A Day In the Life Of

OK Go has done it again

2012-02-13T10:39:00.001-08:00

I'm not even a big fan of OK Go's music, but their videos are an inspiration, and they've definitely done it again. I love their creativity! :)

Foster the People: Pumped Up Kicks

2012-01-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorites lately:

Florence and the Machine: Cosmic Love

2012-01-12T10:37:00.000-08:00

2011 recap

This past year was a good year. I've been attempting to eat healthy, working out 3-4 times a week, hiking about every other week, and doing yoga once a week. I've benefited a lot from attempting to be healthier. I've also been keeping up the creativity, mostly by working on the house, but also with other projects like photography, shooting footage for a music video (that still needs to be edited together), and sewing/crocheting projects. I took a bar-tending course with Sam and we have both been enjoying the exploration of a new talent. Despite a recent hiccup with the dogs tearing up our couch, both dogs have been behaving better, hopefully past the "adolescent" stage. I love the neighborhood we live in and I feel at home and at peace with my life. Our neighbors are all such lovely people. We have been invited over for dinner and drinks on several random occasions. We love living in a town with young, like-minded, creative, "normal" people. It's made me enjoy LA more than ever.

This year I'm hoping to develop my role in the community I live in.... Maybe join a local sports team. Maybe volunteer in a community outreach team or something. Still trying to figure out how I might be of service to the people around me. I've also really enjoyed developing my beliefs about spiritual matters and becoming the person I want to be, doing good things in this life.

Here's a few interesting quotes I've heard over the past few weeks:

Yesterday, my yoga teacher quoted someone (thomas jefferson?) who asked himself: "What good will I do today?" and then at the end of the day, "What good have I done today?" This reminds me to stay in the moment and take things one day at a time.

Also, from the movie Iron Lady, with Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher, which was wonderful... I can't remember the quote exactly, but it was a bit like this:

"Be careful what you think, for your thoughts become your words, and your words become your actions, and your actions become your habits, and your habits become your character."

Anyway, just some thoughts for the new year, and the new day today. :)

And a pretty neat song for your listening pleasure:

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;dkjaelj&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Another hike at China Flats

2012-01-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

(The view looking NorthWest from Simi Peak)

Over the break, I hiked Simi Peak via China Flats trail. I started the hike from the trailhead at King James Court and Lindero Canyon Rd. "Map My Hike" said the hike was about 6 miles round trip and ~1100 ft elevation gain. It was a beautiful day, crystal clear, in the low 80's with gentle breezes. Gotta love LA :)

Rita was my hiking partner... Follow that dog!

There's a little cave you can climb up and sit in:

Click on the panoramas for a better (bigger) view:

This way...

Another panorama:

Down into the valley:

Into the shady hallows:

This is one of my favorites; I caught Rita in action. She loves to "pounce."

Rita never goes too far, and stops to wait up for me:

We made it!

At the top, there is a journal that you can sign in. It's been there since May 2011. I signed a little something in the book. It was fun to read through the fellow hiker's entries.

You can see all the way to the Channel islands (off the Santa Barbara coast)

We took a slightly different route back down:

Wish you were here! :)

Rose Bowl Parade 2012

2012-01-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

On Monday, January 2nd, my good friend Renee took me to the Rose Bowl Parade with her. Here's a few pictures from the day:

We left at 6am and sat in traffic for an hour. Fortunately the sunrise was beautiful:

The fly-over:

The beginning of the parade:

Everyone gets to walk through this:

This was one of my favorites:

America, baby:

Marching band prancing:

Go Go Power Rangers!

Fiiiiiiiiiire!

This guy blew smoke from his nose:

This beautiful float held the record for the largest float, but the surf wasn't "up" quite yet:

These girls were so adorable:

Lasso-oooo:

Can pigs fly?

Love these dinos:

Kaiser Permanente's float:

All the horses were awesome:

The end of the parade was lead by police leading the occupy movement:

It was pretty chaotic:

We walked back to our car along with the Occupiers:

After sitting in our car for 30 minutes in the parking lot, waiting to move, we just decided to park and walk around Old Town Pasadena. There was traffic and trash everywhere! It sort of looked like a post-apocalyptic scene:

Well, I hope everyone had a great New Years, and here's looking forward to 2012 ~!~!

Instagram photos

2012-01-06T15:55:00.000-08:00

I've been loving my new iPhone and playing with Instagram and Hipstamatic. Here are some of the Instagram photos I took over the past few months:

My bartending suit:

The lunar eclipse:

Sun rays, self portrait:

Christmas at the Gallagher's:

Coming in to Flagstaff:

Audrey wrapping gifts:

Lukas wrapping gifts:

I could fit comfortably in this guy's antlers:

Windows and reflections of a road trip:

The pups at Grandma's house:

Swing time:

View of Flagstaff's San Francisco Peaks from Jerome, AZ:

Sam and Momma Donna:

On the road:

Another hike through Wildwood Park, Thousand Oaks

2012-01-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

My parents came out for a short visit. We went on a little hike in Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks.

Me and my hiking buddy:

Such beautiful views:

Holiday Break in Arizona

2012-01-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

It was wonderful to see my niece and nephew. They're such fun kids:

Rita and Bo were pretty excited to get scraps...

Audrey:

Lukas:

The kids with my father-in-law:

Snow on the golf course, my "backyard" during jr. high and highschool:

Family picture (Jonny, Jenni, Robbie, Dad, Mom, Sam and me)

We went to visit Jerome...

...and did a wine tasting at Caduceus Cellars (my sister-in-law pictured below).

The peaks and the canyons, view from the mountains of Jerome:

House Pictures

2011-12-23T09:03:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Years. Our home remodel has taken up a lot of our time over the last two years, and I've had several people ask about pictures, so here's a post of our home in it's current state. Still much to do, but the walls are all up! ;)

Dining Room:

Original Hutch:

Living Room:

Kitchen:

Complete with dirty dog bowls:

Bathroom:

(tub and a stand-up shower, divine!)

The screen-print below was bought from my dear friend Colleen Murphy:

Hallway: laundry and handmade chalkboard, office to the right:

Guest room/TV room:

Bedroom:

Front of house (new windows, door and siding)

(patio work is up next!)

