flag every grave site and every time I’ve passed by before I’ve always said ‘oh, it’s not as great as then’ and consequently have never stopped. But if not now, when? Or rather, why not now?
Looking across the freeway to the Getty.
Our party included Jeanne’s tennant Shai, his friend Raya, Jeanne’s relative Phyllis, and Phyllis’s friend Freddy the Freeloader.
April 17
Awww, it’s sweet Cali-May! Our very own Southern Belle. Hi y’all!! Travis, Lainee, and sweet Cali-May!
Darryl scanned me up this pic when we went to join the gang for a walk down Ventura Blvd. in enjoyment of the Sherman Oaks Street Fair. Fun! We were D and Angela and Liz and Gary and Nancy and Sharon.
In a few days we might know if Liz and my grandbaby is a he or a she and then a name will follow so we can say Darryl and Angela and … And sweet Cali-May will get another cousin!
Disney Hall, straight out of the camera. OK, except for maybe a little too much saturation.
Common wisdom says you love it or you hate it. I can’t say I love it but I do really really like it. If you want, do a ‘google-images-Disney Hall’ and you can flip through some of the probably infinite permutations of shape and color that this building presents.
Basically, for what feels like for &*#@in’ Ever I’ve been off and on Not Well. This is Not Good. I’d go out and then stay in for a couple of days and then go out and then stay in.
My big sister took on her soon to be named matriarchal duties and brought me chicken soup. What a good big sister! So that’s been it. Some groaning, reading China guide books, listening to the radio and Mandarin cds, and scouring the internet for China travel tips. You’d think I’d be ready to leave tomorrow!
Margaret and I had another of our occasional dinner-dates in her living room. We eat snacks and chat it up.
She was feeling quite well and that was particularly good because as I have instructed her, she does need to live forever so that no one will build a hulking condominimum on my sunny side of the yard.
Fortunately one of those go out days was on the Sunday before Darryl’s birthday and I got to have plenty big fun.
We saw Stomp at the Pasadena Civic and it was truly a complete flat out blast. It was well executed, musical, awfully clever in both choreography of the individual segments and in creating an overall plot trajectory, and many a time we about bust a gut laughing, and there was not one spoken word in the whole production. No wonder it’s been playing around for more than ten years!
Louise invited us over for my semi-annual Donmetz Update. Houses are turning over like there was no tomorrow at about 100% increase over when I left seven years ago.
It’s crazy out there in the world of Real Estate!
We were driving down Sunset looking for a place to hike and there was a sign ‘Trailhead 1 Mile’ so we went there, walked for 10-20 minutes and arrived here. I’m off to slog around China for a month but I get to come back here!
His gift – a US State Quarters collector’s book. Fun for all! Lona had been saving quarters from the laundries so of the states already issued he had pretty much a full set.
April 28
Downtown. ‘Everything’s waiting for you.’ A view from the bus.
April 9
Out for a real hike to test out my new shoes for China and The Great Wall. So far so good. No ankle-twisty-thing, no pebble slipping, nicely ventilated. So far so good.
Were it not for the fact that my old ones have simply Disappeared(!) I would not have got new ones and the new ones are significantly better, so that’s good.
This season I have been most impressed by how wild flowers on the whole are small. I forget that every year.
April 15
I rode the #2 to the #14 to the mta-761 and the 761 driver used Sepulveda instead of the freeway so he could drop me off right exactly at the front door of The Skirball Center where I met Darryl, Angela, and Al.
The baby got a nice hit of Baby-Einstein, we had a most informative tour, and a grand time was had by all.
This is the bell tower positioned apart from the cathedral by a garden. The design of the bell tower reflects well I think the design of the rest of the buildings. Weird for a cathedral many think but every time I stop off here I still like it a lot.
When I looked back at pictures from other visits it was fun to notice how different my choice of shots were. It’s big, it’s dynamic, and well worth return visits.
April 8
Finally, it looks like I’m getting out and still ok the next day. Phewww.
(If you have to be homeless somewhere…)
April 23
Here it is 2AM and my nose is running, my eyes are watering, I’m sneezing and feeling ickyPOOpoo. ENOUGH all ready.
Yes dear ones, I Do have a doctor’s appointment which was meant to make sure I’ve got the proper pharmacy for China and what am I going to say anyway since it’s always Something ELSE and never that bad, just Annoying.
Shall I list my conditions, experienced always one at a time, from the last 5 weeks or so? Sure, why not. Sore throat, dry cough, runny nose, hacking cough, stomach cramps, sore throat again, headache, runny nose. Bleck. If I was working I would so be blaming them. I’d be looking for Workman’s Comp for sure.
The Contac I took an hour ago is kicking in and soon I’ll be asleep.
I don’t think these guys look like they’re puking. I think they look like really cool fountains. Public Art and all.
April 21
We did that ‘Trailhead 1 Mile’ hike off Sunset from before, we being me, Becky, and Brad Pitt. I didn’t recognize him of course but Becky assures me he did indeed join us for about two passing steps. I even did the traditional passing-hiker greeting-smile-nod. So now we’ve Met Brad Pitt?
