life in the bubble

anyone looking at the old blog knows that i'm living in a bubble here in LA. my fear is that it really appears like i don't care at all about the rest of you (all 3 of you), or what's going on in the outside world. this is not the case. i love you all. this thing is great for posting some pictures, and i have definitely been carrying my camera around much more in recent months to show some interesting aspects of life in this particular bubble, but my thoughts are not stuck here. i constantly wonder what's going on wherever you are, in your bubble, and in your life. for real! i suppose i should spend some more time talking, and less time blogging though. that's a pretty easy new years resolution. have fun, and be safe.

days off, days on...

two beautiful days off this week, and though one of them was spent shopping (ahhhh!!!), they were some of the best in recent memory. the weather was chilly, but comfortable, and my company could not have been any sweeter. i took some much cleaner sunset pictures today, but i like this one because it allows for a little imagination (it's Beth if you can't tell). sadly however, this Christmas will not be spent with family, but rather with the restaurant family. love to all

holiday cheer

of the Christmas parties i've been to, this one was the most fun. the picture is of Beth, me, Susannah, and the dude that was talking to Susannah. i was definitely the best looking person at the party. also, i met a guy from Charlotte who went to App State, and lived in Kingswood 27. awesome.

rainy and cold

dum dee dum...

slumdog

we went to see what all the fuss was about last night. having heard great things, it's hard not to get your hopes up that a film is going to be a winner. my hopes were not dashed upon the rocks. i loved "Slumdog Millionaire." on top of being a good story, it is funny, action packed, and directed wonderfully. also, it is mostly set in Mumbai (or Bombay, whatever you want to call it) which is interesting to see because of the recent terrorist attacks. the dance performed by the cast as the credits role was the worst part, but it made me smile anyways. anyone with access to an indie-theatre should check it out.

here's a couple of pictures from our most recent hike. fabi, max, and madliene came along too. beth found the hungry bird at Neptune's Net

boom

when the shuttle landed yesterday, it caused a sonic boom that i thought was an earthquake, or a car hitting our house. i didn't take this picture, but it's a good one.

loving some rain

i like to imagine that when it rains here, all the filth of LA and Hollywood comes gushing down Wilshire and Santa Monica Blvd towards the bay. All that grime and hogwash then empties into the currents of the world, landing in places we would never expect. Before it jumps the cliff though, it accumulates and leaves behind what i like to call the Ocean Ave Slick. This phenomenon is treacherous.
the slick is devious, not only because of its ability to drop even the most hardy soul, but also because it does not reach maximum slickness for weeks after it has last rained. the runoff of roads, yards, businesses, and sweat is easily observed on Ocean Ave. I have succumbed to the Slick myself, and have watched numerous unfortunate incidents besides. it's a tough lesson to learn. happy Thanksgiving

hiking

heading to circle x ranch today to walk around. conveniently, we will have to drive right past Neptune's Net. now that's what i call a good incentive to hurry up.

more humiliation

dialogue overheard at one of my all female tables Saturday night: "That waiter's pretty cute, right? No...he's a little too crunchy for me. I knew a guy that looked like that once. Smelled like...........old cinnamon. (great deal of laughter here)" telling the nightly specials with a straight face proved tough.

clear skies

today and yesterday are some of the most beautiful days i've seen in LA. something is keeping the air clear of smog, and i can see Catalina Island with ease, as well as the ships out on the bay. sort of a rarity round here. i was moving my friend, Susannah's car this morning, a VW Jetta, and being polite by not changing her radio from whatever "power-chick" station she's been listening too. boy, was i blasting some stupid song at a stop-light when a dread-locked hippy girl, siberian husky in tow happened to walk by my window. she looked at me like i was the reason for all despair in the world. i felt totally cool....

good shot!

if i was barack obama, today would be the first day that i grew my fro. being the first african-american president isn't enough if you're not the first AFRO-american president. best of luck.