Before siding:

After siding:

I love having lemon trees:

Vegetable garden with basil, tomato, peppers, garlic and green onions:

Outside our front gate:

Mr. Avocado tree, complete with lovely fall colors:

Hope this year has been good to you. It has been full and fulfilling for us!

Winter Wonderland

2011-12-22T16:54:00.000-08:00

I grew up in Canyon Country, CA. This is in the Santa Clarita valley just north of Los Angeles. When I took pictures of my cousins family in early November, it hailed that day. And on my way home I passed by the neighborhood where I grew up and stopped to take a few pictures. It brought back some nice memories for me. Here are the pictures:

I lived in a community of red-tile-roofed houses on Wildwind Road:

It rarely snows or hails (every 20 years or so), so it was kinda fun to see:

Still green in the park though:

The view! At night, we would look out at the lights and call it our jewelry box:

Homemade Egg Nog!

2011-12-15T18:03:00.000-08:00

Last night, Sam and I made homemade eggnog! We used Alton Brown's recipe on food network's website. It was quite incredible! Here's the process via photos:

Ingredients:

Separate eggs, whites and yolks:

Beat yolks til they lighten in color, then add sugar gradually til it is dissolved:

Add milk, heavy cream, bourbon and nutmeg:

Empty that mixture into a separate bowl. Then beat the egg whites in the mixer:

You beat until they are "soft peaks" (sort of the consistency of foamy whip cream). Then add a bit more sugar and beat until they are "stiff peaks" (a bit more stable, see picture below):

Whisk two mixtures together and chill (we waited about an hour):

Then serve with a dash of nutmeg on top:

The perfect compliment to your holiday meal! Merry Christmas everyone!!

Lunar Eclipse, 12-10-11

2011-12-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

Sorry if the image above is hard to look at... It's my first attempt at a "gif"

At 5:30am, the moon was a crescent shape, getting covered by the shadow of the earth. It was completely eclipsed between 6am and 7am, and was supposed to be a reddish glow. By 6:31, when it was supposed to be at it's peak viewing, the moon was hidden by the Los Angeles haze. Oh well...

Here's a picture at about 6:10am:

Sunrise pictures:

And sun up at 7am, downtown for breakfast at the Original Pantry.

Wildwood Canyon Hike

2011-12-08T13:56:00.001-08:00

And so arrived the day after Thanksgiving where most people work off that turkey by shoving through dazed and confused shoppers at the mall. Instead, since I had punished my stomach by over-eating the day before, I decided to give it some loving by finding a new hike. I looked up suggestions from a few fellow hikers over at http://www.modernhiker.com/ and found out that Wildwood Canyon Park in Glendale has a great "leg-buster" hike for a total of 4 miles round trip and ~2000 ft elevation gain. It's a great workout with beautiful views and is super close to my house. It also only takes about an hour and 45 minutes. I tried it out and loved it so much that I came back Sunday with my cousin Nikki and Tuesday for a night hike with my friends Cory and Hillary. Here are some pictures I took along the way(s):

FRIDAY:

This is probably my favorite picture, a panorama of the Verdugo Mountains (with the lovely Rita, of course):

This is what the trail looks like most of the way... climb, climb, CLIMB!

A view from the top, the trail goes aaaall the way back down to near that grassy area on the right:

At the top you can see the other side of the mountain (Montrose and the Angeles mountains)

and all the towers along the fire road at the top:

...halfway back down (that's the tower at the top!)

SUNDAY:

Sunset hike, you can see downtown in the distance:

My cousin Nikki!

The turn-around point at the top:

TUESDAY:

My first night-time hike, wearing my headlamp:

We saw several pairs of eyes in the dark, mostly deer.

Luckily I had company, Cory and Hillary:

This hike is halfway up Harvard Rd. in Burbank. There is a parking lot at the bottom of Wildwood Canyon Rd. and you keep taking the trail all the way up til you see a trail sign on the left. You can take this trail all the way up to the tower, or you can keep going straight and take a loop back down to the paved Wildwood Canyon Rd. And there you go! Check it out if you live in the area.

Hollywood Sign hike

2011-12-05T16:33:00.001-08:00

(this is the panoramic view at the top (turn-around point) of the Hollywood sign hike)

HOLLYWOOD sign hike:

As I've been trying to get back into the swing of things, I've totally neglected posting all the awesome pictures I've had the privilege to take over the last month. I'll start with a short one to get the ball rolling. I think this hike was back in October; it's a bit touristy but definitely fun to do.

There was a beautiful morning fog over the city. This is Griffith Observatory and Downtown LA:

You climb around the backside of the mountain and see a view of the valley and Forest Lawn Cemetery (which is actually quite a beautiful place to visit).

At the top you can see the Hollywood Reservoir:

I went with my friends Rebecca and Joe:

...and Hillary, and of course Rita.

We got some shade on the way back down:

And the Hollywood sign, of course!

This hike starts at the end of Beachwood Canyon Drive in Hollywood. You park at the Sunset Ranch. There is a lot with an obvious trailhead. But take a look at the map before you go. It can be kind of confusing. You'll follow the trail and take a hairpin Left on Mulholland Hwy, and then a Right on Mt Lee Dr.This paved trail leads to the tower (in the picture above) and behind the sign. I've decided that if I ever want to get arrested, I'll do it by climbing the fence and hanging out on the sign til policeman have to come drag me away. What a great story that would be! :)

Shows, etc. and Black Dub

2011-11-22T18:03:00.001-08:00

Black Dub: I Believe in You

This is an incredible song with some pretty incredible musicians that form Daniel Lanois' project, Black Dub. I saw them live...was it two years ago(?) at the Troubadour in LA.

Daniel Lanois is an overwhelmingly talented musician and producer. Brian Blade has this incredible feel to his drumming. I love the bassist's lines, Daryl Johnson. And the singer, Trixie Whitley, has such a unique voice and powerful soulful feel to her singing.

A band called Vanaprasta has been headlining this month at the Satellite (formerly known as Spaceland). The first week, Daniel Lanois made a surprise appearance and played during the set of Rocco DeLuca, a musician he also produced. I regretfully wasn't there that week, but enjoyed the lineup the following week. I'm also hoping to go to the last Monday of this month as well. The lineup looks great!