Then I ate about 10,000 calories at the Thai place.
The two women were very different. The senior was from Japan and very much the traditional teacher. The other woman was born in the US and the teacher made jokes about her Japanese.
The younger woman did most of the work while the older one narrated the formalities of making the tea.
February 12
A most handsome reflection of Big Blue! It’s Saturday morning and I spoke with this driver about the shots I was going to try and catch out the window on the way to Mom’s. ‘No problem, I’ll contribute!’ he says, and slows up just at the right times.
What a guy. Those date patches on his shoulder are in honor of Big Blue’s ‘Best Bus System Of The Year’ award and I’ve written to the office to get the whole story. Should be good.
The teachers were amazed that nine people showed up as visitors all because of that small write-up.
It was a wonderful experience and a bargain at five bucks. Sharon is doing that sitting on your heels move and we learned how to stand up from this position without using our hands! It was a revelation!!
The is a true picture. I was walking from the Commuter Express to Marija’s at sunset and it looked just like this.
Monday night at Maxine’s for Alicia’s birthday. Happy Birthday Alicia! Maxine put on another fiesta of cosmic proportion.
These things are dang amazing yet gang/taggers deface even these. The tagging really does smack you upside the head when you see it, which is probably the point.
At some point they’ll run out of colors. The green one is Culver City which is a pretty small system. The red one is the MTA Metro Rapid (which everyone calls ‘Rapido’). I heard they could control the signals, holding a green for their approach. And of course, Big Blue.
Today Nancy, Sharon, and I went to Little Tokyo for an adventure, arrived early and drove around for a while. They actually run Grey Line Tours through this artist’s loft area, the re-en-livening of an old industrial district, to look at the murals.
Monday was a big day on the road. Lona asked me how much extra time I spent traveling these days and I’m guessing 30-90 minutes per day. What a bargin. Not only am I enjoying the process, I’m saving $49 per month in gym fees. And those 30-90 minutes per day is a great workout!
I did my first run on the #14 to Roger and Sandy’s house. No problemo, except it stops running in the very early evening so we’re not talking dinner and a show. We walked to lunch, walked to the little gift shop around the corner and then walked back.
In the middle of the day in the middle of the week…
February 5
Since the 1st I’ve met Joe for lunch near the office, gone to Mom’s and to the movies, gone to the library, etc.. Just regular life.
I rode the evening homeless express where guys ride around with all their stuff yelling at no one, seeming not particularly desperate, and quite mad, and I rode the afternoon school express where kids try to get by without paying, generally act up, and torment the drivers.
But no pictures! I need to figure out a rap so I can ask my fellow riders if I may take their picture. So far I have not had it in me to try it even once.
Sunday I did my Japanese lesson because Hana had been gone for a couple of weeks and I’m leaving on Wednesday for Northern Cal. I have to keep studying because I would miss Hana too much if I quit!
Tai’s grandfather made the scroll on the left and the one on the right is Tai’s first big caligraphy project. Omedetoo gozaimasu Tai-san.
Heading into Beverly Hills on the MTA #20, a very useful route up Wilshire into downtown, with a nice frequent schedule.
February 15
On Saturday Lucas and Betsy had a delightful party for Xander’s third birthday. Three Years Old! Congratulations Xander King!!
Betsy fixed my shoulder. I was thinking how probably Betsy could fix anything. Then just now, as I was putting this together, in a blinding flash I saw that what Desda does is a lot like what Betsy does, but in a language that shares no common vocabulary. Desda can fix my shoulder too.
You can check out Desda’s website and see what I mean.
Nancy found a three line mention in the LA Times about this Zen Buddhist Temple in Little Tokyo where you can take tea ceremony classes and that will let you watch if you want.
The Zenshuji Soto Temple in Little Tokyo.
Bill came by to look at the vacancy and then we had burgers and a couple of Perfect black-and-tan.
I think I won’t have to do a dang thing and I am Happy Happy Happy. OK, I could get plenty more money but then I’d have to do plenty more work and hey, I’m Retired!
Yummy yummy! Bill and Ken and I continue our monthly Tuesday night dinner. Here’s what Bill said when I said I’d be taking the bus home:
‘You must think I’m crazy that I’ll drop you off at 9:00 pm, at night, in the middle of freekin no where. Momma didn’t raise that kind of boy.’
Which points up the perhaps inevitable ride mooching scenario. I’m working on that one – attempting to avoid even the appearance of Ride Mooching but also attempting not to be belligerent or stupid. Tricky!
Mom in pre-op for her cataract surgery. Note the marking over her right eye. ‘Yes’. A friendly reminder to the surgery staff…
It all turned out fine although she had complaints of pain and a not sufficently attentive doctor. She really really wanted the surgery and is very happy to have had it done despite her complaints.
Sandy took this picture a while ago, at the same time I took the picture of her below. Don’t I look like just the cutest little teddy bear?
I spent the night at Marsha’s and then drove in with her to downtown. That was plenty good fun (I watched movies on her tv all night long…). She dropped me at the Big Blue #10 which goes direct to Santa Monica Blvd and 20th. My new front door.