the high desert

what an amazingly diverse state this is. the terrain of the eastern sierras is like being on another planet. in fact, it is where Star Trek Voyager was filmed because it feels and looks like somewhere other than earth. Lone Pine, CA, where we were this weekend, is in the valley below Mt. Whitney. it is not only a beautiful place, but also just an awesome contrast to LA. the people who live there are laid back and friendly as can be. my body and mind need more of that, along with the mountain air, and sense of peace. it was rainy and windy the first day of the shoot, and still and cloudless the second day. Beth did a great job, and i could not be more proud of her. i wish i could post some of the videos that i shot, but that is a distant goal at the moment. these photographs will have to do.

off to the desert for the night

back on Sunday, and nothing to say till then.

sun is shining....

i have tried to be patient and calm with the house being painted. sometimes i succeeded. it's over and done with though.

the smell of clean

we had the carpet cleaned the other day, and even though we didn't use ChemDry, the whole operation brought back a flood of memories from my carpet cleaning days. the sounds, the tools, and especially the smells really took me away for a little bit. my "weekend" has arrived again, and i'm looking forward to some peace and quiet. oh no......they've come to sandblast, and then to paint.

that's a shame

here we go

although it's a bit early in the season, the fires have returned. yesterday, we attempted to go for a hike in our favorite canyon, but it was not possible because of all the ash falling from the sky. the fires are still pretty far inland, but the winds are blowing the ash and smoke all the way out to sea. it was an eery sight. we ended up hiking in a canyon that was completely burned out last year, and we were able to explore the ruins of the destroyed homes. finally, we were sent packing by a park ranger because the winds were picking up again, and some huge trees were starting to fall in the park.
so we are banished from our own home for 5 days due to fumigation. we spent last night at a friend's house in Huntington Beach, and we'll be here tonight as well. Beth has an audition and a class today, so i've got time to explore the area solo, and fix up a quality meal for our hosts tonight.
i am so happy that my niece, Faith, has been officially adopted, and is now a Cash by name. congratulations to her and her family!

santa monica coyote

this morning i spotted a coyote snooping around our neighborhood about a block from our house. i have seen signs telling about his or her presence in the area, but this was my first encounter. it was a very pretty animal, and yes, it was a bit wily. Beth asked, "why are you taking your camera to do laundry?" here's why.

Nike Town

yesterday, we walked all the way to Nike Town, in Beverly Hills! probably about 16 miles round-trip. day off again today.

today

today is a really great day

hot

it has been very hot the last couple of days. we got a break today, and maybe even some rain. jackhammering outside of window this morning very early. trying to do a picture today.

car door woes

it seems that someone attempted to break into my little red a couple weeks ago. too bad for that guy...first of all it didn't work, and secondly, he would have found a stockpile of useless shit. in the process, however, he bent my passenger door window so much that it doesn't work anymore. today my amateur body shop skills will be tested...

St Sophia Cathedral

so Beth's great aunt is going to be 99, i believe, next week. she came out to LA once when she was 20 something to a Greek Catholic conference at St. Sophia church close to downtown. we drove down there last night to take a photo or two to send her on her b'day. i am having trouble uploading pictures here though! have fun in NY, Mom and Ken!

Prayers for Texans

Ike seems to have really scrubbed down the Texas coast, and my heart goes out to all those in its path. The power of nature is really amazing at times. You know what else is amazing? The things we saw last night along Santa Monica Blvd at 3:30am while waiting for the Metro in Hollywood.

opening night

a good morning, and sure to be a fun night in hollywood with some friends. i will try to a put a couple of pictures on here soon! give your bro a minute. working this weekend.

morning waves

a big swell coming into the bay this morning, but nobody was in sight taking advantage of it. it's a cool, crisp day, feeling like fall does. cloudy for the most part...er... maybe those aren't clouds. beth is rehearsing today, and i am cashier at Fritto. good luck to myself in regard to this blogging thing...my hopes are high.