I also *just now* found out that Rocco Deluca is playing at the Thirsty Crow tonight (my favorite whiskey bar) in Silverlake. Looks like I may have to make some plans tonight!

Keep listening to good music.

*Update: We did go to the Thirsty Crow last night around 9pm and it was packed. But since there was no time listed for the show, we ended up leaving around 10pm because they hadn't even started setting up and it didn't look like he was the first to go on. Too bad, I'll have to see Deluca another time.

Exterior Siding

2011-11-11T12:24:00.001-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my favorite person in the world, my husband Sam!

And what a day for a birthday, 11-11-11! In honor of el mejor senor, I wanted to do a quick update post on the house. We've been working on the siding lately. I'm so proud of how much Sam has done with the house. He is a true handyman and talented laborer. :)

This week we were able to spend a whole day working on the siding. We completed almost the entire final section of siding; we're probably about 95% finished.

Here's the before and after pics (from my cell phone):

BEFORE

AFTER

And from the back view (this was about an hour before we stopped, so we got about 6 more boards up):

Halloween at Bar Lubitsch

2011-11-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

Halloween was a lot of fun this year at Bar Lubitsch. My little drummer boy played with two bands, The Hopelessly Devoted (rockabilly music) and the Dime Store Dollies (20's pop cabaret). We saw plenty of fun costumes, although in Hollywood, it's sometimes hard to tell...

Dancing the night away:

Eitaro Elvis

Skeletor is always scary:

Derek McGentleman

BONES!

The Dime Store Dollies: Meg O and Beth Jean

I did sort of miss passing out candies to the little ones... although there's always next year! :) Everyone was lovely to watch and it was a wonderful way to spend Halloween.

Shots from the road

2011-11-08T17:51:00.000-08:00

I drive a lot. It's a good thing I usually enjoy it. I could do without speed limits, however. It's so fun to be out on an open highway.

Here are a few photos I snapped while in the car (yes sometimes driving, but there's no laws against snapping photos while driving, right...?):

On the way to Arizona in October.

Love those Arizona skies!

Glad to get some rain!

After the rain:

A heavy fog on Silverlake Blvd:

Arizona

2011-11-04T21:10:00.001-07:00

In october, Sam and I went to Arizona to celebrate the life of grandpa Chuck. It was nice to see family and watch all the kids play. I got the hipstamatic app and am attempting this post from the blogger app, so we'll see how this turns out. Here are some photos from the trip:

Drink and Be Married

2011-11-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

Sam and I took a bartending course together during the month of August. It was a lot of fun! We decided to put our new-learned skills to use by bartending private parties!

Here are some photos of our drink list and garnishes for our cousin Nikki's 25th birthday:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2011-10-31T15:29:00.000-07:00

Where's ~~Waldo~~ Wilma?!

Hey everyone! Hope you all have a great Halloween.

At the end of last month, I won 4 tickets to the opening night of Mickey's Halloween party at Disneyland. We took our cousins and their son, Kolbe. Here are a few photos from the Fright Night:

Awwww, cousins!

The Matterhorn in all it's glory:

Pirate Kolbe, arrrrr.....

The Haunted Mansion!

And of course, the most amazing fireworks show as usual:

And looking forward to one of my favorite holidays...Christmas!!

Wildwood Park, Thousand Oaks

2011-10-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

Wildwood Regional Park is an incredible park with several trails. The address is 928 W Avenida De Los Arboles, Thousand Oaks. I did a quick mile loop one morning before work and had a wonderful time. There is also a good 3-mile loop in this park and you can see some photos (I was still experimenting with HDR at the time, so some are a bit too saturated) from that hike here:

http://kristingal.blogspot.com/2010/04/paradise-falls-at-wildwood-park-in.html

Here is the topography map:

It starts out on the plateaus...

with lovely plants and cactai.

I didn't take this trail, but it leads to the tee-pee and downhill to Paradise falls.

This was my favorite view of the morning. I loved the way the hills were silhouetted by the fog and light.

The trail starts to decend into the canyon:

And back up the canyon with lovely bouts of cactai:

A stunning panoramic view:

And some beautiful scenes at the end of the trail:

Little Dragon, "Twice"

2011-10-20T14:51:00.001-07:00

I like this song:

The Hopelessly Devoted CD Release Show

2011-10-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a long time since I've posted. I've been very busy, and sick for the last 10 days, but finally recovering... So, many pictures to come of my adventures from the last month or so...

(press play now!)

And first of those adventures was the amazing release show at the Troubadour for my dearest rockabilly friends, The Hopelessly Devoted. Here are a few photos from the amazing night of fun:

Eitaro clapping to "Watch That Girl":

Sammy Hammersticks on drums:

Ian always knows how to put on a good show:

Nick on Rhodes:

Derek on bass:

Special guests Beth Jean and Meg came on stage to sing along to a cover song:

And their shoes were just gorgeous:

Grandpa Chuck

2011-10-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take a moment of appreciation for Grandpa Chuck, who passed away last night at the age of 87. He always made me feel loved and welcomed. His smile was infectious and he was always a joy to talk to. Grandpa Chuck, you will be sorely missed.

Danny and Jess Bergman's wedding

2011-09-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of being a bridesmaid in the wedding of Danny and Jess Bergman. Sam was the best man! Danny was one of our closest friends in high school; he and his beautiful wife have just moved to Fort Irwin (near Barstow), so it's wonderful to have them close by.

Here are some photos from their big day:

My niece, Audrey, took control of the dance floor:

Jess' dress was beautiful!

Audrey took control of the mic:

...and had a few admirers:

Everyone had a wonderful time dancing to the Hopelessly Devoted:

What a cake!

Inspiration Point, Santa Barbara

2011-09-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

After camping in Santa Barbara, Sam and I took the trail to Inspiration Point in Santa Barbara. Two "Inspiration Point" hikes in 2 weeks!

This hike is at the end of Tunnel Road in Santa Barbara. You take the paved Edison Rd for about a mile, and look for the Jesusita trail sign.

You follow this trail to the left and look for a narrow trail farther up the trail on your left. If you miss it, you will climb the mountain to the top and see this view:

We went back down to the trail we missed and eventually came to the creek crossing:

It was beautiful and you can rock scramble up the creek to eventually get to the Three Pools, which is probably about a mile up the creek. If you cross the creek and continue on the trail, you climb the mountain to get to Inspiration Point.

There is some shade, but this hike is pretty difficult on a hot day:

When you get to a minor intersection, take a left to the fire road, and you'll end up at the view point:

Panorama view:

Self Portrait?

2011-09-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

El Capitan State Beach

2011-09-08T17:34:00.000-07:00

Sam and I went camping at El Capitan State Beach several weeks ago. We first hit up State Beach in Santa Barbara and saw this gem of a tree (apparently I wasn't supposed to touch the roots...oops!):

Then we put together a fire and grilled up some rawhide:

In the morning, we explored the beach:

And saw some dolphins swimming along the waves:

It was a beautiful day!

Sail

2011-09-08T16:24:00.000-07:00

totally enjoyed watching this video, since I've always wanted to fly... :)

also enjoyed the song by Awolnation!

have you seen this youtube video yet?

Inspiration Point

2011-08-31T14:16:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera (can you believe it?) on this 10-mile hike, but here are a few crappy cell phone pics of the hike, and a little play-by-play. The trailhead is at the top of Lake Avenue in Pasadena. Go past the Cobb Estate gate, stay to the right and look for the signs to Echo Mountain. We started at 7:45am and got up to the Echo Mountain ruins in an hour. From there we took the San Merrill trail, up and up and up...

Here's the view from about 3.5 miles:

...with white rock mountains above:

Neat burnt trees, and a view of the northern valley:

We were above the helicopters!

My hiking friend Mithra!

Sunset Point:

A nice shady path for about a mile to the fire road:

At the fire road, basically the 5-mile mark:

Finally at Inspiration Point!

There were some picnic tables, and of course the "telescopes" (basically just metal tubes).

We looped back down the Castle Canyon trail, which is a skinny trail to the left as you're facing the Inspiration Point sign.

We found a little creek which was heavenly in the heat!

The Castle Canyon trail ends just 10 feet south of the junction to the San Merrill trail. You can take either one up, but I think the route we did was the best, because the heat was worse as the day went on, and the Castle Canyon was slightly more shade and a bit steeper.

The hike was wonderful! It took us about 5 hours. We finished around 1pm. The last 2 miles were the most brutal because we were tired, out of water, and it was high noon with insane heat. So warning to the wise: Bring about 6 liters of water for 2 people and a dog!

I would definitely recommend this hike! It is difficult, so make sure you are healthy and willing, and the weather is cool!

The view from Inspiration Point:

Escondido Falls

2011-08-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

Escondido Falls in Malibu!

This was a really simple hike, 4 miles... map below.

You walk through a residential neighborhood for a little while, then the trailhead is on your left after a little less than a mile. The first 2 miles is pretty easy to get to the lower falls.

Then you can scramble rocks and use some rope-climbs to get up to the upper falls:

The upper falls:

The rock-climbing was difficult, but fun. You can climb even further than the upper falls, but once you get up to the view of the whole valley, turn around from there.

There is a trail at this view to get back down to the rope climb, but DON'T take it! It is far too slippery and dangerous, just go back down the way you came. The waterfall was beautiful, but not very full. I would probably suggest going in the spring after a rainy season. I would definitely recommend this hike. It is not too difficult if you opt out of seeing the upper falls. It was really nice and we had plenty of time for a picnic on the beach afterwards. For more pictures, you can click this link: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150420774787846.446553.527707845&l=9c716b9bd5&type=1
Just another beautiful Los Angeles day!

Rita in Activision s.w.a.g.

2011-08-25T16:28:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how fast time flies! It's been a while since my last post, I guess I've just been busy.
Sam and I started a bar-tending class together. It's been a fun way to spend our Saturdays this month. I've been hiking, taking photographs, working on the house, and listening to lots of music, per usual. So there are some posts to come! But in the mean time, enjoy these pictures of Rita in some Activision swag:

Santa Barbara Hike: Cold Spring Trail

2011-08-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

Two Sundays ago, I had the joy of spending the day with the Johnsons, hiking Cold Spring Trail in Santa Barbara. We didn't make it to the base of the waterfall because there was a lot of steep rock climbing towards the end, but it was still beautiful.

Photo courtesy of Bridget:

and another, she's a great photographer!

One of my favorites:

Voxhaul Broadcast: Bloomfest LA

2011-08-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

Voxhaul Broadcast had a great show a couple weekends ago at Bloomfest LA. Such an amazing festival! Here are some photos of the band:

Bloomfest LA

2011-08-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

The summer weather has been delightful and the free events continue! Yet another reason to love the city... this event called Bloomfest LA was two Saturdays ago. Located in the up-and-coming arts districts downtown, they had streets lined with vendor kiosks, and all the restaurants were open and busy.

Chocolate Silk Pie from the Pie Hole:

The main stage played music all night and it was fun to see people dancing:

I would definitely recommend keeping an eye out for this event next year. It was a blast!

Thank you, Banksy!

2011-08-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

This is a collaborative piece by Banksy and about 30 other people.

Courtesy of Banksy, a world renown street artist, the MOCA exhibit "Art in the Streets" is free on Mondays. It's a bit of a line, but definitely worth the wait!

I went last Monday and it was seriously an incredible exhibit. It's only open til August 8th (next Monday), so check it out while you can. It is at the MOCA: Geffen Contemporary (near Central and 1st). Cut your class, ditch work, and head downtown because my pictures won't do the show justice. You won't be disappointed.

Shepherd Fairey:

Os Gemeos:

Banksy:

Andre:

Basquiat:

This piece was really incredible:

And another neat installment:

The rest of the photos I took can be found here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150391554212846.437743.527707845&l=275fc4d356&type=1

Telegram: residency at Three of Clubs

2011-07-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

<a href="http://telegram.bandcamp.com/album/we-come-and-go">We Come And Go by Telegram</a>

Please play some music while looking through photos!

Telegram had a residency this month at the Three of Clubs, which is a really cool bar on Santa Monica and Vine in Hollywood. Apparently it's where Lucille Ball would often go. It looks like a total dive from outside, but the inside is so neat. I would definitely recommend checking out this bar sometime soon.

Towsley Canyon

2011-07-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

I hiked around Towsley Canyon for an hour or so 2 Sundays ago. Jenni's dog Roxy came along with Rita and I. It actually turned out to be pretty miserable because the heat was so bad. But I just wanted to get out in nature and snap a few photos... So here they are:

Downtown LA: Pershing Square and more

2011-07-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

I have been taking far too many photos lately, but haven't had much time to edit them. I hope to catch up this week...
Let's see... these photos are from two Saturdays ago. My sister Jenni and brother Jonny came into town. We went to Pershing Square to watch a free show by A Flock of Seagulls.

There are so many free summer concert series in Los Angeles... yet another reason why I love this city.

And some play with long exposure:

Me and my brother:

Me and my sister:

The Millenium Biltmore, Downtown Los Angeles

2011-07-26T13:54:00.001-07:00

While downtown, Sam, Jenni, Jonny and I explored the Millenium Biltmore hotel, which is apparently where the Black Dahlia was last seen alive. It is also where some Academy Awards shows were held. It is a beautiful building. It's so hard to choose just a few, but here are some of my favorite shots...

Can anyone name all the symbols on this clock?

This was taken with a long exposure while simultaneously zooming out.

Relaxing to the jazz band at the bar. I had one of their signature manhattans (I think it was called Central Park Manhattan), and it was incredible!

A doll for Olivia

2011-07-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

I went to a baby shower this weekend for my dear friend, Adrieanna. She is having her third daughter and her name will be Olivia. So I crocheted this little doll for her.

Food

2011-07-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've had a post, I've just been behind on editing photos and such. It continues to be summer in full swing and I am enjoying every minute of it. Here are a few pictures of food, because food is good.

Mint Julep

My first attempt at Ratatouille!

I've just discovered the wonders of kale!

Kale salad with beets, walnuts, and goat cheese.

And of course: classic chocolate chip cookies.

A few photos from the 4th

2011-07-06T17:30:00.001-07:00

We had a blast for our 4th of July party. The beer brats and italian sausages with grilled onions and peppers were delightful. We also had 4 bands play: Ranchero Deluxe, Hopelessly Devoted, Telegram, and Britt Warner.

I dragged my friends up my favorite hiking trail nearby to see the fireworks.

You could see them in all directions: These were from the Rose Bowl. There were others from Dodger Stadium, Highland Park, Universal, and possibly the Hollywood Bowl. It was a great show.

And to finish off the night, delightful berry cakes (one, courtesy of Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, two made by me)! Check out the next blog to read about these famous delectables.

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

Used Betty Crocker yellow cake mix and cream cheese frosting:

As founding father, Alexander Hamilton once said: "I will always remember this profound cake as a metaphor for the ethnic, socioeconomic, and political trials and tribulations that have decorated the American historical landscape..."

Followed years later by the quote of Abraham Lincoln: "Upon running out of raspberries, the strawberries are representative of the trying times this country has faced, during which we must make do with what we have!"

Dawn Mine trail

2011-07-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

This is a great trail for a hot day as most of the trail is shaded. You start off in the sun, and then walk down into the canyon and hop rocks up stream.

We hiked for about 1.75 miles til we got to the waterfall, and then headed back. I didn't see any trace of the mine itself, although I have seen it before. Just couldn't find it this time around.

It's not too difficult, although you do have to keep your balance often, since there are a lot of rocks to jump once you get to the creek.

Beautiful view of the San Gabriel hills!

To get to this hike, you'll drive to Chaney Trail (from Loma Alta Drive in Altadena). Follow the road til you get to the second gate (you'll probably see other cars parked here). Follow the trail about 1/2 a mile til there is a small dirt path on your left. Follow that trail down into the canyon and once you get to the creek, keep following the creek upstream. There are several times where you might lose the path, just keep going upstream.
Another route: If you drive too far, you'll go down the hill to a huge parking lot. This apparently goes to the same trail. However, I've never taken this route, so don't take my word for it. I found another blog that has a pretty good write up: http://www.hikespeak.com/trails/dawn-mine/ and it also talks about the details of getting to the mine.

Motopony at the Colorado One courtyard

2011-07-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

This was a free show sponsored by KCRW. The band is called Motopony, and has a great album.

The courtyard was beautifully decorated and it was a nice summer night.

Bjork - Crystalline

2011-06-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

Music

2011-06-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: If you want to scroll down to the local music info section of this blog, instead of listening to my contemplative life thoughts about music, I won't judge. The good stuff is below the microphone pic...

Music has always been extraordinarily fascinating to me. It can change my state of being in a matter of minutes, or even a few words. There are several bands that have had a huge impact on my life: Ryan Adams (as I'm typing I'm watching his music videos on vevo.com), Band Of Horses and Phoenix are a few. Then certain songs, like Barber's Adagio for Strings, or one of my dad's favorites Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony, that can bring an overwhelming sense of emotion.

I'm married to an incredibly talented drummer. I'm so proud of my husband and the bands he's been in over the last decade... the way he's grown as a musician and pursued his passion regardless of the cost. I wouldn't suggest it to most, but it is surely inspiring.

The state of the music industry saddens me, how something so amazing goes unnoticed or unseen because of the lack of money. But maybe that is what pushes people to find that incredible sound, that moves people and expresses what we try so hard to explain with words. I'm thankful for all the musicians out there that contribute with a relentless passion. There may not be any monetary success, but there is a lasting creation that reaches the soul... priceless.

Time for tips: This summer there are a bunch of awesome shows. I'm hoping to go to KCRW's Summer Nights series tomorrow night in Pasadena, where a band I just discovered recently, Motopony, will be playing. :) Check out the KCRW link to see all the free shows going on this summer.
Telegram has a free show (free before 10pm, starts at 9:30) this Wednesday night at Club Moscow. Bring your best dance suit and get your groove on. Should be a rad show.
There's also free shows going on downtown Friday through Sunday nights at Grand and 4th St.
Later this summer, Sam and I are going to a Hollywood Bowl show with a bunch of amazing bands that I've been completely enjoying lately: TV on the Radio, Warpaint, Panda Bear, and Arctic Monkeys. I'm already too excited about it and need to chill out since it's pretty far away.

Well, all this talk about music, seems like it's about time for a music video...

Here's Motopony's "King of Diamonds"

"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."
-Aldous Huxley

NYC 2011: last post.

2011-06-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

I took far too many photos this trip, so I decided to post an album with all the photos on facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150334311332846.423076.527707845&l=683023971f

And just a couple more of my favorites along with this post:

NYC 2011: West Manhattan

2011-06-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

We started off Saturday with a quick roof-top stop. Beautiful views!

Jenni and I both like to take lots of photos...

Hell's Kitchen Flea Market:

A colorful park of bright air toys in celebration of the opening of the second section of the Highline, which is an aerial greenway through the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.

Here are some photos from the Highline, section 2:

I loved getting the shot of this couple below:

Telegram "Sleeping In" music video

2011-06-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

New (amazing) music

Twitter

2011-06-15T16:17:00.000-07:00

(at Ninja NY, my sister took this photo using the LensBaby lens)

So I finally broke down and joined Twitter, mostly because of a blog I read on the benefits of photographers having a Twitter account. Digital Photography School (DPS) got me again.
If you feel like following me, please do! @LadyInLA

NYC 2011: Grand Central

2011-06-14T17:46:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures from the Grand Central Station, built in 1913.
I love living in L.A., but one of the biggest differences in N.Y. that I like is how you can walk or take the subway all around town. Public transit for the win!

NYC 2011: Central Park

2011-06-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

I took a last minute trip to see my sister in New York City. It was her first time visiting and she was going to explore the city by herself, so Sam prompted me to go with her. It was wonderful. We haven't done a trip together in almost a decade. This was my 4th time to the city, but Jenni even taught me a few things about the subway system. ;)

Imagine:

Mr Duck:

Here are a few pictures from our first morning there as we walked through Central Park, after eating the most delicious scones ever from Alice's Tea Cup.

Here's Jenni:

y la tortuga:

Bees scare me... but also sort of fascinate me...

This is the oldest bridge in Central Park:

Hootenanny!

2011-06-13T15:13:00.000-07:00

My cousin Heidi is having a baby girl, Lillie Jane. And I made this little owl for her named "Hootenanny!"

A couple things I would have done differently:
1. Use a smaller crochet hook, and crochet tighter so the filling doesn't show through.
2. Put more weight at the bottom of the bird so it could stand upright.
3. Stop the neck 2 rows shorter, so there wouldn't be as much wobble room for the head.
4. Attach eyes before stuffing head (which was in the directions, but I must have missed that part...).

But overall, I think she turned out ok.

Sweet Illusions

2011-06-04T11:36:00.000-07:00

And another gem from Ryan Adam's album, Cold Roses:

Malibu Wines

2011-06-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night, I went out to Malibu Wines with my cousins, and we bought a bottle and listened to a cheesy (but cute) cover band. It was the most beautiful weather and atmosphere. I hope to go back soon.

Verdugo Mountain climb

2011-05-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the Verdugo Mountain climb. I started at the "Nature Walk" path at Brand Library and just kept taking the dirt road up and up. If I wasn't sure which way to go, I'd go to the right. There were lots of colors (and lots of bees/flies).

After the first big climb, there is a nice plateau with benches to look out on the city, all of the valley to the west, and downtown L.A. to the south-east.

Since I had another hour or so, I decided to keep climbing. I didn't expect to make it to the tower in the picture below, but this path was just so enticing...

Here's another picture about halfway up. This trail was pretty difficult. If you are taking the 134 East, it is really easy to see this trail from the freeway.

Not the best panorama seam, but I loved the hawk in this photo!

Rita and I made it to the top! The path meets up with another roadway that continues throughout the mountain range.

The way back was probably the roughest part of the hike, since the dirt was quite slippery at such a steep slope.

Then we took another path back down through the canyon. The flowers were in full bloom.

Overall it was 3.5 miles and I think took 1.5-2 hours, I can't quite remember. Here is the map: And one last panorama for you... the seams didn't turn out that great, but if you click on the photo, you can see a pretty clear 180 degree view:

Mid-century Modern Homes in Palm Springs

2011-05-18T16:25:00.001-07:00

We had such a nice time in Palm Springs. We sat by the pool and had sam-made mint juleps, then the next morning, went on a little tour driving by celebrity homes, which were all within a mile of our hotel.

Here's where Marilyn Monroe would escape:

Just a few neat looking homes:

Elvis' Honeymoon Home:

Dean Martin's home:

Barbara Streisand's palace:

And the Casa de Liberace!

It was such a wonderful birthday celebration. I couldn't have asked for anything more! :)

San Jacinto Peak

2011-05-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to Palm Springs to hike the San Jacinto Peak. On the way, a squirrel decided to commit suicide using my car. I felt terrible. It ran right for my tires and after I heard the little "thump-thump," I looked in my rear view mirror and it's tail was sticking straight up as if to salute me. So sad.
Anyway, we started the hike around 9:30am, after the 10-minute tram ride.

We didn't make it to the peak because there was too much snow.

But we still hiked about 8.5 miles. We stopped at Wellmans Divide for some lunch. Above is the 180-degree view, and below was the view while we ate. Spectacular! We were above the clouds!

It's hard to tell from this picture, but the view behind us was one of the most divine. Mountains upon mountains, from pine tree forests to rocky inclines to desert below.

If you click on the panorama below, you can see the tram cables in the middle of the picture.

To view the rest of the pictures, click this link: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150297382647846.410447.527707845&l=8afdb6bedc

I love May 17th

2011-05-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of the last year of my 20's! Sam took me to Palm Springs to hike San Jacinto Peak. We didn't quite make it to the top because there was too much snow, but we still hiked 8.5 miles and had a blast. It was beautiful, and perfect 60-degree weather. Then we sat by the poolside with sam-made mint juleps and took a drive to check out all the celebrities' mid-century modern homes the next morning. On Sunday, we even got back in time to install a new window and it looks incredible! I love having such a clear view in the mornings. :)

More pictures to come soon. In the mean time, here are a few pictures that my sister Jenni found of us when we were little:

Erin's family

2011-05-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

I went to visit my friend Erin in Phoenix over Easter weekend, and took a few pictures of her family. She's got two adorable little girls and they are expecting their third child. Here are a few pictures from out adventures together.

Carol had so much fun with these hula hoops:

Look at those hips! Anna loves to dance:

Homemade whip cream!

Happy to be in the car!

Sad to be in the car!

Friday's Photo of the Week #62

2011-05-06T13:16:00.001-07:00

Easter Weekend

2011-05-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

After a couple days in Phoenix, I got to see my brother Robbie at his college baseball game:
It was a seriously beautiful day.
Yavapai Roughriders:

The drive

We had such a nice time playing with our niece and nephew:

It was also Lukas' 2nd birthday, although Audrey and Rita had the most fun with the balloons!

Normal face:

Funny face:

These kids are so lovely.

Fat Man's Loop, Flagstaff, AZ

2011-05-03T13:47:00.001-07:00

Easter weekend, we took a trip to AZ. I got to hang out with my brother in Phoenix, and my friend Erin and her family. I also got to see my youngest brother play baseball at Yavapai. Then we spent Sunday morning with my parents and a lot of time with Sam's family. It was wonderful. I took an hour break to do a trail run with Rita. It is at the base of Mt. Elden called Fat Man's Loop. It was a great workout and quite beautiful:

Mt Elden:

Rita had a blast. She's an amazing outdoor companion. I've stopped taking Bo if I'm hiking alone because if he gets off the leash, he runs away. And he's much more difficult to control: We bought a leash called a "Gentle Leader" that's done miracles with walking him. He is a wonderful cuddly indoor dog, but not the easiest dog outdoors. However, Rita is the ultimate hiking companion.

The town of Flagstaff. It was such a beautiful day!

House Work Weekend

2011-04-20T18:08:00.001-07:00

Brian and Heidi (our cousins) and their son, Kolbe, came over for a day of work on the house on Sunday. We installed new windows! They are $400 windows that we got on clearance for $75 each! Our friend Daniel helped us all day as well. Here's a few pictures of Kolbe playing with the doggies:

Big hug:

Nap time:

They were all lying down at once, but it's so hard to capture 2 dogs and a kid... stay still!

Here are a few pictures of our vegetable garden:

And more pictures of the house in progress:

Finished product!

And our cactus garden, growing well!

Friday's Photo of the Week #61

2011-04-15T12:04:00.001-07:00

Telegram at Faux-chella

2011-04-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

I had a great time at Sam's show this weekend. It was called Faux-chella and was a charity event for Japan relief with free drinks. After enjoying some gin-and-tonic, which has been my choice drink lately, I took some of these lovely photos of the band:

Nick:

Cory:

Sammersticks:

Justin:

Jonathan:

Friday's Photo of the Week #60

2011-04-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

This is Friday's photo of the week:

And a reminder to drink a cup of coffee or tea this weekend!

Relax and appreciate the good things in life.

Spring Landscaping

2011-04-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Our weekend landscaping project...

We started with weeds galore:

Picked out some nice shrubbery:

Weeded out the weeds:

Planted the plants:

Then put a weed screen down and bulk gravel on top:

The big one is a jasmine plant! Can't wait for that wondrous scent throughout the summer!

Cappucino Muffins

2011-04-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

In line with my cooking/baking craze this past week, I made snickerdoodle cookies and cappuccino muffins. They both were incredible. With all the good food from last week and hardcore hours (longer work days) from this week, I'll have to watch out for those extra pounds! ;) Not the best combo...

This weekend, our dear friend Renee came into town for a visit.

We had a great time visiting, watching the Hopelessly Devoted play at a burlesque show, and admiring art at Dominic's art show. We even fit in some landscaping work on Sunday, just before some homemade thai food from our friends Nick and Ashley. Great weekend :)

...landscaping photos to come!

When Life Gives You Lemons...

2011-04-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

Betty Crocker's Lemonade recipe:

1 cup lemon juice (our tree has little lemons, so 8 lemons ~ 1 cup juice)
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups water

This makes about 4 glasses. I'd suggest doubling this recipe. I ended up making fresh lemonade 3 times this weekend because it was just so good!

Perfect refreshment for a hot day!

Hiking and Cooking

2011-04-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

(Friday's Photo of the Week)

This week has been full of hiking to the hill top (also means getting attacked by misquitos) and cooking at night. I get stuck on blogs like pioneer woman when I'm hungry and go all out on the cooking. This week I've made bbq chicken-pineapple quesadillas, chicken potato casserole, blueberry lemon buttermilk cake (featured below), nutella cookies, breaded fish with asparagus, fresh homemade lemonade (expect a post with lovely lemons!), and orange chicken with pineapple over rice. Yum yum. Here's the blueberry lemon buttermilk cake:

And a self portrait of me with the pups:

Photo of the Week #58

2011-03-25T15:51:00.001-07:00

The super moon this week!

China Flats, Agoura Hills

2011-03-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, Anna and I hiked China Flats. It's 6.5 miles with a somewhat difficult 1135 ft elevation gain. You can get to this trail by taking the 101 west, exit and go north on Kanan til you hit Hollytree Rd, turn right and the trail is on your left, just past the park entrance.

OR you can take the 101 west, exit Lindero Canyon and go north about 4 miles til you see the trailhead on your left (just past King James Ct). The "blue" below is the trail I took, but the "red" is the Lindero Canyon route. Also the "red" shows the rest of the way to Simi Peak, which I didn't realize at the time, but we had stopped just about 1/2 a mile short of the Peak. :( We had decided to turn around at the 2-hour point. Oh well, maybe next time.

The hike was 3 hours long and a great workout. It was sunny (sometimes cloudy) and a little chilly. Here are some of my favorite photos from the day:

This is where we turned around. That mountain there is Simi Peak:

Click on the panorama below to see it larger:

To see all of the rest of the photos, click this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=379051&id=527707845&l=c05349ac0c

Mr T.'s bowl

2011-03-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night, I went to see the Hopelessly Devoted at Mr T.'s bowl. Here's some photos from the night:

And it's always fun hanging out with dear Meg:

Photo of the Week #57

2011-03-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Refreshments

2011-03-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

I recently watched an anti-cigarette commercial where people are going about their daily life blowing bubbles. It is beautiful and magical. Life has felt like that for me lately. There is this sense of mystery that is just magical. And people, with all their faults and sorrow, are still simply beautiful.

Sometimes I get this feeling that I am myself for the first time in my life. It's a strange feeling to have, and I attribute it mostly to the feeling of peace, of being okay with not knowing the answers. I don't expect it to last forever, but I'm grateful for its presence.

I've also experienced this refreshing sense of energy. Even though I feel weak from being sick, I feel very alive and awake. This may be attributed to Daylight Savings Time. I adore the sun, and the fact that it's still light outside when I get home from work. Or it may be attributed to God's spirit, which I have prayed for a deeper knowledge and understanding of, even if just a glimpse.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House, Barnsdall Art Park, East Hollywood

I have been thinking a lot about life and death lately. Sam's grandpa has been diagnosed with lung cancer. My close friend just had her 3rd miscarriage in 6 months. And another friend of mine had her first child safely, after being hit by a motorcycle while pregnant and recovering from brain damage. I believe that love is the most important factor to a fulfilling life. And that life, at its core, is beautiful.

Intelligentsia Coffee Shop, Sunset Junction, Silverlake

Thank you for sharing this journey with me through my blog. I hope you enjoy these pictures from the weekend. And I hope that you, too, are able to find refreshment and renewal in your own life.

...oh, and Happy St. Patrick's Day! :)

Eaton Canyon Falls

2011-03-16T17:26:00.001-07:00

I went to this hike again (I went here about a month ago for my friend Joyce's birthday). This time, Sam and I joined my cousins Jack and Birgie, who were visiting from the San Diego area.
Again, I forgot my camera, so I only have cell phone pics, but it was quite a fun day: beautiful weather, and much more water than last time. The 30-ft waterfall was "raging."

Photo of the Week #56

2011-03-11T14:31:00.000-08:00

Little girl on Olvera Street.

Requiem for a Machine

2011-03-08T11:18:00.000-08:00

So cool! My friend, Matt Green and his collaborator, Mark, just got their piece: Requiem for a Machine in 3 TV commercial previews for the Battle: Los Angeles movie. These bits are only 30 seconds, check 'em out!

My Weekend in Pictures

2011-03-07T17:29:00.000-08:00

11 a.m. - lovely to sleep in:

12:30pm - doggie bath time:

1:15 p.m. - dogs are ready to dry off:

1:30 p.m. - almost to the top of the hill near my house:

1:35 p.m. - at the top, panoramic views:

2:45 p.m. - late lunch, mushroom-onion-goat cheese omelette:

6 p.m. - Sam's band Telegram plays in Eagle Rock at Local-Folk Fest

6:30 p.m. - still rockin'

SUNDAY:
Drove around town with my friend Terri, visiting from Seattle.

We went to the farmer's market, then Olvera Street,
where this beautiful little girl brought me such joy watching her dance under the lanterns:

5:30 p.m. - Olvera St masks

Terri, sporting the gigantic sombrero:

Dio de los Muertos:

6:30 p.m. - Walking near MOCA:

7 p.m. - Church at the Mayan, with this beautiful view of the fog settling over downtown:

Rose Coloured Glasses

2011-03-01T15:33:00.000-08:00

Rose Coloured Glasses, by the Idyllists:

This is my favorite song from The Idyllists' new record:
http://itunes.apple.com/album/waiting-for-the-midnight-show/id416847832?v0=9988&ign-mpt=uo%253D1

Glendale/Burbank Hike: Brand Park, take 2

2011-02-25T15:28:00.001-08:00

We took another trail on this hike and found an amazing opening at the top of the hill with benches and a panoramic view! These are just crappy cell phone pictures, but worth sharing!

This is one of my favorites (below). It was supposed to rain that day but was bright and sunny in the morning. By the time we got to the top, the clouds were rolling in, but we didn't get any rain for a few more hours...

Justin, Sam, Bo, and Rita... crammed in the back of the mini cooper.

Vivian Maier

2011-02-25T15:11:00.000-08:00

I have been really inspired this week by the work of street photographer/nanny, Vivian Maier.
She lived in the mid 1900's, but never showed anyone her work. It was discovered by this guy who bought a box of her undeveloped film. Watch the story:

Watch the full episode. See more Chicago Tonight.

It is breath-taking and fascinating to see a story in each photograph. I think this is one thing that can really make someone a great photographer. It's also fascinating that the film was undeveloped. She must have been very talented in the technical side of photography, especially with film, knowing what settings to get the amazing shots she was able to get. It has been very inspirational to me and I hope to play around with some street photography in the near future.

Photo of the Week #55

2011-02-25T13:43:00.000-08:00

This has been a full week! Over the 3-day weekend, we got a hike in, more housework in, and a relaxing sunset walk with the dogs by the Eagle Rock, pictured below:
I had some friends over Monday evening to play Dr. Mario. More victims subject to my mild addiction. Mwaa ha ha ha haa!

On Wednesday, our block lost power for about 6-7 hours. It is amazing how useful electricity is! Well, in the midst of this, our neighbor, Roland, called the police. I'm assuming it was in order to notify them about the outage, but I think he somehow ended up talking about his inactive WWII memorial grenade. This turned into firemen and policemen swarming outside of my house at around 7pm (during the power outage) and investigating. They decided to evacuate everyone within a few houses while the bomb squad safely removed the inactive grenade. I was really stressed out because I was evacuated so quickly that I only had my keys and phone. No time to get the dogs, my wallet, or even lock the door. We didn't know how long we would be standing outside in the cold (we found out later that it ended up being about 2 hours), so I left with Sam to go to his show that night. I felt so uncomfortable leaving everything in that state, but when we got back at 1am, the lights were back on, the dogs were fine, and everything was in its proper place. Still it was a crazy night.

Today, I got to do yoga on the lunch hour! Our wonderful new HR director, Melissa, decided it would be good for us desk-sitting folk to have a complimentary 8-week yoga course. It felt wonderful and peaceful to stretch and breathe and balance. I loved it! I then had a scoop of my very favorite ice cream, Baskin Robbin's February flavor: Love Potion #31... And also started the calorie counter app again this week (just to make sure I'm not eating more calories than I'm burning throughout the day). Later on today, after work, a group of previous and current coworkers are getting together to reunite because our friend Dallas, from Kansas, is visiting for GDC (Game Developer's Conference). So it's turning out to be a wonderful day indeed!

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. May your sense of humor thrive and tension level diminish! Take care. :)